Aaron blinked his eyes trying to behold the gravity of the situation, it was almost unreal. In his final act on this earth, his father had shattered Aaron's reality.
A knock on the door soon brought Aaron out of his thoughts. Paige McCuller, Aaron's secretary, stood in the doorway, her small frame seemingly out of place against the mighty oak archway. "Mr Smith, I have those documents you requested" she uttered sheepishly.
Aaron shook his head "Please take them back, and cancel all my appointments" he replied in as friendly a tone as he could muster.
"Yes sir" the fragile woman squeaked, and backed out of the room.
"Wait" Aaron shouted, causing the poor women to stop so suddenly several folders flew out of her hands. "Cancel everything for the next two weeks, I've got some family business to deal with"
"Of course Mr. Smith" the woman replied as she scrambled to recover her lost documents and quickly made for her desk.
Aaron felt guilty over what had just transpired. The poor woman had worked for him for several years, and in an attempt to comfort him earlier that morning he had almost bitten her head off.
California, it had been years since Aaron had last ventured this far west, not since his years at Berkeley. Much of his dealings with company assets along with R&D took place in the Eastern states, however there were corporate offices in and around Pasadena he had yet to inspect. He figured that if nothing came of this trip, at the very least he could write it off as work.
As Aaron stepped off the company plane, a black limo stood waiting for him. As he stepped inside a rather shady figure began to speak "Hello Mr Smith, I'm John Izac and this is the information you requested" the man slipped a folder towards Aaron.
Taking the folder, Aaron opened it to reveal photos. "This is the family?" he questioned.
"Yes, according to the medical records and the DNA tests, this is the family" John confirmed. "There is a slight problem though"
Aaron looked up from the folder and raised an eyebrow "What do you mean there's a problem?"
John gulped slightly at the unnerving look "I'm sorry to inform you sir, but Mr Walker passed away 2 days ago"
Aaron deflated, he did not know this man, yet the emotion attached to his passing was something he could not control.
"Again I am sorry sir" John continued "His funeral is today, all the information is in the folder should you wish to attend"
Aaron was torn, the family had been hit by a massive loss, it wouldn't be a good time to approach them, however he felt in his heart that he could not wait. "Yes, let's go" he finally answered.
Aaron had changed into a black suit, and his limo now pulled up to the graveyard. As he stepped from the limo, he couldn't help but feel awkward, mourning amongst the loved ones of a man he did not know.
Aaron took up a place near the back of cemetery and tried to get a glimpse of Nora and her children. All five of them were sitting quietly, tears streaming down their faces. This was what his father had deprived him of all those years ago. He should've been sitting there amongst his siblings, mourning the loss of a loving father and being comforted by his brothers and sisters. There was no one there to comfort him at his father's passing, those that attempted to, did so out of obligation rather than love, and that was something Aaron despised.
As the service drew to an end, and the body was finally lowered into the ground, Aaron reached into his pocket and withdrew a coin. The coin was old, beyond old it was one of the original mints of the US treasury cast in gold and worth far more than its weight. His father, well the man he had called father all his life, had given it to him as graduation present. Aaron took the coin, said a small prayer, and placed the coin in the ground.
Nora Walker was fighting back tears as her husband's coffin was lowered into place, six feet beneath the surface, his final resting place. The emotion flooded over her like a tidal wave, relentlessly threatening to drown her in an ocean of sorrow. Between ebs, she fought her way to the surface, and for a moment someone caught her attention. Darting behind the sea of faces she could all but swear to have seen William. This is it, she thought, I'm losing my mind. But as the parade of goodbyes and final farewells began to draw to a close, the man she had glimpsed finally stepped forward. She watched as he pulled something golden from his pocket and placed it in the grave.
Nora was speechless, this young man, who could barely be older than 24, was the spitting image of William, at least at his age. As the man withdrew, Nora could not let him get away and paced after him. "Excuse me" she almost yelled, pushing past the crowd of friends and employees. The man stopped mid stride and turned to face her, and in the moment their eyes met, they both felt a connection, a familiarity.
Aaron was staring into his mothers face; his own mother had passed when he was only 8, so he had never felt this emotional depth before.
"Do I know you?" Nora questioned, breaking the fragile moment.
"I'm sorry Mrs Walker, this probably wasn't the right time to meet you" Aaron apologized.
Nora shook her head "There is never a bad time to meet someone my dear" she stated in her motherly tone "especially since you remind me so much of William" she choked.
"I don't want to interrupt the funeral, would it be possible to meet with you sometime, it is quite important" Aaron stuttered now feeling completely out of place as the graveyard grew quiet and all eyes had turned to the pair. He quickly removed his business card and handed it to her "Please call me sometime" Aaron then turned and made for his limo.
The Walker house was bustling with activity after the wake had concluded and the last of the mourners had left the building. The 5 siblings and their mother sat quietly around the dining room table, exhausted from the days events, things were very quite.
"Mom, who was that man you were talking with at the funeral" Kevin finally broke the silence.
Nora removed the card from her pocket and read the name aloud "Aaron Smith".
"A little young to be a "friend" of yours" Sarah quipped.
"I've never seen him before in my life, but I swear he's the spitting image of your father" Nora explained.
"You're kidding me, no way was dad that hot!" Kevin smirked.
"Your father was quite the looker in his day" Nora laughed, it felt good to laugh after so much sadness and she was relieved at how much tension seemed to evaporate after the statement.
"Please stop right there" Kitty almost shouted raising her hands in a pleading manner "I don't want to know"
"Are you going to call him?" Tommy piped in.
"If you're not, why don't you slip that phone number my way?" Kevin laughed, causing everyone to break out laughing too.
"Are you kidding me, you think everyone's gay" Sarah replied.
"Hey, excuse me but did you see the suit he was wearing, that was Armani, custom made, that jacket probably cost more than your car, now what kind of straight guy would spend that much money on a suit?" Kevin rationalized.
