Hello :P It is Wednesday and I am back with a new chapter. I spent a good amount of time yesterday writing and editing a story so today I am kind of recuperating and so I wanted a light-hearted story to read through and upload. And I remembered this one! It's an easy-going one that touches on plot points I will definitely focus on in the coming year. It's self explanatory as well. It's James' great Uncle Rupert (twin brother of his grandfather Noah from the anime) and Misty's mom Lynne going on a walk and just chatting about life. But it does lead somewhere! I hope you enjoy :3

Disclaimer: I own the stories and the OCs mentioned!

I lifted my nose high in the air, enjoying the fresh breeze of the crisp Kanto February that we were having. Naturally, it was a chilly time of year and the leaves were not the prettiest but somehow, that made them more enjoyable to see. The leaves and the trees had delicate decorations of frost that I couldn't help but pay attention as I sat on Lynne's shoulder while she walked, holding onto her ear. And then I couldn't help but think of something else entirely.

I smiled at the peculiarity yet joy of life. It felt like only yesterday that her daughter was ten years old and I was sitting on her shoulder, holding onto her ear for comfort. And at that point, Misty's daughter was just a couple of years past being ten years old and I often did that with her too. And of course, as well as this, I did it with the eldest of those three females and held onto Lynne.

Three generations of them all keeping me close as they went through life. All three of them red heads. I couldn't refrain from giving Lynne's stomach small glances after that. And there was a possibility that there would be soon yet another orange haired child for me to hold dear to me.

Then as I pulled away, the other person that was joining Lynne on her wander – or rather, she was joining him – I immediately noticed that he was giving her stomach the same flickering looks as I. His were more subtle and respectful too but you could see there was joy as well. I smiled. And then when she noticed, the orange haired woman from "up there" smiled as well. She moved closer to the curly haired male's side.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" she commented and Rupert's head shook slightly in a way that showed that he had been lost in thought and he was apologising for it. But then after he saw the orange haired woman's genuine and airy smile, he knew that it was okay. He automatically nodded at her words. But she still had more for him. So she spoke them aloud, reaching to squeeze his shoulder. "You're going to be a great-great-uncle, can you believe that?"

Rupert stopped in his tracks. Before he could even utter words of disbelief, his expression quite clearly showed everything that he was feeling. With his hands still in his coat pockets and his scarf around his neck, both of his eyebrows rose. He blinked. He clearly hadn't thought about it before.

Lynne chuckled fondly at his reaction and stroked her belly carefully but continued walking while the curly haired male stopped. But after a few seconds, his expressions seemed to catch up at the same time that his legs moved once more, closing the distance between he and the orange haired woman. He then smiled alongside with her, his hands coming out of his pockets.

"I cannot believe that." He mumbled and though Lynne didn't stop to stand next to him that time, she peered over her shoulder at him and smiled, finding his delayed reaction and realisation to the known news highly endearing. She scrunched her nose. It was then that Rupert fully recovered and he gave her a bit of a grin, his hand scratching his beard. "I'm going to be a great-great-uncle. Do you reckon that I will be a great great-great uncle?"

I tilted my head and glanced over at Lynne with a smile on my face. Before she even reacted in the way that she went on to, I knew that she most likely wasn't going to understand his wordplay! And I was right. I was certain that Rupert was predicting this as well.

With a delicate gasp but an adamant one as well, Lynne stopped in her tracks all over again and spun around to face James' great-uncle. She nodded her head, her eyes beaming as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ears. The curly haired male managed to hide his fond amusement.

"Oh, you'll be the best!" she insisted and she couldn't help but reach out and squeeze him a second time and that time it was his hand that she briefly clasped. His hidden smirk became an outward shy smile when he felt her touch. Soon enough, she dropped it to hold both hands over her chest. She smiled lovingly. "You'll be the best just like James will be the best daddy. We're both oh so excited. But I think that a really special wish has come true for him."

Naturally, Rupert then stopped along with Lynne and smiled with her, nodding his head. One of his hands remained scratching his beard for a few more moments and then both hands went into his pockets all over again. It was chilly. And it also was a special thing for James and Lynne to be having their first child together.

