What Matters Most

Post 2x17. A look of what happened years ahead of when the show ended. Julia and Michael take the kids on a trip, in hopes of getting Artie's mind off the fact Monica is getting married again, until their plans don't go as they thought. Sorry about sucky summary, story is better!

A/N: no one is going to read this anyways because I know the show is been over for a while and a lot of stuff has happened in between but I blame Netflix for putting Smash on one of my frustrated endings list and I so love Michael and Julia, and come on how can you not fall in love with Will Chase? Fight it, I dare you.

I own nothing!

Part II

Summer

By the looks of it, Artie seemed to be giving the whole moving in thing a rest, the next few days went on without a hitch really, Julia enjoyed seeing Michael and Leo finally having some sort of relationship, like the one they had had once before the whole affair thing started. She knew it was hard for them but at least they were trying.

Disneyland came and went, Artie and Gracie looked like two peas in a pod, and Michael seemed too, adorable to say the least. He'd called her a coward because she had refused to go on roller coasters with him, Artie, though, didn't seem to keen to stop, Gracie had pouted when she had realized she wasn't tall enough to come along. "Daddy I want to come too!" Stubborn to say the least.

"You can't sweetie, you need to be a little bit taller for it." He crouched to her level, Artie gave the man at the gate an apologetic look.

"When will that be?" She frowned.

"A couple years." Her eyes widened.

"When is that?" She asked again. Michael explained she'd be going when she was almost as tall at her brother, which didn't help. Julia held on to the little girl's hand as she sat down on a bench, Jack's stroller next to her.

"It's okay Gracie, listen, I can't come to the game either and you don't see me crying, do you?" She blinked the tears away.

"But you're taller than Artie, don't you wanna do it?"

Julia sighed, she leaned closer to her daughther, her fingers brushing her nose sweetly. "I'm going to let you in a little secret okay?" Gracie nodded. "Mommy's sort of terrified of going up there, and I'd hated if I stayed here on my own." Gracie gave this a thought, yeah Jack was no use at all, he'd fallen asleep.

"I'll stay with you mommy!" She said with a smile, taking her hand.

"Will you do that? thank you." She kissed her cheek as the little girl smiled and they watched together as the boys made it down the game. Leo and Artie had wonderment in their eyes.

"Dad, can we go again?" the little boy asked, Julia looked at Michael as he rolled his eyes at her laughter.

"How about you and Leo go alone this time bud, I'm going to hang out with the girls and Jack for a bit okay?" Artie looked sad, until Leo whispered something in his ear and the two of them broke into a run to make a line again.

"What happened?" Julia asked when her husband collapsed next to her. "Are you feeling a little old baby?"

"Laugh all you want." He said placing Gracie on her lap. "I'm not old by the way, I'll have you known I was the king of adrenaline back in the day."

"I'm sure you were." Julia laughed.

"Daddy, were you scared?" Gracie asked. "Cause mommy was, but she wants you and her to go on a game."

Julia blushed. "Does she now?"

"Yes, but she says she doesn't wanna do this one, I don't want either daddy, can we go get some lunch instead?" Michael suddenly felt light headed.

"Michael?"

"Yeah Jules?" She took an apple juice out of Jack's diaper bag, handing it to him.

"Drink this." She said so motherly like that he rolled his eyes.

"Daddy." Gracie whispered. "She means it, you better drink it." This made Michael laugh, drinking slowly. Julia smiled as she took his hand in hers, and they waited for the boys.

The plane ride home was quiet enough. They had planned on going back to New York where Monica was planning to pick up Artie and bring him home.

"So dad..."

"Yeah buddy?"

"I figured out a way to tell mom about me wanting to move and she won't be mad when you tell her." the little boy said that afternoon at home, hours before Monica was meant to come get him.

"Artie, we've talked about this buddy, it's not that simple, you know that, plus who's going to take care of your mom once you are here?"

"She's got Jim, I heard her talking about how she wanted another baby, I'm sure she won't even have time for me once she has it." Julia's heart sank.

