This chapter is a bit longer than usual. Thanks to Dark Kaneanite, extremeshan81,iNdy MiLk, and Hatter-Zombie.ate.your.brains for the reviews. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. Also iNdy MiLk you wanted to know about Jeff, Kody, and Harley being in the story…were you implying that you hoped they were included or that you are getting sick of them? I wasn't sure exactly so you guys can let me know your thoughts on this. However at the least they will be popping up occasionally because they are family and live in the same place and Matt and Blaze will probably need help with lunatic-child. :)

Chapter 4

It had been about two weeks since Morgan had moved into the house. It had been a trying period of chaos and tantrums. Matt and Blaze were too busy with him to find time for each other and already it was starting to make them both a bit edgy. They were used to just the two of them and throwing a kid into the mix turned everything on its ear. By the time they were both in bed they just wanted to sleep. They had devised a plan that they could set the clock and wake up early before Morgan did and have some time to themselves whether it just taking time to talk to each other or whether it more intimate. However, Morgan had taken to getting up early and bounding in to wake them both, hence starting a new day of seemingly endless mayhem.

There were other solutions to this dilemma. They could leave Morgan with Jeff and Kody once in a while. They had spent many evenings watching Harley and Shawna so it seemed it was only fair for Jeff and Kody to return the favor…but Matt couldn't bring himself to do it. He could see Morgan destroying their things, fighting with Harley, and who knows what else. There was also Shannon but that was basically a hands down NO because he was only one person and from experience Matt knew that it was hard enough for two of them to reign in the child.

Matt lay in the dark staring at the back of Blaze. He was asleep breathing quietly. Matt reached over and played with his soft blonde hair. He moved closer so he could feel Blaze's body next to his. Matt closed his eyes and ran a hand over Blaze's chest and belly feeling the toned muscle he knew so well. Blaze sighed in his sleep and stirred a little. He curled his legs up.

"Blaze?" Matt waited a moment and got no answer. "Blaze, wake up."

"Hmm…" Blaze mumbled sleepily.

"Hey baby, can you please roll over for a minute?"

Blaze did so he was facing Matt. His eyelids opened and closed slowly, showing that they were still heavy with sleep, as he looked at Matt's blurry face. A smile stretched across Matt's face. Blaze looked so cute when he was half-asleep. His beautiful blue eyes struggled to stay open. Matt brushed his hair away from his face.

"I'm sorry…it's just we don't get the same time together that we used to."

"Yeah…" Blaze rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake them up a bit.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Matt asked wrapping an arm around his partner.

"I think so." Blaze joked despite his grogginess. "Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"Exactly. It's quiet…sounds good. No screaming, yelling, crashing, banging…"

Matt laughed and kissed Blaze's forehead.

"You're a prince for helping me out." Matt gazed at Blaze. He was still amazed that he had such a wonderful partner. Their love was the greatest gift he had ever known. Blaze was starting to doze again. "Blaze, please stay awake a little bit longer." His voice came out close to a whine. He was not looking forward to morning when Morgan would wake them up to another day of insanity. He was going to have to do something to make him behave and soon.

"Imma…wake…" Blaze forced his eyes open again. He wanted to be awake and have some time with Matt but his body was not allowing him. It kept wanting to shut down and go to that warm dark place called sleep.

"My ass." Matt retorted.

"What about it?"

"My ass you're awake. Maybe this will help."

Matt worked his lips gently over Blazes. As Blaze started to kiss him back he became a little less gentle and he nudged his partner's lips apart and slid his tongue in. Their tongues slipped and slithered prodding and pushing and tasting and nipping. Matt pushed deeper. By now the two were responding to each other with a little more than their wet and wanting mouths.

"Ahem." Morgan tried. He was standing in the doorway of Matt and Blaze's room. When that didn't work he tried again only louder. "A-hem!"

Both men stopped what they were doing. Matt sat up and Blaze rolled over grumping to himself.

"Hey Morg, what's wrong?"

Morgan crossed the room and climbed up onto the bed. He turned his big green eyes on his Dad. He made them water up a bit so he looked teary and he remembered to poke his lip out a bit to add to the expression.

"Can I sleep with you?"

"Uh…okay, but just for tonight."

