Reflections

by evitascarlett

A companion piece to 'Apologize'. Chronicling the lives and love story of Jim and Johanna Beckett through the years. See Authors Note at the beginning of Chapter One for more details! Cover art by LordofKavaka

15. Chapter 15 - Playing House

A/N: Thanks for your reviews. The remedy used in this chapter is an old family remedy that does work.

Chapter 15 – Playing House

As Jim approached the door of his brother's home, he was greeted by the sight of his five year old niece as she stood at the screen door. "Uncle Jim!" she exclaimed; pushing open the door and running to him. He smiled as he swung her up into his arms; making her giggle.

"Did you just get up, Angie?" he asked; taking note of her pink flowered summer pajamas.

"A little bit ago," she answered; brushing a blonde curl back from her face as he carried her inside.

"Where's your mother?"

"I'm right here," Natalie Beckett stated as she entered the living room, his baby niece, Alicia; on her hip and his nephews Mikey and Danny trailing behind her. "Thank God you're here."

"Is the sink that bad?" he asked. She had called him an hour before, asking if he could come over and fix the sink for her since his brother was out of town.

"It's bad enough, but there's something else that has come up. You're going to have to watch the kids for me."

"What?" he exclaimed; realizing that his sister-in-law was dressed to go out instead of being dressed in her more casual house clothes.

"My mother called; she fell and she thinks she broke her ankle; or maybe even her leg. I have to take her to the hospital."

"Why didn't she call an ambulance?"

"She doesn't want the neighbors to talk," Natalie answered as she held Alicia out to him. "You're going to have to do this, she's waiting for me."

"I was just supposed to fix the sink," Jim remarked as he sat Angie on her feet and reluctantly accepted the infant.

"You've been promoted," Natalie commented as she searched for her keys.

"I don't know about this, Natalie."

"You'll do fine. Alicia's been fed but the other three haven't. Make them some toast and give them some cereal."

"Can't you at least take the baby with you?"

"No! She has to be fed and changed all day, and besides, hospitals are full of germs."

"Can't someone else take your mother?"

"There is no one else," Natalie said as she favored him with a soft, yet exasperated look. "It's summer, everyone is away. My father is on a camping trip, my sister is at the Grand Canyon with her family and my brother is in Mexico with his wife. Your mother is at her garden club and Madelyn is at work. I'm all my mother has and you're all I have, Jim. You have to do it. I taught you how to change a diaper, you'll be fine."

He sighed heavily, he was trapped. He looked down at Angie as she took his hand and smiled at him. "It'll be fun, Uncle Jim."

He returned her smile but he had a feeling it wasn't going to be fun at all. "I'll be back as soon as I can," Natalie promised as she hugged and kissed her children while telling them to be good.

Jim scoffed; Saturday at a hospital with a non life threatening injury; he'd be lucky if she was back by Monday.

"You can handle this," Natalie told him as she snatched her purse. "You're a great uncle."

"Hurry back," he called after her as the screen door slammed shut behind her. He released a breath as he looked at the small faces that were looking at him expectantly. "Well, rugrats, I guess it's just us."

"Can we have breakfast now?" Mikey asked. "I'm starving."

Jim nodded, he could handle breakfast...at least he hoped.

An hour later, Jim knew he couldn't handle the job that had been thrust upon him. The kitchen was a mess and so were the kids. Angie had cried when he had tried to help her fix her hair and Alicia was screaming her head off for no apparent reason while the boys used their spoons to catapult cereal and hit each other. He needed help, and he needed it now.

---

Johanna had just sat down on the floor to dust the bottom shelf of her bookcase when the phone rang. It never missed; she mused as she laid her rag aside and got to her feet. She hurried across the room and snatched up the phone. "Hello?"

"You have to help me," she heard Jim's voice say through a din of commotion that seemed to include a crying baby.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"I'm at my brother's house," Jim answered. "I got shanghaied into watching these four rugrats and this baby has been crying for a half hour. I don't know what to do with her."

"Did you feed her?"

"She already ate."

"Is she wet?"

"Not anymore."

Johanna laughed. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to come over here and do something so she'll stop."

"What makes you think I can make her stop?"

"She's a girl," Jim answered.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well maybe she has some girl problem that I don't understand. I figure she needs a woman...and you're the best woman I know."

She smiled. "Nice touch."

"I'm not sucking up to you; I...Mikey, don't hit your sister with that."

"You've got a real party going on there, don't you?" Johanna laughed.

"You have to help me, Jo. They have me out numbered and I can't hear myself think with all of this crying. You're a woman; you're born knowing how to fix babies that cry."

"Who told you that?" she asked in amusement.

"I think I learned it in school. Will you just come over here and try...please, sweetheart?"

She closed her eyes; 'sweetheart' never failed to melt her. "Alright," she relented. "I owe you one anyway. Give me the address and I'll be over."

"Thank you," he said in relief before giving her the address and hanging up. "Alright," he said to his nieces and nephews; "Help is on the way."

"Who's coming, Uncle Jim?" Mikey asked.

"My friend Johanna. She's going to make your sister stop crying."

"I hope she hurries," the boy replied. "She's giving me a headache."

Jim nodded; he was getting a headache too.

---

Johanna could hear the baby crying as she made her way up the walk and knocked on the screen door. Two pajama clad kids appeared out of nowhere and stared at her through the screen at the bottom half of the door. "Hi," she smiled.

The little boy's blue eyes were wide as he grinned at her. "Uncle Jim; there's a pretty lady at the door!" he yelled excitedly; making her laugh.

"Thank God," she heard Jim say from somewhere inside.

"Are you Johanna?" the little girl asked.

"Yes I am; are you Angela or Alicia?" she asked; not wanting to take a chance of calling the girl by the wrong name even though she was pretty sure Angela was the oldest girl.

"I'm Angie," she replied as Jim appeared and unlatched the door; the crying infant against his shoulder.

Johanna smiled as she stepped inside. "How are you doing?" she asked; her eyes gleaming in amusement.

He shot her a look as he gently shoved the baby into her arms. "Fix it."

"Don't waste any time," she replied; adjusting her hold on the baby as she followed him and the kids back to the kitchen. "Good lord," Johanna said as she surveyed the mess she found there. "What happened here?"

"Breakfast," Jim replied.

"Don't you think you should've wiped up that big puddle of milk on the floor? Someone could fall and get hurt."

"One crisis at a time, Johanna."

She brushed what seemed to be a pound of cereal off of a kitchen chair and sat down; intent on seeing to the baby but her gaze caught sight of a toddler sitting among yet another pile of cereal; happily shoving fruit loops into his mouth. "Jim, why is that child eating off the floor?"

He turned and followed her gaze. "Danny; did you dump out that box of cereal?" he asked his nephew.

"Yes," the three year old answered.

"Why?"

"Prize," he exclaimed happily; holding up a toy sealed in plastic.

"That's my prize!" Mikey yelled; lunging for his younger brother but Jim caught him by the back of his shirt.

"I'll give you a dollar if you don't fight him for it."

Mikey considered that for a moment. "Okay."

Johanna smiled as she gave him a small shake of her head. "This one is Alicia, right?"

"Yeah; that's her. I think they should've named her 'Screamer'."

Johanna cuddled the baby to her. "Don't you listen to him," she told her. "What's troubling you today, Miss Alicia? Uncle Jim's babysitting skills can't be that bad, can they? Or maybe they can," she said as she took notice of the baby's diaper which was half hanging off of her. "Who taught you how to change a diaper?"

"I did the best I could, Jo. She wouldn't hold still."

"Well we need to fix this. Where can I change her?"

"In her room," Angie told her; tugging at her hand. "I'll show you where it is."

"Okay," Johanna replied as she rose from the chair. "While I do that, Jim; get that boy a bowl and some cereal that's not on the floor."

"Just make that stop," he said with a wave towards Alicia.

She followed Angie into the nursery and laid Alicia on the changing table. "Does your mommy have a thermometer for you sister?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's right here," Angie said; her small hand grabbing it from it's place on the shelf of the changing table before looking up at Johanna with questioning eyes. "Do you know where it goes?"

She laughed softly as she unhooked the baby's diaper. "Yeah; I know where it goes. I have a little nephew who's probably only a few months older than your sister."

Angie smiled and waited patiently by her side as she took Alicia's temperature. "No fever," she announced after reading the result and wiping it off with a baby wipe.

"That's good, right?"

"Right; no fever is best. Now we'll get her into a clean diaper that will actually stay on her."

"Here's a clean one," Angie said; grabbing a diaper from the shelf.

"Thank you; can you throw this one away?"

Her little helper nodded and tossed the diaper into the trash can. "Mommy puts powder on her when she changes her."

Johanna reached for the baby powder and sprinkled some on the baby. "Did Uncle Jim put powder on her?"

"No; he didn't do it the way Mommy does it. He did it all wrong. I tried to tell him."

She smiled as she fastened the diaper; noting that Alicia's cries had softened a bit. "Well the next time she needs changed; we'll make him learn how to do it right."

"He needs help," Angie said seriously.

Johanna laughed softly. "I noticed."

"How come he called you Jo?" the girl asked; watching as Johanna fixed the baby's clothing.

"It's a nickname. Just like Angie is a nickname for you. All of my friends call me Jo."

"Can I be your friend?"

"I'd like that," Johanna smiled. "A girl can never have too many friends."

"Good; I want you to be my friend, Miss. Jo."

She was a sweet little girl, Johanna thought to herself as she ran her hand over Angie's messy ponytail. "I'm your friend, Angie. Let's see if I can be Alicia's friend too and make her feel better."

"She's been crying for awhile."

"I know. Have her teeth been bothering her?"

"She doesn't have any yet," Angie answered.

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. "I know, sweetie; I meant have her gums been sore because she's starting to get her teeth?"

Angie was quiet for a minute as she thought about it. "Not this week."

Johanna nodded and gently pried the baby's small fist away from her mouth. "Will you let me take a little peek in there?" she asked Alicia. She couldn't really tell if the girl's gums were red and inflamed. "Angie, where can I wash my hands?"

"The bathroom's across the hallway."

Johanna laid the baby in her crib and told Angie to watch over her for a moment as she went and washed her hands. "What are you going to do?" Angie asked once she returned to the room.

"I'm going to feel her gums and see if she has any teeth coming in," Johanna explained as she put the tip of her finger in Alicia's mouth and felt around her gums. "I don't feel anything," she said; lifting her back out of the crib and holding her against her shoulder and lightly bouncing her. She calmed a little more, but there was still clearly something wrong.

"She's still crying," Jim said from the doorway. "What's wrong with her?"

"I'm working on it," Johanna replied. "She doesn't have a fever and the problem doesn't seem to be teething related. I think we might need someone with more expertise. I'll call Valerie and ask her what she thinks."

