The Joys of Parenthood ~private, me and Smoke~

"Soo.... think they'll grow up and get married?" Vale teased, trying to bring out the protective side of Felik. It was always so funny when Vale would be hit on by guys (and sometimes even girls) and Felik would come to the rescue, being very protective.

Ooc: XD

Felik looked at Vale with a disapproving yet humored look. He knew what she was doing. "Well... I need to get to know him before I decide whether he's alright or whether I need to kick him out the door 'til he lands in Mexico."
The Hustler shoved Vale, teasing her back.

"Ooh, across the Atlantic. That's bound to be fun," Vale humored as she took a step to the left caused by the Hustler's shove. A parent looked disapproving at them before looking back to her own child, fussing him about wearing such a dirty jacket. Vale was curious as to whys he was doing this, as the child was going to start crying soon and the jacket was entirely fine-looking.
"Parents are weird..." The criminal spoke softly underneath her voice as to where the other people surrounding them in the cafeteria couldn't hear her.

"You betcha it'd be fun. For me at least," Felik laughed, looking around the lunch hall.
It wasn't long before Frayer ran back with Gale, "They said yes!" She squeeled excitedly, "Can we go now?"
"Sure, I think we're done here. We'll see if there's anything else they want to talk about with us."

Vale was about to suggest they just bail when someone tapped her shoulder. Her instincts not being used to someone being able to sneak up on her, she immediately whirled around and put her hand on her left pocket, where she usually kept her gun during heists and hustles. Thankfully she didn't have it today, and the person didn't scream bloody murder, but rather didn't notice the small action at all.
"Ah, you must be Mrs. Buhari! It's so nice to see my son found a wife!" A woman said. She had dark skin, curly black hair going a bit past her shoulders, and a hefty figure. Did she just say what I think she said?!

Ooc: ;D

Felik whipped round at the sound of someone addressing Vale, entering full protective mode. But when he saw who it was, his mind raced. The woman, clad in a brightly colored shall and headdress, was so familiar that at first Felik didn't recognize her.
"Mum?!" the Hustler finally gasped with utter discombobulation at the sight of his mother. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Ooc: Nice twist Smokey XD I'm guessing this woman is meant to be Felik's mum, right?

Ooc: Yepserdoodle. I like twists, makes things more interesting X3

Frayer looked on at the beginning of the conversation with a blank look. She didn't know she had a grandma. She immediately ran forward and wrapped her arms around the slightly old lady, who smelled oddly of bacon and roses. Good mix, but still a bit weird.
"GRANDMA!" The young girl yelled in glee, making Vale want to do a Facepalm. "M-Mrs. Buhari, it's wonderful to meet you," The criminal said, trying not to let her beating heart pump its way out of her chest.
"Wonderful to meet you too Valentina, and what a cute little face you have Frayer," Felik's mom said with a laugh at the end.
She then proceeded to look up at Felik. "You, young man, are in countless amounts of trouble. I honestly don't think how you could get married and not even introduce me to this wonderful girl and your daughter!" She said.

Felik's face fell into his hands as he rubbed his palms across his whole head, moaning and mumbling irritably under his breath. "Mom, we need to explain some things before anyone does anything else. Let's just go home."
"Oooh, so you made a home for yourself and all that then, have ya?" Mrs. Buhari went on in her strong South-African accent, "And not a word from you since you first arrive. I don't no why I bother with you at all! Your brother's so good at keeping in touch and you're so useless."
At this, the older woman gave her son a harmless little clip round the ear, which made him look and act like a little kid before he corrected himself and began leading the way out the door, followed by a carnival of people; Vale, Frayer, Gale and his mother.

Ooc: I like where this is going ;D

Ooc: That's why I started this ;3 Btw, I think she should know that Felik is a criminal, though she disapproves of it, but doesn't know that Vale really isn't his wife :3

Vale stayed in the back, the 2 kids holding her hands; Gale on the left, Frayer on her right. It was odd, since Gale already acted like he'd known all of them since he was born when they only met a few moments ago. His parents must be the type of parents who say 'be nice to everyone, for everyone can be your friend'.
Vale blew out a breath of air as the chill of fall met her skin when they stepped outside. "So, Vale, how old are ya?" Felik's mother said in her South-African accent, bit in English and not French. Frayer looked up at Vale with slight confusion in her eyes, but brushed it off and continued trying to not step on any cracks. Felik used to sound exactly like his mother, but with time he had gotten a French accent form speaking the language so much.
"I'm 20 years old ma'am," Vale replied in English as well.
"Oh, how did ya meet Felik in a bar?" At this Vale's jaws dropped slightly as her cheeks flushed pink. How did this woman know everything?

Felik shot a humiliated and scolding glance at his mother. "Mom!" he hissed, "enough of the questions, alright? We'll answer everything when we get home."
It wasn't long before they rounded the last corner towards home and were soon outside the building.

"Alright, alright," The woman replied. The 4 all walked down the run down sidewalk and reached the corner house in only a few minutes. The scowl on Mrs. Buhari's face made Vale slightly nervous, and incredibly happy that they had redecorated inside.

Noticing the look on his mother's face, but ignoring it for the time being, Felik pushed his way inside and climbed the stairs until they reached their room door. He unlocked it and stepped aside to let the others pass by into the apartment.
At this, Mrs. Buhari's face softened and she smiled a little as she took a seat. "Ahhh! This is better! It's a nice place you've got here, bot. You've done well!" she said, a little out of breath. "So. Now. Tell me everything."