Pushing his hair from his eyes, Rupert's smile to Lynne died down as he prepared to speak but his eyes remained twinkling with happiness for them both. The orange haired woman tilted her head on one side as she waited, her hand absentmindedly reaching to stroke my cheek while the other hand rested on her belly. Perhaps it was this motherly gesture that caused Rupert to break his thoughtful silence. He also smiled with his mouth again too.

"Are you excited? You must be excited?" he asked and slowly, he started walking down the lanes, softly crunching on ice frosted leaves as he went. Lynne then followed suit. For once, she scrunched her nose as if to hint his words were a silly one but it was done with no judgement and a continuous smile. Quietly Rupert chuckled and as he ran his hand through his hair all over again, he asked something else while Lynne's eyes sparkled at the idea of her and James' new joy. "Are you nervous?"

It was true that Misty's mother was a rather animated person who bordered on being theatrical. But she caught me off guard when her hand dropped away from my cheek upon hearing this and she stopped in her tracks all over. The laid-back and go with the flow Rupert found himself blinking as well. His hands didn't know whether to stay in his pockets or slink out so they compromised and played with the material inside.

Lynne then shook her head – shaking off her own reaction and silently becoming aware that her actions might have been seen as rude or out of place. She showed off a bit of a sheepish smile as she went on to explain her demeanour. However, she remained standing on the path with Rupert. He stayed close to her side, ready to listen. The orange haired woman played with her hair.

"I'm… I'm not nervous about having a baby, no. Even though the last one didn't turn last long so I haven't done it properly in a while." Lynne began and straight away, Rupert had a sympathetic glance for her. There was no smile. It was all in the eyes. It was all in the gaze. His head tilted ever so slightly. I didn't think that I could pull off as good as a look so I just felt it all on the inside. Lynne played with the hem on her dress as she continued. "Maybe I will be. But the only real nerves I have are towards other people. How they feel. How they'll react. Especially Misty… She's never done this before."

Slowly, Rupert nodded his head. I did as well. But Lynne and I had had conversations like this before so I was almost able to switch off from it and glance around. But of course, I didn't. I remained present. I remained listening. There was always something to learn.

One of the main benefits of having a face as expressive as Rupert had, people could understand it without much time at all. So as his expression changed to having an idea or an input and his mouth prepared to voice these words. Lynne interrupted with a shake of her head. And she even sighed quietly.

"Well I know she has with JJ but she hasn't done with a baby. It's going to be a massive age gap. It's going to be a massive change. I just hope that she's up to it." she voiced her own words and concluded with a thoughtful smile and almost a curtsey and then she continued walking. While my paws held supportively onto her shoulder, Rupert lingered and stayed standing for a little while longer. He breathed out. He really thought about it.

Change is a funny old thing. It is such a part of life and in truth; it is the only thing that remains constant. Yet despite this, so many people struggle with it. So many people struggle to adapt to it. I do sometimes. In fact, everybody does. Sometimes change is neither a good thing nor a bad thing. Change is what you make it. Though of course at that point and having only really just found out that James and her mother were going to be having a baby together, Misty hadn't begun to make it whatever it was that she made it. Of course she was happy for them. Of course she was. But it was a big change. And she was given the freedom to adapt at the pace that was right for her.

I wondered if Rupert was thinking similar things as I as he hooked his thumbs into the loops of his trousers before moving to catch up with Lynne, finally offering his own opinions. He spoke with a thoughtful smile.

"With the thing that that girl has been through, this will be a piece of cake." Rupert stated and I couldn't help but nod. However, Lynne only showed off a small smile and a nod of the head. I was closer to her but our reactions were a little bit different. The curly haired male observed this and spoke some more. His walking pace slowed at the orange haired woman's side. "I know what you mean, though. It is a big change. But she's a great kid. And no doubt will she be a wonderful big sister. Maybe an even better one because she knows how not to be."

After thinking about the way that Rupert referred to Misty as a kid though she was very much a woman (and I couldn't help but understand from the nostalgia and closeness I had with her) I naturally moved on to processing everything else that he had said. I breathed out.

