Becoming Our Own, in TBoPE 'verse - Part 9
Title: Becoming Our Own, Part 9
Author: Caera1996
Rating for this Part: NC-17
W/C: 6,040
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Timeline Notes: A third anchor story (novel-length) in TBoPE/LAWG verse. Set five years after the end of Learning As We Go.
This Part: Bones and Jim reconnect on an intimate level after their argument. They also take steps to secure Jo’s spot in a new school and anticipate hearing from Estelle about the house. Meanwhile, Sam and Aurelan are worried about the health of the baby.
In his sleep, Leonard groaned. He slowly woke, drawn out of a deep sleep by arousal and sensations of pleasure that went from muted and somewhat distant to sharp and pulsing. His brow furrowed, and he tried to move, his hands reaching down and encountering Jim settled between his legs.
He opened his eyes and peered down his body, the gray, dim light of a new morning just barely peeking around the curtains providing just enough illumination to see Jim as he sucked at his cock. Abruptly, Jim switched to running his tongue back and forth over the head while fondling his balls, and Leonard’s back arched as he let out a shuddering breath. His hands carded through Jim’s hair, and he moaned deep in his chest as Jim slid fingers into him, finding and stroking sensitive areas.
Jim hummed around him, making him shudder as his hips jerked and legs trembled.
“Oh…” he gasped, turning his head as his hands clenched in Jim’s hair. “…feels so good, Jim,” he whispered, unable to stay quiet while feeling such intense pleasure.
Jim kept going, the movements of fingers a counterpoint to his tongue, and Bones rocked himself gently, muscles tensing and releasing as he breathed hard, groaning continuously.
Finally, Leonard’s muscles abruptly clenched and he curled upward as much as Jim’s weight on him would allow, holding his breath until he had to let it out in a rush, then gasping as Jim sucked him relentlessly as he spurted. Jim felt Leonard press himself up, then pull back, his hips twisting in Jim’s grasp as he tried to deal with the overwhelming pleasure forcing whines and grunts out of him. Finally, Jim let his fingers slip from Leonard’s body as he released him from his mouth with one last lick, then kissed him and kissed up his body…over his shuddering belly, across his chest, then nipped gently at his lips. Leonard opened to him as Jim kissed him deeply, one hand on his softening cock, still just barely rubbing his thumb back and forth on the frenulum, making Leonard jerk as over-sensitive nerves fired again and again.
Unable to take it anymore, he reached down to remove Jim’s hand, twining their fingers together as they kissed. Jim was hard, rocking against the bare skin of Leonard’s hip, and he turned on his side, drawing a knee up, inviting Jim into him. The click of the lube bottle opening was loud in the quiet room, then Jim snugged up behind him, one arm going around Leonard’s chest and holding him tightly as he gently eased himself into the tight heat of Leonard’s body. Leonard pressed back, wordlessly expressing how much he wanted Jim inside of him.
Jim slipped his other arm under Leonard’s head, holding him tenderly as he kissed his neck and sighed into his ear as they moved together, surging lazily forward and back, Jim’s harsh breathing interspersed with whines and gasps. Enveloped by the sounds and scent of their lovemaking, Leonard curled one hand in the sheets, desperately holding on, nearly overwhelmed with all of the sensations rushing through and around him. He squeezed his eyes closed and concentrated on keeping his body as relaxed as possible, tensing his arms and biting his lip instead. It felt so good…he couldn’t stand it.
Jim reached for Leonard’s hand, urging him to hold onto him instead, as he laced their fingers together. Jim held on to him just as tightly as he got closer and closer to orgasm, fighting the urge to flip Leonard onto his stomach or back to thrust into him harder and faster. The sweet torture of his movements being somewhat constrained by their positions made each breath explode out of him in a sob the longer he teetered on the edge of relief until he just could not take it anymore.
Snapping his hips forward, pressing as deeply as he could into Leonard’s body, Jim bit down on Leonard’s shoulder as his orgasm rushed through him, grunting with exertion and shaking. Feeling that Jim reached his completion, Leonard freed his hand to reach behind himself to Jim’s head, fingers sliding through sweaty and hot hair.
Jim carefully pulled out of him, making them both wince, and Leonard turned over so they were lying face to face. His fingertips trailed over Jim’s face, and he outlined his lips before kissing him softly. Pressed together, sweaty limbs over and around each other, they let their bodies relax, heartbeats slowing from the intensity of the rush as they cooled down…slipping back under the dark, still surface of sleep.
But morning was coming, and Leonard’s restful sleep didn’t last. His internal clock woke him again before the alarm went off. Without moving, not wanting to disturb Jim, he turned his head to see what time it was. Seeing that they had about twenty minutes, he freed an arm and reached over to turn the alarm off, then settled back down under the blankets, relishing how comfortable he was and the solid, warm body pressed against his. In the privacy of the moment, while Jim continued to sleep soundly at his side, Leonard studied his handsome face. This morning was the first time since their argument - when Jim had slept on the couch and left the next day - that they’d had sex.
At first, Leonard had thought that Jim was still upset over what had transpired. But they’d been together a long time, and Leonard felt he knew Jim almost better than he knew himself. He thought it was very likely that Jim was actually worried that Leonard was still angry. He wasn’t, of course. He never really was. Not angry. Hurt, was more like it. But after everything he’d learned from Jim the night they talked, a lot of that hurt disappeared under a new layer of understanding.
And all that was left was a relationship that was stronger for it.
God, I love him.
He vowed to make sure that Jim always knew that. That an argument was never something he had to be afraid of. That their family would never take the backseat to anything else in Leonard’s life.
After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Leonard propped himself up on his elbow and leaned down to gently kiss Jim awake.
“Mmmm,” Jim murmured. He stirred, and Leonard smiled as those incredibly blue eyes slowly blinked open. Leonard kissed him again, then lay back down, putting his arm around Jim’s shoulders as they cuddled close.
“Good morning,” Jim said.
“It certainly was, earlier,” Leonard said with a wink. “That was quite a way to wake up.”
Jim smiled and slid his hands around Leonard’s bare body, squeezing his ass and pulling him even closer.
“Want to go again?” Jim asked, kissing him and nuzzling his neck.
“Oh, god, yes,” Leonard replied. “But it’s time to get up. Jo’s going to be looking for us in just a few minutes.”
“That’s too bad,” Jim said, and he gasped when Leonard slipped a hand between their bodies and gently stroked his half-hard flesh. “Oh…Bones….what about…”
Leonard kissed him as he continued to touch, gently rubbing his thumb around the corona.
Jim moaned quietly, his breath coming faster as he got more aroused, and he held Bones tightly.
“We have time for this, Darlin’,” Leonard said, smiling a little at the beautiful expression of pleasure on Jim’s face. He chuckled when Jim shivered and then, mindful that Jo was probably awake, said, “Shh, shh…” and kissed him again, muffling his moans as they got louder.
Jim tried to thrust into Bones’ loose grip, but when he did, Bones would stop, just holding him until he stilled. It didn’t take long for Jim to get it, and he wondered when Bones became such a tease. Forcing himself to stay still, and just take whatever Bones decided to do, took every ounce of self-control he had. It was like torture. He loved it.
“Bones…oh, god, please, please,” he whined, barely resisting the urge to pull away and finish himself when Leonard let his fingertips slip up and down over the head of Jim’s cock, sliding on the wetness Jim produced. “I can’t come like this…I can’t take it,” Jim gasped. Everything Bones was doing felt so good he was jerking uncontrollably in his grasp.
