catchacold | Babysitter's Club

"We'll see. You might be right. I'll just let you two talk." No use arguing, it would only make Axel more stubborn about it. Leonard simply wanted to make sure Axel knew that he was there for him. He turned onto the other street and sped up. Not that far a way to jail any more.

"Your muffins are delicious. I think Hartley's not really that creative with baking, you are. Hartley's only creative with music, everything else is science."

"Hartley's really smart but I like that he has music, it's better than science. Well, better in it's own way, you know? It's more beautiful." And Axel liked that, things that were creative and beautiful, he found them fascinating. Sure, he did some tech himself sometimes and he had developed a fondness for hacking recently after Jesse gave him a step by step how to guide but he didn't like it was much as being creative. He liked making things, it was like a sense of accomplishment he never got.

"I'm not that good at it, it's okay. I'm all right at it. One of my foster moms taught me how to bake. It was kind of nice."

"You're pretty damn good. Do you think you can make a cake for Teddy's first birthday? Still some time off, but I'd like it to look great. Not that Teddy will care, but you know it'd make Mick's day. Something Teddy likes, like a duck or a bear or a fire truck. You know the kid, he likes everything anyway." That was so much better to talk about than James Jesse. Leonard knew they had to get back on that, given they were there soon, but still. Something to keep Axel grounded for now. "I'll pay for any ingredients you need."

"Erm, sure? Yeah. I could do that. I could make it a firetruck. Then Mick'll love cutting it up and eating it." Axel laughed somewhat nervously but he was starting to get a little unsettled, they were getting closer and he had butterflies in his stomach. He smiled at Leonard though, seeming happy enough to focus on the idea. "It's not too hard. You just get a cake mould and you bake it into that shape. If we could find a mould, I could do it easy!"

"Bet you could even do it without a mould. You know, just bake a cake and shape it with a knife? Think about it, might be worth a try." Leonard finally parked by the prison, looking at Axel. He reached out, putting a hand on Axel's shoulder. "You'll be fine, Axel. I'm with you. No matter what he does or says? I'm with you and you're with me."

"I could try." Axel wasn't so sure himself, he'd never tried it but it could be fun. Axel nodded his head at Leonard and then undid his seatbelt, sliding out of the car. He wasn't sure if any of this was a good idea but here he was, doing it. It was kind of scary. If it went badly, he was about to lose his idol just as he found him. He stuck close to Leonard as they headed inside, unsure what to do or say. "This prison is pretty big, huh?"

"Feel free to experiment with the cake as much as you want. Not as if cake is ever going to go to waste." Mick practically asked for cake every day as it was, might as well make it a hobby for Axel. "I'll pay for the ingredients you need and when you deliver the actual cake for Teddy's birthday, I'll pay you for that, depending on how much time and effort you put into it. Sounds good?"

Leonard headed for the building, nodding at the guard and letting himself get patted down. "Pretty big, yeah. Reason they call it the big house, I guess."

"Yeah, I could always use more money." Seemed like a good way to get himself some cash and he could use it to get Teddy something nice for his birthday. The kid was cute and he was always happy to see him, he kind of wanted to get him a cool gift he'd keep into his later years. "Sounds good for sure."

As he followed after Leonard, the guards proceeded to pat him down to. Axel watched, curious, as they made sure he had nothing on him and made him remove anything that looked like it could be used somehow as a weapon. He had to unpin some badges, just in case. Once they were through, they were handed special passes. "Oh cool, it's like a concert."

"Yeah. Though if you spot any mosh pits? Stay clear." Leonard obviously knew his way around, walking past the usual visitor's rooms. He knew where James Jesse was held and not just anyone would have gotten in. "Right. We can agree on a safeword. Nothing kinky, just something you say when you want me to get you the hell outta there, okay?"

"Erm? Sure. Okay. Lemme think." Axel tilted his head to the side, trying to think of something he'd never ever say in there but would be easy enough to bring up in conversation if they needed it. "Duck." Axel agreed with a bright grin, bouncing a little because nervous or not, he was still pretty excited and he couldn't wait to meet his dad. He had a family for the first time in ever and he was so excited. He swiftly launched forward before Leonard could shove him off and hugged him, it was tight and quick. "Thank you for this."

"Don't thank me yet," Leonard muttered, not shoving Axel off, because he was gone within a second anyway. Instead he ventured forward as they got to the door he'd been aiming for, stopping by the older guard. "How much time we got?"

The guard looked at Axel briefly, then just focused on Leonard and shrugged his shoulders. "However much you can take."

"We'll see." Leonard patted himself down briefly, then pulled out a bag of sweets and handed it to Axel. "He likes those."

"Cool, I love this brand!" Axel bounced off into the room without a single care and the guard winced a little as he watched that kid, all excited and happy. Everyone around this place seemed to know just where this would lead and there was Axel, unaware and desperate to see his father.

As he moved inside, he could see the back of his dad and he felt suddenly nervous. He turned his head back, just to make sure Leonard was with him and then very carefully, he approached the large glass cell that kept them separated and slid the sweets into the hatch that gifts could be deposited. Once he was close enough, he placed his hand on the glass and forced the words out. "Hey dad."

Well, that soon got the Tricksters attention. He turned around and the smile he wore was unsettlingly large. "Kiddo!"

Leonard, a lot less pleased to even be here and really not looking forward to what he expected to witness, still stayed close to Axel, although he made sure to keep his eyes on the boy more than the father, whom he just acknowledged with a quick nod, his hands in his pocket. He knew James Jesse well enough to know he got along with his father, he even admired Lewis' take on having children. He didn't want to even be close to a man like that.