"Maybe he's in the fashion industry?" Sarah answered.
"Yes because the fashion industries just full of heterosexuals" Kevin laughed.
"Excuse me, but he wanted to talk to me" Nora finally chipped in "And don't worry Kevin I'll put in a good word for you" she smiled.
Aaron had not expected to hear back from Nora so soon, he anticipated at least a week before events would calm down, so when she called him the very next day and asked him to come over to talk, he was hardly prepared.
"Aaron welcome!" Nora greeted "please come in" she offered as she led Aaron toward the living room.
"Before we start I need to ask you one thing" Nora stated flatly as Aaron took a seat on the sofa.
"Anything" Aaron stuttered.
"Are you gay?" she smiled warmly.
Aaron's eyes opened wide in shock at the unexpected question and realizing this Nora quickly explained "I'm sorry its just that my Son, who is also Gay, well is Gay if you're not gay, wanted to know"
"I see, well yes I suppose I am" Aaron replied.
"Great, I'll have to set the two of you up on a date" Nora announced.
"Actually Mrs Walker" Aaron interrupted "You might want to hear what I have to say before setting me up with your son" he continued seriously.
"Okay, well why don't you go ahead and tell me what you need to tell me" Nora stated with a seriousness that trumped his.
"You were pregnant 24 years ago, and gave birth to a baby boy at St Andrews Hospital" Aaron stated flatly.
Shock gripped Nora, followed closely by sadness at the child she had lost on that day. She nodded slowly.
"My father left me this when he passed away 2 weeks ago" Aaron continued, and handed Nora the letter his father had left behind.
Nora took the letter and dawning her reading glasses, began to skim the words for anything that was relevant to her. She soon found the passage Aaron had been focused on. In it Aaron's father had explained that their child had died while he was in the nursery, and so filled with grief he had switched the dead child with its neighbour.
"You're my son" Nora gasped, her eyes raising from the letter.
"No parent should ever outlive their child" Aaron whispered, his voice choked with emotion "What my father did to you, I am truly sorry"
Nora's eyes stayed transfixed on Aaron, her son, her son whom she had thought died so many years ago. He was alive, he was here, she had prayed so many times for it to have been a mistake, and it seemed that her prayers had been answered.
"You are my son" Nora gasped again "You have nothing to apologize for" she flung herself at Aaron and embraced him in a hug so tight he could barely breathe.
They sat, embracing for what seemed like an eternity before Aarons cell phone chimed, alerting him of a meeting he had scheduled.
"I have to go" Aaron announced, breaking from his mothers embrace.
"You can't go, I just found out my son is alive, I have an entire lifetime to catch up on" Nora pleaded.
Aaron nodded "I'm sorry Mrs Walker, but I need to make this appointment"
"Mrs Walker? Are you kidding me, from now on I'm MOM" Nora almost shouted.
"Okay Mom, Ill come back this afternoon, oh and here I hope you don't mind but I had to be certain so my PI did DNA tests to confirm I am your son, the results are this folder" Aaron smiled and left the house.
It was barely an hour after Aaron had left that Nora's phone began to ring, and as she had anticipated it was Kevin.
"Kevin, what can I do for you dear" Nora answered in her most sickly sweet mothering voice.
"Funny mom, you know why I'm calling" Kevin replied sternly, ignoring his mothers sentiment.
"Yah, about that, it's a bit complicated" Nora explained.
"How complicated could it be? Is he gay or isn't he? You got to tell me! Sarah and I have a bet" Kevin pressed.
"Well he is gay" Nora answered.
"I Knew it!" Kevin shouted "Score one for my team, hold on a second I'm going to conference Sarah in on this call"
"Hello" Sarah answered.
"Sarah, moms on conference, she says he's gay you owe me 100 bucks!" Kevin smirked.
"No way mom, you must have miss heard him or something" Sarah pressed "And besides the bet wasn't that he was gay, it was that mom would be able to get you date with him"
"Children shut up" Nora snapped, immediately silencing her children.
"Mom what's wrong" Kevin finally broke the silence.
"Are you okay mom?" Sarah added.
"Everythings fine, more than fine actually. I'll explain it all at Paige's party. "
A party at moms was always an eerie prospect. For Sarah it was doubly concerning after having learned of her fathers infidelities. To make things worse her mother had invited the woman whom her father had the affair with.
Aaron felt a little out of place standing around the fiesta themed table while the family members and friends arrived one by one. Nora, had told him she would be announcing him to the family tonight and this party was to be a celebration. In the mean time Aaron did his best to make small talk with his siblings careful not to reveal too much.
Two siblings in particular had begun to hover around Aaron and ask inordinate amount of questions, from where are you from, to how many countries have you been too. Kevin's date in particular, caught Aarons attention the most. Kevin had insisted that they were not together, and that Scotty was just a witness whom his sister had invited to get back at him. Aaron felt this was Kevin's attempt to announce his availability, and could imagine how stupid Kevin would feel after the announcement.
Aaron excused himself from Kevin and Sarah, and made his way inside, away from the dining table that had been prepared on the courtyard by the pool. Once inside Aaron was captivated by the stairwell, not by the stairs themselves, but by the collage of photos that lined the spiralling wall, revealing all 5 children and their parents in various stages of their lives.
Aaron was caught like a deer in headlights, his focus completely on the photos, each capturing a moment, a memory that he should have been a part of. It wasn't until a hand gently brushed his cheek, that Aaron was snapped out of thoughts.
"I'm sorry, you were crying" Scotty apologized, and Aaron felt the cold trail of a tear running down his cheek. "They're quite the family aren't they?" he added gesturing to the photos.
Aaron nodded in agreement.
"Sometimes I wish my family were that close" Scotty continued, and Aaron noted the slight southern accent in his voice. "Was your family ever that close?"
