Thanks to those of you who have taken an interest in this story. It's great to see your thoughts and comments in the reviews. Life is just starting for our friends and big changes are coming so hold tight! :)
Monday April 23rd, 2018
Japan (16 hours ahead of California)
Jake sighed, glancing at his watch again. He was about a minute from walking out and calling it quits on this meeting if the man he was meeting with stalled any longer. He'd already been waiting in reception for almost an hour. Crossing one leg over the other as he sat, Jake bounced his foot in irritation. He was only here because one of his partners had started a business venture with this company and it needed final approval from Jake since his company would be providing the funds. Normally he would just read the proposal and sign off remotely, but after doing a little research of his own there had been a few red flags that made Jake want to check it out in person. Hence the reason he and Kim were back in Japan again.
"Mr. Johnson will see you now," the receptionist said, breaking the silence. "If you would follow me?"
"Finally," Jake muttered under his breath as he stood.
Then he pasted a smile on his face for the receptionist and followed her back to an office. She opened a door and held it for him.
"Have a seat," she said. "He'll be in in just a moment."
Jake took a seat, being careful to hide his irritation. He was getting tired of this game. It had already been nearly a week since they came back. What was supposed to have been a quick trip had kept getting extended as the American businessman based in Japan avoided committing to a meeting with Jake. His list of excuses had finally run out when Jake had suggested that they could just revisit the partnership at a later date.
While he waited, Jake glanced around the large office. Various knickknacks were scattered around the office, placed to draw attention and probably create conversation. The item that caught Jake's eye, however, was something he would not have expected to see in an office, but rather in a museum. Since the businessman had still not deigned to join him, Jake stood to take a closer look.
The item he was looking at was some kind of dinosaur skull. He wasn't sure what kind without asking, however. But just seeing it in this office didn't sit right with him, it was out of place.
"Tommy would recognize it," he muttered to himself.
The door opening behind him distracted Jake momentarily from that train of thought. He turned to see the businessman he'd been waiting on finally walking into the office.
"Ah, Mr. Rosenberg," he said with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Something always needs my attention. The hazards of running your own business, am I right?"
He held out a hand to Jake who shook it.
"Well, I don't intend to keep you long," Jake said. "So, if—"
"I see you've been exploring my office," Mr. Johnson interrupted, gesturing around himself. "See something that caught your eye?"
Jake frowned a little but nodded slowly.
"I was just looking at this skull you have," he said.
"Ah, yes!" Mr. Johnson exclaimed. "One of my favorite acquisitions. I found it myself, you know."
Jake nodded in disbelief as the businessman went on a small tangent about the skull. He told Jake what it was and where he found it, going on with facts about the creature he claimed it had once belonged to. He spoke with confidence, which should have lent credit to what he was saying. And most people would have believed it without hesitation. However, knowing someone who specialized in dinosaurs now, Jake felt something wasn't quite right.
"It is wonderful," Jake interrupted in a break in the talking. "Would you mind if I took a picture for a friend? They absolutely love this kind of thing."
"Of course!" Mr. Johnson said. "Get some close ups if you want. I'll grab that folder for you."
Jake nodded absently and snapped pictures from a few different angles. When he was done, he moved to sit down across from Mr. Johnson at the desk.
"Now, Mr. Rosenberg," Mr. Johnson said. "I believe you had some concerns you wanted to address with me?"
"Yes, I did," Jake answered. "Now—"
"I have taken the liberty of putting together an entire presentation of the proposal," Mr. Johnson said, interrupting again as he slid a folder across the desk. "I believe this should answer any questions you may have."
"Mmhmm…" Jake said, slowly taking the folder.
Opening the folder, he gave the contents a cursory glance before closing it.
"Thank you," Jake said with a nod as he stood. "I'll take a closer look at this and get back to you with my decision soon."
"Oh?" Mr. Johnson said, seeming surprised that Jake was leaving without a decision. "I thought—"
"It won't be long," Jake said smoothly. "But I have other appointments to attend to today and am running behind. I will contact you as soon as possible with my decision."
"Of course," the businessman said hurriedly, standing to beat Jake to the door and hold it open. "My door is always open."
Jake nodded, his smile tight.
"Have a good day," he said, striding out the door.
Jake didn't pause in the lobby, waving briefly at the receptionist before heading outside and down to his waiting car. Climbing in, Jake relaxed back into the seat.
"Home, please," he sighed, talking to the driver.
Tossing the folder aside for later, Jake took his phone back out to send a message to Tommy. He was curious about how valuable a skull like the one in the office could actually be—and he was a little hesitant to accept how Mr. Johnson had come to acquire it. He was surprised when he got a response almost immediately and had to glance at the time. He hadn't planned it, but it was after 3a in California. Wincing, he opened the message. He hadn't meant to wake Tommy up.
Tommy: If it's real? Extremely valuable. I only know of a couple around the world that are intact. Where are you? I hadn't heard any new museums had acquired a skull.
Jake: I saw it in an office where I was having a meeting. Sorry if I woke you. I wasn't thinking about the time difference. It's going on noon here…
Tommy: Its fine. I was awake anyways. An office?
Jake: An office…I was meeting with someone to determine if I actually want to do business with them.
Tommy: Interestgn. did you get any pictures?
Instead of answering, Jake sent the pictures he had taken. Waiting for Tommy's response, Jake reached over and picked up the folder again. He was pretty sure what his decision was going to be at this point, but he would do his due diligence and actually look over the proposal. When his phone dinged, Jake was surprised to see Tommy had added Anton to the text conversation. They were going back and forth about the pictures Jake had sent.
Anton: That cannot be real. No one would keep something that valuable in an office where anyone could walk in and touch it.
