A/N: All right, well, since no one objected, here's another chapter!

When I woke up the next morning, I opened my eyes to see neither my son nor husband in the bed with me. I sat up and looked to the chair in the corner...sometimes they like to sit there in the morning, and stare out the window. They weren't there this morning, though.

Getting out of bed, I grabbed my robe from the chair, slung it over my shoulders, then made the bed before I left the room to head to the kitchen. Walking into the kitchen, I half expected to see Rich and James eating breakfast, but they weren't there either. Stepping up to the counter, I saw that Rich had made some coffee for me...since he doesn't drink it, unless he's flying at night or long distance. I took my mug from last night off the drying rack and poured some coffee into it.

After taking a sip of the beverage, I went to look for the other two. I wasn't worried that they weren't where I thought they would be; they had to be in the house somewhere since there was no note saying they went somewhere else.

I wandered through the main level of our home, then headed back up stairs when I didn't find them. I looked in James' room, thinking maybe they were playing some sort of game, but they weren't there. Going to the end of the hall, to the office, I opened the door to see Rich and James sitting at the computer; James was hugging his stuffed bear to his chest and sitting on Rich's lap as he typed.

"Here you two are," I said, taking another sip of the coffee in my hands.

Rich spun the chair around and both of them smiled at me. I smiled back, then noticed both were still in pajamas, also (Rich had thrown on an old, long-sleeved, button down shirt to keep warm).

"Mummy!" James exclaimed, trying to wiggle off Rich's lap to come to me. James' accent wass very obvious when he yelled or wass excited.

Rich lifted him off his lap, and James ran over to me...never letting go of his bear.

I set my mug on the small table next to the door and picked James up. I kissed his cheek with a resounding 'mwah' as he giggled.

"What are you two doing?" I asked him, brushing his hair away from his eyes again.

"Daddy's reading about Germany," he answered.

"Really?"

James nodded vigorously.

"And what are you doing?" I put my forehead against his, touching my nose to his, also.

"Looking at pictures," he said, softly.

"Ahh," I grinned, then took a few steps over to Rich, bent down, and kissed him. "Morning," I said softly to him.

"Good morning," he replied.

"Did you e-mail Dave and Bridgette?" I asked, standing up right.

"Yes, we should hear from them by tomorrow afternoon at the latest," he said.

"And did you call Sharon?"

"Not yet. I was waiting for you to wake up," he grinned.

I half grinned and said a 'thank you' before turning my attention back to James. He frowned at me.

"Why's daddy calling Auntie Sharon?" he asked.

I glanced at Rich before I set James on the floor. I then sat on the floor in front of him, pulling him down onto my lap, and wrapping my arms securely around him.

"Well, sweetie, daddy and I are flying again, so you'll get to spend a few days with Aunt Sharon, Uncle Jeff, and your cousin Cole," I said, closing my eyes.

"But daddy just came home," James muttered.

"I know, but it's his job...and mine, too," I rested my cheek on his head, convincing not only him, but myself as well.

"When do you leave?" he asked.

"Friday afternoon," Rich answered.

I opened my eyes to look at Rich. He told me the end of the week...I was expecting Saturday night, not Friday.

"Where are you going?"

"What pictures were you looking at?" Rich asked, sitting back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Germany!" he said with excitement, making me jerk my head off his because he was loud.

"That's right. Then we're going to New York in America, where Uncle Roy lives, then we come home," Rich continued.

"When do you come home?"

"Less than a week. Maybe five or six days," I answered.

"Will you get me something?"

"Of course. Don't we always get you something?" I countered.

James nodded, then tried to get off my lap, so I released him. He stood, dropping his bear, and stepped in front of Rich.

"Can I go?" he asked, innocently.

Rich chuckled, picking him up. "Not yet, son. You're still too young."

I've wanted to take him every time, but knew we couldn't do that to him.

James pouted, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff.

Since James dropped Zeke, I picked him up, feeling the soft, almost silky, fabric of the bear under my fingers.

"In a few years you can, though," Rich added.

James seemed to perk up a little.

"Did you eat breakfast yet?" I asked both of them, changing the subject.