“Yes you can,” Leonard said, then pulled away enough to lick his fingers and rub over one of Jim’s sensitive nipples.
Desperate to stay quiet, Jim fisted a pillow and pulled it over his face, holding his breath and biting it as his body tensed, needing to move, needing to come, needing more….
Chuckling, Leonard pulled the pillow away and kissed him, taking Jim’s moans into himself. Breaking the kiss, Jim’s chest heaved as he arched, and then he was bucking uncontrollably, clenching his teeth as he grunted and holding on to Leonard as he finally came.
Leonard held him, gently teasing touches prolonging the intense pleasure until Jim tried to pull away, a moan he couldn’t quite stop forcing its way out of him. Leonard let him go and felt his body relax in relief. He kissed him over and over as he slowly came back to himself and caught his breath.
“Love you, Jim,” Leonard was murmuring. “So much.”
Eyes closed, being held so close and with such care by the man who loved him so unequivocally, Jim took a couple more moments to settle himself. When he opened his eyes, Bones was watching him, an intense look in his hazel eyes.
They lay there, warm under the blanket, trading kisses and words, and putting the day off just a little while longer.
Finally, though, a hesitant knock on the door followed by Jo’s voice, “Daddy? Oide? Umm… we’re supposed to leave for school in fifteen minutes.”
Leonard turned to look at the clock - he hadn’t realized it’d gotten that late. “Thank you, Baby,” Leonard called. “Our alarm didn’t go off. We’ll be out in a second.”
“Okay.”
Jim smiled brightly. “So much for being a responsible adult,” he teased.
Leonard smiled and shrugged. “It was totally worth it.”
“Yeah it was. Why don’t you stay here,” Jim suggested, stopping him from getting up. “I’ll take a quick shower and bring her to school - I have to pick up the rest of the stuff I asked Carol to put together anyway.”
“Yeah? Okay,” Leonard agreed, settling back down.
Jim smiled and leaned down to kiss him. “We’ll go as soon as I get back. Sound good?”
“Perfect. I’ll be waiting.”
Leonard watched from the bed as Jim headed into the bathroom to take a shower. As usual, he sang while showering. Leonard smiled, shaking his head. He lay there a few more minutes, until the shower turned off, then he threw the blankets back and got up. He needed a shower too.
Jim finished getting ready quickly, and then gave Leonard a kiss goodbye. Leonard stopped him from pulling away and kissed him again, smiling against his lips.
“Daddy? Oide?” Jo called through the door, knocking again.
They chuckled and separated. There was no stopping the day.
“Okay, gotta go. See you soon,” Jim said.
Once Jim and Jo were gone, Leonard took a shower too, and got ready for the day, then cleaned up a bit, changing the sheets on the bed and throwing in a wash. He set the folder of collected information and filled-out forms on the kitchen table, then went about making coffee for he and Jim in a couple of travel mugs.
Today, they were going to officially meet with the Admissions Counselor of the Progressive Education University School, and they were planning to bring as much as they could to show that Jo would satisfy the prerequisites for entry. They were going to be fighting an uphill battle, he knew - Jo would be the youngest person there, if they admitted her - but after reviewing all of the information and doing a couple of visits, they’d decided that this option was the best for her. They’d shared the information about the school with her, and she was excited too. Leonard was careful to make sure she understood there was no guarantee she’d be able to go, that they were just looking at the possibility.
But, they felt a little stronger about it than that. After delving into the way the school worked, Leonard was on board with Jim in thinking a move would be the best for her. He’d not forgotten that bedtime conversation when she’d confided in him how much time she felt like she was just “waiting”. McKinley had been a good fit for a while, but she’d outgrown it. They had to find something better - she deserved something better - and they hoped to prove that she would be a good match with the school to the counselor so that they could continue with the application process.
And the house….the house was another major thing happening today. Estelle had gotten the current owners to come down in their asking price quite a bit, and then they’d submitted an offer even lower than that. It was a bit of a risk, but they just weren’t getting a lot of bites, and they were carrying the expense of two houses while they waited for this one to sell. As Estelle had said, he and Jim were the “kind of buyers everyone wants”. They were expecting to hear if their offer was accepted, or if there was a counteroffer sometime today.
It was a lot to take in.
But - it could all work so well. The University School wasn’t far from this house, and it was on the routes both Jim and Leonard would take on their way to work. Even better, in addition to the fantastic scholastic programs that made the school such a good opportunity for Jo, they also had after-school activities, tutoring, and study hall, so that if Jo had to wait to be picked up, her time wouldn’t be wasted.
He was flipping through the preliminary forms he’d filled out when he heard the front door open.
“Bones?” Jim called.
“Kitchen,” he replied.
Jim joined him, carrying a file folder that contained a copy of Joanna’s transcripts from the time she started McKinley to the present.
“Oh, thank you,” Jim said when Leonard handed him a travel mug of coffee. He took a sip and smiled at the sweetness he found. Bones grumbled all the time about how much sugar he put in his coffee, but he’d made it for him the way he liked it. “It’s perfect.”
Leonard smiled, a soft, fond look in his eyes.
“What?” Jim asked when he caught Bones looking at him like that.
“Nothin’,” Leonard replied, eyes crinkling. “Just remembering this mornin’.”
Jim grinned and used his free hand to gently grip Leonard’s tie, pulling him close. He kissed him softly, then again. Then smiling against his lips, Jim whispered, “Wait until tonight.” He pulled back and picked up the folder again. “We should get going. Ready?”
Smirking at the expression on Bones’ face, Jim headed out of the kitchen. Moments later, pants a little tighter than they should be, Bones headed after him.
______________________________________________________________________________
Aurelan lay back on the table, pregnant belly exposed. She shivered, and Sam took her hand.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
She nodded, turning her head to look at him. “A little chilly…a little nervous. I’m fine.”
“They always keep these rooms like iceboxes. I have no idea why,” the doctor said apologetically. “I’m just going to put some of this jelly on you…”
Aurelan nodded again, and they both practically held their breath as the doctor pressed the transducer against her skin. A picture came up on the screen that was almost immediately recognizable as the sound of his heartbeat filled the room. The curve of the head, the line of the back, the little tushie, the little arms and legs…their baby boy.
“There he is,” the doctor said. She glanced at the parents, and smiled at the totally enraptured expression on their faces. She loved that look. “He looks good,” she murmured, but her eyes were on the screen intently, listening to the sound of the fetus’ heartbeat and seeing something that she hated to see.
“What?” Sam asked, when he noticed her studying the screen so carefully.
She looked back at them and gave them a comforting smile. “Probably nothing,” she said. “At this stage we look for particular markers of development, and the heart is one of them.”
“Is something wrong with his heart?” Aurelan asked, her own heart skipping a beat as her mouth went dry.
“It could just be his position, or it could be something I’m misreading,” she said. “But I’m going to suggest you get a fetal echocardiogram, just to make sure everything is fine.”
“Why?” Aurelan asked. “What might not be fine?”
The doctor hesitated while handing Aurelan some tissues to wipe the gel off of her belly. She hated making parents worry before anyone knew for sure that there was something to worry about. But in situations like this, it couldn’t be helped.
“There’s a possibility that his heart isn’t developing properly,” she said. “But,” she continued quickly as Aurelan’s eyes filled with tears and Sam’s lips thinned. “I’m not sure, and I don’t want you to worry unnecessarily. In the event that there is something wrong, we have options.”
“What are they?” Sam asked. He looked over at Aurelan and gently wiped a tear off her cheek, then took her hand again, holding it against his chest.