"No" Aaron replied sombrely "I never had any siblings, and my mother died when I was 8. After she passed away my father sort of retreated from the world"
"There must have been some good times you can hold onto, they're always good times, no matter how small, it's what makes life worth living" Scotty answered.
Aaron smiled "I suppose there were some good times" he replied "My graduation, my father was so proud" another tear began to well up and Aaron quickly brushed it aside taking a deep breath. "You know you're very wise" he smiled.
"Why thank you" Scotty stated with a grand smile spread across his face, his hands clutching imaginary pearls around his neck.
Aaron looked into the eyes of this young man and he felt something, something he hadn't felt in a very long time. He took the moment and leaned in and to his surprise Scotty had done the same. Their lips met in what felt like an explosion of emotion. For several long seconds Aaron was happy, a happiness second only to the day earlier when Nora had so openly accepted him as her Son.
Scotty broke away "we should head back to the table before the music starts" he smiled.
Aaron nodded his head in agreement "Can I call you sometime?" he questioned as they bound down the staircase towards the back door.
"How about we go out tonight? After the party?" Scotty proposed.
Aaron thought for a moment and wondered if his new family would allow him to leave "Okay" he answered, giving Scotty a quick peak on the cheek before exiting onto the courtyard.
As the pair made their way across the courtyard, Nora intercepted them, her face revealed an inner sadness which Aaron had quickly picked up on. "Are you okay mom?" he questioned, instantly realizing what he said the moment a gasp left Scotties mouth.
"Wait, you're her son?" Scotty questioned with a look of exasperation on his face.
Nora's face hardened slightly as she turned to face Scotty "Do not tell anyone, at least until I've had the chance to" she said with a stern voice that no one could question.
Scotty nodded in reply.
"Please go join the others, I need to talk with Aaron in private" she finished.
As Scotty scampered away towards the rest of the guests, Nora's face softened reflecting the warmth and comfort of a mother. "Aaron, I'm okay son, there's just been a bit of a situation that might explode during dinner. I believe the rest of the kids are in the kitchen right now, I want to let them know now, before dinner starts" she stated, taking Aaron by the arm and leading him into the house.
It took but a few short moments to reach the kitchen, where sure enough the siblings had all gathered, picking at food on preparation island, while cater waiters bustled about trying to avoid them. As soon as Nora entered the room, everything fell silent, they had obviously been discussing something about their mother.
"Everyone, I have an announcement to make" she stated firmly, garnering their attention "By now you've all met Aaron here" everyone smiled and nodded. "Well there's something important you need to know about Aaron".
"Oh my God, he's not your boyfriend is he?" Kevin questioned, a serious and stressed look on his face.
"Kevin, don't be silly!" Nora retorted "What you need to know is Aaron here, is..." she gulped "My son".
There was shocked silence all around the room, even the cater waiters had stopped mid preparation and gawked at her. It was Sarah who finally broke the silence "Mom, how is that possible?"
"You may not remember, but 24 years ago your father and I were expecting" Nora explained "that would've been two years after we had Justin"
"Yes I remember mom, but I thought he died at the hospital, I remember we had a funeral and everything" Kitty spoke up.
"Well it seems that the child that died that night wasn't your brother. Aarons father switched the babies in the nursery after finding his own son dead." Nora began to cry and Aaron placed his arms around her comforting.
"Wait wait wait, you don't expect us to just take his word on this do you?" Kevin the ever vigilant lawyer questioned.
"I didn't have to, we've done the DNA tests, he is your brother" Nora explained.
"Oh my god" all five siblings gasped at the same time.
"We have another brother" Kitty yelled running around the table to hug Aaron.
"Welcome to the family bro" Justin and Tommy both replied, extending their hands in a warm firm shake.
Sarah and Kevin both smiled, but underneath their plastic exterior their trepidation was plainly obvious. As the other 3 siblings took their new brother by the arm and led him outside, the pair descended upon their mother.
"Mom I want to see those DNA results" Kevin stated as soon as the other group were out of ear shot.
"Yeah mom, I want to see those results too, I mean what do you know about this guy?" Sarah added "We have no idea what his motives are"
"His MOTIVES?" Nora all but shouted "Are you two kidding me, he is your brother, my son, I will not have the two of you treating him like a criminal!"
"Mom just tell me, has he asked you for money?" Sarah pressed.
"No, of course not" Nora replied "And the DNA test results are in a folder on your fathers desk"
Now that the secret was out, and all the siblings knew who he was, Aaron decided to go for a swim having seen Tommy jump in fully clothed in an effort to reassure Paige. He quickly slipped into a pair of swimming trunks which Justin had been kind enough to lend him, and stepped onto the poolside shirtless.
Immediately all conversation in the pool area ceased and all eyes fell upon the perfectly formed 24 year old. Scotty, who was already in the pool, swam up to the edge and playfully splashed water at Aaron.
"Looks like you have everyone's attention" Scotty laughed "And I don't blame them, a body like yours belongs in the Smithsonian"
Aaron laughed "Thanks for the compliment, though you might want to work on your pickup lines" he retorted and finally jumped into water and swam up next to Scotty.
From across the courtyard Sarah, Kitty and Kevin watched the pair intently.
"You know I hope they end up together" Kitty commented, earning dagger like stares from Kevin.
"Yeah I just hope he isn't after a piece of Ojai" Sarah stated.
"Wait, you think he's here for money?" Kitty questioned.
"What else would he be here for" Kevin retorted "look at him, a body like that, he's probably never done an honest days work in his life"
"I think you're just jealous" Kitty remarked.
"Jealous of what?" Kevin questioned.
"Well, when you first saw him at the funeral you had the biggest crush on him, and all morning you've been hitting on him, and now that he's your brother and no longer an option, you're Jealous cause he's hitting on another guy you actually had a chance with" Kitty analyzed.
