May, 1980 Paris, France

Aaron gave a bored yawn as he entered the kitchen of the two bedroom Parisian flat him and his father shared, hungrily hunting food that he knew occupied the fridge, Duncan had just gone food shopping the day before and since he hadn't been home all day, Aaron hadn't had a chance to raid it as of yet, at least not till now. He opened the fridge to examine its contents, and grinned with glee as he spotted cold cuts…more specifically, roast beef cold cuts. He grabbed the meat, mustard, and mayonnaise and piled these on the counter, readying the contents to make his sandwich.

It had been just about five years since that Christmas, when Duncan came home from Cambodia, keeping his promise to his son that it would be for good; together Aaron and Duncan found an apartment in Paris, and moved in; and Aaron was loving every minute of it, it was just as his father had promised, they were together and he hadn't left Aaron behind again, well at least not technically, a few weeks ago Duncan had met some lady on a tour boat of the Seine he hadn't really gone into details, but had been going out with her on a regular basis, though, Aaron was extremely curious as to WHY his father was on a tour boat in the first place, if anyone knew Paris like the back of his hand it was Duncan and he would have no need of a tour anyways, but Aaron had kept his curiosity to himself.

He was just preparing his sandwich, when Duncan came in getting ready for his date; Aaron smirked as he squirted the mustard on the bread, he looked at his watch which read eight o'clock.

"Don't even start you," Duncan said buttoning his shirt, Aaron's smirk turned to a look of complete innocence and confusion.

"Don't start what?" he asked completely honest

"You know what," Duncan rolled his eyes,

"So," Aaron said slicing the sandwich in half and taking a bite of it, mustard squirting out the sides of the sandwich over his face, he swallowed "so you going out with that tour boat lady again?"

"Her name is Tessa and as a matter of fact, yes," Duncan said handing him a napkin as he moved to wipe his face with his sleeve "really Aaron, mustard AND mayonnaise? Does that really taste good?" Aaron nodded, he wiped his mouth before taking another bite and getting more mustard all over his face again, "Got mustard?"

"Been seein' her a lot lately haven't you?" Aaron said around his food. Now Duncan gave him a look that was supposed to be serious, but was the most hilarious look ever.

"Yes I have,"

"So when do I get to meet Ms. Right?"

"Do you want to wear that sandwich?" Duncan asked as serious as possible, "I mean anymore then you already are?

"Naw I'd rather eat it," Aaron's grin went serious "but no seriously; one when do I meet her, and two and this is more important does she even know you have a son? Or are you leaving that for the wedding night," Now Duncan's face went totally serious

"Actually she already knows about you, and I was thinking about bringing her by after the show to meet you." Aaron took another bite and chewed thoughtfully,

"Really?" Duncan nodded "what are you gonna see anyways?"

"An Opera," Aaron made a face, "exactly why I didn't invite you along, I figured you had better things to do then listen to some fat lady deafen everyone in the audience."

"Oh come on Dad I never put it THAT way," Duncan looked at him expectantly "I simply said I had better things to do then listen to some lady belt out her lungs in the process increasing hearing aid sales throughout Paris while shattering a few glasses while she's at it."

"Exactly my point." Duncan paused "what do you have better to do? Just out of curiosity?" the microwave oven dinged signify it's contents were done, Duncan looked over at it, then at his son as the boy reached into the fridge and pulled out a milk bottle. "Aaron?"

"What?" he said "Muppet's show marathon starting after a brand new episode, which, starts in twenty minutes," Duncan rolled his eyes

"So you just had a sandwich and the popcorn is for what? You expecting company?"

"The sandwich was my dinner, popcorn's a snack." He said sprinkling some salt and butter on the popcorn, "and no, just me, the popcorn, a glass of milk, and Kermit de Frog and friends" he finished mimicking Jim Henson's frog Muppet "oh and some special guests appearing on the show."