"No. Daddy won't make me anything," James replied.

"I didn't say I wouldn't, I said I couldn't," Rich defended tickling James, making him giggle with a squeal, then looked at me.

"Well, that's true," I smirked.

Rich gave me a sarcastic grin.

"Are you two up for pancakes?" I asked, looking between the two.

"Yes!" James screeched as Rich stopped tickling him.

"Shh," Rich said to James with a smile, covering his mouth, then looked at me. "Sure."

"Okay. James, get dressed, then put your toys from yesterday away. I'm going to take a quick shower, then I'll come to your room to get you, okay?" I said, standing from the floor.

"Yes, mummy," he answered.

Rich set him back on the floor and he ran out of the room, thumping down the hall.

"James," I called him back.

There was more thumping as he ran back, then he stuck his head through the door.

"Take Zeke with you," I said, holding the bear out to him.

He came into the room, took Zeke, then ran back out and down to his room.

Sighing, I turned my head to take a quick glance at Rich, then headed to the door.

"Jo," Rich said softly, just as I reached for my coffee.

When I turned around to face him, he stood from the chair and stepped towards me.

"Are you going be all right?" he asked, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Yes, I'm fine...will be," I answered, smiling half-heartedly.

I then turned from his grasp and headed to the bathroom, clutching my mug a little harder than I possibly should.

In the bathroom, I closed the door (finishing my coffee and setting the mug next to the sink), then turned on the water for the shower, letting it heat up. While it heated, I took off my pajamas and robe, placing them on the hook on the back of the door. When I felt the water was hot enough, I pulled the curtain back and stepped in. Letting the water fall over me, I stood so the water hit my face and the top of my head.

Hearing the door open and close, I figured Rich came in. I had a feeling he wouldn't let me be.

I heard the rustle of clothes, then the rustle of the curtain. From behind me, Rich wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into him. He kissed my shoulder.

Turning in the circle of his strong arms, I put my head in the crook of his neck, then brought my arms up to hold onto the backs of his shoulders.

His left hand slid up and down my back, as he rested his chin on my shoulder.

"I wish we could take him with us," I said sadly, muffled from the position of my head.

"As do I, but he's too young yet," Rich said in my ear.

I nodded, then tightened my grip on him.

We stood that way, under the water, for a few minutes before I lifted my head. Rich picked his head up off my shoulder and stared down at me.

"I'm fine," I said, staring back. "Really. I'm fine, now."

"You're sure?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I'm damn sure," I smiled, then put my hand on the back of his head, pulling him down for a passionate kiss. "At least...I will be until Friday," I added after we parted.

"That's understandable. I just don't want to have to drag you out of Sharon's house kicking and screaming," he smirked.

"I won't do that...I might cry, though," I replied, smacking his arm.

"I can deal with that better than kicking and screaming."

I sighed dramatically before picking up the soap and washing. We all had to eat yet, so (to prevent any thoughts from entering Rich's head) I cleaned up quickly, then got out of the shower as I handed the soap to Rich.

After drying off, I put my robe back on, then took my empty mug and headed to our bedroom to get dressed.

I put on a pair of old jeans and a gray tank top with a green zip-up hoodie over it. Just as I was zipping up my hoodie, Rich walked into the room, wearing just a towel. I pulled my shoulder blade length hair up into a pony tail, while Rich got dressed.

"Will you call Sharon while I make breakfast?" I asked, facing him.

"I was planning on it," he replied, pulling a dark blue sweater over his head.

"Good," I mumbled.

I walked out of our room and down the hall to James' room. Standing in the door frame, I watched my son as he put the last of his toys into the trunk under the window. When he closed the lid, he picked Zeke up off the floor (from where he lay next to the trunk), and put him in the middle of his pillows on the bed.

He loves that bear so much...

When James turned away from the bed, he looked at me and smiled. I smiled back, then crooked a finger, indicating he should come over to me. He smiled very widely at me, then ran and jumped into my arms. I caught him with an 'umph' and kissed his cheek.

"Ready for breakfast?" I asked him.

"Yup," he said, nodding.

