A/N: Thanks again for reading this story. This story started out fairly slow and with everyone reading, it makes it easier for ideas to some to mind.

For Thalia, the last couple months had been great. She was spending more and more time with Jeff, which was the best part. She couldn't believe that she had turned him down the first time he'd asked her to lunch. But that was her loss. Thalia was busy inserting a piece of cloth into the sewing machine when she heard the chime ring, meaning someone had come into her shop.

"Be right there!" She had to holler over the sound the machines in order for anyone in the office to hear her. When the piece of fabric and been inserted and she set the computer, she headed towards the office. She was wiping her hands off on a rag when a familiar voice got her attention.

"Damn, can't a person get any service around here?"

"Adam!" Thalia ran around the corner and threw her arms around his neck. "Well, it's about time you come and see me."

"You look great as usual. I just got a free day in my hectic schedule. You know I'm a popular man."

Thalia frowned and laughed at the smug look that took over Adam's face. "You only wish. I've seen your little black book and it's pretty empty. Except for your harem of women's phone numbers you have tallied in there."

"Ouch." Adam smiled as he put his hand over his heart. "So harsh. So, you said my jacket was done."

"It is. Hang on a second and let me go get it." Thalia disappeared back into the sewing room and a few minutes later brought out a large garment bag that was just about as tall as she was. She laid it on the counter and then looked at Adam. "Well. Be my guest." Adam's face looked like he was a kid at Christmas waiting to open the biggest present of his life.

Adam unzipped the bad and a Cheshire cat grin spread on his face. "That is the best jacket I have ever seem in my life. You are so good." This jacket that he had Thalia made was the one that wore on his entrance to the ring. "People are going to love this."

"Only the best for the Rated R Superstar." Thalia stood next to Adam as he zipped the garment bag back up.

Adam looked at her and cocked his head to one side. He had been friends with Thalia for years and noticed a change in her. "You seem different, I don't know, maybe, a little happier?"

"I am."

"Couldn't have anything do to with Jeff could it?"

"I does." Thalia leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. "Jeff has been wonderful to me. And Simon. Simon absolutely loves him. You'd think there were two three year olds running around instead of just one."

"That's great. I'm glad to hear that. You're do for a break you know." Adam glanced around. "By the way, where is my little man today?"

"He's with Jeff today. I had a load of things to get done around here. And I forgot I promised Simon that he could go to the race track today, so Jeff volunteered to take him instead."

Jeff couldn't believe how much fun he was having. He had taken Simon to the race track he'd been wanting to go to. For a three year old, that kid whipped his butt driving those remote controlled cars. He'd never been beaten so badly. A person would think that the track was his second home. They'd had a bet, whoever won got to chose the place to eat at. Once again Jeff found himself at the Burger Palace. It had become a staple in life the last couple of months. But he didn't care one bit. He loved seeing that little boy happy. But Jeff watched Simon eat his fries and he noticed something was wrong.

"Hey little man, what's bugging you?" All Simon did was shrug his shoulders. "Something has to be eating at you, and you know you can tell me." Jeff leaned his arms across the table and looked Simon directly in the eyes. Simon had tears brimming his eyes. He didn't know if he could stand to see the little boy cry, it would break his heart. Instead Jeff got up and went and sat next to Simon and put his arm around his shoulders. "Now, tell me what brought this on?" Simon sat there silent once again for a couple more minutes. Jeff figured he needed time to gather his thoughts if he was really going to tell him anything.

"I've seen you kiss my mom."

Jeff smiled inwardly at that thought. A thought that he enjoyed acting on. "Yeah. I've kissed your mom a few times." Ok, thought Jeff, more than a few times. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Simon shrugged his shoulders again and then said words that left Jeff feeling as though he'd been slugged in the stomach by a gigantic fist. "Are you going to hurt my mom?"

This time Jeff was left speechless for a few minutes. He had to gather his thoughts and make sure that he heard Simon right. "Why would you think I would hurt your mom?" Again silence on Simons part. "Simon," Jeff tipped his chin up so he could look into his clear blue eyes, "Has someone hurt your mom before?" Simon only nodded his head yes. "Who?"

"Daddy."

Jeff's anger rose up in him silently. He sat there and was careful not to say something out loud that would push Simon away from him. After he regained his composure, he glanced down at Simon and watched a single tear run down his cheek. Jeff reached down and pulled the little boy into his lap and wrapped his arms around the boy as tight as he could. Jeff remembered the times that Thalia was so quiet on the subject of Simon's dad and how reluctant she was about going out with him, even to lunch the first time. He would talk to her about this later, but for now he had a hurt little boy sitting on his lap.

"Simon, I'm going to tell you this right now and I mean it. I would never hurt your mom in any way. You have to believe me on that."