“Well, we can’t really talk about that until we know exactly what, if anything, is going on,” she replied.
Aurelan sat up and rearranged her clothes. “Well, when can we get it done? I want it as soon as possible.”
“Of course. We’ll schedule you for as soon as possible.” She smiled again, trying to impart confidence and calm. “Everything else looks good - which is an excellent sign. He falls within the right range for his size, he’s active…”
“Oh, yeah he’s active,” Aurelan added, one hand gently caressing her belly. “He settles when his sisters or Sam talks to him, but he’s moving around a lot in there.”
The doctor nodded. “All very, very good signs. You are doing well, too, Mom. Your blood pressure is good, your sugar is good…any issues with heartburn, nausea, sleeplessness? Anything like that?”
“No,” Aurelan said. “It’s been really easy. I mean, I didn’t even know he was there for these five months.”
“True,” the doctor said with a smile. “Okay….you can sit up and get dressed. When you’re ready, come on down to the check-out desk and we’ll set you up for the fetal echo.”
The doctor left them and Aurelan sat up. Sam turned to get the shirt she’d traded for a blue gown, and when he turned back tears were streaming down her face.
“Oh, hey…no, no love, don’t do that,” he said, wrapping her in his arms. She held on to him, pressing her face against his shoulder.
“What if something’s wrong with him?” she asked tearfully. “What if something happened because I didn’t know I was pregnant? How could I not know?”
“Aurelan,” Sam said, firming his voice a little. There was no way he was going to let her place all this blame on herself, maybe for nothing. “There might not be anything wrong with him at all. And if something is up, Hon, it’s not going to be because of anything you did, or didn’t do. You didn’t do anything in those five months that would’ve been dangerous to a baby.”
He reached for a tissue and gently dabbed at her face, drying her tears.
“I don’t know what we’ll do if he’s sick,” she said. “I can’t even imagine…”
“We’ll do whatever we need to do,” Sam said. “If there’s a problem, we’ll do whatever we can. But until we find out for sure, let’s not borrow trouble, okay?”
Aurelan sniffed and took the tissue from him. She knew all of this, and she knew that if something was wrong, she wouldn’t be to blame for it…but it was hard not to feel that way.
“Okay,” she said, sounding a little better. She plucked another tissue from the box, wiped her eyes and blew her nose, feeling herself come back under control from the wave of emotion. “I’m a mess.”
“No, you’re beautiful,” Sam said, gently tilting her face up with a finger under her chin. He smiled and gave her a kiss, then rubbed his nose against hers. “C’mon…let’s go make that appointment and get out of here.”
Aurelan finished dressing and together they waited at the desk to make their appointment. When they found out they had a choice between San Fran Gen and another hospital in the area, they looked at each other then simultaneously said, “San Fran Gen.”
They didn’t know if Leonard would be able to help with navigating an area that was completely outside of his, but that didn’t really matter. It made them both feel better to know that they’d be somewhere he would be.
“I guess we have to tell the family,” Sam said, once they were in the car and headed home.
“Not the kids,” Aurelan said. “And not my sister. I can just hear her now - well, Aurelan, you must have known the risks of having a baby at your age,” she said, mimicking her sister’s higher, slightly nasally voice almost perfectly.
Sam glanced at her. “Don’t do that. It freaks me out.”
Aurelan laughed softly and placed a hand on his leg. “Just Len and Jim,” she said. “And preferably before the appointment.”
“I’ll call them tonight,” Sam said. “See if they can get a sitter and come out to dinner with us this weekend.”
Aurelan nodded. Her appointment was this coming Monday, so that would be perfect. She looked down at the information sheet she’d been handed about the fetal echocardiogram. Her mind was racing with thoughts of the little baby who was depending on them, and she placed a protective hand on her belly, silently praying that everything would be okay. That the baby would be healthy, and that this was just a false alarm.
Sam glanced over at his wife again, and put a hand over hers on her belly. They looked at each other, and Aurelan knew that Sam was praying for all the same things.
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Leonard and Jim took seats on the other side Bernard DeSalle’s desk. For Leonard, this was so reminiscent of the beginning of their relationship with McKinley, he was experiencing déjà vu. For Jim, though, this was the first time he was doing something like this on this side of the desk, and he was nervous. He wanted to make a good impression on the admissions director and he wanted to convince him to allow Joanna to apply.
So far, though, so good. They’d toured the school, were shown how the logistics of it worked, and the breakdown of tuition, and now they were sitting down to talk specifics. Just as DeSalle was sitting, Jim’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it. Whatever it was would have to wait.
“So,” DeSalle said. “Tell me Joanna’s story.”
Leonard and Jim glanced at each other. Her story?
“Uh…where would you like us to start?” Jim asked.
DeSalle laced his fingers together on the desk in front of him. “At the beginning. I’d like to hear all about the girl not described in the school reports - which are very impressive, by the way.”
Leonard took a breath, and launched into the story from the beginning of their life together, by first explaining why Jo’s mom wasn’t in the picture.
“…so I moved us here, and Jo ended up in Jim’s classroom,” Leonard said, glancing at Jim.
Jim smiled, and picked up the narrative. “Jo was very shy at first and being in a classroom was hard for her. Later, we realized that some of that was because of undiagnosed hyperacusis. Once that issue was addressed with some simple sound therapy, she started opening up a little. And over the years, she’s really come into her own. She’s empathetic, well-adjusted and friendly. She’s still a little quiet, but I don’t feel - as a psychologist or as a parent - that it holds her back. She’s able to work with and through her natural introverted inclinations.”
“And what about that?” DeSalle asked, leaning back in his chair. “Should Joanna attend, she’ll be the youngest student here by at least two years. I would think a situation like that - which would be stressful for any child - will be even more difficult for her to handle.”
Leonard hesitated a moment before answering. That was actually a concern he had himself. “As Jim said, Jo is introverted. She prefers quiet to loud, and has a small, close circle of friends, though she has never had a problem getting along with or working with anyone. Jo is very well aware of what she’ll be walking in to here. She’s intelligent, but she’s also emotionally mature, and we’ve talked about what will be expected of her here. And frankly, she’s hungry for it. She’s bored in class, and she’s not being challenged.” He paused, looking at Jim for a second. “I’ve had more than a few misgivings about taking her out of McKinley early, but Jim knows my daughter, knows what she’s capable of, and I trust him completely. And we both think this environment is the best one for her.”
“Well, Mr. McCoy and Mr. Kirk, I appreciate your candor. I would like some more time to review the information you provided and confer with some of the core teachers, but let’s also go ahead and set up an interview with Joanna.”
“An interview with Joanna?” Leonard repeated in question.
“Yes. Part of the application process is an interview with me and two of our teachers. In your daughter’s case, though - because of her age - I think an interview should be conducted before we go any further.”
It made sense that they’d want to speak with her beforehand, but Leonard and Jim knew how much of a challenge this would likely be for her. And…it was entirely possible that they would deny her application because of the way she interviewed.
On the other hand, he’d underestimated his baby girl before.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Leonard said.
Jim glanced at him out of the side of his eye. It does? he thought, but he kept his mouth shut.
“Well good,” DeSalle said, standing. Leonard and Jim stood too, and they shook hands. “I look forward to meeting her. She sounds like an impressive young lady.”
“Thank you. We think she is,” Jim said with a smile.
“In the meantime, if you have any questions about the information we’ve provided, or if you need anything else, let us know,” Leonard said.
“Very good…we’ll be in touch.”
