"What was that?" Derek asked his son in disbelief. It had been over eight months since James had moved in and he was long since settled in at his father's house. Slowly they had built a relationship though there were evident moments of hesitation, for the most part they had learned to co exist. Penelope remained James' first point of call, and worshipped the ground she walked on.
James
merely shrugged as his father waited for an answer. Daphne, his
current girlfriend had just stormed out of his apartment after James'
less than to be desired for behaviour. Derek had been seeing Daphne
for a couple of months, and they all saw right through her, most
especially James.
"James Zachary Morgan,"
"I don't
like her." James said defiantly with his hands on his hips.
"Buddy, you don't even know her. You don't even try to get
to know her. She's trying to get to know you but you won't let
her."
"She doesn't care about me. She just wants to look
good. She wants you to think that she's trying."
"Jay,"
"No,
she doesn't care. Not like Aunt P does. She loves me, and she likes
hanging out with me for me and not because she needs to impress you."
Derek sighed,
"Buddy, Aunt P is different. Not everyone is like
Aunt P."
"Why can't you and Aunt P just be together?"
James said quietly. Before Derek could reply Penelope cleared her
throat, she had come running when James had called her a half hour
before begging for her to come and get him. Derek looked up in
surprise as Penelope made her way towards James drawing him into a
hug,
"Aww, little man we talked about this." She said bending
down to meet his eye while Derek contained his surprise,
"I
love your Daddy and your Daddy loves me. We've been friends for a
very long time, but the kind of love we have is different. The only
thing you need to know kiddo is that I will always love you. Whoever
comes into your Dad's life, whoever comes into mine, and whoever
your Dad marries, know that I will always be there for you. That I
would drop anything for you."
"You promise?" he asked
searching her eyes. Penelope's heart broke to see the vulnerability
that lived beyond such young eyes.
"I'm here now aren't I?
I will have you know I left your Aunt Em and Aunt JJ in the line at
the cinemas to get here."
"You called your Aunt P?" Derek
asked while James dropped his gaze and nodded.
"It's okay
Derek." Penelope assured him,
"I'm sorry Aunt P. Sorry
Dad."
"Derek, why don't you go on after Daphne, and I'll
take the munchkin to the movies with me." Penelope suggested while
Derek hesitated,
"Jay?"
"Go on Dad, I really am sorry.
I'll go with Aunt P."
"P, are you sure?"
"Of course!
I wouldn't turn down a date with the most handsome looking kid I've
ever met. Kiddo, why don't you go and grab your stuff while I chat
to your Dad a bit?" James nodded and headed to his room to grab his
jacket.
"You've talked about this before?" he asked.
"Not
at length, but he had raised the question once or twice."
"I'm
sorry P."
"It's okay. We're not exactly the most
conventional of families, but it works. He's just not good with
change, after everything, it's only understandable."
"No
matter how hard she tries with him he slams her."
"After
everything he's been through Derek you can't blame him for being
weary of strangers. All the changes in his life the last nine months
comes at a price, and Daphne has to give him a little allowance, and
let's not forget he's only six. Yes, most of the time he acts
older than what he is, but at the end of the day, he's still only
six. He's fighting to hold on to what he's grown to love, you,
his life with you, if you get married, what would that mean for
him?"
"I know. I'll talk to her."
"Good, let's go
buddy." Penelope called out to James. Derek sensed that something
was up with Penelope, that she was mad at him for something,
"P,
are we okay?"
"Why wouldn't we be?" she replied. Just as
Derek was about to prod James came running out of his room and
happily flung his arms around Penelope's waist.
"Ready.,"
"Well
then let's go. Your Aunt Jayje and Aunt Em are looking forward to
seeing you. Say bye to you dad kiddo." James went to give his
father a hug,
"We'll drop him home afterwards and stay with
him till you get home or if you'd rather he can come home with
me."
"I'll be home in a couple of hours P. I'll see you
when you drop him off." Penelope nodded non committal.
"See
you in a few hours then."
Somewhat confused at Penelope's behaviour and demeanour Derek absently drove to Daphne's so they could talk. He knew that it wasn't a choice. His son always comes first. James' question about him and Penelope had thrown him a curveball. James' behaviour made sense, especially since he was so close to Penelope. It was only natural that he would assume that his father and Aunt P would eventually get together. Or more would want them together.
