Jason and Shaun

Jason and Shaun Chapter 29

Author's Notes:

I want to thank my Readers. You guys are the best. Okay, these characters are not meant to resemble any living or dead persons. I make no apology to anyone who is offended by anything in this story. If you do not agree with the idea of guys being in love, then find something else to read. Let me know what you think of the story by emailing me at

_Hnstskr4@aol.com_

Copyright © 2008-2020 by Chuck B

Jason and Shaun

Chapter 29

Josh and Josh Jr Visit

This chapter takes place a month before the guys are ready to head out for Utah. It begins a month before the action of the actual visit takes place. It starts with a conversation between Josh and his dad.

"Dad, I kind of miss Shaun."

His dad just frowns a little bit. It's an easy fix.

"Why don't you just call him or video chat with him?"

Josh thinks about for a second or two, and then he frowns. It would be easier for him to call his brother, but he prefers to see him face to face. It's been a year since they've seen each other, that trip was for Shaun's and Jason's wedding.

"We've talked, but it's not the same. I know Jason and Shaun are moving out here, but I'm not sure that JJ will remember him, and I want him to know his uncles, and not fear them."

His dad is kind of questioning what is happening in his son's brain.

"No Joshua, no, your brother will be here in a month, you'll see him then, we are not paying for a trip to see him."

His dad is totally against the visit, but for JJ or Josh Jr it would be sweet to see him smiling instead of cowering when Uncle Shaun and Uncle Jason show up at the house. Dad disappears for about fifteen minutes leaving Josh to get back to watching videos on his laptop. When his dad appears again in his room, he comes with a smile.

"You are so lucky that your stepmom is in love with her grandson, she gave me the okay to pay for your trip, but there is a catch. Do you want to guess what the catch is?"

Josh stops what he is doing to look at his dad.

"Knowing Mom, she is going to want to see her son and her son in law."

Dad shakes his head no.

"Sorry, Son, that is not the condition. She wants me to go with you, lucky thing I have a few days of vacation that I can take. She is not about to let you take off with her grandson by yourself. Erin wouldn't let travel you by yourself. So, I guess we need to figure out plane tickets and whatnot."

Josh smirks a little; he can't believe that Erin is making his dad go with him.

"Do you have to go?"

There is no way that his dad is going to go against his wife's wishes or Erin's wishes. He knows it would be a mistake, especially with how Sandy feels about JJ and Erin. The woman would do anything for those two individuals. In under an hour, they have their tickets purchased. They have two days to pack and head out to the airport. They also have to call Shaun to let him know that they are coming.

***

Shaun agreed to pick them up so that Jason could get some work done for the move. The drive up to the airport was crazy, but at least he made it. Shaun is excited to see his family, but a part of him wishes that they would have waited to see him and Jason when they got to Utah. It just would have made more sense. Shaun receives a text letting him know that they are standing outside waiting for him to pull up. Leaving his parking place, he pulls around to pick them up. Stopping in front of them, he gets out and helps with the luggage after getting hugs from his dad and his brother and kissing his nephew. Shaun gets the luggage put away as his brother is getting the booster seat strapped into the car. Grandpa gets the job of holding his cranky, grandson. With all of that done, there is one last thing to do, and that is to get JJ ( Josh Jr. ) into the booster seat, and for the record, Grandpa didn't get JJ to quiet done. Once everyone gets into the car, Shaun is ready to head out and go home. Maybe, the cranky boy will quiet down on the ride. Everyone is finally in the car, and they can leave the airport.

"So, how was the flight?"

Shaun asks, wanting to make sure they didn't suffer too badly on the trip.

"It was good. JJ wasn't too bad on the flight. Dad was able to get me a seat right next to him, which helped because this guy is a daddy's boy. Isn't that right, JJ?"

Joshua said to his older brother. The "JJ" nickname started being used after Erin's little brother visited and started calling the little guy that name, and it just kind of stuck.

"He's got so big since the wedding."

Shaun says as he looks at his nephew.

`Jason is going to be all about having a little person at the house.'

"A year will do that to a kid."

Their dad says to his son. Not even ten minutes from the airport, and JJ is fast asleep. Joshua knows that, while it makes for a good trip home, he might be cranky when they get to the house.

"You know, we are moving out to Utah next month, right?"

Shaun decides to throw that little fact out there. His dad looks at Joshua, waiting for him to tell Shaun why they had to make this trip.

"I know Shaun, but I didn't want Josh Jr. to see you guys and freak out. I want him excited to see you when you show up. Plus, I missed you."

Jason would have raised hell if Shaun told them not to come. Jason loves kids, and it's something that gets talked about at least once or twice a month.

"Well, I guess it's good that you came now instead of the week before we left. For the record, we missed you guys too. I think Jason is going to go into full uncle mode when we get there. I'm just warning you."

The rest of the drive was spent in small talk. The conversation is mostly between Joshua and Shaun. Shaun doesn't want to wake up his nephew, so the radio is off, so the discussion is welcome to help keep him from falling asleep. A little later, the guys arrive at the house.