Tommy: I don't think it is. I'd have heard if someone found another 's not like they're everywhere. I'm trying to get a closer looka t the pictures.
Anton: Jake, what is the name of the man in question? I am curious as to how he claims to have acquired this fossil.
Jake typed out a quick explanation for them. Including why he was there in the first place. Neither answered for a moment. Then Tommy sent one of the pictures back.
Tommy: Definitely fake. It's decent but you can see the seam here from the mold
He had circled a spot on one of the pictures. Taking a closer look, Jake could see he was right. He hadn't noticed it until Tommy pointed it out, but there was a definite seam.
Anton: He told you it was real?
Jake: Yes. He had an entire story. What it was, where he found it.
Tommy: lies. The only place he found it was a prop store
Or online
Anton: Tommy is right. I do not think this man is someone you want to do business with, Jake.
He was reading their texts as the car pulled up to the apartment building where he and Kim stayed whenever they were in Japan. Thanking the driver, Jake climbed out of the car with his phone and the folder in hand and headed straight inside to the elevator.
Jake: You're probably right. I was already hesitant. But knowing he would lie to my face about something even that small?
Jake sighed, shaking his head as the elevator stopped on his floor. Stepping out of the elevator into the apartment, Jake was surprised to see Kim sitting on the couch staring at a book in her lap.
"Hey, honey," he said. "I thought you'd be out right now. What are you doing here?"
Kim shrugged, standing to come give him a hug and kiss.
"I didn't feel like going out today," she said.
"Why?" Jake frowned. "What's wrong?"
Kim shook her head.
"Nothing," she said, turning to go back to her seat. "I'm fine."
Jake sighed, shaking his head as he set down the folder and his phone on the table before sitting next to her on the couch.
"I don't believe you for a moment," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "So, let's try again—what's wrong?"
Kim sighed, leaning against Jake.
"I just—I want to talk to my friends," she admitted.
"So, call them," Jake said.
Kim glanced up at him, eyebrow raised.
"Jake, it's nearly 4a in California," she pointed out. "I don't think they'd appreciate the call. And by the time it's a decent hour there when they aren't working, I'll be sleeping here."
"Oh, right," Jake said sheepishly. "You could always meet up with some of our friends here."
Kim shook her head.
"We don't spend enough time in Japan," she said. "I'm really not that close to anyone and they aren't who I want to talk to…"
His phone went off on the table. Kim scowled at it.
"You always have someone to talk to and things to keep you busy," she grumbled. "Work keeps you occupied."
"Oh, that's not work," Jake said, shaking his head. "At least I don't think so."
Kim frowned.
"Then who is it?" she asked.
"It's not important," Jake said, grabbing his phone to put it away in his pocket.
"Jake… who are you talking to?" Kim asked, pulling away to turn to face him.
"Just a friend," Jake said. "I can talk to them later."
Kim reached for the phone. Jake, not wanting her to realize he'd been texting with Tommy while she wasn't able to talk with her friends, tried to keep the phone away from her. However, Kim was determined to get the phone. She stood, trying to snatch the phone out of Jake's hand. But he stood, too, holding it out of her reach. Not to be deterred, Kim used the couch and jumped up, practically climbing her husband as she reached for his phone.
"Kim!" Jake exclaimed in protest. "What are you—"
He cut off, trying to stay on his feet as she climbed around to his back. Surprised, Jake stumbled and brought his arm down. Kim snatched the phone in triumph, falling back to the couch as she grinned up at him. Then she looked down at the text conversation.
"Tommy?" she exclaimed. "You're texting Tommy? Jake, he should be sleeping right now. What were you thinking?"
Jake sighed.
"I wasn't," he admitted. "I asked a question without thinking and then he wanted pictures and Anton got involved… it spiraled very quickly…"
Kim scowled, glaring at the phone.
"I texted him three days ago and he still hasn't answered," she muttered. "But he answers you immediately."
Jake reached for his phone, but Kim held it away. She started typing.
"Kim…" Jake sighed.
She ignored him, fingers flying over the keyboard. There was a short pause after she sent the text before a response came.
Tommy: Kim I know its you. If you have a question why aren't you usingy our phone?
Kim: I've tried! You didn't answer me. It's been three days, Tommy!
There wasn't an answer right away. Jake managed to get his phone back while she was distracted. Kim glared at him. His phone went off a moment later. Jake glanced at the message and chuckled.
"Apparently he did read your message," he said. "Around 2a when you sent it. Except he was half asleep—and by morning he had forgotten he read it."
He glanced down again when the phone went off a second time. Kim's phone also went off.
Anton: I wasn't thinking about time. Tommy, shouldn't you be asleep?
Tommy: so should you
Anton: I'm in London.
Tommy: right
Jake chuckled, sitting down so Kim could follow the conversation, too. She had also pulled out her own phone to see Tommy's response to her question from several days before.
Tommy: so kats awake now. Shes n
The text message cut off. Jake and Kim exchanged a look. The phone dinged again a moment later with a message from Tommy's phone.
Tommy can't come to the phone right now. He'll contact you again at a decent hour local time. He needs to sleep.
Anton caught on first.
Anton: Put away the frying pan, Kat. We'll put down the phones.
Kat (on Tommy's phone): No need to knock him out. I'll be taking out this phone's battery. He can have it back later.
Kim was laughing now as Jake put his phone down.
"You got Tommy in trouble," she snickered. "And now he's in time out."
"I didn't think he'd answer til morning!" Jake protested.
"You clearly don't know him well enough yet," Kim smirked.
"I guess not," Jake grumbled.
Muttering, he leaned back against the couch. He looked over at Kim after a moment.
"Well, now that's over…" he said. "We were talking about what was bothering you."