They headed out of his office, and he walked them to the front area where they were introduced to the school secretary to schedule the appointment for Jo’s interview, in a little less than a week.
Finally done, Leonard and Jim headed out and back to Jim’s car. Once seated inside, they both let out a sigh of relief then looked at each other.
“I think that went pretty well,” Jim said, and Leonard nodded with a smile.
“He wouldn’t even bother with an interview if they weren’t seriously considering her, right?”
“Right,” Jim confirmed. “But an interview…how do you think she’ll handle that?” he asked, pulling out his cellphone to see who’d called earlier.
“You know…not even a few months ago I would’ve said there was no way she’d be up for it,” Leonard said. “But now…she’s come so far and opened up so much. I think she has a good chance of being able to show them she could do well here.”
Jim nodded as he turned on the car. “I think so, too, Bones. And I really do think this is the best move for her as well - for her education and otherwise - even if it does take some adjustment.”
“Well, like I told DeSalle, I trust you completely. And I trust your instincts. And I love how you described yourself as a parent without even a second thought,” he said. He reached for Jim’s hand and gave him a squeeze.
Jim smiled, a slow flush of pleasure creeping across his face and he glanced at Leonard briefly. “That just kinda popped out…I didn’t even really think it. It’s just how I feel.”
“And you should. Who called?”
“Sam. He wants to get dinner sometime this weekend - just the adults.”
“Really? Hm…I wonder why,” Leonard said. It was an unusual request. When they had dinner together it nearly always included all the kids. He had to really think back to the last time they had dinner with just the two couples.
“I don’t know, he didn’t say,” Jim said. “You know what Jo’s going to say about it.”
Leonard grimaced. “Yeah, I know.”
“Well, do you think, maybe we could consider it?” Jim asked. “I mean, I think she’s responsible enough to be left alone for a couple of hours.”
Leonard shrugged, and Jim smiled to himself. Bones, he knew, was still having a bit of trouble recognizing that Jo was growing up, and quickly. At nearly twelve, staying home by herself for a couple of hours while they were ten minutes away shouldn’t be a big deal, but Leonard had yet to allow it.
“I’ll think about it,” he said finally.
“Good enough,” Jim replied with a smile.
“It’s not her I don’t trust,” Leonard said, feeling a little ridiculous and a little defensive.
“I know,” Jim said, leaving the question of what exactly it was he didn’t trust if it was not Joanna herself unspoken. He kept his eyes on the road as he navigated the parking lot and out onto the street, resisting the urge glance at Bones even though he felt his gaze on him, waiting for him to say something else about it. He wouldn’t though. Bones knew how Jim felt, but it wasn’t his decision.
“Hmph.” Leonard finally turned away and Jim smiled. “I don’t suppose there were any messages from Estelle?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No, nothing,” Jim replied. “Your phone?”
“Nope.”
“But that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Jim said, saying it as much to reassure himself as anything else. “I mean, no news is still good news, right?”
“Right,” Leonard replied. He turned back to Jim, studying his profile. “You know, though, if we don’t get this house we’ll just keep lookin’. We’ll find the one that we’re supposed to have.”
Jim smiled and looked over at him. “Supposed to have?” Jim echoed. “You’re starting to sound like me.”
Leonard reached across the car and brushed Jim’s cheek with his thumb. “Well, can’t say I’d mind that all that much, Darlin’.”
A warm feeling spread through Jim and Leonard took his hand again. And Jim never wanted him to let go.
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Jim stepped up to the host stand while Leonard fiddled with his phone.
“Bones, seriously. It’s charged, the ringer is on and it’ll vibrate if you get a message. I’ve got mine, Aurelan and Sam each have theirs…if Jo needs to get hold of us, she’ll be able to.”
Leonard sighed irritably and reluctantly put his phone away. Jim was right. He was worrying needlessly. But it wasn’t like he could flip a switch and turn the worry off. This was the first time he’d left Jo alone. She’d been reading at the kitchen table with a couple of slices of pizza when they’d left. The doors were locked, the alarm was set…all she had to do was put her plate in the sink, and entertain herself for a few hours while they were ten minutes away.
Of course she could handle that. All Leonard had to do was convince himself that he could handle it too.
When the hostess returned, Jim asked about the rest of their party, and it turned out Aurelan and Sam were already there.
“Hey Jim, Leonard,” Sam said as they approached the table. He stood and the brothers embraced briefly. “Thanks for joining us tonight.” Leonard leaned over to kiss Aurelan’s cheek, and Jim did the same while Leonard and Sam shook hands. Once everyone was seated a waiter came over to take their drink orders.
The conversation was light while everyone looked over the menu, and Aurelan and Sam commiserated with Leonard over leaving his child home alone for the first time. Jim sympathized with Leonard’s worry, but he didn’t feel it. Part of him wondered if that was the difference between a “real” parent, and someone who acquired the role…that if she was actually his, he’d be just as worried. Something of what he was feeling must’ve shown in his expression, because Leonard put his hand on Jim’s thigh under the table.
“Well, Jim is sure she’s mature enough to handle it, and he’s got a hell of a lot more experience with kids than I do. I only ever had Jo…he’s had a few hundred,” Leonard said, giving him a smile. Jim covered Leonard’s hand with his own and squeezed in thanks. It still helped to be reminded that his feelings and experience, though different, were just as valid to Bones.
The server came back with everyone’s drinks, and took their orders. Once that was completed, Jim looked at his brother.
“So, what’s with the grown-ups only dinner?” he asked.
Sam and Aurelan glanced at each other, and she reflexively cradled her belly. Leonard observed her body language and exchanged a look with Jim.
“Is everything okay?” Leonard asked calmly.
“Well, we hope so,” Sam said. He took Aurelan’s hand and took a breath. “The doctor wants us to do a fetal echocardiogram. We’re going to your hospital for it, Len…and we…”
“We wanted you guys to know. We’re not telling the children.”
Leonard nodded and glanced at Jim as he asked, “Why does the doctor want you to get a fetal echocardiogram? Is…is the baby…”
“We don’t know,” Aurelan said lowly. She wiped her cheek as a tear escaped. “I mean, the doctor wouldn’t say anything definitive, but…”
“Hey, now,” Leonard said. “Many women are referred for a fetal echo around 25 weeks. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong. It could just be that she couldn’t get a good look at the heart. Or it could be something that solves itself. Did you know that many babies have small holes in their hearts that close up on their own before delivery? Something like that needs to be monitored, but it’s not serious.”
Leonard reached across the table and grasped Sam’s and Aurelan’s arms. “There is no need for you to worry about the little guy yet. And even if there is something wrong, there’s so much medicine can do to help before he’s even born. I know it won’t be possible for you to not worry, so I won’t say don’t…but please also keep in mind that there might not be anything to worry about.”
Aurelan nodded as Sam smiled tightly. “Thanks Len. That helps.”
“And of course,” he said. “If I can help at all, I absolutely will. Of course, it’s a little out of my area.” He turned to Jim, who’d been suspiciously quiet. He took Jim’s hand and gave him a comforting smile. “I mean it. Everything is most likely fine.”
The server brought their meals and Leonard tried to gently steer the conversation to happier topics. He knew they were all worried, but he really believed everything would be okay, and worrying about something that wasn’t certain was pointless.
“Any news about the house?” Aurelan asked.
Jim shook his head. “Not yet. I thought we were going to hear from Estelle yesterday, but she never called.”
“Well,” Sam said as he cut a piece of chicken. “No news is good news, right?”