***

Shaun helps get the luggage into the house while Joshua and their dad help get JJ into the house. Shaun enters the house to find a note on the kitchen table from Jason saying that he went to the store.

"Okay, so, you guys remember where the guest bedrooms are located?"

His dad shakes his head and heads upstairs, picking the smallest of the two free bedrooms, which leaves Joshua with the larger of the two rooms. They rejoin Shaun downstairs. Shaun and Jason decided to buy a play crib in case they got asked to babysit for Sarah and Mark, so that will need to be put away, and the air mattress filled up for JJ.

"Jason went to the store, so I guess you can chill. There are clean towels in the linen closet outside the bathroom."

His dad gets up to take a quick shower. While he is showering, Shaun spends some time hanging with his brother and JJ. When his dad leaves the bathroom, he joins the guys downstairs. It takes a few minutes for the cats to figure out that they have visitors.

"You guys got a new cat?"

Joshua says as Nyx comes over to check him out. She rubs up against his legs, and he reaches down to pet her.

"Do you remember Ms. White from our wedding?"

She stood out in Josh's memory.

"Yeah, how is she?"

"Umm...well, she passed away not too long after our wedding. Anyway, she left us her cat. It took Sasha a little bit to get used to having another cat in the house, but she does pretty well on most days. Nyx knows when to give her some space."

Sasha always comes up to Shaun for some cuddles before moving over to check out the little person.

"I'm sorry, Bro."

"I'm sorry, son."

Shaun smiles at them and then gets up and heads into the kitchen. Shaun gets a text from Jason saying that he's here and could use some help bringing in the groceries.

***

When Jason enters the house knowing that they had visitors, but he was not expecting to have Joshua offering to bring in groceries. He was willing to let the younger guy take some of the bags. Course, he's looking for a certain little nephew of his as he walks into the house. When he finds his husband, he sees why he didn't see JJ. They were just going to have pulled pork sandwiches tonight, so Jason went out to grab extra buns, and he also bought a rotisserie chicken so it can be fixed into pulled chicken sandwiches. There is enough pork to do four sandwiches. He also bought a mix of stuff for the cole-slaw, which is being served on the side. He also bought another jar of their favorite bbq sauce plus other things that were on the list enough stuff to fill four bags of groceries.

"Thanks for helping out, Josh."

Jason says to his brother in law.

"No problem. How are you?"

Josh says to Jason.

"You know it's been a crazy, hectic couple months around here. It's hard to believe that in a month, I won't be living in Indiana anymore."

Josh nods his head as two cats start to rub up against Jason's feet.

"They know that Daddy is home."

Jason says as he sits down in one of the reclining chairs. Sasha doesn't waste a second and quickly jumps up into his lap. Joshua sits down on the couch, and he gets a visit from Nyx. Jason's father in law sits back and relaxes. A few minutes later, Shaun enters the room with his nephew and the minute Jason sees the little guy, and he is in heaven. Shaun is ready to hand JJ over to his daddy, but Jason reaches out his hands. JJ looks a little worried. He doesn't exactly want to go to his uncle, but with some gentle reassurance from his father, JJ goes over to his uncle. From there it's all over, Jason has the little guy eating out of his hands.

"Hey, buddy, remember me?"

He isn't very talkative right now, because he's shy, but given a little bit of time, he'll come out of his shell. For now, though, he's trying to reach the cat that was sitting in his uncle's lap. Course, the cat wasn't going to let the little guy maul it. Mr. Allen gets up and walks into the kitchen to see what he can do to help his son.

***

Shaun has decided to take a few days vacation so he could spend time with his family. He got three days worth of time off. He wanted more days, but it just was not happening. The time off is lovely. Even though right at the moment, he is cooking away in the kitchen. It's sort of neat to be cooking for more than just Jason and him. The chicken is being pulled apart, ground pork is being browned, and the coleslaw is being put together. He's pretty sure that everyone is going to love it.

***

Everyone is done having dinner, and Jason and Josh are sitting in the living room while Shaun, JJ, and Grandpa are checking out the animals.

"So, are you guys taking all the animals with you?"

Josh asks, knowing that things are different in their state. Jason panics slightly at the thought of losing any of the animals.

"Yes, the animals are going with us. I have already researched all the laws. The cats are going with us for sure because I couldn't imagine not having them there."

It was pretty weird because when Jason said cats both looked right up at him. Josh wondered if Jason was excited about the move or not.

"Do you want to move?"

Shaun and Jason don't want to move, but they couldn't find the right jobs in this area. The move is just a thing because of employment.

"I don't want to sell the house, pack everything up, and move to Utah. I will follow Shaun anywhere he goes, but even Shaun doesn't want to move."

"I don't blame you."

As they were talking, little feet can be heard moving towards Joshua's position.

"Hey, buddy!"

Jason says the minute he sees JJ.

"Daddy can I sit with you?"
Joshua reaches for his son. Josh picks up his son, who quickly cuddles with his dad. He stares at Uncle Jason, so Jason thinks that JJ might want to sit with him. Jason reaches out his hands to his nephew, but all he got was a very stern look from the little guy.

