A/N: Life for the two parents when they break out of their normal routine. Here, Joss gets some "Joss time" while John takes Aaron on, and they'll both get some "Mommy and Daddy" time in the next chapter. In that case, there's a smut alert for you. That was the sound my throat clearing, yes, haha.

"Joss, will you stop? Just go on, enjoy yourself. I'm here. We're here. Just us boys. We got this. Now, go on. Your mom's waiting." John laughed as Joss fussed with every minor detail about Aaron's day schedule: when he napped, how often to check his diaper, how to heat up the formula-breast milk mixes she made earlier on. John was involved enough in his son's life to know exactly what it was all about and how, even if he wasn't physically in the house all the time—but she still felt the need to remind him.

"Okay, okay...sorry. I'm just being silly. Yes, yes, you guys will have a good time without mommy fussing over everything."

"Yes, and you will have a good time too, spending time at the spa with Corinne. I'm glad you let me convince you to go. And pay for it. I wanted to do that for you, honey."

Joss wrinkled her nose amusedly. "Now whatever did I do to get such a sweet present, hmm? A massage sounds heavenly," she sighed.

"You deserve it, and more, you know that. Now, get going. Raoul will hold out for a little while if you're late, as he's a former number—but don't overdo it. Just go, relax, and enjoy yourselves. And give my love to your mom."

"Hmm, I better be extra nice to her as well, since she's going to babysit for Aaron for us later tonight, too."

"Yes, that might be a good idea. Did you tell her lunch was on me, too?"

"No, but I will. That should do it. She loves you," Joss laughed. "Mmm, but not nearly as much as I do. Thank you, baby. Really. I have the best man in the world, even if the situation isn't perfect."

"I know. But," he said, closing the space between them for a kiss, "it's pretty damn good for what it is. We'll see you later."

##

Aaron watched his father with a keen interest as he loaded the dishwasher, dinner plates, pots and pans, and wine glasses sharing equal time with sippy cups and teddy bear bowls. For Aaron's bottles and nipples, he got out the bottle washer and filled the basin with soapy water, snaking each one by one before putting them in the dish tray. Once that was done, John wiped down all the counter tops with disinfectant cleanser, and got out the broom and dustpan for a little sweeping up of the kitchen floor. It really was amazing what one could find stuck behind refrigerators and under cupboards. Toys thought lost months ago, turned up, only to end up meeting their final rest in the garbage pail.

"How we doin', son? Hmm? We good? Yes? You know, you gotta stop losing your toys like this. I was wondering what happened to that Mickey Mouse rattle."

Aaron replied with a bang on his high chair before sticking his fingers in his mouth to muffle his gurgling.

"Okay, now, that's done. It's bath time for you, Mister. We've got a busy day ahead of us, right? Give Mommy some time to chill, and us boys are gonna have some fun on our own for a while. What do you say? Yay? Yay!"

Aaron's eyes widened at his father's expression at first. But as John give him a nose-to-nose bump and a little silly growl, he broke into what seemed like a million giggles all at once.

"Grrrrrraaaaoooww, that's my boy," John said, grinning in turn. "Oh, Aaron, Daddy loves you so much. You don't know how," he said, in a suddenly serious tone.

But it wasn't the time for seriousness. Aaron grabbed his daddy's ears and fixed his gooey mouth to the side of his face. Though John knew better, he wanted to think that his son's babbling was his way of saying that the feeling was mutual. Well, of course it was.

##

To save a little time, John decided to run the big bath for himself and Aaron, the last time he'd taken a bath with his son was a few months before that, when he was just shy of five months old. The very first time was with Joss in tow, at his apartment, the morning after an impromptu—and illicit—visit she made in the middle of the night.

"Joss? What? What the hell are you doing here?"

"We didn't disturb you did we? You told me on the phone that you missed us. So here we are."

"Where's Taylor?"

"At home, sleeping. He's fine. I left him a note."

"And you brought the baby, out of his bed? Joss, what were you thinking? I told you not to come here again! It may not be safe!"

"What I was thinking, John, was that I missed my man and the father of my baby, just like he misses me. Now...if I was mistaken, I can leave..."

