Joe wasn't sure what to think as he hung up the phone. He'd been waiting for this day for so long, and now that it was here, he didn't know whether to be proud or angry. Instead, he just called his husband, listening to it ring.

"'Sup, Joe?" Matt asked. He didn't sound too busy.

"It's Aiko," Joe began uncertainly. He could hear Matt sitting up in alarm.

"Is he ok? Did something happen?" He was almost as worried about the boy as he was his own children, and it made Joe happy to know the man cared about his step-son.

"He... He got in trouble at school. The principal called and said he yelled at a teacher."

"Well damn." Matt sounded impressed. "I guess he finally is growing into a little hellion. It must be my wonderful parenting."

"It's not funny," Joe snapped as Matt laughed. "At least, I don't think it is. What if they decide to suspend him?"

"He probably needs it. I've never seen anyone do homework for fun – I don't think that's healthy." Matt turned away from his phone, and Joe heard him telling his co-worker how proud he was of his kid. Joe sighed when he heard the other man laugh at their conversation – shouldn't this be a private family matter?

"The school wants to hold a parent-teacher conference this afternoon after school," Joe told him. "Mrs. Tsuou wanted both of us there to discuss what happened."

Matt whistled. "Damn. You sure he didn't punch the teacher?"

"Just come over to the school right after work. I should already be there waiting for you."

Matt murmured his agreement, yelping when his boss caught him on his personal cell. Joe heard the start of an apology as the phone clicked dead and he smiled. Depending on the severity of what happened, he would have to congratulate Matt on being such a good influence.

Joe walked down the hallways, trying not to make a face. He hadn't been inside Odiaba Elementary in years and he hated the thought of how he used to be back then. At least he thought he'd grown into a well-adjusted adult despite his home life, his love life, and even his digital life. He still hated those memories of back then, well, most of them. He could never hate his summer adventures with all the others.

It was in that nostalgic state, and with a well-meaning grimace, that he found classroom 1-A. 'Aiko,' he thought, 'Can't you be a normal little under-achiever for once?'

He stepped inside the room with a polite bow. Aiko was sitting in one of three chairs pulled up close to the teachers desk, a frustrated pout on his face that Joe had never seen before. He was wriggling impatiently, unlike he normally did, and Joe worried that something was actually wrong with his son.

The teacher, Mrs. Tsuou, sat behind her desk with all the same rigidity that Joe's father always had. Her eyes were set in a stern glare, and it looked like she'd never smiled in her life, the skin around her mouth flat and dull. She looked at Joe as he entered, waving a hand to the seats she'd placed after her last class period.

"You must be Mr. Kido," she said coldly, and Joe wondered if she spoke to all her students this way.

"Ah, Ishida now," Joe told her, sitting. "I recently got married and the school has yet to update my information."

"I see." She was obviously displeased already, and Joe fought back the instinct to flinch. She looked just like his father did right before he started hitting anything that moved. "I'll be sure to bring that up with the principal." She glanced to the door. "And your wife? I believe I informed you that you were both to be present."

Joe couldn't help the smile that escaped. He would have to tease Matt by calling him "wife" from now on. "Well, the thing is -"

Joe was cut off by a familiarly loud commotion from the hallway. Two children were talking, complaining really, about waiting outside to be picked up, only to be dragged back inside the school.

"I wanna go home," whined the little girl, stubbornly dragging her feet. "Mommy was supposed to pick us up, where did she go?"

Joe could practically hear Matt clench his teeth to keep from badmouthing Sora in front of his children. He would do that later tonight when he was in bed with his husband.

"If we don't go home soon, I'm gonna miss Super Sentai," complained the boy. "It's a new episode today."

"It's not new, that show aired when I was your age. I have the whole series downloaded – I'll let you watch it when we get home."

"But it won't be the new episode on the TV..."

Matt sighed, appearing in the doorway. He'd had to physically drag his son down the hall, the redhead complaining still. His daughter was following, pouting like she normally did. The father turned towards his children, telling them sternly, "Just wait here, I won't be more than a minute. I have to take care of Aiko real quick."

Immediately his kids brightened, poking their heads into the classroom much to Mrs. Tsuou's vexation.

"Are you really in trouble, Aiko?" asked the blonde with a grin.

"I heard you punched the teacher!" cheered the younger.

"I wonder where..." Joe grumbled, glaring at Matt who just shrugged, like he had no idea.

"Now, Hanako, Tsukuyomi," Matt said sternly. "You two sit out here, quietly, and then we're going home, ok?

"But -"

"Daddy -"

"Ok." Matt acted like they'd agreed. "Now be good for once." The man walked inside the room, flopping unashamedly in the empty chair and reaching over to ruffle Aiko's hair with a pride he probably shouldn't be showing in front of Mrs. Tsuou. "What'd my little demon do this time?"

"What happened to you?" Joe hissed, looking pointedly at Matt. "You weren't supposed to pick up the kids today, were you?"