"Wow, I think that's more than hitting on" Sarah added, as across the court yard Scotty and Aaron were now kissing one another.
"I'm sorry Kevin" Kitty consoled, rubbing his arm "But he is our brother, and you did tell him Scotty was just a witness"
Kevin fumed and walked away, heading back towards the house. Meanwhile Kitty turned to Sarah "I don't think he's after money Sarah, I mean you saw him at the funeral, hell you saw the clothes he was wearing today, there's no way someone grifting for money could afford that kind of getup".
"I guess you're right" Sarah replied "I think the stress of dads affair, and the company finances are just getting to me"
"Wait, what's happening with the company finances?" Kitty questioned.
"You can't tell anyone, but we're in serious trouble kitty, if we have a roof over our heads in 3 months we'll be lucky" Sarah answered.
As night descended upon the Walker residence, everyone had changed and were now gathered around the long table. Aaron took his seat next to Scotty and smiled at his sister kitty who sat across from him.
"I would just like to thank everyone for coming today" Nora announced "It was an important day, we finally got Paige to get back in the water, and we've welcomed Aaron into the family"
Everyone cheered and smiled, and very soon dinner was being served. The fiesta theme, though somewhat tacky, actually turned out to be quite delicious. Soon after dinner had started however, an obvious lull in conversation could be felt between the 5 siblings and their partners. None of them were talking, this fact was picked up on by kitties co-host Warren.
"What's going on?" Warren had questioned.
"What do you mean?"Nora had answered from her place at the head of the table.
"Why are we the only people talking?" Warren added.
And that is when the evening got very interesting as Aaron watched the fury behind his mothers eyes unleash. It was a cold reserved fury and her voice remained perfectly levelled as she announced that she knew about the Affair that her children were trying to hide from her.
Holly, full of embarrassment, fled the house, and those that remained finished their dinner in silence.
As the guests finally left the house, Aaron was caught in a conundrum, on one hand he wanted to go out with Scotty, but on the other he wanted to comfort his mother. To compromise he asked Scottie to wait for him, and made his way inside, looking for his mother.
He found Nora a few minutes later, sitting alone in the living room with Kitty by her side consoling her as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Mom" Aaron said softly, taking a seat beside his weeping mother "Are you going to be all right? Do you need someone to stay with you tonight?" he questioned.
Nora took a deep breath, the last thing she felt was fine, but right now she felt equally guilty about ruining the party. "I'll be okay Aaron, Kitty will be staying with me tonight" she replied.
"Okay, but if you need anything, no matter what time of night, please just call me" Aaron stated.
"Well that was an interesting night" Scotty smiled as Aaron came out to meet him.
"A very interesting night, I wonder if all the family get together are this interesting" Aaron remarked as he kissed Scotty on the cheek.
"So, what do you feel like doing tonight?" Scotty questioned with a hint of seduction in his voice.
"Honestly, I feel like staying in and watching a movie" Aaron replied.
"You read my mind" Scotty laughed "Your place or mine?"
"Well my place is on the other side of the country, so how about yours" Aaron answered, his face millimetres from Scotty's.
Scotty kissed Aaron and then the pair left the Walker residence. It took barely twenty minutes to reach Scotty's apartment. Wasting no time, the two were snuggling in front of the television several minutes later, watching a random movie on HBO. The name of the movie didn't matter much, as they spent the majority of the time making love on the sofa.
Aaron and Scotty had been dating for almost 2 weeks, when things started to get a bit shaky. Aaron had fallen head over heels for the young man, however his work obligations could wait no longer, and he had to return to New York.
The Pair sat down to dinner at Aaron's hotel room suite, and Aaron was looking deep into Scotty's eyes "I have to leave tomorrow" he finally announced, breaking the silence.
Scotty was taken aback by the sudden announcement. He had known since the beginning of their relationship, that Aaron would eventually have to return New York, but he didn't think it would be so soon.
"I would ask you to come with me, but so much of your life is situated in this city" Aaron apologized.
Scotty nodded, his eyes began to well up with tears. "How long will you be gone for?" he questioned hopefully.
Aaron shook his head solemnly "We're mid stream on an R&D project for the military, It'll be at least 7 months before its completed. But once it's done I'll be moving to Pasadena permanently" he replied, hoping beyond hope that Scotty would wait for him.
"I don't know if I can wait that long" Scotty replied, shattering Aaron's world.
"I understand" Aaron stated "And I can't expect you to wait for me"
With that the Pair shared one last meal, and one last night of romance together.
Aaron arrived back in New York the very next day. This was the city he called home, yet for some reason he no longer felt at home. Walking into his apartment felt odd, like walking through the home of someone else. When he arrived at work, all he could think about was his new family, and Scotty, the man he had fallen in love with. How could I have let him go? He questioned, taking a seat behind his desk and beginning to tackle the insurmountable pile of paper work his secretary had left for him.
As the day wore on, Aaron made his way down to the primary R&D lab, this was usually the highlight of his day, where he could examine and critique the latest technologies. The military project he was currently working on, was a kinetic-thermal personal shield. The concept had been floating around science fiction shows for the better part of a century, however the physics behind its construction, had only recently become available. Seven months, Seven months to complete a project that could save literally thousands of American soldiers lives, in exchange for his relationship with Scotty. Aaron was the original creator of the device, coming up with the field force technologies that allowed it to become a reality, and as such no one could replace him.
Aaron tapped on a glass screen that immediately caused half a dozen holographic windows to appear around the room. Each window represented various portions of the device, in various states of development. The physics behind its construction were sound, however a major hurdle had been in the fabrication of the meta-materials that would allow for the conversion of EM forces into Kinetic absorption pulses. The current prototype was far too large, and consumed far more energy than the equations anticipated.
As Aaron began to be lost in his equations, Brian Stephens, a very bright man with several PHD's to his name, entered the lab.