"Okay, you don't have to come to me."

Josh is surprised that JJ is refusing to go to Jason. Usually, Josh Jr is pretty easy going when it comes to people. The kid is tired.

"Just give him a chance."

Joshua is trying to get his son to go to Jason. It's just not happening, so the guys give up trying.

"Why didn't Erin come with you guys?"

Jason would love to spend time with her. The little bit of time that they spent together during the wedding was cool. She has a fantastic personality. She has to be going crazy, not having her husband and her son with her.

"She didn't come with us because she has school and work going on, so yeah, just best for her to stay home."

Joshua says as he looks down at his son. He knows that his son will miss his mom. He seems okay right now, but later tonight, he might start showing signs of missing mommy. His daddy is trying not to mention the word "Mommy." It would just get him crying. The guys continue talking to each other for a little while before Joshua decided to get JJ ready for bed.

***

Shaun and Jason are winding down their evening. Jason is making sure the animals are all set for the evening. Downstairs, Joshua has put a call through to Erin so that he can talk to her and their son. He might pay for allowing the kiddo to see Mommy, but in the end, it's all worth it, because Erin gets to see him.

"Hey, Babe, how are you?"

He can see the smile on her face, and it feels so good. He knows that her day can be a little hectic, so he tries his best to let her relax when he's home with her.

"I'm tired but, I'm doing better now that you called, and I get to see my little guy before you put him to bed. Hi JJ!"

JJ's face lights up when he hears his mom saying his name.

"Mommy!"

JJ reaches out to grab daddy's phone, but dad is quicker. Erin smiles because she could see his pursed lips.

"He just wanted to give me a kiss."

She says with a giggle.

"Well, sorry if I don't want a wet phone. I know what his kisses feel like."

Erin can't deny that their son's kisses are a bit wet.

"So, what has your day been like today?"

Joshua wants to know, so he figures out what needs to be said. Does she need a little pep talk, or does she just need him to listen to her so she can vent?

"It wasn't too bad, but I missed my kisses from guys when I got home from work. Mom ordered pizza. I ended up doing the dishes by hand tonight just because, and I kind of think Mom was happy with that. I took a chore away from her so she could relax a little."

He's happy to hear that she had a pretty good day. He can see his mom coming up behind Erin.

"Is that your husband or mine on the phone?"

His mom asks his wife. She isn't nosey, just hoping that she gets to see her grandson.

"Yeah, it's Joshua, and he is so sweet."

He hasn't done anything sweet other than allowed her to tell him how her day had been. Although, she left out of school and work from her retelling of the day.

"That is my son, always thinking of others."

Erin gets up from her seat and sits down on the couch in the living room so that Sandy can sit next to her.

"Grandma!"

Again, JJ got a little excited when he saw his grandma come into the picture. He smiled and waved at her when she waved at him.

"Hi, Baby."

Sandy says to her grandson.

"Are Jason and Shaun doing okay?"

Erin asks because she is worried about her brother-in-law. It's hard to be away from family. She knows what it is like to away from loved ones.

"I think they are stressing, but they seem to be in good spirits. Jason is maybe stressing more than Shaun since he's leaving his family behind. They are treating us well. We had pulled pork or pulled chicken sandwiches. The sandwiches were great. How is Sandi doing?"

Then Erin glances at her son and her husband; she realizes that she'll go to bed tonight and not be able to feel him next to her in bed, and she will also miss putting her son to the bed. At the same time, she knows that Joshua is missing their daughter. Tonight, she was home in time to eat dinner with the family and spend some time with Sandi before bedtime.

"Well, Mom said that she was a little cranky, but she seemed fine when I got home. How has my JJ been?"

Joshua looks at his son, who is quietly sitting beside his dad, the cats are keeping him occupied.

"He's been pretty good. The flight was smooth, but off and on, he fussed. He fussed when we landed at the airport. Once he was in the car, JJ didn't make it 10 minutes before he was out. I'm hoping by tomorrow; he'll let Jason talk to him. He went to Shaun, which threw me for a loop, but Papa was in the room with him, so that might have helped I don't know. You want to blow Mommy and Mama a kiss?"

JJ quickly blew two kisses one for his mommy and one for his grandma.

`He's so sweet.'

Erin wanted to cry, but she held back the tears. Mainly because a certain little boy hates to see his mommy cry. It could cause him to cry. Erin blew kisses at Joshua and at her son. Joshua made sure that JJ could see the camera when Erin blew her kisses to him. He smiled big time at her.

"I love you, little guy."

Sandy says to her grandson.

"Love you Grandma, Love you Mommy."

He perked up a little bit more and reached for the phone again. Erin can see their son is starting to show signs that he's tired.

"Hey Josh, I think JJ is a little tired."

He looks at their little one, and sure enough, he is sort of fading in and out. JJ is fighting it, though, he wants to keep his eyes on Mommy and Grandma.

"Maybe, it's time for night-night."

Sometimes, JJ fights them when those words are said, but tonight, he doesn't. He stares at the screen, and then in a sweet, quiet voice, he speaks.

"Night-Night."

Grandma and Mommy wave bye-bye and of course, JJ repeats the hand gestures. Joshua and JJ stand up and head for the bedroom that they're staying in for the trip. The air mattress is already set up, so Joshua kisses his son. He took the blanket off the air mattress, and gently lowered his son onto the mattress, and then covered him up in the blanket.

"Love you, JJ!"

Joshua told his little guy.

"Love you."

With the blanket in place and kisses given, it is quiet time. Joshua turns and heads to the light switch, so it dark in the room. He lives the room open so he can hear what's going on in the room. Now that he is downstairs, he says goodnight to his mom and then says good night to Erin blowing kisses at her until he ends the call.

***

In the morning, Jason doesn't have to work; he likes to cook breakfast, and usually, he gets help from Shaun, or Shaun will sleep in a little bit. Today though, Shaun is awake along with his husband. Side by side, they are preparing breakfast for everyone. Today, they are cooking a sausage, hashbrowns, and fresh applesauce. It's a little time consuming, but it's worth it. The smells of the food cooking have reached upstairs, and one by one, everyone is coming downstairs to see what is cooking. The first person to go downstairs is Shaun's dad. He makes his way into the kitchen to see what's cooking.

"Wow, Sandy doesn't even put on this big of a spread when I'm home. Do you guys need any help?"

Mr. Allen is willing to jump in and get stuff done. Jason and Shaun won't have it, though.

"Dad, relax. We're almost done "

Shaun says to his dad. JJ wakes up and starts towards the bed that his father is sleeping in and cuddles up next to him. The movement on the bed wakes up Joshua. He digs into the luggage for the outfit that Erin packed for JJ and digs out his new clothes for the day. Joshua and JJ freshen up before heading downstairs.

"Are you hungry?"

Joshua asks his little son. Joshua puts applesauce, some hashbrowns, and a cut-up sausage on his son's plate. Shaun gets up and grabs cup from the kitchen and fills it with milk. It doesn't take long for JJ to start eating.

"We thought that today we might get out of the house. What do you guys think about a hike?"

The guys are okay with it, and it might give Mr. Allen a chance to grab some photographs. Jason hasn't quiet planned the entire day, but that sounds like a good plan, at least for now.

"Where are you going to hike?"

Joshua asked, so he can go upstairs and look it up on his phone.

"I thought we might go to the National park and see what we can see."

Jason says, taking a small break from eating to answer his brother in law.

"More please."

JJ says as he looks at his daddy.

"Well, what do you want?"

"Applesauce."

Joshua is close to it, so he places some applesauce on his son's plate.

"Thank you."

When everyone is done eating and the food has settled a bit, Jason and Shaun load everyone up into the car, and the guys are excited about hiking. By this time, JJ is warming up to his uncles, which is good. When they get to the park, Jason and Shaun are excited, but Mr. Allen is even more excited. Joshua is excited because he loves the outdoors, maybe not for the same reasons that Jason does, but he does like it all the same. There is plenty of hiking, and plenty of rest stops while Mr. Allen does photos of plants and animals seen along the way. Everyone is doing great. The highlight of the trip for Shaun is when his nephew willingly went to him and the same for Jason. When the hiking was over, the crew heads home. First thing, Mr. Allen does is look through his photos with JJ sitting on his lap, practically falling asleep but trying to stay awake to look at all the images.

***

After relaxing a bit, Joshua sees that the guys have an indoor grill, and he's excited to use it. He kicks his brother out of the kitchen and allows Jason to stay. He doesn't know where all the ingredients are at, and Jason does, so it's all okay. It's nothing complicated, just a matter of seasoning. Erin seems to like the spice combo he puts on his hamburgers. Joshua shapes one part of the burger, and then applies the spice rub, and then puts another part of the burger on top of the first. When the two elements are combined, he puts them on the inside grill. He cuts up some potatoes as if he was making French fries and then pours some Italian salad dressing into a bowl and coats them in it. Warming the oven, he gets it ready for them so they'll cook in time for lunch to be prepared. He doesn't have to worry about his dad liking them or JJ from eating them. He's missing his little girl though, Sandi is named after his stepmom, and she is a year old. He would have given her kisses last night, but she was already in bed. So maybe he'll get a chance to talk to hear this morning. He looks forward to that.

"Daddy, I need to go poop."

JJ says to his dad, so Joshua turns to Jason.

"Hey, Bro, can you watch lunch while I do bathroom duty?"

Jason agrees to watch the food as he watches his brother and nephew disappear towards the upstairs bathroom. Joshua watches as he soon enters the bathroom and then stays long enough for his son to get his pants down and then steps out while he uses the bathroom.

"I'm done."

With the signal given, Joshua enters the bathroom again to help with cleanup. When the cleanup is done, Joshua helps his son get up to the sink so he can wash his hands. Joshua sings the ABC's and that is JJ's cue to tell dad that he is done. Now, Joshua can wash his hands, and once that is done, they can head downstairs to see if lunch is made or not.

"Is lunch ready?"

"It is, and the table is set. Can you get the condiments and the buns? The condiments are in the fridge, and the buns are in cabinets to the left of the sink."

Joshua quickly gathers up the condiments and the buns while Jason gets everyone to the table. He gently places the items on the table and then takes his seat. JJ is already at the table, waiting for Dad. As always, Joshua cuts up the burger into four pie-shaped pieces. Everyone is good, and lunch starts for the gathering. The rest of the day is spent watching movies. If it were warmer, they might have gone swimming or gone to the zoo, but the zoo that is closest to the house is closed for the season, though they could visit Chicago, it's okay.

***

Joshua is thankful for his brother and his brother in law. They have been supportive and loving. Jason and Shaun have always shown love to Erin. More importantly, they love their nephew and niece. Jason has this wild wisdom about him. Shaun, of course, is his big brother, and he'll always be there for him and his family. While his son is sleeping, Joshua sits down in the living room quietly reading when Jason sits down, and Nyx joins him pretty quickly.

"Hey man, what's going on, dude?"

Jason says to his brother-in-law.

"I decided to do some reading. When you get kids, it's funny how your alone time disappears. Erin and I have learned to take advantage of any nap that JJ has so we can have a little downtime. Just remember that, when you and Shaun have kids."

Joshua pats him on the back. Nyx decides that his dad doesn't need his attention and moves over to Joshua.

"Hey Nyx, Daddy wasn't good enough, huh?"

Joshua says with a laugh. Jason is still curious though about what other tidbits of knowledge that his brother might share on being a dad. Jason doesn't want to bring the subject up in case it gets back to Shaun. Shaun is open to kids, but with the stress of job hunting and the move, the discussion has been put to the side.

"How is my niece doing?"

Jason says, hoping to spark some more conversation. He doesn't always get a chance to talk with him.

"She is doing great. I was going to bring her, but she is teething and a bit grumpy because of it. I thought it best to leave her at home."

Jason watches as Joshua brings up pictures of the little girl.

"Here she is, Jason, look at how cute she is, all smiles for the camera and Daddy."

Jason looks at her and smiles. He loves how her smile brightens the room up. She looks a lot like pictures of Erin mixed with a tinge of her biological grandmother. A woman she is likely never to meet.

"She is super cute."

"Thanks, man."

Jason isn't just complimenting the little girl. His words are real. She is the cutest little thing.

"Is she a good girl?"

Joshua smiles as Jason hands him back the phone.

"She is the best, except for when she is teething."

Again, Joshua laughs, but it gives Jason a reason to smile. He's glad to hear that his little niece gives his dad such joy. Just as they were going to move on with their conversation, a little boy bounced down the stairs. JJ bounces up on the couch, hoping to pet Nyx, who isn't all that happy with the boy's intentions.

"Daddy, can I pet her?"

Joshua looks at Nyx and then looks at JJ.

"Buddy, I don't think she wants to play right now."

Jason doesn't want to see JJ upset over not being able to play with Nyx, so he gets up and disappears, bringing back Sasha with him. She is purring loudly in his hands. She is happy to be in his arms.

"You want to pet this kitty?"

JJ's uncle asks the little boy. He watches as his nephew's little hand reaches out to pet Sasha. Sasha sits there, allowing the little boy to pet her.

"She is nice. I like her. Daddy, can I have a kitty?"

JJ gives his dad pleading eyes. His voice is soft and pleading. Joshua looks at his little boy. He knows that he can't give his son a cat without first talking with his parents and his wife.

"No pets till I talk with Grandpa and Grandma."

He doesn't want to impose on his parents any more than necessary.

"Okay."

JJ looks sad, but then Nyx does the unthinkable and cuddles up next to him. She even bumps his left hand. Jason sees it and knows what his cat wants.

"She wants you to pet her silly."

Uncle Jason says to his nephew. He looks at her and reaches out his hand to pet her. She begins to purr even before the kid's hand touches her. Sasha is lying on his lap, and Nyx is sitting at his side, both helping to make things right at the moment. Still, the boy has the energy to burn, and his father knows it. Plans to get him outside need to be made, so while the cats sit with JJ, the adults make plans.

***

Jason and his brother decide that a trip to the park might be just to thing to wear off some of the energy from JJ. Jason goes upstairs to grab Shaun and Shaun's dad.

"You don't have to come with us, but we are taking JJ to the park. It's pretty warm out for a March day, so we are taking advantage of it."

He leaves the office and heads into his bedroom to grab his jacket in case it's not as warm as the news said it would be. Joshua did the same thing both for himself and for JJ. Luckily, there is a park not far from their house. One big enough to allow JJ to run around and do whatever a kid his age might want to do.

"Dad, I'm going with them. Do you want to come with us?"

Shaun asks his father. The older gentleman looks at his son with a bit of dismay.

"I've been to many parks in my time. I think I will leave the park to the younger generation."

Shaun heads to the bedroom to grab his jacket. Then he meets everyone downstairs, they outdoors.

"Where we going?"

JJ's voice echoes as his uncles lead the way towards their destination.

"We are going to the park."

Joshua says to his son, who instantly smiles when he hears of their destination.

"Do you like going to the park with Daddy, Mommy, and Sandi?"

Shaun asks as they walk.

"Yeah, Sandi likes the swings."

JJ tells his uncles, and when he sees the park with all, it's swings and slides. He gets excited and starts to run for the swings. With a stern voice, Joshua says, "Stop running, Joshua." With those words coming out of his dad's mouth, JJ stops in his tracks. He walks back to his dad, a slight frown on his face.

"Sorry, Daddy."

His frown quickly changes to smile when he sees his daddy smiling.

"Come here, kiddo, let's go play."

For the next hour or two, Joshua, Jason, and Shaun take turns being the adult who watches as JJ plays in the park. More importantly, he wears off that energy that burns in his little spirit. After swinging alongside his Uncle Jason, JJ looks at him and says something that catches him off guard.

"Daddy has a friend that is married to a man."

Jason knows about the friend, and he's proud that Joshua doesn't exclude anyone from being his friends. More importantly, he is glad that JJ is being raised by parents and grandparents who aren't ashamed of the love that Shaun has for his husband.

"Uncle Jason, I'm tired."

Jason stops his swinging and comes around to where JJ is swinging and helps JJ off the swing. Together they walk over to where Shaun and Joshua are sitting.

"Okay, guys, JJ says it is time to go home. I think tonight would be a good night to make Uncle Jason's favorite dish in the entire world, Pizza."

Jason says as he looks at JJ with a big grin on his face.

"You like pizza?"

JJ asks as he looks at Uncle Jason, acting surprised by what uncle just said. Suddenly, Jason isn't an uncle but a superhero who can do just about anything.

"Your Uncle Jason loves pizza."

Jason gets out his phone and calls Mr. Allen's phone number.

"Jason, is everything okay?"

Images of a hurt JJ being hurt crash through his mind.

"Relax, everything is good. Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, son."

Mr. Allen says. He's willing to do almost anything that Jason or Shaun asks of him.

"In the fridge, there are two pieces of dough in a large plastic bowl. Can you get that out for me?"

Mr. Allen heads towards the kitchen as he listens to Jason talk.

"Consider it done."

"Thanks, Dad."

Jason says as he ends the call. Now they just need to get home, so that Jason and Shaun can roll out the dough.

***

It's taken a little bit of time to get the dough rolled out, and all the toppings put on the pizza. For JJ, it was almost as fun as the park. It's not every day that he's allowed to help with the meal. Joshua is going to make that a thing when they get home. It might be a good idea to let him help out with the meals more often. The pizza making was a hit even with Mr. Allen and Joshua. The pizzas were done in halves, so each adult could have their favorite toppings on top of a red sauce that is. Jason gave JJ the chance to do two English muffin pizzas, which he topped with pineapple, ham, and cheese. Jason was a little shocked, but that is what he picked, so he cooked them. Dinner was a complete success. After dinner, teeth were brushed, and phone calls were made to Grandma, Mommy, and Sandi. It's bedtime for both everyone because tomorrow is a big day. Jason has worked, and if the okay is given, there is a tour at Jason's work for the family. Jason hasn't told anyone about his plan for his nephew. He thinks that JJ will enjoy himself.

***

Jason gets up early to get breakfast going. Today, it's blueberry pancakes with pork sausage links and maple syrup. Everyone had their fill, and JJ got to have "berries" on his plate as well. Jason has plans for the family, but he has to talk with Shaun first. While Jason is taking his shower, Shaun makes his lunch as JJ watches curiously.

"What are you doing?"

JJ asks as Shaun puts a sandwich into the bag.

"I'm making Uncle Jason's lunch so he can go to work."

JJ thinks about it and then looks at his uncle.

"My mommy goes to work too."

Shaun just smiles as he finishes packing the lunch. Just as he finishes, Jason yells for him:

"Shaun, can you come here real quick?"

"Coming."

Shaun heads upstairs.

"Baby, where are you?"

Shaun calls out to Jason.

"I'm in the bedroom."

Jason wants to speak with him about his plans for the day. Shaun enters the room, and there he finds Jason with his uniform on ready to head downstairs

"Did you need something?"

Shaun asks his husband.

"What do you think about a tour give at the Bowman's for the crew?"

Shaun likes the idea of the tour. JJ would love it even if his daddy and grandfather stay back from the trip. The question is, will JJ go his Uncle Shaun to see the animals.

"I think it's a great idea. When did you speak with Mr. Bowman?"

Jason smirks when he hears the question. Shaun knows precisely what that smirk means. It means that the boss has never been talked too about Jason's idea. Usually, though, Jason knows what his boss is thinking. He thinks it's going to be okay.

"Well...no, I haven't talked with Mr. Bowman yet, my mind has been racing a little bit lately. I think he'll say yes, especially since it's for a kid."

Shaun forgets that Mr. Bowman loves kids. It's the whole reason that he operates his business.

"When I know that it's okay, I'll call you, and you can bring the kiddo over. Is that okay? I wasn't sure if you had other plans for today."

Jason is nervous for some reason. It reminds Shaun of when they first meant. Shaun takes his hand for a second and looks him in the eyes. By now, they should be past the stage where they should be nervous around each other.

