Even though Jackson wasn't permitted to go back to work yet, he busied himself throughout the day with paper work and building plans of their new house while Aaron was at work and Freddie was at school. It had been a few weeks since meeting with their insurance company and lawyers and been told they couldn't start anything for at least a month. But the other day they'd received a call saying things were finally being sorted and they could now start planning their house. Jackson being the builder in the household had taken control of making sure they had a suitable family home to build. Aaron didn't care, just as long as he got a roof over his head again. Living at Paddy's was alright but it wasn't ideal, the place was a lot smaller than what they remembered.

"Hard at work, again?" Rhona chirped as she bumbled into the kitchen with a collection of mugs.

"Can't help myself, I've got so many plans for our home." Jackson told her as he shuffled some drawings around. "Open plan kitchen and diner, en-suite bathroom, guest bedroom. . ."

"Sounds like you've got it all sorted." Rhona laughed as she peeped over his shoulder to look at some of his work. "Wouldn't I dream of having a dining room. . ."

"Can happen, I could do you one as soon as this house is under way." Jackson told her.

"Nah, Paddy would have a heart attack seeing this place under construction." Rhona joked going over to make cups of tea.

"I don't know. Paddy's a pretty relaxed kinda man, well he had to be to put up with Aaron." Jackson joked. "Speaking of, I've got a meeting in town again today with the lawyers. You couldn't let Aaron know he needs to pick Freddie up this afternoon?" He asked as he began to scoop up all his paper work. "I would it's just I've gotta be there in five."

"Yeah, sure." Rhona answered. "No problem.

"Thanks." Jackson said as he bundled all his drawings into his folder and dashed for his keys.

Dead on quarter to three, Aaron returned to Smithy Cottage for his late lunch break. He'd been taking all his lunch breaks late after Freddie joined school. It was convenient for all of them if he took his lunch late and picked Freddie up from school when Jackson couldn't. He'd just popped himself in through the front door before Rhona ordered him back out.

"Go on, go pick up Freddie." Rhona smiled as she ushered him out the door.

"How come Jackson isn't?" Aaron asked her as he allowed himself to be marched down the garden path towards his car.

"He's busy, meeting with a few businessmen." Rhona told him. "Now go."

Aaron rolled his eyes and did as he was told.

Freddie was one of the first out of the school gates. He ran up to Aaron and ploughed himself straight into his legs, locking his arms around him as he giggled.

"Alright, little guy?" Aaron laughed at Freddie's already excited state.

Freddie pulled himself away from his dad and nodded his head enthusiastically.

"What did you do at school today then?" Aaron asked him as he began to guide him to the car parked a few meters away.

"Played football at lunch and made a picture, look!" Freddie said as he pulled out an A3 sheet of green rumbled sugar paper from his buzz light year backpack. He held it up in front of Aaron, a big grin plastered on his face as he began to explain his actual drawing of stick men and women standing on his page. "This is you and Daddy." Freddie told him, pointing to a couple of stick men, one with no hair at all and a scowl on his face, while the other had a huge grin and short brown hair.

"Nice, I've always told your daddy he had a huge mouth." Aaron grinned only to be given a warning look from his son. "Sorry, carry on."

"And this is me and nana Chas and Nana Hazel and Paddy." Freddie beamed, pointing to short little stickman, a stick woman with long black hair and high heels, another who was more rounder with brown hair and a stickman with glasses. He still hadn't told Aaron who the other stickwoman was. Is must be Rhona, she was the only one missing from the picture. But she didn't look anything like Rhona. The stickwoman's hair was blonde and she wore pink, Rhona didn't do pink.

"Who's this?" Aaron asked uncertainly, afraid of the answer.

"My mum." Freddie answered him simply as if he was stupid.

Aaron's stomach dropped. Freddie thought he had a mum. Hadn't Jackson and himself explained to him clearly enough that he hasn't got a mum because he has two dads.

"Don't you like it?" Freddie asked him sounding hurt.

He didn't want to get into the workings of their family now, so instead Aaron ruffled his hair and said "Of course, it's great!" before jumping into their car.

As Jackson wasn't at home and out doing god knows what, Aaron decided to take Freddie over to his mother's house, hoping she could help him with Freddie's drawing before he dashed off back to work. He was already cutting it fine.

"Go say hello to Auntie Katie, while me and your dad have a chat." Chas said Freddie, putting him back down on the floor and turning back to Aaron who held the stickmen drawing in his hand. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

Aaron didn't say anything, he unfolded the drawing and held it up for Chas to see.

"N'aw that's nice. Got some talent there." Chas started pulling a face. "I could never get you to do anything like that, too interested in cars and playing outside."

"Mum!" Aaron snapped. "Look at it properly. Who can you see?"

"Paddy, Hazel, Me, you and Jackson, Freddie. . ." Chas trailed off. "Who's that?"

"His mum." Aaron told her.

"W-what do you mean? Aaron. . ." Chas said a little confused. She knew full well that Freddie didn't have a mother, if anyone was his mother it was Aaron.

"He thinks that's his mum." Aaron said. "What am I gonna say to him mum? I thought we'd explained it to him."

"Come here." Chas said seeing how hurt her son looked and pulled him into a hug. "Don't you worry. I'll talk to him. Just go back to work and don't worry about it. I'll sort it."

"Thanks." Aaron sighed, running a hand over his shaven head.