Boone stretched languidly in the soft warmth of the unfamiliar bed. He'd slept better than he had in weeks, the talk with Jack taking more weight off his shoulders than he even realized he'd been carrying. He snuggled down under the covers, rolling over on his side and pulling his head completely under the blankets, he still hadn't opened his eyes, wanting to enjoy the unusually relaxed feeling that had enveloped him. Unfortunately, his internal clock was at odds with him, and was urging him to get motivated. Sighing at the knowledge that he wasn't going to be able to ignore it much longer he threw the covers back, and rolled out of bed. He stood for a minute, running his mind over Andrew and Jack, both still soundly asleep, before deciding that an early morning swim was definitely in order, the long hours of rest had recharged his batteries, and he needed to work off a little energy. He pulled on his swimsuit and, stopping in the bathroom long enough to grab a towel, padded quietly to the back door letting himself out.
The grass was wet with dew, rapidly drenching his feet, causing him to leave fresh footprints on the flagstone of the pool deck, which quickly dried and disappeared in the radiance of the morning sun. He dropped his towel at the edge of the steps and lowered himself into the warmth of the heated pool. He started slowly, warming up, but before too much time had passed his strokes got longer, his legs kicking faster as he moved through the water. It didn't take long for him to find a rhythm, ten strokes and flip, ten strokes and flip, he repeated the motion over and over, letting his mind drift as his movements became automatic.
He didn't know how long he'd been at it when he became aware of a metallic clanging reverberating through the excellent sound-conducting medium of the water. He pulled up short, and stood, squinting against the glare of the sun. Kate was standing by the poolside, banging the handle of the pool skimmer against the concrete edge, in a successful attempt to get his attention.
"Hey Mark Spitz, time to get out, breakfast in fifteen." She announced without a greeting.
"And good morning to you too," Boone answered, laughing. No wonder she and Jack got along so well, they were perfect for each other, no small talk, just cut right to the chase. "I'm not really hungry," he added, the thought of eating totally uninspiring. "I'm just going to do a few more laps, and…"
She cut him off. "I don't recall saying that it was open for discussion, breakfast in fourteen and a half now. And if you're not sitting at the table with a knife and fork in your hands in that time then you're going to find that knife and fork in an extremely uncomfortable place." She'd seen him picking at his food last night, and Heather had told her on the phone when she'd called her earlier in the week, that he still wasn't eating properly.
"Yes, ma'am," he moved quickly to the steps, Kate handing him his towel when he got out. He ran it over his hair; then draped it around his shoulders. She put her hand up and traced her thumb over a few of the scars on his chest, many of them still fairly visible.
"My husband does good work." She commented, Boone's shoulders' hunching as he tried, feeling horribly self-conscious, to shrink away from her. He wrapped the towel around himself the second she dropped her hand. "It would have been a shame if he'd gone to all that trouble for nothing." She added, meaningfully.
He glanced at the scars on his wrist and looked a bit ashamed. "Yeah, I'm sure that's all I was thinking about, was Jack." He quipped, forcing the humour.
"Oh, Boone," Kate said with a smile as she pulled him into a hug, not caring that he was soaking wet. "You're such an idiot, and you're so precious, for god's sake just go on that date."
"Jack told you?" He was a bit surprised.
"Pillow talk," she let him go.
"Uh, is this conversation included in the fifteen minutes I started with?" He asked half joking.
"Absolutely, I think you're down to twelve now." She confirmed.
"Then I'd better get in the house. If my time runs out and I'm still in the shower, I don't think that me naked with shampoo in my hair is going to make for a very pleasant breakfast companion, cause I sure didn't like the sound of the alternative if I'm not there in time." He winced as he pictured it.
"Hurry then." Kate turned him towards the house, laughing as he jogged across the lawn.
When Boone got out of the shower, Andrew was sitting on the closed lid of the toilet seat waiting for him. He started a bit and exclaimed at the unexpected audience as the boy slid to his feet and brought his dad a towel. He thanked him and started up a conversation.
Moving hurriedly, mindful of Kate's deadline, he finished up quickly in the bathroom, and headed for his bedroom, Andrew following him and watching while he dressed. Finally Boone asked his self appointed shadow what was up.
"I like school, Boone; it's fun, but I really miss being with you all day." He explained.
"I miss you too, bud," he knelt down on one knee and opened his arms catching the boy in a hug, after he raced across the carpet.
Kate knew how important it was to Boone to feel needed and productive, so after breakfast she announced that he was coming grocery shopping with her. She also wanted to spend some time alone with him, but from the way Andrew had glommed on to him all morning, she figured the chance of that was nil.
Boone had been right about them planning a get together for his visit, everyone was expected later that afternoon. In fact, Claire had already called that morning to confirm their attendance and to find out what she could bring. The trip to the grocery store was to pick up supplies for the party. Jack had volunteered to stay behind with Jessica, saying that he had work to do.
They took Kate's car, Boone wanting to leave his loaner at the house in case his was ready and the car lot sent someone round to make the swap. He'd given them Jack's address when he'd dropped it off, and as a long time customer of the decidedly upscale automobile dealership, he merited the preferential treatment, though he certainly never expected it. The three of them, Andrew predictably having elected to come with them, headed for the local market.
Kate's normally tedious and despised chore of grocery shopping, somehow transformed itself into a pleasure, and a bit of a lesson, in the company of the two Carlyle's. In the pasta section she was amused when Boone took the package of regular fusilli out of her hand, substituting whole wheat instead. When it came to the eggs, Andrew told her she was getting the wrong ones and pointed to the Omega Three's, and whatever Boone discussed with the guy at the seafood counter left her wondering what language they were speaking. In the produce area they completely ignored her as she headed for the peppers, instead steering the cart over to the organics. It took her a moment to realize she was talking to empty space, before she headed over to eaves drop on their extremely serious seeming discussion over which exotic selections they wanted for the fruit salad. Serious seeming until Boone grinned at her over the top of Andrew's head and winked. He became totally serious again, as Andrew continued to point out the merits of the passion fruit.
