Hey everyone

I know the last few chapters have sucked and that's why I waited to post them all together..........I hated writing them just as much as you guys probably hate reading them but the next chapter gets the ball rolling in full speed we get closer to where things fall apart and I've changed everything I was going to have happen in this story so I hope you guys like it........

Justine

********

Amanda rolled over in bed to find Harry grinning down at her. He stood in front of the dresser completely dressed for work and fixing his tie. Pushing her hair from her eyes she grinned back at him as she pulled the blanket up around her. Reaching out from under the blanket she waved him over to her.

"Good morning,"said Harry sitting on the edge of the bed. Amanda shuffled over so she was laying behind him leaning on his lower back.

"I'm tired,"mumbled Amanda,"You're aunt, she can really tire a person out."

"Yeah a lot of people say that about Lea,"smiled Harry.

"She bought me a cook book,"said Amanda,"I think I may attempt something from it." Harry raised an eyebrow before leaning over and kissing her forehead.

"Just don't burn the place down,"said Harry.

"Shut up,"sniped Amanda swatting at him,"Go to work."

"Maybe I don't want to,"said Harry swinging his legs on to the bed and leaning back next to her.

"Okay, you call my dad and tell him you won't be in today cause you're gonna spend all day in bed with me,"said Amanda.

"Okay, where's the phone?"asked Harry,"I'll tell him that you and me we're going to get on that plan of his to get more grandchildren."

"I'm sure he'll love to hear that,"said Amanda leaning over and kissing Harry. Harry pushed her on to her back pinning her to the bed, he pressed his lips hard against her as their tounges intertwined together. Amanda moaned slightly as she let Harry take control. Slowly Harry pulled back and looked down at her grinning insanely.

"What?"asked Amanda confused as to what he was doing.

"I got a little excited there, with you saying you might cook something,"said Harry,"I was surprised, and thought I'd get a good one in there."

"Why?"asked Amanda still slightly confused.

"Because if you want to cook, then hell must be freezing over,"laughed Harry. Amanda's eyes grew large as she pushed Harry off of her and sat up slightly.

"Just for that I may poison yours,"said Amanda as Harry snickered slightly.

"You may?"asked Harry.

"Depends how good your insurance is, I'll have to check,"said Amanda before laying back down. Harry leaned over and kissed her lightly before getting off the bed. Amanda watched as he prepared his bag for work.

"I gotta go to worrk,"said Harry.

"I gotta go back to sleep,"said Amanda fluffing up the pillow.

****

Harry entered into Winslow from the staff parking lot. He found the halls empty as he walked down them. Making his way up to his class he heard footsteps behind him and eventually his name being called out in that all too familar voice. Harry turned as he was opening the door to his class, he seen Ronnie quickly making her way down the hall to her. Trying to ignore her to some degree Harry walked into his office hoping she'd get the hint and walk right past his room.

But as almost predicted Ronnie followed him right into the room.

"So how was your night?"asked Ronnie.

"Good,"nodded Harry, knowing he was fibbing slightly but he wasn't under any circumstance going to tell Ronnie he was put off a bit by Amanda shrugging him off in bed. He couldn't blame her, she did appear like she was still trying to cope with the reality of her mother.

"You should've come with us Harry, we had a good time,"said Ronnie.

"Well no offense Ronnie but a good time to me is one spent with my wife,"said Harry hoping to drive home the point.

"Yeah but you have to get out once and a while,"said Ronnie. Harry rolled his eyes, Ronnie was just not understanding the hints he was dropping her.

"Ya know Aiden did the cutest thing last night,"said Harry trying a new approach,"He learnt how to sing along with his hokey pokey elmo." Pulling out his wallet he flipped to his picture of Amanda and Aiden and thrusted it under Ronnie's nose.

"He's growing up so fast,"said Harry.

"Yeah, they do that,"said Ronnie softly.

"Yeah, that's why Amanda and I are thinking of having another one,"said Harry realizing this way was working, not the way he wanted but it was atleast making her back off a bit.

"Oh really,"said Ronnie looking like she had just been offended.

"Oh yeah, we eventually want at least a half a dozen,"said Harry holding back a smirk as he continued on at Ronnie.

