A/N: Sorry; no two for one special. You know my reason by now. And thank you everyone for the favorite/following alerts and the reviews. They are all greatly appreciated.
And thank you to all of you that are giving this story a chance and are reading. I appreciate that as well.
pmp1208 – Thanks again my friend.
Chapter 2
Two weeks later, Dave and Aaron took a long lunch from work. They went to the house and met with a contractor that had been highly recommended to them. Taking Joe Johnson to the basement, they laid out what they had in mind for the space as Max tagged along, happy to have them home. Joe checked some things and then looked at them. "Looks like a pretty easy project to me," he smiled, rubbing Max's head.
"What kind of timeframe are you looking at," Aaron asked. Joe looked at him. "We hoped the playroom would at least be done in time for Christmas as a present for our son."
Joe smiled. "That explains the parameters of the work time you'll allow that your architect laid out." Dave and Aaron nodded with a smile. "I should have his plans in a week; ten days max." Max happily barked; they all laughed. "Allow another two to get the building permit required," he paused, thinking a bit. "I see no problem getting it all done by Christmas with time to spare. You've picked a good time to do the project. Construction work always slows this time of year; so finding the crews I'd only use to do the different jobs," he said, looking at the men, "plumbing, electrical, tile, etcetera shouldn't be a problem. And I only work with the best," he smiled at them. "Their work is top notch." Aaron and Dave smiled. "Back to the timeline," Joe continued. "That means we're looking at a start time probably the second week in November. The toughest job is going to be putting in the egress window in an older home like this for a fire escape to get the basement up to code. Digging the escape area in the yard is easy; the ground hasn't froze yet. Hammering out the cement block from the basement wall is the big job. Still, we could have the whole project wrapped up in five weeks."
"All of it?" Aaron asked. Joe smiled with a nod.
Dave looked at Aaron who smiled. "You're hired for the project Joe," Dave smiled, extending his hand.
-00CM00-
Jack woke in the early hours of Christmas Day to a darkened home. He got up, went to the bathroom and them came back in his room. Max lifted his head off the bed to look at him. "Shhhhhh Max," Jack whispered. He opened a dresser drawer and pulled out the two gifts he had bought for his parents to put in their stockings. Like always, Rosa had slipped him the money to buy those gifts and took him shopping. Grabbing his small flashlight off the nightstand, he looked a Max. "Be quiet," Jack whispered to his friend. Max silently hopped off the bed.
He took the two lovingly wrapped presents and crept down the steps with Max at his heel. Standing on his toes, he put the presents in his dad and Papa's stocking with the small flashlight in his mouth. Yet he couldn't resist the temptation to sneak a peek at the presents under the tree. Taking the flashlight out of his mouth, he beamed it around under the tree as he got on his knees. He spotted only one with his name in the pile. "Guess Santa hasn't been here yet," he shrugged to Max with a whisper.
Dave and Aaron woke to Jack taking Max down the steps to be let out and fed as the Christmas morning dawn shined in their room. Dave, sleeping with his head on Aaron's chest, smiled at him and reached to give him a deep kiss. "Merry Christmas; I love you."
"I love you too," Aaron smiled. "Merry Christmas."
Dave rubbed his side. "I know, let's get rolling," he smiled.
They walked into the kitchen as Jack let in Max that had barked at the door. Max made a dash for his breakfast. Jack laughed, reset the alarm and went into the kitchen as Aaron heated the oven for the pan of cinnamon rolls while Dave started the coffee maker.
"Merry Christmas," Jack smiled. He shared a long and wonderful hug with each of them.
"Merry Christmas buddy," Aaron said, letting him go to Dave.
"Merry Christmas my son," Dave said, kissing his head.
Jack eyed them both. "Go get the presents sorted out." Dave laughed.
Jack tore off for the Christmas tree. He slowed as he noticed the pile of presents hadn't grown since he had checked earlier. Trying to hide his disappointment, he dutifully got the presents spread in piles for his dad and Papa.
Aaron winked at Dave as he put the rolls in the oven while Dave poured them each a cup of coffee. Aaron grabbed the glass of apple juice he had poured for Jack and they headed to the living room off the kitchen to join Jack.
Taking the juice from his dad and swallowing a large gulp, Jack looked at the two of them, kneeling on the floor. They all opened their stocking presents. Aaron and Dave smiled at the thoughtful presents they received from Jack. Jack smiled at the new DS games he received. He looked at the two of them. "You guys start."
"No Champino," Dave smiled. "You start."
Jack, still hiding his disappointment, which did not escape the two profilers, opened his only present. While the box was big, it was very light. Ripping off the paper and opening the box, he found another wrapped box. He looked at his parents, grabbing the second. Opening the wrapping on that and the box, he found a third like the second; that revealed a fourth small box, wrapped as well.
Opening the fourth one, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He looked at Dave. "What does it say Jack?" Dave asked. Jack looked at it again, not recognizing the handwriting.
"Look for a big red bow and ribbon. It's not hidden; you just have to find it," Jack read.
"Then get hunting buddy," Aaron smiled.
Jack got up and started walking around the house. He went into the huge formal living room off the large dining room and found nothing. Doubling back, he started down the hall to Dave's study that was on the other side of the steps from the kitchen. It was then he noticed it. There was a huge red bow and ribbon around the door to the basement. Jack looked at Aaron and Dave totally surprised. "Open the door son," Dave softly smiled.
