DarkMage6: lol He's the king of annoying Mark. After forty years of knowing each other he can get under poor Mark's skin better than anyone on the planet. SlytherinQueen020: Technically Mindy is Vermi's not mine and she's so nuts about James already that it doesn't matter to her what he is. As for the other characters…I don't know really. Not a good answer I know but it's what I got at the moment *shrugs* Debwood-1999: It helps that James got through to Miranda as opposed to just dealing with Mindy. "Mindy" is the persona Miranda hides behind and that's the lie she's been lost in for so long. He can get through to her though and that's a great thing because that's what she needs. NeroAnne: James does really care for her. It's strange for him because this is the first female he's given a damn about since Annabelle died but he really does care for her, which is perfect because as you said, she needs him. slashdite: James isn't intending for Mindy to come between him and Mark. He wants them both, like he did when he had both Annabelle and Mark. As for Glen, he's not popping up quite yet. When he does though it won't be pretty, I promise you that.

…

Sitting on the living room couch with a pouting Connor and his disgruntled Snoopy, Cooper eyed his father and Mindy coming into view in the kitchen together, James leaning close and whispering something in her ear while motioning towards Mark, who had his back turned and was scrolling down some email attachment on his Blackberry. She nodded meekly while clasping his hand in both of hers, standing on the tips of her toes as they kissed each other deeply before parting.

"Hey!" Connor shouted and beckoned the young woman over while the other hand grasped his dog, "Hey Mindy! You like animals, right?" Brightening at the sight of the dog, she nodded with the widest of smiles and climbed over the couch to sit next to him and pet the dog.

"I LOVE animals" she told him with a sweet smile, "They're my best friends."

"Do you have doggies too?" now spurred by her answer he asked again, massaging the dog's paw where Mark stepped on him.

"Uh huh" nodding she leaned closer so Snoopy could lick her face, "I have six."

"Six?" his eyes suddenly became saucers as he looked to Cooper, who was the more isolated position-wise, "You hear that, Cooper? Mindy's got SIX doggies! I need six too!"

"Oh yeah?" he responded with raised eyebrows and a jerk of the head towards Mindy, "Ask her who takes care of them."

"Who takes care of them, Mindy?" Connor parroted Cooper's suggested question, moving Snoopy between the both of them so they could pet equally. Swallowing uncomfortably, Mindy took a deep breath and allowed a tiny arm to drape over the top of the couch.

"I hire professional pet people to feed my pets and stuff…I have too many to take care of all by myself."

"Exactly" Cooper told Connor sternly, "Nobody has that many critters running around and actually takes care of them."

"I still love them though" Mindy responded with a smile, petting Snoopy's ears and giggling oblivious to Cooper inspecting her like a used car. Connor caught it though.

"Something funny, Cooper?" he asked innocently, pulling Snoopy into his lap and narrowing his eyes gently. "It's not polite to stare at people, you know."

"I wasn't staring" he shot his brother the evil eye before looking to the dog, "Why don't you grab his leash so the three of us can go out for a little walk, okay?" Mindy's eyes followed Connor off the couch when Cooper's next sentence made her sick, "Stratus and I need to have a little talk." Talk? About what?

…

"Come on, Snoopy! You can catch him!" Connor jogged alongside his dog while it chased a little lizard down the scorching asphalt pavement.

"Don't you run too far off now, idiot!" Cooper made a cone with his hands and shouted, watching out the corner of his eye as Mindy brought her hands to her mouth to hide the giggle.

"He's so silly…" she shook her head gently before tilting her head all the way back to squint and wrinkle her nose at the sun, "I wish I gotted tan without the bed."

"How old are you, Mindy?" looking the young woman over he had to ask. She looked like a college kid on spring break.

"Eh?" she was Canadian she couldn't help it, moving her head back to normal and shaking out her long, wavy raven hair she exhaled with a passive yawn, "Twenty-eight and a half."

"And you have five and a half kids?" he asked dubiously, and she shrugged.

"I didn't steal them." Shaking his head he tried to remain stoic.

