Part Five

Ted closes the sofa bed and puts the cushions back in place. He looks over when he hears footsteps. "Good morning," he says when he sees Mike.

"Morning." Mike smiles at Ted. "Get to bed at a decent hour?"

Ted rolls his eyes. "Was in bed shortly after all of you."

"With…"

"Alone." He licks his lips as he looks at his oldest son. "I kissed her."

"Yeah?" Mike grins. "What'd she do?"

"Kissed me back."

"That's good then, right?"

Ted nods. "What do I do now?"

"I don't know. Ask her out on a real date. Just keep talking to her."

Ted nods again. "I haven't done this in ages."

"I know you haven't, Daddy. But I know you can." Mike smiles at Ted. "You can, Daddy. Just be yourself. She obviously likes you. So just let her know that the kiss wasn't a one-time thing."

"Do I just blurt that out?"

Mike laughs softly. "No. Show her. Kiss her again."

"You kissed Kelly?" Teddy asks walking in.

Ted sighs. "Yes," he answers. "Now keep quiet. The entire world doesn't need to know."

Teddy laughs softly. "I think you should ask her out. Make her weak in the knees."

Ted raises an eyebrow at his son. "Weak in the knees? Is that what you do to Maryse?"

Teddy grins. "And then some."

"Right, I don't want to know any more than that."

Mike chuckles. "John always tells me there are times when he'd drop to his knees just by a look I give him."

Ted wrinkles his nose. "Michael…"

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad. You're telling me you've never had someone…"

"Michael, I am not going to discuss my sex life with my children."

"Want to hear about mine then?"

"Not exactly."

"Good, because lately there hasn't been one." Mike shrugs. "Guess that's what we get for having kids."

Ted nods. "Been there, done that."

"Who was the worst at interrupting you?" Teddy asks.

"Surprisingly you were."

"Really? I would have thought it would be Brett."

Ted laughs softly. "You'd think that. But at night it was you who became clingy. Mama's boy."

Teddy grins. "Yeah, what can I say?"

Ted shakes his head. "I'd do it all over again though."

"Oh, God, he's getting mushy," Mike says.

Ted laughs softly. "I am not. I'm just saying you boys are my life."

"Mushy, Dad!" Mike smiles as he shrugs. "But I do owe you this." He steps over and hugs Ted.

Ted smiles as he hugs Mike. "Thank you, Michael." He pulls back and smiles at him. "All right, so who's going to help me with breakfast?"

"We both will," Teddy says.

"Count me in," Brett says walking in.

Ted smiles as he walks into the kitchen. He won't deny that he misses this. He always loved having the boys helping him in the kitchen. He could still remember the messes he had to clean up because of them. He'd definitely do it all again.

"So, Daddy," Brett says. "How was the kiss?"

Ted looks over and frowns at him. "How'd you know about that?"

Brett chuckles. "Joe was walking to the bathroom when it happened."

"Of course."

"Well?"

"It was… perfect." He groans as he pulls out the griddle. "We're done talking about this now."

******

Kelly walks downstairs and makes her way down the hall. She smiles when she sees the kids sitting in the living room watching cartoons. When she hears sound in the kitchen, she walks over to find Ted with his three boys cooking. Mike looks over.

"Good morning," he says.

Kelly grins. "Morning."

Ted looks over and smiles. "Sleep well?" he asks.

"I did. The bed is really comfy. May have to look into getting myself a new mattress at home."

Ted shoots a look at Teddy when the man chuckles. "Theodore…"

"I didn't say anything," Teddy says. "I'm going to go check on my wife and daughter." He laughs softly as he walks out.

Kelly raises an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

Ted shakes his head. "No…"

"Joe caught you and Daddy kissing," Brett interrupts.

Kelly blushes. "Oh."

Mike smacks Brett in the back of the head. "Brett, shut up."

Ted sighs. "Kelly…"

"I um… I think I'll go jump in the shower. Do I have enough time?"

Brett frowns. "Kelly, I'm sorry. It's not a bad thing. I… I'm sorry."

Kelly shrugs. "It's okay."

"Breakfast will be ready in about five minutes," Ted says.

"Okay. Then I guess I'll wait to shower until after." She licks her lips before turning and walking into the living room.

Ted looks at Brett. "Was that necessary?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know she'd react like that." Brett frowns. "I'm sorry. I'll go talk to her."

"No, it's okay. I'll talk to her after breakfast."

Brett nods. "You mad at me?"