"Yeah, well I gotta go, I've got a student coming in early,"said Ronnie slowly,"I will talk to you later." Harry smirked as Ronnie made her way out of the room. Sighing he shoved his wallet back in his pocket and went to take his seat at his desk. He went over what he had said to Ronnie, in all honesty he did want more kids, which was something he thought he never want. But once he held Aiden and got to watch him grow and learn, it changed everything. Amanda had joked about how Scott wanted more grandchildren but she had never spoken seriously about it. Harry sat back noting to himself that he may mention it to Amanda tonight if she was in a better state.

*********

Amanda had dropped Aiden off at daycare and was now with Jessica and Marty in the mall, browsing around and shopping. She had pushed the thoughts of her mother out of her head vowing she was not going to let the woman control her emotions.

"I can't wait for Christmas,"said Jessica.

"You've got two months,"said Marty.

"I know, two months of planning how I'm going to spoil that little angel Aiden,"said Jessica.

"God, Christmas, I can just imagine all bitching Harry's gonna do over my shopping,"said Amanda as she adjusted one of her bags.

"Oh don't worry about it honey, it's what men are suppose to do, bitch, bitch, bitch over every penny you spend,"said Jessica,"I'm sure if they had it their way we'd be wearing potato sacks and kleenex boxes for shoes." Amanda just snickered as Marty shot his head around.

"We're not cheap,"shot Marty,"We just understand there's no reason to spend more than fifty bucks on a pair of shoes."

"Exactly, you don't see a reason but we do,"said Jessica,"Plus men everywhere would just fall apart if woman stopped dropped tons of money on looking good."

"Nah, then you could all just run around naked,"said Marty.

"Can you guys stop whinning,"said Amanda.

"Maybe you should just take Harry with you and show him the joys of shopping,"said Jessica.

"I'm sure he'd love that,"muttered Marty.

"What the hell, what are you doing,"cried Jessica,"Shopping."

"I'm different,"said Marty,"I'm single, and single women like to shop, single women like men who shop, hence I go to the mall and shop. Harry's got his ball and chain at home, he had no need for the mall." Amanda swatted Marty on the head as she walked past him.

"I'm nobody's ball and chain,"said Amanda.

"Say what you want Harry,"said Jessica before turning her attentions to Amanda,"You have to shop differently with a man, like you go and look at some expensive heels, then go to Victoria's Secret and express a great like for the skimpiest thing they have, then you go and buy clothes, go back to the expensive heels and give him those doe eyes and pouty lip and tell him that if you buy the heels you won't have enough for the stuff you wanted at Victoria's Secret, he buys you the heels and you don't hear any complaining well shopping because all he's thinking about is how fast he's gonna be able to get you out of that little number at Victoria's." Amanda nodded, 'it's underhanded but I get what I want and it's not like it's gonna hurt him'.

"Jess, why aren't you writing advice colomums?"asked Amanda.

"Cause they want people with good advice not who-ha,"said Marty. Both Amanda and Jessica turned and looked at Marty ready to burst.

"Okay normally I'd be mad over that comment, but who-ha?"asked Jessica.

"Yeah Marty, honestly who are you my dad?"asked Amanda.

"It was a slip of the tongue,"said Marty before walking away from them slightly embrassed.

****

At home Amanda made sure all her bags from the day's shopping were hidden and all her stuff was in the closet blended well in with the other stuff. Now she was sitting on a stool with a sponge in hand and a bucket of soap and water at her feet. When they had gotten home, Aiden had thought it more exciting to color on the wall with his red and black crayon. Sighing she squeezed the sponage out, Aiden was sitting in his room crying on his bed, where he was told to sit without his Elmo. She pushed some hair out of her face as she scrubbed again at the crayon, it was coming off, slowly, but it was was coming off.

She heard the door open and Harry come in. Getting up she watched as Aiden made his way out of his room and towards Harry.

"Oh no you don't,"said Amanda,"You get back in this room." Harry watched confused as she took Aiden's hand and his slight sobs went back to full out crying. He swatted at Amanda before giving out his legs and plopping down to the floor. Amanda just sighed and picked him up and took him into his room. As she came out Harry stood looking at her for an explanation.

"Aide decided it was better to color on the wall than in his coloring book,"said Amanda. Harry followed Amanda into living room where Aiden's master piece was still on the wall. Smiling slightly Harry leaned down and kissed Amanda's hair.

"You shouldn't clean it, someday it could be a priceless masterpiece,"said Harry.

"Masterpiece or not, it's not staying on my wall,"said Amanda before going back to scrubbing at it. Harry shrugged and started out of the room down to his room.