---

When Valerie answered the phone, Johanna set about explaining the problem they were having with Alicia. "I have noticed that she seems calmer when I hold her against me instead of cradling her."

"Did you notice if she was drawing her legs up against her?" Valerie asked.

"Now that you mention it, she was keeping her legs pulled up while she was laying down."

"It sounds like she has a stomachache," her sister-in-law answered. "That's why she's calmer when she's being held against you. You're holding pressure against her tummy and that's easing her discomfort."

"A stomachache," Johanna repeated so that Jim would be in the loop.

"Mommy says that sometimes milk seems to make Alicia's belly hurt," Angie chimed in at the announcement.

"Did you hear that, Valerie?" she asked.

"Yeah; if she has trouble tolerating milk, she's definitely got a stomachache."

"What do I do for it?"

"Make her a warm bottle of sugar water," Valerie answered. "That always helps Greg."

"I think I've seen Mom do that a few times," Johanna replied. "How much sugar do I use?"

"Not a lot; just get a flat layer on a teaspoon...you know what I mean?"

"Yeah; I understand what you're saying. Should I give her some Tylenol?"

"If she doesn't have a fever, I wouldn't. Try the sugar water. If that doesn't work; call back and we'll think of something else."

"Okay, thanks, Val," she said before hanging up. "Get me a clean bottle," Johanna told Jim.

Thankfully, he managed to find one without any trouble; a small miracle, Jim thought to himself.

"Take her," she said; gesturing to the baby who was resting against her shoulder.

Jim shook his head. "She doesn't cry as much when you're holding her."

"There are two reasons for that," she replied; "One is that she needs to be held the way I'm holding her; it helps her stomach."

"What's the other reason?"

"She senses your fear."

He looked at her with slight offense. "I'm not afraid of a baby!"

She gave a short laugh. "I'll rephrase. The more she cries, the more agitated you get. She sensed that you were uncomfortable and that makes her uncomfortable. She needs to feel secure; you have to stay as relaxed as possible while you're handling a baby."

"That's easier said than done," Jim retorted. "She was screaming her head off and she can't tell me why. What am I supposed to do? I don't know anything about taking care of babies."

"Alicia knows that, Uncle Jim," Angie said; patting his leg as she looked up at him. "You did put her diaper on wrong."

Johanna tried to bite back a smile but failed. "And to top it off,' Jim stated; "I get comments from the peanut gallery."

She gave him an understanding look but handed Alicia over to him anyway. "You're going to have to take her so I can make this bottle. Valerie says warm sugar water will help her. Just hold her like I was and try to relax. Once we have Alicia settled; we'll take care of this mess and the other three."

Jim reluctantly positioned his infant niece against his shoulder and lightly patted her back the way Johanna had been. "See, you know how to do it," Johanna said with a smile.

"Are you going to put sugar in her bottle like Mommy does?" Angela asked.

She nodded. "That's what we're going to do. Can you tell me where the sugar is?"

"It's in that jar," Mikey said; pointing to a canister on the counter.

"The pot Mommy uses to heat things for Alicia is on the back burner," Angie hurriedly said; not wanting her brother to steal her status as helper.

"Thank you," Johanna answered as she grabbed the pot and filled it with water. "You're such a big help."

"She wasn't any help to me," Jim remarked. "Why didn't you help me?"

His niece turned and looked at him innocently. "You didn't ask me, Uncle Jim."

Jim closed his eyes and sighed heavily while Johanna did her best to smother a laugh. "How did this happen, Jim?" she asked.

"How did what happen?"

"The kids."

"The four kids happened because apparently my brother has no self control and missed the memo about birth control devices," he replied in a lowered voice as the three eldest children chattered among themselves.

She laughed. "You're probably thinking about running out to the drugstore and stocking up; aren't you?"

"The thought has crossed my mind."

"I'm sure it has, but I know how they came about…"

"I hope so," he interrupted; "Because this experience has put me of from offering free demonstrations."

"I guess it's a good thing I didn't ask for one then."

Jim smirked. "If you really want one, wait until I make that shopping trip and then I'll be over."

"That's alright; I'll pass this time. What I meant was; how did you end up with the kids?"

"I got suckered," he answered while watching her prepare the bottle. "My brother and father are at a banking conference in Philadelphia, and my sister-in-law, Natalie, called this morning and asked if I could come fix the sink. I stupidly said yes and came over here to find her ready to leave; claiming that her mother fell and need to go to the hospital…"

"Surely you don't think she's lying," Johanna said; testing the warm liquid on her wrist before taking the baby back into her arms and reclaiming the chair she had cleaned off.

"I guess not, but it felt like a set up."

"The sink really is broke," Mikey spoke up. "It's been broke since yesterday."

"What about Grandma?" Jim asked. "Did she really call?"

"Jim," Johanna chastened.

"She called,' Angie confirmed; shifting to stand beside Johanna as she gave Alicia her bottle. "Grandma fell down and hurt her leg."

"I guess the story checks out then," he replied; "But it's still awful coincidental."

His friend shook her head at him. "So I guess you haven't looked at the sink yet?"

He looked at her incredulously. "When have I had time to fix a sink? The rugrats had just gotten up right before I got here and Alicia was the only one who had been fed."

"We get to sleep in on the weekend," Mikey explained with a smile as he caught Johanna's eye.

"Sleeping in is always a treat," she agreed before Jim went on.

"I had to feed them breakfast."

Johanna nodded; surveying the various mounds of cereal and the globs of butter and jelly and toast crumbs. "Did you serve it on the floor?"

"No, it just kind of ended up there."

"I see," she replied. "How many boxes of cereal did you serve them?"

"They all wanted something different so I just sat all the boxes on the table and told them to pour what they wanted into their bowls while I made the toast."

"That explains a lot," Johanna commented before glancing to Angie. "How does Mommy usually handle the issue of cereal?"

"Mommy buys all the kinds we like but we only get to have one kind a day; we have to vote on it and we have to take turns winning the prize in the box."

"You didn't tell me any of this," Jim remarked.

"You didn't ask me."

Johanna grinned at him. "You have to start asking more questions, Jim."

"Yeah," he scoffed; "Like should I really answer the phone or let it ring?"

"Miss Jo," Angie said; tugging lightly on her sleeve.

"What?"

"When you're finished making Alicia feel better, will you fix my hair? Uncle Jim did it wrong."

"I can see that," she smiled.

"I thought it looked pretty good, all things considered," Jim said in his own defense.

"Did you even comb her hair first before you tried to put it up?"

"I tried but she started crying so I had to stop."

"He pulled the tangles too hard," his niece accused.

Johanna smiled as she nodded knowingly. "We'll get your hair fixed after we clean up this mess. You boys look like you need a comb ran through your hair too," she remarked; studying their bed heads.

"I like it messy," Mikey replied.

"Then enjoy it while it lasts," she told him; "Because it's getting combed."

She pulled the bottle from Alicia's mouth to check her progress and the baby smiled up at her. "Feeling better?" she asked her.

"It is quieter," Jim stated.

"Well since you can hear yourself think now; go wipe up that milk that's spilled. It's driving me crazy," she told him.

He smirked as he grabbed some paper towels and did what she asked while she continued to tend to Alicia. Danny came to stand before her, his blue eyes bright as he studied her.

"Hi, sweetie," she said to him. "I don't think I've gotten to talk to you yet."

He smiled shyly and then ran to Jim's side; pressing his face into the leg of his jeans. "Danny's a little shy," Jim told her as he picked up his nephew. "You can talk to her," he told him. "She's nice."

Danny eyed her with curiosity but said nothing. "How old are you?" Johanna asked him.

"Go on, tell her," Jim prodded.

Danny held up three fingers as he smiled. "Three," she replied; "You're a big boy then."

"I'm a big boy," he agreed; finding his voice. "I'm not a baby anymore. Sissy's a baby."

"One day she'll be big like you," she replied. "How old is Sissy, do you know?"

Danny shook his head. "She's five months," Jim answered.

"Six months," Angie corrected.

"She is not."

"Yes she is," Mikey spoke up. "Mommy said so just the other day."

"Yeah; she told us Alicia's been with us for half a year now," Angela added.

Johanna caught her colleague's eye. "You're just batting a thousand today, Jim."

He smirked. "Well I can tell you that miss know it all just turned five in April and your secret admirer there is six."

"Six and a half," Mikey amended.

"It's not a half until next month," Jim remarked.

"But still, it's almost a half," the boy replied; shifting his attention back to Johanna. "I'm going to be shaving soon."

"You are?" she asked; unable to withhold a laugh.

"Yep," he replied; nodding seriously. "That's what us men do."

"Who told you that you were going be shaving soon?" Jim asked.

"Uncle Andrew."

"Don't listen to Andrew, that baby face of his only needs a shave about once a month."

"I'm telling him you said that," Mikey replied.

"Go ahead," he laughed; "It'll get his blood moving."

"Jim, are you picking on your little brother?" Johanna asked.

"Of course; what's the point in having one if you can't pick on him once in awhile?"

"I guess you have a point there," she answered; "But I have good news for you."

"What?"

"It looks like Alicia is ready for a nap," she said quietly as she shifted the sleepy baby and settled her against her shoulder; rocking her slowly as she rubbed her back.

"Thank God," he whispered. He'd temporarily be down to three instead of four.

---

Once Alicia had been tucked into her crib for a nap and Angie had assured Johanna that they'd be able to hear her from the kitchen; she sat about getting things back in order. "I need a broom and a dust pan," she announced.

Mikey and Angie ran off to the pantry to fetch the items as Jim glanced from the mess to her. "Can we salvage any of the cereal?" he asked.

"Are you crazy? You can't put it back in the box after it's been on the floor."

"What about the piles on the table?"

Johanna shook her head; her nose wrinkling with disgust. "No! The table is smeared with butter and jelly and they've all probably had their hands in it. We're throwing it out."

"Natalie's going to kill me."

"We'll make a list of things she's now out of," Johanna replied; "And if you feel really bad, I guess you can leave a few dollars as compensation."

"I think I should be the one getting compensated," he remarked.

"I'm sure you do," she responded; picking up an orange juice carton from the table. "This is empty; we better put orange juice on the list."

"Danny spilled half of it," Mikey declared as he carried the broom to her.

She glanced at the youngest boy. "Did you do that?" she asked lightly.

"Yep," Danny answered proudly. "See, it's on my shirt."

"I see that," Johanna replied before her eyes darted back to Jim.

"I wiped him off. I even wiped up the orange juice."

"Well I'm glad you wiped up at least one spill before I got here," Johanna commented as she accepted the broom.

"I was a little busy with the screamer."

"I know," she smiled. "Why don't you take the boys and get their hands and faces wiped off and then get them dressed for the day. Angie and I will clean up this mess."

