A/N: Still based on a story by bl4ckm4lice with changes here and there.

It was different this time. Nate frowned, awoken in the middle of the night because of the loud shouts from downstairs. His parents fought a lot, but usually his mom was sulking and his dad was trying to make her smile again. But now, his mom was yelling, and that was strange because usually his mom only spoke firmly when she was mad. But even stranger was the fact that he could hear his dad's loud voice too. His dad certainly never yelled at anyone.

Nate got off his bed and exited his room. Slowly, careful not to make any sound, he snuck towards the living room, where the shouting seemed to come from.

"...I can't believe you!" Mommy yelled, tears streaming down her face.

"How many times do I have to explain until you can understand, Quinn!? I didn't know anything about it!" Daddy looked frustrated.

"How could you not know! How could she not know!?"

"I swear—."

"Seven years! Seven years we've been married and—."

"And I've made it clear with her! That was it! There would be no second... meeting."

"You mean date," Mommy bit out.

"What else do you want from me!?" Daddy ran a hand through his hair. "I'm being perfectly honest with you here. I'm not even trying to hide anything. I didn't want you to find out from anyone else but me, so you can hear my explanation thoroughly."

"You know what I don't want? I don't wanna deal with you now," his mom sobbed. "I don't wanna deal with you and your family. So full of bullshit."

Nate clasped his hand on his mouth to prevent a gasp from escaping. His mom was cursing at his dad with a word he had never heard, but he was sure it could only mean something bad as his dad looked hurt. Nate thought he was going to yell back, but then Mommy dashed towards the bedroom. Nate didn't have a chance to hide, and he stood there, frozen, and scared he was going to get yelled at as well. But his Mommy didn't say anything; the only sign of her spotting Nate was the small surprised flinch before she continued to the bedroom she shared with Daddy. Mommy slammed the door closed and Nate could hear the lock clicked into place.

Nate hesitated for a while, but then he decided to go to his dad, who was now slumped on the couch, his head supported by both of his palms. "...Daddy...?" his voice was small and trembling.

His dad looked up, his face tired and lost. Nate had never seen him like this. "Hi, Nate… Why are you awake?"

Nate ran to his dad and hugged him tight, burying his face onto his Daddy's chest. "Daddy, why did you fight with Mommy?"

"It's nothing, son. Mommy is just upset because I made a mistake which is technically not my fault…"

The little boy stared at him, confused. His dad put up a weak smile and patted his head. "It's okay, she will forgive me soon."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Nate bit his lip and before he knew it, they both fell asleep on the couch. The next morning, Mommy didn't show up for breakfast and Nate somehow felt like wanting to cry, especially when he saw the sad glance his dad threw at the direction of the bedroom door.

Nate spent the day thinking about his parents, face long and brooding. After school, he immediately went back to his house and wait for his mom to come out. He bought some snacks and sat in front of his parents' bedroom.

Sometime before the sun set, the bedroom door finally opened and revealed the figure he had been waiting for. "Mo—," he was about to call out, but the look on his mom's face stopped him. It wasn't the usual 'do-not-bug-me' look, instead, Mommy looked so upset. Her eyes were red and swollen, so she had obviously been crying.

"What are you doing here, Nate?" her mom asked softly, eyes taking in the empty candy wrappers and opened jar of cookies.

"I..." Nate stuttered. "I was waiting for you to come out."

Mommy sat down, her hand gently stroked Nate's hair before she pulled the little blonde boy into her arms. Nate snuggled further into her mom, then braved himself to ask, "Mommy… are you still mad with Daddy?"

"…It's complicated."

"Why?"

Mommy didn't answer, instead she merely hugged Nate even tighter. They ate together with the leftover food from this morning's breakfast and Nate followed his mom into his parents' bedroom. They cuddled on the bed, and he didn't know when he fell asleep, but when he jolted awake, he was in his own bedroom. Daddy was sleeping next to him, holding his hand. He knew his parents were still fighting then.

"Your parents are getting a dee-force."

Nate's eyes widened. "What's a dee-force?"

His classmate's face turned sad. "It's what my parents did when they don't love each other anymore."

"Hey! Mommy and Daddy love each other!"

"Maybe they used to, but you said your mom and dad have been yelling at each other, right? Then your dad doesn't sleep with your mom anymore."

"Daddy said Mommy will forgive him soon!"

"My dad said that too!" his classmate began to raise his voice as well. "But then my mom left us and she never came back!"

Nate screamed and pounced on his friend. The fight didn't have a chance to begin, because the teacher walked in just in time. She separated the boys and asked them questions. None of them opened their mouths, so she finally called their parents.

It was Sam who picked Nate up, and he also couldn't coax Nate into talking. They drove the way back home in silence, but as soon as they arrived, Nate jumped from the car and ran inside. Sam followed his son and couldn't help but feel his heart break a little more at the scene before him.

Nate was wailing and pounding on the bedroom Sam shared with Quinn. "Mommy! Mommy, please come out, Mommy! Don't leave me and Daddy! Please! Mommy!" He repeated those words and it took little time for Quinn to give in to his desperate pleading.

When she came out, Sam felt a hitch in his breath. It had only been what, two days, and Sam had missed her so much. His Quinn looked as beautiful as always, but with a miserable, exhausted expression. Sam knew that it was him who caused that look, albeit indirectly. They shared a glance, but then Quinn decided to tend to their wailing son.

"Nate…" she squatted down and opened her arms, and Nate jumped to her, pressing his face onto his mom's chest.

