A/N: I don't own Forever. So, I came up with this after watching some of my own 'home movies' on VHS last night from when I was little. Hope you guys enjoy it.
Home Movies
"Lucas… Hey, Lucas," Jo's pace was quick as she entered the morgue. She gestured for the young medical examiner to follow her into Henry's empty office.
"What can I do for you, Detective?" Lucas was a bit confused at her abrupt appearance. They didn't have any ongoing investigations at the moment. Henry wasn't even in yet.
"You did some film stuff when you were younger, right?" Jo asked.
"Yessss," Lucas narrowed his eyes in part confusion, part suspicion, "Why?"
"I found this at Henry's place the other night and I thought you might be able to convert it to DVD," Jo held out an old reel of film in one hand and what must've been its accompanying audio track in the other.
"You were going through his stuff?" Lucas took the reels from her.
"No," Jo was a little offended, "Abe and Henry had invited me over for dinner and while Henry was cleaning up, I was helping Abe sort through some of his old stuff. In between some of his old clothes, I found these reels."
"Home movies?" Lucas reasoned.
"Since it says 'Abe – 10' on it, that's what I'm assuming," Jo replied, "And since Abe's birthday is coming up, I thought it would be a nice birthday gift to convert his old home movies on to DVD."
"Aww, that's a sweet idea," Lucas agreed.
"So, you'll help?" Jo smiled.
"Yeah, I like Abe and this way the gift can be from both of us," Lucas took a look at the reels, "Shouldn't take me too long."
"Good… because Abe's birthday is tomorrow," Jo stated.
"Tomorrow?" Lucas' eyes bugged out, "How did you think I was going to be able to get all this done by tomorrow?"
"Because it's for Abe and in turn for Henry," Jo knew his weak spot, "And Abe is like family to Henry. You'd do anything for your boss."
"Does Henry know about this?" Lucas was a little unsure now after the time constraints he was given for the gift.
"No, but I'm sure he has his own gift," Jo shrugged, "Come on, Lucas, I know you can do it by tomorrow."
Lucas let out a long sigh, "It would be a challenge… and Lucas Wahl never backs down from a challenge."
Jo's face lit up with a smile, "Thanks, Lucas."
The day went by with remarkably no murders for the team to investigate – just natural causes and accidental deaths.
"Lucas," Henry snapped off his gloves.
"Yeah, Doc?" Lucas looked to his boss.
"You've been remarkably quiet all day," Henry said, "Is there something on your mind?"
"No," Lucas shook his head. In truth, he had been mentally formulating a plan to work on Abe's home movies.
Henry furrowed his brows, but let it go. A day without Lucas ramblings – one shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.
"Lucas," Henry brought Lucas out of his thoughts once again, "Would you like to come over tomorrow night? For dinner? It's Abraham's birthday and I thought it would be nice to have some friends over. Abe doesn't want to make a big deal about it, but…"
"Sure, I'd love to," Lucas cut him off.
"Good," Henry smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow then, Lucas."
"See you tomorrow, Henry," Lucas nodded a goodbye as they went their separate ways.
Lucas got home and went straight to working on Abe's home movies. Being a film aficionado, Lucas had some old equipment lying around the apartment that allowed him to play the film reels and sync it up to the sound and of course connect them to his computer for the conversion. He set up his laptop to transfer the images and sound to the blank DVD.
"Okay, let's see how cute you were as a kid, Abe," Lucas said to himself and started the tape, pushing down the feeling of invading Abe's privacy. This was after all a birthday gift for the man.
A beautiful blonde woman came into view standing next to who Lucas assumed was a ten-year-old Abe. They stood side-by-side, posing in front of the camera as if they were ready for a still picture to be taken.
"Probably not used to a moving camera quite yet," Lucas thought.
The only sound was of mother and son moving around and saying 'hi' to the camera. Lucas couldn't help but smile at the cute moment with the family. They were marveled at the new technology, one that people took for granted nowadays. They moved to a table where a cake was sitting.
"Make a wish, Abe," Abe's mother smiled as young Abe took a seat and she lit the candles.
This was a home video of his tenth birthday. What a fitting birthday gift. Lucas couldn't help but smile along with them.
"Dad! Come over here. Help me blow out the candles and cut the cake," Abe bounced in his seat. An 'unh-unh' could be heard from behind the camera.
Lucas couldn't help but laugh. His dad was probably camera shy.
"It's Abraham's birthday. Get over here. I'll film," the woman urged him.
Lucas heard an exasperated sigh. The camera shifted hands and the man came into view. Lucas took a double-take. The man looked exactly like Henry. No, that was crazy. It was probably just his eyes playing tricks on him. He clenched his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, but when he looked again, the man on the screen next to a ten-year-old Abe was still a spitting image of his boss.