"Jason, there is no need to be nervous. You are fine. I love you, and for the record, I had no plans for today."

Jason leans and kisses his husband and then he turns downstairs to grab his lunch and say good-bye.

***

Jason has been at work for no more than five minutes, and already he asked Mr. Bowman if it was okay for the company to see the animals. He was delighted and even agreed to give the tour himself so that Jason could enjoy the trip along with his little nephew. Jason immediately called Shaun to let him know the good news. Shaun quickly went to find JJ. When he finds him, he's sitting on the floor playing with Sasha.

"Hey buddy, I spoke with Uncle Jason, and we are going to see the animals at his work."

JJ looks a little puzzled.

"What animals?"

Shaun gets on the laptop so he can show JJ the pictures that were taken at the Bowman Company the first time that they got a tour of the place. He showed him all the pictures. The little guy is excited, especially when he saw the snakes. Joshua would tell Shaun that JJ knows no fear. Well, wasps make him think twice, but even then, he loves to watch bees visiting the flowers in Grandma Sandy's garden.

"We see them now?"

JJ asks Uncle Shaun. He might be a little impatient.

"No, we have to wait for Uncle Jason."

He seemed a little unhappy that they were not leaving yet, but he settled back down, went back to playing with Sasha. It's pretty cool that she is sitting there, soaking up the love from the little boy. The cats have been hiding for the most part. Today, she seems to be bonding with Shaun's nephew. Three hours later, Jason calls to let Shaun now that it's okay to bring JJ. Shaun has already spoken with his dad and with his brother. They want to share the experience with the little guy. Joshua knows that JJ is going to go crazy. They get JJ situated in his booster seat, and then everyone gets into the car, and off they go. Ten minutes later, Shaun and company arrive at the business. Shaun texts Jason to let him that they are waiting outside. The door is kept locked for security reasons. In just a few minutes, a worker opens the door and invites them inside. She leads them into a classroom. It's where all tours start here at the Bowman Company. Mr. Bowman is standing up front, and Jason is sitting in one of the chairs.

"Uncle Jason!"

JJ's little voice rings out as he runs to Jason. He climbs up into Jason's lap and then looks up at him with a serious face.

"Where are the animals?"

Jason points to the door.

"They are behind that door, and there are also a few around the room. Do you want to see them?"

Jason gets a nod from his boss. Taking the young man's hand, Jason leads him and the group over to see the different enclosures scattered around the room.

"So, around the room, we have six different animals. The first enclosure is an Orante Horned Frog. He usually digs into the substrate in the tank. Oh, there he is."

Mr. Bowman says as he points to the frog. Jason leads the group over the next critter. This enclosure is a lot bigger than the last; this is a birdcage.

"This is our Indian Ring-Neck Parrots, Holly, and Chris."

Mr. Bowman takes a bag of something out of his hand.

"Jason, would the young man like to help us out with a short demo?"

"Want to hold the parrots?"

Jason asks his nephew. A very excited nod of the head tells Jason all he needs to know. Mr. Bowman gives Jason a bag of treats for the parrots. Jason helps JJ put his arms up like a "T," then Mr. Bowman opens the cage, and Jason gives the birds their signal to fly. Each bird flies across the room, perching on JJ's left and right arm.

"Good job Holly! Good job, Chris!"

Jason says as he gives them both a small bit of apple. One final trick to show JJ, "Cage!", Jason blows a small whistle, and the birds fly straight to their cage. Another work enters the room and starts working with the birds a little bit. The group continues their tour, making sure to take time to answer all the questions that JJ had. There were opportunities to see Uncle Jason handle a tarantula, for JJ to feed a tortoise, to see an emperor scorpion take a Dubai roach from a pair of tongs. JJ even got to hold a garter snake, and Uncle Jason also helped him hold "Dolly" the ball python. When they entered the last room on the tour, JJ got to meet JoJo, the Salmon-Crested Cockatoo. He got a ball thrown at him by the bird. He also got to ask the bird its name, which got JoJo a tasty piece of banana. The last thing they got to see was a tank of Archer Fish, and Jason put some crickets on the leaves for the fish. In just a few seconds, there were jets of water coming up at the water. This trip made JJ's day. Mr. Bowman went over the top, making sure to include things that Shaun didn't even get to see. Once everyone's hands were washed, Mr. Bowman had everyone to go to the staff breakroom, where some kind person had three pizzas waiting for everyone along with juice and pop.

"Can you tell Jason's boss, thank you for everything?"

Joshua asked his son.

"Thank you!"

The little man says to Mr. Bowman, who gets down to his level and gives him a high five, which makes JJ smile. Jason can't help but feel good about the trip. Shaun comes up to him and kisses his hubby.

"Thank you, Babe! You made his day."

"You're welcome."

The group heads out for the day after having lunch and thanking Mr. Bowman for giving up a part of the day.

***

After arriving at home, Collin wants to tell Grandma all about the trip to Uncle Jason's work. His daddy gets out of his cell phone and calls her.

"Hi, Joshua, what's up? Is this my nightly phone call?"