"Kid you are so lucky you are immortal, if you weren't you're cholesterol would have killed you by now, you also lucky that you're stuck with that metabolism." Aaron shoved a handful of buttery popcorn in his mouth and stared at his father as if those words had gone in one ear and out the other. "Never mind" he said patting Aaron on the head "I don't know what time we'll be here, you going to be awake?"

"Oh gimme a break, even if I'm not like I wont know your coming," Aaron said around the popcorn "'ave a goo' time," Duncan nodded choosing to ignore his son,

"Is the beast out?" he asked Aaron nodded

"Let her in when you get home?" Duncan rolled his eyes, he waved bye and headed out the door, Aaron didn't even pay attention to his father leaving, he grabbed his bowl of popcorn, his large glass of milk and headed towards the living room where the TV was situated and got himself settled; ready to enjoy a full night of complete Muppet mayhem.

When he had first come across the show, he had thought it was a little doopy, especially hearing it in French knowing that it probably sounded much better in English, but it had kind of grown on him and now he didn't miss any new episodes, which was exactly what this one was, this one's special guest's were some of the guys from Star Wars, including C3PO and R2D2, he had been dying to see this episode, having seen the first Star Wars movie and couldn't wait until the next day when he was going to see it with a pal of his. Star Wars and Muppets? Then having a complete Muppet marathon to follow? What could be a better way to spend ones night? Most certainly better then attending an opera…least Aaron thought so.

Much later as the clock on the wall sounded off eleven, the bowl and glass which had contained popcorn and milk now lay on the floor empty of their contents as the marathon continued. However this went on without Aaron who was stretched out on the couch fast asleep. Stuffed with food and lying on a squishy couch had only encouraged his drowsiness and only made it through the new episode, and two repeats, before he was out. The buzz that accompanied his father standing outside the apartment door, turning his key in the lock, woke up him briefly, but the minute he realized who it was, he was out again.

"Aaron's probably too engrossed with his movie…show…whatever he was planning on watching tonight,"

"I cant wait to meet him," Duncan opened the door and walked inside with the medium height woman in tow.

"Aaron?" Duncan called looking around, "that's strange, he should be right…" a mew came from the door to the apartment, followed by a scratching noise.

"Duncan do you have a cat?" Duncan nodded grinning a little bit, then groaning as a pissed sounding howl erupted from the other side of the door

"Bernadette…"

"Bernadette? Brave as a bear"

"She's a stray that Aaron found, he loves her, and brave as a bear is giving her way to much credit," Duncan paused opening the door, a young seal lynx colored Himalayan brushed through the door only stopping long enough to give Duncan a glare as if she wanted to know what had took him so long to let her in. "he found her last year dumped in a box near a pile of trash, she was only a kitten, sickly, definitely the runt of the litter; probably why someone didn't keep her, after all she's a purebred Himalayan. According to Aaron wasn't afraid of him when he picked her up. She was just a skinny little pile of fur, vet didn't think she'd make it a couple of days" he finished looking back at the cat, who gave a swish of her tail, before jumping up on the counter to eat. "But as you can see, she's more then a little healthy and well on her way to being a fat cat," Bernadette looked up upon that statement and gave her tail an angry swish.

"She's beautiful,"

"And she knows it, Aaron spoils her rotten, that cat could get away with murder, I never thought Aaron would ever want a cat, but they love each other, I'm surprised she's not sacked out on top of him somewhere," he said as Bernadette sat on the edge of the counter staring him down. "And as you can see when she's not eating or sleeping her most favorite pastime is staring contests with me."

"That usually means that they like you,"

"Well that's good to know," the cat mewed again "well hairball, where's you other half?" Bernadette mewed a long meow, before jumping off the counter and heading towards the couch, which she jumped onto the back of with grace, she folded her paws neatly under her thick fur and with her eyes closed, maintained a very loud purr as her tail continued to swish back and forth.