"You're kinda witty when you wanna be" she nodded gently but made no further action, "You know how old I am?" She looked to him with her sun-lightened ice-blue eyes and shook her head. "I'm the exact same age as you minus the half. Does anything seem weird about that?"

"You're James's son…"

"Exactly. I'm his son and we're the same age" looking her over he shook his head, "Are you attracted to older men or something?" Seeming suddenly uncomfortable, she hugged herself and pouted her plump lower lip, nodding.

"Yes."

"Why?" About to open her mouth and bear her soul, she suddenly stopped, shrugging and walking a bit quicker, though his long legs managed to match her little pace. "Hey! Princess!" She looked him in the eye. "I asked you something." The head shook again.

"I can't tell you" she looked around fearfully, "I'm not allowed."

"Why not?" he really wasn't too familiar with schizo-bullshit. The same response from her. Whatever. "So I noticed you've been hanging around my dad…" Right away she nodded, no point hiding that. "You know my dad's not attracted to women." Silently, keeping her eyes on Connor and Snoopy she nodded along to that. "So I don't know WHAT you did to him…he hasn't even looked at a chick since our mom passed away." She honestly didn't know either what made him turn. "I mean," he sighed, "you're beautiful…but there's a ton of gorgeous chicks out there Dad hasn't even given a second glance." She didn't answer that, but nodded along. "What'd you do to him?" Looking at him strangely she frowned.

"Do…what?" she raised a medium-toned eyebrow, "I did not 'do' anything-"

"Look" now he was starting to lose it, "My dad's been with Calaway for as long as I can fucking remember, he doesn't like chicks, now he's all over YOU…what'd you do to him?" Shaking her head worriedly she couldn't answer. "He doesn't stop talking about you, he's brooding over you, he's wearing his hair differently because YOU like it…" now glaring at her, he narrowed his light blue eyes and stiffened, "Whatever hold you think you have on him, I don't like it. I'm worried, he's my dad-"

"And he's very lucky to have good boys like you" she nodded towards both Connor and him, "But I didn't make him do anything. I never expected him to."

"To what?" he asked more harshly than he wanted to, "Frig his entire old way of living and swing both ways?"

"I don't know!" she threw her arms out slightly and clamped a hand in her thick mass of hair, "I don't know how he feels-"

"But you sure know a lot about him, don't you?" She nodded. "Look…" he sighed trying not to be too hard on her, "I'm not used to him acting this way, I mean…Mark's not my favorite candidate and you…" looking her over he curled his lips, "you're sugar, spice, and everything nice but you're also MY age and-"

"What are you trying to say?" she asked bluntly, looking up at him innocently.

"What's going on with you and my dad?"

"…I love him." If he wasn't keeping his jaw so tightly clenched it would have hit the floor.

"Really?" he asked in an exhale, "And how did that come about?" Taking a deep breath and watching Snoopy sniff a sewer grate as they walked by it, she sighed.

"We're very alike…" she looked him in the eye and curled her lips inward, "I don't think you would get it."

"You nodded when I said you knew my Dad very well…" his eyebrow raised curiously, "What'd he tell you?" Gulping she didn't answer. "Hey!" he stopped walking and whistled to Connor so he would halt.

"WHY?" Connor lamented while Cooper held her chin firmly and looked her dead in the eye.

"What did he tell you? What do you think you know that-"

"I'll never tell…" she answered in a little sing-song voice.

"Why?" Suddenly she stood upright at her towering four-foot-ten.

"Because I promised I would not tell, so unless he tells YOU what he telled me, then I will not tell you because I made a promise." It took a moment for all that to sink in, but he nodded in approval. He liked that.

"Very well…" next question, "You sleep with him yet?" No response. "You do anything with him?" No response. "Please, Min…" he softened slightly, "at least respond to me…I watched my dad and Mark's relationship flounder around enough…Dad gets into a lot of shit that he could have avoided in the-"

"You think I am bad" she responded faintly, dropping her eyes to the floor when he honestly didn't know what to say.