Misty had been a wonderful mother because when her first children were born she had only had a few memories of her parents so she learnt to be the best she could be for them all. It was almost a shame that in a way it was happening all over again. But I knew that Rupert was right too. And I knew that although JJ technically had been made to be her little sibling, she would get a real opportunity to understand what it truly means to be with her best friend and her mother's child. She would adapt in the end. But in the meantime, her ups and downs and questions and reservations were welcomed by all.

"What about the others? What about James' clan? Does he feel similarly to you?" the curly haired male questioned and it was obvious that Lynne had drifted into her own thoughts when she turned to him and blinked, her eyes showing that she didn't understand what he meant. Rupert chuckled and clarified. It was his turn to lightly touch her shoulder. "Is he nervous about how his family is handling it? How do his children feel?"

Instantly, Lynne held up a hand and made a shaking movement with it. And instantly also, I understood. But for once, Rupert furrowed his brow in a way that showed he didn't understand. Or maybe he did have an idea but wanted the orange haired woman to voice it. Lynne avoided a cyclist that was going past and stepped out the way before looking at James' great-uncle, answering him. It was easier for her to talk while she walked so she did that.

"Some of them are really excited already. Some of them are pretty surprised and resistant, I think. And some are just… indifferent." The orange haired woman explained with a shrug and although her words weren't as positive as usual, I couldn't help but smirk anyway. I knew that I was pretty correct in thinking which of James' children fell into each category. And I think that Rupert had sussed it out as well, despite playing innocent. His hands went into his pockets and he silently chuckled as he mused.

"Of course some of them are excited. It could be the first time having a little sister for Jazzy, and Jayme is fond of you so at least the baby's mother is going to be yet another of her role models. And I don't think Jayden has a negative bone in his body when it comes to babies." Rupert spoke to perhaps Lynne but perhaps to himself. Either way, she of course couldn't help but duck her head and crinkle her nose at the subtle compliment. Rupert just smiled and continued. "Jayde struggles with change but she could be real with herself and admit that it's not really a surprising thing. And as for Jaxon… Well, not too many thirteen year old boys are excited about new arrivals."

And then I couldn't help but smile to myself as I looked up at the sky at the thought that JJ was also a thirteen year old boy but was very excited about the new arrival! But soon enough, instead of putting it down to Jordan Junior ageing in a unique way to the youngest Morgan son, I put it down to different people simply being different.

I glanced over at Lynne while I held onto her ear. I wondered if she was making the same observations as me but I soon noticed that she was too busy being quietly bewildered and impressed that Rupert had been so correct. Well, mostly. She nodded her head and then shook it; repeating these things a few times. She soon explained.

"Yes… Justin and Jaxon are the indifferent ones." She spoke with yet another shrug and Rupert remained quiet, trying not to think too much to himself and focus on listening. His hands stayed out of his pockets and I was a little bit delighted when he reached to give me an ear scratch instead of scratching his beard. Lynne smiled in a way that didn't register with me straight away. "They appear to be so different but they're on the same page there. Justin isn't like Jazzy either. He isn't like his twin sister. She's over the moon. Justin is polite and friendly but… but that's about it. Then again…"

The curly haired male and the orange haired woman were on the same page all over again and his next words only proved this.

"Then again, Justin does have a lot on his mind. That's only natural." Rupert finished her words off for her and for the first time that session or ever really, he let out a quiet sigh. I understood straight away. He had been a counsellor for James Morgan for years and because of that, he picked up on similar traits within his children. He picked up on them in Justin. He had obviously observed some things following his breakup with his teenage girlfriend.

In seeming slow motion out of empathy, Lynne spun around and nodded her head. She smiled, pushing her hair from her eyes and that smile registered with me. It was with nothing but empathy and understanding for the deep purple haired young man despite her previous words.

"He does indeed have a lot on his mind. Poor thing… What a lovely girl. What a lovely, smart girl he had by his side but it's such a shame that it has come to the end. But I'm certain that they can work things out if they keep being honest about how they truly feel."