Matt shrugged, a dark look flashing over his face. "I called Sora to let her know I'd be a little late getting them from her mom's place, and she said that she was busy, and she couldn't wait on me to show up, so I'd have to come pick them up or let them stay the night there. And I'm damn well not letting that woman fill their heads with lies again, so I'll be sure to let Cody know Sora won't have to worry about picking them up on Wednesdays anymore."

The teacher, to her credit, looked like she was containing her displeasure very well at being ignored in favor of Matt complaining about his ex-wife. "And, might I ask, who you are?"

"As I mentioned before," Joe began, giving his husband a quick glare for being so rude. It was like being married to Gomamon sometimes. "I recently married, this is my husband, Yamato Ishida. He's Aiko's step-father."

Mrs. Tsuou intertwined her fingers on the desk before her, and Matt could almost hear her knuckles crunching. "I think I am already beginning to see the root of Aiko's problems..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Matt grumbled. He hated being seen as different, especially to teachers.

"I now believe Aiko's troubles are being caused by a non-traditional family unit causing disruptions to his home life," the teacher stated precisely.

"It's like an Izzy lecture," Matt complained, siting up with a glare.

Before his husband could leap over the desk to assault the woman, Joe spoke up, "If you would tell us what happened today, I'm sure we can figure out the appropriate course of action."

"This young man here," Mrs. Tsuou began, waving at Aiko who was sitting with the same sullen look Joe had seen on Matt so many times, and Joe was amazed at how quickly he'd picked up the expression, "was insolent, rude, and declined to participate in required classroom activities. He was reprimanded in front of his peers and still refused to change his attitude."

"Aiko," Joe chastised softly. He'd thought that, at most, the boy had slept through a lecture on something he'd already learned on his own.

"Way to go, Aiko!" Tsukuyomi called from the hallway, the two kids obviously listening in, and Matt snapped his fingers at them like they were misbehaving puppies.

"That's not fair," Aiko pouted, ignoring his step-siblings. "I wanted to do my work, I really did, but she wouldn't let me do it right."

"What are you talking about, Aiko?" Joe asked. "You always do your schoolwork the way you're supposed to."

"And that's what he was having problems with, Mr. Ishida." Mrs. Tsuou said sternly. "I warned him to complete the assignment properly and that was when he rebelled."

"What was it?" Matt asked, keeping one eye on the kids in the hallway. He was sure they would run off soon, just because they were getting bored.

"I told you, he became defiant and -"

"No, I mean, what was the assignment?" Matt clarified, not liking the woman's tone. Dumb teachers always thought he was below them...

"I have it right here." Mrs. Tsuou reached into her desk and pulled out a simple piece of paper. "For the remainder of our final period, all the students were to create a family tree, and fill out their information from their grandparents to themselves."

"That's not too hard," Joe said. He looked at Aiko, taking the paper in his hands. "Why were you having trouble with such a simple assignment?"

"Because," Aiko looked at his shoes, embarrassed, "I didn't know which one of you to put for my mom." Joe blushed and even Matt didn't yell at Hanako for giggling in the hallway. "And when I told Mrs. Tsuou that, she said she didn't believe me! She said that I knew who was my mom and who was my dad, but it's so confusing when I had a mom and she died and the person everyone told me was my dad died before I was born and then you're my dad and then Mr. Ishida's also my dad!" He looked like he was about to cry in frustration, and Joe reached out to squeeze his shoulders.

Matt, however, glared at the teacher, picking up on something other than his step-son's confusion. "You called my kid a liar?"

"N-no," Mrs. Tsuou said, flustered. She hadn't expected such a torrent from the usually quiet boy, and was now double thinking her two-parent policy. "I merely told Aiko that he should know who his parents are."

"Couldn't you have just crossed out the 'Mom' and 'Dad' parts?" Joe suggested, and Aiko shook his head.

"I tried that, and Mrs. Tsuou said I was ruining it. She took my first paper away and made me start over. I said I was only trying to do my best, and she made me stand in front of the class and yelled at me for being disruptive."

Definitely next time, she would only tell the parents that only one was necessary as now both men were staring her down.

"Let me get this straight," Joe growled, and Matt found a new appreciation for his husband's anger. "You gave my child a busywork assignment when you could have actually been teaching, you told him to fill out his family, and when he did, you said it was wrong? When he informed you of how his 'non-traditional family unit' was set up, you berated him in front of his peers, something that you should know will impact his personal development that you are supposed to be in charge of?"

Joe stood, helping Aiko to his feet. "I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, Mrs. Tsuou, as I'm sure the principal will be thrilled to hear of your conduct in front of the other children. Come along, Matt, our business here is done."

Matt stuck his tongue out at the stunned teacher, rushing to catch up to his husband who was swiftly moving down the hall. Even Hanako and Tsukuyomi decided it was better to wait to congratulate Aiko for standing up for himself. Joe waited until he was in the car to look to his son, stating simply, "Just so you know for next time, Matt is your mother."