And The Trials Of Parenthood

AU. Flynn and Eve take on the challenge of adopting 4 year old Ezekiel Jones while their other children struggle to adapt to the changes around them. Evlynn and little Lits.

I own nothing.

Jake remembered it well. The night his parents had sat him and Cassie down and explained that a little boy might be coming to live with them soon. They asked him if he was still okay with the idea as they had talked about it before.

Both Flynn and Eve having no siblings always wanted a big family and adopting seemed to be the right way to go after having Jake and Cassie.

It was called fostering, Eve had explained her children, it meant Ezekiel might not stay with them for long unless they seemed to adjust to each other.

"Now, we've talked about this and we won't go through with it unless everyone is into the idea." Flynn said softly kneeling in front of his children. Jake looked in between his parents and then at Cassie.

"Jake, sweetie?" Eve asked. "Do you want to say something?"

"Will I have to share my room?" It was a nice fair question for a 9 year old.

"No, I don't think you'll have to, each of you will have their own room." She said.

"Cassie?" Flynn looked over at his six year old. "What do you think? Do you think it's a good idea?"

Cassie looked over at Jenkins, the older man had been with the family since Flynn was a young man and he was the children's main care taker when Flynn and Eve were away. "Cassie?" Eve repeated the question.

"Well, we don't have to know right away but let's give it some thought, alright?" Eve told her children softly.

And so that night as Flynn knocked on Jake's door to tuck him in, the little boy was laying on his bed face down in a book.

The true son of a Librarian.

The Librarian.

"Jake? Light's out bud." Flynn entered the room slowly as Jacob varely registered his father's voice, at first anyway. "There he is." Flynn smiled as Jake looked up.

"Dad?" Jake moved into bed as Flynn pulled back the covers. "Can I ask you something?"

Flynn smiled. "Of course."

"This... this little boy that's coming. What happened to his parents?" Flynn's heart sank. "Why doesn't he live with them?"

"Well..." Flynn looked down fidgeting with the cover as he tucked it up to Jake's chin. "Apparently, something happened to them"

"They died?" Jake asked. Flynn sighed.

"Yes, they did." He was sure they'd be hell to pay if Eve found out he was telling their young son such a tale but Flynn was a terrible liar. And he'd never want his children to live a lie.

"Oh." Jake took a minute to process this. "Then I guess it's okay if he comes. I mean if he needs parents and a family, we could be his, right?"

Flynn smiled. "We could."

"Then I'm okay with it." Jake told him convingly. "I'm sure Cassie will too, she just doesn't understand."

"Alright, we'll talk about it in the morning." Flynn said reaching for the lamp. "Good night."

"Goodnight Dad." Jake said as Flynn closed the door behind him, just as Eve was coming out of Cassie's room.

"Is she asleep?" He asked.

"Yes, took me a while, she kept asking me about the adoption."

"Same with Jake, he told me it was alright if we moved forward." Flynn told her. Eve smiled.

"Yes Cassie's onboard too apparently."

"So, we're doing it?" Flynn asked. "I mean, we really, really are?"

Eve sighed as she sat down on the master bed. "I don't know, I mean it seemed like a good idea."

"Seemed?" Flynn inquired.

"Don't get me wrong, I want to, a part of me at least." Eve admitted. She had noticed Flynn sitting behind her in bed. "But..."

"The other part isn't so sure." He said.

"Yeah, I feel like it's just us being crazy... we do have two amazing kids."

"Oh yeah, they're awesome." Flynn gave her a reassuring smile. "And two is a good number."

"But then I think of everything that's happened and how this child is like us, so scared... lost and it feels right."

"Do you want me to make the call tomorrow?" Flynn asked.

"Yes, let's call them."

And so they made the call and waited.

It would take a few days for Ezekiel, the little boy the agency had chose to get to New York. Eve made it her mission that week to get everything ready and in order for the arrival.

She and Flynn lived in an Annex. a complex like apartment on the back of the Metropolitan Library where Flynn worked full time as a Librarian.

"Am I doing the right thing Jenkins?" She asked her trusted friend as she stared at the locked door in front of her. "I can't even bring myself to open the door."