Brain stood watching Aarons eyes dart from screen to screen, as his hands carefully orchestrated the multiple windows like a symphony. He had worked with Aaron's farther for the better part of two decades, and watched the young boy's enthusiasm for science grow exponentially. At this point Aaron had been solving quantum equations that Brain could barely understand.
"Ah you're still stuck on meta-material fabrication" Brain stated, breaking the silence.
Aarons hands continued to dance across the multiple holographic screens. It was a technology that had been available to him for the past 8 years, yet was still far too expensive for commercial application. "I think interleaving gold and cadmium on a adamantine scaffold might give us the tensile strength to keep the structure viable, the problem is there is no element with the right photo absorption rate and electro conductive capacity, to make the scaffold work" Aaron explained.
Brain stepped in closer as Aaron now pulled out a 3 dimensional image of the molecular scaffold. "Well you know what you father always said" Brian pressed, finally understanding what Aaron was saying.
"If it doesn't exist, build it" The pair said in unison.
Brain quickly stepped to Aarons side and pulled out a modelling window with the basic structure of an atom.
"Are you serious?" Aaron gasped "You want us to build an atom"
"We'll build the atom virtually, then figure out how to fabricate it later" Brain stated.
Aaron nodded in agreement, and the pair set to work constructing an artificial atom which could not possibly exist in nature.
Three weeks had passed very quickly as Aaron had become absorbed by his work. He had barely left the design labs, feeling that the closer he was to completing the project, the closer he would be to going home. His real home, with a mother who loved him and siblings. Over the past three week's he had checked in on his family several times. It was his last call to his mother that had him now sitting at his mother's breakfast table in Pasadena.
"You really didn't have to fly all the way over here Aaron, I know you're busy" Nora apologized profusely to her son. In their last phone conversation, barely 8 hours ago, she had mentioned that the family was selling off their ranch in Ojai and how wonderful it would've been for him to have seen it before it was gone. She had no idea that he would hop on the very next flight to join her.
"If it's a piece of family history, I'd like to see it before it's gone, absorb some of the stories about the life I never got to live" Aaron pressed with a smile on his face. "Also, you never really said why you're selling the place?"
"Well, no one used it last year and it just seemed like too much of an extravagance" Nora lied. The truth was, William Walker, her dead husband, and Aarons dead biological father, had embezzled 15 million dollars out of Ojai Foods. Selling the Ranch was just one of the compromises needed in order to repay that debt.
"Okay, so I guess I'll drive us up?" Aaron smiled tossing his car keys up in the air playfully. Two weeks earlier he had his secretary purchase a house and car for him nearby, in preparation for his eventual move to Pasadena.
"Well how big is your rental? There's this wall panel I want to save" Nora explained.
"It's a sports car, and it's not a rental" Aaron replied.
"Not a rental?" Nora questioned.
"Yup, I bought a house and a car" Aaron admitted.
Nora's eyes went wide with glee and she raced across the room and hugged Aaron "You've moved to Pasadena!" she shouted with joy.
"Yes and no" Aaron replied.
"I don't understand" Nora stated, releasing him and backing away slightly.
"Well, I'm still working on a project that will take a few more months to complete in New York, but once that's over I'll be moving to California permanently" Aaron announced.
"So a few more months and I'll have you within mothering range" Nora joked.
"Looks like it" Aaron laughed "I'm sorry but I don't think the cars big enough" he added.
"That's okay, I asked to borrow Dave's truck, and he'll be coming with us" Nora explained.
Aaron grinned, mischief in his eyes "This wouldn't happen to be the same Dave you went on a date with?" he added a smirk.
"Okay which one of your Siblings will I be killing?" she laughed "It's Kevin isn't it, I'm going to kill him"
"It was Kitty" Aaron replied "I haven't spoken to Kevin since he told me he was going out with Scotty"
Nora's face turned sweet and compassionate "Oh I'm so sorry honey, what happened between you two anyway?"
"Well, we both knew I'd have to leave soon, and I didn't want him to have to put his life on hold for 7 months, I was just hoping that when I finally did move back we could reconnect. But from what I've heard they're pretty serious now" Aaron admitted. "And at least he's going out with someone I know will treat him right"
Nora reached around and hugged Aaron "Don't worry honey, you'll find someone" she squeezed him then let go. "Okay we better get going, How about we all pile into the truck and head up?"
"Actually, can I just follow you two up, I think a bit of alone time might be perfect for you two" Aaron giggled.
The drive up to Ojai was wonderful, even alone Aaron still embraced the Californian coast. However as they pulled into Ojai the weather took a turn for the worse and buckets of rain started blurring the line between road and mud. Finally pulling up to the house, Aaron saw that his mother and Dave were already here, so he quickly jumped out of the car and ran to the entrance. The exposure of not more than ten seconds had left him utterly drenched from head to toe. As he entered the house he found his mother wrapped up snugly in a blanket.
"Aaron take those wet clothes off now and ill throw them in the dryer with ours" his mother stated firmly.
Aaron complied, and in a few minutes he was standing there, in the middle of the room in nothing but his boxers. Thankfully they were still dry.
As his mother disappeared into the laundry room the door suddenly flung open to reveal Kitty and Warren. Aaron just stood there in shock, forgetting about how close to naked he was.
"Ah" Kitty screamed as she saw Aaron standing in the middle of the living room in only his boxers. "What the hell is going on here!"
"I can explain" Aaron said raising his hands in a defensive position.
"What's with all the commotion!" Nora shouted as she entered the living room, then froze as she saw Kitty and Warren "Um Kitty what are you doing here"
"Mom Whats going on?" Kitty replied earnestly.
"What do you mean?" Nora answered perplexed.