Ted shakes his head and taps his youngest son's chin. "Not mad, baby boy."

"Okay."

Kelly sits down on the couch and lets out a soft breath. She tries to focus on the cartoon that's playing, but isn't able to concentrate. Looking over at the kitchen, she takes a shaky breath. She wonders if Ted regrets kissing her.

Teddy walks in holding Emily. "Morning, Kelly," he says.

Kelly looks over and smiles. "Morning." She licks her lips when Ted walks in.

"Breakfast is ready," he says. He smiles as he takes Emily from Teddy. "Hi there, beautiful."

Teddy grins. "Have your own kids."

"I do. They're too old to hold like this." He smiles at Teddy. "Where's your wife?"

"Bathroom. Go easy on her today, guys. Baby number two gave her a rough night."

Ted frowns. "She okay?"

Teddy nods. "Yeah, just a little tired."

"Okay." Ted lets Teddy take Emily once again.

"Morning," Maryse says walking in. "Breakfast ready? I'm starving."

Ted grins. "It's ready."

"Great." She kisses Ted's cheek before kissing Teddy. "Can you feed Emily?"

Teddy nods. "Of course. Want me to get your food?"

"No, I can. Thank you." Maryse walks into the kitchen, rubbing her stomach.

Kelly licks her lips as she watches the scene. She wants to have kids of her own. She wants her kids' father to be sweet and amazing like Teddy was with Maryse. She wants it with Ted. Frowning, Kelly looks away. She shouldn't have thought that.

"Kelly," Ted says.

Kelly looks up and smiles. She's sure it came out sadly, but at least she could get it out. "So, pancakes and French toast, right?"

Ted nods as he sits down beside Kelly. "You okay?"

Kelly nods. "Yeah, I just…" She shrugs. "I'm sorry about last night."

He frowns as he looks at her. "Sorry? For what?"

"The… well… we kissed."

"Yes, I was there. I kissed you first."

"I…"

"Did you not want me to kiss you?"

"No, I wanted you to."

"Okay, so is there a problem?"

Kelly licks her lips. "You don't regret it?"

"Regret it? No, not at all. I was worried that I overstepped that line." Ted licks his lips. "Did I?"

She shakes her head. "No, you didn't." She smiles shyly at him. "So, what now?"

He grins. He sees Joe and John walk through, waiting until they're in the kitchen before continuing. "Now, I ask you to dinner. How's Wednesday?"

She smiles once again, this time wider. "Wednesday is perfect."

"Good. Now, how about breakfast?"

"Breakfast sounds good."

"Good." They stand up and walk into the kitchen. Ted grabs a plate, handing it to Kelly. "Take whatever you'd like. There is plenty of everything."

"Okay. Thank you." After Kelly gets her food, she turns toward the table. She licks her lips nervously. When Ted rests his hand on her lower back, her tension eases. She's not surprised when Ted sits at the head of the table. She sits down in the empty chair to his left.

After she finishes, Kelly pushes her plate forward and continues to listen to the conversation going on. It's nice to be able to have conversations going on during her meals. She hates eating alone, but it's what she does most days. She'll occasionally get together with Eve and Drew, but they're work schedules are just as crazy as Kelly's. So even though she's not a part of the actual conversation, it's nice to hear.

Ted chuckles as Brett starts whining about his job. "Be glad you have a job," he says.

"I am," Brett mutters. "It's just annoying."

Ted nods. "Marry rich then."

Joe snorts. "Better find someone else then."

Brett frowns. "No, I don't want to find anyone else."

Joe rests his arm on the back of Brett's chair. "Good."

Kelly smiles as she looks over at them. She loves seeing a family like this. When she looks down to John and Mike, she can't help but smile even more.

"When do we get to go out on the boat?" Grayson asks.

"Later," John answers. "Let's worry about finishing breakfast and cleaning up the kitchen."

Kelly looks at Ted to find him watching her. She blushes a little. "What?" she asks.

"Nothing," Ted answers. "You just seem mesmerized by everything."

Kelly laughs softly. "I'm not used to any of this. I didn't have a normal childhood. My adulthood has consisted of working at Applebee's and having my meals alone most of the time. I don't mind the working aspect of it. I would like more company though. Never been thrilled about doing everything on my own. I would love to have someone to lean on at times." She shrugs. "I guess I'm just tired of having to be independent. Yes, I like that I can do what I want when I want. But what's the fun in that when I don't have someone to share it with." She licks her lips, realizing she'd just vented that all out to the entire table. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let that out like that."

