Learning As We Go, Part 34 - in the Primary Ed. series
Title: Learning As We Go, Part 34
Author: Caera1996
Disclaimer: Not mine
Rating: PG
W/C: 3,786
Summary: Sequel to The Basics of Primary Ed. AU. It is possible to read this story without reading TBoPE first, but it will make much more sense if you do.
This part: They settle back into home after being away for Thanksgiving, and then go see Santa Claus!
Note: Again, sorry it’s shorter than usual, but I figured I’d post what I have.
“Bones, I’m going for a run!” Jim called, raising his voice enough to be heard over the water running in the tub for Joanna’s bath.
“Wear a sweatshirt - it’s cold out there!” Leonard replied. Jim hesitated, making a face. He didn’t think it was cold outside. Jim contemplated just slipping out of the apartment… “I’m serious, Jim!” Leonard called again.
Giving up, Jim rolled his eyes and pulled a sweatshirt out of the closet at the entryway. Bones just knew him too well.
“Be back soon!”
Heading out of the apartment, Jim started off at a slow jog until he exited the apartment complex, and then picked up his pace as he headed down the street towards a park that had a running trail encircling a lake. Jim figured he had about an hour of light left, and he intended to make use of it.
Falling into a pounding rhythm that connected his feet with his breath and the beating of his heart, Jim slipped into an almost meditative state. Running like this was so much more than just a method of exercise for him…it was a way to clear his head, to center himself, and to back away from a situation or problem enough to get a new handle on it. He’d started this when he was a teenager, and the habit had followed him into adulthood. Jim really felt he often did his best thinking when running like this…everything else fell away, and he could just let his brain do its thing.
Tonight, he was thinking about his future.
Liam had seemed to be very open to Jim’s concerns about leaving McKinley in the middle of the school year.
“I appreciate how much you care about your students, Jim. Let me see what I can do. You were my choice and…” he paused, giving Jim a wink. “I usually get what I want. Give me a few days, and I’ll get back to you.”
And true to his word, he had…with good news. Jim would be able to finish the year at McKinley, and start his job with the county fresh. In the meantime, Liam had given him materials to get started with. Binders of information on the demographics of the schools that he would be responsible for, policies, guidelines...enough information to keep him reading for the rest of the year, definitely. Liam also went ahead and gave Jim access to the website portal so that he could familiarize himself with the programs they used.
It was a lot. Not enough to make him feel like he couldn’t do it - He had a little more self-confidence than that - but it was a little daunting. He was also beyond excited. Jim could still hardly believe that he was being given this opportunity to do what he wanted to do…and on his own terms. His life was working out in ways that he’d never even thought possible.
He had a man he loved, a child he adored, and the beginning of the career he wanted. It was almost unbelievable. He still sometimes dealt with the feeling like he didn’t deserve everything he had, and the worry that it would be taken away. Logically, he knew that was ridiculous. Nothing had been handed to him. He’d worked for everything he had…even his relationship with Bones and Jo. They’d gotten to the where they were because they’d worked for it.
Even more amazing to him was the reception he’d gotten from Bones’ family. He’d been so stressed about it, but with the exception of Charles, who really seemed like he didn’t like anyone anyway, everyone had been very welcoming. Even Hannah’s attitude had seemed to change. She seemed more open to him, more…genuinely happy for Bones, and for him to be there. He was grateful for that. He was much more secure now in Bones’ commitment to him, regardless of how his mother felt about their relationship, but it was still a relief to know that his presence in Bones’ life wasn’t going to separate him from his family.
It was still hard for Jim, sometimes, to know that what he and Bones had could be the reason Bones’ family pulled away from him. And though he knew Bones loved him, he still sometimes struggled with the possibilities if Bones every truly had to choose.
Finishing his second time around the loop, Jim headed out of the park, slowing his run to a jog as he headed back to the apartment complex. At their unit, he opened the door carefully…Jack (Joanna finally chose a name for the little orange cat) had gotten into the habit of waiting by the door and trying to dart outside. Bones didn’t mind if the cat wanted to be an indoor/outdoor cat, but it upset Jo, so they kept him in the apartment for now.
She hadn’t said as much, but Jim was pretty sure it was because she was afraid the boys would come back and abuse the cat again. They’d tried to explain that the boys didn’t live here and probably hadn’t found the cat here, but she wasn’t comforted by that. So, Jack was an indoor cat.
In the entryway, Jim wiped his sweaty forehead and pulled the sweatshirt over his head, messing his hair. He pulled his sneakers off and headed through the house. Leonard looked over his shoulder as Jim came into the kitchen.
“Good run?” he asked, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. He handed it to Jim, and ran a critical eye over him, taking in the shorts and short-sleeved shirt. “Thought I told you to wear a sweatshirt. It’s 50 degrees out there.”
Jim took the water and downed it gratefully. “I did,” he said, holding up the sweatshirt he was carrying as he wiped his mouth with his arm.