"No…" he tilted his head to the side and snapped her face back to his, "I actually think you're a good person. I like the way you treat me and my little brother…I like the way you treat my dad…I just don't know what type of mother you could make for us when you're my age"

"Honey" her face fell with intense sincerity, "I have been a mommy since I was twenty-two years old…I've spent the last six years pregnant…"

"Then how are you going to be there for THEM and be there for us? You're MARRIED, Miranda! You've been with Crispy Critter since you were a god damn teenager-"

"And I've hated him since I was a teenager" she answered sharply, "You think I WANTED to be with that nasty son of a bitch?" immediately realizing her tone she softened, "I hate him…I've always hated him. He MADE me be with him. He MADE me pregnant all those times he fucking rapes me, do you not understand?" nervously he backed a step, but she came closer and took both his hands in hers, "I NEVER want to see him again, any out I can get I take…" she swallowed hard, "do you wanna know why I was with Mark all those years-"

"Speaking of that…" he cringed at the thought of a three-way relationship, "That's gotta stop if you-"

"I haven't touched him in almost a year, okay?" she sniffled and started rubbing the tops of his hands maternally, "Some things happened that I don't want to fix."

"McSlut?" he asked lightheartedly, and with a gulp she nodded, staring at his hands. "Figures…" he shook his head and stared back in the general direction their house was in, "Look; you have to do something about getting rid of Crispy if-"

"My only way away from him is in a body bag, he says so himself don't you get it?" Immediately his eyes widened and he grabbed both her shoulders.

"Did you tell Dad that?"

"N-" she shook her head nervously, "n-no."

"You tell Dad that he'll kill him before you get a chance to finish the sentence"

"No." Now he frowned.

"Well why not?" he shrugged, "If you really love my dad then-"

"I don't want Glen to hurt him…" she shook her head with a pout, her voice dipping significantly, "He's crazy, my Glen is…he'll kill him."

"Hah!" he laughed boastfully and looked to his little brother, "Hey Connor!"

"Hm?" the man-child looked to his older brother and jogged over, "What what what?"

"Princess Mindy here is scared that good ole Crispy might hurt daddy!"

"HAH!" Connor laughed her off and grabbed her arm in a hug, "Daddy would make him go SMASH!" he grabbed an ant off the pavement and killed it with his fist, "Just like that!"

"You don't get it, again…" she frowned while glaring at her wedding and engagement rings, "He's a psycho with me."

"What about your kids?" Cooper asked contritely once again, "You couldn't leave them to be with-"

"Watch how fast I leave them."

"Are you that spiteful not to-"

"I didn't want any of them…" she glared at the pavement and slammed a hand to her still-small stomach, "they're just like him…He wants them to be just like him" she shook her head, "but not Chelsea…no…" she shook her head with a frown, "he hates Chelsea 'cause her Autism. He wants Chelsea to die. If I had to I only want Chelsea."

"What about your…?" with an index finger Cooper pointed to her not-yet-showing stomach, "You can't do anythi-"

"I'm only a month along. I can do whatever I want with it." That response was a bit frightening. "I need to talk to your dad about it." Her responses had the skeptic Cooper almost impressed.

"Either you really want my dad or you're a really good actress"

"I would cut my throat for your dad."

"So you're…" his voice trailed off and he took her little hands once more, "So you're telling me you'd be willing to give up everything you've known all those years to be with Dad?"

"Yes." Damn.

"You really want my dad, don't you?" he asked in what could have passed off as a gasp, slightly scared.

"Yes."

"You haven't even fucked him yet?" No response from her again. "You danced around it last time; I want to know everything you see in him."

"Well," she sighed in defeat, "he's beautiful…everything about him" he needed a better reason than that, "he's sweet…" she sniffled and squeezed Cooper's hands tighter in hers, "he doesn't ever yell at me or hurt me a lot…" her chest tightened once again, "he's funny, he's smart…" she started to giggle, "he's so…" her face fell as she shook her head, "perfect." Never had anyone uttered those words to him about his dad, not even Mark. Mark knew James had deep-imbedded issues.

"Why?" he asked coldly, that was a bold claim on her part, "Dad's one of the most fucked-up individuals on this-"

"So am I." Blowing air past his lips as Mindy lifted Snoopy off the ground so he could lick her face he ran a hand through his hair.