"That's impossible," Lucas breathed.
And if that wasn't enough, the man on the screen spoke in a familiar voice.
"Happy tenth birthday, Abraham," Henry's look-a-like knelt down next to Abe. Together, father and son blew out the candles and 'Henry' applauded at his smiling son.
The images on the screen kept moving, now they were cutting the cake and chatting among themselves, but Lucas had turned around and started panicking. What the hell was going on? This man couldn't be Henry. He sure as hell looked like him though. Maybe Abe was actually Henry's father and this was Henry's grandfather? That seemed like a logical explanation. But no relative could look like a twin. That was a huge genetic impossibility.
He needed some answers.
"I hope you don't mind, Abraham, but I invited some people over for dinner tomorrow night for your birthday," Henry took a sip of his cognac. He and Abe were seated in their adjacent chairs, taking in their after-dinner drink.
"I thought I told you that I didn't want a huge deal for my birthday, Pops," Abe gave his father a look.
"So sue me," Henry shrugged, "How often do I get to celebrate my little boy's birthday?"
"Seventy years," Abe replied, "Just a wild guess."
Henry smiled.
"I'm assuming Jo is one of the 'some people' coming tomorrow?" Abe already knew the answer.
"Yes," Henry nodded, "Along with Hanson and Lucas."
"Do they know it's my birthday?" Abe took a sip of his own drink.
"Perhaps," Henry took a conspiratory sip of his drink, evading another one of his son's looks.
Before Abe could say anything else, the phone rang. Henry got up, "Saved by the bell."
Abe shook his head and went on to read his newspaper. Henry was just being Henry. He couldn't ask anything less of him.
"Hello?" Henry answered the phone. At the prolonged silence, Henry grew worried it was Adam. This time a little more forcefully, he asked, "Hello?"
"Hi, Henry," Lucas made himself known. Henry took a sigh of relief at the sound of his assistant's voice.
"Lucas, are you all right?" Henry could hear something in his voice even with those two words.
"I'm fine," Lucas said, even though he didn't sound like it. He sounded nervous, "I know it's late, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming over… or if I came over for a minute."
"What's wrong, Lucas?" Henry wasn't going to let it go this time. There was a waver in Lucas' voice.
"I really don't want to say over the phone," Lucas looked back to the black-and-white image of Henry from 1955 on his laptop screen. He had finished transferring the entire reel.
"I'll be right over," Henry hung up.
"Something wrong?" Abe put his paper down. His concerned eyes peered over the top edges of his reading glasses.
"That was Lucas. He needs me to go over to his place," Henry began to get his jacket and scarf.
"Is he okay?" Abe shifted in his seat.
"He was acting a bit strange today at work," Henry explained, "Well, stranger than usual… for Lucas. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. I shan't be gone long."
"Let me know what happened," Abe was just as concerned as Henry about the young man.
"I will," Henry assured him, "See you later."
Henry made it over to Lucas' apartment in record time. Four quickened raps against his door and in an instant, Lucas answered the door.
"Thanks for coming, Doc," Lucas stepped to the side and Henry entered his apartment.
"You didn't quite sound like yourself on the phone," Henry said, "I knew it must be important. What can I help you with?"
"Well, first I need to preface the situation," Lucas started.
Henry sighed. At least this was normal.
At Henry's continued silence, Lucas took it as a cue to forge on, "So, Jo came by the morgue this morning and mentioned that it was Abe's birthday tomorrow and she had a birthday gift idea."
"Okay…" Henry folded his arms, unsure as to where he was going with this trail of thought. But if he learned anything after working with Lucas for awhile, it was best to ride along with him and eventually he'd get to the point.
"She knew I used to work with film and stuff… you know, from that 6 A.M. case we had a little while ago," Lucas continued. Henry just gave him a blank stare so he kept going, "Anyway, when Jo was at your place the other night for dinner, she was helping Abe sort through some old stuff… and don't get mad at her… or me, but she found an old reel of film of a home movie."
Henry's face dropped. He had a feeling he knew where this train of thought was headed.
"Jo thought it would be a sweet birthday present if I converted his old home movie to DVD for better entertainment. So, I was going through it and…" Lucas left his words hang in the air as he gestured to his laptop.
Henry walked over and saw a freeze frame of his smiling face with an equally beaming ten-year-old Abraham by his side, after opening a few of his presents.
"I thought maybe that he could be your grandfather or something and Abe was really your dad or something… but…" Lucas rambled.
Henry kept staring at Lucas' laptop.