"Come on boys," Jim said as he swung Danny up into his arms. "The women want us out of the way while they clean up in here."

"I know how to hold the dust pan," Angie told her eagerly once the men had left them alone.

"Good; I was hoping you'd be my lovely assistant. Let's get these dishes off the table and take them to the sink before we get started on the sweeping."

"Okay," the little girl said as she carefully accepted the two cups that was handed to her. Johanna quickly stacked the rest of the dishes and carried them to the sink; her little shadow at her side. There was already a pile of dishes waiting and she added the breakfast dishes to it.

"I better wash these dishes for your mommy after we finish sweeping."

"You can't. Uncle Jim has to fix the sink first; that's why mommy didn't wash them last night."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Lot's of things. Sometimes the water comes out real slow and the handle squeaks and water comes out of it all the time. The side that mommy rinses the dishes on, fills up with water and it won't go down and it made a big mess after lunch yesterday."

"I see," Johanna said as she picked up the dish rag and turned on the faucet to wet it down. She took note of the lack of water pressure that hadn't been there when she had filled the pot with water for Alicia's bottle. She quickly and thoroughly wiped down the table; scrubbing away the stickiness of the jelly. "Once we get things cleaned up, we'll make Uncle Jim get to work on that sink."

While she and Angie were sweeping up the remnants of breakfast, Jim was in the bathroom trying to get Danny's face washed.

"No!" the little boy yelled as he squirmed away from the cloth.

"Shhh," Jim said; "You'll wake Alicia and we don't want her to cry again, do we?"

"No," both Danny and Mikey answered.

"Then hold still and let me get you cleaned up. You have jelly on your face."

"No!"

"Why not?"

"I don't like it," Danny whined.

"You're a big boy now; you're not supposed to act like this," Jim told him. "It'll only take a minute. Look at Mikey, he washed his face and he's all done."

Danny broke away from him, a loud "No" being bellowed as he went but Jim snatched him before he made it out of the bathroom.

"That's enough," Jim said firmly; keeping on arm around the boy as he quickly scrubbed at the jelly on the boy's face.

Danny cried even after he was done and he was at a loss for what to do so he ignored it and took his hand; ushering both boys into their room so that he could get them dressed. Thankfully, Mikey was capable of dressing himself; and Danny's upset about getting his face washed, seemed to distract him from noticing that his clothes were being changed. By the time they returned to the kitchen, Johanna was helping Angie empty the dust pan into the trash.

"Who were you killing?" Johanna asked as she caught his eye.

"Danny doesn't like his face washed," he answered as the boy in question ran to the far side of the room where one of his toy trucks was sitting.

"But you got the job done?" she said; humor lacing her tone.

"I got it done…and now I know why babysitting is woman's job. You're better equipped for it."

"That's kind of sexist."

"Sue me."

"Maybe I will," she quipped. "Now to get to work on that sink so I can wash those dishes."

Jim smirked. "Isn't that sexist? Aren't you implying that it's my job to fix the sink because I'm a man?"

"No; I'm implying it because apparently you're the one who knows how. If I knew how, I'd do it myself…it would probably get done faster."

"Hey; I've been taking care of four kids, alone."

Johanna laughed. "Do you want me to give you a merit badge or what?"

"I could probably think of something better as a reward," he remarked.

"Not in front of the kids."

"Not in front of the kids," he laughed; "Where did your mind go, Miss McKenzie?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, honey, since it's you; my mind went to the one place it knows you go the most."

"Where does your mind go?" Mikey asked Jim.

He shot Johanna a look as she suppressed a laugh. "Only to high moral places," he answered.

"What's that mean?"

"It means he's full of it," Johanna answered; and then to head off the conversation, she reached for Angie's hand. "I'll help Angie get changed and cleaned up; get started on that sink…and I mean it."

Jim smirked at her before looking at the boys. "The boss has spoken; let's go get the tools out of the garage."

---

Armed with the detangler and a comb after helping Angie get dressed; Johanna pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down. "All right, ladybug; let's see what we can do about that hair of yours."

"Why did you call me ladybug?" Angie laughed as she scampered over and stood between Johanna's knees, with her back to her.

"Because you're pretty and dainty like a ladybug," she answered; removing the ponytail holder that Jim had used on the girl's hair. "I promise that I'll try not to pull too hard."

"Hey, I barely touched her head and she started screaming," Jim said in his own defense as he sat his brother's tool box on the counter.

"He pulled really hard," Angie accused as Johanna sprayed her blonde hair with the detangler.

"Well, boys don't understand how much tangled hair can hurt," Johanna told her as she gently attacked the girl's hair. She apologized any time that she had to pull with a little more force than she liked to use, but Angie didn't fuss at the treatment.

"Look at those beautiful curls," she said; ten minutes later when she was finished combing. "I think I'm jealous."

Jim smiled as Angie giggled. "I think your hair is pretty too, Miss Jo."

"Me too," Jim said without thought.

His colleague shot him a smile as she met his eye. "Thank you."

"Can you braid my hair?" Angie asked; drawing her attention back to her.

"Sure," she answered. When she was finished, Angie ran to her uncle's side.

"Do I look pretty, Uncle Jim?"

He smiled as he picked her up and kissed her cheek. "You look beautiful."

His niece smiled brightly and hugged him. "I'm glad you called Miss Jo to help us."

"Me too," he laughed as he sat her on her feet. "I might have to buy her a present."

"This one is on the house," Johanna replied before catching Mikey's eye and motioning him towards her. "Come on, Cowboy; you're next."

He frowned. "You're not going to spray that girl stuff on my hair, are you?"

"Would I spray girl stuff on the hair of a manly man like you?"

"Just checking," he replied before moving towards her and smiling. "You're real pretty, Miss Johanna," he said as he gazed at her.

"Thank you, you're very handsome."

Johanna heard Jim chuckling as he leaned against the counter. "What are you laughing at? Aren't you supposed to be fixing that sink?"

"I thought maybe I should pay attention while you played beauty salon…just in case this situation would ever happen again."

"We'll just call Miss Jo again," Angie remarked as she opened up her coloring book.

His friend smirked. "You see what they think of your abilities."

"Of course she's going to side with you," Jim replied. "She's a girl; you all stick together."

"Remember that," Johanna said as she turned Mikey around so that his back was facing her. "You have your Uncle Jim's hair color," she commented as she began to comb.

"It's my Daddy's hair color too," he answered. "Do you know my Daddy?"

"No; but I've met your aunt Madelyn and your grandfather."

"Don't forget my mother," Jim said in amusement.

"Oh yes; I can't forget her," she remarked as she worked at a patch of matted hair. "Is she still talking about me?"

"Only when she doesn't hear from me in awhile," he replied. "She says to me, "you've been with that woman, haven't you?"

"And what do you say?"

He gave her a mischievous grin. "I tell her I'm with you every night."

"Jim!" she chastened. "Your mother will think I'm a..." she trailed off; being mindful of the little ears that were drinking in every word.

He laughed. "She knows I'm only tormenting her; besides; she seems to think that most women are..."

"Well you don't have to try to prove it."

"She knows it's a joke," he assured.

She smirked as she turned her attention back to her task; noticing that a small hand kept rubbing against her leg. She ignored it; figuring that Mikey was just fidgeting but when she turned him to face her, he smiled and his hand brushed against her bare leg again.

"You've got soft legs, Miss Johanna. I like them," he stated.

Jim dropped the tool he had just picked up from the tool box and he laughed as surprise colored Johanna's features. "How old are you?" she asked.

"Six," he said proudly.

Her gaze darted to Jim. "Is he starting young or does he just take after you?"

Jim shook his head. "No; he's right on track. It's a gift in my family; all the Beckett men can spot a nice pair of legs at an early age."

"Uh huh."

"Hey, sweetheart; if you're going to put them out there like that, someone is going to touch them," Jim teased with a nod at her shorts.

"You should touch them, Uncle Jim," Mikey said; his hand falling against her knee. "They're real soft; feel them."

Johanna laughed as he stammered for a moment. "Stop rubbing her leg. Your mother told you about that."

"But don't you want to touch them?" his nephew asked.

"I've touched her legs before," he admitted without thought.

"They're nice, ain't they?"

"Beautiful," he answered; "But you're just supposed to look. You aren't supposed to touch unless you ask first."

Johanna's brow rose as she met his eye; a smirk touching her lips, and he could read the words "You never ask first" in her gaze. "Shut up, Johanna," he laughed.

A giggle escaped her lips. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No," they all answered.

Before she could comment, she had to snatch Mikey's hand as it attempted to slide above her knee. "Hey," she said; "Let's not be getting too fresh here."

"What's that mean?"

"It means putting your hands where they're not supposed to be. You might do that to the wrong lady one day and she might smack that cute face of yours."

"You can ask your Uncle Andrew about that," Jim remarked. "I hear he gets his face smacked a lot."

"I have a feeling you've probably had your face smacked a few times," Johanna commented; "And you probably have a few more coming."

He grinned. "I could interpret that in certain ways, Jo."

"Interpret it anyway you want...while you fix that sink; and you go help him," she said; giving Mikey a gentle nudge.

"I can't reach that high," the boy replied.

"No problem," she said; getting up and dragging a chair over to the counter and then picking Mikey up and standing him on it. "There you go. Now you men work; and you cutie," she said looking at Danny; "You let me comb your hair now."

"I want to be a cowboy too," Danny said; recalling that she had called his brother one. Johanna nodded as she smiled; "Okay little cowboy; mosey over here."

He came obediently; much to Jim's chagrin after the boy had given him such a hard time about getting his face wiped. When she finished with Danny, she cupped his small face and kissed his forehead. "You're so cute," she told him.

"He gets that from me," Jim commented.

"I hate to stroke your ego by admitting it, but I do see a resemblance between the two of you."

"See, I wasn't lying," he quipped before turning his attention back to the faucet. "I see the problem here."

"What is it?" Johanna asked as she moved to look at his work.

"The inside of the faucet is breaking, that's why she's losing water pressure."

"Can you fix it?"

He shook his head. "It has to be replaced; I'll have to go get one."

"Can I go?" Mikey asked.

"No," he replied as Johanna said "Yes" at the same time.

Mikey looked at them in confusion. "Can I go or not?"

"You sure can," Johanna replied. "Go get your shoes."

"What did you do that for?" Jim asked quietly once he was out of ear shot.

"Because you're not leaving me here alone with four kids while you go out to buy a faucet and conveniently forget to come back. No way; I saw this made for TV movie and it isn't happening. You're either taking the boy with you or you're taking all of us with you."

Jim laughed. "You think I'd do something like that to you?"

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"I'm hurt, Jo," he said in mock distress.

"Not nearly as hurt as you would be if you attempted it."