"Well I walk in to find Aaron here in just his boxers" Aaron finally realized his near nakedness and picked up a seat cushion, "And you, half naked in a blanket". As if on cue Dave stepped out of the bedroom in a pink robe. "Oh my god I'm going to need counselling for the rest of my life" Kitty concluded.
"Oh grow up Kitty, It was pouring rain so I just threw your brother and Dave's clothes in the dryer" Nora explained. "And what may I ask are you doing here?"
Kitty's eyes went all shifty as she tried to lie her way out of the predicament "Umm well we're here for work, we needed a quite place to prepare for an interview"
"I see, and your paperwork and laptops?" Nora interrogated.
"Um, I forgot them at work" Kitty sighed, just as the sound of another car pulling up could be heard.
"Oh my god, its Kevin, that big mouth we'll never hear the end of this" Nora shouted, "oh no, he brought Scotty" Both she and Kitty looked to Aaron apologetically. "I'm so sorry Aaron".
"It's okay, we're brothers, this was bound to happen eventually" Aaron consoled.
The door flung open and the pair walked through and stopped in shock at the sight of the people in the house.
"Oh great there are people here" Kevin announced, but then drew silent as his eyes rested on his brother. His incredibly toned, and well defined brother who was standing wet, in the living room with nothing but a thin pair of boxers and seat cushion, and he could tell Scotty had also stopped mid sentence to check him out too.
"Um what are you doing here?" Nora questioned, breaking the pair out of their temporary stupor.
"I could ask you guys the same thing... um is there a reason why Aaron's sitting here in his underwear?" Kevin questioned.
"My clothes are in the dryer" Aaron admitted "I have change in my car if I could just borrow your umbrella" he added.
"Oh dear could you please grab Dave and I something too?" Nora asked.
Aaron nodded and walked over to Kevin where he gave his brother a hug "Nice to see you again" he then moved over and gave Scotty a hug "It's great to see you happy" he smiled and took the umbrella from him, then exited the house.
"What is Aaron doing here?" Scotty demanded shortly after the door closed.
"I invited him" Nora explained.
"Oh great, did you do this to ruin my weekend?" Kevin pushed.
"Kevin calm down, we had no idea you'd be coming up this weekend" Kitty added.
Scotty patted Kevin's arm gingerly "Come on, it's going to be okay"
"Of course you'd think it'll be okay, you were fawning all over him just now" Kevin yelled.
"I wasn't fawning, I was just startled, and from the looks of things you were just as startled" Scotty yelled back.
"Look just calm down, we're..." Nora's voice trailed off as the sound of more cars arriving could be heard.
"What is it?" Kitty questioned.
"Holy mother and Mary, it's the rest of the family!" she gasped.
About an hour later everyone had changed into fresh clothes and gathered in the living room to discuss the situation. Kitty was spinning some elaborate story to explain why Warren was there, and was nailed by Sarah when she asked where Amber, Warrens girlfriend, was.
"So there you have it" Nora concluded "and the road's are like rivers, so we'll all be sleeping here tonight, but luckily we have just enough beds"
And then just on cue the sound of another car pulled up to the house "Correction, we HAD just enough beds" Kevin added sarcastically as Justin and his girlfriend stepped into the living room.
"You guy's are so lame" Justin laughed, causing Nora to take a swig straight from the wine bottle she had been serving.
"That's okay mom, I had my secretary book me into a retreat a couple miles down the road, while we were changing, that should give you all some extra breathing room" Aaron announced.
"That's nonsense, you're staying here with us" Nora persisted.
"But mom, there really aren't enough beds, unless you want him to sleep on the couch" Kevin stated flatly.
"It's really fine, it's a five star retreat and I reserved a suite with a Jacuzzi" Aaron laughed.
"Jacuzzi! Can I join you?" Kitty questioned.
There were several hours of conversation followed by an impromptu meal of canned goods by Nora, it was midnight when Aaron finally left the ranch and checked into his room. The first thing he did was step out onto the balcony where the Jacuzzi was situated. He quickly stripped off his clothes and melted into the warm water. It was heaven, all the tension of the day just melted away. However something at the back of his mind kept pushing its way to the surface. It was Scotty. Aaron still had feelings for this man, even though the man was now involved with his brother, they were feelings he could not bury.
Aaron finally fell asleep on his bed at 2am, his mind agonizing over his love. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, it seemed. On the one had he wanted both his brother and Scotty to be happy, but on the other, he wanted Scotty to himself, and in order for that to happen he would break his brothers heart.
By 6am Aaron was up like a lightning bolt and immediately went outside for his morning run.
At 7:30am Aaron's phone rang.
"Hello" Aaron answered, his voice strained with determination for the last league of his run.
"Honey, you better get your tush over here, I'm making pancakes for the family!" The voice he recognized as his mother, announced.
"Mom its 7 30 in the morning, it's not even a school day" Aaron half joked.
"The early bird gets the worm, look outside its a beautiful day you have to come over now" Nora pressed.
"I know, im doing my morning run and its beautiful, at this rate I'll get to the ranch in about 5 minutes" Aaron replied.
"So where is Aaron?" Kevin questioned from the breakfast table.
"Still in bed I hope. Does anyone want to admit to being the one that snores like a freight train?" Sarah remarked as she came into the kitchen and threw off her gloves. "I'm looking at you Kevin"
"It's Kitty, Kitties the one" Kevin answered.
"I don't snore" Kitty quipped back.
"Aaron said he'd be here in five minutes" Nora explained.
"He must've already been on his way then" Kitty questioned.
"Yes, he said he was doing his morning run" Nora replied.
"Morning run? Isn't the nearest anything like 15 miles away" Tommy asked.
"Oh my god" Nora gasped as she saw Aaron running down the main drive way. "He actually did run here"
"No freaking way" Kevin remarked, as he and everyone else stood to get a better vantage.
"Well that explains the body" Sarah remarked as Aaron came to rest near the front entrance and began stretching.