Kim sighed.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm just a little frustrated. I only just reconnected with my friends after so long and I want to be able to talk to them—but I don't want you to have to leave me behind either… And being in Japan. I'm sorry…"
"No apologies necessary," Jake said, pulling her closer. "I know the traveling is hard on you sometimes… but I promise, no more than two more days here."
Kim looked up, raising an eyebrow.
"I swear," Jake repeated. "I've finally got a handle on the situation. I just need to check a couple more things and then I'm done. I'm not happy with how it's going anyways, so I'm planning to shut down the deal."
Kim frowned, shifting around to look at him.
"Is it that bad?" she asked.
"It's getting there," he sighed. "I'm not happy at all with how this contract has started out—we've yet to see anything we were promised at the beginning. And now he wants more money."
Kim snorted.
"Like that's going to happen," she said, shaking her head.
Jake smiled at her.
"Enough about my work problems for the moment," he said. "What do you want to do for lunch?"
Wednesday April 25th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
"And just where do you think you're going?" Jason asked, crossing his arms. "I don't remember you having plans tonight."
He had just caught Marc heading for the front door, his hood up and his hands stuffed in the pocket of the hoodie.
"Just to hang out," Marc muttered, shifting nervously in place.
"Uh huh," Jason said, eying the teenager. "Then what's in your pocket?"
"Nothing."
Shaking his head, Jason held out his hand. Marc scowled and didn't move for a moment. Jason just continued to wait. Finally—reluctantly—Marc pulled a can of spray paint out of his pocket and handed it over to his father.
"I'm just trying to make friends," he mumbled. "They dared me to bring it with me…"
Jason raised an eyebrow.
"And what were you going to do with it?" he asked.
"Stuff…"
"What kind of stuff? Because I'm guessing you aren't meeting to work on an art project."
Marc sighed.
"Ok… so we were gonna meet at the school," he admitted.
"And that's definitely not happening," Jason said firmly, placing a hand on Marc's shoulder.
He directed him away from the door, making sure it was locked.
"Why not?" Marc snapped, pulling away. "You wanted me to make friends."
"Not the kind likely to get you arrested," Jason countered. "If you have to vandalize public property to get their approval, then they aren't the kind of people you should be around."
"I hate this!" Marc shouted. "You tell me to make friends and then tell me I'm wrong."
Spinning, Marc stormed up the stairs and slammed his door shut. Jason sighed, looking at the spray paint can in his hand.
"It will get better," he muttered to himself. "It's only been three days. It has to get better…"
Thursday April 26th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
"He was sneaking out with a can of spray paint, Christine," Jason said. "It's not just acting up anymore."
Christine, sitting at the table with him, sighed. It was not long after Marc had gotten home from school and Jason had been explaining about catching him the night before.
"Just throw him in his room and tell him he's not allowed to come out anymore," she shrugged. "It's that simple."
Jason frowned.
"It's not that simple, Christine," he said. "Obviously there's something else going on. We can't just ignore it or punish it away. We need to figure out what's wrong with him."
"Please," she said, rolling her eyes. "He's a teenage boy. They're all idiots anyways."
"Christine!"
She just stood, shaking her head.
"Relax, I will take care of this for you," she said dismissively.
Striding out of the kitchen, she stood at the bottom of the stairs. Jason sighed and followed.
"Marc!" she screamed.
He walked out of his room a minute later, coming to the top of the stairs.
"What?"
"Your father told me all about you trying to sneak out last night," Christine said, hands on her hips now. "I can't believe you're making such poor choices."
Scowling, Marc crossed his arms and rolled his eyes.
"Do not disrespect me!" she snapped.
Marc flinched, dropping his arms.
"Anyways," Christine continued. "Your father has decided you're grounded. For the next month. No TV. No video games. No phone. No friends. Nothing."
"What?" Marc sputtered. "Dad!"
"Now go," Christine said as Jason stared at her in shock. "Go clean all of the upstairs including our room and the bathroom. Get on it. It's part of your punishment as well."
"But I didn't actually—" Marc tried to protest.
"I'm sorry, Marc," Christine interrupted with a shrug. "I didn't want to do this. But you pushed your father too far. Now get moving."
Marc scowled.
"Thanks a lot, dad!" he spat. "First you forced me to leave New York and move to this dump, and now you're trying to destroy what's left of my life. I hate you!"
He stormed away, slamming his bedroom door behind him.
"Christine!" Jason exclaimed. "I didn't say any of that!"
"Solved your problem, though, didn't it?"
"No, you just made it worse," he hissed.
Christine rolled her eyes.
"How could I possibly have made it worse, Jason?" she said. "If he did something wrong, he needed to be punished. You weren't man enough to do it, so I did it for you. You're welcome."
Jason scowled.
"That didn't do anything except make him mad at me! What do you think he's going to learn from that?"
"How about not to mess with his father?" Christine retorted. "Which is a pretty good thing for him to know. Don't you think?"
Jason groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"That's not how you handle a kid, Christine."
She rolled her eyes.
"Please, he's not a child anymore. And I can't believe you're getting upset at me when I've done nothing but solve your problem."
Jason sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Look, I know you were trying to help but—"
"No, no buts," she interrupted. "You couldn't handle it, so I did. Stop getting so emotional about it. People are going to start thinking you're a girl. Geez."
She scoffed, shaking her head as Jason frowned.
"Now, I have a nail appointment I'm going to be late for," she said, starting to head for her purse.
She paused next to him, giving him a cursory peck on the cheek.
"You know I hate leaving you after a fight," she said, walking away. "Especially when I've done nothing wrong. But I don't want to be late."
"Christine, wait," Jason frowned. "What am I supposed to do with Marc now? After everything you just told him? You need to tell him it wasn't just me."
Christine stopped, sighing as she slung her purse over her shoulder.