Jim laughed and then kissed her cheek. "Alright, you hold down the fort and the leg man and I will be back soon."

"You better be," she told him; "Because there's nowhere that you can run where I won't find you."

---

Nearly an hour after they had left, Jim and Mikey stepped back into the cooler air of the house. "It sure is hot today," Mikey commented as he swiped at the sweat on his brow.

"It sure is," his uncle agreed as he carried the bag containing the faucet. "I think you'll have to stay in today instead of playing outside."

The boy nodded in agreement and Jim carried the bag containing the new faucet towards the kitchen. He paused in the doorway for a moment, smiling as he watched Johanna listen intently as Danny told her about his toy truck.

"Does it go really fast?" she asked him.

"Yeah; I make it go really, really fast and sometimes it crashes!" Danny exclaimed; throwing up his little hands for emphasis.

"Wow," she smiled; "That must be exciting."

"Uncle Jim's back," Angie announced as he walked into the room and placed the bag on the counter.

He gave Johanna a mischievous grin. "Honey, I'm home."

She smirked in response. "You made good time."

"How could I not when I kept thinking about how you'd track me to the ends of the earth if I didn't come back?"

"The store isn't very far away," Mikey told her.

"I figured it was something like that," Johanna replied. "Now you and Uncle Jim can get that sink fixed in no time."

"We can do it," he stated before moving back to the sink and climbing back up on the chair so he could be in on the action. Angie climbed onto Johanna's lap and Danny played at her feet as they watched Jim change the faucet. He gave Mikey the job of handing him things and in no time at all, the first part of his job was done.

"There, how do you like that," Jim stated as he turned on the water to show them his handy work.

"Yay," Angie said as she clapped; her little brother following her lead.

"I'm impressed," Johanna told him with a smile.

"Impressing you is one of my life's goals," he quipped. "Now let's see if I can take care of this other problem."

"Yeah, we'll see if I'm still impressed then."

"Watch it, Sassy," he remarked before turning to his nephew. "You said your mother already poured something down the drain for the clog?"

"Yeah but it didn't help at all. We plunged it last night but that didn't help much either."

Jim considered the problem for a moment and then looked at Mikey. "We're going back under the sink."

"Are you going to have to take the pipe off?"

"Looks that way."

"Damn it to hell," Mikey said with a shake of his head.

Johanna's jaw dropped as Jim's gaze jerked back to the boy. "Hey; you're not allowed to talk like that," Jim admonished.

"But that's what Daddy says when he has to take the pipe off."

"He's allowed to say that; you're not."

"Why not?" Mikey asked.

"Because those are bad words and you know it."

"But you say bad words, Uncle Jim. You say damn all the time."

"That's enough of that," Jim stated; "And I do not say that all the time."

"I don't know," Johanna commented; "I think you do say it a good bit."

His brow rose. "You're one to talk, Jo. I've heard some words coming out of that pretty mouth of yours...like the other day when I heard you saying a certain four letter word..."

"What word?"

"You know what word," he laughed. "I never heard you say that word before."

"I only say that word when I'm really, really..." she trailed off; stopping herself in time to censor her next word. "When I'm really mad," she amended.

Jim laughed. "See, you were about to say one right there."

"But I didn't. I don't make a habit of cussing in front of kids."

"What word did you say, Miss Jo?" Mikey asked; obviously looking to expand his vocabulary.

"A word you can't hear."

"I can just imagine what little Greg McKenzie is going to be walking around saying before too long," Jim remarked. "It'll probably be 'you damn jackass' and we'll know who to blame, Jo...because those are your favorite words."

"Jackass," Danny exclaimed.

Johanna shot Jim a look. "Way to go, Jackass. We know who's to blame for that!"

He laughed. "And you just cussed in front of the children."

"It's all your fault!"

"Jackass," the toddler said once again.

"Don't say that, Danny," Jim chastened. "It's bad."

"What's a jackass?" Angie asked.

Johanna lowered her head; closing her eyes and suppressing a small laugh. How quickly things spiraled out of control. "It's another name for a donkey," she answered.

"Then why is it a bad word?"

"Because when Johanna says it, she's not referring to a donkey," Jim replied.

"That's a matter of opinion," she retorted; "And don't act like I'm the only person who says it. It's a bad word, Angie; because it's used in a bad way. You'll understand when you're older."

"Why does everyone get to say bad words but me?" Mikey asked.

"Little boys aren't supposed to say words like that," Johanna stated.

"But I'm a big boy!"

"Well you have to be a lot bigger," she replied. "You have to be a grown up before you're allowed to say those words."

"That's not fair."

"Well sweetie, life isn't always fair," she told him and then she cringed. "Oh my God, I just sounded like my mother."

"Don't you hate when that happens?" Jim commented.

"Yes, it's terrible!"

"I still don't think I should have to wait so long to say bad words," Mikey stated.

Jim pulled his wallet from his pocket. "Okay, here's the deal. I'll give you each a dollar if you promise not to say anymore bad words and to not tell your mother about this."

"Two dollars," his nephew haggled.

"Two!"

Johanna laughed. "Don't you get it, Jim; it's a dollar for each favor."

He sighed and pulled the money from his wallet and paid off each child. "If you go back on the deal, I'm taking back the money and calling Santa Claus."

The kids eyes grew wide. "We'll be good, Uncle Jim," Angie promised.

"Good; now let's get this sink finished."

"Do you know what you're doing?" Angie asked as he got down on the floor.

"Of course I know what I'm doing. Why don't you take Johanna in the other room and show her your Barbie dolls. I think she'd like that."

"Okay," she said happily; slipping off Johanna's lap and grabbing her hand.

Johanna gave him a knowing look. "I think you're getting rid of us women because you aren't all that confident in your abilities."

He smiled as he leaned back under the sink. "You're not going to goad me, Johanna McKenzie. Go play Barbies; this is work for us men. We can't have you women interfering and distracting us."

"Call it what you want," she laughed as Angie tugged her hand. "We know the real reason."

They left the room, and Jim asked Mikey for a tool and then silence fell as he began to work.

"Can I ask you a question?" Mikey asked.

"Sure, go ahead," Jim replied; figuring the boy had a question about a tool or the repair they were doing.

"Do you kiss Johanna?" he said bluntly.

"What?" Jim exclaimed; surprise making him jerk upwards without caution, leading him to smack his head off of the pipes.

The boys laughed as he saw stars; his hand falling against his forehead as he sat up slowly. "What did you hit your head for, Uncle Jim?" his eldest nephew inquired between giggles.

"I thought maybe it would be fun to give myself a concussion," he answered.

"Do it again, Uncle Jim," Danny said; clapping his small hands.

"I don't think I want to do it again, Danny."

"Why not?"

"It wasn't as fun as I thought it would be," he told him; managing a smile for his nephew before the little boy ran off laughing, no doubt to spread the word about the incident.

"You didn't answer my question," Mikey stated. "Do you kiss her?"

Jim eyed the boy. "I don't think that's any of your business."

"I think maybe you kiss her."

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask why he thought so but he swallowed the question. "Didn't your mother tell you not to be nosy?"

"Yeah but I'm not being nosy. You said I could ask you a question."

"Well some questions are nosy; like the one you're asking. What goes on between a man and a woman is their own business."

"What's that mean?"

Oh boy, Jim thought; didn't his brother teach this kid anything? "It means that if I kissed Johanna, it wouldn't be right for me to go and tell everyone about it. You have to be careful when you're talking about a lady."

"How come?"

"Because if you go around telling a lady's private business, people might say bad things about her and hurt her feelings. If you care about a lady and respect her, you don't want those things to happen."

"So you're not going to tell me if you kiss her or not?"

"No I'm not going to tell you."

"Jim," Johanna said as she entered the kitchen; Danny trailing along at her side. "Danny said you hit your head; are you okay?"

Jim closed his eyes for a moment; a twinge of embarrassment filling him at the subtle sound of amusement in her voice. "I'm fine. I just wish it had knocked me out."

She laughed softly as she dropped to her knees before him. "You got a nice red mark," she said; skimming her fingertips across his forehead in search of any bumps.

"Does he have a boo-boo?" Danny asked as he leaned over her shoulder.

"Just a little one," she answered. "Thankfully there's no bump."

"I'll try harder next time," he quipped.

"Maybe you should kiss it and make it better," Mikey suggested. "We won't tell anyone if you do because we spect you."

"Mikey," Jim chastened.

"What?" Johanna laughed.

"We spect you," Mikey repeated.

"I think you mean respect," she corrected.

"Yeah, that's what Uncle Jim said. He won't tell me if he kisses you or not because he respects you."

She grinned as her gaze slid towards Jim. Her colleague looked like was contemplating slamming his head off the pipes again. "Well it's good to know that you respect me," she teased as she held his gaze.

He should just hit himself in face with the wrench, Jim thought. It had to be less painful and embarrassing than this conversation.

"Do you know what respect means, Mikey?" Johanna asked.

"It means he likes you a whole lot and doesn't want people to say bad things about you and make you sad."

"Oh, you're looking out for my reputation too, Jim," she couldn't help but tease. "That's so sweet of you."

"I shouldn't have answered the phone this morning," he remarked. "My day went to hell as soon as I picked up that phone."

Her eyes danced with amusement. "I was going to ask how you managed to hit your head but I think I'm getting a pretty good idea of how it occurred."

"Good; that saves me the trouble of making up something to tell you."

Johanna smiled and then leaned forward and kissed his forehead. "All better...at least on the surface," she commented; knowing that he was embarrassed that she was now privy to the conversation he had been having with his nephew. It was about time someone else had to squirm, she thought to herself.

"Are ladies allowed to say if they kissed someone?" Mikey asked; clearly not finished with the topic.

Johanna chuckled as Jim cringed. "Some ladies don't kiss and tell," she answered.

"Why not?"

"Because it isn't polite."

"Oh," he replied; allowing that thought to sink in for a moment before speaking again. "I still think he kisses you."

"It's none of your business," Jim said firmly.

"But if you didn't kiss her, you'd just say so, Uncle Jim."

"He's a smart boy," Johanna said as Jim's gaze met hers.

"Too smart for his own good."

"Are you his girlfriend?" Mikey inquired.

"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" Johanna asked.

"The questions stop now," Jim stated. "That's enough, Mikey."

"Is it a secret?" the boy questioned.

Johanna shifted and sat down on the floor, tugging the impish six year old onto her lap. "I'm not his girlfriend, Mikey."

"I thought maybe you were," he replied.

"Why?"

"Because I thought you liked him...and I thought he liked you; that's why I think he kisses you. He looks at you like Daddy looks at Mommy sometimes. I thought maybe you loved each other like Mommy and Daddy do."

