The Arcade

Jake was playing pinball while Danny and Jason played air hockey.

"Dad, can I talk to you about something," Danny asked after he scored the winning point.

"Sure, what's on your mind," Jason replied.

"So you know about the whole college tour Mom and Uncle Drew have been planning for me this summer?" Danny said.

"Yeah," Jason said, "What about it?"

"How do I tell them I don't want to go to college?" Danny asked, "At least not college in the sense that has been expected of me since well forever."

"What do you want to do then?" Jason asked.

"I want to go to like a trade school," Danny said, "To learn more about working on cars. I liked helping Brando in the shop. Maybe someday, I"ll have my own shop."

"Then I think you should tell them that," Jason said.

"What if they're disappointed in me?" Danny asked.

"That won't happen," Jason said, "I think your Mom and Drew will understand. College isn't necessarily for everyone. They just need to know what it is you want for your life."

"Would have been nice if they'd asked before running off and planning college tours?" Danny muttered.

"Did you try to tell them you wanted something different?" Jason said.

"Well, no," Danny said, "It seemed like one day they were talking about colleges and off we went."

"How about you talk to your mom when I drop you off on Sunday?" Jason said.

"So you'll tell her for me?" Danny asked.

"No," Jason replied, "It should come from you. But I will be there to support you."

"I thought I'd ask," Danny said as Jake finished his pinball game, "And thanks for listening."

"Anytime," Jason said as Jake approached them.

"What next?" Jake asked.

"We can stay and play a few more games," Jason said.

"Actually, I'm starving," Jake said, "Are we going home for dinner or out?"

"We can head home," Jason said, "Kellie was planning on hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner since we're getting the fire pit out."

"Do you think we gave Jared, Jamie, & Alyssa enough time with their Grandpa?" Danny asked.

"We can go out if they want more time with him," Jake said, "It is their first visit with him after well."

"After the Cassadines kidnapped him," Danny said.

"Aren't you part Cassadine?" Jake asked.

"I try to forget that I'm related to some of them," Danny said, "Particularly the ones that kidnap, kill, and brainwash people. Grandma Alexis is kooky and there are some stories out there, but she seems okay. All the Cassadine drama mostly seemed to skip our step-siblings' dad. Outside of those branches, all others are suspect."

"Fair enough," Jake said.

Jason shook his head at boys' conversation.

"We're heading home for dinner," Jason said, changing the subject, "Charles knows you two are with me this weekend. He's expecting you to show up like you normally would."

"I guess he might need some things to be normal," Jake said, "Besides I really want smores."

Kellie & Jason's house

When Jason, Danny, and Jake arrived home, Kellie had just put the burgers on the grill. Jared and Jamie were getting the fire started with Charles's assistance.

Alyssa was trying to convince Kelsey to let her paint her nails when Jason, Danny, and Jake came out in the back yard.

Alyssa ran up to Jason, "Grandpa got me new nail polish, Daddy..Jas…."

Alyssa stopped and then looked back at Charles, unsure of herself.

Charles having overheard Alyssa made his way to her. Danny and Jake made their way over to the fire pit.

"Sorry, Grandpa," Alyssa said, "I ummm…"

"It's okay," Charles said to Alyssa, "You have nothing to apologize for. As much as we all would wish your Dad could be here with you, we know that isn't possible. I think you are a very lucky girl to have someone you see as another father."

"You're not upset with me?" Alyssa asked.

"As if that could ever be possible," Charles said, "You can never have too many people that care about you or that you care about."

"I love you, Grandpa," Alyssa said, hugging him and then running off to join the rest of the kids.

Charles excused himself to get a drink from inside the house. Kellie nodded at Jason to check the grill and followed Charles."

"Are you okay?" Kellie asked. "I should have warned you. I don't why I didn't think to say something"

"Lorenzo had already let me know," Charles said, reassuring Kellie, "I was expecting it sort of. It'll take some getting used to."

"Even Alyssa had to get used it," Kellie said, "I'm glad that she feels comfortable and safe enough with Jason to see him that way, but sometimes it reminds me of the fact Tyler's not here to see his kids grow up. I keep thinking I should feel that sting a lot less by now."

"Grief is a funny thing," Charles said, "It can still surprise you even years later."

"I can honestly saw it surprised me a lot this last year," Kellie said, "outside of the grief that came from Victor faking your death and kidnapping you."

"I suspect that there will always be some part of us that misses Tyler," Charles said, "And I think we just eventually learn to be alright with that, even when we and life have moved on. Then we remember that sometimes the grief still might hit a little more some days."

"Today was one of those days," Kellie said, her breathe catching, "I was telling Tyler about Jamie's attempted escape at the cemetery when it just…."

Kellie shook her head and looked away. Charles hugged Kellie.

"I've had those moments too," Charles said, "As unfair as it seems that Tyler's life was so short and he didn't get very long with his kids in this life, there's not a day that goes by when I'm not grateful he was my son, that I got to love him, that he loved you and that he did get to have a family with you. Maybe it was only for a short time, but it was still something."

Kellie and Charles hugged for a moment, silently acknowledging the loss of someone that had been important to both of them.

When they broke apart, neither one said anything. Several moments later, Jason came inside.

"The burgers are done whenever you're ready to have dinner," Jason said, "I take it the condiments are in the fridge still."

"Yes," Kellie said, turning to open the fridge and pull out a tray with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onions.

"I've got it," Charles said, taking the tray from Kellie.

Kellie looked like she momentarily considered telling Charles he didn't need to, but then opted to not to.

Kellie grabbed the condiments out of the fridge and handed them to Jason as Charles made his way out to the backyard.

"It almost feels like he wasn't even gone," Jason said.

"Some moments it really does," Kellie said.

"Is Charles okay?" Jason asked, "About Alyssa and… That had to have caught him off guard unless you'd had a chance to say something."

"I didn't," Kellie said, "Uncle Lo had apparently already given him a heads up. He knew. It still surprised him. He didn't really answer if he was okay, but just might take some time along with everything else he's been through."

"He'll be okay," Jason said, setting the condiments on the counter, "He's got all of us, you, me, Monica, Max, Milo, and whole lot of other people, to support him."

"It still feels like if I blink, I'll find he's not really here," Kellie said.

Jason held Kellie's hand.

"He's here," Jason said, "He's not disappearing."

Kellie and Jason were interrupted as Jake and Jared came into the house.

"Charles said to see if there was anything else you needed brought out," Jake said as Jared started grabbing the condiments off the counter and handing some to Jake.

They both ran out of the house.

"I guess that's everything," Kellie said, "Everything else is already outside."

"I guess we better not keep them waiting," Jason said as he and Kellie walked out of the house to sound of the kids and Charles chattering and laughing.