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Wednesday hadn't been exactly thrilled with them staying at his dad's place for this vacation. She didn't even consider this a vacation, but Tyler told her that it was important to him for Dean to spend time with his grandfather. Now that he and his dad reconciled, he took the first week and a half of his son's Christmas vacation to come to Jericho for a visit. He, like his wife, didn't miss the town at all. But it was the principle of the matter. And well, Wednesday understood.
It still took plenty of bribery for her to come along, of course.
Being here in his childhood home was cheaper than finding a hotel. There wasn't even a good one in Jericho, it'd have to be in the next town over. Tyler thought it made a lot more sense for them to save the money and stay there. His dad got along with her surprisingly, if only for Dean's sake.
Unfortunately, Dad didn't get a chance at being here as often as he liked. Still the sheriff of the town, he had responsibilities to attend to. That included his regular shift. Wednesday took Dean out and would be gone until the evening time. Tyler thought it was really sweet to see them bonding, even if she immediately rejected the idea.
As for himself, Tyler was lounging around, alternating between the TV and his phone. When he heard a car door slam shut, he assumed it was Wednesday and Dean coming back early. He rose to his feet, sighing, wondering who ticked her off this time and what mess she created.
He didn't expect it to be his dad.
"Tyler!" Donovan came storming in. He was still wearing his uniform, still technically on the clock and he did not look happy.
"What?" Tyler said, confused. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Donovan said sarcastically. "I'll tell you what's wrong, Ty, or maybe I'll just show you."
He practically shoved a handful of pictures in Tyler's face. He had to blink a couple times to adjust his eyes, taking them gingerly. "What are these?"
Somehow he wasn't so sure he wanted to know the answer to that.
Warily, Tyler glanced down to view them properly. And he couldn't believe what he saw.
"When was this?" Tyler demanded.
"Just today," Donovan said, his tone full of disapproval. While he’d certainly warmed up to Wednesday and their relationship over the years, taking it better than he had in the beginning, it didn’t mean he was fully accepting of everything she did.
“Oh my God.”
Whenever they had gone, evidently it was to rob. Wednesday was caught on camera plainly, with Dean trailing behind her, a bundle in his arms of some kind of item that Tyler could discern what it was.
“ Unbelievable ,” Tyler snapped. “I told her-” He didn’t hesitate to immediately call her, angrily tapping his foot while he waited for her to pick up.
“When I agreed to purchase this contraption, I didn’t intend to use it quite as often,” came her dry voice.
He bulldozed right past that. “ Wednesday Friday Addams , why is our son not wearing a jacket?”
Donovan blinked rapidly, sputtering. “ What? ”
“He has it with him,” she said, sounding suspicious, obviously wondering how he knew.
“But he’s not wearing it!”
“How would you know?” She demanded. Then, before he could respond, she growled, “Your father has something to do with this, doesn’t he?”
“Dad brought me pictures of you two on surveillance,” he said dismissively, completely ignoring his gaping father, “now stop changing the subject and make him put it on.”
“You are utterly ridiculous,” she scoffed. “He is fine.”
Tyler pinched the bridge of his nose. “Make him put it on or I’m not bailing you out of jail when you inevitably get arrested.”
“I spent nights in cells long before we got together, Tyler.”
He huffed. “It’s like thirty-five degrees.”
“I assure you he won’t become hypothermic.”
She was clearly not going to corporate. Fine, he knew just where to hurt her.
“Do it or you can forget any quads for the foreseeable future.”
It didn’t take long for her to comply. “Get your jacket on,” she ordered.
“Aww, Mom .” He could hear Dean whining in the background.
“ Now .”
He smiled smugly. “Thank you.”
“You’re dead to me,” Wednesday said and hung up.
Tyler placed his phone back into his pocket, remembering that his father was still there. “I know what you’re going to say,” he said with a sigh, “I’m being overprotective, I probably went out without wearing a jacket sometimes. Just please don’t try to give me any advice, Dad. Wednesday and I got this.”
He went back over to the couch, so he didn’t see the look of defeat that crossed Donovan’s face, nor did he witness his father throwing up his arms in the air.
“I give up,” his father muttered. “ I. Give. Up .”