There was silence as those words filled the air, and the two adults in the room seemed to make it a point to avoid eye contact. Neither one of them had expected this line of questioning to come up...they wouldn't have ever imagined that a six year old would think such a thing. How did you answer it without going somewhere that you weren't quite ready to go; and how did you do it without revealing too much of the feelings that you weren't all that certain you had sorted or understood yourself.

"You know, Mikey," Johanna began cautiously; "There are many different kinds of love."

"Really?"

"Yes, there's the kind of love that your Mommy and Daddy have for each other and there's the kind that you have for them and that they have for you and your brother and sisters. That love they have for you is different than the love they have for each other. Just like the love you have for them is different from the way you love your siblings. There's also the kind of love you can have for your friends."

"It's different too?" Mikey asked.

"Yes," Johanna answered. "The way you love a friend is different from how you love your family a lot of times...except for maybe your best friend. Best friends are usually considered a part of your family...but the love between friends is different from the love between a Mommy and a Daddy. Do you understand?"

He nodded. "I think so. Do you love Uncle Jim as your friend?"

This boy was determined to get her caught in some trap Johanna said to herself as she pondered the best way to answer. She decided that the truth was best. "Yes; I do. I love all of my friends."

His gaze then shifted to his uncle. "Do you love her as your friend, Uncle Jim?"

"Of course I do."

"You're really not his girlfriend?"

"No," Johanna said softly.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Mikey asked.

She laughed. "Sweetie; that's the best offer I've had in awhile but I'm afraid I'm a little too old for you."

"I don't mind," he replied. "You're real pretty, Miss Johanna."

"Thank you; I'm flattered that you'd want me to be your girlfriend but I think you better find a nice little girl your own age."

"Yeah," Jim stated; "I thought you already had a girlfriend. What happened to that little girl that gave you a Valentine?"

"A Valentine," Johanna exclaimed; giving him a little squeeze. "Are you out stealing kisses on the playground?"

"No! Suzy's not my girlfriend!"

Jim grinned as he caught Johanna's eye. "I don't know; I heard they were holding hands at recess."

"That sounds serious," she teased.

Mikey got up from her lap, his cheeks red. "I'm going to go watch TV."

Jim and Johanna held in their laughter until he was out of sight. "I should've thought of that sooner," Jim remarked.

"Yeah you should've," she replied; before Danny put his small hands on her cheeks and gave her a kiss.

"Hey," Jim said; "What are you doing? I thought you only gave kisses to your Mommy?"

"I'll kiss Miss Jo," he replied.

"That was very nice," Johanna said with a laugh.

"I'm telling your Mommy that you're going around kissing other women," Jim told him.

"Don't tell Mommy!" he laughed.

Johanna wrapped him in a hug. "Your secret's safe with us, cowboy. Now I think Uncle Jim needs to get back to work on that sink."

"Gladly," Jim replied.

"Hit your head again," Danny said.

"Why do you want me to do that?"

"It was funny," he replied; making Johanna giggle.

"You know what else is funny?" Jim asked; "This," he said; grabbing the boy and tickling him until he was almost breathless from laughter. "Now you go play with your brother and sister."

Danny ran off happily; and Jim maneuvered himself back beneath the pipes. "Boy," Johanna said; "I might have to start bringing a chaperone with me when I'm with your family."

"Why?"

"Because you Beckett men seem to like getting fresh with me," she teased.

"Hey, I haven't gotten fresh with you today," he laughed.

"Yet."

Jim grinned at her from beneath the sink. "Well that's true; the day's still young, sweetheart; opportunity could still knock."

She smirked at him. "As long as you still respect me afterwards."

"You know I will," he laughed. "Just like I know you'll be looking forward to it."

Johanna swatted his leg. "Fix the sink, James; I'll be with the children."

"But you'll be thinking of me," he teased.

She laughed. "If that's what you want to tell yourself."

Alicia's cry sounded before he could respond to her remark. "Oh lord, I hope she's not going to start again," Jim said.

"I'll tend to the baby," Johanna assured him. "She's probably just wet. You just concentrate on your work."

---

Jim had the sink back in working order within the half hour and Johanna washed the dishes to be sure that all was well while Alicia sat in her highchair, cooing happily at her uncle as if she hadn't put him through a special version of hell earlier that morning.

"She sure does love you," Johanna said to him as she hung up the dish towel.

"Oh yeah, I felt real loved this morning," Jim replied as he allowed his niece to grip his finger.

"You couldn't help it, could you?" she said to the baby as she smoothed a hand over her soft brown hair.

The baby babbled in reply and he smiled at her. "I know you couldn't help it, but you save those things for your mother until you're old enough to tell me what's wrong."

"What's for lunch?" Angie asked.

"Lunch!" Jim exclaimed. "Didn't you just have breakfast?"

"That was a long time ago," Mikey replied. "We always have lunch when the clock hands are on the twelve…and it's past that."

"So much for the clean kitchen," Johanna murmured.

"Yeah; that lasted a whole five minutes," Jim remarked.

"What does everyone want for lunch?" Johanna asked; figuring that the fixing of it was going to fall to her anyway.

"I want a ham sandwich," Mikey stated; "I want mustard and lettuce on it; and I don't want it cut down the middle. I want it cut so it looks like triangles."

Jim looked at the boy incredulously. "Any other demands? Do you want the bread toasted? A certain piece of ham?"

"No; I just want it the way I said."

"Angie, what do you want?" Johanna asked.

"Grilled cheese, but don't use the yellow cheese; I don't like it. Mommy uses the white cheese. I think she calls it rove alone."

"I think you mean provolone," she corrected with a smile.

"Yeah; that's what it is. I don't want crust on it either. Crust is yucky."

Jim glanced at her. "I'm afraid to know the demands of the next one."

She gave a soft laugh. "I know, but we have to ask anyway. Danny, what do you want for lunch, sweetie?"

"Peanut butter and jelly."

"What kind of jelly?"

"Purple."

"Well at least that one's normal," Jim commented. "What do you want with your sandwiches?"

"Doritos!" Mikey exclaimed,

"Me too!" his sister chimed in.

"Me too," Danny announced.

"Danny can't have Doritos," Angie declared. "Mommy says that they have pointy edges and he's too little."

Danny's little face crumbled. "I want rito's, Uncle Jim."

Jim smoothed a hand over the boy's head. "You can have one, buddy."

"Mommy said he can't," Angie remarked with all the firmness a five year old could muster.

"Well mommy isn't here," Jim replied; "And I said he can try it. How's he supposed to learn to eat things that have different textures if no one lets him have anything?"

"I'm telling Mommy when she comes home," his niece informed him.

"You go right ahead, sunshine. I wouldn't expect anything less of you."

"Angie's a tattle tale," Mikey remarked; his tone conveying the thought that he had first hand experience with this fault his younger sister had.

"Am not!"

"What do you think, Jo?" Jim asked; glancing towards her as she worked at the counter, placing Angie's sandwich in a small skillet.

"I don't think I know her well enough to brand her a tattle tale," she answered.

"I meant the chips," he smirked.

Johanna thought about it for a minute. "You do have a point about him learning to eat things with different textures. I guess it'll be alright as long as you sit with him and show him how to eat them carefully."

"I can do that," he replied. "What do you want me to do to help you?"

"Pour the drinks; dole out the chips and make sure they have napkins."

He smiled as he watched her begin to prepare Mikey's sandwich, while keeping a watchful eye on Angie's as it cooked. "I'll have the same as Mikey," he told her.

Johanna glanced at him. "I'm making your lunch too?"

"Well you seem to be the only girl working the lunch counter."

"Are you going to leave me a tip?"

Jim gave her a grin. "It depends on your customer service."

She rolled her eyes but laughed. "Go do what I told you to do."

They worked together companionably; making sure each child had what they wanted and needed.

"No edges, Miss Jo," Danny said he looked at his sandwich.

"You want the crust cut off?"

He nodded. "I don't like edges."

"Then we'll get rid of them," she replied; grabbing a knife and cutting away the crust. "There you go, little cowboy."

"Thank you," he replied sweetly.

Johanna kissed the top of his head and then grabbed Alicia's baby food from the counter as she the baby began to fuss in her high chair. "I didn't forget you," she told her as she pulled out the vacant chair next to the baby and sat down.

As she fed the baby, she smiled while listening to Jim instruct Danny on how to eat his Doritos. She knew that he felt uneasy being left in charge of his nieces and nephews but he wasn't doing all that badly and it was easy to see that he loved them. He'd be a good father one day, she mused. He had the patience; even if he didn't think so at the current moment; and he had the love. Any child of his would certainly be loved; she didn't doubt that at all.

Alicia gave her a smile and cooed at her as she wiped her chin and then placed another spoonful of food in her mouth. She smiled slightly; warmth filling her. It was kind of cozy…being there with Jim, with the kids around…it was like being a family. Of course Jim and the kids were family to each other…she was just an interloper. The warmth turned to longing as she listened to their chatter. Angie was sharing her excitement with her uncle about starting kindergarten in the fall and Mikey was talking about a new baseball card he had gotten with his bubble gum. She couldn't help but wonder what it was like to have this kind of life; but she shook off the thought as Angie's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Aren't you going to eat lunch, Miss Jo?"

"No; I'm fine, honey. I have to feed Alicia."

"You should have something," Jim told her.

She shook her head. "No; that's okay."

"Why are you being stubborn?" he asked. "Get yourself a sandwich."

"No; I don't eat other people's food without their permission."

"That's funny; I could've sworn it was your fingers stealing French fries from my plate at lunch the other day."

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because I know you," she replied; "And since that wasn't the first time I've taken your French fries, you obviously don't mind. I don't know your sister-in-law and it's bad enough that I'm in her house without her knowledge or permission."

"Natalie won't care," Jim remarked; "And besides, she left me in charge and I give you permission to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

He sighed. "See how stubborn women are, Mikey?"

"Yep," the boy replied before looking to Johanna. "Do you want to share my sandwich?"

Johanna smiled. "No; I'm really not hungry, but thank you for offering. That was very nice of you."

Jim's hand brushed her back and she was taken back to that warm cozy feeling; a feeling that suddenly felt somewhat disconcerting…as if she had dipped her toes too far into a pool of feelings that was better left alone. After all, hadn't she learned her lesson after Colleen's wedding, when she had gotten drunken and said far more than she should have? She shook the feelings aside once again.

"After lunch is finished, I should probably go. I'm sure your sister-in-law will be home sometime soon."

"You can't leave!" Jim exclaimed.

"Yeah, you can't leave," Angie chimed in. "Uncle Jim doesn't know how to take care of Alicia."

"That's right, you remind her how bad it was, Angie."

"It was awful," the little girl stated.

"She's doing better now," Johanna replied; as she wiped Alicia's face once again. "I don't think you'll have anymore problems with her."