Len chuckled. Kirks, he thought fondly.
.
Author: Caera1996
Rating for this Part: NC-17
W/C: 6,040
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Timeline Notes: A third anchor story (novel-length) in TBoPE/LAWG verse. Set five years after the end of Learning As We Go.
This Part: Bones and Jim reconnect on an intimate level after their argument. They also take steps to secure Jo’s spot in a new school and anticipate hearing from Estelle about the house. Meanwhile, Sam and Aurelan are worried about the health of the baby.
In his sleep, Leonard groaned. He slowly woke, drawn out of a deep sleep by arousal and sensations of pleasure that went from muted and somewhat distant to sharp and pulsing. His brow furrowed, and he tried to move, his hands reaching down and encountering Jim settled between his legs.
He opened his eyes and peered down his body, the gray, dim light of a new morning just barely peeking around the curtains providing just enough illumination to see Jim as he sucked at his cock. Abruptly, Jim switched to running his tongue back and forth over the head while fondling his balls, and Leonard’s back arched as he let out a shuddering breath. His hands carded through Jim’s hair, and he moaned deep in his chest as Jim slid fingers into him, finding and stroking sensitive areas.
Jim hummed around him, making him shudder as his hips jerked and legs trembled.
“Oh…” he gasped, turning his head as his hands clenched in Jim’s hair. “…feels so good, Jim,” he whispered, unable to stay quiet while feeling such intense pleasure.
Jim kept going, the movements of fingers a counterpoint to his tongue, and Bones rocked himself gently, muscles tensing and releasing as he breathed hard, groaning continuously.
Finally, Leonard’s muscles abruptly clenched and he curled upward as much as Jim’s weight on him would allow, holding his breath until he had to let it out in a rush, then gasping as Jim sucked him relentlessly as he spurted. Jim felt Leonard press himself up, then pull back, his hips twisting in Jim’s grasp as he tried to deal with the overwhelming pleasure forcing whines and grunts out of him. Finally, Jim let his fingers slip from Leonard’s body as he released him from his mouth with one last lick, then kissed him and kissed up his body…over his shuddering belly, across his chest, then nipped gently at his lips. Leonard opened to him as Jim kissed him deeply, one hand on his softening cock, still just barely rubbing his thumb back and forth on the frenulum, making Leonard jerk as over-sensitive nerves fired again and again.
Unable to take it anymore, he reached down to remove Jim’s hand, twining their fingers together as they kissed. Jim was hard, rocking against the bare skin of Leonard’s hip, and he turned on his side, drawing a knee up, inviting Jim into him. The click of the lube bottle opening was loud in the quiet room, then Jim snugged up behind him, one arm going around Leonard’s chest and holding him tightly as he gently eased himself into the tight heat of Leonard’s body. Leonard pressed back, wordlessly expressing how much he wanted Jim inside of him.
Jim slipped his other arm under Leonard’s head, holding him tenderly as he kissed his neck and sighed into his ear as they moved together, surging lazily forward and back, Jim’s harsh breathing interspersed with whines and gasps. Enveloped by the sounds and scent of their lovemaking, Leonard curled one hand in the sheets, desperately holding on, nearly overwhelmed with all of the sensations rushing through and around him. He squeezed his eyes closed and concentrated on keeping his body as relaxed as possible, tensing his arms and biting his lip instead. It felt so good…he couldn’t stand it.
Jim reached for Leonard’s hand, urging him to hold onto him instead, as he laced their fingers together. Jim held on to him just as tightly as he got closer and closer to orgasm, fighting the urge to flip Leonard onto his stomach or back to thrust into him harder and faster. The sweet torture of his movements being somewhat constrained by their positions made each breath explode out of him in a sob the longer he teetered on the edge of relief until he just could not take it anymore.
Snapping his hips forward, pressing as deeply as he could into Leonard’s body, Jim bit down on Leonard’s shoulder as his orgasm rushed through him, grunting with exertion and shaking. Feeling that Jim reached his completion, Leonard freed his hand to reach behind himself to Jim’s head, fingers sliding through sweaty and hot hair.
Jim carefully pulled out of him, making them both wince, and Leonard turned over so they were lying face to face. His fingertips trailed over Jim’s face, and he outlined his lips before kissing him softly. Pressed together, sweaty limbs over and around each other, they let their bodies relax, heartbeats slowing from the intensity of the rush as they cooled down…slipping back under the dark, still surface of sleep.
But morning was coming, and Leonard’s restful sleep didn’t last. His internal clock woke him again before the alarm went off. Without moving, not wanting to disturb Jim, he turned his head to see what time it was. Seeing that they had about twenty minutes, he freed an arm and reached over to turn the alarm off, then settled back down under the blankets, relishing how comfortable he was and the solid, warm body pressed against his. In the privacy of the moment, while Jim continued to sleep soundly at his side, Leonard studied his handsome face. This morning was the first time since their argument - when Jim had slept on the couch and left the next day - that they’d had sex.
At first, Leonard had thought that Jim was still upset over what had transpired. But they’d been together a long time, and Leonard felt he knew Jim almost better than he knew himself. He thought it was very likely that Jim was actually worried that Leonard was still angry. He wasn’t, of course. He never really was. Not angry. Hurt, was more like it. But after everything he’d learned from Jim the night they talked, a lot of that hurt disappeared under a new layer of understanding.
And all that was left was a relationship that was stronger for it.
God, I love him.
He vowed to make sure that Jim always knew that. That an argument was never something he had to be afraid of. That their family would never take the backseat to anything else in Leonard’s life.
After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Leonard propped himself up on his elbow and leaned down to gently kiss Jim awake.
“Mmmm,” Jim murmured. He stirred, and Leonard smiled as those incredibly blue eyes slowly blinked open. Leonard kissed him again, then lay back down, putting his arm around Jim’s shoulders as they cuddled close.
“Good morning,” Jim said.
“It certainly was, earlier,” Leonard said with a wink. “That was quite a way to wake up.”
Jim smiled and slid his hands around Leonard’s bare body, squeezing his ass and pulling him even closer.
“Want to go again?” Jim asked, kissing him and nuzzling his neck.
“Oh, god, yes,” Leonard replied. “But it’s time to get up. Jo’s going to be looking for us in just a few minutes.”
“That’s too bad,” Jim said, and he gasped when Leonard slipped a hand between their bodies and gently stroked his half-hard flesh. “Oh…Bones….what about…”
Leonard kissed him as he continued to touch, gently rubbing his thumb around the corona.
Jim moaned quietly, his breath coming faster as he got more aroused, and he held Bones tightly.
“We have time for this, Darlin’,” Leonard said, smiling a little at the beautiful expression of pleasure on Jim’s face. He chuckled when Jim shivered and then, mindful that Jo was probably awake, said, “Shh, shh…” and kissed him again, muffling his moans as they got louder.
Jim tried to thrust into Bones’ loose grip, but when he did, Bones would stop, just holding him until he stilled. It didn’t take long for Jim to get it, and he wondered when Bones became such a tease. Forcing himself to stay still, and just take whatever Bones decided to do, took every ounce of self-control he had. It was like torture. He loved it.
“Bones…oh, god, please, please,” he whined, barely resisting the urge to pull away and finish himself when Leonard let his fingertips slip up and down over the head of Jim’s cock, sliding on the wetness Jim produced. “I can’t come like this…I can’t take it,” Jim gasped. Everything Bones was doing felt so good he was jerking uncontrollably in his grasp.
