Gazzy hadn't meant to stare, but he couldn't help himself. It was a beautiful sight- she was a beautiful sight. Flawless mocha colored skin made glossy by the pool water, long and flowing black curls without a strand out of place. Even her eyes, brown as they may have been, glittered with a million different colors, just like diamonds. Gazzy always thought she could have been a model. Nudge would have been good at it too... but when Nudge returned home to her mother, Tasha, her dreams changed. She just wanted to be 'Monique' and take care of the woman she had waited so long to meet.

The blonde man sighed and leaned his chin on his hand, "What are you staring at?" Skua's head popped up out of the water and nearly made Gazzy shoot to his feet in surprise.

"Nothing!" Gazzy released a light laugh and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

Skua clamped his hand over his nose and gasped, "You let one rip right now? Gross, Uncle G!"

Gazzy blushed and realized that Nudge and Ella were looking to him and laughing. He folded his arms stubbornly over his chest and looked away, "Thanks a lot..." He muttered.

"Oh..." Skua moved his hands away from his face and looked over at the two women. Gazzy's crush on Nudge had been well known for years... by everyone BUT Nudge. Even the seven year old Skua was aware of that truth, "You know... I once heard that girls like flowers. Maybe get her some flowers."

Gazzy ruffled Skua's reddish-blonde hair and sighed, "It doesn't matter how many flowers I give her, bud."

The seven-year-old swatted away his favorite Uncle's hand and scowled, "What do you mean?"

"I'm just... not good enough." Gazzy slunk forward.

"But Uncle G, you're handsome and everything!" Skye joined in, "You have a square jaw and you're strong and muscular - you're like a blonde Super Man! You can even fly!"

Gazzy's neck reddened in embarrassment, "I don't know about that..."

"You can do it, Uncle G!" Skua punched the air and Skye clasped her hands together gleefully.

"Do what?" All three turned around and saw Nudge. The somewhat older woman was tying her hair back with a rubber band and smiling down at the kids.

"Gazzy's gonna-" Gazzy pushed Skua under the water and smiled sheepishly at Nudge.

Nudge sat beside Gazzy, who's heart leapt into his chest when their shoulders touched, "I was thinking... maybe you should take Angel out for her birthday. She gets along with you and Fang better than anyone else, but Fang is going into town with Max for something... I would take her myself, but I don't think she'd go for it."

"Gee, Nudge... I don't know. Angel is-"

Nudge put her hand over Gazzys', "Please, for me?" She begged.

Gazzy's entire face came to match the color of his neck as he bashfully scratched his chin, "I mean... I can do that."

Nudge squealed and kissed Gazzy's cheek, "You're such a doll! Thanks Gazzy... maybe take her to that restaurant in town or, OH! Maybe to an amusement park? Oh, but it would be too hot, wouldn't it? And she doesn't really like fun stuff like that... maybe a.."

Gazzy smiled as he listened to Nudge go on and on the way she so often did. It was adorable, he thought. He absent mindedly reached towards her and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Nudge froze and cleared her throat, "Right, so... what do you think?"

"Hm?"

"A club." She repeated, "There's a lot of people and she could analyze them like she likes to do. You could buy her virgin margaritas, which are DELICOUS by the way. She'll be able to get in because she'll be nineteen and you could even drink if you wanted to."

Gazzy had never been a heavy drinker, but he liked the idea of taking Angel out and, even more so, getting Nudge's approval.

"I'm scared." Fang admitted. His knuckles whitened as he clutched the steering wheel. His wife put her hand on his knee and smiled at him through the rear view mirror of the bulky Honda.

"I know." She sighed, "But you can do this. And I'm here for you." The two pulled out front of a fancy restaurant that was already packed with cars for the evening rush. Max released her hold on Fang and jumped out of the silver car.

"Let's do this." Fang breathed. He tried to swallow down hard and shake off the butterflies in his stomach, but his throat was dry and his mind was swarming with worst case scenarios. Even so, he brushed his fingers through his jelled black hair and brushed off his black dress shirt, "Alright." He sucked in one more breath and began towards the building.

"How many?" The host asked when they entered.

Fang noticed that all of the employees were Italian quickly. 'I guess I'm Italian' he thought.

"We're actually here to see Percy Nisi." Max interjected.

The host quirked an eyebrow and folded his arms over his chest, "Mr. Nisi is very busy."

"It's an emergency." Max insisted.

The host, who looked young and was most likely naive, looked at Fang and then over his shoulder and nodded quickly, "He's in the kitchen. It's in the back."

Max slipped him a ten dollar bill and wormed her way around waiters and impressive plant and statue displays before finally reaching the Kitchen with Fang in toe. She didn't even stop to catch her breath before bursting into the kitchen and immediately spotting the man from the photo; Percy Nisi.

"Questo ordine non รจ giusto." He told one of the cooks, who reluctantly took the plate back and set it aside.

"Um," Fang stepped in front of Max and walked towards Percy, who had not yet spotted him, "My name is Fang...I'm uh...how do I put this?"

Percy looked up at the somewhat taller man and eyed him, "Are you my new cook? Don't worry, this job is easy." The cook behind Nisi shook his head rapidly, "You'll be on soup-"

"I'm your son." Fang blurted. All the clacking and rushing of the kitchen came to a halt. All eyes landed on Fang, "I am..." His voice shook, "I'm not lying. This isn't some kind of ploy or anything. M-my mother was Emma Bazzoli- she died giving birth to me. You two dated in high school and you got her pregnant. You probably never noticed because she tried to avoid you after she found out. It probably seemed like she was just being a jerk or something."

Percy looked like he had just had the wind knocked out of him, "Emma's dead?" He wheezed.

"Yes."

"And you're her son?"

"Yes."

"My son?"

"Yes."

"W-Why didn't anyone ever tell me?"

Max jumped in and put her hand on Fang's shoulder, "Sir, you're going to want to sit down."

BONUS:

Skua's Story-

Seven years ago, they were married on the beach. Ella was pregnant and nearing delivery time and Iggy was beyond ecstatic about marrying the beautiful woman. Together on the beach, alone with Angel who was an online registered minister, they held hands and embraced as they were brought together by the ties of marriage. Angel noticed, as they embraced, a beautiful bird approach. She had never seen one herself, but she knew what type of bird it was, "Skua." She said softly.

Just as the bird began to nestle against Ella's leg, the very pregnant woman let out a cry, "The baby... the baby's coming!"

"What?!" Iggy shrieked, "But we're an hour away from the city!"

"Wait." Angel took hold of Ella and laid her back on one of the towels on the beach. She ran to the car for what supplies she had and remembered all the books on child birth she had read. Within an hour, a white haired baby boy was delivered and the twelve-year-old girl held him carefully in her arms while waiting for the seventeen-year-old to catch her breath. Iggy held Ella's hand tight just as the Skua approached and dropped a fish at their feet.

"What is that?" Iggy asked Angel.

"It's a Skua. He's trying to help us."

"Skua..." Ella breathed, "I like that." She took the baby in her arms and say upright, "No wings?" She smiled, happy that Iggy could not see her relief.

"Gills." Angel retorted.

It was almost as if Iggy looked towards Angel, "How can that be?"

"I'm...not sure." Angel admitted, "But it is what it is."

The baby cried and the bird flew away, "So he's a fish." Ella giggled, "We'll call him Skua."

Angel wanted to point out the fact that Skuas were birds, but let Ella have her moment instead. Iggy held his wife and his child and they laid on the beach for hours until the sun began to set and Angel ushered them back to the car.