And while I smiled at Lynne being positive as ever in middle of discussing Justin's rather tumultuous break up with Eleanor just a short amount of time ago, I soon noticed that Rupert had a vastly different reaction. It was his turn to show off a face that didn't register immediately to me. He reached up to stroke the branches of trees as we passed under them on his walk with Lynne back to his house and following that, he couldn't help but tell her.

"Trust me; this is for the best for the both of them. It wasn't right. It hurts right now but it won't always be like this." Rupert uttered and after a little bit of a delay, Lynne glanced over at him and couldn't help but frown. Of course it was her positive self not liking that a break up could possibly be the right thing. But the curly haired male took it as something else. He almost hurriedly said more words. I wondered why. "He reminds me of Noah sometimes. I mean – thankfully he lacks the holier than thou streak but there's little etchings of similarities. Especially the different to his twin thing. Sometimes Noah and I couldn't be further from being alike."

I saw Lynne's expression not know whether to frown further at the subtle (but fond) dig towards James' grandfather but then her eyes twinkled and sparkled and she smiled despite the serious conversation that came before. She almost glided as she walked with him. Absentmindedly one of her hands went back over her chest. She gave Rupert a knowing glance.

"Oh, you're plenty alike." The orange haired woman commented on the striking facial difference despite the appearance and different facial hair choice but following that, Lynne couldn't help get a little bit excited. The curly haired male was finally talking a little bit about himself rather than asking the questions and doing the observing like usual. Her face brightened all the more. "So what were you two like when you were Jazzy and Justin's age, then? As different as those two?"

Straight away, Rupert nodded his head and then I was left feeling a little bit miffed when he scratched his beard instead of scratching me! But it was made up for when Lynne reached her hand to pull me closer while simultaneously massaging the top of my head. I was then content enough to listen and watch. The curly haired male's own face couldn't help but brighten with memories.

"Oh, yeah." He uttered instantly but then he paused in the street, some winter leaves sprinkling down on him. One stuck to the back of his jacket. Lynne brushed it off for him, listening along with me. Rupert explained. "We could be similar too, though. And at that age we were working towards one of the same things anyway. Raising that first child of his. That was tough. He was only young when he and Josie had him so they needed my help a lot. And of course, our parents had passed on at that point. So I would take care of him in between my school work. Those were some fun times."

And despite knowing the outcome of that little bond – the rather sad and emptying outcome – both Lynne and Rupert had a bit of a smile at his words. You could see in James' great-uncles eyes how much he evidently enjoyed that time of his life. And in ways, it almost mirrored a lot of the situations that went on in our family.

Jessie and James had been young and without much support or money when they had their first few children and Misty especially had always been there to step in to help, much like Rupert for Noah and Josie. I then breathed out at my own thoughts. But it would have broken Misty's heart if she lost Jayden the way that Rupert lost his little buddy.

Lynne and Rupert continued walking together, each step that they took taking them nearer to arriving to Rupert's little house for coffee. And as they walked together, the orange haired woman couldn't help but keep giving him little glances. It was obvious that she was thinking about everything that he had said. Even more, she was thinking of everything that he hadn't said. She couldn't help but ask.

"So… Do you think that you will ever have children of your own, Rupert? Do you hope that that will happen to you?" Lynne pondered while tucking her hair behind her ear and while I switched into the other shoulder to even things out for her, I felt as though her words were rather brave.

The curly haired male liked to joke and act like Noah was the sensitive of those two twins but Rupert absolutely had that streak as well. It just could be seen all over his face rather than being expressed out of his mouth.

But despite this, Rupert felt very comfortable in the orange haired woman's presence. As well as liking how much of an effect she had had on not only his lavender haired great-nephew but the rest of his family as well, he also secretly really liked her himself too. They seemed to go way back.

Rupert's beard twitched and seemed to soften as he smiled carefully. He shook his head. But for once, he shook his head in a way that proved that even he didn't have the answers. We continued walking in silence for a little bit longer. Eventually, the curly haired male answered with words.

