A/N: My deepest thanks to everyone who has been following this story for the past six months. I can't believe I've finally managed to finish it – in June… One last chapter after this one, and certainly not with an ending I had in mind when I started writing it…


Happy With Me

Chapter 9: Christmas Day – Part 3


With Aaron's and Dave's help, the kitchen had been returned into its original condition in no time.

"You still have a lot to learn, Kiddo," Dave said, tasting what was left of Jack's pancake batter.

He showed Aaron the bowl Jack had used to randomly mix eggs, flour and sugar in, and Aaron couldn't hide his amused grin.

"How 'bout we start with our first cooking lesson right now?" Dave suggested.

They made pancakes with Dave explaining step-by-step how it was done, watching Jack closely, but letting him do the majority of the work, while Aaron took Mudgie for a short walk. When they were done and Aaron and Mudgie had returned, they took their breakfast with them to the family room to eat while finally opening the presents.

Jack was delighted and excited about everything Santa Claus had put under the tree for him, and was secretly very glad that the kitchen incident had happened this morning, after Santa had already delivered the gifts. He wasn't so sure if the man in the red suit wouldn't have skipped their house had his naughty behavior taken place earlier.

"All right, do you want to play with your new toys now, Buddy?" Aaron suggested when they were done unwrapping. After all the excitement of the morning he was more than ready to just curl up on the couch with Dave for a while, watching his son.

Jack and Dave exchanged a conspiratorial look and Aaron noticed that in addition to Jack's excitement over his gifts, there was something he was quite nervous about.

"Is there anything else?" He asked suspiciously.

Jack glanced at Dave again, who nodded his consent to get the last and probably most important present for Aaron out.

"Pop and I have another present for you, "Jack said importantly.

He didn't wait for Aaron's answer, but jumped up and ran upstairs to get the gifts from his room. The look Aaron threw Dave was full of questions.

"Don't you think you've given me enough?" He said. "Not that I'm not happy about it."

Dave's gifts had included a new watch, no doubt very expensive, as his old one had broken a few weeks ago, plus a whole collection of old John Wayne movies, among other things.

Dave only grinned.

"Just wait and see, Aaron, you're going to like this," he replied and added under his breath, "at least I hope so."

"What was that?" Aaron asked.

"Oh, nothing."

Jack came running back down the stairs with both envelopes and the box, and let himself fall between his two dads onto the couch.

Despite the wide smile his son gave him, Aaron noticed he couldn't really shake off the nervousness. Whatever was in those two envelopes and the box, he was sure it was something major.

"Open this one first," Jack said and handed him the small box.

"Did you wrap this yourself?" Aaron wanted to know, not able to hide the smirk at the creative way the paper was covering the box.

Jack nodded excitedly.

"Uh huh. And I colored these for you," he told him proudly, holding the envelopes up to show his dad his work.

"Good job, Buddy," Aaron praised him and began to tear the gift-wrap off.

His heart began to beat faster when he realized he was holding a jewelry box in his hands. Dave wasn't going to propose, was he? The box was a bit too big for only a ring, but who knew.

They weren't even officially living together and he had actually planned on proposing to Dave himself, once their two households were combined. His plan was to talk about moving himself and Jack into Dave's mansion once the New Year started, and then propose on Valentine's Day. Cliché, maybe, but nevertheless and idea he had been very fond of since the moment it had formed in this mind. He had already even bought the rings.

Slowly opening the lid, he couldn't help but feel a bit relieved when instead of rings he found three identical silver lockets on delicate silver necklaces, the letters J, A and D engraved in the front. Carefully he took one of them out and played it between his fingers.

Deeply touched, he looked up to meet his son's and his partner's eyes, both looking at him full of expectation.

"That's one for each of us," Jack explained.

"I figured," Aaron answered with a grin.

"And there's a picture of us inside, too!" The boy continued excitedly, taking the second locket out to show him.

Opening his own locket, Aaron felt himself tearing up as he saw the photograph of the three of them, taken a few weeks back on his birthday.

"I wanted to get you this, because Mom had one, too, and she always wore it and said this way she'd never forget me. And then Pop had the idea we should all get one. That way we'll never forget that we belong together."

A few tears were now silently running down Aaron's cheeks.

"Thank you," he said quietly, his heart filling with love and pride for his son and for Dave.

He pulled Jack into a gentle embrace and pressed a soft kiss to his temple, then leaned over and gave Dave an equally tender kiss on the lips. They took the time to put the necklaces on each other before turning their attention back to the two envelopes.

"Now I'm really curious what's in there," Aaron grinned, taking the envelopes.

"Open this one first!" Jack gestured to the one he'd colored in blue and green.

He glanced at Dave, who was now considerably nervous. Aaron knew this expression, the obvious guilt written all over his lover's face. It was an expression the older man only wore when he'd made a unilateral decision about something, knowing that Aaron would be pissed about it, if only for the fact that he hadn't been consulted about it.

Noting his son's eager anticipation he knew that whatever was in there, it was very important to both of them and therefore, by default, for himself.

Carefully tearing the envelope open as to not destroy the artwork Jack had made of it, he unfolded the papers that were inside.

Quickly scanning through them, his jaw dropped when he realized what they were. He didn't know what he expected, but certainly not this. The papers that were needed for Dave to formally adopt Jack. Forms that had already been filled out and were only missing his signature. It didn't happen very often, but for the moment, Aaron was stunned into silence. He had no idea what to say or how to react to this.

He knew he should be happy that Dave was willing to become a parent to Jack. Well, technically to legally take on all the rights and responsibilities that came with this job, as he'd already acted as a parent for a while now. He should be happy that Jack wanted him to be.

He knew in their situation, with the family they had already become, Dave adopting Jack was, despite all the paperwork, just a formality for them.

Still, Dave had made a decision that wasn't his to make, not without his consultation, especially not since they hadn't even properly talked about it, let alone with Jack. Well, Dave had apparently done that, too, and his son seemed to be elated, not that Aaron had seriously expected anything else. Yet again, it was a conversation he would have liked to have been in on, being the one who has to give his consent to this after all.

He felt the anger boil in his stomach and he had to bite his tongue from saying something he knew he'd regret.

"Daddy?" Jack probed carefully when he felt Aaron's silence had been going on for too long.

Aaron immediately felt guilt adding to the mix of emotions that were currently running through him. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint his son with his reaction to this surprise he and Dave had no doubt put a lot of thought and effort in.

Dave realized the conflict within Aaron. He knew that he and Jack had taken a risk with their plan, and he was fully prepared to take all the heat he'd certainly be getting from his partner. The last thing he wanted, though, was for Aaron to be mad at Jack, especially not since the almost-disaster from this morning.

"Maybe you should open the other envelope, too, before you chew my head off, " he said to Aaron, emphasizing the word 'my' to signal him unmistakably that he wished to have all of his anger directed towards him. "Saves yourself the breath of freaking out twice."

Aaron opened the second envelope, this one rainbow colored, and saw that the boy's initial excitement had completely changed into anxiously anticipating his father's reaction. He ruffled Jack's hair in an attempt to put him at ease.

The content of this envelope was a purchase and sale agreement for his and Jack's house, again only missing his signature. From what he gathered, the buyer was intent on paying a more than reasonable price; he had to give Dave this.

Of course, he had no doubt that a certain technical analyst had offered her expertise and assistance. Her signature was too obvious in all of this.

Taking a deep breath, Aaron looked up, from Dave to Jack and back to his lover.

As calmly as possible, he stated, "I believe you owe me an explanation."