Author's Note: This story was supposed to come out in June but got postponed. Ah, I forgot how much I love Jules and Verne. They're very fun to write for.

Disclaimer: I do not own Jules Eratosthenes Brown or Verne Newton Brown. I just own the space camp in this story and all my non-canon characters. Also a certain quote is, in all respects, from The Adventures of Pete and Pete.

"We'll do the dishwasher for a month!"

"Yes and we'll sterilize Einstein whenever you request!"

Jules and Verne Brown were practically on their knees by now. Their parents sat on the living room's couch, still wearing skeptical expressions on their faces. But the boys were sure that those expressions were softening. Just a little more persuasion and they might just win.

"Well that would be helpful," Clara said and then picked up the list of pros and cons one of her sons had written. "But why would you want to go to space camp?"

Jules was ready to turn on the projector but Verne summed it up in three words.

"Because it's awesome."

"That's a little vague Verny," Doc commented and Jules elbowed his younger sibling. The physical signal said it all: Verne needed to be more specific for the request to be taken into serious consideration.

"Okay we found the ad for the camp in one of Jules' National Geographics-"

"The one about meteor showers," Jules interrupted.

"Yep that one," Verne said. "And we really, really, really want to go. Please?"

Doc and Clara shared a long look then. They were communicating through their own husband-and-wife secret language. That was something the two always did for as long as the boys could remember. In fact, they had become so accustomed to it that they knew their father's answer before he even opened his mouth.

"We'll think about it boys," Doc said.

Later that evening, Verne was coming back from brushing his teeth when he heard voices coming from his parents' room. The door to the room was ajar just enough for his mother and father's voice to filter out. Verne knelt down on his knees and peeked into the room. He saw his parents sitting up in their big bed with their quilt pushed to the foot board. His father had a notepad on his lap and a pen in his hand. Verne recognized it as the Notepad of Decision Making. Something his dad always pulled out on occasions to get the facts straight. His mother was lying against their headboard with a deep face of concentration. Her legs were bent and her feet were pressed flat on the soft mattress.

"Can we afford it?" Clara asked. Doc checked his notepad before answering his wife.

"Yes," he said and shifted his gaze onto Clara. "It sounds like a good idea to me, Clara. It will be fun and educational for them."

Verne's stomach did a flip as he realized what they were talking about. He tried to move a little closer to the crack in the door to hear well. Man did he wish he had some sort of microphone gadget.

"I know," Verne heard his mother mutter. "But I don't know if I'm comfortable with Jules and Verne going to a twenty-four hour camp for seven days."

"They'll be supervised, though." Doc reminded. "And they'll call home every night. It won't be like our family ties will be severed."

Verne watched his father reach out and pat his wife's hand. He stroked it with great care.

"Plus you know very well that they are aged enough to be self-sustaining for a week," Doc said and kissed Clara's hand. She smiled but kept the unsure look on her face.

"I still don't know…"

Verne got up to his feet and backed away from the door in slow steps. He then darted down the hallway and into his older brother's room. Without knocking of course.

"Verne do we have to look up 'privacy' in the dictionary again?" Jules asked, his expression cross at the intrusion from his younger sibling.

"Nope," Verne answered and plopped down on the bed. "Listen, there's a chance that space camp is a go."

Jules put down the current tome he was reading. At least this interruption by Verne was actually igniting his curiosity.

"Exactly what percentage of a chance?" Jules asked.

Verne let out a sigh of exasperation.

"I don't know!" the ten-year-old said. "You know I stink at math!"

"Shh!" Jules shushed. He got up and closed his bedroom door. He then returned to his spot at his desk. "We can't have mother and father knowing you eavesdropped. Now, I have a plan for us."

"Well spill it." Verne said.

"All right," Jules said and lowered his voice. "We have to please our parental figures by performing unlikable menial labor."

"Great," Verne said and rolled his eyes. "Chores."

The next day, the boys spent all their time cleaning and sprucing up the Brown household. Jules did a lot of yard work like pushing the lawn mower (oh how he hated that loud contraption) and trimming the oleander bushes. Verne worked inside and cleaned practically every room in the house. Except the basement. He was always anxious about going down there. Doc and Clara were absolutely confused as to why their sons were being helpful. Their pre-teens hated chores after all. Right before dinner, they called Jules and Verne into the kitchen to talk to them.

"What's going on?" Jules asked, even though he knew very well the answer.

"Yeah what's up?" Verne asked in a similar manner as his brother.

Doc and Clara exchanged a look. Once again, the boys watched their parents secretly communicate. This lasted a few seconds before they finally returned to their sons.

"We discussed about that space camp last night," Clara began and let her husband continue.

"And took in all pros and cons about the subject-" Doc said and looked at his wife.

"Until we came to a final decision," Clara said. A smile sneaked onto her face and the boys waited with more patience than they ever had.

"You both can go," Doc said, with a big smile. Jules and Verne hooted loudly and high-fived each other. This was great! They were going to go to space camp! Going to learn the trades of an astronaut! Going to go up in a rocket!

"Super genius!" both boys shouted and did their secret handshake.