Starting an old tradition [closed]

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline had never been too big on the Earth's holidays, even though Gawain had told her about different ones and there meanings when she was a child. The one that she did like was Father's Day. Since no one really knew when Gawain's birthday was or how old the old wolf was, Madeline always had used Father's Day as a way to do something special for him.

When she was little she would always find him a funny t'shirt, make him a card, and fix him dinner. Of course back then dinner usually consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and a glass of milk. The last time Madeline had done this for Gawain was nine years ago.

Madeline had been thinking a lot about this lately. Maybe it was because of her temporary stint as a kid. Or maybe it was because of having her father around again. What ever the reason, Madeline decided she wanted to do something special for her dad and with Father's Day just around the corner, now seemed just as good of time as any and she knew just what she wanted to do.

After going to the market for supplies, Madeline opened a gateway and made her way to her father's old tavern. Once she stepped through and closed it, Madeline let herself inside the tavern with her key. After setting her bags on the bar, Madeline turned the television on, and started the dvdr of Buffy Gawain had promised to record. Turning it up where she could hear it, Madeline made her way to the kitchen and got dinner started. She placed a pot roast in the oven complete with red potatoes and fresh carrots. She also started a pot of rice. For desert Madeline had picked up a red velvet cake from one of the local bakery. Now that dinner was started, and she had cleaned the kitchen up, Madeline made her way back to the front and started dusting.

After the dusting was finished Madeline wrapped Gawain's present and sat it behind the bar. Grabbing a coke, Madeline sat down and finished watching her shows. It would take a few hours for the pot roast to get done. She would wait until then to call for her father.

[Madeline Cauthon]

When Buffy ended Madeline went looking in the back for something they could do together. Some kind of father/daughter activity. What she wanted to do was train, but seeing how father's day was a day for him to relax, that seemed out of the question.

So while she was in the back, she stumbled on the old Star Wars movies they use to watch. Madeline giggled remembering the first time they watched Return of the Jedi, and how she had nightmares about Jaba the Hut for a week. To make her feel safe and help her go to sleep, Gawain would shift into wolf form and lay in her room till she was a sleep.

Sitting the movies aside, she continued to go through old boxes. In one of the boxes, she found her old R2-D2 tape player. Out of curiosity she pushed play. To her amusement it still worked. She also found a blank cassette in the box.

Giggling, she took the movies, the toy, and blank tape into the front. Setting the stuff on the bar, Maddie made her way to the kitchen. Taking the cake and setting it on the counter, she grabbed hold of the Source. Weaving Spirit around the cake to transform it's shape into that of the millenium falcon.



Satisfied, she checked on the rest of her food. The rice was done, so she set the control nob on low. The pot roast was almost done. Smiling she went back out front. Putting the blank tape in R2, Maddie recorded a message for her dad. "Dad meet me at Wolf's Head Tavern. You're my only hope." Yeah she knew it sounded corny, but it should be enough to get his curiosity up!

After playing the message back and rewinding it, Madeline opened a small gateway into Gawain's room. Channeling a little bit of Air and spirit, she pushed R2-D2 into Gawains room. If he was in, he would see it moving towards him, if not he would hear it beeping around the room when he got back. Closing the gateway, Madeline sat down and laughed. Her dad was in for a treat.

[Madeline Cauthon]

While she waited, Madeline wrapped Gawain's present. It was funny to her that she had bought him a t'shirt a few months back as a gift for Father's Day that went along with the theme she had going. She pulled the shirt out of the bag and looked at it. Placing it a dark blue gift box, she tied a gold ribbon around it. Finishing it off with a gold bow in the middle.



Placing the gift on the table she was sitting at, she walked behind the bar and got herself a beer. Popping Star Wars a New hope in the dvd player, Madeline took the remote, and waited for her father.

[Gawain]

Gawain would have been startled if the R2-unit had not smelled like Madeline. He chuckled, then let out a full laugh as he heard the thing speaking. "Well, ain't this some next-level Scheiße....I suppose I should be heading that way. Never know, the black plexi-glass villains may already have her." Another snicker came from him as he lazily wove a Gateway, stepped through, and appeared outside his old tavern.

As he opened the door, thinking about the last time he had locked it, he smelled beer and heard the television. Ah, the bacon commercial...anyway, he stepped inside with a smile on his face and put his hands up as if to cast some Sith lightning. "Alright, where's Darth Malignancy or whatever? I'm 'bout to go all Kyle Katarn on his ass!" There. No one can say he doesn't know how to be a nice guy when given a chance.

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline near about spit out her sip of beer when he said what he did. Laughing she stood up and walked over to her father. She placed her arms around his neck and gave him a big hug. "Sorry Kyle, but your Sith lord is in another castle."

As she let go, she walked to the bar and pulled out a cold beer for her dad. Walking back over to him she pulled out a chair for him to sit in and handed him the beer. "No, there is no danger, no demons, and nothing wrong. I just thought I would do something I haven't done for you in long time. Fix you a nice Father's Day meal."