"Henry?" Lucas lightly tapped his friend's shoulder.
"Sorry, yes, um," Henry was at a loss for words.
"That is you there," Lucas stated. It wasn't a question and if Henry's reaction was anything to go by, Lucas knew it was true.
"Lucas…" Henry began.
"It's okay, Doc," Lucas put his hand up and gave him a small smile, "Whatever is going on is your business. Your secret's safe with me… Whatever that secret is – you don't have to tell me the whole story right now; whenever you're ready."
Henry watched Lucas move over to his laptop and pop out the DVD.
"Here," Lucas handed it to him in its own little case, "Before I played it, I thought it would be fun to watch after dinner tomorrow for Abe's birthday, but with what's on it… well, that probably wouldn't be a good idea."
Wordlessly, Henry took the DVD.
He opened his mouth to say something, but Lucas interrupted him, "Go spend some time with your little boy… give him an early Happy Birthday from me."
"Thank you, Lucas," Henry croaked. He held back tears.
Lucas nodded.
"Yet another amazing dinner," Jo commented as she wiped her mouth with a napkin, "Though I hope the birthday boy didn't have to make it, as delicious as it was."
"No, the birthday boy employed his roommate to make dinner," Abe replied.
"You're a man of many talents, Doc," Hanson raised a glass to Henry.
"Thank you, Detective," Henry took the praise.
"Present time!" Jo beamed. She looked to Lucas, "I hope you don't mind, but I found an old home movie reel of yours the other night and Lucas and I co-conspired to transfer it on to DVD… Lucas?"
"Actually, I didn't get a chance to finish it," Lucas played with the edges of his napkin. Jo's shoulders deflated.
"That's okay, Lucas… whenever you get to finish it, I'd love to have it," Abe replied. When Henry came home the previous night, he filled Abe in on what Lucas had seen on the tapes. After a brief moment of panic, Henry assured him that his secret was in good hands. Henry had found a great friend in the young man.
"Lucas," Jo turned to the young ME.
"Sorry, Jo," Lucas shook his head, "But it was a lot to do in just one night."
"It's the thought that counts," Abe assured her.
"Happy birthday, Abe," Jo placed her hand on his and gave it a squeeze with a smile.
"Happy birthday," everyone at the table echoed.
"Thank you, everyone," Abe lifted his own glass, "It's nice to have some younger friends to fill the dinner table."
Laughter rang around the table.
"I hate to cut the evening short, but I better get back home to Karen and the boys," Hanson stood up.
"Thanks for coming, Hanson," Abe nodded up to the detective.
"My pleasure, Abe," Hanson clapped Abe on the shoulder and headed out.
"I better get going too," Jo looked apologetic and got up to place a kiss on Abe's cheek. She turned to Henry and Lucas, "See you guys at work tomorrow."
"See you," Lucas and Henry waved.
Henry, Lucas, and Abe were left sitting together in silence. Feeling a little out of place, Lucas cleared his throat, "Uh, I should probably head home too."
"Actually," Henry stopped Lucas, "We were rather hoping you'd stay a little longer."
"We thought you might like to watch some home movies of a rather dashing young lad and his parents," Abe sat a little straighter in his chair and fixed his shirt with an air of confidence.
"We insist," Henry added, "It really is a wonderful gift…"
"It doesn't take that much to transfer old film on to a DVD," Lucas shrugged it off with a wave of his hand.
"He wasn't talking about that," Abe gave him a knowing look.
"Yeah, I think I can stay a little while longer," Lucas nodded.
"Good," Abe put his arm around Lucas, "Because I think you'll like some of the other old home movies we've got… Henry does some embarrassing stuff on some of them."
"Abraham," Henry chided him.
"What? The kid's practically family now," Abe said, "Besides, how often do I get to embarrass my old man?"
"How many more reels do you have?" Lucas asked.
"A couple more," Abe still had his arm around Lucas, "What do you say to transferring those to DVD when you get the chance?"
"It'd be my pleasure," Lucas smiled.
"Good… now wait until you see Henry…" Abe's voice trailed off as they went into the other room.
Henry's smile spread widely across his face with a shake of his head. Who knew that an old home movie would bring him closer to his young assistant? Lucas was truly a great friend. With a smile, Henry trailed after his son and Lucas into the other room to enjoy some home movies amongst great company.
THE END
A/N: That's it… a cute fluffy little idea I came up with and wrote in one sitting. Any errors that got past me, I apologize. Hope you guys liked it – sound off and let me know what you thought. You gotta love some Lucas and Henry bonding with Abe thrown into the mix. :) This was supposed to take place closer to the end of Season 1. We never got to know Abe's birthday, but I thought this would be fun. :)