"I don't want to take that chance. You know what to do; I don't. You don't want that baby to suffer do you?"

"Of course not."

"Then you have to stay here with me. Danny; tell Johanna she can't leave us yet."

Danny looked at her with his bright blue eyes, his expression serious, despite the evidence of his lunch sticking to his face. "Don't leave me, Miss Jo," he pleaded.

She melted; he knew she would. "Can you say no to that?" Jim asked; whispering in her ear as he leaned close to her.

"You know I can't."

"Then I guess you're staying with us?"

Johanna nodded. "You know I am…now that you've played dirty."

Jim laughed. "I could say something about that…"

"But you won't," she interrupted; "Because there are little ears all around us."

"I'll tell you later."

Johanna laughed. "I have no doubt."

---

The rest of lunch passed without incident but Jim sensed a small change in Johanna's demeanor and he felt a sense of determination to get her back in the frame of mind she had been, once she was done issuing orders to the kids.

"Angie, Mikey; if you're finished, go wash your hands and then go play with your toys," Johanna told them.

The two oldest kids scampered away from the table and Danny looked at her imploringly. "Can I go play?" he asked.

"Not yet, you can go in a minute."

Jim watched as she moved to the sink; carrying Mikey and Angie's plates, and then wetted a clean wash cloth. "If you're going to do what I think you're going to do, good luck," he told her. "You know how it went for me."

She gave him a smile as she kept the cloth concealed and moved behind the unsuspecting toddler. She wrapped one arm around him, keeping him in the chair and then she hurriedly wiped the boy's face as he squirmed, and then his hands before she released him. "Okay, you can go play now," she told him.

Danny hurried away as Jim smirked at her. "Show off."

Johanna chuckled lightly as she wiped off Alicia and then the tray of her high chair. "That's a trick Mom used. Colleen didn't like her face wiped at that age either."

A little bell went off in his head. She hadn't mentioned her mother and sister in awhile...was that the small change he detected in her demeanor? Did spending time with his family make her miss her own? Was that why she had wanted to flee?

"Is Colleen back from her honeymoon yet?" he asked.

"She's back. I'm going to take Alicia in and put her in the playpen with her toys while we clean up the kitchen. I'm going to have to sweep again. Angie and Mikey can keep an eye on her for that long."

"Okay," he told her; falling silent as she lifted the baby from her highchair and carried her into the other room. He listened as told the kids to keep an eye on their sister, and he felt like he might've struck a nerve. When she had stopped mentioning Colleen and Naomi; he had refrained from asking, figuring she needed a break, but now he felt like he should push forward a little more.

"Have you talked to Colleen?" Jim inquired as Johanna came back into the room.

"No. I went to see Greg after work the other day and Valerie told me she was back."

"Are you still getting along okay with your brother?"

She nodded. "Yeah; we're okay."

Jim was quiet for a moment and then broached his next question. "Have you talked to your Mom?"

"No; I haven't," she remarked as she finished clearing the table.

"How long has it been now?" he asked; as he got up from the table and followed her.

"A month today."

His hand brushed against her back once more in a soothing caress before settling against it. "Are you okay?"

She turned to face him, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Yeah, why?"

"You just seemed a little off while the kids were eating."

Johanna shook her head. "I'm fine...I guess I just started to feel like an intruder."

"You're not intruding. I invited you...I needed help...I needed you."

A soft smile tugged at her lips. "We'll you've got me."

He returned her smile with a sheepish one of his own. "I guess I should've asked if you minded though."

"I don't mind."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," she promised before pressing a quick kiss against his cheek.

"You're okay? There's nothing on your mind that we need to discuss? No one I need to go hit for you? Everything's good?"

"Everything's good," she laughed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"No need to be sorry...I just like to be sure. I can't have you being sad."

"Why not?"

"Because you're my girl," he stated without hesitation or even the thought that those words could carry a deeper meaning.

"That's sweet."

"It's true," he said as he trailed a finger along her jaw line.

She smiled and ducked her head for a moment. "I'm okay. I was just having a moment. It's over now. Everything's fine."

"Good. What do you want me to do to help you?"

"Wipe up the crumbs on the table," she instructed; handing him the dishrag.

"I can handle that," he told her, accepting the rag and the task and moving away from her.

Johanna turned back to the sink, intent on tending to the dishes but the sound of crumbs hitting the floor caught her attention. "Jim! I said to wipe up the crumbs; not brush them onto the floor!"

"Well you said you were going to sweep the floor again anyway."

"So you think you should just add the crumbs to what's already down there and give me some more work?"

"I don't see how it's more work when you have to sweep anyway."

"You're adding to the mess," Johanna explained. "Adding to the mess prolongs the time I have to spend sweeping."

"It does not," he scoffed.

She rolled her eyes. "Men."

"We're wonderful, aren't we?" he quipped.

"Not when you're adding to the work load. I already have four kids to clean up after; I don't need you acting like a fifth."

Jim smirked and brushed a few more crumbs onto the floor. "Do you want me to stand in the corner as punishment?"

"No; I think I want to think up something worse for you," she answered as she approached him and grabbed the damp cloth from his hand. "Here, just let me do it since you're not going to do it right."

"By all means, go ahead," he replied; stepping back out of her way and admiring the way she leaned across the table to scrub the surface.

Johanna looked over her shoulder and caught him. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? You wanted me to do it so you could leer at me."

"That's not true; leering at you was just an added bonus."

She brushed the crumbs into her palm and then threw the rag at him. "Don't leer at me; the kids are just in the other room."

Jim smirked as he sat down in one of the chairs. "If you didn't want me to leer at you, you shouldn't have worn those shorts."

She shot him a look as she emptied the crumbs into the trash can and then picked up the broom. "I would've changed clothes but your phone call sounded dire."

"It was," he agreed; and then with a nod towards her black shorts he added; "I'm glad you didn't change, I'm getting fond of seeing you in them."

She rolled her eyes but he didn't miss the blush that warmed her cheeks as she turned her attention to the task of sweeping. As she swept around the chair he was occupying; a sly grin spread across his lips as he lazily reached out and caressed her bare leg. "They are soft," he remarked as her questioning gaze darted to his face.

Johanna smirked at his play on Mikey's words. "I knew that kid was taking after you."

He chuckled quietly; his hand still on her leg as she paused in her sweeping. "Can we help it if we know a nice pair of legs when we see them?"

"I'm just glad I shaved them this morning since it seems like everyone wants to cop a feel today."

"I'm not copping a feel," Jim replied; his fingertips still grazing her skin as they subtly moved slightly above her knee. "I have permission."

"You do?"

He nodded. "Just last month you told me that I could put my hand wherever I wanted it."

Her cheeks flushed in remembrance. "That doesn't count; I was drunk."

"I think it counts."

"Well you're wrong...as usual."

He grinned. "You don't think I could get away with moving my hand a little higher?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't know; maybe you could...maybe you couldn't. Maybe I'd laugh...maybe I'd slap you. I guess you just have to ask yourself how lucky you feel."

"You're going to quote Clint Eastwood?" he asked; his eyes shining in amusement. "That's kind of sexy, Jo."

She shook her head at him; a smile betraying her by clinging to her lips. "I thought this babysitting thing was a turnoff for you?"

Jim shrugged. "It's better now that you're here; now don't try to change the subject."

"What subject?"

"You know which one, the subject is whether I can get away with moving my hand higher or not...I say I can."

"Well if you're so sure of yourself, why don't you stop talking and just do it."

He grinned. "I knew you wanted it."

"Oh my God, I'm going to have to hit you aren't I?"

"You can't hit me if I haven't done anything."

Johanna eyed him. "If you were going to do it, you would've already done it. I think you're too chicken to find out."

His eyes widened in surprise. "Is that a challenge, Miss McKenzie?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, is it? Seems to me it might be more than you can handle."

Jim laughed softly. "You're going to pay for that, sweetheart."

"How?" she asked haughtily.

He held her gaze as he allowed his hand to glide casually up her leg; his fingers coming to rest against the inside of her thigh as they bumped against the hem of her shorts. "Well?" he asked.

She forced herself not to visibly react to the sensation of his fingertips against her skin; acting as though he was nothing more than a pesky fly that had landed on her. "Get your hand off my leg before one of those kids walks in here and sees it."

He laughed; dropping his hand away from her leg. "I have to say, Johanna; that was disappointing. I expected better from you."

She swatted him. "Behave yourself; there are children in this house."

"They're in the other room."

"It doesn't matter," she said as she swept the debris on the floor into the dust pan. "One of them could pop up without notice and I'm not going to be responsible for their corruption. Their mother isn't blaming me for it."

"Let's see, don't brush crumbs on the floor, don't leer at you, and don't touch your leg. You're a bossy housewife, Jo," he commented as he rose and followed her to the counter.

"Is that what I am today, Jim; am I your housewife? Are we playing house?" she asked; her tone dropping an octave as she turned and eyed him with a sassy look.

The atmosphere suddenly felt more charged than it had before as he shifted towards her; leaving little space between them. "Kind of feels like it; here we are with a house and four kids and you're being all wifely."

She laughed quietly. "Wifely? How am I being wifely?"

"Well let's see you came in here and got control of everything. You got the baby calmed down and feeling better. You got the other three looking presentable, you cleaned up the mess; made lunch and cleaned up that mess. You made all of those kids feel special and you told me to get my hand off your leg; if those aren't wifely vibes, I don't know what is."

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he liked those vibes but she refrained. "And what is your role in our little game of house?"

"I get to sit back and admire my choice."

Johanna laughed. "How egotistical of you."

"It's not that way at all," Jim remarked. "You'd be the choice; I'd be admiring you."

"Uh huh."

He gave her a grin and she had to curl her fingers to keep from reaching out and caressing his face. Seeing him smile at her never got old...neither did looking at his handsome face.

"Of course maybe we aren't playing house at all," he remarked. "Maybe I set all of this up as a test."

"A test for what?" she laughed.

"To see if you could live up to all those things you listed when you told me what a good wife you'd be. Maybe I've decided to seriously consider your marriage proposal."

Johanna shot him a glare. "I thought we were never going to mention that again."

"I figured enough time had passed," he replied; "And besides; maybe I want to change my answer now that I've seen you in action. I just wish I had brought my laundry for you to do."

She gave him a playful shove. "You better go home and do your own damn laundry and as for the proposal; that was a limited time offer. You turned me down and now the deal is off. You blew it."

He stepped closer; his hand finding its way to her waist. "I bet I could change your mind about that."

"You think so?" she whispered; a slight hitch in her breath as he invaded her space.

"I think so," he affirmed before his lips touched hers. Her eyes closed, her hand curling into his shirt as she gave herself over to him, but before she could lose herself completely in his kiss, a crash and the sound of two cries following it, jerked them apart and jolted them back to reality.

