Chapter 11

Shay Apartment
Tuesday, September 2011

It was about a half an hour later when the three Shay men were left alone in the living room after Carly and Sam went off to go shopping and Freddie going home. Granddad Shay let out a breath and looked to his son. "Carly seems pretty smitten with him."

Shay chuckled and replied, "That's one way to describe it. She loves him as friend and—"

"Like you did with Ruby?"

Shay gave his father something he rarely did: a warm smile. "Yes, like Ruby, but the difference here is that Carly may be falling in love with him and I know he's in love with her."

"It's not their love I question as much as their judgment. If she cares about him this much, how do you know she won't decide to take after you when you fell in love?"

Shay sighed before replying, "Jumping the gun a little dad?"

"Am I? You got married at eighteen, over my objections. Would you just approve if she wanted to do the same? Or would you do what I did and try to talk you out of it."

"I don't know how I could do what you did with any serious credibility, but I would suggest they wait if it came to that, which I doubt will happen at the moment. Sheesh, they're still trying to figure everything out. They've been together as a couple for a week and you think they might run off and get married."

Granddad replied in muted surprise, "I'm glad to hear that, but why? Hypocrisy is not be a character trait I would describe to you son."

"Because Carly isn't Taylor and Freddie isn't me and… they probably have more time then we did."

Granddad blinked and his face fell as he realized what his son meant. "You knew even back then."

Shay shrugged a shoulder. "I was not blind to the possibilities. We just had to take our time in a hurry. I have no regrets."

The eldest Shay nodded with the reasoning. "What if they come to the same conclusion as you did?"

"If at eighteen, they decide to, it is their decision to make, not mine or yours. However, I don't think we are going to have to worry about that."

Granddad grumbled out, "I just don't want Carly to get hurt."

Shay shook his head slightly. "We can't control that in matters of the heart dad."

"You are right about that. I trust you to handle it."

Shay rolled his eyes. "Thanks, dad; your confidence in me is overwhelming."

His father sighed heavily, "It's always going to be like this between us isn't it?"

Shay nodded somberly then replied, "Until you learn that you don't have all the answers and not try and run other people's lives, especially my children's, yeah it will be."

Granddad let out an annoyed breath. "You are a stubborn boy Steven."

The Colonel grinned. "Yes I am and I hope you're just a well meaning asshole instead of just an asshole."

Granddad cleared his throat. "Well, I think it's time for me to be going."

"I'll see again dad," he replied with a detached look.

Greg Shay then walked up and hugged his son, "I love you son."

Shay patted his father on the back. "Well… the feelings… are still mutual."

Granddad pulled back and smiled at his son. He then turned to look at Spencer, "Spencer, I'll be back for another visit soon enough. Give my love to Carly."

"I will, see you granddad," Spencer replied with a nod.

He smiled back then turned to leave. The grayish white hair man then exited the apartment and pulled the door shut.

"I'm sorry dad," Spencer whispered.

Shay looked over his shoulder to look at his son. "Well, we make our own choices Spencer: neither one of us is willing to compromise nor I will ever do that when it comes to you and Carly. So, he and I will do this song and dance until he compromises or one of us is dead."

"That's pretty bleak dad," the artist stated in a hollowed tone.

Shay fully turned around to look at his son. "Unfortunately life can be that way."

Spencer looked to the floor and nodded. He looked up a moment later and started, "About you and mom—So that's the reason why you and mom got married so early: you didn't know how much time you two had, even back then?"

Shay shook his head. "No, that's the reason why she proposed. I said yes because I loved her."

Spencer's jaw dropped.

"At least your pants didn't fall down this time," Shay grinned and shook his head then chuckled, "Why are you so surprised at that possibility? You mother was one for being unconventional."

Spencer grinned. "You're right about that. Mom could be unconventional."

Shay smiled in return.

The doorbell rang and Shay lost his smile and sighed, "Haven't we had enough surprises for the week?" He turned and walked to the apartment door. He opened the door to see a light brown haired main in his mid-forties with a dark headed teenage girl.

The Colonel blinked before he questioned in surprise, "Barry?"

"Hey Steven!" Barry Dorfman shouted cheerfully with his usual plastered grin.

"Barry!" Shay shouted and opened up his arms and pulled the slightly younger man into a hug.

"How are you doing flyboy?"

Shay patted the younger man's back, "Doing great Doc."

He pulled away smiling and looked to the brunette teenager. He leaned down and hugged his niece. "Hey Faye."

She hugged him tightly back as she replied, "Hi Uncle Steven."

Shay pulled back and looked at his brother-in-law. "So where's Tess and Ozzy?"

"Ozlottis got another scab and Tess is making sure he doesn't pick at it. Tess also has an early day tomorrow, so she couldn't make the trip."

