Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

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Jade was never a morning person, thinking herself more a creature of the night. So why was it she now had to get up every morning, early, and do chiz. 'I made the choice, so I live with the consequences. Sides, it's not that bad….' Slowly, ever so slowly, she pulled herself from under her nice warm covers and got busy getting ready. Again, the empty space on the other side of the bed reminded her of other choices and their consequences. Blue eyes lingered only a moment, the loneliness held at bay with her list of far too much to get done.

Slipping her dressing gown on, she want to the kitchen to make breakfast. 'I could just wear my pajamas, I suppose, but this is more traditional.' She thought as she cooked an actual breakfast. The idea of cold cereal appealed to her, except she wasn't going to just fall back on easy when she could show her child she loved them with warm food.

The sounds of her baby rising sent her into motion, rushing to the girls bedroom, ready to help out. The precious five year old was dressing herself, something Jade found enduring, and awkward. "Now baby, if you go to school dressed like that, they'll call CPS on mommy... again!" She told the girl. A smile crossed her face, knowing her daughter would never know what she was talking about. Still, she adjusted, finding clothing that matched by matching the animals, a concession to how little time she often had in the mornings, and moved her baby to the kitchen to eat.

Jade watched her baby for a while, knowing that at five, the girl didn't need her to feed her, or do much more than make sure she was ready, wasn't playing when she should be eating, and was ready on time. Hot lunch at school reduced the amount of food she needed to send with the girl, so Jade just packed snack, something just in case, and a water bottle properly filled and chilled. Then, while her baby girl was finishing up, Jade rushed to the bedroom and changed, pulling on her walking to school ensemble, sweatpants and a top. Colder weather would add a sweater.

Despite how much effort Jade put into staying in shape, she'd decided a long time ago that the walk to school was hardly the time to be looking sexy. For reasons too complicated for Jade to understand, too many of the fathers who might walk their kids to school felt a hot, single mother might want a good man, even if she had to borrow them. Only, Jade, despite her lonely existence, wasn't single.

Jade was in a distant relationship, and by choice. She'd married for the wrong reasons, had a child for the right one's, and while she stayed at home and worked from there, her lover was off following a dream that required a lot of away from home days. The blue eyed girl understood that much. She put the work in to allow that. Made sacrifices. So why was it so many guys saw her dangerous curves and decided she was a good choice for an affair? 'I don't cheat.' The raw venom in that thought was scary, even to her.

However, that day, the walk wasn't bothered by much more then the accusatory glances she got from several mothers, as well as the feeling that they didn't want to know her, least they start thinking better of the attractive young mother. Jade just shrugged it off, accepting that a mother frazzled by the act of raising a child, was all but immune to her normal approach to intimidation. 'Scissors might work, but then that's assault, and my baby needs me at home, cooking breakfast she'll first enjoy, then complain about. Yea, those mothers have nothing to fear but the big bad world around them. We worry about our kids, and have to be strong, for them...'

Once home, Jade went to her home office and started to work. She had her day planned out, and it was an odd schedule, because little things she would otherwise never consider were on that list. Her workouts, 2, because she was determined to be there for her baby. 'Besides, the second one is killing time while she's in dance class. Used to watch, only, that one dance teacher, so much the classic ballet teacher, and I want to skin her alive every time she tears into my baby girl…'

Jade let that anger linger, because it was so familiar to her. The feeling of being mad, raging against those who would hurt her or her family. Back in high school, that was her strength, and even now, she tended to lean into the rage, despite the fact she hadn't needed it in over a decade. 'I'm the success. I mean, sure, Beck's on Broadway, doing all right, and Vega… Lets get back to her, and Andre, and lets face it, Shapiro. Fuck, even Cat. What happened to them. I know what happened to me, and Vega…'

The call drew her out of her thoughts. "What?"

"Jadekins, you got a chance to go over those scripts for us?" The voice was male, and as much as she wanted to think of him as condescending, the truth was he was supportive, her big gay bear of an assistant who helped her run her life from her home.

"Karofsky, what have I told you about nicknames?" Jade asked.