"Duncan, I'm not sure but is this him?" Duncan walked over to where his date was standing near the couch, petting the beast; Duncan rolled his eyes looking down where Aaron was sprawled out, the remote dangling from his hand, threatening to drop at anytime. Bernadette looked down at Aaron then at Duncan, she stretched and jumped off the couch heading towards Aaron's door, in front of which she sat, waiting to be let inside.

"Yep, that would be him," he said, "I'll just put him in his bed, and let the hairball in" Tessa nodded as Duncan took the controller out his son's hand, and gently lifted him up.

"Do you need any help?"

"Actually if you could get the door over there where the cat is," Duncan said nodding his head towards the second door down the hall. Tessa smiled and nodded, she opened the door to Aaron's room Bernadette rubbed up against Tessa's leg, then Duncan's, before jumping onto Aaron's bedside table. Tessa followed Duncan inside, she pulled down the blanket and Duncan gently dropped him to the bed, slipped off his sneakers and pulled the covers up over him, which was the signal to Bernadette that it was finally bedtime, she gently hopped off the table onto the bed, she rubbed Aaron under the chin, before curling up on his chest and going to sleep. Duncan rolled his eyes and scratched the cat on the head, as a very loud almost deafening motor type purr began.

"How old is he?"

"T...Twelve," Duncan said as they left the room and he shut the door.

"He's adorable,"

"So everyone keeps telling me, I personally can't figure out where he got it," Tessa smiled softly, looking at the door as they walked away towards the kitchen for a glass of wine.

Inside, Aaron slowly woke up after realizing he was no longer on the couch, but in his own bed. When Duncan had carried him into his room and put him in bed he had started to wake up, movement and sleeping never worked well together for Aaron, but he was only half asleep and hadn't realized what was going on. He rubbed his eyes and grinned as his blue eyes caught her blue ones, she gave a wide yawn and proceeded to knead his shirt a little

"Hey you," Aaron said scratching her ear "how's my girl? Dad let you in I take it?" Bernadette mewed. Annoyed, knowing that he was getting up; she slid off his chest and curled up on his pillow. Knowing that he had probably just lost his pillow for the night, Aaron rolled out of bed, he was thirsty and in need of a glass of milk.

Yawning wide, he pushed open the door of his room and poked his head out into the hall. All the lights in the flat were off, even the glow from the TV was gone; yawning again, he made his way quietly to the kitchen to get a glass of milk. He was just on his way back to his room with his glass when he heard a voice he didn't recognize, asking a question that stopped him dead in his tracks

"So where is Aaron's mother?" there was a long pause, long enough for Aaron to chug his milk, put the glass down on the hall table, and kneel next to the door to his father's room.

"She…she passed away when Aaron was born,"

"Oh I'm so sorry," she paused "how did it happen if you don't mind my asking?"

"Complications during his birth, she…she lost to much blood." Aaron put his ear to the door listening closer, not sure how he felt about his father telling someone who technically was still a stranger, all about his mother. "Everything that could be done was done…but…" Duncan's voice trailed off.

"So he's never known his mother, that is so sad," Aaron took a deep breath, he picked up his glass and headed to the kitchen to put the glass in the sink, before heading back to his room. Listening to that conversation made Aaron a little curious and interested in meeting his father's new "friend", she sounded nice and all…but…but he felt strange, especially when she asked about his mother…but why? Why did he feel funny…Maybe I'm just tired, he thought yawning…yeah…that's it…I'm just overtired and really need to get some sleep I'll feel better…'pecially 'bout this whole thing in the morning.

But in order to obtain sleep, he was going to have to battle with the cat for the rights to his pillow, something that depending on her mood, might take a while. He went back into his room and shut the door softly; after changing into his PJ's; the last thing he remembered was climbing into bed, Bernadette, just happy too have him back gave up the pillow without a fight, simply climbing on top of his chest again resuming her very loud purr, to which Aaron fell back asleep.