Jack gently pushed the door open and immediately noticed the illumination coming from the before dark and dank basement. "What the heck?" Jack said. Max joined him at the door. Jack took a sniff of the air. Is that a fire burning in the fireplace Jack questioned in his head and descended to the first step. Max raced ahead of him down the flight of now carpeted steps.
Barefoot, Jack crept down the steps behind Max. He noticed carpeting on the floor that matched that on the steps. Getting to the bottom, he stopped in his tracks. "No way," he said, looking around.
He shook his head at the fire in the now finished large rock fireplace with a mantle covered with a Christmas village bathed in soft white light. The fire softly glowed in the corner. A Christmas tree was lit next to it with presents underneath it. But what really caught Jack's attention was the room in front of him. There was a huge, plush arrangement of sofas and a coffee table that surrounded a large flat screen TV. Walking slowly into the area, Jack noticed the green bow on the gaming system in the cabinet housing the TV's connection to the satellite and sound system. Jack raced to the bow as Aaron and Dave smiled at each other. Jack looked at the gift tag next to the bow. Merry Christmas Jack! Love, Santa.
"My own PlayStation! Really?!" Jack happily exclaimed at he looked at it and then around the room. "This is awesome!"
"Open your presents buddy," Aaron smiled, as Dave filmed it all on the video camera for Joy, Rob and Kai plus Haley's family and Sean. Jack literally dove under the Christmas tree and unwrapped video games from them all.
"This is amazing," Jack broadly smiled. "Thank you everyone," he beamed into the camera holding up the latest version of the football and baseball video games. He smiled brightly at Joy's loving note on her family's gift. This one is for you and Kai to share together when we visit. It was more simple games that Kai could play with him.
Dave put the camera down. "Let's take a tour Champino."
Jack pulled another log from the woodbox next to fireplace and added it. When he finished, he turned and looked. Heading the opposite direction from the fireplace, he noticed a pool table with the rack for the cue sticks on the wall. Jack just shook his head, walking more as he rubbed his hand across the felt of the table.
From that was a high table with six chairs. Jack smiled at his parents. "That's for poker night," he giggled as he noticed the tray holding the poker chips and two decks of cards. He then looked more. In the opposite corner from the fireplace was a huge bar area with a fridge, four seats around the ceramic bar top and a tiled floor that led to the back of the bar. There was a small two compartment sink and a blender sitting next to it. Above that were two glass shelves holding the best brands of liquor. A series of different bar glasses hung from a rack attached to the ceiling. Around the bar a few feet below the ceiling was a small, finely crafted and polished oak ledge that held the football and baseball batting helmets of the pro teams in North America. Jack looked at them. "You guys got your man cave," he broadly smiled.
"Your dad did," Dave smiled.
"Yup," Aaron beamed.
"But there's more Champino," Dave smiled, waving him out from behind the bar. He put his hand on Jack's shoulder and led him into a hallway that went off the bar area. It passed under the steps across from Dave's file room. Jack noticed an open door and looked in.
"Now this is a bathroom!" Jack said walking in and looking around. The bath held a large walk-in shower with a seat built in, along with a stool and a beautiful cabinet that housed the sink. On the opposite wall was a built in cabinet for bathroom supplies and towels that also served as a medicine cabinet.
Leaving the bathroom, the three of them and Max came upon a closed door in a hallway that headed back to the other end of the house. "Open it son," Dave softly said. Jack did, and entered into the unfinished huge room off the hallway.
"Papa?"
"Someday son, this will be your bedroom," Dave smiled.
Jack looked around more to see wires hanging that would connect a future TV of his own in the room. Jack turned and looked at the two of them, shaking his head. "This is really gonna be my room someday?" he barely whispered.
"Yup buddy," Aaron smiled. "When you're old enough."
"Awesome," Jack said, looking around more. "And I've got a fire escape," he smiled. The two profilers smiled at the skills learned by their son.
"Come on Champino, we've got one more thing for you to see."
Jack came out of the room and followed his dad down the hallway with Dave behind them. Aaron smiled at him and opened the door. Max sped in first, followed by Jack. Jack took one look around and just shook his head.
Because of the twelve foot high ceilings the basement had, there was a small basketball half-court at the end of the room, complete with a backboard, hoop and two small basketballs. The walls were padded so no one would get hurt crashing into the cement block wall. The part of the large room near the door featured a foosball and air hockey table. And while it was carpeted, the weave was tight. Dave picked up one of the basketballs and dribbled it to the hoop, making a lay-up. "No way! I can be a kid!" Jack immediately recognized what he said and looked at Dave.
"Papa…." Jack said moving to him.
Dave knelt down and pulled Jack into his arms. "My son," he said kissing Jack's forehead. "I love you; you've respected my home since you walked in the door. But this is not just mine anymore. It was high time I, with some help from your dad, made this house into our home."
Jack threw his arms around Dave's neck. "I love you Papa."
###
A/N: *points* You know where the tissue box is. :D
An FYI to those that may not understand. Every state in the US has long had a fire code law that all basements underneath a house (i.e. under the ground) have an egress window large enough to be used for a fire escape.