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A French Quarter staple, the Clover Grill offered a look back into earlier days where soda was a nickel, a burger was a dime, and everything came with a healthy side of racism. The narrow, rickety building boasted threadbare seating along a counter sticky with decades of spills and gum and 60s plastic McDonald’s chairs crammed beneath wobbly tables with spiderweb cracks all over. Despite its dilapidated and dated appearance, it did offer some of  the best southern cooking on bourbon street. Everything heavy, fatty, and fried, it was exactly what someone needed after a long night of drinking and debauchery or after a long night (and afternoon) of dealing with family drama.

Or preparing to deal with someone else’s family drama. 

James sent the text late last night. Casper had finally succumbed, although fitfully, to sleep and James intended just to grab a drink, check in with Max and Ben, and slip back into bed with his husband but when he’d gotten caught up on the evening’s events, James remembered he still had a problem to handle. Percy’s alcoholism wasn’t something that could be ignored, even if the events of the evening demanded it be delayed, and James would rather have it dealt with than looming over him all through the Contest of Champions. It was an open invitation to join him for breakfast to discuss Percy away from the kids somewhere comfortable and Clover’s biscuits and gravy were a delicious way to drown bad news. 

So James waited, a steaming cup of black coffee at the back corner table next to a defunct jukebox, and chatted softly with the waitress. 

Dominika looked like death. Her silver roots were growing in, her hair hastily pulled back into a sloppy bun. The lenses of her ruby quartz glasses were visibly smudged, and the majority of her black nail polish had chipped off. She was dressed in a [i]I <3 New Orleans[/i] t-shirt that she’d clearly acquired from a gift shop, having not brought with her a change of clothing, focusing mostly on the many tasks at hand and forgetting the little things - like taking care of herself. She slid into the seat across from James.

[color=add3ff]“So. You wanted to talk.”[/color] She glanced briefly down at the menu, before returning her attention to James. The last time she’d seen him had been under… unusual circumstances. [color=add3ff]“Is this about the entanglement or something else?”[/color]

[color=mediumspringgreen]“Max caught me up on the entanglement stuff and honestly, it is so wildly beyond my expertise I can't even begin to help with that.”[/color] James laughed softly, taking a sip of the scalding coffee. The last time they'd been face to face they'd been enemies, not in their right minds but enemies none the less, and now they were sitting in a run down diner about to talk about their kids, parenthood, and all the trials and tribulations in between. [color=mediumspringgreen]“You're the expert on that and none of us want the entanglement to worsen so I trust your judgment as the parent of Dorian's boyfriend. But in the meantime, do you want anything? Coffee, biscuits and gravy, or something else? Danni made breakfast for the house this morning, but please feel free to eat.”[/color]

Her expression tightened into a grimace. There was something else, then. If it hadn’t been for Max’s mention that it was a dry house, she would’ve ordered an Irish coffee before hearing whatever news it was James wished to discuss. She didn’t know if the house was dry because of him, however. And she was aware that drinking this early wouldn’t inspire confidence, even on Bourbon street. [color=add3ff]”Coffee would be great,”[/color] she said. She hadn’t had much of an appetite the past few days for anything else. She paused for a moment. [color=add3ff]”I’m not good at being patient, James. I also do not like surprises. So please. Tell me what it is you have to say about my son.”[/color]

James nodded at her insistence, but paused as the waitress bustled by with all the southern hospitality in the world. One more coffee, and James topped off to boot, and he took one more sip to stall the conversation he'd called for. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Percy is drinking and it doesn't seem like the first time. When I shook his hand, I noticed the hangover. I spent just a few extra seconds to confirm, but it seems like he's used to handling his alcohol. I'm not his parent so I didn't approach him, especially with everything else going on, but I am concerned about his health and the influence it'll have on his social circle.”[/color] James laid everything out directly as requested. Dominika was clearly going through a lot; Percy's sister being disqualified for drug use and now discovering Percy's own substance abuse. He sipped at his coffee again and gave her a moment to disgest. 

Dominika was speechless. How could she have been so blind? Her job as a mother was to protect him and clearly she’d failed. Why was this all happening? She’d tried to do her best for him - tried to let him know how much he was loved, that he could always come to her and Naomi for support. She tried to be everything her own parents never were. 

She took a shaky breath, trying to steady herself, but she was too overwhelmed. Tears fell as her shoulders slumped. [color=add3ff]”I… thank you for telling me,”[/color] she said, her voice trembling. [color=add3ff]”Fuck… I thought he was past this…”[/color]

James reached out and loosely rested his hand on her arm. It had been a long time since he'd deliberately slowed down his ability and he sunk into the feeling of connection. Dominika's uneven breathing, pounding heartbeat, and tenseness seeped into him with a fury and James soothed it with even breaths and a steady mind, bringing her back from an edge. He kept them connected, in sync with every breath. [color=mediumspringgreen]“You and Percy will get through this. I understand it's overwhelming, but just remember you can still be a good parent and Percy can still feel whatever it is driving him to drink. You clearly have a lot on your plate right now so just breath with me for a moment.”[/color] 

James couldn't imagine how he'd feel if he faced anything like this with Danni and Dorian. The Kingston-Gray parents had absolutely smothered their kids with affection and did everything they could to give the pair as carefree a life as they could. They'd fought and survived to make a better day and they may have failed so many times before but at least for them, James felt like they'd succeeded. But to consider pouring every bit of love, sweat, and tears into their children only for them to still feel… James's heart hurt for Dominika.