Morgan settled in the middle. He took most of Blaze's pillow and stole the blankets.

"Matt, stop arguing with me." Kody said into the phone. It was tucked between her ear and shoulder as she changed Shawna. "Ew…you're getting that rash again."

"…what?"

"Not you Matt!" Kody laughed at her brother-in-law.

"No, Morgan, I told you already."

There was bickering in the background and Matt started to grumble into the phone.

"Kody, I can't promise you he's going to act decent."

Kody smeared some cream onto Shawna's bottom before taping up her diaper and pulling up her little pink shorts.

"You're coming over tonight and that is that. Love you Mattie…and give my love to Blaze too."

"Bye Sis."

Kody clicked the phone off and sat it down on the changing table.

"My goodness."

"Ood-ess." Shawna repeated. "Daddy!"

Kody put her daughter down and the little girl waddled off to find Jeff. Kody followed and found Shawna banging on the French glass doors. She opened them and let Shawna toddle out onto the deck where Jeff was sitting. He had just got done with some yard work and he was sitting there with his shirt of and sweaty. His braids were pulled back with a hair-tie and he had a bandana wrapped around his head. Shawna grinned up at him.

"Daddy!"

"Shawna!" Jeff scooped her up and pulled up her shirt and made farting sounds with his lips on her tummy. She giggled and shrieked happily. Harley hopped up the steps and climbed into a plastic chair and watched his dad and sister for a few moments.

"Mom E-eddie…"

Before Harley could finish Eddie made his grand appearance bounding clumsily up the steps and skittering around on the deck. His paws and muzzle were dark with dirt and stuck between his toes were some blades of grass and leaves. Stuck to the end of his black nose was a red flower petal. The dog licked his flowered nose and then sneezed sending the petal fluttering to the deck.

"Someone remind me why we got a dog again?"

"So he can destroy everything we own?" Jeff offered. He sat Shawna on the outdoor table and started to play peek-a-boo with her.

"What I was goin' to say is he du-ug in your flowers." Harley finished. "Shawna…peek-a-boo!"

"Ha-ree!" Shawna kicked her little feet happily.

"Speaking of destruction and such, I invited people over tonight."

She started to rattle off names including Harley's friend Izzy Raines and her parents Mike and Jackie, Shannon, Stella and her boyfriend Chuck, Legend, Matt, Blaze, and Morgan.

"Who's Morgan?" Harley asked. The moment he quit playing with his sister she started screaming. He turned to her and tickled her.

"He's your cousin. Harley, if you two are playing don't let him do anything bad. If he does come and tell me okay?"

Harley nodded.

"Well, Eddie spaghetti, let's go survey the damage." Jeff looked down at the little dog who was sniffing the flower petal he had sneezed off moments ago. The dog followed Jeff as he disappeared from the deck and went to find out where the dog had been digging.

"When Shawna gets older I'm go-onna teach her how to punch real hard."

Harley held his hand palm up to his sister. She studied it for a moment and then smacked at it with her own hand as though trying to do patty-cake.

"No, tha-at's not how ya do it." Harley curled his sister's hand into a fist. "Now try."

"No!" Shawna yelled and slammed her balled fist onto the plastic table. She laughed at the banging sound it made and did it again and again.

"Well, th-that's closer." Harley smiled at her.

People were in and out of the house passing around food, beer, Shawna, and occasionally tripping over the furry moocher known as Eddie. Legend bounced his granddaughter on his knee and she reached up and pulled on his ears. Jeff was operating the grill making some killer barbeque and Matt was standing near by nursing a beer and chatting up his younger brother. The other four men, Shan, Blaze, Chuck, and Mike were hitting it off well as they sat around the table laughing and joking over a game of Euchre. Kody, Stella, and Jackie were discussing Shawna's diaper rash and the 'love life' of Izzy and Harley. Harley was standing there looking at this red-haired kid who had a mean smirk on his face. They headed outside and climbed around on his swing set a bit before that turned boring.

"What do you want to do Mo-organ?"

"My name's not organ kid."

Harley rolled his eyes. When he had first started in preschool and then kindergarten he had a lot of teasing for his stutter. He even got in a couple of fights over it. He was now starting to get more used to the questions and taunting remarks of others and he was now more able to just brush them off. Morgan watched as a girl with bouncing blonde curls ran up to Harley.