“Yes you can,” Leonard said, then pulled away enough to lick his fingers and rub over one of Jim’s sensitive nipples.
Desperate to stay quiet, Jim fisted a pillow and pulled it over his face, holding his breath and biting it as his body tensed, needing to move, needing to come, needing more….
Chuckling, Leonard pulled the pillow away and kissed him, taking Jim’s moans into himself. Breaking the kiss, Jim’s chest heaved as he arched, and then he was bucking uncontrollably, clenching his teeth as he grunted and holding on to Leonard as he finally came.
Leonard held him, gently teasing touches prolonging the intense pleasure until Jim tried to pull away, a moan he couldn’t quite stop forcing its way out of him. Leonard let him go and felt his body relax in relief. He kissed him over and over as he slowly came back to himself and caught his breath.
“Love you, Jim,” Leonard was murmuring. “So much.”
Eyes closed, being held so close and with such care by the man who loved him so unequivocally, Jim took a couple more moments to settle himself. When he opened his eyes, Bones was watching him, an intense look in his hazel eyes.
They lay there, warm under the blanket, trading kisses and words, and putting the day off just a little while longer.
Finally, though, a hesitant knock on the door followed by Jo’s voice, “Daddy? Oide? Umm… we’re supposed to leave for school in fifteen minutes.”
Leonard turned to look at the clock - he hadn’t realized it’d gotten that late. “Thank you, Baby,” Leonard called. “Our alarm didn’t go off. We’ll be out in a second.”
“Okay.”
Jim smiled brightly. “So much for being a responsible adult,” he teased.
Leonard smiled and shrugged. “It was totally worth it.”
“Yeah it was. Why don’t you stay here,” Jim suggested, stopping him from getting up. “I’ll take a quick shower and bring her to school - I have to pick up the rest of the stuff I asked Carol to put together anyway.”
“Yeah? Okay,” Leonard agreed, settling back down.
Jim smiled and leaned down to kiss him. “We’ll go as soon as I get back. Sound good?”
“Perfect. I’ll be waiting.”
Leonard watched from the bed as Jim headed into the bathroom to take a shower. As usual, he sang while showering. Leonard smiled, shaking his head. He lay there a few more minutes, until the shower turned off, then he threw the blankets back and got up. He needed a shower too.
Jim finished getting ready quickly, and then gave Leonard a kiss goodbye. Leonard stopped him from pulling away and kissed him again, smiling against his lips.
“Daddy? Oide?” Jo called through the door, knocking again.
They chuckled and separated. There was no stopping the day.
“Okay, gotta go. See you soon,” Jim said.
Once Jim and Jo were gone, Leonard took a shower too, and got ready for the day, then cleaned up a bit, changing the sheets on the bed and throwing in a wash. He set the folder of collected information and filled-out forms on the kitchen table, then went about making coffee for he and Jim in a couple of travel mugs.
Today, they were going to officially meet with the Admissions Counselor of the Progressive Education University School, and they were planning to bring as much as they could to show that Jo would satisfy the prerequisites for entry. They were going to be fighting an uphill battle, he knew - Jo would be the youngest person there, if they admitted her - but after reviewing all of the information and doing a couple of visits, they’d decided that this option was the best for her. They’d shared the information about the school with her, and she was excited too. Leonard was careful to make sure she understood there was no guarantee she’d be able to go, that they were just looking at the possibility.
But, they felt a little stronger about it than that. After delving into the way the school worked, Leonard was on board with Jim in thinking a move would be the best for her. He’d not forgotten that bedtime conversation when she’d confided in him how much time she felt like she was just “waiting”. McKinley had been a good fit for a while, but she’d outgrown it. They had to find something better - she deserved something better - and they hoped to prove that she would be a good match with the school to the counselor so that they could continue with the application process.
And the house….the house was another major thing happening today. Estelle had gotten the current owners to come down in their asking price quite a bit, and then they’d submitted an offer even lower than that. It was a bit of a risk, but they just weren’t getting a lot of bites, and they were carrying the expense of two houses while they waited for this one to sell. As Estelle had said, he and Jim were the “kind of buyers everyone wants”. They were expecting to hear if their offer was accepted, or if there was a counteroffer sometime today.
It was a lot to take in.
But - it could all work so well. The University School wasn’t far from this house, and it was on the routes both Jim and Leonard would take on their way to work. Even better, in addition to the fantastic scholastic programs that made the school such a good opportunity for Jo, they also had after-school activities, tutoring, and study hall, so that if Jo had to wait to be picked up, her time wouldn’t be wasted.
He was flipping through the preliminary forms he’d filled out when he heard the front door open.
“Bones?” Jim called.
“Kitchen,” he replied.
Jim joined him, carrying a file folder that contained a copy of Joanna’s transcripts from the time she started McKinley to the present.
“Oh, thank you,” Jim said when Leonard handed him a travel mug of coffee. He took a sip and smiled at the sweetness he found. Bones grumbled all the time about how much sugar he put in his coffee, but he’d made it for him the way he liked it. “It’s perfect.”
Leonard smiled, a soft, fond look in his eyes.
“What?” Jim asked when he caught Bones looking at him like that.
“Nothin’,” Leonard replied, eyes crinkling. “Just remembering this mornin’.”
Jim grinned and used his free hand to gently grip Leonard’s tie, pulling him close. He kissed him softly, then again. Then smiling against his lips, Jim whispered, “Wait until tonight.” He pulled back and picked up the folder again. “We should get going. Ready?”
Smirking at the expression on Bones’ face, Jim headed out of the kitchen. Moments later, pants a little tighter than they should be, Bones headed after him.
______________________________________________________________________________
Aurelan lay back on the table, pregnant belly exposed. She shivered, and Sam took her hand.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
She nodded, turning her head to look at him. “A little chilly…a little nervous. I’m fine.”
“They always keep these rooms like iceboxes. I have no idea why,” the doctor said apologetically. “I’m just going to put some of this jelly on you…”
Aurelan nodded again, and they both practically held their breath as the doctor pressed the transducer against her skin. A picture came up on the screen that was almost immediately recognizable as the sound of his heartbeat filled the room. The curve of the head, the line of the back, the little tushie, the little arms and legs…their baby boy.
“There he is,” the doctor said. She glanced at the parents, and smiled at the totally enraptured expression on their faces. She loved that look. “He looks good,” she murmured, but her eyes were on the screen intently, listening to the sound of the fetus’ heartbeat and seeing something that she hated to see.
“What?” Sam asked, when he noticed her studying the screen so carefully.
She looked back at them and gave them a comforting smile. “Probably nothing,” she said. “At this stage we look for particular markers of development, and the heart is one of them.”
“Is something wrong with his heart?” Aurelan asked, her own heart skipping a beat as her mouth went dry.
“It could just be his position, or it could be something I’m misreading,” she said. “But I’m going to suggest you get a fetal echocardiogram, just to make sure everything is fine.”
“Why?” Aurelan asked. “What might not be fine?”
The doctor hesitated while handing Aurelan some tissues to wipe the gel off of her belly. She hated making parents worry before anyone knew for sure that there was something to worry about. But in situations like this, it couldn’t be helped.
“There’s a possibility that his heart isn’t developing properly,” she said. “But,” she continued quickly as Aurelan’s eyes filled with tears and Sam’s lips thinned. “I’m not sure, and I don’t want you to worry unnecessarily. In the event that there is something wrong, we have options.”
“What are they?” Sam asked. He looked over at Aurelan and gently wiped a tear off her cheek, then took her hand again, holding it against his chest.
“Well, we can’t really talk about that until we know exactly what, if anything, is going on,” she replied.
Aurelan sat up and rearranged her clothes. “Well, when can we get it done? I want it as soon as possible.”
“Of course. We’ll schedule you for as soon as possible.” She smiled again, trying to impart confidence and calm. “Everything else looks good - which is an excellent sign. He falls within the right range for his size, he’s active…”
“Oh, yeah he’s active,” Aurelan added, one hand gently caressing her belly. “He settles when his sisters or Sam talks to him, but he’s moving around a lot in there.”
The doctor nodded. “All very, very good signs. You are doing well, too, Mom. Your blood pressure is good, your sugar is good…any issues with heartburn, nausea, sleeplessness? Anything like that?”
“No,” Aurelan said. “It’s been really easy. I mean, I didn’t even know he was there for these five months.”
“True,” the doctor said with a smile. “Okay….you can sit up and get dressed. When you’re ready, come on down to the check-out desk and we’ll set you up for the fetal echo.”
The doctor left them and Aurelan sat up. Sam turned to get the shirt she’d traded for a blue gown, and when he turned back tears were streaming down her face.
“Oh, hey…no, no love, don’t do that,” he said, wrapping her in his arms. She held on to him, pressing her face against his shoulder.
“What if something’s wrong with him?” she asked tearfully. “What if something happened because I didn’t know I was pregnant? How could I not know?”
“Aurelan,” Sam said, firming his voice a little. There was no way he was going to let her place all this blame on herself, maybe for nothing. “There might not be anything wrong with him at all. And if something is up, Hon, it’s not going to be because of anything you did, or didn’t do. You didn’t do anything in those five months that would’ve been dangerous to a baby.”
He reached for a tissue and gently dabbed at her face, drying her tears.
“I don’t know what we’ll do if he’s sick,” she said. “I can’t even imagine…”
“We’ll do whatever we need to do,” Sam said. “If there’s a problem, we’ll do whatever we can. But until we find out for sure, let’s not borrow trouble, okay?”
Aurelan sniffed and took the tissue from him. She knew all of this, and she knew that if something was wrong, she wouldn’t be to blame for it…but it was hard not to feel that way.
“Okay,” she said, sounding a little better. She plucked another tissue from the box, wiped her eyes and blew her nose, feeling herself come back under control from the wave of emotion. “I’m a mess.”
“No, you’re beautiful,” Sam said, gently tilting her face up with a finger under her chin. He smiled and gave her a kiss, then rubbed his nose against hers. “C’mon…let’s go make that appointment and get out of here.”
Aurelan finished dressing and together they waited at the desk to make their appointment. When they found out they had a choice between San Fran Gen and another hospital in the area, they looked at each other then simultaneously said, “San Fran Gen.”
They didn’t know if Leonard would be able to help with navigating an area that was completely outside of his, but that didn’t really matter. It made them both feel better to know that they’d be somewhere he would be.
“I guess we have to tell the family,” Sam said, once they were in the car and headed home.
“Not the kids,” Aurelan said. “And not my sister. I can just hear her now - well, Aurelan, you must have known the risks of having a baby at your age,” she said, mimicking her sister’s higher, slightly nasally voice almost perfectly.
Sam glanced at her. “Don’t do that. It freaks me out.”
Aurelan laughed softly and placed a hand on his leg. “Just Len and Jim,” she said. “And preferably before the appointment.”
“I’ll call them tonight,” Sam said. “See if they can get a sitter and come out to dinner with us this weekend.”
Aurelan nodded. Her appointment was this coming Monday, so that would be perfect. She looked down at the information sheet she’d been handed about the fetal echocardiogram. Her mind was racing with thoughts of the little baby who was depending on them, and she placed a protective hand on her belly, silently praying that everything would be okay. That the baby would be healthy, and that this was just a false alarm.
Sam glanced over at his wife again, and put a hand over hers on her belly. They looked at each other, and Aurelan knew that Sam was praying for all the same things.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leonard and Jim took seats on the other side Bernard DeSalle’s desk. For Leonard, this was so reminiscent of the beginning of their relationship with McKinley, he was experiencing déjà vu. For Jim, though, this was the first time he was doing something like this on this side of the desk, and he was nervous. He wanted to make a good impression on the admissions director and he wanted to convince him to allow Joanna to apply.
So far, though, so good. They’d toured the school, were shown how the logistics of it worked, and the breakdown of tuition, and now they were sitting down to talk specifics. Just as DeSalle was sitting, Jim’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it. Whatever it was would have to wait.
“So,” DeSalle said. “Tell me Joanna’s story.”
Leonard and Jim glanced at each other. Her story?
“Uh…where would you like us to start?” Jim asked.
DeSalle laced his fingers together on the desk in front of him. “At the beginning. I’d like to hear all about the girl not described in the school reports - which are very impressive, by the way.”
Leonard took a breath, and launched into the story from the beginning of their life together, by first explaining why Jo’s mom wasn’t in the picture.
“…so I moved us here, and Jo ended up in Jim’s classroom,” Leonard said, glancing at Jim.
Jim smiled, and picked up the narrative. “Jo was very shy at first and being in a classroom was hard for her. Later, we realized that some of that was because of undiagnosed hyperacusis. Once that issue was addressed with some simple sound therapy, she started opening up a little. And over the years, she’s really come into her own. She’s empathetic, well-adjusted and friendly. She’s still a little quiet, but I don’t feel - as a psychologist or as a parent - that it holds her back. She’s able to work with and through her natural introverted inclinations.”
“And what about that?” DeSalle asked, leaning back in his chair. “Should Joanna attend, she’ll be the youngest student here by at least two years. I would think a situation like that - which would be stressful for any child - will be even more difficult for her to handle.”
Leonard hesitated a moment before answering. That was actually a concern he had himself. “As Jim said, Jo is introverted. She prefers quiet to loud, and has a small, close circle of friends, though she has never had a problem getting along with or working with anyone. Jo is very well aware of what she’ll be walking in to here. She’s intelligent, but she’s also emotionally mature, and we’ve talked about what will be expected of her here. And frankly, she’s hungry for it. She’s bored in class, and she’s not being challenged.” He paused, looking at Jim for a second. “I’ve had more than a few misgivings about taking her out of McKinley early, but Jim knows my daughter, knows what she’s capable of, and I trust him completely. And we both think this environment is the best one for her.”
“Well, Mr. McCoy and Mr. Kirk, I appreciate your candor. I would like some more time to review the information you provided and confer with some of the core teachers, but let’s also go ahead and set up an interview with Joanna.”
“An interview with Joanna?” Leonard repeated in question.
“Yes. Part of the application process is an interview with me and two of our teachers. In your daughter’s case, though - because of her age - I think an interview should be conducted before we go any further.”
It made sense that they’d want to speak with her beforehand, but Leonard and Jim knew how much of a challenge this would likely be for her. And…it was entirely possible that they would deny her application because of the way she interviewed.
On the other hand, he’d underestimated his baby girl before.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Leonard said.
Jim glanced at him out of the side of his eye. It does? he thought, but he kept his mouth shut.
“Well good,” DeSalle said, standing. Leonard and Jim stood too, and they shook hands. “I look forward to meeting her. She sounds like an impressive young lady.”
“Thank you. We think she is,” Jim said with a smile.
“In the meantime, if you have any questions about the information we’ve provided, or if you need anything else, let us know,” Leonard said.
“Very good…we’ll be in touch.”
They headed out of his office, and he walked them to the front area where they were introduced to the school secretary to schedule the appointment for Jo’s interview, in a little less than a week.
Finally done, Leonard and Jim headed out and back to Jim’s car. Once seated inside, they both let out a sigh of relief then looked at each other.
“I think that went pretty well,” Jim said, and Leonard nodded with a smile.
“He wouldn’t even bother with an interview if they weren’t seriously considering her, right?”
“Right,” Jim confirmed. “But an interview…how do you think she’ll handle that?” he asked, pulling out his cellphone to see who’d called earlier.
“You know…not even a few months ago I would’ve said there was no way she’d be up for it,” Leonard said. “But now…she’s come so far and opened up so much. I think she has a good chance of being able to show them she could do well here.”
Jim nodded as he turned on the car. “I think so, too, Bones. And I really do think this is the best move for her as well - for her education and otherwise - even if it does take some adjustment.”
“Well, like I told DeSalle, I trust you completely. And I trust your instincts. And I love how you described yourself as a parent without even a second thought,” he said. He reached for Jim’s hand and gave him a squeeze.
Jim smiled, a slow flush of pleasure creeping across his face and he glanced at Leonard briefly. “That just kinda popped out…I didn’t even really think it. It’s just how I feel.”
“And you should. Who called?”
“Sam. He wants to get dinner sometime this weekend - just the adults.”
“Really? Hm…I wonder why,” Leonard said. It was an unusual request. When they had dinner together it nearly always included all the kids. He had to really think back to the last time they had dinner with just the two couples.
“I don’t know, he didn’t say,” Jim said. “You know what Jo’s going to say about it.”
Leonard grimaced. “Yeah, I know.”
“Well, do you think, maybe we could consider it?” Jim asked. “I mean, I think she’s responsible enough to be left alone for a couple of hours.”
Leonard shrugged, and Jim smiled to himself. Bones, he knew, was still having a bit of trouble recognizing that Jo was growing up, and quickly. At nearly twelve, staying home by herself for a couple of hours while they were ten minutes away shouldn’t be a big deal, but Leonard had yet to allow it.
“I’ll think about it,” he said finally.
“Good enough,” Jim replied with a smile.
“It’s not her I don’t trust,” Leonard said, feeling a little ridiculous and a little defensive.
“I know,” Jim said, leaving the question of what exactly it was he didn’t trust if it was not Joanna herself unspoken. He kept his eyes on the road as he navigated the parking lot and out onto the street, resisting the urge glance at Bones even though he felt his gaze on him, waiting for him to say something else about it. He wouldn’t though. Bones knew how Jim felt, but it wasn’t his decision.
“Hmph.” Leonard finally turned away and Jim smiled. “I don’t suppose there were any messages from Estelle?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No, nothing,” Jim replied. “Your phone?”
“Nope.”
“But that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Jim said, saying it as much to reassure himself as anything else. “I mean, no news is still good news, right?”
“Right,” Leonard replied. He turned back to Jim, studying his profile. “You know, though, if we don’t get this house we’ll just keep lookin’. We’ll find the one that we’re supposed to have.”
Jim smiled and looked over at him. “Supposed to have?” Jim echoed. “You’re starting to sound like me.”
Leonard reached across the car and brushed Jim’s cheek with his thumb. “Well, can’t say I’d mind that all that much, Darlin’.”
A warm feeling spread through Jim and Leonard took his hand again. And Jim never wanted him to let go.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim stepped up to the host stand while Leonard fiddled with his phone.
“Bones, seriously. It’s charged, the ringer is on and it’ll vibrate if you get a message. I’ve got mine, Aurelan and Sam each have theirs…if Jo needs to get hold of us, she’ll be able to.”
Leonard sighed irritably and reluctantly put his phone away. Jim was right. He was worrying needlessly. But it wasn’t like he could flip a switch and turn the worry off. This was the first time he’d left Jo alone. She’d been reading at the kitchen table with a couple of slices of pizza when they’d left. The doors were locked, the alarm was set…all she had to do was put her plate in the sink, and entertain herself for a few hours while they were ten minutes away.
Of course she could handle that. All Leonard had to do was convince himself that he could handle it too.
When the hostess returned, Jim asked about the rest of their party, and it turned out Aurelan and Sam were already there.
“Hey Jim, Leonard,” Sam said as they approached the table. He stood and the brothers embraced briefly. “Thanks for joining us tonight.” Leonard leaned over to kiss Aurelan’s cheek, and Jim did the same while Leonard and Sam shook hands. Once everyone was seated a waiter came over to take their drink orders.
The conversation was light while everyone looked over the menu, and Aurelan and Sam commiserated with Leonard over leaving his child home alone for the first time. Jim sympathized with Leonard’s worry, but he didn’t feel it. Part of him wondered if that was the difference between a “real” parent, and someone who acquired the role…that if she was actually his, he’d be just as worried. Something of what he was feeling must’ve shown in his expression, because Leonard put his hand on Jim’s thigh under the table.
“Well, Jim is sure she’s mature enough to handle it, and he’s got a hell of a lot more experience with kids than I do. I only ever had Jo…he’s had a few hundred,” Leonard said, giving him a smile. Jim covered Leonard’s hand with his own and squeezed in thanks. It still helped to be reminded that his feelings and experience, though different, were just as valid to Bones.
The server came back with everyone’s drinks, and took their orders. Once that was completed, Jim looked at his brother.
“So, what’s with the grown-ups only dinner?” he asked.
Sam and Aurelan glanced at each other, and she reflexively cradled her belly. Leonard observed her body language and exchanged a look with Jim.
“Is everything okay?” Leonard asked calmly.
“Well, we hope so,” Sam said. He took Aurelan’s hand and took a breath. “The doctor wants us to do a fetal echocardiogram. We’re going to your hospital for it, Len…and we…”
“We wanted you guys to know. We’re not telling the children.”
Leonard nodded and glanced at Jim as he asked, “Why does the doctor want you to get a fetal echocardiogram? Is…is the baby…”
“We don’t know,” Aurelan said lowly. She wiped her cheek as a tear escaped. “I mean, the doctor wouldn’t say anything definitive, but…”
“Hey, now,” Leonard said. “Many women are referred for a fetal echo around 25 weeks. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong. It could just be that she couldn’t get a good look at the heart. Or it could be something that solves itself. Did you know that many babies have small holes in their hearts that close up on their own before delivery? Something like that needs to be monitored, but it’s not serious.”
Leonard reached across the table and grasped Sam’s and Aurelan’s arms. “There is no need for you to worry about the little guy yet. And even if there is something wrong, there’s so much medicine can do to help before he’s even born. I know it won’t be possible for you to not worry, so I won’t say don’t…but please also keep in mind that there might not be anything to worry about.”
Aurelan nodded as Sam smiled tightly. “Thanks Len. That helps.”
“And of course,” he said. “If I can help at all, I absolutely will. Of course, it’s a little out of my area.” He turned to Jim, who’d been suspiciously quiet. He took Jim’s hand and gave him a comforting smile. “I mean it. Everything is most likely fine.”
The server brought their meals and Leonard tried to gently steer the conversation to happier topics. He knew they were all worried, but he really believed everything would be okay, and worrying about something that wasn’t certain was pointless.
“Any news about the house?” Aurelan asked.
Jim shook his head. “Not yet. I thought we were going to hear from Estelle yesterday, but she never called.”
“Well,” Sam said as he cut a piece of chicken. “No news is good news, right?”
Len chuckled. Kirks, he thought fondly.
.