Author's Note: Just another little fic from me…I wanted to write something where Jason could actually do something other than gurgle, and this is what came out. A little angsty…as always. rolls eyes
P.S. Is Jason's middle name ever stated? Haha, I don't know…so I made up a middle initial.
Disclaimer: NOT MINE. Obviously.
"Uncle Peter, Uncle Peter, look what mommy got me for my birthday!"
Peter had barely walked in the door to Ivy and her husband's house when he saw the newly turned five year old running at him before colliding with his legs. With a smile, Peter picked up the child, who was waving a shiny new toy truck.
"Wow, that's quite a present," Peter made himself sound impressed, with a big grin on his face.
"It makes noises too!" Jason cried excitedly, pressing a button, which made the truck roar. Peter jumped; the speaker was right next to his ear.
"How exciting!" Peter exclaimed, setting the child down. Jason started making his own action noises, rolling the truck around the ground. "Happy birthday, Jason."
"Thanks, Uncle Peter!" the boy grinned cheekily up at his uncle before looking back down at his truck and 'driving' it up the side of the sofa. "Didja bring Sheldon with you again?"
"He couldn't come, Jason…" Peter watched him carefully for a moment, unable to help the soft sigh from escaping his still grinning lips. He only looked up when he heard Ivy come into the room, a mixing bowl in her hands.
"Peter," she smiled at him, setting the bowl down on a coffee table so she could give her friend a hug. "It's about time you showed up…Jason has been asking about you all day," she reprimanded teasingly.
With a soft laugh, Peter hugged the woman back. "Traffic. I'm farther now, remember?"
Shaking her head, Ivy pulled back to pick up the mixing bowl again. "Grad school is hardly an excuse for missing your nephew's fifth birthday."
"Well I'm here, aren't I?" Peter put on a fake pout.
"Come help me with the cake," Ivy laughed, taking Peter's hand and pulling him into the kitchen. "Jason, daddy will be home in a couple of minutes, so just play quietly until then, alright?" she called back into the living room. They heard the child give a yell of assent, and Ivy shut the kitchen door quietly, watching Peter. "Peter?"
"It's good to be here," the man replied softly, moving to the counter to look at the cake recipe.
"Another one gone?" Ivy accused, the mixing bowl back on the table and her hands on her hips. "What the hell do you do to them, Peter…chase them off with clubs?"
Peter stared at his friend for a moment. He sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, cradling his head in his hands. "I don't chase them off, Ivy. They leave. I can't help it."
"Oh really?" the woman frowned. "What was it this time?"
"I never do anything!" Peter sighed. "It's always their excuse that's the same. 'Your heart's not in this relationship, get over your ex already!' What the hell am I supposed to tell them, Ivy…that the love of my life died in my arms when I was seventeen? That I can't put my heart into a relationship because my heart isn't there? That-"
"Peter, that's your own doing," Ivy replied. "It doesn't have to be this way."
"But it is."
"Only because you let it."
"I can't love anyone else, Ivy. I've tried; you've seen me. It just doesn't work." Peter looked up the woman, his eyes signaling that this was the end of an already very dead conversation.
Ivy stared back at the man, sadness in her eyes. "I just want to see you happy, Peter…"
"I'm fine," Peter replied shortly. "You shouldn't worry so much about me." He put on a smile. "You'll go prematurely gray."
The woman didn't smile. Peter sighed, reaching into his pocket. "I got Jason two birthday gifts," he said hastily, changing the subject. "But I wanted your permission before giving one of them…"
He placed two boxes, a larger wrapped one and an unwrapped jewelry box on the table. Ivy looked at them in confusion. "Alright?"
"The bigger one is just a picture of me and him…I got a nice frame, it was really all I could afford," Peter smiled guiltily. "But I figured he could use a nice framed picture of him and his favorite uncle…"
"Of course," Ivy smiled. "And the other?"
With a deep breath, Peter opened the jewelry box to reveal a small gold cross on a chain. He tried to grin, but all that he could manage was a sad half smile. "It was his. See…" he turned the delicate charm over. "His initials are engraved…Nadia gave it to me, but it doesn't do me much good…besides, I have plenty of his…" Peter drew in a shaky breath. "Of his stuff…I want Jason to have it."