"Harley, will you push me on the swing?"

Izzy climbed into the swing and smiled sweetly at Harley. Morgan pushed pass Harley.

"I'll push ya." Morgan shoved the little girl off the swing and she landed with a "whump" on her rear.

"That was mean!" Izzy scolded picking herself up and brushing off the back of her jeans.

"Hey, what are you doin' pushin' a gi-irl Organ?" Harley glared at the leering boy. Morgan stepped up to Harley and looked down at him because he was a bit taller.

"I'll push who ever I want, includin' you!" Morgan rammed his shoulder into Harley and knocked him down and then stood over him laughing. Harley reached up and pulled Morgan down and they started to scuffle.

Kody and the girls stopped their conversation when Izzy ran up to them wide eyed.

"Harley an' that other boy are fighting."

Kody followed Izzy out to the deck where she told Jeff and Matt what was going on and they too followed. When they came upon the two boys Harley had Morgan in a headlock.

"Break it up!" Jeff called to the two boys. Harley obeyed immediately and released his hold on Morgan but as soon as he did Morgan sent him a cheap shot in the nose. Harley looked up at him a little bewildered and wiped some blood from his nose.

"My Dad said to stop, didn't ya he-ear 'em?"

"I don't have to listen to your crummy Dad!" Morgan went to continue the fight but Jeff pulled his son away and likewise Matt hauled his up by the armpits. Harley glared at the other boy and sniffled his nose. Morgan launched into a fit screaming and yelling and kicking and punching at Matt.

"You're making a scene!" Matt chastised. "Stop it!"

Morgan turned to his father and bit his leg. Matt pried him off and Morgan collapsed to the ground screaming just as loud as he could. Harley and Izzy covered their ears. Matt looked up helplessly at Kody and Jeff. Kody was hiding her face in her hand and Jeff was raising his eyebrows at the crazy behavior of his nephew.

"We're going home." Matt barked at his son and picked him up over his shoulder and carried him to the car. "Sorry guys…" He offered to the others.

Jeff looked down at Harley who was rubbing his nose on his shirt. It was only bleeding a little. Izzy regarded him with a worried expression.

"Big H, what was this all about?"

Izzy planted a kiss on Harley's cheek and then she blushed pretty-pink. Harley looked up at his father.

"Oh, I see." Jeff tried not to smile about the whole thing. It was in a way kind of cute. He froze his face in a look that he hoped was stern. He could feel that he was starting to smile anyway.

"You're hopeless." Kody teased her husband and knelt down to talk to her son. "Harley, tell me what happened."

Harley recounted the event. Kody and Jeff sent glances to each other. Neither one felt this was their son's fault. He was justified in defending himself…and his cute little girlfriend.

"Harley, I understand why you got into a fight with Morgan, but please try not to in the future, okay?"

Harley nodded. Kody smiled at him and then pulled him into a hug. He was such a good kid.

"Mom!" Harley hissed in her ear. "Not in front of Izzy!"

"I'm sorry." Kody released her son with a little chuckle. "Go have fun guys."

Harley and Izzy went back to the swing set where Harley pushed her on the swing.

"That is so adorable." Kody linked her arm through Jeff's and watched the children.

"I feel sorry for Matt and Blaze. That was horrible! If Harley ever did something like that…"

"You're not locking yourself in the bathroom again." Matt called to his son as the red-haired boy started to bolt up the stairs. Matt chased after him and managed to grab him before he made it to his favorite hiding place.

"Let go a' me you dumb ass fucker!" Morgan screamed and spit in his dad's face. Matt grimaced and whipped the goo away. He hauled Morgan into the guest room, which was now Morgan's room, and shut the door. "What are you gonna do pussy?"

"Why are you acting up like this Morgan? People are trying to be nice to you and be friends with you. Don't you want anyone to like you?"

"I don't care!" Morgan climbed up onto the bed and knocked over a lamp that was on a nightstand. It didn't break but it cracked a bit.

"Quit it, you are going to learn to behave." How the hell he was going to make him behave was still the unanswered question in Matt's head. He was becoming furious with the child. He tried to consider Morgan's position being left in a strange place but it was getting harder and harder to keep that in mind. If Matt was in that position he wouldn't be acting like a complete demon. "Do you act this way with your mother?"