The touch from James was unexpected - nice, grounding, but unexpected. The divorce had ended contact with Naomi, and Percy was not particularly big on touch as well. Dominika couldn’t remember the last time someone had reached out to her like this. It probably saved the French Quarter from a bit of structural damage too - it hadn’t happened in years, but her powers made a major incident always just one lapse of control away. It was somewhat fitting that she’d settled in California - Earthquakes weren’t as much of a surprise there. 

[color=add3ff]”Mm, I am not a good parent. A good parent wouldn’t be about to tell their kid they are getting divorced,”[/color] she admitted. [color=add3ff]”A good parent wouldn’t have their child abusing alcohol and not know it. A good parent wouldn’t have let their child get entangled on a quantum level with their first boyfriend, without having even given him the talk yet. So no, I am not a good parent… I am just the one he has,”[/color] she sighed, pinching her eyes closed. She didn’t want to cry again. She also didn’t know why she was offloading all of this onto James - not that she really had anyone to talk to in her life. [color=add3ff]”I’m sorry, I shouldn’t trouble you with all of this.”[/color]

[color=mediumspringgreen]“You've got a lot going on and you clearly need someone to vent to. I'm here and happy to listen.”[/color] James reassured her. [color=mediumspringgreen]“And hey, I've got plenty of experience in this. Casper, my husband, did every drug under the sun to escape his powers. He's been sober for years now, but it was… rough even with three of us helping him through it. If you need help with the conversation or resources, I'm here to help. At the end of the day, I want both our kids safe if they're going to be together.”[/color]

He was certainly one of the last people she’d expected to offer to listen to her. But she was not in a position to refuse. And the stability he was offering her, that feeling of connection, it was sorely needed. The weight of the world was on her shoulders, but he was helping her to bear it, just for a moment - to escape her fate as Atlas for just one meal. [color=add3ff]“I know he’d done this before… Some boys at school had bullied him, saying vile things, shoving him into lockers… But we had talked about it. I thought he’d understood. He’s smart… and he’s been so much happier, he’s made friends, he has a boyfriend I just… I don’t know where to start. Do I send him to a facility? Do I bring him home and pull him from school? I don’t even know where home will [i]be[/i] anymore, I’m losing the house, Naomi is in New York… A broken home doesn’t seem ideal for recovery…”[/color]

[color=mediumspringgreen]“I don't think changing his life drastically like that is going to help. The first thing you need to do is find a professional. I can give you the number of who Casper went to and maybe they can help you find some help in California near the school? Or with therapy set up for the kids, maybe the school can help you explore those options.”[/color] James suggested quickly. [Color=mediumspringgreen] “Just, for the time being, we definitely don't want to take him away from what support network he’s managed to establish and it sounds like our kids are that. There are outpatient options that you can explore so that he can get the help he needs without staying at rehab.”[/color]

Dominika nodded, her mind running through the options. She’d have to discuss them with Naomi - and with Percy. The thought of neither conversation filled her with joy. Just this meeting in the diner with James and she already felt a thousand times more support from him than she had from her wife in years. And Percy, he was too smart for his own good - if he didn’t want to be at rehab, it would be difficult to stop him from leaving. He’d rather burn himself alive than admit he needed help. He was too much like her. It terrified her. She held her head in her hands for a moment, wanting nothing more than to crumble, to let the world fall away around her. 

But she couldn’t fold. She had to be strong. She was his mother. Even if her own world was ablaze, she had to do what she could for him. She had to be there for him before it was too late. [color=add3ff]“Okay. Outpatient options. Casper’s contact. The school’s resources,”[/color] she affirmed, committing those to memory. [color=add3ff]“If you are serious about your offer of aid, I am in no position to refuse. I would appreciate your expertise.”[/color] 

She looked down at her coffee. She didn’t want to make eye contact - even as her shades concealed her own. 

[color=add3ff]“And perhaps a friend, if our history does not deter you.”[/color]

[color=mediumspringgreen]“Don't worry, Dominika. We'll be there with you.”[/color] James promised, wrapping his hands around his own mug and taking a sip. He blinked in surprise at her second question. The Dominika he knew would rather pull her teeth out one by one than ask for help, let alone a [i]friend[/i]. Still, it was her child and a good parent should be willing to put their own comfort aside for their child… 

[color=mediumspringgreen] “You don't even have to ask. Considering how close our kids are, I'd think it'd be stranger than not. Welcome to the family, Dominikia.”[/color]

Dominika burst into tears. 

She hadn’t really had family before - her parents had been near strangers to her, her wife had been wooden and distant, all she’d had were her children. To have someone so freely accept her as family, someone who she had once fought tooth and nail… It broke down every wall she’d put up, every wall she’d unknowingly taught Percy to put up. And she couldn’t stop it, she couldn’t keep the ugly rush of tears, as she just nodded - trying to say thank you, but the words failed her. A nod was the best she could do. 

James reached out again, a hand placed gently back on her arm, and he gave her the space to cry - it was clear she'd needed it for a long time.