Ivy stared blankly at her friend for a moment before putting her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "Oh, Peter…" she murmured in his ear. The man rubbed her back gently. "I…of course you can give it to him."
He a couple tear drops on his neck.
The kitchen door opened and Ivy's husband walked in. "Good evening," he said, glancing at his wife and Peter.
Ivy pulled away, drying her tears quickly. "Did you have a good day at work?" she asked, grinning again and approaching her husband, kissing him softly.
"Just glad they let me out early," he laughed. "Hello, Peter, it's good to see you!" he smiled, shaking hands with the man.
"You as well," Peter said, hoping his voice came out polite and not shaken like it seemed to be.
"I'll be right back down," the other man said, walking up the stairs.
"Jason," Ivy called into the next room, not missing a beat. "Come here, Uncle Peter wants to give you something."
The child bounded into the room with a wide smile on his face. "Cool!" he exclaimed, climbing onto his uncle's lap. With a grin, Peter picked up the jewelry box and put it in Jason's hands. Jason opened it and looked at the cross with curiosity. "It's awesome!" he said excitedly. "Can I put it on now?"
With a laugh, Peter took the chain out and put it on the child. Ivy knelt before her child, taking his hands. "Jason, this is a very special gift. It belonged to someone that meant a lot to me and even more to Uncle Peter, so you have to be very careful with it, alright?"
"Of course, mama!" Jason nodded seriously. "Thank you, Uncle Peter! I'm going to wear it every day! I can, right mom?" He looked at Ivy with wide eyes.
"Of course," Ivy replied softly, rubbing her son's hair gently. Jason turned to hug Peter.
"Thanks again, Uncle Peter! I can tell this is really really special!" the boy turned the charm over, examining it. "What does J.T.M. mean?"
"Those were his initials," Peter explained calmly.
"Ooooh…the special person's?"
"Yeah," Ivy said, glancing at Peter, who pointedly ignored her gaze. "When you're a little older, we'll tell you all about him."
"Why do I have to wait 'til I'm older?" Jason whined. He looked between his mother and uncle. "Mama? Uncle Peter?" But the child was smart, and changed his tactic. "His first name had the same first letter as mine!" he said excitedly. "See, 'J'! Jason starts with a 'J' too!"
Ivy tuned to finish up her cake and stick it in the oven. Peter could tell by the way she let her hair cover her face that she was close to tears, if not crying already. He felt it too, and he hugged Jason. "His name was Jason too," Peter said softly to the boy.
"Wow…" the child looked awestruck. "That means he must have been cool!"
The two adults were silent. Ivy turned back around. "Hey, why don't you open the other gift Uncle Peter got you?" she grinned gently. Peter picked up the other box and handed it to the child, who tore open the paper and looked at the picture.
"Wow! Thanks, Uncle Peter! Now I can show you to all my friends when they come over! This is my favorite picture of us, you know!" The child continued to babble, unaware of the looks that Peter and Ivy threw each other. "-and I miss you so much when you don't come to visit, Uncle Peter! You need to come here more often, because it makes me sad when I don't see you…and maybe next time Sheldon will come again!"
Ivy's husband came back down. "Everyone ready for dinner?" he asked happily. "Peter, are you joining us?"
"Of course," Peter grinned.
Ivy smiled at her friend, patting his back. Jason looked up at Peter, his eyes sparkling.
"Thanks for making this the best birthday ever, Uncle Peter!"
"I'm glad it's a good one," Peter smiled, trying to hide the sadness in his voice. Jason didn't notice and started to talk again, talking about what he was going to do for his next birthday, and the one after that, and the one after that. "May they all be healthy and full of happiness…"
"How could they not be with you and mommy and daddy?" Jason turned to Peter again. "Nothing could make them better!"
Ivy and Peter looked at each other, the same sad smile on their faces. "Yeah," Ivy said softly. "Nothing." The woman's husband rubbed her back.
Peter looked down at Jason. "Come on big boy," he put on a real smile. "Let's go get washed up for dinner."
Jason hopped down from Peter's lap and took his hand, pulling him to the bathroom.
Peter smiled. Life may not be everything he had ever wished for, but in that moment, it was as great as he could have hoped.