"That sounded like a catastrophe," Johanna said breathlessly.

"Yeah," Jim agreed; "Just when we were running low on those."

---

They didn't even make it to the doorway of the kitchen before Danny came running through it, wrapping himself around Johanna's leg as he cried. A tearful Angie followed, crying "Uncle Jim," as she held her mangled Barbie car out in front of her; while Mikey was hot on her heels and in the midst of his defense of himself.

Jim caught Johanna's eye as she hoisted Danny up onto her hip. "I bet when you were a little girl playing house that it was never like this."

"That's a bet you'd win," she replied before sizing up the children. "What happened?"

"Mikey pushed Danny and he fell on my Barbie car and broke it!" Angie exclaimed angrily; tears coursing down her cheeks. "Mommy told Mikey not to push Danny anymore and that if he did; he was going to get punished!"

"I didn't push him!" Mikey yelled back.

"Yes you did!"

"Calm down," Jim said; as he pried the car out of her hands. He looked it over as the two eldest children continued to bicker over what had happened, while Danny cried onto Johanna's shoulder. The hood of the car was dented; the plastic windshield broke off, and a wheel had come off. It looked salvageable; or at least he hoped so.

"Angie; stop," he said firmly as she continued to cry and vent her outrage. "I think I can fix it; it's not damaged that badly."

"Yes it is!" she proclaimed. "It's ruined. You have to punish him until Mommy gets back; and then she'll do it!"

"I'm not punishing anyone right now. Just settle down. Is Danny okay?"

"Did you hurt yourself, honey?" Johanna asked as she rubbed his back.

He lifted his small tear stained face and looked at her. "I got a boo-boo."

She sat down on a chair and placed him on her lap. "Show me where."

He lifted his arm and showed her his scrapped up elbow. "We'll get that fixed. Do you hurt anywhere else?" she questioned; running her hands over his arms and legs; unsure if she'd be able to tell if anything was wrong or not by doing so.

"No; just this," he answered; holding up his elbow again.

"Okay," she said; hoisting him back onto her hip as she stood. "Mikey, why don't you come with me and show me where the band-aids are."

Jim gave her a nod as she met his gaze. "I'll try to calm her down and fix the car."

Mikey took her hand and led her to the bathroom and then told her where to find the first aid supplies. He stood by quietly as she sat Danny on the counter and tended to his scrape; applying salve to it and then a Band-Aid. "All better," she told him.

Danny shook his head and raised his arm towards her. "Kiss it," he demanded.

Johanna smiled. "How could I have forgotten to do that?" she asked before pressing a kiss against his Band-Aid. "Now you're all better."

She heard a sniffle coming from beside her and she looked down at Mikey and saw a tear drop off of his cheek. She lifted Danny down from the counter and told him to stay put and then she stooped down in front of Mikey. "What's wrong?"

"I'm going to get in trouble and I didn't do anything wrong," he cried. "Mommy said that if I got in trouble for pushing Danny again that I wouldn't be allowed to go to the baseball game with Daddy, Uncle Jim and Grandpa next month. I didn't do it, Miss Jo."

She pulled him into her arms for a hug. "Okay; you tell me what happened and we'll get it straightened out."

"It was an accident," he told her. "I was playing and I didn't know he was behind me and I smacked into him and knocked him down; but I didn't do it on purpose! Really, I didn't!"

Johanna wiped his tears and kept an arm around him as she looked to the younger boy. "Danny; did Mikey push you or did he bump you on accident?"

"He bumped me," Danny answered. "I fell down on Angie's car...Angie's mad at me."

She saw tears glimmering his eyes again and she offered her free arm to him. "It's going to be okay," she told them. "It was an accident. Accidents happen sometimes. We'll make sure that Uncle Jim knows what happened; and we'll make sure that Mommy knows too. You won't miss your ball game, Mikey."

He hugged her tightly in gratitude as Danny looked up at her. "Angie don't like me anymore."

"That's not true," Johanna replied. "She's just upset right now but Uncle Jim is going to fix her car and then she'll feel better. Don't worry; it'll be over soon."

---

Jim sat at the kitchen table, listening to Angie cry as he spun the wheel he had just popped back into place on her car. At least that was one problem solved, he thought; because the dent in the hood looked like a lost cause.

"You should've punished him,' Angie tearfully accused. "Mommy would have."

"I'm not going to punish him when I don't know the whole story yet," he replied while picking up the bottle of glue he had taken from the tool box.

"I told you what happened!"

"There are two sides to every story, Angela. Once you all calm down we'll straighten things out. For now, I'm fixing your car. The wheel will work like it always did and I'll glue the windshield back in."

"What about the dent?"

"There's nothing I can do about that."

"It's ruined," she sniffled mournfully.

"No, it's not; it'll be fine until you get a new one. Maybe you can get one for Christmas."

She wiped her tears angrily. "You believe Mikey because you like the boys better than me!"

"That's not true at all!" Jim exclaimed; his gaze meeting hers.

"Uh huh," she cried. "You like them best. You take Mikey places but not me."

She had him there, he realized. He had treated Mikey to a basketball game for his birthday and he was joining them for the baseball game next month, but in that respect, Robert had been the one to obtain the tickets for that game. There were other times though when he had taken Mikey with him to one place or another. A sense of guilt washed over him. He had neglected his niece; how could he be so thoughtless?

"I'm going to take you out for ice cream next weekend," he told her.

"You didn't tell me that."

"It was going to be a surprise."

"You promise?"

"I promise," he replied as he set the windshield into place and then lifted Angie from her chair to give her a hug. "You know I love you," he told her.

"Not as much as the boys."

"I love you all equally; and you know what else?"

"What?" Angie asked.

"Out of all the little girls in the world, you're my favorite," Jim told her.

"Really?"

"I wouldn't lie to you."

"What about Alicia?"

"She's my second favorite."

Angie pondered that for a moment and then nodded. "Okay...but I still think Mikey should be punished."

Another hardheaded woman, Jim thought as he kissed her cheek and then sat her back on her chair.

"Jim," Johanna said as she stepped into the kitchen; Alicia on her hip, Mikey hanging on to her hand, while Danny wrapped an arm around her leg. "I've talked to my clients and took their statements. We're entering a plea of not guilty."

He smiled. "You've decided to take the case?"

"Yes; you see this slander could be very detrimental to my client…apparently there is a very important ballgame on the line."

"I see," he said as he eyed his eldest nephew. "Do you want to tell me about it or would you like your lawyer to tell me what happened?"

"I want Miss Jo to tell you," Mikey replied.

"Okay Miss Jo," Jim said lightly; "You have the floor."

"Mikey says that he didn't know that Danny was behind him while he was playing; he bumped into him on accident and it caused Danny to fall."

"He pushed him on purpose!" Angie exclaimed. "He always does."

"Do you have anything to add to your case?" Jim asked.

Johanna nodded. "I have a witness. Danny corroborates the story. He says that his brother didn't push him. It was an accident."

"It was not an accident!" Angie exclaimed. "He pushed him."

"Danny says he didn't," Jim remarked.

"Mikey probably made him say that."

Jim looked to Johanna. "Any possibility that your witness was coached?"

"Not a chance; they were both with me the whole time."

"Angie, did you see Mikey push Danny?" Jim asked.

"He always pushes everybody."

"But did you see him do it today?"

"No, but..."

"No buts," Jim told her. "If you didn't see it you can't prove that it wasn't an accident. You can't punish someone for something you can't prove they did. That isn't fair; especially if you're wrong."

"But I know he did it."

"I didn't," Mikey insisted.

"Angie, accidents happen," Jim stated. "I know that Mikey has gotten into trouble before for pushing you and your brother but that doesn't mean that he pushed anyone today. Danny says he wasn't pushed and I believe him."

"You're not going to punish him?"

"No; he didn't do it on purpose."

His niece crossed her arms in indignation and Johanna handed Alicia to Jim and gently pried herself away from the boys. She dropped to her knees in front of Angie and placed a soothing hand on her knee. "It's hard being a sister sometimes, isn't it?"

Angie nodded. "Yeah; they're always breaking my stuff and sometimes they're mean. Mikey always says he doesn't mean it and Mommy always says that Danny's too little to understand what he does."

"I know, honey. I have a big brother too. Sometimes he can be a pain, especially when we were kids. He was always pushing me and hitting me; taking my candy and breaking my stuff. You know what else?"

"What?"

"I have a little sister too; and my mother was always telling me that I had to understand that she was just a baby and didn't know what she was doing."

"Really?"

"Yeah; so you see; it's not just you. We've all had this same problem. I bet if Uncle Jim thinks about it for a minute, he'll remember having it too."

Jim nodded. "Now that you mention it; Andrew and Madelyn were always breaking things."

Angie's tears had stopped but a small pout clung to her lips. "I'm still mad."

"When I was your age," Johanna told her; "My aunt gave me a glass ballerina. She stood on a base and when you turned the little knob on the bottom, music played and she twirled around. She was so pretty and I loved her. She sat on my nightstand in my room and every night before I went to sleep, my mother would wind her up for me. One day, my brother and I were playing and he fell into my nightstand and my ballerina fell on the floor and broke. I cried and I was so mad at him. My mother told me that it was okay to be mad...but that I had to understand that he didn't mean to do it and that I should forgive him for it."

"Did you forgive him?" Angie asked.

"It wasn't easy, but I forgave him. He told me that he was sorry and that made me feel a little better. Do you think you'd feel better if Mikey told you he was sorry?"

She considered it for a moment. "Maybe."

Johanna looked over her shoulder at Mikey and beckoned him forward. "Tell her you're sorry."

"I'm sorry, Angie," he said sincerely.

"I'm sorry," Danny copied.

"Is that better?" Johanna asked.

"A little."

"Do you think you can forgive them?"

Angie nodded reluctantly. "I forgive them."

"Good girl," she said; patting her leg. "You know, Danny's worried that you don't like him anymore; can you give him a hug and tell him that you do?"

Angie slid off the chair and hugged her little brother and told him she still liked him. Jim breathed a sigh of relief; it looked like the crisis was over.

"All right," Johanna said as she got to her feet; "It's been a long day; it's hot and I think you're all a little tired. So how about we go find something to watch on TV and just relax for awhile?"

"I think that's a good idea," Jim stated; ushering the kids into the living room before falling into step with Johanna. "See, this is why you had to stay."

She grinned. "Yeah; you don't have any experience at being a sister; that could've gotten you into trouble."

"I always feel like I'm in trouble when there's a woman involved...regardless of her age," he replied.

---

"How did you do it?" Jim asked an hour later; his gaze studying the three children that were sleeping on their pillows on the floor; and the happy baby on her lap.

"Do what?" Johanna asked.