"Oh, sure," she said. "That would be great. So that way I'll be the bad guy."
"Wait, that's not what I meant," Jason said quickly. "I don't want to make you the bad guy."
He hesitated as she crossed her arms, watching him. Jason sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry…" he said. "I'll—I'll deal with Marc. Because you're right. He needs to be punished."
"Good," she said, giving him another quick kiss. "I'll be home later."
Without another word, she spun and headed out the door. Jason watched her go. After a moment, he turned and headed up the stairs to try and talk to Marc.
Friday April 27th, 2018
Reefside, CA
Hayley opened the front door, shifting out of the way as her daughters darted in around her.
"Alright, girls," she said, shutting the door behind her. "Put your things away and then we can decide what we want for dinner."
"Yes, mom," the girls chorused.
As they were putting away their shoes and backpacks, a small explosion vibrated through the house. Hayley spun toward the home lab as the girls froze in place.
"To your rooms," Hayley said quickly. "You know the rules—go."
Both Izzy and Rae darted away toward their rooms without arguing. Hayley headed in the opposite direction toward the lab she and Billy shared. As she approached the door, it opened. Billy walked out, coughing a little as he waved smoke away from his face.
"Billy, are you alright?" Hayley asked, rushing up to him. "What happened?"
"I am fine," he said, coughing again. "It was a small miscalculation—how was your day?"
Hayley took deep breath and sighed.
"Less explosive than yours, clearly," she said, peering around her husband into the smoke-filled lab. "What exactly were you working with?"
"Oh, nothing specific," he said, shaking his head. "I was simply testing some of the elements that Andros sent from KO-35 with our earthly elements. Several of them are rather volatile."
"Really?" Hayley asked drily. "What gave you that idea?"
Billy smiled at her slightly mocking tone. Stepping back inside, he flipped the switch for the fan to try and clear out some of the smoke.
"Do not worry," he said, turning back around. "I am fairly certain that none of the gasses produced are toxic in any fashion."
He paused, frowning as he looked around.
"At least, none of my alarms have gone off," he mused. "Though I suppose they are calculated for Earth gases, so there is a potential for something new…"
"Mmhmm…" Hayley said, amused now. "Any preference on dinner?"
"Oh, is it that late?" he asked, glancing at his watch. "I will come assist."
Hayley shook her head.
"Why don't you clean up while the girls and I make dinner," she said. "Then after the girls are in bed, I will come help you in the lab."
"I would love that," Billy smiled.
Saturday April 28th, 2018
Angel Grove, CA
Tommy glanced over as his phone went off on the counter. Kat, who was up putting her bowl in the sink, grabbed it for him.
"It's Tanya," she said, handing him the phone.
"Thanks."
Taking the phone, Tommy opened the text message. He frowned as he read it.
Need an extra set of hands this morning and Rocky and Adam are busy with a testing at the gym. Can you help us out?
He didn't answer right away, looking over at Kat and JJ who were finishing up their breakfasts. Tommy had finished his a few minutes before. They were in Angel Grove for the weekend and had gotten to his parents' house the night before.
"Kat, do we have anything going on this morning?" Tommy asked.
Kat shook her head.
"No, why?" she asked curiously.
"Tanya says she needs an extra set of hands for something," Tommy said. "She asked if I could come over for a bit."
"Go on," Kat said with a smile. "Let me know if you'll be back for lunch. Maybe we'll join you depending on what's going on over there."
Nodding, Tommy got up from the table to get ready and head over to the Park house. When he got there a little while later, Tanya and Aisha were both there.
"Hey, Tommy," Aisha smiled, coming to give him a hug.
"Tanya didn't tell me you were over," Tommy said, hugging her back.
"I just got here a few minutes ago," Aisha explained, glancing over her shoulder. "Damien—no! You don't climb bookshelves."
Spinning, she hurried away to stop her three-year-old from scaling a bookshelf in the other room. Tommy followed, chuckling.
"So, what's going on?" he asked. "Where is Tanya?"
"I'm here," Tanya said, coming out of the kitchen. "I was just cleaning up breakfast."
Like Aisha, she quickly gave him a hug. Aisha had corralled Damien and sent him to play with Liam in the corner.
"So, what did you need help with?" Tommy asked, glancing between the two women. "Did something break or…?"
"Oh, nothing like that," Tanya said, shaking her head. "Actually, we just have a meeting and needed someone to watch the kids since Adam and Rocky are busy at the dojo."
"Wait—what?" Tommy frowned. "That's not what you said in the text."
The two women were already heading for the door, grabbing their purses on the way.
"It's just a for a couple of hours," Aisha reassured him. "Thanks!"
"Tanya, Aisha, I can't—"
They were already out of the door. Tommy stared after them for a moment as he processed what had just happened. A tug on his shirt finally drew his attention.
"Uncle Tommy, can we play a game?"
Tommy took a deep breath and turned to look down at the child talking to him. Jazz, her sister right behind her, was looking up at him with a smile.
"Where are your cousins?" he asked, not seeing Aisha's three behind the twins.
"In the living room," Lilla answered. "Damien wants a book. He's getting a chair."
Grimacing, Tommy took the twins by the hand and hurried into the living room. The three-year-old was indeed trying to drag a chair across the room to the bookshelf he'd been trying to climb earlier. Karly had noticed and was trying to tell him no, scolding her little brother. Liam was sitting in the corner, happily playing with some toys.
"Damien, no," Tommy said. "Ask if you need help. You know you aren't supposed to climb furniture."
Taking the chair back to where it belonged, Tommy glanced around the room to make sure all of the kids were still there.
"Ok," he said. "Everyone needs to stay in the living room for a moment. I need to make a quick call. Karly, watch them."