After the movies the girls had treated James to an ice cream soda before taking him home. Derek was surprised to see all three of them at his doorstep to drop off James who was fast asleep snuggled against Penelope, his face buried on the crook of her neck as the rest of his body was wrapped around her.
"Hey
ladies, thanks for bringing him home."
"All good. It's fun
hanging out with him. It's like your mini you but way less
obnoxious." Emily answered with a grin. Penelope changed James into
his pyjamas careful not to wake him. Emily raised an eyebrow at JJ as
if to confirm their suspicions of just how intertwined their friend's
lives were that she knew where Derek's son's pyjamas were and how
natural it was for her to change him for bed, as though she had been
doing it for years.
"Night Aunt P, love you." The little
Morgan murmured as she tucked him into bed.
"Night little man,
love you too."
"So
where are you guys off to now?" Derek asked as they closed James'
door behind them.
"Home," JJ answered with a yawn.
"Hey
P did you want to stay over, I can drive you home tomorrow?" he
offered. Penelope threw her friends a not so discreet 'Save Me'
look,
"Actually Derek we're all going home to mine." Emily
quipped thinking quick on her feet receiving a grateful look from
Penelope who wasn't up for a one on one with Morgan at that point.
"Oh okay." He replied with a worried glance at Penelope,
"Call you tomorrow," he said pointedly at her as he hugged
them all good bye.
As they got into the car Penelope knew the interrogation would begin. Em and JJ weren't surprised that Penelope dropped everything to check on James knowing how attached the little boy was to her. What was surprising was that she evidently did not want to be in Derek's presence, which they've never seen before. It wasn't unusual for her to stay over his or vice versa when she and the girls didn't have plans. Even more so after James came into the picture,
"Penelope
Garcia, what was that?" Emily asked not pulling any punches,
"Establishing one's boundaries?" she answered with a shrug
of the shoulders not offering anything more which was a tell tale
sign that their friend was still processing.
"Do you want to
bounce off?" JJ offered.
"I feel like we're confusing
James. Derek and I are so intertwined that a six year old boy is
convinced that we belong together and acts out when something
threatens that. That can't be healthy."
"The kid loves you
Pen. I don't think it's because of the fact that you and Derek
may be giving him mixed signals, it's simply because he loves you
and believes you belong with his father." JJ attempted to placate
her friend.
"Well I doubt we're helping him think
otherwise."
"So what you're just going to avoid him? You
know he'll never let you get away with that, especially without
explanation." Emily pointed out.
"I know. I'm just trying
to buy time before that conversation we inevitably need to have."
"Honey, I doubt you have much time. Frankly if he didn't have
to worry about James I'd bet he'd be camped out in front of your
apartment building now because there's no way he bought that you're
all sleeping at mine." Penelope shrugged in response. Emily started
the car and the rest of the ride to Penelope's was a quiet one.
Both JJ and Emily knew that Penelope was weighing things out in her
mind, and that she needed to rummage through the cloud before she
shared.
Derek had watched them from his window and noticed that they stayed park for at least another fifteen minutes. It usually meant that the girls were having a pow wow, and he could only guess what the topic was. He knew for a fact that he and Penelope needed to talk and he couldn't help but worry of it's outcome.
Her phone began to ring a familiar tune the moment she walked into her apartment. She sighed deeply and considered not answering, but she had already raised enough flags for one evening and reluctantly picked up.
"Hey,"
she greeted.
"Hey P."
"What's up?"
"You tell
me."
"Derek,"
"No P, something's up. You're mad at
me. Is it because of tonight?"
"I'm not mad Derek."
"Then
what is it P."
"I just think maybe we're confusing James
with the amount of time we spend together. How is he ever going to
adjust to anyone else if you and I are forever living in each other's
pocket. It's not fair to him, or you, or me."
"What are you
saying P?" he asked quietly.
"That maybe you and I should
spend some time apart. My routine with James won't change, but
things between you and I, they have to change Derek. It's not fair
to him. I don't want to confuse him more than he already is." Not
to mention myself, she added silently.
"P,"
"Please
Derek, this isn't easy for me to say."
"I don't want
things to change between us." He protested.
"They have to.
They can't stay this way." Without waiting for his reply, she bid
him a quick goodnight and hung up.