Ooc: hey I'll reply to this when I get home. I'm on the road. Just went out Black Friday shopping :/

Ooc: Cool XD Ok, see you in a minute

Ooc: I'M HOME XD

"Umm... alright. Gale, Frayer, go play with your toys maybe?" Vale asked the little kids, who immediately seemed to brighten up at the word 'toys'. The duo immediately ran into the room and you could hear giggling and weird voices, probably mimicking Ken and Barbie voices. That girl seriously loved Barbie....
"Where do you want to star miss?" Vale asked politely.
"Oh sweety call me mom," Mrs. Buhari laughed, replying to the young girl's manners.

"Mom..." Felik said, both with frustration and embarrassment. "Call her Sanaa, Vale."
"Alright then, if ya feel uncomfortable. But tell me, how exactly did you two meet?"
Felik was planning on answering as many of the questions as he could to avoid freaking Vale out. "We met in a bar," he said quickly, "It was pretty normal. We just started chatting and discovered we... had a lot in common," the Hustler concluding, avoiding bringing up the fact that they're wanted criminals.
Now, because Felik was an idiot, he failed to realize that he was leading his mother to believe that him and Vale were man and wife.

Sanaa had an incredulous look in her dark brown eyes. "You mean she used to rob banks too?" She asked, a disapproving tone seeping into her voice.
At this Vale immediately snapped her attention to Felik's mother, her jaw slightly dropped. How many people did Felik tell about what he did in France?

Seeing Vale's panicked expression, Felik quickly answered, "Ugh, no! Vale's never done that kind of thing. I hardly do it either anyway."
At this, Sanaa relaxed a little. "I've always disapproved of your ways, boy. A person needs to earn a living, not steal one. You'll wind up in jail soon Felik, mark my words. So, what do you do to provide for your family."
The Hustler's mind went blank. "I'm a... street performer."
"You still stealin', aren't you," Sanaa remarked gloomily.
"Yes," Felik confessed, "But only from people that deserve it! Thugs and that lot-"
"But you are a thug, son." Felik's mother despaired, shaking her head. "But enough about work. How about that little girl of yours. How is she?"

"Frayer is doing great, in school and health both. We fixed up our home so she wouldn't live in that bad of a place," Vale replied to Sanaa.
"An I'm supposin' that you aren't the biological mother?" The woman asked yet another question, at which Vale shook her head. She was too young to have a 6 year old daughter, as she would've been on the show 14 and pregnant.
"Where'd you get 'er then?" Sanaa questioned. "My sister died in a car crash, and Frayer is actually my niece," Vale replied.

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that," Sanaa said sympathetically, "How nice of you to take on parenthood at such a young age."
"Can I get you anything, mom?" Felik asked, looking for an excuse to leave the room and gather his thoughts. Also he wanted to check on Sable. The poor girl had been shut in the kitchen as the party had come in, and Felik was worried she was going to destroy the little room out of frustration.
"Some herbal tea if you have it, son. If not, then just your regular tea will do." Sanaa answered as Felik headed into the kitchen, shutting the door and leaning back on it, trying to gather his thoughts.

Sanaa then proceeded to look at Vale. "So what do you do for a livin' hun?" She asked in a friendly tone.
"I work at a local farm market," Vale replied, half-truthfully. She had just gotten the job there after Frayer became part of their family, but it wasn't what she did for a living.
"Oh that's wonderful!" Felik's mother exclaimed wit pride in her voice.

Felik returned to the room with two mugs of tea as he handed one to his mother and one to Vale. Then, walking over to his guitar standing in one corner of the little room, he pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels and took a swig to calm his frustrated nerves.
"So, you still play that old thing then do you?" Sanaa said, looking over to her son as he slipped the alcohol behind the guitar again. "Yes mom," he said, "both me and Vale play music. She plays the violin."

"Oh, that's wonderful! I think I like you the most out of any girl my boy has ever fancied," Sanaa exclaimed to the duo. Vale's check slightly flushed as she felt a bit happy that Felik's mother thought she as the best girl Felik had ever dated when they were actually just best friends... right?
No! I don't have any feelings for Felik! He's my best friend, Vale scolded herself in her mind, her face not seeming to look like she was thinking such a thing.

Ooc: Btw, whenever something like this happens, every girl tells themselves that they don't like their best friend. It doesn't mean she's starting to like Felik already XD

Felik rolled his eyes, but he knew it was true. He had never met someone like Vale. She was kind, compassionate and trustworthy, unlike a lot of the girls he had liked.
WAIT, BUT YOU DON'T LIKE VALE... OKAY? Felik screamed at himself. You. Are just. Friends.

Ooc: lol, I know, that's why I had Felik going through the same thing :3

Ooc: XD Okiedokie :3

"MOMMY! GALE STOLE MR. BARBIE!" Frayer yelled from the room, snapping Vale out of her thoughts.
"Nuh-uh! A girl shouldn't play a boy! It's weird!" She heard Gale shout back.
 She rolled her eyes, apologized to Sanaa and went to the room where the kids were in the middle of the room playing to sort out the little kiddy dilemma. How'd she go from robbing banks to this?