"If I might be bold?" He asked earning a nod. "You don't have to do this now, adopting this child. You can still take a little time."

"How much time?" It's been three years." She said wearily. Jenkins was about to speak but decided against it. "I have to do this."

The room was covered with old boxes and furniture. She knew Jenkins and Flynn came and went to clean and store things from time to time. She took a deep breath as the sun covered her face.

"Eve?" She heard Flynn call for her. "You don't have to..."

"We need to get the room ready." She told him.

Flynn glanced over at Jenkins. "What color should we use? I asked Jenkins to get green, I think it's a good one." She sniffled, feeling Flynn behind her. "Is that a color he'd like?"

"I'm sure he'd love the room no matter what." Flynn said softly.

It was a saturday, Cassie remembered it well because she had been watching cartoons when the door rang, Jenkins was quick on his feet to answer the door as his parents were in the back of the complex.

"Flynn!" She'd heard her mother call. "Get Jake, Cassie come here sweetie."

Cassie bit her lip unsure. "Mommy? Do I look pretty?"

"Of course baby, you do as always." Her mother beamed as she took her hand. "What about me?"

"Beautiful." She added, clinging to her small doll with her free hand.

Cassie didn't know how to imagine the little boy, she'd seen a picture of him as her parents had explained the little boy was 4 years old and came from Australia. Cassie's seen that name somewhere so she went to look for it in the globe in Jake's room. It had small pins of all the places Jake and Flynn had said they'd travel to someday

She'd asked her brother to show her where Australia was. It seemed to be very far away as Jake had spinned the globe a couple times to find it. "Flynn, Eve." Cassie watched as a lady came in first, she was talking to her parents as Jake stood next to her. "This is Ezekiel"

The little boy appeared from behind the lady's coat. "It's okay Ezekiel, come in. This is Eve." She pointed to her mother. "And that's Flynn."

Cassie watched as the little boy's eyes drifted from side to side. "Nice to meet you Ezekiel, it's that what you'd like us to call you?"

"It's good to finally meet you. You're an inquiring little guy, aren't you'"

"Can he talk?" Jake asked suddenly.

"Yes, of course." the lady said. "He's just a little shy, why don't you come and introduce yourself?" Jake felt suddenly anxious. He turned to his father for reassurance.

"Hi, I'm Jacob. You can call me Jake." The boy said stretching his hand out. Ezekiel looked at him curiously but didn't even tried to reach out. "That's Cassie." She pointed to his sister a moment later.

"Well...I'd like to go over some papers with you if that's alright?" The social worker asked after a moment.

"Of course, Jenkins..." Eve motioned to the kids. "This way..."

And so Jake and Cassie found themselves in the room, with Jenkins suggesting they should take Ezekiel through a tour of the place.

"Go on ahead Jacob." Jenkins said, Jake nodded. He first showed him the living room, which was closest to the door, the main dining room although they usually ate in the kitchen.

"Come on, rooms are this way." Jacob led away, funny enough the little boy followed suit behind Cassie. "You got your own room, mom and I help set it up."

"It's green. Do you like green?" Cassie asked relaxing a bit more. "It was pink but..."

"We'd thought you'd like that one better but if you like pink..." Jake said, he opened the door and stepped inside. "So, bed, and desk, closet."

"Well I see you're well off without me." Mrs Monroe said with a smile. "I'll call and check in tonight. See how's he's settling in."

"Of course." Flynn said.

"Ezekiel, I have to go now...Can I get a hug?" Eve and Flynn watched as the boy moved over to say goodbye. Flynn placed a hand on Eve's shoulder. "You be good to these nice people alright?"

He nodded slowly.

Eve smiled as she pulled Jake and Cassie closer to her. "Mom?"

"Yes, Jake?"

"I don't think he likes us." Cassie said. She looked over at her brother and then at the little boy who still had his hand raised as the door closed behind Mrs. Monroe.

Now the real challenge began.

Sooo... I had a dream last night and this is what came of it. Sorry if the characters are a bit off. Let me know what you think