When Marie-Jonson first got the call from the hospital she was concerned, but that concern quickly turned to joy at the news that Terra was awake and able to be released. She had clocked out as soon as she could and started off to the hospital, picking up Dante on the way. She would have to take the next week off so they could adjust, but she really didn't mind using her vacation time if she needed too. Besides, they always wanted another child but after complications with Dante's birth it was near impossible for her to conceive - It's why they got a foster license in the first place. And with how close Dante already is with these two children, it only makes sense to take them in. Poor Terra and Luna probably would've been separated if she wasn't able to foster them. Most foster parents don't want a special needs child, and that's if their unique appearances didn't deter potential foster families already. Honestly, Marie found these kids quite cute, but I digress. Things just seemed to be falling into place for the Solar family.
"Alright! We're here!" MJ said as she pulled into a parking spot, turning to look at her son in the back seat she asked, "You ready to pick up your new siblings?"
Dante nodded vigorously, "Mhm!"
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Dante ran through the doors to where Luna and Terra were - Luna was standing behind Terra who was in a wheelchair, it seems like he was pushing them. Giggling, Dante rushed into Luna's arms, who gladly returned the younger boys hug. "Heheh - Hey Dante!!" Behind the little boy walked in his mother, "Hello, Mrs. Solar."
"Hello, Luna," she greeted as she walked over to them, kneeling in front of Terra she continued, "and hello, Terra."
"Mrs. Solar?" the wheelchair bound child questioned, "What're you doing here?"
"I'm your foster parent!" She smiled, grabbing his hands in hers.
"W - what? Really?"
"Of course," She nodded in confirmation, still grasping Terra's hands, "I knew you didn't want to be separated from your brother. You two seem close and despite how little we interacted you've wiggled your way into my heart - both you and Luna."
Tears welled up in the sickly child's eyes, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Aww, honey," the woman started, wiping the tears from Terra's eyes, "Don't cry."
"You - you're the reason we're staying together," the child argued, "you don't know how much this means to me - to us!!"
"He's right... I don't know what I'd do without Terra."
"Oh, Luna, Terra..." Marie mumbled, taking both boys cheeks in her hands
"Ahem," the doctor cleared his throat from behind Luna, "I believe you still need to check them out, Mrs. Solar."
"Ah - right!" she stood up, dusting herself off, "Where do I need to sign?"
While the adults were distracted, Dante came up to Terra and hugged his legs. "Hey, buddy," the eldest boy questioned, "do you want on my lap?" The youngest quickly nodded and so Terra picked him up by his armpits and set him on his lap, "Wanna know something?" Dante nodded again, "I offered Luna to sit on my lap but he said no."
"That's because," said boy interrupts, "I don't trust the doctor. He seemed off to me."
"You're just paranoid because of the Moon Revolution." Terra retorts in a half joking tone.
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"I am not paranoid! Besides," Luna starts, "Even if I was, I have a reason to be! Remember what they planned to do to you!"
"I do.. But I kind of deserved it. I was a jerk."
"So?! They planned to attack you?!" Luna asked, raising his voice some.
"Shhh!!" Terra shushed his brother, "Don't be too loud or you'll draw attention to us! You'll blow our cover!"
"Right. Sorry. That being said, they still blew things way out of proportion."
Dante's mother returned to the boys as Dante cuddled closer to Terra. "You boys ready to go?"
"Yes ma'am," Terra nodded, adjusting his grip on Dante, "I know I am ready."
"Mhm." Luna hummed in agreement with his brother, Dante nodding along as well.
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The car ride was rather uneventful, although Terra did make a bit of a fuss when Marie picked him up and put him in the car - he had insisted that he 'was not a child'. Marie-Jonson highly doubted that. She buckled up his siblings as well and after the children were situated MJ got in the driver's seat, wasting no time to pull out of the hospital parking lot; she could see Terra's arms wrapped protectively around Luna and Dante. It didn't take them long to get home, and when they arrived (after Marie had unhooked Dante and Luna from their car seats) Marie picked up Terra again, this time to carry him inside. Yet again he had tried to wiggle his way out, claiming once more that he 'was not a child'. Luna just giggled as he led Dante into the house, their hands interlocked for safety.