She nodded with a smile as Tommy stepped into the hallway. He stayed right by the door so he could still watch them while he pulled out his phone. He tried calling both Aisha and Tanya, but neither answered. Getting more and more frustrated, Tommy tried Kat instead. Kat answered after a few rings.
"Hey, sweetheart," she said. "Are you on your way back?"
"Kat, I need you to come to Tanya's right now," Tommy said shortly, pacing by the door.
"What's wrong?" she asked quickly. "Is everyone alright? Did something happen to Tanya or Aisha?"
"They left," he snapped. "I got here, and they left me with the kids. I did not volunteer to babysit this morning."
Tommy heard Kat take a deep breath.
"Ok," she said. "I just got out of the shower. Let me get dressed and I'll be there as quickly as I can. Did you call them?"
"Yes," he said irritably. "They aren't answering. Apparently, they had a meeting."
"Did you try Rocky or Adam?" she asked.
"Testing at the dojo this morning. They aren't going to answer. I wouldn't want to interrupt anyways..."
"Alright. Well, I am coming as quickly as I can. Call me if anything happens and I'll be there soon."
Tommy hung up and took a deep breath before walking back into the living room to keep the kids entertained.
When Kat finally arrived a while later, they were all still in the living room. Tommy was sitting on the couch with Damien in his lap and Liam sitting next to him. He was reading to the two boys while Karly and the twins were laughing and playing with a large assortment of dolls, dinosaurs, and other various toys on the living room floor. Every so often Tommy glanced up from the book to make sure all three girls were still where he could see them. When Kat walked in, Tommy looked up in relief.
"Kat," he said, standing up to meet her. "You're here."
He handed the book to the boys so they could keep looking at it. Walking over to Kat, he pulled her into a hug. She didn't protest.
"I didn't lose any of them," he muttered.
"That's good," Kat smiled, hugging him tightly.
After a moment, he let go. The kids swarmed them, clamoring for Kat's attention now. She crouched down to give them all hugs and talk to them.
"Alright," Kat said a few minutes later, standing up and looking at her watch. "Tommy—what do you think about starting lunch?"
"I can do that," he said as she shooed the kids back to their books and toys.
"Do you know how long Tanya and Aisha will be gone?" she asked.
Tommy scowled, shaking his head.
"No," he said shortly. "I don't even really know where they went. They just said they had a meeting and then they were gone."
He paused, frowning as he looked around.
"Kat—where's JJ?" he asked slowly.
"Mom took him to visit dad at work," she said. "That's what took me so long. You had our car and they both had theirs—I had to walk."
"Sorry…" Tommy sighed.
"It's fine," Kat said. "Now—lunch?"
A little while later, Kat was in the kitchen making lunch while Tommy was watching the kids again. He had started out in the kitchen but kept coming to make sure Kat was alright with the kids, so she traded him places. When the front door opened, the kids went racing to see who it was with Tommy chasing after them. Tanya and Aisha were home.
Tommy stayed back, glaring at the two women as they greeted their kids.
"Mom—we played a game with Uncle Tommy," Lilla said.
"Oh, did you?" Tanya smiled, looking up at Tommy down the hall.
Her smile slipped a little when she saw the thunderous look on his face.
"It was a weird game," Karly informed them. "We all had to stay in the same room and no one was allowed to escape. We got to yell if someone tried. And if someone had to go to the bathroom we all had to walk them there to follow the rules of the game—but we didn't go in the bathroom with them we just waited outside. And we could do anything else we wanted to while playing the game as long as we followed the rule about staying in the same room as Uncle Tommy."
"So, it went well?" Aisha hesitantly asked Tommy.
He just scowled, crossing his arms.
"Kat, we're leaving!" he called toward the kitchen, not answering Aisha.
Tanya and Aisha exchanged a look—they were both quickly realizing they hadn't made the best decision. Kat came walking out of the kitchen at Tommy's shout. Seeing Tanya and Aisha, she frowned.
"Oh good, you're home," she said shortly. "There's mac 'n cheese on the stove and chicken nuggets in the oven. The timer should go off any time now."
The kids, hearing that Tommy and Kat were leaving, ran to say goodbye. Tommy smiled for them, saying goodbye and hugging them. When he and Kat were done, they headed straight out the door to the car. Kat paused in the doorway to talk to Aisha and Tanya.
"We'll drop JJ off for his appointment in the morning," she said. "But maybe give Tommy a little space for a day or two. You really shouldn't have sprung this on him—we would have helped if you had asked up front."
Without waiting for an answer, she followed Tommy out to the car.
"Dad, I'm hungry…" Marc whined, sprawled on the floor in the living room.
Jason raised an eyebrow as he looked over at his teenager.
"You already ate lunch," Jason said. "If you're that hungry, have a snack."
"There are no snacks," Marc grumbled.
Jason sighed, rubbing a hand across his face.
"We just had stuff yesterday," he said, standing to go check the kitchen.
Walking into the kitchen, Jason started checking through the cupboards and fridge. It had been a long first week in California. They were finally mostly unpacked, but Marc seemed determined to make the transition as difficult as possible. Not that Christine or Will had been any better.
"There are still some carrots in the fridge and some dip," Jason suggested, walking back into the living room. "I'll probably go shopping tomorrow."
Marc scowled, not sitting up.
"I don't want carrots," he said.
"Marc, come on," Jason sighed. "I'm trying to finish up stuff for this new job. I know this isn't what you wanted—"
"I hate this," Marc snapped, sitting abruptly. "There's nothing to do here. I'm bored and my friends are on the other side of the entire country doing stuff without me. And I can't even just walk to the store. I'm stuck here."
"Well, actually," Jason said. "You could walk to the store."
"No, I can't," Marc retorted. "It's like a million miles away!"