"I don't reckon so, you know?" he admitted and I believed that straight away, Lynne's face was going to crumple somewhat and show off a frown – she was always so positive. But for once, I was wrong. Or rather, for once this didn't happen. Lynne's expression didn't change. She was too busy listening. Rupert continued. It was nice to hear the wise man speak of himself. "A long time ago I accepted that I may play long-term roles in looking after others who needed guidance but would never have kids myself. That's kind of okay though. I don't want to take it away from Noah because I know James is like a son to him but he's been like one to me too. And there's been others before. Maybe there will be other's after. And maybe…"

"James and ours little baby could be that for you." Lynne nodded her head but it was the way that her ocean blue orbs locked onto Rupert's face with kindness and certainty that showed how adamant she was. Rupert may have passed his psychology classes with flying colours but he was caught off guard then. He blinked. But he was of course touched nevertheless. Lynne nodded all the more, smiling too. "Of course they could. Maybe we would even name them after you."

"People may say I'm pretty but I think that could be a little too unique of a name if you end up having a girl." Rupert told Lynne, his eyes twinkling with amusement. For once, Lynne caught on right away and covered her mouth with her hand, chuckling to herself. The curly haired male laughed along with her. He added. "Besides, I think you'll be sticking to the "J" name theme."

I watched Lynne's laughter die down and a soft, gentle and loving smile take over her face instead as she walked along with Rupert. I didn't bother to stop myself from smiling along with her. It was almost like in that moment she was realising that she really was having a baby with the lavender haired male. She was so lucky to be having a baby with a kind-hearted, genuine and dedicated human being. After being so lucky the first time round and with Jordan, she couldn't believe that it happened again for her. And she couldn't believe that they were both equally there for her.

And while Lynne was thinking all about her luck, as I moved to glance at Rupert instead, I quickly saw that he was thinking the same things as her. It was a sudden thing for him to do but a sweet one nonetheless. Out of nowhere but not out of place, the curly haired male found himself stopping in the path completely and standing in front of Lynne. He even grabbed her hands too. He told her.

"That's exactly why this baby of yours is so precious, you know?" he began though of course, Lynne already knew this. But despite that, she kept quiet and didn't even nod. She looked at him, her orbs shaking somewhat. She knew something heartfelt was coming. I knew it too. "It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. Of course, you gotta be considerate to feelings and listen but this baby is magical. Having a baby is magical. Not everybody is so lucky. So make sure you really make the most of every moment, okay? I'm sure that it goes by so fast. And I'm sure you can't wait to have that little bundle in your arms. But enjoy it, yeah? Make it count."

It was in that moment that more than ever I realised that the notion of someone not knowing the meaning of true love until they had children themselves was utter nonsense. There he was – there Rupert was – understanding and knowing and believing how important it was to make the most of precious time. And not just with new babies. Not even with babies. With people in general. It does go by fast. And you always must make it count.

I had always known that Rupert was a kind and selfless human being – for a counsellor couldn't really be anything but, could they? But even so, I knew it even more that day and I knew it with every inch of my heart.

It was true that in life and within our groups, we had our ups and downs. I like to say that we are all one big family a lot but the truth is sometimes we struggle and are more like teammates instead. We are still family. But we disagree. We clash. But even so, we never give up on one and other. Making us a team.

But I knew that along with many, many other people – Rupert was one of the people that really pulled us together and made sure we bucked up and were wise about everything that we were doing. He was one of the glues that held us together, really. And I knew that he would be a great great-great uncle when he held James and Lynne's little baby in his arms in the not too distant future.

As I glanced at Lynne, I got the feeling myself that there couldn't be really anything that she could say in return that would be worthy of the kind and genuine words that Rupert had offered for her. So she let her gestures and her expressions say everything for her.

Naturally her ocean blue orbs had welled when he was talking to her and after it was all said and done, she reached out and squeezed both of his shoulders. And she nodded her head with all of the sincerity in the world. Of course she had taken his words on board. And not only that, but she would pass them on to her and James' child as well. She would pass them onto their daughter.

It was very lovely when not long at all after that moment and Lynne and Rupert had continued walking once more and with comfortable and sincere air between them both, we all finally arrived at his house for coffee.