Back home, she started to give them a bit of direction, but was quickly relegated to third fiddle as Boone pulled a chair up to the sink for Andrew to stand on and got him started on scrubbing the potatoes for the potato salad, and gave her a task as well. Eventually she ended up, baby in her arms, sitting at the table as the two of them almost completely silently got everything ready. One or the other would speak occasionally, but anyone who didn't know they were actually communicating with each other almost constantly would have found their verbal exchanges truly bizarre.
"I'm not." Andrew pouted, as Boone looked over his shoulder.
A few minutes later Boone looked up, "Oh, it's right here," and handed over some kitchen tool of some kind.
"They aren't, Boone," Andrew complained, Boone moving over to look at what he was doing, shaking his head and correcting him.
Kate just sat back and enjoyed the entertainment.
The two of them accomplished everything in the kitchen far more quickly than she could have done on her own, she conceded, as Boone started putting the plastic wrap topped bowls in the fridge.
She went to check on Jack, and when she got back the kitchen was empty.
She found Boone sitting on a chair in the back yard, a bottle of water in his hands hanging between his knees, Andrew sitting on the grass nearby. "Those tables aren't going to put themselves out, you know."
He took a deep breath, "What did your last slave die of?" He asked, smirking.
"I had him shot after asking that same question," she responded, deadpan.
"Yes, my mistress, I live only to do your bidding." He rolled his eyes, but smiled and got to his feet, heading for the storage shed, Andrew dutifully following along.
Kate managed to keep finding chores for them through out most of the rest of the day.
Jack came out of the back door, having finally finished most of the work he'd brought home with him, and scanned the yard, Boone and Andrew were no where no be seen, however, so he followed his sense of them around to the side of the house. They were both sitting on the ground with their backs up against the wall, their eyes closed and their faces tipped up to the sun. "Why aren't you sitting in the lawn chairs around back?"
"We're hiding from Kate," Andrew piped up.
"That so? And why would that be?" Jack directed his question back to the boy.
"Cause she keeps making us do stuff." He explained.
"She does?" Both Jack and Boone were trying not to laugh.
"Yeah," Andrew nodded, "And, and…Boone's tired." There was no way he was going to admit that he was actually the one who was tired.
"He is, is he?" Jack looked at the subject of their conversation, who suddenly managed to look as exhausted as if he'd single-handedly dug the Panama Canal.
"Yeah," he nodded again. "And he's not as young as he used to be, so he gets tired easier." It was something he'd heard Tom say to Heather, though it had been about Tom himself not Boone.
Boone lost the battle and snorted out his nose, unable to contain himself any longer he broke out laughing, Jack joining in, as Andrew scowled at them.
"You mind getting your poor tired ancient dad a bottle of water?" Boone asked him. Andrew crossed his arms over his chest and continued pouting, not pleased at being laughed at, and not getting up either.
"I'm sorry bud, you're right, I am a little tired, and I'm thirsty. If you get me some water, we can share." Boone tried to make a little peace.
Andrew's face relaxed, and his arms uncrossed, he pinched his lips together and shook his head, rolling his eyes, managing to look exactly like his mother in one of her many moments of exasperation with Boone. Pushing himself to his feet, he disappeared around the corner of the house.
Jack and Boone moved to the far more comfortable lawn chairs in the shade of one of the umbrellas that Boone and Andrew had set up that day, Jack apologizing for Kate's endless list of chores.
"I think she's done with us now though. That is, unless she wants me to retile the roof or rotate the tires on her car." Suddenly Boone wondered if perhaps he'd spoken a little too quickly, the woman had quite the knack for coming up with projects.
"No, I'm pretty sure she's saving those for me." Jack assured him with a grin.
"Before Andrew gets back I've got a question for you. Actually it's more Kate's question; she wasn't pleased that I didn't ask it." Jack shrugged, "woman thing."
"Ask away," Boone had no idea what was coming next.
"So just who is this woman who merits Boone Carlyle's return to dating?" Jack asked actually a little intrigued.
"Wellll..." He drew the word out, looking a little embarrassed, "See, that's where it get a little complicated."
Jack sighed and shook his head. "Why am I not surprised, everything with you is always a little complicated. What is it this time, your first cousin?"
"It's Andrews' teacher." Boone responded, hesitantly
"Andrews' teacher?" Jack echoed.
"Yeah," Boone confirmed.
"The school might have policies against that, you know, Boone." Jack warned him, "Possible conflict of interest and all."
"I know. That's one of the reasons I said it was complicated. And, I mean, me, dating, I don't know how he's going to take that," Boone looked worried, "even if it was someone he didn't know. But this is a woman he sees every day, and she's an authority figure to him. I don't know if it'd all be just too weird. Ah, it's probably pointless to even worry about, I doubt I'll have the nerve to ask her anyway." Jack noticed that he already looked defeated.
"Not if you're thinking like that, you won't. Just do it, Boone. I'm sure you've asked lots of girls out on dates before, it can't have been this hard for you then."
He appreciated Jack's encouragement, but still wasn't convinced. "That was then, I'm not that person anymore. I'm out of practice, and I sure as hell don't have the self-confidence I did then." He fell silent as Andrew came out the back door with his requested bottle of water.
He held it out for Boone and climbed up in his lap when he reached them, they started a different topic of conversation, as the two of them passed the bottle back and forth.
"Aaron's here!" Andrew suddenly announced, sliding off Boone's knees and running for the side gate, the two men, getting a sense of Claire and her family's arrival as well, followed behind.