Ted grins. "It's okay."

"Daddy would love to keep you company," Mike says.

"Michael…"

"I'm just saying. You've been eating on your own lately. And you can't tell me that you're actually enjoying it."

Ted chuckles. "No, not particularly."

"See." Mike grins.

Ted rolls his eyes. "Are you sure you're my son?"

"Absolutely." Mike smiles widely. "Can't ya tell? All right, kids, brings your stuff into the kitchen and wash them. Boys, do not make your sister wash your plates. I will throw you in the lake if you do."

Kelly has to turn away to keep from laughing. Ted smiles at her as he stands up. He reaches over and takes her plate, not surprised when she frowns up at him.

"It's okay," he says. "I've got it."

Kelly sighs but nods. "Okay."

Ted winks at her before walking into the kitchen. He's not surprised that she was going to argue with him about it.

Kelly walks into the living room a little while later. She'd showered and gotten dressed right after breakfast. Now the rest were doing the same. She takes a seat on the lounge bench by the window and looks outside. She smiles at the sight. It looks like a gorgeous day; a perfect day to be out on the boat.

"We usually stop out in the lake so everyone can swim," Ted says as he walks in. "You don't have to get in. I'm just letting you know what's going on. Maryse will bring a book a lot of times."

"How long do you stay out there?" Kelly asks.

Ted shrugs. "Depends. Sometimes it's longer than others. It just depends on how everyone is and what it's like out there."

Kelly nods. "Do you guys fish too?"

"Not out on the boat like this. But we do."

"Would you teach me?"

Ted grins. "Sure. We'll probably do some later on."

"Okay." Kelly smiles up at him. "Would it be too weird to ask you to kiss me again? I mean, I don't… well, I just…"

Ted leans down, kissing her before she can continues. He rests one hand on the back of the lounger. Kelly makes a tiny noise as she reaches up to rest her hands on his cheeks. It's just as soft as the one they shared last night, but unlike that one this one is a bit deeper. The soft feel of his tongue against hers is making her melt. When someone clears their throat, Ted pulls back.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mike says, "but the kids aren't being patient."

Ted grins. "Okay. Well, help me get the things onto the boat."

"We already did that. Other than the cooler."

"Okay. Then start getting everyone on the boat. We'll be out in a minute."

Mike laughs. "Okay."

Ted looks at Kelly, not surprised to see her looking a little nervous. "They're okay with this."

Kelly nods. "I know. Just didn't expect any of this."

Ted nods. "I understand. I didn't plan any of this. I hope you know that."

She smiles up at him. "I know that." She stands up and grabs her sunglasses from the table. "Do I get to drive today?"

He laughs softly. "I'll think about it. Did you need to change or anything?"

She shakes her head. "No. I wore my bathing suit under my clothes." She shrugs. "Figured it may be easier that way. I did forget to bring a towel though."

"That's okay. We have plenty. So you can use one of ours."

"Okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Kelly slides her sunglasses on as she follows Ted outside. She smiles when she sees the kids running toward the boat. She could definitely get used to this. Frowning, she looks away. What is she thinking? She can't be thinking about any of that right now. This could turn out to be nothing; though that would be on Ted's part because she knows what she felt when he kissed her.

When Ted pulls the boat to a stop a short time later, Kelly looks around. She smiles at the scene surrounding them. It's beautiful out here. She watches as the boys stand up. Mike turns to his own boys and starts giving them some rules. She wonders if it was the same rules that Ted gave them.

Maryse walks over and sits beside Kelly. "They're all crazy," she says with a smile.

Kelly looks at her. "So I've noticed."

"You have your suit on, yes? Strip and we'll lay out and talk."

Kelly grins. "Okay." She stands up, pulling her tank top off. She slips out of her shorts. "You don't get in?"

"I will in a little bit. But I'll let the boys play for a while before making Teddy come watch his daughter. Besides, I don't want to spend too much time in when I'm this pregnant. I know it's still safe, but it's just something that makes me a little jittery."

"You have to do what's best for you and the baby." She takes the towel from Maryse and lays it out on the boat. She smiles as she takes the other towels to use as a pillow. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They settle down as they can hear the others laughing and having a good time in the water. Kelly looks at Maryse and smiles. Yes, she could definitely get used to this. She shouldn't be getting used to it quite yet, but she can't help it.