"I'm sorry I won't be able to see them, but with Ozzy, it's called a band aid Barry and a good slap on the hand."

"I can't do that," Barry chuckled.

"You wouldn't let him stick a fork into an electrical outlet. A good slap on the hand will do wonders."

Barry chuckled happily. "Whatever you say Steven." He looked to the younger Shay. "Hey Spencer."

Spencer smiled hesitantly. "Hi Uncle Barry," then looked to his cousin. "Hi Faye."

The brunette grinned and waved at him cheerfully. "Hi Spencer."

"So where's Carly?" Faye asked eagerly.

Shay smiled to his niece. "She's out with Samantha shopping. They should be back in a little while."

"Okay," she answered then took a seat in the black chair near the door.

He then looked to the Dorfman. "Barry, I found something you might enjoy. Follow me."

Barry raised an eyebrow intrigued by Shay's surprise and followed him up the stairs and to his bedroom.

Faye looked to her older cousin. "Spencer, is it true her and Freddie are together? I mean really together as in Creddie?"

"Ah yeah," he answered hesitantly.

"Rats," Faye responded by snapping her fingers and looked downcast.

"Rats? Why do you say that?" Spencer asked with a look of surprise.

"I can't ask him out if he's dating my cousin. That would just be wrong. I can't try and take her man, but if it was Seddie… that's another matter."

Spencer blinked in surprise.

She shrugged her shoulders and grinned. "I watch iCarly. He's cute and his Fredward Cullen is dreamy."

Spencer just blinked again.

The brothers-in-law entered the master bedroom and Shay motioned towards an arcade machine tucked into a corner. "They're not allowed to use my room for storage, but I made an exception for this thing.

"It's a Pak-Rat!" Barry shouted in surprise and a grin plastered on his face.

Shay walked over patted the side of the arcade. "Yes it is. Spencer found it in a junkyard and restored it, so it completely works. Supposedly he's the highest scoring player of all time, a million points or something."

Barry waved Shay off. "Amateur, but I haven't played this since—what? Thirty years?" Barry then approached the machine and looked over to see how well Spencer had restored the machine back to its former glory.

"Sounds about right. How many days that summer did we waste in the arcade playing this thing?"

Barry chuckled, "I don't know, but it was a lot."

"You still owe me a lot of quarters," Shay commented slyly.

Barry laughed, "I let you marry my sister. We're even Steven."

Shay chuckled and patted the younger man's shoulder. "Still funny Barry."

May 1980

Steven headed for the art room for a fourth day with what Ruby had told him running through his mind. He stopped at the door once again, but this time with a hesitant look on his face.

She was wearing a green patterned bandana today as she started on her next painting. He held back a smirk because it looked like she was painting someone that was painting a picture.

"You're here even on a Friday afternoon? Everyone else can't wait to get out of here for the weekend."

She turned her head to look at him and smirked.

He noticed immediately that the large white bandage was off her face and now just a normal band-aid. That fact brought a smile to his face. However, he didn't comment, but continued with his original thought, "But you're not everyone else are you?"

She shook her head and grinned.

The long haired teenager walked over and found his seat already set out for him. He took his seat and looked at the painting. "You're painting someone painting a painting?"

She nodded and smiled as she continued adding bright colors to the canvas.

He watched as she started adding other people watching the painter paint. The other people were painted abstractly, but appeared to be enthused at what they were watching.

"Is the painter you?"

She gave a small smile as she continued to paint.

"So you really want to be a great artist?"

She laughed softly at the question before nodding.

Steven grinned. "I already think you are a great artist, but I'm biased because I like you."

She stopped painting an instant after he said he liked her. She looked to him and blinked. It looked to him as a muted expression.

The content look he had on his face vanished when she looked at him. He swallowed nervously. "Ah… was I not supposed to say that?"

He felt a tension forming in his stomach as she continued to watch him or more accurately studying him with that muted expression. He shoved the tension down hared and spoke up, "If you want be to take it back, I'm not going to: I don't apologize for caring."

She blinked at the firmness in his voice and his look at her. The next moment she leaned over on her stool and kissed his cheek.

He grinned back at her. "So I guess you like me too?"

She smiled at him and look that shined in her eyes threatened to overwhelm his sense of being.

He sucked in a breath and released it along with his hesitation and fear. He smile to her and began, "Since it is Friday, I thought that maybe after you're done with your painting that we could go someplace before I took you home."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

Steven smiled as he asked, "Do you like pizza?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, I know this great little pizza place and was wondering if you wanted to grab some food before I dropped you off at home, my treat; unless of course you have to be home for dinner."

She shook her head no.

"Is shaking your head mean that you don't want to go or that you don't have to be home for dinner?"

She held up her two fingers.

Steven grinned, "Okay, pizza it is."

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this installment. Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed.