A/N: Hello and welcome to this new attempt at a Monsters Inc fic! I've tried this more times than I can count but feel like I've finally hit a sweet spot with this story. I hope you all enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but Jacob and any other OCs.

PAIRINGS: MikexCelia

"Jacob Oliver Sullivan, we're going to be late!"

"Technically not my name yet."

"And if you don't hurry it up it may not be."

James P. Sullivan could hear the boy scrambling on the other end, and nearly reminded him to watch his language. But if there was one thing he'd learned from parenting a teenager? It was that they made everything difficult if they could. It didn't mean you didn't love them, but it did mean sometimes being out the door at 10:30 meant 10:50-ish.

One would probably be shocked he was even doing this at all. James P. Sullivan, CEO of Monsters Inc, resident bachelor, was adopting a kid. If you'd even told him that a couple of months ago he'd probably have laughed it off, yet here they were he thought as the door to what had been his spare bedroom opened.

Jake looked like he was spazzing, he noted. His tuft of auburn hair a frizzled mess as his green eyes shot up to Sulley. Somehow, he'd convinced the young human to at least trade his ripped jeans and graphic tee for a nice suit. As he fiddled with his tie, Sulley deeply reflected on getting here. On the mountains of paperwork, the bureaucratic fight, all of it and thanked everything this kid was standing there now.

And to think, a few decades ago he would have scoffed at the very thought of entertaining a human. Now he had one taking up residence in his apartment and that was just sort of… Wild. "Heh, get over here kiddo," He chuckled. "Your tie's a little crooked."

Jake rolled his eyes and stepped forward, allowing Sulley to fix it up. As he did, Jake began speaking up again: "I didn't think it looked that bad. Did you?" He asked nervously, chewing his lip. "I gotta be perfect right? Otherwise they could still say no."

"Jake."

"I'm just saying. This hasn't been done before. Roz wanted to stop it -."

"Jake."

Sulley finished his work and put his paws calmly on the boy's shoulders. "You remember what I told you when I brought you to our world for good?" Jake didn't answer. "You're not going anywhere. Human social services could kick in our door right now, and I'd tell them to back off."

The teen relaxed a little bit as he said that, but Sulley still pulled him into his fur for a warm hug. They stood there in the doorway for a long moment before Jake looked up into his eyes. "Jacob Oliver Sullivan," He murmured. "This is really happening isn't it?"

Sulley let out a low chuckle before releasing him. "At least as long as we get down to the courthouse at noon," He pointed out, stepping into their small but comfortable kitchen. "Then you're all mine."

He scooped Jake into his arms, eliciting a giggle. It warmed his heart to see the way his face lit up, his eyes full of life. It was hard to believe where they'd been only four months ago. "Sulley! Sulley put me down!" Sulley gently tickled his ribs. Only causing him to giggle more. "C'mon! I'm too big for this!"

"You turned fourteen last week," Sulley teased. "Now you think you're an adult?"

He stopped as someone cleared their throat. They both turned to find that Mike Wazowski, who had even put a tie on himself for the occasion, had let himself in. "Well aren't you two just adorable!?" He joked as Sulley finally set him down. "May want to save it for later. Celia's waiting and you know how she gets."

Jake only crossed his arms and gave a smirk. "What did you fight about this time uncle Mike?"

"Why do I always get that question?" Mike groaned. "Get out there wise guy."

Jake only threw a smirk back at Sulley as he did just that. But Sulley remained behind, watching his soon to be son go for the moment. "… So last couple of hours before you're a dad," Sulley looked at Mike with a smirk. "How you feeling?"

"Nervous," Sulley admitted. "My stomach's been in knots all morning."

Mike offered a small pat on his waist, and looked up at him encouragingly. No doubt, as usual he had his back. "Look, Sulley, you've fought hard for that kid," He commented. "Just take a deep breath. In a couple of hours we'll be having cake at Monsters Inc and he's yours."

Sulley adjusted his own tie in the mirror and tried to take a deep breath as he suggested. "I guess I have you to thank for that," He admitted as he glanced at one of the many pictures of him and Jake in the house. "Thought it was an awful idea at the time."

"Probably was."

Sulley just shook his head and affirmed gently. "It was the best decision I ever made," He pointed out. "It just took me time to see it."

As he set the picture down, and started away with Mike; he was glad for once he had been wrong.

FOUR MONTHS EARLIER

Sulley was depressed.

It had been a week now since Boo, Mary, had left for college. Sure, she had long outgrown their adventures, but after years of watching over her in secret she was now an adult. She was out of her house, out in the world. There was no closet door to visit her through, no one waiting on the other end.

Mike visited him early that afternoon, when he'd been trying ro hide in his office. Of course, he really had a mountain of paperwork but even he knew it could be put off. Mike, on the other hand, came right in and slapped something on his desk. "Sulley," He pointed out very calmly. "You need to get yourself out of this rut and find someone."

"Huh?"

Mike looked at him and didn't miss a beat: "Look, the way i see it. Boo's gone, it sucks. But you living alone in that bachelor pad isnt helping," He pointed out as Sulley questioned when their old apartment had become a "bachelor pad". "So Celia and I brainstormed at home. I know you're not into the "relationship" thing..."

Sulley already didn't like where this was going. But he liked it even less when he turned the brochure he'd given him over. "Foster Parenting"? Was Mike serious? The answer wasn't... "Mike, no way. That isn't the answer," He cut him off, shaking his head slowly. "I'm not just going to replace Boo like that. Our relationship was special..."

Mike interjected: "Sulley, you love kids. Have ever since that little terror showed up," Sulley couldn't argue there. "Just think! It'd be like having her around 24/7. Your own kid to mold and teach..."

Sulley thought about it for a moment, even though it seemed irresponsible. Liking kids didn't make you a good parent. His father loved kids, and he'd frankly abandoned him after the incident at University. Hadn't even so much as called fo congradulate him when he'd made Top Scarer or CEO.

And besides... "It's not as easy as that, Mike," He pointed out. "I need a real connection with a kid. Not just to pick one out like a replacement goldfish."

Still, his eyes lingered on the paper for a second longer before they were interrupted. At that moment, the door opened to a small, nervous looking intern: "Mr. Sullivan, there's a situation down on the Laugh Floor I think you need to see."

"Can it wait a minute; we were talking here!" Mike pointed out.

"Not really. I have a Code Boo."

Sulley was out that door faster than anyone else could say a word. In these new days, a Code Boo of course meant a human child on the Laugh Floor. A situation they'd prepared for but hadn't had happen since. And while it was now known kids weren't toxic... It still sent him into a spiral.

Even moreso, as he stepped onto the floor to find a human teenager. Someone old enough to remember them, to have memories. To be a BIGGER problem.

Little did he know as he caught his first glimpse of those green eyes. Looking up from between two panicking monsters... This boy would change his life for the second, and last time.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed! I intend for this to bounce around timeline-wise. Some chapters set on adoption day and in the past, while others will be spent in either one entirely. I hope this intrigues you enough to stick around!