I carried James downstairs and into the kitchen, where I set him on the floor. He went over to the table and crawled up to sit in his chair. While he sat, swinging his feet, I went around the kitchen gathering ingredients and equipment. As I put the ingredients in a bowl, I looked over at James.

"Do you want to stir?" I asked.

He immediately jumped off his chair and came over to me quickly.

Since he was too short to reach the counter top, I went to the pantry and took out the step-stool. Sliding it up against the counter, he climbed up. I slid the bowl of ingredients over to him, handing him the wooden spoon.

"When do we stop stirring?" I asked. We've made pancakes so many times, James knows how the batter should look when it's ready.

"When there's only a little bumps," he answered, looking up at me.

"That's right."

James stirred the batter with a look of tough concentration on his face; it made me smile.

When he was done stirring, he got down from the stool and went back to his chair.

"Mommy, can I have some juice?" James asked as I poured the batter onto the pan to make the pancakes.

"Of course, sweetie. Where's your cup?"

"Umm. I don't know. Daddy put it away."

I rolled my eyes, knowing Rich probably put his sippy cup where it shouldn't be. I looked in the cabinet where the cups live, then not seeing it there, I just opened cabinets to find it. Eventually, I found the cup in the cabinet with the plates and bowls.

"Do you want apple juice?" I asked, going to the refrigerator.

James nodded, so I took the juice out, poured it, and put the lid on the cup. I put the juice back in the refrigerator, then set the juice on the table in front of James. Then I went back to making pancakes.

Just as I was taking the last batch of cakes off the pan, Rich walked into the kitchen.

"Just in time," I said, taking the plate piled up with pancakes over to the table.

"You left your mug upstairs," he said, also putting the mug on the table.

"Oh, thank you," I said, then kissed him.

He nodded once, then went to get himself something to drink.

I got some plates and silverware out of their homes and placed them on the table, in each of our places, then refilled my mug with more coffee.

Rich and I sat down on either side of James at the small, square table, and dished out the pancakes; I cut James' cakes into bite-sized pieces before seeing to my own.

"What did Sharon have to say?" I asked Rich after a few minutes.

"She'll be home to look after him," he replied, smiling slightly.

"Okay," I sighed.

After we finished breakfast, Rich offered to clean up, and I wasn't going to complain. He made a bunch of suds in the sink...which caught the eye of James, who obviously wanted to help, just to play in the bubbles.

While they cleaned up, I went into the sitting room to rekindle the fire. I had just lit the wood, when I heard laughing from the kitchen.

"Jo," Rich called.

I got up from the fireplace ledge and went into the kitchen. As soon as I looked in, I started laughing. James had soap suds piled on top of his head, his shirt was soaked, with suds on his shoulders, there were some suds on his nose, and he held piles of bubbles in his hands.

Rich was standing next to him, chuckling, with his own shirt slightly wet.

"What happened in here?" I asked, still laughing.

"This one dropped a plate in the sink, getting me soapy, then decided it wasn't fair that I was covered in soap, so he collected all the bubbles, and put them on himself," Rich answered, looking at James with a grin.

"I see. Well, since you're already wet, let's get you in the tub," I said to James.

"Do I have to?" he whined.

"Yes. You were going to get a bath today, anyway."

"Okay," he sighed, giving in.

Rich took the bubbles off James' head and body, then lifted him off the stool and onto the floor. James started walking towards the stairs.

"Hey, hey, mister. Just wait. Don't go onto the carpet when you're so wet," I said, making him stop just before he reached the carpet of the hallway. I turned and stepped closer to Rich. "And you: don't change out of that shirt just yet," I whispered so James wouldn't hear, then grinned mischievously.

Rich raised an eyebrow, grinning, as I turned back to James. As I walked over to him, I pushed up my sleeves, then wrapped my arms around his waist, picking him up, carrying him up the stairs to the bathroom.

A/N: All right, there you go. I kinda cut it off at a not-so-good-spot, but I didn't want to make it too long.

You know what would be awesome? If I got some reviews. I don't care how long they are...they could be one or two wrods for all I care, but I'd like to know if you like this or not and if I should continue.