"No. No, no, you weren't mistaken. Not at all. You know better. And you're crazier for thinking I'd let you go now than you were for coming over here. Come on. Let's get Aaron settled in the other room. And then, let's get you out of those clothes, pretty lady, mother of my baby..."

The two fellows had a grand time slipping and splashing around in the tub. John made sure to put out extra towels and toys in the tub, which Aaron actually played with, for a change. His Mr. Piggy was especially made for water play, and Aaron squealed in delight each time John squeezed the toy and made it wheeze. Aaron also had good fun using John as a brace for practicing his stand-up, pressing his little hands flat against Daddy's chest before sliding back down again. John made sure to sit Aaron down, though, for a few minutes, wiggle-free, to thoroughly wash his little face with a cloth, and his loosely curled hair with the mild shampoo gotten just for him. He also wanted to be sure to work some of the tangles through. Those two tasks weren't Aaron's favorite things at all, of course, his attempt to pull John's hands away indicative of that. When Daddy didn't stop fussing with his hair immediately, it was Aaron who began to fuss, his discomfort unmistakable in the echo of the bathroom.

"Okay, okay, little man, all right," John said, wincing and then quickly attempting to soothe his boy quiet with a lift and a hug. "But soon as Mommy says we can, and that you're old enough, we're cutting this hair for sure. Driving me nuts, these tangles. We'll cut it like Daddy's. No more tangles. Would you like that?"

Aaron didn't care much about the future. He just wanted Daddy to stop pulling on his curls now. Once he did, the boy decided to happily reach for another toy that he could use to splash more water around.

Several minutes later, John reached for towels to wrap Aaron up in, then pulled the drain to let the water out. Standing up and exiting the tub, he smiled at the image of his son, looking all wet and disheveled, following his dad's moves to do the same, but without benefit of walking legs, it was impossible.

"Here we go, Aaron. Come on," he said, wrapping the towel around his son and pulling the stopper out of the tub. He decided to deposit him in his crib that way, while he hastily dried himself before getting the baby diapered, brushed, and dressed before getting himself clothed in shorts, tee-shirt and his own sandals.

That day's outing would merely see them take the stroller out to go for a walk around the neighborhood. John packed a blanket in the diaper bag just in case they decided to stop at one of the more local parks to enjoy the day. It wasn't as hot as the day before, and the blue skies were not to be missed. As they rolled along, Aaron was content to see all the sights, as well as smile at any passers-by who happened to spy upon the little tyke, dressed in a pair of khaki shorts, striped t-shirt and sandals.

They watched neighborhood kids play jump rope, saw construction workers work the big cranes and machines on a new development, and watched the pigeons fly by. When John stopped at a little deli for a sandwich and drink, he shared some of the bread crusts with Aaron, who was more than happy to get them. He wasn't a big bruiser of a baby at eight months—but he was a good eater. His parents never had to worry about that.

Within a few hours, John could tell that Aaron was winding down, so John walked back to the brownstone, gave him a bottle and, once he was done and burped, put him down for his nap. While he slept, John decided to get a few more loads of laundry in, as well as vacuum the carpets and make the list for the next grocery shopping trip. They'd need to make a stop at the farmer's market for more fresh veggies for sure. He was thinking about experimenting with home made baby food.

It was so quiet in the house. So peaceful. With Joss and Taylor gone, the chores done, and the baby sleeping, he was almost bored. But he didn't mind being bored for a change. Especially under those circumstances.

Turning the baby monitor in the living room up a notch, he then grabbed a book off the shelf and decided to kick back on the sofa. He couldn't remember the last time he'd read a book on downtime. Being a vigilante, and now the father of an infant son didn't leave much time for that. But now, he could. He could just sit back and relax a little. Life was indeed good. It had its harrowing moments, of course, but he couldn't complain. Not one bit.

Not long into the first chapter of the fiction title he'd picked, his own eyes grew heavy, and he drifted off into a nap too, the baby monitor rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing.

A/N: Joss got her spa date with mom, and mom will return the favor later for date night. Potential smut alert, ahem. I said that before, didn't I? Haha, I did!

Hope you had fun with this one. I'm having fun writing it!