And what an adorable little house it was! It had a little archway entering the garden with flowers decorating all over it and was a very sweet and delicate little house for a man. I decided to hop onto Rupert's shoulder instead as I thanked him for allowing me to join them once again. And while I did so I smiled at the cosiness that I knew we would be enveloped with when we went inside. I glanced at Lynne, expecting the same reaction from her. What I saw instead was a blinking look of confusion.

"Rupert…" she began and the curly haired male's hand was already on the gate, preparing to push it open. But he automatically turned his head towards her when he heard his name. Straight away, he smiled. I knew he was going to make a joke like his mischievous self often did. But he was interrupted by Lynne's curiously quivering gaze. She questioned. "Why are we at my Dad's house?"

And it was in that very second that I felt extremely foolish! My breath hitched in my throat but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling. I was quickly beginning to understand that it didn't just look cosy and warm and inviting because it belonged to Rupert. And it didn't appear that way for aesthetic reasons either. Lynne was right. I had been there before. I had been there before and to visit David, her father.

We both looked over at Rupert and we both saw him almost pale for perhaps the first time in our lives. Indeed such a laid-back and wise man he was but in that instant, he was vastly taken aback and his dark hazel eyes were ticking, as if they were thinking through everything. They really did seem to be ticking through everything. He let out an uncertain hum. And then words came flooding out.

"A lot of people would agree that I have done a lot of stupid things in my time but this is easily the most stupid." He started to explain and as I tilted my head towards him from still being on his shoulder, for some reason Lynne stopped blinking upon hearing this. She moved to stand directly in front of Rupert, as he had done to her in previous moments. She listened. Despite her confusion, she showed a look of fondness. "Somehow, I forgot. Somehow I… Somehow-"

Rupert tried to continue and in the process, he showed off more of the stammering and uncertain side of himself that I had gotten to know when we first met and I knew that people got to know upon meeting him. But instead of focusing on him, I focused on Misty's mother instead. And before I could understand the situation, I understood that she understood.

In her eyes, I saw it all. Even though she hadn't questioned it or picked up on it before, in that moment, it was all flooding towards her. When I looked at Lynne, in her eyes I saw the empathy. She should have known. She should have known. She should have said this. But she didn't feel the need to. I had no clue what she was going to do. But I ended up delighted with it.

"Shall we go inside?" she asked while Rupert rubbed his hand along the facial hair on his jaw, his talkative and informative self still not knowing what to say. He hesitated. Lynne smiled before simply reaching out and squeezing his shoulder. It was more of a lingering squeeze. And it was an accepting one. She nodded her head slowly and once as she added. "I would like to know how it happened."

And with that, Rupert was left rather shyly chuckling as while I squeezed his shoulder with acceptance myself though I didn't really know what I was accepting, Lynne pushed the gate open herself and went on inside towards her father, David, and Rupert's shared house.

Then as he focused on her words but for once didn't study them too much, after little more lingering, he felt in safe hands with her in the same way that she felt with him. He chuckled sheepishly just a little bit. Then followed after her. Before we reached the porch and before he unlocked the door, just simply taking the key out first, he turned to Lynne and he gave her a smile.

She already understood what happened. She already accepted what happened. She already liked what happened! She already understood and accepted the truth. But Rupert smiled at her nonetheless.

"I guess your wish of getting to know me a little better has been granted." The curly haired male told her before proceeding to put the key in the lock and turn it.

And Rupert was right. That day, we did get to know him a little better and naturally, we loved him all the more for it. And those stories will be ones that I will take great pride in sharing with you.

The End.

There you go! Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed :3 So yeah, Rupert and Lynne's father, David, become romantically linked and that is yet another surprise for the group but one that interlinks them all further! Their little romance is definitely an interesting one and I would love to go into it further. They certainly haven't head the most simple relationships and experiences in the past :P Even though Rupert is one of my lesser developed characters, he is one of my favourites as well. It's nice to have one that is equal measures chaotic and unorthodox as well as observant and reliable :P Thanks again and I will be back again next Wednesday with another chapter so see you then!

AmyBieberKetchum signing out :3