"TRAITOR!" Terra had called from his place in the woman's arms.
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"Alright. This is your new room!" Marie said as she sat the sickly child on the bunk bed. He had been given the lower bunk for safety reasons (and because Luna had already claimed the upper bunk).
"Thank you." Terra mumbled hiding his face in his hands, he was clearly embarrassed at having to be carried, no matter how grateful he was for it.
"No problem, sweetie." The mother smiled, "Just remember, the doctor said not to over exert yourself. That means no walking or excess physical activity for at least a week."
"I know.."
"Good! Now, I'll have Luna bring you your supper after a while. Please behave you two!"
"We will!" two voices called out as the woman left the room, pausing at the door to hold it open for Dante to stumble in, a box of toys in his hands. Dante stumbled into the room and set the box on the bed next to Terra, Luna quickly joining the two on the lower bunk.
"So, how do you like it so far, Terra?" The middle child asked.
"It seems fine. Mrs. Solar is really nice." The elder mumbled turning to the youngest child, "So what do you want to do?"
Dante rummaged through the box of toys he brought in before pulling out three stuffed bears - one had a pattern similar to that of the earth's continents, one had a moon hair clip, and was a plain brown stuffed bear. He took the brown one and handed Terra the Earth-like bear and Luna the one with a hair clip.
"They're so cute!" Luna said, pulling his stuffed bear into his chest, "And so soft too!"
Dante wore a victorious smile as he once again dug into the box of toys and pulled out his favorite toy - a blue and red rocket ship. Sitting his bear on the rocket ship he placed the rocket ship near Terra's bear and flew it off towards Luna's bear, making rocket ship sounds as he did so.
Sharing a mischievous glance with Luna, Terra started making his bear talk "Hello, little guy! Welcome to space!"
Luna grabbed a red and yellow bear and started talking as that bear "Hey Earth! Tell your Earthlings to stop trying to propagate around the solar system like lice!" Causing Dante to giggle.
Terra grabbed a bear plush with a sun hair clip from the box and made a funny voice as he played, "Oh! Oh! I want to see! HELLO ASTRO-DUDE!"
Little did the kids know but Marie had been watching them from the doorway, taking a recording of their little game of pretend to send her husband in space. She stopped the recording when she heard the timer go off in the kitchen, signaling that the food was almost done. She hurried to the kitchen to finish dinner.
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"KIDS! DINNER'S READY!" Marie hollered from the kitchen, where she had four plates of chicken alfredo dished up. Hearing three pairs of footsteps she furrowed her brows, and then sighed. Going out to the hallway she picked up Terra from where he was slowly making his way to the dining room. "The doctor said no walking for at least a week, honey."
"I know but," he said with a huff, "I don't want to be alone..."
"Aww, buddy," the woman said, sitting the young boy in his chair, "you could've just told me. I would've come and brought you to the dining room."
"Oh..." the boy mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," she smiled, standing up to put Luna and Dante in their seats, "You don't need to apologize for that."
"Oh." The child said dumbly as the mother walked off to put his siblings in their seats.
"Up we go!" she lifted Dante into his seat before going over to Luna and putting her in her seat, "There we go! I'll be right back with the food!" she said as she left the room.
"If you had just waited I could've gotten Mrs. Solar to carry you out here," Luna pouted.
"I know..." Terra sighed, "I just didn't want to be a bother."
"You wouldn't have been a bother," Marie said as she walked into the room skillfully carrying four plates of alfredo, "don't think you'll ever be a bother to me, okay?" She finished placing a plate in front of each of them, sitting down to eat her food as well.
"Thank you, Mrs. Solar!" Both vitiligo patched children called out at once.
"There's no need to thank me for food," the mother softly chided, "Food is right, not a privilege. Every child should have access to food."