"Yah you should've seen him up close and shirtless yesterday, it was Hot. If he weren't my brother and gay, I'd totally go there" Kitty smirked.
"Oh come on, I could have a body like that if I had as much free time as he does, and you know what they say, guys with perfect bodies are horrible in the sack" Kevin defended.
"Maybe in your dreams, face it Kevin some people are just genetically pre disposed" Sarah argued "What do you think Scotty?"
Everyone's eyes turned to rest on Scotty.
"He's actually great in the Sack" Scotty smirked "but I love your body Kevin"
"Oh Thanks" Kevin sighed.
"Will we please stop talking about your brother like he's a piece of meat" Nora finally put in.
"Yum, Pancakes" Aaron stated as he finally entered the kitchen after his stretches.
"Oh here dear" Nora stated as she placed a stack on a plate for him "You must be famished after that run"
"Did you really run all the way from the retreat?" Sarah questioned.
"Yup, 22.6 miles, I like to pull at least 15 in the mornings, but I just knew mom would be making something delicious for breakfast so I needed to burn the extra calories" Aaron smiled.
"Well, I'm glad at least one of my children appreciates my pancakes" Nora replied.
"Thank you for the pancakes mom" Kevin mocked.
"Yah thank you mom" the others replied.
"Too little too late" Nora laughed, and proceeded to pour cream and syrup on Aaron's Pancakes.
As Aaron sat down to eat his richly deserved breakfast, Tommy insistently asked Kevin to help him with a tractor. He completely ignored Justin who volunteered to help him and ultimately Kevin was forced to go outside with him. Justin soon-after snuck away with his girlfriend to find some tree house, while Sarah and her husband had disappeared to the attic to search for relics of their youth. Aaron had decided to run back home in order to shower and be better prepared for the day and soon after breakfast began his return journey to the retreat.
When he returned a short time later, Nora and Dave had finished removing the panel from the wall, and so she decided to give him a tour of the ranch along with a history of everything that had happened on the property.
With so much history and memories associated with the place, Aaron couldn't for the life of himself, figure out why they were selling the place. Every time he asked, the question would be deflected in some way.
Soon it was dinner time and Aaron sat patiently at the table while his mother served another fabulous meal which he and Scotty had aided in the preparation. It was a very rare thing for Aaron to have a home cooked meal, and so he savoured every bite.
About halfway through the meal heated words began to be exchanged between his siblings. Primarily it was between Kevin and Tommy, but egged on by Sarah for some unknown reason. Soon the truth came out, Tommy was apparently infertile, and had asked Kevin for his sperm. Justin had offered his, but was shot down, and Sarah was berating Kevin for his decision. When the view was asked of Scotty, he simply said he didn't agree with Kevin's decision, at which point Kevin completely shut him down. Scotty then asked to leave the table, at which point everyone except the 5 siblings and their mother left with him.
Aaron stayed for a moment longer as his mother came to the rescue and put everyone in their place. However a comment by Sarah caught Aaron's attention and he decided to pursue it.
"Ojai is in trouble?" Aaron commented as everyone else had stopped talking "Mom why didn't you tell me?"
"I'm sorry, I just didn't want you to have to worry about the family" Nora explained.
"You said I'm part of the family, please let me know what's happening, maybe I can help?" Aaron asked.
"You want to you help?" Sarah almost shouted.
"Sarah" Nora warned.
"Mom no, he should know what he's stepped into here with this family" Sarah pressed.
"Tell me" Aaron pressed.
"Your father, your biological father, embezzled 15 million dollars out of Ojai foods. We now have to sell almost everything in order to keep the company running, but at this rate there won't be anything left of the company. "
Aaron couldn't help but laugh "Fifteen million dollars, all this stress and worry about 15 million dollars?" he stated.
His siblings stared at him as though he had lost his mind, but Aaron simply pulled out his cheque book and wrote out a cheque to Sarah.
"Here" he finally said breaking the silence that had descended over the family.
Sarah picked up the paper and looked at it disbelieving "This is a cheque for fifteen million dollars" she gasped.
"Life is too short and precious to stress about money" Aaron stated.
"You're joking right? This cheque is fake right?" Kevin pressed.
"I assure you it's real and there are sufficient funds in that account" Aaron answered.
"How?" Kitty questioned.
"My father left it to me when he died" Aaron explained.
"That's your money, we can't accept it" Nora sighed.
"Look, what my father did 24 years ago destroyed my life and robbed me of a family. If what he left behind can restore my family, then its better off with you than sitting in a silly bank account" Aaron replied. "Please take the money"
Sarah and Tommy looked pleading to their mother.
"Okay, thank you Aaron, we will pay you back, wont we" she replied, giving sharp looks to both Sarah and Tommy.
"No" Aaron interjected "The money is yours, if you have to pay it back it will change the nature of our relationship and I just don't want that happening. It's yours, not strings attached"
"Thank you" Sarah replied, the weight of the world falling off both hers and Tommy's shoulders.
"Now Tommy, it may not be exactly the same as Kevin's but if you need a donor I have pretty much the same DNA as the rest of you, however I would recommend you patch things up with Justin because you three are the closest thing I have to brothers" Aaron offered before standing up and leaving the table.
As he reached the living room he found Scotty standing with his suit case waiting for Warren to finish packing. Aaron walked up to Scotty and placed a consoling arm around him. "I'm sorry about what Kevin said in there, I wish I had never left" he confessed.
"I wish you hadn't left too, and after what happened tonight I don't think I'll ever forgive Kevin" Scotty answered.
"Come with me to New York" Aaron pleaded.
"For how long?" Scotty questioned.
"Six months, six more months and I'll be free to move back to Pasadena permanently!" Aaron explained.
Scotty looked up into Aaron's eyes and in that moment made his decision "YES" he replied and kissed him deeply. The two then disappeared from the Ranch, and headed to Aarons suite.
