AN: As promised, we get a tiny little glimpse into the future here! That does mean spoilers for the future of The Path Not Taken (not many spoilers, and not ones that should surprise anyone who has ever read another of my multi-chaps, but technically spoilers nonetheless).
PHOENIX FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS
SOMEWHERE IN LA
Matty walked into the conference room just as Mac concluded the Esio Trot science lesson with something that could only be described as dramatic flourish.
Cassian was looking at the diagram Mac had drawn and patiently explained with a mixture of child-like curiosity and wonder.
(Clearly, Mac took after both of his parents. Ellen had been a wonderful and inspiring teacher.)
Jack, meanwhile, seemed to have dozed off a little but perked up when Mac finished talking about science (Matty supposed he couldn't be blamed given how many of Baby Einstein's science lessons he had to listen to in the field), got up, stretched and clapped his hands together with a grin.
'Now that Mr MacGyver and Miss Morgan and Dr Taylor's science class is done, who wants ice cream on me?'
Of course, the response was an enthusiastic yes.
Who doesn't love ice cream?
Especially rocky road.
I did some math based on big data – like ice cream sales and thousands of product reviews – that proved that it was the superior flavour of ice cream.
So far, it hasn't convinced anyone.
I'm still working on it, don't worry.
JACK'S FAVOURITE ICE CREAM STORE
LA
'…Come on, Riley, have a taste! I promise you, it will change your life!'
Bozer held out his cup of hazelnut and mint choc-chip with strawberry sauce over the top to Riley, who was making a face.
She held up her own scoop of cookie dough in a waffle cone.
'I'll stick with this, thanks, Boze…'
He actually pouted.
'Come on! When have I ever let you down when it comes to food, Miss Davis?'
Sitting on the other side of Riley, Jill and Beth, both tucking into their own cups of ice cream (double chocolate fudge and blueberry pie, respectively) shared an amused glance as they watched Bozer and Riley and chatted. Jill pulled out her phone, and brought up a text from Alex that had both women giggling into their ice cream within seconds.
On Beth's other side, sitting next to her on one of the ice cream parlour's colourful pastel benches, Mac was regaling Cassian with the history of the waffle cone between bites of rocky road (in a waffle cone, of course), while Cassian listened and occasionally interjected with a question when his mouth wasn't full of birthday cake ice cream with extra sprinkles.
Diane sat on Cassian's other side, elegantly eating her cone of dulche de leche, while Jack, sitting next to her, indulged in good old-fashioned butter pecan and occasionally dared to try and steal some of Diane's while she was distracted. Matty, who was on Jack's other side and eating rum and raisin ice cream, kept slapping his hand and glaring at him.
It is a testimony to the power of ice cream's deliciousness that Jack kept trying, despite Matty's glares.
Seriously.
You guys know how scary she can be.
TWENTY-THREE YEARS LATER
JACK AND DIANE'S NEW HOUSE
JUST OUTSIDE OF LA
The man who'd grown from the boy Cassian smiled fondly as he unpacked a box of carefully-packed pieces of art for his adoptive mother and the best father he'd ever had.
Jack and Diane had made the decision to move out of Jack's apartment and to a nice house a little way out of LA to better enjoy their retirement, now that the grandkids were in college, heading off to college within the next couple of years or even done with college.
Carefully, he pulled out a drawing on green construction paper, his eyes widening as he recognized it.
That day at the ice cream parlour, the day he'd met Diane…
The day he'd started thinking that maybe, just maybe, he was part of a family.
(Not just a secret or a burden or some kind of prisoner, even if his prison was very nice.)
He smiled, stroking the corner of it fondly.
He'd just put it down on the coffee table when Diane walked in, carrying a large box, and he immediately rushed over to help her with it, even as she shook her head with fond exasperation.
'I'm not frail yet.'
He put his hands up with a disarming smile that he'd picked up from Mac.
'I'm not saying you are, I just wanted to help.'
Diane shook her head again fondly, but let him help her with the box (which was heavy), before her eyes fell on his childhood drawing and her smile widened.
'That'll be a nice memory to share at our housewarming barbecue tonight.'
The whole family was going to be there that night to enjoy Bozer's incredible burgers.
(Beth had declared Jack could have one, even with his cholesterol levels that now had to be monitored regularly and required medication.)
(Hedy had flown home for the weekend from college for the occasion, so that made it a very, very special one.)
He smiled.
'Honestly, I can't believe you kept it…'
Diane smiled knowingly.
'Of course I kept it. I knew it was special to you.'
He smiled a little wider, and leaned over to pull her into a side-hug.
'Thanks, Mom.'
They stood there in comfortable, loving silence for a beat, before Diane's smile turned more teasing and she turned to her adopted son.
'Now, is Annabelle coming tonight?'
His cheeks pinked a little, and he rubbed the back of his neck.
'Well, uh, yeah, but make sure everyone doesn't make a big deal of it, okay? We're still pretty new, and you know how the family can get…'
Diane snorted and somehow managed to make it an elegant, dignified sound.
'You two are not that new, it was past time you got your act together. And she already knows everyone.'
Oh, they were going to greet with her various permutations of welcome to the family.
He knew it.
Especially Jack.
(That man had no sense of subtlety whatsoever, and lived for embarrassing his kids and grandkids.)
Well, that was family.
He wouldn't have them any other way.
AN: I did say it was a glimpse into the future! I never specified how far!
It's been a really, really tough day (the end of Honours year is tough – I've got a presentation, a thesis due-date and an oral exam all within the next three weeks!), but proof-reading and publishing some fluff did help!
(Yes, I'm aware I've just revealed that The Path Not Taken's universe has an aggressively happy ending. I really like aggressively happy endings, especially when real life can be tough and miserable and doesn't have said happy endings, so…apologies to those who have different preferences?)