When they return to the cabin, Kelly isn't surprised that all the kids immediately plop on the couch. She smiles as she looks over at Ted. Her smile turns into a blush when she sees him watching her. She can't believe the way he makes her feel and can't help but wonder if this is what it feels like when it's real. Maybe it's something she should have asked Maryse if this is how she feels with Teddy.

She turns away to hide the blush that is increasing. She can feel her cheeks burning. This can't be normal. When a hand rests on her shoulder, she jumps a little. Ted holds his hands up.

"Sorry," he says. "Didn't mean to scare you."

Kelly looks at him. "It's okay, just wasn't expecting it."

Ted nods. "You up for taking a walk?"

Kelly grins. "Sure. Let me go change my shoes."

"Sure. I have to as well."

Kelly follows Ted outside a few minutes later. She smiles at him as they head toward the trail she had seen earlier. "You're bringing me out to the woods, should I be worried?"

He laughs softly. "No. Just thought we could get away for a few minutes."

"I like that idea." She slides her arm through Ted's, hoping he won't mind.

Ted smiles at her as they make their way through the wooded area. He's glad they're able to get away for a few minutes.

"It isn't weird that I'm younger than two of your sons and barely older than the other, is it?" she asks.

He laughs softly. "No, not really. I can't say it's what I expected, but it's not weird. Are you okay with it?"

She nods. "I just don't want things to be weird with anyone."

"They won't be. My boys like you. They'll be the first, well behind me, to stand up to anyone who says something about this."

She grins. "Okay." She stops, pulling on Ted's arm to get him to stop as well. She smiles when he turns toward her. She slides her hands up his arms as she takes a step closer.

He slides his arms around Kelly's waist as he leans down, kissing her softly. She lets out a soft noise and wraps her arms around his neck. This is perfect; something Kelly is definitely not used to. They pull apart a few moments later. Kelly smiles shyly up at him. She doesn't know why she's so shy now, it's not like she's on a different page than he is. It's obvious that they both want this.

Kelly zips her bag and takes a look around the room. She can't believe it's already Monday. The weekend had been amazing. Kelly doesn't think she's ever had this much fun before and hates that it has to end. But with everything that's happening between her and Ted it's not ending completely. She grabs her things before heading downstairs. She walks into the living room and is met by Teddy taking her bags.

"Thank you," she says.

"You're welcome," he says.

She steps to the side to let Teddy walk outside before turning to see Ted walking out of the kitchen. She smiles as he looks over at her. "So, um… thanks for letting me come."

He grins and nods. "You're welcome. I'm glad you came." He reaches up and slides his fingertips over her cheek. "It was definitely a good weekend."

She giggles. "It was." She licks her lips. "And then Wednesday…" She trails off, not sure how to even approach the subject.

"Wednesday I take a beautiful woman to dinner."

She smiles brightly at that. She doesn't have a chance to say anything else as Mike and John walk in. She takes a step back so they can get by.

"Sorry to interrupt," Mike says with a smile.

Ted looks at him. "I'm sure you are," he responds.

"We're just about ready."

Ted nods. "Okay." He watches as Mike and John walk out before looking at Kelly again. "Ready for another ride?"

Kelly nods. "I am." She licks her lips as her mind wonders to somewhere it shouldn't. She turns away from Ted. "Is everything out?"

"Yes." He smiles as he rests his hands on her shoulders. "Good to know I'm not the only one who had thoughts of something I shouldn't have just then."

She laughs softly. "Glad I'm not alone." She licks her lips.

"Daddy," Brett says walking in. "We're ready."

"We've double checked everything?" Ted asks.

Brett nods. "I have, Teddy has, and John has."

"Okay. Then let's go."

Kelly climbs onto the bike behind Ted. She smiles as she wraps her arms around his waist, holding onto him as he pulls away. As they get going at a steady rate, she turns her head and rests her cheek on his back. Ted smiles as he rests his hand over hers.

After they get back to Ted's house, Kelly reluctantly climbs off the bike. She licks her lips as she stretches, taking a step back when Ted moves to climb off. He smiles at her.

"Did you want to stay for dinner?" he asks.

Kelly grins. "I think I'm going to head home, but thank you. I had a great time."

Ted nods. "Me too." He walks over to Teddy's SUV with her to help her with her bags. "You awake enough to drive home?"

Kelly laughs softly. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm not too far from here."

"Okay." He puts Kelly's bags in the trunk of her car. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She smiles up at him. "Okay." She opens her door but doesn't turn away from Ted just yet. "Thanks for inviting me."

"You're welcome." He leans down and kisses her softly. "Bye, Kelly."

"Bye, Ted."