Knull Meg Hardt, Pappa

Evig Pint

"Arthur, you better be home. I've been trying to call all week." Alister called from the front door.
Arthur rolled off the couch, groaning as he heard the soft clink of the whiskey bottles he had emptied the night before.
"Arthur, I'm coming in there. I better like what I see."
"Leave me alone." Arthur grunted, knowing that Alister hadn't heard him at all.
The door opened and the Scot stepped in, sighing. "You shouldn't turn to alcohol."
"What else am I supposed to do, Al? There's no God and those stupid wizard books won't tell me anything!" Arthur gestured to the pile of old books from when he used to practice witchcraft.
"Oh...the bargaining step."
"What?"
"Never mind. The kids are in the car. You promised to take them out tonight."
"It's Halloween already?"
"Aye. Clean up before you invite them in, okay?"
"Yeah..." How many days had he been binging? How was he still alive?
"You really need help. What happened to that other guy?"
"What other guy?"
"The one with the cross in his hair."
"Lukas? Yeah...that wasn't going to work out..." Not after they had slept together.
"Well...you need to find somebody to talk to. The kids were asking about you all week while you were tearing yourself apart."
"I'm sorry." Arthur picked himself up off the floor. "I'll take them out of your hair after tonight."
"You sure that's a good idea?"
"Sure it is. They're my kids."
"Yeah...but maybe I should keep them for a few more days. You're not in good shape."
"I'm fine." Arthur shifted his foot and the clatter of bottles disproved his point.
"Look, I'll help you take them around tonight, okay?"
"Alright. Thanks."
"You go play with the boys while I clean the place up."
Arthur nodded and made his way outdoors where the twins were playing fetch with Potato.
"Daddy!" Matthew caught sight of him and ran up, the dog chasing behind him in order to get the stick in his hand.
"Are you guys ready?"
"Noooo...we don't have our costumes on."
"They're in the house..." Arthur was about to lead them back into the home, but then he remembered the mess it was in.
"But we'll get them later. It's still early." Arthur knelt down, Matthew launching himself into his arms along with Alfred.
"Where's Peter?"
"I dunno." Alfred shrugged.
"I think he was in the car but he might have gotten out. I left the door open."
"Wouldn't he be in his car seat?"
"We forgot that."
"What?!"
"We forgot his car seat."
"When...did you...exactly..."
"We haven't used it all week."
"Alister isn't babysitting you anymore."
"Can Uncle Gil do it?"
"He somehow seems more dangerous."
"Alright, boys, let's get yer costumes on." Alister called from the front door.
"Yay!"
"We still never found Peter..."
"Oh...he's...Uhm...oh look, there he is?"
Alister pointed toward the trees on the edge of the property.
"HOLY SHIT." Arthur ran toward the trees, plucking Peter off the lower branches. "How did he get up there?"
"Squirrel." Peter babbled.
"You're not a squirrel."
"Dad! Dad!! Look! I'm captain America!" Alfred zoomed in, fully costumed, Matthew right behind him.
"Time for candy, then!" Alister grinned. "Let's go to the bad part of town where they give out the fun stuff with razor blades."
"No!" Arthur objected. "We're going to the rich part of town to get the big chocolate bars."
"YAY! Let's take down capitalism one chocolate bar at a time." Matthew cheered.
"I don't know where he got that from, but let's go." Arthur sighed.