James Jesse was a nice man on first impression to someone as naive as Axel. He spoke very nicely to Axel, he praised him for being so handsome, so tall. "You got your mothers eyes, sport." Axel smiled the whole time, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he asked about his mother and got sort of vague responses. "You know, she was a heck of a dame but she couldn't be tied down. You understand, right?"

"Oh yeah, I get it." He didn't but he wanted to seem like he was cool with it. He saw one of the pictures he'd drawn hanging up in the background and he smiled, dipping his head a little. "You hung up my drawing?"

"Of course I did, it's beautiful. I wanted to brag." James grinned and then looked over his son at the guest in the back. "Who's your friend? He's kinda quiet, isn't he?"

"Oh." Axel turned back to Leonard and bit his lower lip. "That's Leonard. Leonard Snart. He's ... my friend."

"A Snart?" Interesting.

"Leonard Snart," Leonard repeated, because he might be using the Snart name, but being Leonard rather than just a Snart was an important distinction. He looked at Jesse James with a raised eyebrow, not really challenging, but waiting. It was the same way he tended to look at his own father. He wasn't intimidated, hard to be, given this man was caged and had no emotional hold over him. But he had one on Axel and he hated that.

"Ah, I like Snarts. Funny name, great people. I always have fun with them. Like your dad, Lewis. I like him. Heck of a guy." Axel frowned and felt his stomach drop a little. What? No. Lewis was a bad person? And yes, his dad was but that was different. Axel frowned and crossed his arms.

"You know Leonard's dad."

"Oh yeah, we used to play poker before they whacked me in this silly box. We always spoke. In fact, he was one of the reasons I reached out to you." James pressed his hand on the glass and almost encouraged Axel to come closer. Which he did, unable to help himself. "He told me a son is a legacy, something important that can't be wasted. You get one shot at a son. And I thought about you, being out there all alone, and I decided to find you. My legacy."

"Oh." Axel didn't like where this was going. He wanted him to say something else now but he didn't know what. "Lewis Snart is a dick."

"My father tried to have two shots at a son. Lost out though, second kid was a daughter. You should hear my father talk about Lisa some time, Axel." Leonard could say it calmly enough. The anger and hurt was internalised and he had better things to do than to air it in front of some deranged sadist. But he could certainly do what he could to make sure that Axel would never fall for the bullshit he fell for. "He really likes poker too. Once he almost gambled me away."

"What?!"

"Ah, come on, that was a joke. We both did." James dismissed like it was nothing and Axel felt himself getting more and more uneasy. "Life is all about the jokes, Ax. Don't let anyone get all serious with you like that, it ain't all about the bad stuff, it's funny!" James smirked and then looked past his son at Leonard, curious as ever. "Trust me, we all know what we're doing. You were both safe."

"So it was just a joke? Oh. Okay." That was easier to believe. He needed to believe it. "It's not very funny."

"It's not my better joke but stick with me, kid. I'll tickle your funny bone soon."

"Don't know if I call it safe when you have a poker round with some pedo, drunk as all hell and my father decides he could just bet me. Definitely wouldn't call it funny. Granted, maybe the pedo would have been nicer to me, so." Leonard shrugged his shoulders. He might have been young, tiny even, but he had a good memory and the intelligence to piece things together even years after the fact. "But tell us something even funnier. Haven't laughed in a while."

And James did. He told tales, some that Axel found funny because they were dumb and silly, just little jokes but some took a sinister turn every now and again and left Axel uneasy. He was very unsure what to think, he was torn. James was an awful person but he spoke to him so nicely, he praised his art, his looks, his genius. He talked about wanting to hug Axel and Axel wished he could have that.

But he sensed Leonard on edge behind him and certain things stuck in his head. Axel had an idea and suddenly, he just went for it. "Hey, so, when's my birthday?"

"Well. Today's your unbirthday."

"Yeah... but when's my birthday?" Axel asked, frowning a little with his head tilted in the side. "You said you're sad you missed all my birthdays but do you even know when it is?"

Well, that one had James stumped.

"You gotta understand, Ax. He's only got one son, that's a lot to remember." Leonard rolled his eyes, but he focused on Axel, in case that he needed to get him out of here. He was ready. He had been ready since before they even entered.

"You're running out of time, Jesse. Better tell Axel what you really want him to know. Legacy, remember."

"I don't know, kid. I never got a chance to know. They took me away from you. I wanted to take care of you, I could have but I didn't have you. Those bad people did." And that was all Axel needed to hear. He lowered his head and swallowed hard.

"You never asked me. Or what I liked or if I had parents or what I'm doing. Cause you don't..." Axel pointed out as he turned his head back to Leonard, letting his words die there. "I want to make a duck cake." Duck. There. He wanted to go.

Leonard pushed away from the wall and walked up to Axel, wrapping an arm around the boy. He pulled him close and kissed the top of his head, looking over at James Jesse. "He can take care of himself." And, unspoken, Leonard would help with that, whenever he needed to. He held him, arm around him, and walked toward the door, knocking so the guard would open.

Axel followed Leonard out and ignored the knowing looks of the guards and let himself get patted down. He didn't really feel upset right now, just angry. He was angry and he felt used. He thought he finally had something good and like that, it was taken from him. With a huff, he gave Leonard a look once they were outsider and hugged himself. "I bet you're happy. I was wrong. I was an idiot. Congrats, he was a dick."

"I ain't happy. But I'm glad you're smarter than I was. Took me a hell of a lot longer to see through my father's act. Just ask Mick." Leonard unlocked his car and let Axel go in first to give him a moment before he got in afterwards. "Real family's the people that want you around for your sake and vice versa. You already got that, Ax."

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