"A few days later, Julian and JJ are shooting hoops with Nathan and Jamie. John B knocks on the door of Brooke's home office.

"Hi, honey," Brooke says looking up from her sketches. "What's up?"

"I wanted to tell you that I want to live with you guys until I'm sixteen. I mean, if the offer is still on the table."

"Of course it is." Brooke gestures to the sofa and swivels her chair to face him. "What changed your mind?"

"JJ."

"I figured," Brooke said. "Did you skip out on playing basketball because you wanted to have this conversation?" John B shrugged and looked down. "I can drive you over there now."

"Nah, it's okay…thanks though," John B said running a hand through his hair.

"Are you sure? I bet Julian and JJ are getting absolutely crushed and could really use you?"

"Right, I want to third wheel with them," John B said rolling his eyes.

"They do seem to have quite the rapport lately," Brooke hedged.

"Rapport…JJ worships him, which is really fucking weird because he is so fucking lame." Brooke nods and leans forward. "I mean, no offense, I know he's your husband."

"It's okay, it seems like you need to vent. Just don't start calling me lame," Brooke says with a wink.

"It's fine...I'm done talking about it."

"Okay," Brooke agreed easily. "I was going to order some take-out for dinner. What are you in the mood for? I was thinking-"

"It's just," John B said as he got up and began pacing the small room. "Two days ago, this girl asked JJ and I to hang out after school with her and her friend."

"Really? That's so cute!"

John B blushed. "That's not the point. JJ macks on anything that moves and suddenly he can't because he has to study with Julian. I mean, if you could have seen how hard Pope tried to get us to study with him and JJ never did it, not once. And we literally had nothing else to do."

"You're right. That's a big shift. So, you don't think he studied for the sake of doing well on the test?"

John B laughed bitterly. "No, of course it wasn't for the grade. It's like he wants Julian to be his dad or something and he is sucking up to him. It's so pathetic. Like working so hard, going along with anything, just so Julian will pay him some attention."

"That's not pathetic, bud. That's human nature," Brooke said softly. "I spent four years completely miserable letting my mom boss me around while trying to take over my company in the hopes that she would display a single maternal instinct towards me." Brooke took a deep breath and looked him in the eye, "I don't want to overstep, and I could be totally off-base, but I get the feeling you and your dad had a pretty tight bond before he went missing. It just came up on his being missing for six months. I know Julian is not JJ's dad, but is it possible that seeing them together makes you miss your dad even more?"

John B looked at the ground and shrugged. Brooke got up from her office chair and sat down beside him and put an arm around his shoulder. "Look, I know agreeing to live with us until your sixteen, probably feels like...uh-"

"Like admitting he's not coming back," John B whispers.

"Right," Brooke said. "You are a good friend to put JJ's needs first even when it makes you uncomfortable. And I've noticed it annoys you when they are broing out, or whatever. But I appreciate your restraint and how you don't make JJ feel weird about it."

"I'm sorry I called Julian lame."

"It's okay," Brooke said with a smile. They heard the front door slam shut and JJ and Julian's muffled voices. "I guess they're back already?"

"John B, Brooke," Julian called.

"Appears that way," John B said leaning back into the sofa.

Julian walked into the office and slowly lowered himself down onto the sofa with a groan. "Why do I play basketball with Nathan? Heck, why do I play basketball with Jamie?"

Brooke smirked. "You guys were only gone for, like, thirty minutes."

"I had to stop fifteen minutes in. I wrenched my back. On the plus side, JJ played amazingly. You would think he had been playing basketball his whole life." Brooke glanced over at John B and noticed him rolling his eyes. Just then, JJ came in with Tylenol and a glass of water. "Thanks, buddy! I was just telling Brooke and John B what an awesome basketball-"

"Julian, do you think you need to go to the doctor?" Brooke asked.

"I will if it doesn't feel better in a few days."

"Okay. John B, could you get Julian an ice pack from the freezer please?"

"Yup."

"Did you have fun, LeBron James," Brooke asked JJ with a wink.

JJ sat down next to Julian, "King JJ had fun."

A few days later, Julian is driving with John B after his therapy appointment with Dr. Andrew in Holly Ridge.

"So school was good today?"