Madeline reached behind her and handed him the gift box. "See I even got you a present. So do you have time to hang out with your oldest for a little while. I cooked a pot roast, and even bought a cake."

Madeline hit play on the remote. As soon as she did you could here the opening score of Star Wars A New Hope. Madeline smiled warmly at her father. "See I even found some high quality entertainment."

[Gawain]

Gawain was taking a look around when Madeline walked over and hugged him. He placed his arms around her, squeezed, and chuckled. "I'll get 'em next time, then. When did you have time to clean this old place up? It's been a few years since I even glanced in, and I don't even see a cobweb. I appreciate it, but damn, you're gonna spoil your old man."

After he ruffled her hair...he knew she hated it, which was why he did it...he walked over to the television and flopped down. "Huh. Funny how this movie never gets old. Speaking of getting old, how'd you do it?" She would know what he was talking about.

"I've got plenty of time, kid. Ya know, you didn't have to do all this. Not that I'm complaining. You said pot roast and cake, right? I'm in." He turned back to the television, watched for a few moments, then chuckled again. "Nice trick with that old R2-D2. Where the heck did you dig that thing up?"

[Madeline Cauthon]

Madeline smiled warmly as he ruffled her hair. "Dad I've been here since this morning, you know this place has a special place in my heart. It's home. Truth is I come here a lot. Kind of my special hide away fro m the rest of the world.

"Yes I know I didn't have to do this, but I wanted to. You're my my dad, and I wanted to show you how much I love you, and how thankful I'am to have you in my life. I know you had to make some really tough decisions, and that we couldn't always be together, but I understand what you did was out of love for us. Being a good parent isn't about coddling your children's needs all the time. It's about doing whats best for them. And if some kids are to busy wallowing in their own self pity, then they don't deserve your effort. Sorry, Xavier told me a little about how De'Ryanna is acting. I just wish she'd give you a chance instead of feeling sorry for herself."

As Gawain sat down Madeline went in the kitchen and fixed two bowls of pot roast with rice. Grabbing some silver wear Madeline headed back out and placed a bowl in front of her father. "I'm not really sure. I took a nap after breakfast the other morning, and woke up like this. Not complaining mind you."

Madeline took a sip of her meal. "So have you talked to Connor yet? Please tell me you didn't hurt him."

[Gawain]

He shrugged, a half-smile forming lazily. "Eh, what can you do. She knew I'd be in a piss-poor mood and decided to act like damned Elaida. I asked her to afford me the luxury of being spoken to like a person a long time ago, and she doesn't seem to be willing. Why should I? Hell, she's probably found someone to tell how awful I am by now, anyway."

He paused, looking around to the old walls, remembering some of the history of the place. Nostalgia. "You know, being here has got me thinkin'. It isn't a new notion that came up just now, but I wonder sometimes if I didn't make a mistake coming here. I mean, there are some good friends here, yes, but by and large, mostly people who are willing to just....I dunno. I'm looking into some eyes and seeing pitchforks and torches."

After a moment, he fixed her with a sly look. "Say, kid. You've been coming here a lot, you say...been keeping the place clean, too. Damn, it's cleaner than it was when I used to have it open. Tell ya what....you wanna reopen it? Your boat, so to speak. In other words, kid, it's yours if you want it. I'll help out occasionally, but the basic gist is that you'll be in charge of the day-to-day operations. Just to make it easy on ya, though...if you decide to do it, I'll make the first order and let you watch. The alcohol and food order has to be damn near spot-on...too little, and you have some damn dwarves cussing ya out and tossing axes around. Too much, and it rots. So, yeah."

About Connor....he had intentionally left that out. He was a practical man, and one of no small amount of means. He would keep his own counsel on many things, the situation with Connor being one of them.

[Madeline Cauthon]

She felt a uncomfortable chill go down her spine at the mention of Elaida. It was a dark day in the White Tower when she took over and the Tower eventually split. Madeline had been one of the lucky ones that had escaped when the split happened. She often wondered if she would had been a different person had she not escaped with the others.

Shaking the chill off she listened to her father. "You get that feeling too huh. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends and family there, but sometimes I feel like an outsider. Plus the people I'm close to are not there anymore. Dre and his family are at the Manor full time. Xavier is at the Waste, and well your always in and out."

Madeline didn't have to think twice about Gawain's offer. "I'll do it!! I would love to reopen this place. Tell ya what, as soon as we're done here, I'll get started."

Madeline and Gawain continued their Father's Day celebration and made plans for Wolf's Head. When they had finished, and Gawain was fixing to leave he thanked her for the delicious meal, and the shirt. Madeline gave him a hug, and thanked him for the opportunity he had given her. After he left, Madeline cleaned up the dishes and put the left overs in the fridge for later. Making sure everything was turned off, Madeline made a Gateway back to her room at the inn. She had to pack and get ready to move. She hoped she would make Gawain as proud of her as she was of him being her dad.

[The End.]

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