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joeldexerfan-blog · 7 years

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Warren’s Reaction to Joel Quitting the Priesthood

It was exactly 7:30am. And Joel, most unusually for him, was still in bed. Normally by now, he was having toast, reading the newspaper over his dad’s shoulder and half-listening to Sienna talk about nursery designs. Warren looked at the bedroom door. “Why isn’t he up yet?”

Sienna looked up from where she was cutting up slices of watermelon and cherries for her breakfast. “Maybe there was a heavy metal concert or something.”

There was a point. But then priests couldn’t get drunk. Could they? It couldn’t be a hangover that kept Joel, surely. He looked at the door again. “What if he’s ill? We haven’t seen him much since we got back.”

“Warren, we live with a nurse.” Sienna popped a cube of cerise watermelon in her mouth and offered him some fruit. “If he was ill, she’d know what to do. Stop worrying about Joel, it’s probably his day off or something.”

Sienna was right. He was being stupid, worrying over his fully-grown adult son like he was as delicate and helpless as the twins growing in Sienna’s rounded belly. He put all thoughts of Joel out of his mind and settled in front of the telly, his fiancée joining him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He squeezed her hand, unable to stop a smile and she started reading one of her pregnancy books, leaving him free to watch whatever he fancied - a rare occurrence. Of course there was practically nothing on, so he decided on the news.

“-Ben’s son was such a sensible lovely boy, but after his mum was diagnosed with breast cancer, he relapsed into his addiction-”

Warren froze. Sienna grabbed his arm just before he started getting up. “No!” she said firmly. “You can’t go barging in, accusing him of things. If him being in bed bothers you so much, go and talk to your son. Don’t go roaring in there, thumping your chest like some primitive beast.”

“Alright. I’ll be calm and collected.”

“Thank you. Just think of the twins. They don’t need to hear the pair of you bickering any more.”

They didn’t bicker a lot. The last major fallout they’d had was when he’d moved Joel’s crucifix from the telly and lost it and Joel had retaliated by deleting the recording of a match Warren had missed. Sienna had said they were both as bad as each other and refused to pick a side. Honestly, she acted like he and Joel were constantly at each other’s throats and never ever got on or even made an effort to. All boys argued with their dads. At least he and Joel made up. He’d found it difficult to forgive him for a few days, until Joel had found the match on the Internet and Warren had asked him to watch it with him. Maybe they needed more time together. Perhaps Sienna had been right when she’d suggested tuxedo shopping. He stopped at the bedroom door and knocked sharply.

“Kim?” Joel called, sounding worried. “Are you okay?”

“It’s me, Joel.”

“Oh, Dad! I didn’t know you and Sienna were up… I’ll be there in a minute!”

“No need,” Warren said and he opened the door, expecting to find Joel holding that poison in his hand. What he found was Joel with the duvet having mostly slid from him onto the floor, wearing a tank top and a most surprised expression.

“How are you both?” Joel asked, trying to smile. He kept pulling at the white and black cover as though nervous, which only heightened Warren’s suspicions.

“Never mind us. Are you…alright?”

“Me? Yeah, fine. I want to get dressed, can you, you know, get out of here, please?”

Warren crossed his brawny arms and fixed his firstborn with a steely glare. “What’s going on? You never stay in bed this late. Why aren’t you in work?”

Joel kept fidgeting with the duvet cover. “Well, I don’t have work today-”

“It’s Sunday, the holiest day as you insist on reminding me and it’s now half past eight. What’s going on?”

“Nothing! Just go away!” At Warren’s even icier glare, Joel quickly added; “Please.”

‘Don’t go roaring in there, thumping your chest like some primitive beast.’ Sienna’s words reminded him. Warren breathed in deeply. He wasn’t going to go off the deep end. Not again. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to think how best to approach the matter. No good at all beating around the bush. Even less good being all soft and delicate. Yet, getting angry with Joel about it would only make him stubborn and equally angry. Why was raising a son so difficult? He thought it all ended at eighteen, but apparently he’d been wrong.

Joel was looking at him with genuine confusion. “Dad, what is it?”

“I know you’ve not been clean very long. And relapses happen. I promise I’m not angry, but you need to be honest about this with us-”

“You think I’m an addict?”

“I swear on your little brother and sister that I’m not angry. All I want is for you to get well again.”

“Now you’ve said that about the twins, I believe you. Oh, Dad-” Joel put his head in his hands and sighed heavily. “You don’t understand… Okay, I know I’ve got explaining to do, but I don’t know how.”

Warren placed a hand on Joel’s shoulder. “Look at me. You’re my son and I’m not going to let you go through this alone, okay? Just tell me how long it’s been.”

“I’m not on drugs, I’m in love!”

“Love?” Warren repeated. “Is this about Cleo?”

Joel put his hands on his lap. He stared at them and started picking at a hangnail. “Yes. I’ve left the priesthood and I’m with her.”

“When did this happen?”

Joel started nibbling the hangnail instead. “A week ago…”

“YOU’VE BEEN OUT THE PRIESTHOOD AN ENTIRE WEEK AND NEVER TOLD ME?”

Joel jumped and cursed as the hangnail started to bleed. “Dad! You promised you weren’t angry-”

“I’m not angry, I’m disappointed you kept this a secret from me! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because there were…problems.” Joel glanced at him apologetically and Warren knew he meant when Cleo had landed a kiss upon him when what she had really wanted was Joel.

He closed his eyes and exhaled softly. “I love you,” he said quietly. “I want you to be happy with someone who loves you, whether it’s God or Cleo. Whatever happened in the past, it’s in the past. Are you happy?”