Jason raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"It's less than two," he said. "It isn't that bad."
Marc just groaned and fell back on the floor. Jason sighed again.
"Marc, you've got to give it a chance," he said. "We've only been here a week. You're never going to like it here if you don't even try."
"I don't want to try," Marc muttered. "I want to go back to New York."
"I'm sorry," Jason said, shaking his head. "But that's not happening."
Climbing to his feet, Marc stormed up the stairs and away from Jason. Shaking his head, Jason went back into the kitchen. They were actually starting to run low on groceries. He hadn't gone shopping since they'd arrived, they had just been eating what his mom had bought before they arrived the weekend before. Not that Christine had been thrilled about that.
"Guess I'll go shopping today," Jason muttered to himself.
Trying not to think about Marc and how upset he was, Jason started making a list. He really did hate that he'd had to drag him across the country so abruptly—which was obviously the main reason Marc was so miserable. Maybe if he had given him more time it would have been better, but Jason doubted it. While Jason was finishing up his list, Christine wandered in.
"Does anything ever happen in this place?" she sighed. "Jason, this was a horrible idea—oh! Are you going to the store?"
She had seen the list he was making on the counter.
"I'll be right back with my list," she said, disappearing from the room again.
She was back moments later with a list of her own that she placed on top of Jason's.
"Here's what I need," she said. "I doubt the stores around this backwater place are going to have the right brands, but I'm sure you can make it work."
"Christine—" Jason started to say, looking at her list.
"I mean, somewhere around here has to have a decent selection of organic products—right?" she continued, talking over him. "Just make it happen."
"We're on a tight budget right now, Christine," Jason said, shaking his head. "At least until I actually start working again. I don't know if I'll be able to get everything."
"Excuse me?" she said, crossing her arms. "I need those things. Do you want me to starve or get sick? You know I need all of that for my diet."
Jason grimaced as she looked at him expectantly.
"I know, I know," he said. "I just—"
"You'll figure it out," she said, flashing him a smile. "You always do. It's what you're good at. Now I'm going to go relax in the tub while you're out."
Turning, she headed out of the kitchen and back up the stairs. Jason took a deep breath and let it out. Grabbing both lists, he found his wallet and keys and headed out to the store.
Sometime later, Jason was standing in the middle of an aisle at the grocery store staring at his list in frustration. There were a few things in his cart, but he was really struggling to figure out how to make this trip work.
"How am I supposed to buy her entire list on this budget?" he muttered to himself, looking the lists over again. "Fresh salmon? I wonder if she'll believe they were out if I come home with tuna instead…"
He sighed. Everything on her list was fresh—or organic. She also wanted him to get a bunch of specialty chocolates and some wine. Plus, beer and pop for Will along with making sure to get things he could eat. And Marc had added to it as Jason was heading out the door, scribbling down a bunch of junk food on the shopping list. And, to top it all off, pretty much everything they all wanted were brands make in New York or around there—which were a lot more expensive now that they were in California.
"There's no way this is going to work," he sighed, realizing there was no way he was going to make everyone happy with this trip. "Maybe if I—"
"Jason!"
His internal battle was interrupted by someone calling his name. Jason jumped a little, turning to see who was talking to him. To his surprise, Tanya was walking quickly toward him pushing a cart of her own.
"What are you doing here?" Tanya asked, hugging him before he realized what was going on.
Jason tensed a little, hesitating before hugging her back. He didn't hug a lot of people other than Christine—she said it made her uncomfortable when he hugged other people outside of their family. Especially women she didn't know or approve of. With Kim it had been one thing, since Jason had always considered her family. It wasn't quite the same with Tanya. But Tanya seemed to sense his dilemma and pulled away, though she was still smiling. She didn't say anything about his discomfort.
"How long have you been in California?" Tanya asked. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."
Jason realized he still hadn't said anything.
"Oh—umm… actually, I just moved back," he said. "Been here for about a week now."
"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "It will be nice having you around again."
Jason nodded, relaxing a little as she beamed at him. Tanya glanced in his cart.
"Stocking up your cupboards?" she asked.
Jason nodded again, wincing a little as he realized the contents of his cart consisted mainly of wine, beer, and the junk food Marc requested. He'd only grabbed a few of their actual staples so far.
"That's a lot of junk food," Tanya said, eyeing it.
"It's Marc," Jason explained. "He's a teenager—he practically survives on the stuff right now."
"Ah," Tanya said, nodding in understanding. "That make sense. I'd forgotten Marc is already fourteen. But if that's how much teenagers tend to eat, then I'm afraid for when my twins hit that age."
Jason shook his head.
"He does eat a lot, but that's not the only thing right now," he sighed. "He's just going through a rough time with a big move so close to the end of the school year. I don't want to make it harder by telling him he can't have the food he likes…"
"You could just get him a couple," Tanya said in amusement. "But it's understandable."
"Oh, some of it is for Will, too," Jason said. "He likes most of the same things."
Tanya frowned.
"I thought you only had the one son," she said slowly.
"Will is my brother-in-law," Jason explained quickly.
"You shop for him?" she asked curiously.
"Well, he lives with us," Jason said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Oh, ok," Tanya responded.
"It's easier if I just shop for everyone instead of having multiple people make trips to the store."
Tanya was shaking her head.
"Jason, it's fine," she said, reassuring him. "It's not a big deal. I just didn't know he lived with you."
"Yeah…" Jason mumbled. "He's supposed to be getting a job and he'll help with more of the groceries, too."
"Jason, seriously, it's fine," Tanya smiled. "No judgment here. He's family. There's nothing wrong with supporting family. Now, did you need help finding anything?"
He shook his head.
