AN-Sorry for the long wait! Anyway, you guys seem to really like the chapters where the trio's kids sort of go through the same experiences they did when they were their age, so hope you like this chapter!

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Ideal

"Dad, can't you just chill out," Emma Benson said, rolling her eyes at her father.

"Chill out?" Freddie repeated. "How can I chill out after hearing the greatest news of my life?"

Sam, who was sitting next to her husband, rolled her eyes and continued to eat ice cream right out of the container.

"I just got a job," Emma said. "It's really no big deal."

"But you got a job at the greatest place of employment imaginable!" Freddie said.

"It's the Pear Store," Sam pointed out.

"Exactly!"

"Look, it's only part-time," Emma said. "I was at the mall and I was in the Pear Store fiddling around with one of the computers and the manager saw how good I was and offered me a job."

"We're proud of you, Em," Sam said. "Hopefully you'll be better at that job than your father was."

"We agreed to never bring that up again!" Freddie said. He turned back to Emma. "I can't believe we're not celebrating; this is a huge deal!"

"Quincy was going to take me to get some steaks, actually," Emma said.

"I didn't mean celebrating with your boyfriend," Freddie mumbled. "I meant celebrating with your family!"

"Dude, let go have fun," Sam said.

"Fine," Freddie said. "But Emma, on your first day you're going to have to give me an update on how that place is doing. I want to know what type of processors are being used, how those new rams are holding up, how-"

Just then the front door of the Benson's house opened and Quincy Gibson walked in.

"Hey, Quince," Freddie greeted the boy. "Did your dad give you my digital camera to return to me?"

"Um, no, I think he actually lost that when he was ice skating the other day," Quincy replied.

"Aw man!" Freddie said. "That had a 75 Gigabyte memory!"

"You ready to go buy me steaks?" Emma asked, grinning at Quincy.

"Yeah," Quincy nodded. "But before we go, guess what?"

"What?" Emma asked.

"You know how we've been saying that we should start doing more things together now that we're a couple?"

"Um, I don't think I've ever said that," Emma said. "That sounds more like something that would've come out of your nubby mouth."

"Well," Quincy continued, ignoring Emma's comment. "I was just at the mall and I got, brace yourself, a job at the Pear Store!"

Sam nearly chocked on her ice cream.

"What?" Emma frowned.

"We'll be working together!" Quincy smiled.

"Um, Freddie, come help me with the…thing, in the other room," Sam said, getting up off the couch.

"What other thing?" Freddie said.

"Just come on, will you?" Sam said, grabbing her husband's arm and yanking him to his feet.

"Aren't you excited about this?" Quincy asked Emma as Sam and Freddie left the room.

"Er, Quincy? You don't know anything about computers," Emma said. "What made you think you could work at the Pear Store? The largest seller of computers in the world?"

"I know some things about computers," Quincy pointed out.

"You nearly wiped out your whole hard drive trying to save your history paper the other day!"

"Okay, fine, I'm not really knowledgeable about technology like you are," Quincy admitted. "But all you need to work at the Pear Store is good salesmen skills. And I'm an awesome sales person."

"You've never sold anything in your life," Emma scoffed.

"Come on, Emma," Quincy said. "You'll see, this will be good for us. You and me working at the same job…It will really strengthen our bond as a couple."

"You were watching Dr. Phyllis reruns with your dad again, weren't you?" Emma asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well yeah, that's what we do every Thursday night," Quincy nodded.

"Fine," Emma sighed. "I guess we can try working at the same place."

…..

"So, Quincy's really working at the Pear Store with Emma now?" Carly asked Sam as the two strolled through the mall, sipping coffees.

"Yup," Sam nodded. "Crazy, huh?"

"I think it's sort of sweet," Carly smiled. "Quincy's obviously trying to spend some more time with Emma."

"Yeah, but you know how bad with technology Quincy is," Sam said. "Seriously, he must be the one kid who doesn't know how to work a PearPad properly."

"Well sure, he's not the ideal employee, but maybe Emma will teach him," Carly reasoned.

"Or she could get so annoyed with him that she winds up punching Quincy in the face and Freddie and I get to write another check to Gibby to pay for his hospital bill," Sam said. "Now which one do you think is more likely?"

"Well we can see just how they're doing in a minute," Carly said. "The Pear Store is right over there."

"You want to go bug them on their first day?" Sam frowned.

"That's what all parents do," Carly said.

"No, no, I think that's just you," Sam smiled.

"Are we gonna go or not?" Carly asked. "I need to buy a new laptop case anyway."

"Yeah, okay," Sam said, rolling her eyes.

Carly and Sam headed into the Pear Store. They spotted Emma by one of the desktop displays, looking on Ribs Plus's new website.

"Hey, Emma," Carly smiled.

"Oh, hey," Emma said, looking up from the computer.

"Aren't you supposed to be working or something?" Sam asked.

"Hey, I sold eight laptops and a dozen pearphones already," Emma said. "Now I'm taking my break."

"Wow, she's good," Carly said to Sam.

"Shoosh yeah she is, she got that salesperson gene from me, not Freddie," Sam said.

"So where's Quincy?" Carly asked.

"Well he was supposed to change the backgrounds on all the laptops," Emma said. "But somehow he managed to screw that up and gave all of them this weird virus, so now he's in the back doing inventory."