"Honey, a baby might change a lot of things for your mom but she's always going to have time for you, that's not even a question..." She tried. Artie didn't have the chance to say anything more because the doorbell rang. Leo, who had agreed to stay after dinner, then drive back to his loft, opened the door. It was Monica.

"Julia." She said as soon as she joined Leo at the door. She asked Leo to go help Artie finish packing. It had not been easy for the two of them to make peace. But things had been worse a few years back, she refused to let Artie have some kind of relationship with his father if he didn't come to him, instead of bringing Julia and Gracie along. Her son had been the one who had told her Michael was happy and he missed him, wanting to have a relationship with his sister as well. "I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"Of course not." She said courtly. "We're happy to have Artie around, Jack and Gracie really missed having him around."

"I'm sure, all he talked about for weeks was this trip." Monica said, Gracie came bouncing a moment later, pulling Michael along. "Oh hey."

"Hi, he's almost ready, is your flight later tonight?"

"It is, I mean I know he just had a long one but Jim is in town for a convention and he said we should make the most of it and bring Artie home ourselves."

"Right." Michael peeked trough the door to see Jim waiting on the cab. "Well, he shouldn't be long now."

"Do you want cookies, Auntie Ivy and uncle Derek sent us some" Gracie asked. "They're really good!"

"No thank you ,I'm fine." Monica smiled. She saw nothing but Michael on that little girl and it hurt her, she'd always wondered what it'd be like if she and her ex- husband had stayed together.

"mom, there's something I want to tell you..." Artie came back into the room, Leo behind him.

"Hello to you too sweetie, where's your bag? You'll tell me later, we're going to be late..."

"The thing is..."

"Artie.."

"I was thinking about staying here longer, dad said it was okay if you were..." Monica's eyes focused on Michael.

"Artie, I thought your dad and I had a deal... you put him up to this?" She was starting to get angry.

"Julia said she wanted me to stay too." Artie pointed out. Leo knew what was coming. "I want to stay with her and dad..."

"Can I please talk to you for a moment?" Monica said pointing to the door. "And you, go get your things, we're leaving, whether you have anything on you or not... now."

"But mom..."

"Now Artie..."

"Well that wasn't horrible." Julia said as she and Michael got ready for bed.

"Not for you it wasn't, you weren't the one behind the door, getting ready to be yelled at." He sighed sitting on the bed. "She thinks this whole thing was my idea..."

"Well it wasn't." Julia said, her back was to the mattress and she was looking up at the ceiling. "But I know why she would think that, she doesn't really like us." Michael rolled his eyes. "She'll never like me, but she I don't see why she has to punish Artie, you could have told her it had been all me."

"What good would that do?" He laid next to her. "I'll talk to her, I don't want to make this harder, not on us and Artie, I feel like we just got him back, you know?"

"Of course." She rolled to her side. "I'm just sorry you're at this again Michael." She brushed his cheek softly. "It will get better though, just let her calm down, she can't really do much, Artie is old enough to make his own decisions about wanting to see you..."

"I know, but I feel she'll just want to take him away from me, again, I don't think I'd be able to take it Jules, I'm already missing too much."

"Oh honey, I know, and I'm so sorry..." She kissed him softly.

"Mommy? Daddy?" A small voice said from the door, Gracie's small form appeared by the door.

"Gracie, honey, what's wrong?" Julia got out of bed, picking the little girl up.

"I had a bad dream mommy..." She said quietly. Michael smiled softly next to Julia, Gracie cuddled between her parents a moment later."Can I stay here?"

Michael looked at his little girl. They really didn't allow the kids to spend the night on their bed much or else they'd never get out, but Julia understood Michael needed to be close to Gracie, as his sadness over the whole Monica debacle seemed to be getting him down.

It wasn't long before Gracie was sound sleep, her curly hair ended up against Julia's face as she laughed. "She makes it all worth it, her you and Jack." Michael said softly. "It doesn't mean I don't wish Artie was with us too but, she makes it a little better."

So it wasn't as long but I do hope you liked it! It was just a small story, although I would love to add one with the Artie celebrating Christmas in New York.

Thank you for reading :) This is my tribute to the awesomeness that is Smash.