"You already asked that on the drive here."

"Right. How did the biology test go?"

"Fine. Why are you pulling into this random restaurant?"

"Brooke is meeting us here. We have something we want to talk to you about."

"Way to be cryptic."

"Sorry. We'll talk about it as soon as we sit down."

"Hey," Brooke says. Julian kisses her on the cheek. Then, Brooke gives John B a hug. "How did the bio test go?"

"I probably got an 85ish. I knew most of the answers and when I guessed, I could usually limit it to two choices."

"That's so awesome," Brooke said putting her hand up for a high five.

John B looked down at the menu and asked, "What, uh, did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, Julian and I made a pretty big decision and we wanted to fill you in before we do anything. We want to ask JJ if he would be interested in us adopting him in two months."

"Why two months?" John B asked.

"He has to be our foster child for six months before we can adopt him," Julian clarified.

Brooke took Julian's hand. "Look, we understand if this is not something you would want, but Julian and I would love to officially adopt you too. What do you think?"

"I think it's cool for JJ."

"Cool," Brooke said as she reached across the table and squeezed John B's hand. "What is everyone getting to eat? I'm starving!"

Two months later, Brooke is sitting on the sofa in her home office staring at JJ's new birth certificate where she is listed as his mother and Julian is listed as his father. Between the birth certificate and the actual adoption in the court earlier in the day she is feeling quite emotional.

JJ knocks on the door. "Come in," Brooke says without looking up from the birth certificate.

"Buyer's remorse," JJ asks shoving his hands into pockets.

Brooke pats the spot beside her and smiles waiting for him to sit down. "I don't have an ounce of buyer's remorse." JJ looks down and blushes. "I was just thinking how weird it is to have a piece of paper saying that when I was 17, I was in St. Olive's Hospital having you. It just seems like it erases your whole history."

"I wish," JJ scoffs.

"That's a pretty loaded statement. Did you want to talk about it or just move along with the conversation?"

"Definitely move along."

"Sounds good. So, what brings you into my office?" Brooke asked, slowly moving her hand in a circle to indicate the room. "I'm guessing it not for a custom, contour dress."

"Did you and Julian have to do a lot of paperwork to go through with the adoption?"

"Not really, Cheryl mostly handled it. We also hired a lawyer just to make sure there weren't any mistakes that would hold things up."

"Yeah, well thanks for doing all that," JJ said quietly.

Brooke took his hand and squeezed it. "We would do it one million times over. Did you have a specific question about the paperwork."

"Uh...did you happen to see my birth certificate. Not that one," JJ said gesturing to the birth certificate Brooke had placed on the coffee table, "but like the original one."

"Yeah, we have a copy of it. I can grab it right now if you want." JJ shrugged and looked down. Brooke interpreted this gesture as-yes, this is important to me. A minute later she handed it to him. "That's a photocopy of the original. You can keep it."

JJ folded it and placed it in his back pocket. "Thanks," he said getting up to leave.

"Wait! Are you absolutely sure you didn't come in here for this?" Brooke asked as she rummaged through a rack of dresses and pulled out a navy-blue gown and held it up to him. "I feel like this would really bring out your eyes," Brooke said as she pinched his cheek. JJ rolled his eyes and tried to bite down on his smile. "I think this dress is the real reason you came in here!"

"No, I think that's more John B style."

Brooke nods. "Absolutely." JJ begins to leave, but when he is in the doorway Brooke says, "JJ, just one more thing."

"What?" he asks as he sits back down on the sofa.

"I know you probably have conflicting feelings about being adopted. And that's totally normal. I just wanted to make sure you knew that Julian and I could not be happier to legally be your parents. In fact, we were thinking you should live with us until you're 32 and three months. Make it an even eighteen years!" JJ surprises her by hugging her. Brooke hugs him back. "We love you, honey."

"I love you guys, too."

A few days later, Julian knocks on JJ's door. Just as he is entering, he sees him place his birth certificate under his pillow. "Hey, bud. Nathan just texted me to see if we wanted to shoot some hoops at six. Wanna come?"

"I'm kinda tired."

"No worries. Another time," Julian says leaving the room to ask John B if he wants to play. He realizes this is the second time in three days he's seen JJ looking at his birth certificate. He knocks on JJ's door again.