"So where my home cooked meal?"asked Harry.

"I was going to start on something but our son decided to draw on the wall,"said Amanda,"And this shit is not coming off." Harry took his tie off and was changing his shirt in the closet area when he noticed a shoe box that hadn't been there that morning, he had taken to glancing over the closet in the morning because he was well aware of Amanda's way of "hiding" her newest purchase with her other stuff. Picking up the shoe box he found a small price tag on one of the sides, he raised an eyebrow at the three round numbers in front of the decimal point. Then he heard Amanda groaning from the living room and Aiden still wailing from his room, he put the shoebox down and left to go to Aiden's room. As he walked in Aiden looked up at him with tears still flowing from his eyes, he was hiccuping deeply from all his crying.

"Hey buddy,"said Harry walking over to the bed.

"Daddy,"said Aiden crawling into Harry's lap. Harry adjusted Aiden and looked down at him.

"Did you color on mommy's wall?"asked Harry. Aiden shook his head as he hiccuped.

"C'mon, no lying, did you color on mommy's wall with your crayons?"asked Harry. Aiden pouted.

"Yea."

"That's not good,"said Harry,"It makes mommy mad, you have to color in your books not on the walls."

"Daddy elmo,"said Aiden.

"No, mommy put your elmo on the shelf,"said Harry.

"Elmo,"repeated Aiden. Harry leaned down and picked up Aiden's teddy bear and gave it to him.

"You can have the elmo back when you're good,"said Harry,"But you stay here on the bed, and don't cry cause you're a big boy."

"You won't be here long, just sit and play with your bear, Mommy loves you, she's just gotta clean up the crayon on the wall,"said Harry moving Aiden back on to the bed. He stood up and kissed Aiden's forehead and left the room slowly making sure he was okay. Once he was out in the hall he made his way to the living room where Amanda was. He went over to her and knelt down next to her and nudge her slightly. Amanda looked over at him with a less than impressed look on her face. Harry smiled at the sight of her, she had a sponage in one hand with soapy water running down her arm and her hair was all disarayed at the top from where she had continiously pushed it back.

"He's not going to have anymore crayons,"huffed Amanda.

"It not coming off?"asked Harry.

"No I thought this shit was suppose to just wipe off,"said Amanda throwing the sponage back in the bucket of soap and water.

"Leave it for a bit, we'll deal with it later,"said Harry standing up and grabbing her hand to pull her up as well. Amanda wiped her hands off on her jeans as she followed Harry away from the wall.

"Woulda been easier to just have made dinner,"mumbled Amanda.

"We'll just order something,"said Harry.

"Now see I can do that,"said Amanda,"If all cooking was like that I'd be a regular old Betty Crocker."

"We all would hun, so what did you do today?"asked Harry getting himself a drink.

"Drop Aide off at daycare, ya know he really likes it there,"said Amanda,"Then I met up with Marty and Jess."

"And what did you do then?"asked Harry.

"Stuff,"shrugged Amanda.

"That's good,"said Harry,"Anything else?"

"Nope, picked Aide up and came home,"said Amanda walking down to the bedroom, she peeked in at Aiden who was sitting on his bed with his bear and some action figures he had.

"Those are some nice shoes you got today,"said Harry following Amanda into the bedroom.

"What?"asked Amanda pulling off her shirt to change into a dry one.

"Those ones in the closet, they're nice,"said Harry sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Oh,"said Amanda pulling on a dry shirt.

"What else did ya get?"asked Harry.

"A new purse, this and that,"said Amanda,"Ya know you should come shopping with me some day, you could use some new clothes these rags you've got are getting a little old."

"Mmmm, shopping, no thanks,"said Harry,"You got get me whatever I need."

"No, you should come,"said Amanda leaving the bedroom,"I'm not taking no for an answer." She walked into Aiden's room and got him to go out to the living room. After getting a towel from the bathroom she came back out tot he living room where Aiden was.

"Okay babe, you drew on the wall, you're gonna clean it,"said Amanda taking him over to the spot on the wall where he had drawn on. She got the towel wet and gave it to Aiden. After a few minutes of showing him how to scrub at she got up and went for the phone to call for some food.

"Good idea,"said Harry sitting on the couch.

"I told you Harry I got this wife and mother thing down like that,"said Amanda smiling as she grabbed the phone.