Morgan slouched back onto his pillow. Matt saw that he had hit a nerve. The boy quieted and hugged his knees to his chest. Matt sat down on the bed and peered at his son who would not bring his green eyes up to meet his fathers.

"Answer me Morgan."

"I…do…sometimes." He sniffled a bit as though he may be crying. "I just wanna go home…can I please call my Mom Mr. Hardy?" Morgan felt the tears spilling down his face. "If you don't want me around no more just call her and she'll come get me."

Matt felt bad for the boy. Jilly didn't want him on her hands and he couldn't grapple with it. Matt felt a lump start to form in his throat but he swallowed it away.

"Is that what all this is about?"

"I said I just wanna go home!" Morgan yelled into his knees.

"This is home now." Matt patted the little boy's arm. "We have to make this work, okay?"

"No! Get your fuckin' hands off of me bastard!" Morgan pulled away from his father and pulled covers over his head. He wept quietly, not wanting Matt to hear.

"Okay." Matt threw his hands up exasperated. "Okay, I'll leave you up here all by yourself if that's how you really want it."

Matt went down to his living room and howled disgustedly into the empty downstairs of the house. Morgan was going to give him gray hairs and an ulcer before long. Matt got on his computer and half-heartedly checked his email and blogs. He tried to find things to do around the house as the hours ticked away. Where was Blaze anyway? He was still over at Jeff and Kody's having fun. He could have come home with me and lent me some support but no he's being selfish and staying over there so he doesn't have to deal with it. He can have a good time and let me stay here and struggle with how to be a father. Maybe it wasn't right for him to be angry with Blaze but he couldn't stop those feelings from building. They had been prone to bickering lately which was unusual but seemingly unavoidable. Lucas jumped up into Matt's lap and he petted the little dog and sighed again at the funny patches in his fur. He looked up at the clock and watched as it kept on tick-tocking.

By the time Blaze got home Matt was good and mad. He barely allowed Blaze to get into the house before snarling at him.

"Thanks for your help!"

Blaze blinked at Matt a bit confused.

"What?"

"Don't give me the stupid act! It's okay I have it all under control, ha!"

Lucas leaped down from Matt's lap and crawled under the couch.

"You're scaring the dog." Blaze tried to joke a little hoping it would break through Matt's sour mood. It backfired only seeming to make him more irate.

"Don't change the subject Blaze! Why did you do that? I thought this is a partnership? No you just thought you could stay there and have a swell old time and get a break didn't you!" Matt could not explain the rage that was roaring around inside of him. It shouldn't be there, in all rationality, Blaze had done nothing wrong. Matt just had all kinds of things bottled up and he wanted to go off on someone. Blaze left the opening.

Blaze stepped towards Matt starting to get irritated himself.

"Listen here Matt, I didn't even know what happened until Jeff and Kody came in and told me! I can't read your mind, so I'm sorry if you were sending me telepathic brain-waves to leave with you and I didn't get it!"

"I sent you a text message!"

"My phone was off, God Matt!"

"Did you have a good time Blaze? Huh did you?"

"Matt shut up, you're being unreasonable!"

Blaze pushed past Matt and started off down the hallway but Matt stopped him by slamming him hard into the wall. Matt pinned Blaze's wrists to the wall and ravaged him with harsh kisses. He crushed his lips so fiercely to Blaze's that his teeth hurt. Both of them felt lost in a boiling frenzy of lips and teeth and hands and flesh. Matt tore Blaze's shirt away and tossed it to the floor. Blaze got rid of Matt's belt and opened his fly and Matt promptly shoved his shoulders downward so Blaze was on his knees ready to—

Damn it all to hell! The floorboards were creaking again upstairs. Small footsteps were falling onto the steps. Matt growled and slammed his fist into the wall leaving a slight dent. Blaze gathered up his shirt and Matt's belt and disappeared into the downstairs bathroom. Matt zipped up and tried to keep his hands from trembling. He was angry, at his wits end with his son, and he wanted his man and was that too much to ask?

:) Thoughts, opinions, tips, advice, and I guess if you want you can even throw random vegetables at me. Lol :D