"No, that's not my current problem," he admitted. "I just have a tighter budget than normal with the move and I haven't started my new job yet. So, I'm trying to make sure everyone gets what they want but…"
He trailed off, shrugging. Tanya clapped her hands together.
"I can help with that," she said. "Give me your lists."
Before Jason could protest, Tanya snatched them out of her hands and took off down an aisle with her cart. Jason followed. Starting back at the beginning of his list, Tania thinned out a few things and swapped out a few as well.
"These brands are just as good, but they'll be cheaper since they are local," Tania explained as she replaced some of his groceries and started adding new things from the list.
She added some stuff to her own cart as they went, but for the most part she was focused on Jason's list. Before long, she had helped him get most of the things he was looking for without destroying his budget.
"Thanks, Tanya," Jason said with a grateful smile as she finally handed him the list back. "I would have been here for hours."
"Of course," she said. "That's what friends are for. Now, the last couple of things you needed will be close to the registers, so you can grab them on the way up."
"Great," Jason said. "Then I'll have plenty of time to get stuff home and still make dinner before everyone is complaining they're hungry."
"You could always come over to our house for dinner," Tanya said. "Adam and I would be happy to have you. I'd love to meet the rest of your family."
Jason shook his head.
"I don't think so," he said. "I wouldn't want to impose—"
"Nonsense," Tanya said. "It wouldn't be a problem at all."
Jason's further protests were interrupted by two girls racing up to Tanya.
"Mom, we found it!" Jazz exclaimed, holding up her find proudly. "And it's on sale!"
She was proudly presenting Tanya with a jar of pasta sauce. Next to Jazz, Lilla was staring at Jason with wide eyes. She clutched a box of spaghetti while she tugged on her sister's shirt. Tanya took the proffered items with a smile and a thank you. It was at that point that Jazz finally turned to see what her sister wanted. Her eyes went as wide as her twin's when she saw Jason standing there. Both girls quickly ducked behind their mother as Jason chuckled.
"Jason, this is Jazz and Lilla," Tanya said, placing a hand on each daughter's head as she introduced them. "Girls, this is Jason. He's one of mommy and daddy's friends."
Both of the twins continued to stare at Jason in silence.
"It's ok," she assured them. "Now what did you do with your father?"
"They left me three aisles over after they found the right pasta sauce and then went racing to find you," Adam said drily, walking up behind her. "Jason!"
"Hey, Adam," Jason said.
"I was wondering when we would run into you," Adam smiled. "Kim said you'd be moving back here soon. Figured we'd see each other eventually."
The girls had both moved to hide behind Adam when he joined them, clinging tightly to his pants.
"Uh… yeah…" Jason said. "So—you two have kids. How old are they?"
"We do," Adam said, smiling down at the girls. "They're six now. Girls—are you going to say hi?"
The twins shook their heads, clinging tighter to Adam instead of saying anything.
"We're working on it," Adam said, exchanging a look with Tanya. "So how long have you been back?"
He looked at Jason expectantly.
"Only a week," Jason said.
"That's great," Adam said. "All settled in then?"
"As much as we can," Jason said. "Eventually the hope is to find a job and move to LA, but I don't want to rush it. I actually just got hired to head up security at the mall here in Angel Grove."
"Oh, that's good," Tanya said. "That will be an easy commute for you."
Adam nodded in agreement.
"You should come by the dojo now that you're back in the area," he said. "You can work out with Rocky and I. It shouldn't be hard to work around your work schedule—I already deal with Rocky's. The mall can't possibly be more complicated than his."
Jason immediately shook his head.
"I don't really do that anymore…" he said.
Adam raised an eyebrow as he eyed Jason.
"Well, you're just getting back here," Adam said. "It's the perfect time to get back into it. And it would be great to spend some time with you and catching up after so many years."
"Thanks, Adam," Jason said. "And it would be—but I can't really afford a gym membership right now. I'll be fine with what I have at home for the moment."
"If you're sure," Adam said with a shrug. "The offer will be open later if you change your mind."
Jason nodded.
"So how is Marc doing?" Tanya asked. "You said he was having a rough time?"
"He's a teenager," Jason sighed. "And I pulled him out of his school and away from his friends barely two months from the end of the school year. So, he's… well, he's having some issues adjusting."
Tanya and Adam exchanged a look.
"It's only been a week," Jason quickly added. "He just needs some time to get settled and make some friends. Preferably ones that don't like spray paint."
The last part came out before Jason could stop himself. Adam and Tanya looked at him in surprise.
"What—" Tanya started to ask.
Adam stopped her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it gently.
"You could always bring him by the dojo," Adam suggested. "There are a lot of kids Marc's age who take classes there. Be a good place to maybe make some friends."
Jason hesitated and then shook his head.
"Adam, I appreciate the offer, but I can't afford that right now," Jason said.
"It's fine, Jason," Adam said. "Don't worry about the cost. I'd be happy to have him."
"Adam—"
"Seriously, Jason," Adam smiled. "I mean it. It will give him something to do while he adjusts to California. And the kids are good kids. I don't know Marc, but if he is anything like you, he'll fit right in."
Jason hesitated for a moment.
"If you're sure," he relented.
"I'm sure," Adam said firmly as Tanya nodded next to him. "Bring him by next Saturday and he can join one of my classes."
Jason pulled his phone out as Adam rattled off a few more details, saving them for later.
"Now, back to what we were talking about," Tanya said with a smile.
Adam glanced over at her.
"Which was?" he asked.
"Dinner," Tanya said, looking at Jason. "So, not tonight—how about tomorrow?"
"Oh, sure," Adam said. "You should come, Jason. We're having a cookout with Rocky and Aisha and their kids."
"I don't think—" Jason started to say, shaking his head.
Tanya's eyes narrowed as she put her hands on her hips.