Sunday morning was a blur of activity on the ranch. Warren had left the night before, and Scotty had stayed with Aaron, however the house was still packed to the rafters with people. Sarah pulled up a chair with a huge smile on her face.
"It cleared" she gasped, while everyone returned a blank stare at her.
"What cleared?" Nora inquired.
"Aaron's cheque, it cleared. I went down to the bank this morning, had to go two towns over to find one open. Talked to the teller and it cleared right away" Sarah explained.
"Then it's all done, we don't have to sell the ranch" Nora laughed with joy "Dave, we're going to have to put that panel back in!"
"Where is Aaron anyway? He should be here celebrating with us. I say we stay another night and throw a huge party tonight!" Sarah pressed.
"He's at his retreat, with Scotty, they were probably up all night having sex" Kevin stated cynically.
"Kevin you can't blame Aaron for what happened with Scotty, which was entirely your fault" Kitty pressed.
"Yeah I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like that they're doing the horizontal tango while I slept alone last night" Kevin replied.
"That's odd, I've been calling both Scotties and Aarons numbers and it just keeps ringing" Nora remarked.
"Why don't we drive out there and surprise them with breakfast" Kitty offered, quickly jumping up and preparing plates.
"That's a great idea kitty, Tommy we'll need to borrow your car" Nora ordered.
Scotty and Aaron had woken up early and gone for a jog that morning. They didn't travel nearly as far as Aaron had the previous morning, and returned to the room, where after much heavy petting the pair made their way onto the balcony where the Jacuzzi was located, and let the whiles of the world pass them by. From the safety of the balcony they could easily ignore their ringing cell phones, and the buzzing room phone by the receptionist who at that moment was being harassed by Nora and Kitty.
Scotty had just playfully removed the last article of his clothes and was basking nude in the warmth of the water, trying his best to nudge Aarons shorts off with his toes. Little did they know that outside their room, the pair of misfits had wrangled their way past the receptionist and convinced a cleaning lady to open Aarons room.
Meanwhile Scotty had successfully removed Aarons shorts, and to better accommodate what was to happen next, Aaron had pushed himself up onto the edge of the Jacuzzi exposing his nakedness to the sheltered balcony.
Nora and Kitty had made their way into the suite and begun systematically checking the room for signs of life. "Can you believe the size of this suite" Nora gasped, caught between frustration and awe.
"Well they're not in either of the rooms, or the bathroom, or Oh my god is that a dining room and kitchen?" Nora went off on a tangent as she explored the apartment sized suite.
"Did you check out the bathroom, I could live in that bathroom" Kitty giggled.
"This place must have cost a fortune" Nora sighed.
"Well I think he can afford it" Kitty snickered "I mean he just cut a cheque for 15 million dollars that cleared without a waiting period. Only someone with diamond class ratings could clear funds that fast... oh lets try the balcony, he said something about a Jacuzzi."
Kitty stepped out onto the balcony and froze in horror at the sight of her brother, completely naked receiving fallatio from Scotty. Thankfully her obstruction had stopped her mother from seeing it too.
"KITTY" Aaron screamed yanking his member out of his lovers mouth and tossing a towel around himself. Meanwhile Scotty feeling equally embarrassed grabbed a towel of his own.
"What's going on out there" Nora questioned from behind Kitty.
"MOM stay inside" Kitty yelled.
"I'm so sorry" Kitty apologized," we'll wait for you inside", she backed out slowly leaving Scotty and Aaron to stare at each other.
A few seconds after Kitty had retreated Aaron burst out laughing.
"This isn't funny" Scotty punched him playfully.
"You got to admit, its freaking hilarious" Aaron retorted "she'll be scared for life"
"Wow you really are a Walker" Scotty smirked and kissed Aaron on the lips before getting into a robe.
Robes firmly in place the pair walked into the suite to find Nora and Kitty standing quietly around the breakfast bar where 2 plates of pancakes awaited them.
"I am so sorry" Kitty reiterated.
"it's okay Kitty, actually I feel like I should apologize to you, the image of your brother getting head is not something you want burnt into your brain." Aaron replied.
"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have barged my way in here, It's just that when you two weren't picking up your phones I wanted to be sure you'd still come back to the ranch. We're throwing a party tonight." Nora explained.
"A party?" Scotty questioned.
"Yes, we're celebrating not having to sell the place thanks to you Aaron" Kitty smiled.
"Scotty, would you be okay with a party?" Aaron questioned "I'm not going unless you're going"
"No pressure then" Scotty smirked, as Nora gave him pleading looks. "Okay I'll go"
"Great, you two finish up breakfast, then we'll head into town for some supplies!"Nora finished.
The foursome dropped off Tommy's car and then headed into town together. Their first stop was a winery where they picked up several crates of wine, followed shortly by a liquor store where various types of alcohol were purchased.
"Okay, so we've got enough booze to feed a small country, will there actually be any food at this party?" Aaron commented randomly.
"Actually I wouldn't mind cooking a dish myself" Scotty added "If thats okay with you Mrs Walker?"
"Of course it is" Nora swallowed hard, in reality she didn't like anyone else cooking in her kitchen.
"You're interested in cooking?" Aaron questioned.
"Well yeah, I sometimes stand in for a sue chief downtown, that's actually the only thing I'll miss about moving to New York" Scotty replied.
"NEW YORK?" both Kitty and Nora yelled in unison "You're moving to New York?"
"Yes, I'm going to be with Aaron for six months before we move back to Pasadena" Scotty replied.
"Scotty you know, if you love cooking, a friend of mine owns a restaurant in New York, I'm sure I can arrange for an apprenticeship with one of his top chiefs?" Aaron offered.
"Oh my god that would be amazing" Scotty replied.
"Ill put in a call tonight, you' could probably start next week" Aaron finished.