Joel nodded. Then he smiled brightly. “Yeah. She’s the best thing ever and the only thing I regret is that it took me so long to realise that.”

“Then there’s nothing for you to hide any more.” Warren ruffled his hair. “Tell you what, you can do a couple of shifts at the Loft to give you something to do until another job catches your eye.”

“Grace won’t mind?”

Warren scoffed. “I don’t give a toss what she thinks! You know you’d go mad if you had nothing at all to do.”

Joel could only agree to that, ducking his head silently. “Thank you.”

“What else are dads for? Come on, time to rise and shine!” Warren stood up and lifted the duvet back to motivate Joel into getting to his feet. There was a squeal of surprise and he found himself looking at a small figure clad in Joel’s dressing gown. Cleo’s gold-green eyes looked up at him sheepishly and he looked at Joel with a raised eyebrow. “You didn’t want to wait, did you?”

“Dad!” As an afterthought, Joel muttered; “As though you’re one to talk!”

Warren huffed softly. “Watch it. Are you staying for breakfast, Cleo?”

“Won’t Sienna mind?”

“Of course not.”

When Joel and Cleo emerged from their love-nest, Sienna’s lips tightened and she squeezed the cherry she was holding so tightly it exploded, leaving a droplet of juice travelling down her wrist like a drop of blood. “What on earth is she doing here?”

Warren nodded his head at Joel. “Your soon to be stepson has something to tell you. Don’t you, Joel?”

“Er.. I'mwithCleo.” Joel mumbled, shrinking at the impressive glare Sienna pinned him with.

“Speak up!” Warren prompted. “Go on, tell your stepmum.”

“She knows!” Joel protested. “I just told her.”

“You do realise every time you kiss her, you’re kissing the same lips that were on your father’s?” Sienna asked coolly. Joel gave Sienna a look Warren couldn’t quite decipher and she sighed deeply. “Fine. You’re a grown man, do what you want!”

“Don’t be like this. We happen to really like each other.”

“I happen to really like your dad and she kissed him!”

“That was an accident!” Joel said. He shyly took Sienna’s hands. “Please be happy for me. You know how I feel about her. Don’t you remember when…when you or Dad would have to stay up with me? I kept talking to you about Cleo then.”

Sienna clearly did remember. Neither she or Warren had known exactly how to help someone off drugs, but she had done everything she could, often staying up with them both or even just with Joel by herself. She looked at Joel’s hands and squeezed them gently. “Okay, I do. I do remember. I wanted you to be happy then and it hasn’t changed now.”

Joel smiled hopefully. “Does this mean I have my future stepmum’s blessing?”

Sienna freed one of her hands and rubbed Joel’s shoulder. “Yes, you do.”

“Thank you.”

She seemed to be about to add something, but flinched, cradling her bump. “I need to sit down.” At the worried looks, she smiled. “Pregnancy cramps. I might lie down, actually.”

Warren went to help, holding her hand and rubbing her back tenderly. “I’ll help you get comfy. Have breakfast, you two!”

Just as they closed the bedroom door, they heard one of them murmur to the other; “I know what I’d like for breakfast…”

Sienna pressed her face into Warren’s shoulder and shook with laughter. “Cleo! That was definitely Cleo.”

“She is a McQueen after all.” Warren kissed Sienna’s forehead and carefully sat her down on the bed, helping her to rest back. “There we go.”

“Thanks. So, this has been an eventful morning, hasn’t it?” She looked at the door. “Those two. Do you think he’d ever have told us himself?”

“When we were on our deathbeds.” Warren chuckled and kissed Sienna again, aiming for her lips. “That’s just him, isn’t it? You know, I think Cleo might be good for him.”

“Me, too.” Sienna winced and rubbed her swollen belly. “When the time comes, I hope she has a less painful pregnancy.”

“Oi! He’s not getting her pregnant any time soon. And you’d be called Granny!”

“Don’t worry.” Sienna closed her deep green eyes. “You’d make a very handsome grandfather.”

Warren slid his arm around her shoulders. “One thing is for certain. They’re going to bring a lot of excitement with them. What is with Joel and the McQueens? I know there’s a lot of them, but still..”

“Oh, Warren. He’s happy. What does it matter who he’s happy with?”

“I’m glad he’s happy. I want someone to look after him when I’m not around.”

Sienna took his hand and held it tight. “You’re going to be around forever, Warren Fox. You have to be.”

Warren wriggled his hand free. If she held his hand so tightly now, he didn’t like to think what the labour would bring. “Alright, I will be! I’m not going to leave you or our beautiful babies or their big brother. I love you all.”

Sienna was smiling again. “I love you too.”

She soon fell asleep and Warren couldn’t help watching her, how her dark eyelashes fanned above her cheekbones, how her glossy dark chestnut hair spilled over her shoulders. He really was getting soft, but that was okay. It was alright to sometimes be soft with the ones you loved.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Screw it, I know it’s a soap, but where in the name of God was the scene when Warren found out his pride and joy packed in the priesthood? We saw Myra’s reaction and it turned lovely very quickly with the sweet, sweet aunt-niece scene, but I wanted to see Warren’s! So I made my own just so we have his reaction somewhere. Also I hasten to add that Sienna was not happy with Cleo and yet she was at the wedding that didn’t happen which may have meant she thought enough of Joel to forgive Cleo for kissing Warren like that.

#fanfic #warren fox #joel dexter #cleo mcqueen #sienna blake #fluff #father son bonding #might write more #warren loves sienna #joel loves cleo #worried dad

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