"She's not going to just take no for an answer, man," Adam chuckled. "Not unless you already have plans. It'll be easier on you not to argue—she will call Aisha."
Jason winced thinking about both of them on his case at the same time.
"But it wouldn't just be me," he said, trying to find a way out of it. "I'd have to bring my wife and her brother—plus I have a teenager."
Adam snorted.
"Jason, I work with teenagers every day," he said drily.
Jason frowned.
"I didn't think you were a teacher," he said.
"I'm not," Adam laughed. "I'm talking about at the dojo. I have all sorts of teenagers there after school. It's a good place for them to wait for their parents to pick them up since it's close to the high school."
"Oh, right," Jason said sheepishly. "Though I swear Kim said someone was an actual teacher."
"That would be either Kat or Tommy," Tanya said. "Both of them are teachers."
Jason nodded, remembering more of what Kim had said. He hesitated for a moment.
"So, is Tommy really a science teacher?" he asked. "Because I never would have expected that to happen."
"He is," Adam said with a shrug. "It started with paleontology and then one thing led to another."
"Right," Jason said, glancing at his watch. "Anyways, I should get home. I have a family to feed."
"And we will see you again tomorrow," Tanya smiled.
"If you're sure…" Jason said slowly.
"We're sure," Adam said. "We would love to have you and your family over. Rocky and Aisha are already bringing their kids."
"Alright," Jason sighed. "I'll talk to Christine when I get home. But I'll need your address—"
Tanya immediately snatched the phone out of his hand.
"Tanya!" Jason protested, looking at Adam for help.
Adam just shrugged. Tanya's fingers were flying over the keyboard.
"Ok," she said. "You'll need my phone number and Adam's and our address. I'll put Rocky and Aisha in here, too…"
Adam watched as she continued to add phone numbers.
"Don't forget Mrs. Oliver," he said. "She'll find out he's back eventually."
"Oh, right!" Tanya exclaimed, adding that information, too.
Jason finally got his phone back a couple of minutes later with a lot of new contacts added. Tanya had also made sure to get his number to put in her and Adam's phones so they could contact him, too. As they said their goodbyes, Tanya gave Jason another tight hug.
"I'm glad you're back," she said, waving as they walked away.
Jason waved back and then headed toward the checkout.
"Now I get to tell Christine we're going to a BBQ…" he sighed.
Back at home a little later, Adam called Rocky while he was helping Tanya with dinner.
"Hey, reminder about the BBQ tomorrow," Adam said when Rocky answered. "You guys can come over any time after we get home from my parents'."
"Thanks for the reminder—but you do realize you could have just texted me that, right?" Rocky snorted.
"I could have,"Adam countered. "But you would have just called me when I told you the next part."
"That makes me nervous," Rocky muttered.
Adam laughed, handing Tanya a spoon.
"It's nothing bad," he said. "Jason and his family are going to join us."
"Seriously?" Rocky exclaimed. "I didn't know he was back already."
"Since last weekend," Adam explained. "We ran into him at the grocery store and convinced him to come."
"That's great. Is he going to start coming to the dojo?"
"That's a work in progress," Adam sighed. "Maybe you can help me convince him?"
"Tommy is here this weekend, right?" Rocky asked.
"He is most weekends," Adam replied. "But Kat and JJ are with him this time."
"Great—I'm going to text him."
"Good idea."
Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw Tanya freeze at the mention of Tommy. He frowned, glancing over at her, but she just shook her head. He could hear Rocky texting in his ear.
"Hey, Adam?" Rocky said slowly a minute. "Have I done something stupid today?"
"Rocky, I'm not with you all day everyday—I don't know," Adam sighed, rolling his eyes. "Why?"
"Can you think of anything I may have done to make Tommy mad at me?"
"No, nothing I can think of—is he mad at you?" Adam asked in surprise.
"He just flat out turned me down for tomorrow without an explanation of any kind—so possibly. He just said no. Nothing else."
"But why would he be mad at you all of a sudden?" Adam frowned.
Tanya sighed.
"It's not Rocky," she admitted.
"What do you mean, Tanya?" he asked.
"Tommy is mad at Aisha and me," she said.
"Rocky—Tanya says he's mad at her and Aisha, not you…" Adam said slowly, a little confused.
"Alright, what did they do?" Rocky asked. "Cause whatever it is, Kat is mad, too."
"Tanya—what happened?" Adam asked, looking at her. "Rocky, I'll call you back later."
Tanya sighed as Adam hung up the phone.
"We may have had Tommy watch the kids while we ran to the PTA meeting this morning…" she admitted.
Adam winced.
"What did they do?" he asked, a little afraid of the answer.
"Oh, nothing," she said quickly. "As far as we know they were on their best behavior."
"Then why…?"
Tanya took a deep breath and sighed.
"We may not have warned Tommy ahead of time," she said. "We didn't want him to tell us no because we thought it would help…"
Adam grimaced.
"Well, he has to face his fears at some point," Tanya protested, then her shoulders slumped. "I just didn't realize it was that big of a trauma for him… so it kind of made it worse…"
Adam rubbed his forehead.
"Tanya—he's struggling with his school kids," he pointed out. "You are the one who told me that. It's all kids acting as a trigger. You could have at least warned him and told him to bring Kat."
"I realize that now," she mumbled. "Again, I didn't think it was that bad…"
"And five at once?" Adam shook his head. "He has every right to be mad at you two."
"I know," Tanya sighed. "I screwed up—royally. And I need to apologize as soon as I can. I'd make him cookies or something to go with it, but I know he'd just feed them to Kat and JJ since they don't fit in his diet plan."
Adam chuckled.
"That's not wrong," he said. "Just give him a day or so—he'll talk to you again and you can apologize then. But I wouldn't expect them over tomorrow."