"So…what constitutes perfection for you, huh?" he shrugged almost angrily, "What makes my dad better than any other person you see on this friggin' earth?"

"He makes me safe…" she nodded with a meek sniffle, "nobody makes me safe from everyone. And he's not mean…" she shook her head at no one in particular, "and he makes me laugh and promised no one would hurt me…and he-"

"Would you be willing to be second-fiddle to Mark?" he asked yet again, "Dad's never gonna love you the way you want him to." She frowned and shrugged.

"You don't know that…"

"Hey, I like you" he reassured gently, "I didn't think I would especially after I saw what you mentally did to my dad."

"I did not mean it, I am sorry"

"You…" he smiled and chuckled a bit, "You mind-raped him, you know? Whatever you said to him he's fuckin'…" he tried to mask his own smile, "I like the way you treat each other…" he pulled Connor under an arm.

"HEY!"

"I like the way you treat this one" he put Connor in a headlock before Mindy calmed what would have been a fight by handing him back Snoopy, "I like the way you respect me as someone your age and don't treat me like a little fuckin' kid just because you're with my dad."

"We want you to be our mommy!" Connor nodded with a hug, "Are you gonna marry my daddy?"

"I-"

"She's already married, idiot" Cooper's glare was on the wedding and engagement bands on her fingers, "Though she may soon be widowed." A dainty hand wrapped around his forearm since that's as high as she could reach.

"Please don't make Glen hurt him…"

"Look, princess, sooner or later Crispy's gonna find out and tear the state apart-"

"Until Daddy guts him nice!" Connor nodded with a giggle, "I can't wait."

"Look, I didn't want to offend you" Cooper grabbed her shoulders again, "but my dad's almost twenty years older than you…" she nodded along, "I wanted to make sure your head was in the right place and you're not just some chick fantasizing about fucking my dad and leaving him."

"That's been done to me too many times to remember" her lips quivered with fear, "I actually thought your dad woulda doned the same thing."

"No" Cooper shook his head and smiled weakly, "Dad's not what you're used to…give him time." Though she didn't say anything he read her face. "You're not fucking because he's trying to bond with you. He's got a bigger thing for you than I'd like to think about…" gently he touched her face, "I just didn't want him to kinda pour himself all in and have you put him in a blender."

"Silly Cooper" Connor hugged the little woman like a kid hugging its parent's leg, "Mindy's our mommy now. She cooks and plays games and-"

"No storybooks" she frowned, "Sorry, but I cannot read."

"You can sing then!" Now she nodded with a bright smile.

"I can do that!"

"Can we play manhunt with Snoopy in the backyard?"

"Yes" she smiled warmly, running a hand over the top of his hair and smoothing it maternally when Cooper grabbed her arm, "Eh?" He had to get used to this Canadian thing.

"We" he motioned to him and Connor, "really want you to stay with us if you mean what you stay." She nodded. "Just please be patient with dad…he doesn't know what to do with you half the time he's not used to women."

"I understand."

"I forgot what it's like to have a mother…" he shrugged with a slight smile, "even if you're my age…it means we get you longer." Smiling gently she went to leave with Connor when he grabbed her arm, "Hey!" again she turned around, "Don't hurt us…" actually feeling a bit choked up he ran a hand up over his face, "we don't just let people fuck with our heads like this, okay?"

"Okay" she nodded while extending an arm and hugging him close, "I'm here."

"If you are…" he almost choked on his own spit, "everything you seem to be now…" he shook his head, "you don't know how much that means to us to have a woman around…balance out all the testosterone, you know?" She giggled. "You want Chelsea, my dad'll get you Chelsea…and we'll treat her like a sister since we're not your kids but you love us anyway."

"You love us, Mindy?" Connor stopped trying to pull her and grabbed her face, "Really you do?"

"Yes" she kissed his cheek and poked his nose, "I love you boys lots and lots."

"And-" he was so excited and cute she wanted to bite him, "Y-you love my Daddy too?" Grinning she made an 'X' over her chest.

"Cross my heart."

"Thank you" reverently Cooper kissed her forehead before watching Connor drag her down the street towards the house, boy did he and his father have a lot to talk about.