Joshua looks down at JJ feeling sorry for his mom. He knows there is a lot on his son's mind. JJ will want to tell her all about his trip.

"This is your nightly phone call, but it's all going to be from your grandson."

"I can deal with that."

His mom says as his cell phone is passed to his son.

"Okay, Mom, he has the phone."

"Hi, JJ. How was your day?"

You can see the excitement building in his feet and working it's way up to his mouth.

"I...I...I saw animals."

She can hear his excitement.

"Where did you see animals?"

"With Uncle Jason."

He doesn't know the name of the place, but it doesn't matter because Sandy knows where her son-in-law works. She wants to hear more about the trip.

"I saw a lot. I got to hold Dolly."

She assumes Dolly is some sort of animal, but she isn't sure exactly what kind of animal Dolly might be. She'll have to drag that out of him.

"What kind of animal is Dolly?"

"Dolly is a snake, a big one."

She is glad that she wasn't there. Sandy isn't a big fan of snakes. Maybe, its best to change the subject if she can.

"What else did you see?"

He thought for a second before speaking again.

"Birds, spiders, fishes."

His excitement didn't stop at all. There was so much that he wants to tell her, but she can also hear something else creeping into his voice.

"Did seeing all those animals make my little guy sleepy?"

He didn't answer his grandma; instead, he gave the phone to Joshua and headed upstairs. Uncle Shaun followed him upstairs along with Grandpa. Grandpa is more aware of JJ's bedtime routine.

Meanwhile, downstairs the conversation continued.

"Hi Joshua, So it seems that my grandson enjoyed his trip to Uncle Jason's work?"

Joshua chuckles to him a little bit.

"I would say so. I have never seen him be so brave. He got to hold two parrots and let me tell you; he was kind of nervous about it. I think Dolly freaked him out a bit, but Uncle Jason was with him, and he did great. I'll send you the pictures tomorrow, and you can check out my little animal trainer."

She could do without seeing the snake, but if it means seeing her cute grandson, then it's all worth it.

"I look forward to seeing them. When do you leave?"

She isn't quite sure when they were headed back to Utah.

"Dad went upstairs, but I think we head home tomorrow after dinner."

The nights have been a way to quiet without getting good night kisses from her grandson, and kisses from her husband. Sure, Trent is there, and that is good because otherwise, she would go nuts.

"Mom, I can hear JJ giving someone a hard time. I think I had better go upstairs."

"Okay, Joshua. I will talk to you tomorrow."

"Love you, Mom. Good night."

He ends the call and then heads upstairs to relieve his brother, but by the time he gets up to the bedroom, JJ is already in bed, and Grandpa is reading to him. JJ ends up falling asleep before the story is over, and everything is okay.

***

The next day sees the family getting up for breakfast, but Shaun has other plans. Jason deserves a break from cooking. They will be heading out to one of Jason's favorite breakfast places. This is where Jason comes when he wants pancakes or crepes. It is one place that they will miss when they move. Today promises to be a slow day, and that is the plan. Jason doesn't have any presentations, and Shaun still has time off. They don't have plans until 5:00 pm. They have to leave around 5 o'clock so that they can see everyone off at the airport, so the plan is for everyone

***

The vacation for Mr. Allen, his son, and his grandson has come to an end. Shaun and Jason have arrived at the airport.

"Tell your uncles bye-bye."

Joshua says to JJ. JJ looks at his uncles and waves to them. It's enough to make his uncles cry, even though they will see him in a month. Shaun walks up to his brother and his nephew, and first, he gives JJ a kiss good-bye, and then he hugs his brother. It's Jason's turn for a kiss and a hug. Shaun's and Jason's dad walks up to them and gives them both hugs.

"Okay, boys, be safe until we see you again."

Shaun smiles at his dad, and Jason shakes his hands. They help get the luggage out of the car so that Joshua and Mr. Allen can head off into the airport. Once they are ready to head into the building, Jason and Shaun head home. It's been an enjoyable visit, but it's time to head home

***

Jason and Shaun make a home, but they aren't quite ready to call it a night. Shaun gets a sleeping bag and lays it out in the backyard, and then goes back inside and gets two pillows. He lays down on the sleeping bag resting his head on the pillow and looks up into the sky. Meanwhile, Jason is in the house missing his babe, but finds him soon enough, and joins him on the sleeping bag.

"It's a beautiful night."

Shaun says as they gaze up into the sky. Jason reaches out and takes his husband's hand.

"It is a wonderful night. It's weird to have the house to ourselves."

They go through this whenever Tom visits, and now it's that way with Joshua.

"It will be weird. You know I think, once we get settled in Utah, maybe we should talk about having kids."

Shaun says a small gust of wind blows across the guys as if someone is trying to talk to them.

`I think I got my approval from someone.'

Shaun thinks to himself. He right too, because something is about to happen that will see Jason and Shaun will be daddies some day.

`Please, please prepare the way for us to be dads someday.'

Jason says as a shooting star streaks across the sky. Heaven heard him and I can only guess that someday, that wish will touch their lives in amazing ways. It's a spark.

***

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