Simon lifted his tear-filled blue eyes to Jeff's green ones and nodded. "I believe you." After Simon got everything out of his system, they finished their lunch and drove back to Thalia's.

"I can draw up some more on your ring tight's, sure." Thalia was righting down ideas on her legal pad that Adam was giving her. "I think fluorescent green would look good on you."

Adam scoffed at her. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Yeah it would make you look like you were wearing nuclear pants or something."

Adam curled his lip at her, "You're fired."

Thalia laughed out loud and continued writing when the door flung open and Simon raced through and rounded the corner.

"Mom! Mom! You'll never guess what I did!" Thalia didn't get a chance to utter a word, "I beat Jeff at the race cars. And then he had to buy me burgers at Burger Palace again."

"I assume you had fun then?" She had never seen Simon this jubilant before.

"A blast." Simon hugged his mom around the waste and went to say hi to Adam.

Just as Jeff came through the door he heard Simon telling his mom about his glorious win. "He stomped me thoroughly."

Adam smirked at Jeff, "Just like I do in the ring."

Jeff shook his head, "There is only one thing in common with that, Simon didn't cheat." Thalia covered up a laugh when Jeff pointed that out.

"Hey, that's not funny." Adam pointed at Thalia in a joking manner.

"Sad but true."

"Ok, fine I know when my friends have turned on me." Adam threw up his hands in the air.

Jeff walked up to the counter and looked at Thalia, "Can we talk?"

Thalia seen the serious look in Jeff's eyes. "Sure."

Adam took the hint. "Come on Simon. Let's go outside and see if I can teach you any new moves."

"Don't let him hurt you Adam." Thalia said over her shoulder as Adam walked by and laughed when Adam kissed her on the cheek. Thalia put her things aside and put her attention on Jeff. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Is there something going on between you and Adam that I should know about?"

Thalia almost laughed out loud at the statement, but didn't find it appropriate because of the seriousness of Jeff's tone." "No. First of all, there is no Adam and me. He's been a great friend for a long time, and that's it."

Jeff nodded feeling okay with her answer. "Come sit with me." Jeff reached for her hand and led her to the couch.

"Jeff, what's the matter? Did Simon do something?"

"No. It's not something he did, it's something he asked me."

Thalia couldn't think of anything Simon would say. Her boy was always spouting things off. "What did he ask you Jeff?"

Jeff looked down at the ground and then straight into Thalia's eyes. "He asked me if I was going to hurt you."

Thalia felt her stomach turn. Her arms went around her mid section as she hugged herself. She didn't know what to say. Never in a million years had she thought Simon would say something like that to Jeff.

"Jeff..." Words just wouldn't form like Thalia wanted them to. She wasn't prepared to answer questions like this. She had been working on a way to tell Jeff, but just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"You could have told me."

"I was going to but..."

"But?"

"I was afraid."

"Are you afraid that I wouldn't have believed you?"

"No. I was afraid that you wouldn't want me anymore when you found out. No one wants to be around damaged goods."

Jeff sat back against the couch, looked up a to the ceiling and then sat back up again. He took Thalia's hands in his. "I would never see you as damaged goods. You are a brave, beautiful woman who is doing a damn good job at raising a son on her own. A terrific son at that. You don't give yourself enough credit."

"I've never had anyone tell me that."

"Well I'm telling you."

"You aren't mad?"

'I'm mad at what he did to you, but no, not at you. I just want to tell you that if there is anything wrong at all, you come and tell me."

Thalia stared into Jeff's green eyes and absently traced her hand over the patterns he had shaved into his jaw. She loved the feel of it in the palm of her hand.

Jeff brought her close and kissed her passionately, "You're lucky that Simon and Adam are outside or I'd go lock that door and put this big couch to good use."

Thalia felt shivers go down her spine and she watched Jeff's eyes dance over her face. "I'll be looking forward to that moment." Thalia pulled Jeff back so she could kiss him back. Just as Jeff was pushing her back into the pillows, the familiar sound of a slamming door broke them apart.

"MOM!"

"Still in the office!" Thalia smiled at Jeff, wondering what was going on.

Simon peeked his head around the corner. "We need a band-aid."

Thalia jumped off the couch and quickly went to Simon. "Are you hurt?"

Simon shook his head. "No, Adam cut his finger."

Thalia shook her head and put a hand over her mouth. She turned to look at Jeff who was still sitting on the couch trying suppress a big laugh. He turned his head and looked out the window instead.

"I'll be back." Thalia walked back to the couch and kissed Jeff one more time, "I'll go see if this requires the emergency room or not."

"Ok," Jeff looked into her blue eyes and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip, "I'll be here."