"Mommy, please, please don't leave," Nate sobbed uncontrollably. "I promise I will be a good boy. I'm sure Daddy doesn't want you to leave too. Whatever he did, please forgive him. I'm sure he didn't mean it. Please, just please don't get a dee-force."

"Dee…?" Quinn's eyes widened. "Where did you hear that?"

"My friend said his mom and dad fought too like you. Then they got a dee-force and his mom left. Mommy, please…"

"We're not getting a divorce." It was Sam who answered. "Don't worry, Nate, Mommy is not going anywhere."

Nate looked at his mom and dad back and forth. "But…"

"I will never let your mom go, okay?" Sam said firmly but sincerely, his eyes searching Quinn's. "Now, can you let Mommy and me have a talk?"

Nate nodded, but he allowed himself to hug his mom once more and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I love you, Mommy," he said, then he climbed off his mom's lap. Sam took him and brought him to his own bedroom.

"Take a nap," Sam said as he lowered his son onto the bed. "When you wake up, everything will be alright."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Nate nodded and closed his eyes. Tired from the fighting and the crying, he drifted off soon enough.

"Look, Quinn—."

"I'm sorry," Quinn cut him off, surprising Sam. "I'm sorry, I overreacted. I was being unfair to you."

"Eh…"

"I shouldn't have gotten mad at you. It wasn't your fault." Quinn continued as she looked down. "I just… didn't know how to talk to you after I acted like that."

"You were upset," Sam said hurriedly. "If I were in your place, I would've been angry too."

"It's… I…" the blonde girl began to tear up. "I'm scared."

Sam didn't wait any longer and pulled Quinn into his embrace. He inhaled the sweet scent of his wife that he had been missing so much. He allowed himself to enjoy the warmth radiating from Quinn's body. They still fit so right together, even after all this time. "I don't know why you should feel scared."

"But your dad…"

"My dad is just acting like a control-freak he is. He could never accept the fact that I left home to pursue my own career and create my own happiness."

"Your dad wants you to be happy."

"And I can't be happy with anyone but you, you know that," Sam held her a little tighter and placed a kiss at the crown of her head. "My happiness is here, with you and Nate. Not with some random woman my dad suddenly set up with me."

Sam could feel the front of his shirt getting wet. Quinn was crying silently. "Sam… I will never be good enough for your dad, will I?"

The blonde man couldn't hold it anymore. He kissed his wife desperately, trying to convey how much he loved her, how nothing else mattered. Quinn was unresponsive for the first few moments, but then she answered the kiss with the same amount of desperation.

They fell onto the bed quickly. Two days of fighting was certainly too long. Their bodies were weary, but their hearts needed it. "I love you," Sam whispered repeatedly, and Quinn answered with kiss after kiss. Their love making was slow and gentle, but still they were panting and out of breath by the end of it.

"Maybe," Sam said when Quinn was safely tucked inside his arms, "we should all go see my dad."

Quinn blinked and looked up to him questioningly, "We…?"

"Me, you and Nate."

The blonde girl shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not sure that it's a good idea."

"Nate is a big boy now," Sam smiled. "That way, you don't have to be scared. Me and Nate will protect you from big bad Grandpa."

Quinn chuckled (oh, how Sam had longed to hear that sound) and hit him playfully. "How do you know whether your dad want to meet us or not?"

"Oh he will. He couldn't wait to prove that I had been taking the wrong path, remember?" Sam kissed his wife again. "We will prove him wrong."

Nate opened his eyes from a wonderful dream where Mommy had forgiven Daddy and they were having a picnic by the beach. He pouted when he realized that it was just a dream. But then he remembered his dad's promise, "When you wake up, everything will be alright."

He rushed outside his room and found his parents' bedroom door open. No sign of them. He ran downstairs and slowly felt a grin growing on his face. "Mommy! Daddy!"

His parents were seated on the couch, watching television. Daddy's arm was wrapped around Mommy's shoulder and they turned their heads around at hearing Nate's voice. They were smiling.

"Hey, son, we were waiting for you so we can have a dinner together—ufh!" Daddy huffed when Nate jumped onto his lap.

"You kept your promise," Nate almost squealed (but he didn't squeal because he was a big boy). "Everything is alright now."

"Of course," Daddy smiled as he kissed Nate's forehead. Then he kissed Mommy's cheek as well. "Everything is alright."

"You're not mad anymore at Daddy?" Nate asked his mom. Mommy smiled sweetly and shook her head. "Sorry... I've made you worried."

"It's okay!" Nate squeezed himself between his parents. He was so happy to see his parents smiling again. He never wanted to see them fight like that. Ever.

"What do you want to eat?" Daddy asked.

"I want Mommy's favorite," Nate chirped. "Bacon!"

"You're spoiling your mom," Daddy laughed. "I'm sad, you don't love me as much."

"I love you too, Daddy! Because you love anything Mommy love, I choose Mommy's favorite food."

Daddy laughed again, sometimes amazed by how smart their son was. He kissed Mommy quickly, and Mommy slapped his arm although with a very apparent blush on her cheek.

Oh yes, Nate thought happily, everything is alright now.

"Mommy, Daddy... can we have a picnic by the beach?"

This will be a series of one-shots. I already have 4 more one-shots ready, I'll update it when I have time. And no, I haven't forgotten about Date in Paradise. It won't be long enough until you see the 6th chapter though.

In the mean time, do read this stories. Reviews are always welcome. I wanna know what do you think of it. Thank you :)