"Manage to put the house back into order and to keep these kids in line...and get them to take a nap."

She laughed. "Magic."

"Teach it to me."

"I can't," she replied.

"Why not?"

Johanna gave him a smile; a playful but seductive gleam in her eye. "Because if I teach you my magic then you won't need me anymore...and then who will I play house with?"

He grinned. "Sweetheart, any time you want to play, you just say the word…whatever game you want."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"You do that," he replied as he watched her return her attention to the baby on her lap. This life suited her, he couldn't help but think…and there was the stray whisper in the back of his mind that told him he felt oddly content with sharing it with her, if only for the afternoon.

---

When Natalie walked into her kitchen late that afternoon; the first thing that caught her attention was the fact that a woman she didn't know was holding her baby and handing a sippy cup to her youngest son. Her gaze darted around for her brother-in-law and she found him at the table; his gaze holding affection as it rested upon the unknown woman, while her two eldest children colored in their coloring books.

"Mommy!" Danny exclaimed as he caught sight of her; which also drew the attention of the two adults in the room.

"It's about time," Jim stated. "I was starting to think that you had left town."

"You know it's always a long wait," she stated. "Who's the girl?"

Johanna's gaze slid towards Jim; an 'I told you I should've left' message being silently conveyed in her eyes. "That's Miss Jo," Angie said with a smile. "She's my friend."

"Is she?" Natalie asked.

"That's Johanna," Jim told her. "We work together...I needed help with Alicia."

"Johanna," Natalie said; familiarity with the name washing through her as the woman in question offered her a hesitant smile as she walked towards her and held the baby out to her. "Are you the one Elizabeth is up in arms over?" she asked as she took her daughter.

Johanna nodded. "That would be me; but the things she's saying about me aren't true."

Natalie laughed. "I didn't figure they were."

"I tried to leave earlier but...Jim had Danny plead and I couldn't say no to that face."

The other woman shook her head. "That's okay; you're fine."

"We had to call her," Angie stated. "Uncle Jim was doing everything wrong."

Natalie laughed. "Were you, Jim? Or did you just want to squeeze in a date today?"

"It wasn't like that at all. Alicia wouldn't stop crying."

"She had a stomachache," Johanna added; "But we gave her some sugar water and she's been feeling better."

"I helped her," Angie remarked.

"Yes, Angie was a big help," Johanna agreed.

"We had a mess to clean up," the girl added.

"A mess?" Natalie asked as she glanced to her brother-in-law.

"We left a list on the refrigerator of things you're out of now," Johanna told her.

"I just went to the market!"

"You're going to have to go back," Jim replied.

"Aint Miss Jo pretty," Mikey said as he caught his mother's eye.

She smiled; apparently her boy had a crush. "Yes, she's very pretty. That's probably why Uncle Jim knows her so well."

"Hey, it's not like that," Jim stated once again.

"I don't know; you looked pretty domesticated," Natalie commented as Johanna blushed.

"I did not."

"She's got soft legs too," Mikey stated.

Natalie eyed him. "What did I tell you about rubbing girls legs?"

"It was an accident," he replied.

She looked to Johanna. "I'm sorry; my son is a womanizing leg man lately."

"That's okay," she laughed. "I just figured he took after his uncle."

"I've heard rumors," Natalie teased.

Jim smirked. "Stop trying to taint my good name."

"Stop giving us reason to," his sister-in-law responded.

"Uncle Jim said he touched her leg before," Mikey informed her.

Her brow rose as Jim grinned. "It was an accident," he remarked; quoting his nephew.

Natalie shifted her gaze back to Johanna. "Did it seem like an accident to you?"

"I thought it was done on purpose but I could be mistaken."

"I'm sure you're not. Anything else I need to know about?"

"Tell her it wasn't my fault," Mikey declared.

"What wasn't your fault?"

"Angie's Barbie car suffered some damage," Jim stated; "But it was determined to have been an accident."

After filling her in on the events of the day, Jim rose from his chair, anxious to make his escape. "Well, Jim," Natalie stated; "I'd thank you for babysitting but it sounds like Johanna did most of the work."

"I don't deny that," he replied.

She smiled as turned to her brother-in-law's friend. "Thank you for watching my kids, Johanna...and apparently for taking care of my brother-in-law."

"No problem," she replied. "It was nice to meet you."

"Do you two want to stay for dinner?" Natalie asked.

"Hell no," Jim told her. "I'm getting out of here before you stick me with all night babysitting. From now on, I view calls from you with suspicion."

"Oh you act like I went and pushed my mother down the steps just to torture you with a few hours of babysitting."

"How is your mother?" Johanna asked.

"She's okay; thankfully it's not a break; just a bad sprain."

"Can Miss Jo come back and see us again?" Angie asked.

"Sure she can," Natalie replied. "We need to get to know her better...that is if Uncle Jim will share her with us. He does seem to be keeping you from us," she told Johanna.

"I can't imagine why," Jim remarked.

"Take everything he says with a grain of sat," Natalie suggested.

"Oh I do," Johanna replied; shooting him a teasing glance.

"She doesn't need advice from you, Natalie. I have her just the way I want her; she thinks I'm great and wonderful."

"When did I say that?" Johanna laughed.

He smirked. "See this is why I keep her away from the family; ten minutes with you and you've already corrupted her."

"He won't tell us if he kisses her," Mikey commented. "He says he can't tell because he respects her...but I think he does."

Natalie nodded as she eyed the two people who were suddenly avoiding her gaze. "I have a feeling he does too, but that's none of our business."

"And on that note, I think it's time to leave," Jim stated; reaching for Johanna's hand without thought, which made Natalie smile knowingly.

"Give hugs and say goodnight," she told the kids.

After hugging each child, they made their escape. Jim glanced at Johanna as she settled into the passenger seat of his car. "How about we stop somewhere and get dinner and take it back to your place; my treat."

"Sounds good to me," she replied.

---

Back at her apartment, Johanna's coffee table was littered with take out wrappers and soda cups. Her shoes and Jim's were kicked beneath it, and they had somehow managed to end up curled up together on her sofa as the TV played on in the background. It was still and quiet…a sense of peace wrapping itself around them and Jim couldn't seem to find it within himself to leave; even though he felt like he could fall asleep at any moment.

He had a feeling that Johanna was half asleep too as she laid against him, her head resting against his shoulder and her arm draped across his stomach. He rubbed his fingertips along her side and she jerked slightly, a small soft laugh escaping her lips. "Ticklish?" he asked quietly.

"A little," she admitted.

"I guess that's another piece of information I can file away to use against you at a later date."

She raised her head just enough to meet his eye. "You wouldn't want to do that."

"I wouldn't?" he asked as she settled back into place.

"No," she replied. "I might not be so accommodating if you did."

"We can't have that."

"I didn't think so."

Silence fell and his fingers found their way into her hair, making her smile as she remained snuggled against him. "I'm sorry that I kept you from getting things done today," Jim remarked.

"It's okay. I didn't mind. I liked being with the kids. It was nice to meet your nieces and nephews. It's easy to see that they love you."

"I love them too."

"I know you do...that was easy to see too. You'll be a good father one day," Johanna said softly.

"I don't know about that," he remarked. "Maybe once it's past the baby stage, I'd do okay."

Her hand moved across his stomach soothingly, sending a jolt of longing through him...along with desire as the sudden thought of what her hands would feel like against his skin flicked through his mind. He hurriedly shoved those thoughts away; forcing himself to concentrate on her words instead of her hand.

"You did just fine with Alicia. You just need a little practice."

"More like a lot," he said with a short laugh; "But I guess I don't have to worry about it right now."

"Especially if you make that shopping trip," she teased.

His laughter filled her ear once more. "Yeah; I definitely don't want four kids."

"I don't think I want that many either," Johanna replied.

His fingers continued to thread through her hair. "You'll be a wonderful mother no matter how many you have."

"You think so?"

"I know so; I saw the proof all day long."

She scoffed mildly. "You saw the proof of my extensive training as a babysitter. That's how I made money as a teenager."

"Doesn't matter; you still know what you're doing...you're a natural at it."

"Yeah, well...maybe one day I'll get to find out," she said softly.

"You will," he assured; and then after a beat of silence he added; "They sure did like you."

"I liked them too."

"Danny doesn't usually take to someone so quickly."

"Well maybe since I had to concentrate on Alicia first it gave him time to watch and get used to me being there before he had to interact with me. Or maybe he figured that if you were comfortable with me I couldn't be all that bad."

"Or maybe you just have a way of putting kids at ease," Jim remarked. "Maybe he just liked you at first sight."

She laughed. "Mikey seemed to."

He chuckled. "You just steal hearts everywhere you go, Jo."

"That kid is ornery," she stated. "He probably gets it from you."

"I don't know...I think it might be coming from Andrew."

"You sure about that?"

"Pretty sure," he replied; "But at least the boy has good taste in women."

A blush tinged her cheeks. "You're just so proud of him, aren't you?"

"Proud of his taste; but not his nosiness."

"He's just curious," Johanna replied. "He's starting to notice things people say and do and the way they act. He probably thinks that any man and woman that's comfortable with each other is in a relationship like his parents have."

"I guess so."

"He didn't do any harm."

"Unless you count my head," Jim quipped.

"I think your head is hard enough to take the blow," she laughed.

"Maybe so; but..."

"But nothing. He asked and we answered...I didn't lie to him when I told him that there were different types of love. I believe that friends can love each other...I have to believe it, because if it wasn't true, I wouldn't feel it," she stated; suddenly wondering if she should be allowing this conversation to go on. She did love him as her friend, that wasn't a lie...but there was a part of her that could admit to herself...or at least somewhat admit; that the love she had for Jim was drifting out of the friendship sector and into a deeper, seemingly more dangerous territory. A territory where hurt and heartache could reside if that love was unreciprocated.

"I wasn't lying either," Jim replied. "I...I meant what I said when he asked...I believe the same things that you do."

"Then Mikey's curiosity shouldn't be a big deal...because technically, he isn't wrong...is he?" she asked cautiously.

Jim was quiet as he pondered the question. "No...he wasn't wrong."

"Honest question, honest answer...no harm done," Johanna remarked.

"You're right."

"Of course."

Jim laughed quietly. "So quick to throw your rightness in my face."

She glanced up at him. "That's probably a leftover side effect of play acting as your housewife today."

He brushed a thumb across her cheek as he held her gaze. "I enjoyed it...maybe we should play house again sometime."

A smile touched her lips. "I'd like that...and I do have a nephew of my own who occasionally needs a babysitter."

"You let me know the time and the place and I'll be there."

"You're on," she told him before settling back against his chest; warmth lingering from the sentiment...and yet as they fell asleep there together, there was a place in her heart and mind that wished she could've uttered the words 'I love you'...even in the sense of friendship alone.