"Come in," JJ says.

Julian sits down on the edge of his bed. "I noticed you have been looking at this a bit lately," Julian says gesturing to the paper on the nightstand. JJ shrugs, leans back, and closes his eyes. Julian waits a few beats before asking, "Is there something that you want to know that is not on the birth certificate?"

"Nah."

"Are you sure? I'll tell you whatever I know and if I don't know, I'll do my best to find out."

JJ squints at him. "Do you know how old I was when my mom peaced out?"

"You don't know?" Julian asked sounding surprised.

JJ scoffed. "Up until three days ago, I didn't even know her name."

"I'll do my best to find out how old you were when your mom left," Julian said in a neutral tone.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter anyway."

"Are you sure? It's no problem."

John B came in through the boy's Jack and Jill bathroom.

"Hey, John B. Nathan invited us to shoot some hoops with him and Jamie, do you wanna come?" Julian asked.

"Are you going, JJ?"

"I'm not feeling it today," JJ said with a yawn.

"Totally up to you," Julian told John B.

"Yeah, why not," John B said with a grin. "Give me ten minutes to get ready."

"Sure thing," Julian replied as he followed him out of JJ's room.

Two hours later, Julian and John B return from the basketball game. John B walks into JJ room. "How many points did you guys lose by?" JJ asks.

"Don't worry about it," John B says with a smile.

"When we played them, we lost by 40."

"52," John B said. "Did Julian keep telling you how good you were and acting like you were the most amazing player ever, even though you objectively sucked."

"Yeah, but to Julian everyone looks good. I think he got like three 2-point shots in the whole game. Dude, is not hella athletic."

"Yeah, not athletic is putting it nicely," John B said. "When you guys came back, he kept going on and on about how great you were. I was thinking this whole time you were some kind of basketball prodigy, and I didn't know it."

"Maybe not," JJ scoffed. "But I'm better than you!"

"Doubtful!"

"You, me, one-on-one," JJ said arching his eyebrow. "A time and a place, baby, a time and a place."

"How about, right here, right now?" John B said jumping with both feet onto JJ's bed and then slamming down onto him and landing a few playful punches before JJ flipped him over. "Ow, ow! Okay, you've made your point, bro," John B laughed.

"Boys," Brooke said as she ran into the room.

"He started it. I finished it," JJ told Brooke proudly as he slammed his elbow into John B's back.

"Oh my god. John B, are you okay?"

"Of course, I'm okay," John B said as he ran his hand through his hair. "As if JJ could hurt me."

"What's going on?" Julian asked as he came into the room.

"Julian, tell John B that I'm better at basketball than him," JJ said.

"I can't do that! You're both so good. I still can't believe you guys have never played organized ball. I don't think I've seen better players in my life."

"You're literally friends with someone who played in the NBA," John B said while rolling his eyes.

Brooke smiled. "This conversation is getting more and more ridiculous."

"True," John B said as he taped the bathroom door frame while going back to his bedroom.

"JJ, keep your hands to yourself," Brooke said as she left.

JJ raised his eyebrow at Julian who was the only one left in the room. "Come on, John B's gone. You can tell me I'm the better basketball player."

Julian laughed and changed the subject. "So, we got interrupted earlier. Do you want me to try to find out how old you were when your mom left?"

JJ bit his lip and shook his head. "Forget I mentioned it," he said gruffly.

"Okay," Julian nodded. "I know us adopting you probably brings a lot of feelings to the surface." JJ sits up criss cross applesauce and leans forward putting his head in his hands. Julian puts his hand on JJ's shoulder. "You can always talk to me or to Brooke." JJ looks at him and nods with tears in his eyes. Julian hugs him. "We're always going to be here for you." He feels JJ start to shake. "I know, buddy, I know," he says quietly.

"Fuck," JJ mutters as his face turns red.

"It's okay, you're processing so much shit right now. It's healthier to let it out so you can start to come to terms with it."

"Thank you, Dr. Phil," JJ muttered.

"You're welcome," Julian told him squeezing his shoulder. "Get some sleep," Julian said as he tossed the throw at the bottom of JJ's bed at his head.