"Oh, that's…nice," Carly said.

"No, it's lame," Emma said. "I still don't get why he had to go and get a job here doing something he's beyond terrible at."

"Oh come on, he's trying to be nice, or, you know, some chiz like that," Sam said.

"He spent an hour this morning trying to turn on a PearPod," Emma said.

"An hour?" Sam repeated. "Alright, that kid has no business working here."

"You guys!" Carly said, shaking her head. "It's sweet! Am I the only one who sees this?"

"Hey, Emma, are the PearPad screens supposed to go blue like this?" Quincy asked, walking out from the back of the store.

"No, what did you do to it? I thought you were just supposed to be counting things back there!" Emma exclaimed, grabbing the Pearpad from him.

"I know, but then I thought it would be really helpful for me to install PearOx 8 to all the devices back there," Quincy said.

"And I think we're done here," Sam said. "Come on, Carls."

"But I still have to get my laptop case!"

"You just got one for your birthday," Sam said, rolling her eyes.

"Fine," Carly sighed.

…..

"So how was work?" Ashton asked her sister later that day as Emma entered their bedroom.

"Sucky," Emma mumbled, kicking off her shoes and hoping onto her bed.

"I thought you were excited to be working at the Pear Store," Clarissa, who was sitting on Ashton's bed, painting her nails, pointed out.

"I was," Emma said. "Until Quincy had to go and get a job there too."

"Oh yeah, Ashton told me about that," Clarissa said.

"Was it really that bad?" Ashton asked.

"Yes!" Emma said. "He's terrible at everything technology related! Everyone knows that, so why couldn't he go get a job over at some lame sweater store or something?"

"Because clearly he wanted to spend time doing things together," Clarissa said.

"Yeah, he's just trying to be a good boyfriend, Emma," Ashton said, rolling her eyes.

"He can be a good boyfriend not bugging me at my job," Emma snapped.

"Unbelievable," Ashton said, shaking her head. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"No, you're impossible," Emma said, getting to her feet and heading out of the room. She headed downstairs to the kitchen where Sam was sitting at the table, adding large amounts of spicy mustard to a hot dog.

"Oh, hey Em," Sam said, looking up from her snack. "How was work?"

"I thought it would be cool," Emma said, grabbing a brownie from the fridge. "But of course my dorkish boyfriend had to go and ruin that."

"Emma," Sam said. "He didn't ruin it. He was just trying-"

"If one more person tells me he was trying to be sweet, I'm going to-"

"Look," Sam said. "You know that Quincy pretty much despises technology, right?"

"Exactly!" Emma said. "So why the heck is he working at the Pear Store?"

"Oh, I don't know," Sam said. "Maybe because his girlfriend likes technology? Come on, you saw how excited he was to be working with you."

"Well…yeah," Emma admitted slowly.

"You know how your dad used to work at the Pear Store?"

Emma nodded.

"Well…we never really told any of you kids this, but during that time, I got a job there too," Sam said.

"You?" Emma frowned.

"Yup," Sam said. "And you want to know why?"

"Because it was good money?"

"Well, yeah," Sam agreed. "But because I thought that if I started to become more interested in stuff your dad was, we'd have a…better relationship. This was right after we broke up, and right around the time I was starting to feel really crummy about it. Now I know that you and Quincy have a pretty good relationship right now, but just realize that Quincy didn't get this job just to bug you, okay?"

Emma nodded. "I guess for someone who's terrible around technology, he is being pretty dedicated to having a job at the Pear Store. I mean, sure he screwed a million things up today, but he did make a pretty decent display stand for the new phone cases…You really think he got this job to be closer? Not just to big the chiz out of me?"

"Well out of the two of you, I'd say you'd be the one to get a job just to bug him," Sam smiled.

"Yeah, that's true…" Emma agreed. "Maybe I'll go call him…Wait, are you eating the last hot dog?"

"Yup," Sam said happily, taking a bite of the hot dog. "Tough luck, kid."

….

"Wait, so you visited Emma at the Pear Store without me?" Freddie frowned.

"Yup," Sam nodded, flipping through the channels on the television.

"But I could've given her advice there!" Freddie exclaimed.

"About what? How to not sell stuff?" Sam grinned.

Freddie opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the doorbell.

"Go get the door," Sam said.

"I'm going because I want to, not because you told me," Freddie mumbled as he headed to the door.

"Whatever you want to tell yourself, baby," Sam smiled.

Freddie opened the door. "Oh, hey Quincy," Freddie said. "You here to see Emma?"

"Yeah," Quincy nodded. "And to tell you that my dad said that he found your camera, but he has to figure out a way to get the chocolate chips out of the lens."

"That's it, I'm never lending Gibby my things again!" Freddie said firmly.

"Emma's upstairs, Quincy," Sam said.

"Thanks," Quincy replied, heading upstairs.

"Door open!" Freddie called after him.

Quincy climbed the stairs and walked down the hallway to Emma and Ashton's bedroom door and knocked.

"Finally," Emma said, opening the door to let him in.

"What was so important that I had to rush over here in the middle of my pottery club meeting?" Quincy asked.

"You," Emma said, leading Quincy to her desk, which was covered with various Pear devices. "Are finally going to learn to be technologically skilled."