"To use them on you so you get used to them, on account of the fact that your wife loves them." The man replied. "And you can call me Dave."

"My father in law is David." Jade reminded him. "You're Karofsky. Now, I sent my notes. Why are you asking about them if I sent my notes?"

"Cause someone needs to make sure you remembered to actually send them." He told her. "I know, kids, they can be so distracting. When I took Kurt to his first baseball game, I had to be reminded that my psychotic boss wanted certain things done. So, I made sure that the office here could run with neither of us there, an amazing feet, given what we do."

"We run a few children's shows." Jade sighed. Her horror for kids shows were cut down on the actual horror, using a mix of classic monsters and newer one's as the main characters, living among the people and having their little adventures as they adjust to trying to blend in, to the point where they'd adopted some human children they were raising. Hardly the only show her production company ran, all created from her home office as her writing career stalled. Jade first used that particular style of writing to get into the right mindset to be around Cat. Later, after, Jade used that writing, those stories, to help understand her child. However, those writings soon grew, morphing and expanding until now they represented her primary source of money now that her half dozen animated shows were being renewed. Jade had to accept she'd need to be the show runner, have the overall vision, and let others write the individual episodes, usually along her given outlines. That gave her the time to write her own stuff, and stay on top of the direction she'd wanted the shows to head in. "And I'm still a writer. I make movies…"

"You write, but you're choices, they mean you don't direct as often as you want. No, darling, you made the right choice, a child friendly office that has a daycare for when we need to be here, but lets you do so much from home. Only, I need to stay on top of everything so you can stay on top of what you need done." He paused. "How's Victoria?"

"She played New York last night." Jade grumbled. "Her and Andre, still plugging away at being musicians. Singers. They brushed close, and there's money to be made, but they're still playing clubs. The travel schedule, it can be hard sometimes…"

"Especially on you." David agreed. "Remember, my Dom is your girls drummer. I only see him as often as you see yours, so I get how hard it can be. No, we make adjustments, cause we love them, and as a result, we do what we can to support their dreams, even when they're only pursuing them because it's what makes them happy. We did what we had to to support them, emotionally and financially. You created this empire, and I run it for you so you can be free to create, and free to be a mother. So, how's Tawney?"

Jade sighed, knowing to keep her office manager slash assistant, she'd need to maintain a friendship she'd have sworn she didn't want just a few years ago. But Karofsky was right, she'd made the only decision she could to have the life she wanted. The kid, with a lot of pressure for a second, maybe a third, depending on what Tawney wanted. "Oh, you know…" Jade said, even as she checked her email history. "She's in pre-kinderguarten, and we're getting over the trauma of her being away from mommy so much. It's been an adjustment…"

"I asked how she was doing." He joked. "I just wish our kids were in the same class. But my Kurt is a year older, so he can't even look after his favorite girl. Still, boys gonna be a heart breaker, just like your girl is…"

"Lets not plan the wedding." Jade cautioned him. "Okay, I just sent my notes…"

"That's all I'm asking." David chuckled. "Okay, I see them now. Just a reminder, we have a meeting at three. They wanted two, but I'm picking up Kurt at that time, and I'm assuming you're doing the same for Tawney…"

"Sometimes, I think we should carpool." Jade mentioned.

"Are you really ready to let her go that much?" The man asked.

"I just wish Tori was here." Jade admitted.

"Damn, at that part of the trip already, huh?" He asked. "I'll see about a weekend trip for you and your girl. Her first time on an airplane…"

"I'm not that lonely…" Jade protested, but her assistant just made his excuses and hung up, claiming they needed to get on top of those notes on the latest episodes. Seconds later, Jade was alone.

Only, for whatever reason, she was smiling now. 'Not that lonely...Still, need to choose the right outfit that says stay away from me and my child or you'll lose something, but can shift to dangerous and sexy, cause I'm gonna see my boo….'

:}

Bonus points, paid in molecules of air, to whomever knows where I got Karofsky from. Also, thoughts, reviews, and as always, secret lottery numbers, use that review button.