From: magsrose@comcast.net   
      
   Title: A Little Frohike – Part II   
   By: MagsRose   
   Feedback: magsrose@comcast.net   
   Category: Gen/Het   
   Rating: PG   
   Summary: Frohike's daughter gets to know the Gunmen   
   Disclaimer: They're not mine no matter how much nor how many times I   
   wish it. CC, et al own then but don't deserve them   
   Spoilers: Lots of Lone Gunmen episodes, some general Buffy TVS stuff   
      
      
   Chapter 1   
      
   Once the lawyer read the will it turned out that it would be Frohike   
   who would go home with Emma. He originally thought it would be the   
   other way around. Michelle had said that she had a nice little house.   
   That fact had slipped his mind. Not only did she have a house but it   
   was paid for. It was a great relief to him to find out that he would   
   not have to worry making mortgage payments.   
      
   Shoot, he and the guys were barely making the rent on the warehouse.   
   Frohike had been serious when he told Langly that he would move out   
   and he knew he would have to get another job to afford it.   
      
   He also figured that he would not be able to work a 9 to 5 job, do   
   everything that needed to be done at the paper and still have time to   
   be a decent parent. He would have to give up something and,   
   unfortunately, it would have been his life's work.   
      
   An account had been set up to cover property taxes, insurance, and   
   maintenance on the house and the yard. Michelle had left a sizable   
   estate above and beyond this. Emma would receive an `allowance' each   
   month to cover household expenses, her education, health insurance,   
   clothing, entertainment, etc. It would be automatically deposited in a   
   checking account in both her name and Frohike's.   
      
   He didn't really want to tie himself in anyway to Emma's money but he   
   could see the necessity of having an adult on the account. There was   
   more money allowed for each month than he felt was necessary so he   
   planned to set up a savings account into which the excess would be   
   deposited at the end of each month. This money could be for   
   emergencies or for whatever Emma needed or wanted within reason.   
      
   There had also been a big chunk of money left to Frohike himself. This   
   he flat out refused. Although the money would have solved many of the   
   problems they were still having at the paper, he just couldn't justify   
   accepting it. The money was Emma's not his. He had done nothing to   
   deserve it. He asked Mr. Brown to do what would need to be done to put   
   the money into the trust that had been set up for Emma. She would   
   inherit the bulk of her mother's estate when she turned 21.   
      
   There was one thing he accepted though.   
      
   When Mr. Brown handed him the papers to transfer the title for   
   Michelle's car to him, he gladly signed them. He would need another car.   
      
   He'd always had a soft spot for the VW bus. He had bought it used and   
   at first it was only transportation. Over the years more and more   
   equipment had been permanently installed in it. It was now officially   
   `The Mobile Command Unit' and was needed for stakeouts, surveillance,   
   or just to transport more than the two people that could fit   
   comfortably in Jimmy's car. He couldn't afford another car so   
   Michelle's `98 Honda Accord would fit the bill. It was not his style   
   but it was comfortable, had leather interior (he had to love that),   
   air conditioning, and automatic everything. It was better suited as a   
   family car.   
      
   For the first time he thought of Emma and himself that way: a family.   
      
      
   They drove back to Emma's house in the VW bus. Emma had been a little   
   unsure of the elderly vehicle at first but after Frohike helped her   
   into the front seat and she got a chance to look around she was full   
   of questions. Why did the van have so much equipment? What did this   
   button do? Was that a camera? Did it have two-way mirrored windows?   
   What were all the monitors for? What kind of job did Frohike have that   
   required such a set up?   
      
   He started to talk about himself and what he did until he noticed that   
   she was dozing off. Poor kid, so much had happened to her in the last   
   few days. She must be exhausted. Soon she was sound asleep with her   
   head leaning on the passenger side window.   
      
   He was able to find the house on his own without too much difficulty.   
   It was a two-story home with a neatly kept front yard. Frohike was   
   kind of surprised that there was no white picket fence. He stopped the   
   car at the curb in front of the house. He wasn't sure how to wake Emma   
   but turning off the engine did the trick.   
      
   "Oh, we're here. I didn't mean to do that."   
      
   "Don't worry about it. Have you gotten much sleep recently?" Frohike   
   asked.   
      
   "No, not really." Emma admitted. She slid off the seat and out the   
   door. "Would you like a tour of the house?"   
      
   He said that he would. Mr. Brown had given him a set of keys to   
   Michelle's car and the house but Emma already had her keys in her   
   hand. She unlocked the door and let them in. Emma gave Frohike a quick   
   tour. It was comfortable, two story home: very tidy and more than big   
   enough for two people. There were a living room, dining room, kitchen   
   and an office downstairs. In the backyard there was a climbing   
   structure that Emma swore she had not used `since she was a kid'.   
   Upstairs there were four bedrooms and a laundry room.   
      
   Michelle must have used the master suite but it was strangely stripped   
   of all personal touches. There was a bed, a nightstand with a lamp, an   
   over stuffed chair, and a dresser but not much else. Emma noticed his   
   puzzled expression. "My mom had most of her stuff taken out of the   
   room before she died. She said it would make it easier for the next   
   occupant."   
      
   Frohike was a little shocked by this statement. How frank had Michelle   
   been with Emma about everything that was going on?   
      
   When he said nothing she tried to explain, "My mom believed it was   
   important to tell me the truth as much as possible. She said that she   
   only ever lied to me once."   
      
   "And that was?"   
      
   "About how she got pregnant with me."   
      
   Okay, he wasn't ready to go there just yet so he looked back at the   
   large room. "I can use one of the guest rooms," he offered.   
      
   "No, this one is for you," Emma insisted indicating the master suite.   
   He just nodded. He would need to go back to the warehouse and get some   
   clothes and other essentials. He didn't feel that he should take her   
   with him, not yet. He didn't want to throw too much at her at one   
   time. Let her get used to him before she met the other guys.   
      
   Besides the dark mood that Langly had been in when Frohike left that   
   morning was one that was bound to last for a couple of days. So the   
   problem now was: could he leave her home alone, even if it was only   
   for an hour or two?   
      
   "I'm going to go get out of this ridiculous outfit," Emma informed him   
   indicating the blue and yellow ruffled dress her `Auntie' Cordelia had   
   bought for her. She went into her room and carefully closed the door.   
      
   Frohike went to wander around the house a little. He found the garage   
   and checked out the car. He popped the hood. Six cylinders, that was   
   good. The two-car garage held little other than the car. It was way   
   too clean and it seriously lacked tools.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)