“Hm. Go get a hot shower. Don’t want you getting sick.”
Jim smiled, as always, amused and touched by the way Bones cared for him, cared about him. “That’s where I was headed,” he assured him. “Where’s Jo?”
“Playing in her room. She’s got about twenty minutes, then bed. I want to make sure she’s rested enough for school tomorrow.”
Jim nodded. They’d gotten back from Georgia early last night, and today they’d stayed home, spending a quiet day in as everyone readjusted. Jo was happy enough to play quietly, read, and watch movies. Leonard had taken the opportunity to do some work and laundry, and Jim continued to make his way through the binders Liam had given him.
“Sounds good,” Jim said. He threw the empty bottle of water away and looked at Bones warmly.
“What?” Leonard asked, after a moment.
Jim smiled and shook his head. “Nothing,” he said.
A softer look came into Leonard’s eyes. He reached out, cupped Jim’s jaw, and leaned in, giving him a slow, gentle kiss. “Shower,” he said. “I’ll put Jo to bed.”
“Then…will you make sure I’m rested enough for tomorrow too?” Jim asked teasingly. He smirked and turned to go as Leonard rolled his eyes at him.
He headed out of the kitchen and to their bedroom. He stopped in the doorway of Jo’s room. She was sitting on her bed with her back to the door. She had one of Jack’s toys and was playing with him with it. She was talking to the cat quietly, and reached to pet it. She giggled as Jack circled her little body with his back arched, rubbing his head and body against her. Jim smiled, and continued to his room without bothering them.
Jack was proving to be a good pet. Jim’s experience with cats was limited to the barn cats that had hung around their property in Iowa. They were very aloof creatures, really wanting nothing to do with the humans who shared their space, beyond whatever meal was being provided that day. But Jack, it was almost like he knew Joanna had saved him. He followed her around, tolerated being picked up and cuddled and held, and slept with her at night. And he also didn’t seem to have any murderous designs on Minnie. They’d warned Jo about not having both animals out at the same time, but the couple of times they did meet, Jack seemed wholly unconcerned with the hamster, to everyone’s relief.
In the bathroom, Jim stripped, dropping his sweaty clothing to the floor. He made the water as hot as he could comfortably tolerate it, and sighed in pleasure as he stepped under the spray. He took his time, letting the pounding hot water relax his muscles as he washed. A few minutes later he stepped out and dried off quickly. He heard Bones’ low voice and Jo’s high pitched childish responses, though he couldn’t make anything out clearly. He heard Bones open and close the linen closet and guessed he was getting another blanket for Jo.
Dressed, he pulled open the door and headed down the hall, stopping in Jo’s doorway. Bones was sitting at the side of her bed reading.
“Uncle Jim,” she said, interrupting her father.
Bones looked over his shoulder and smiled at him. “Come on in. We’re just finishing up,” he said, closing the book. He gave Jo a kiss goodnight, lingering for a moment as he hugged her, resting his cheek on her head. “Love you, Baby.”
“Love you, Daddy,” she said. He kissed her again and stood, turning to Jim. “I’m gonna go make tea. Want something?”
“How ‘bout that cinnamon tea?”
“Sure. Don’t keep Jim too long, Jo.”
“I won’t,” she said.
Leonard headed out of the room and Jim turned to the little girl and knelt by her bed. Lying on her side, Jo brought her hands together.
“What do you want to pray about tonight?” Jim asked. Joanna closed her eyes, her clasped hands under her chin, and Jim bowed his head. He loved these quiet moments with her just before bed. He knew Bones didn’t feel the same, but to hear a child (especially this child) spend a few moments each night thanking God for the people she loved in her life…it was such a simple, amazing thing.
They finished their prayers, and Jim dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Good night sweetie.”
“Good night, Uncle Jim. I love you,” she said shyly.
Jim smiled, smoothed a hand down her soft, curly hair. “I love you, too, Jo,” he said.
Jo reached an arm out to him, and he leaned down again to give her a hug. She wrapped her little arm around his neck and squeezed, giving him a kiss on his cheek. Straightening, he pulled the blankets up around her, and gave Jack a pat and scratching under his chin. He turned off the bedside light, leaving her room in darkness softened by a nightlight.
“She all set?” Leonard asked, as Jim joined him in the kitchen.
“Yup.” Jim wrapped his arms around Bones’ waist from behind, resting his head in the center of Bones’ back.
Leonard smiled as he finished adding the milk and sugar he knew Jim liked to the cinnamon tea. Jim’s solid warmth behind and around him felt good. “Family room?” he asked.
“Do you have anything else you need to do tonight for work?”
“Nope,” Leonard replied. “Nothing that can’t keep.”
“Good. Let’s go get under the blankets. It’s chilly in here.”
Leonard turned, and Jim released him. He handed Jim one of the mugs he was holding and peered at him closely. “You’re never cold…you feeling okay?”
“I’m not cold,” Jim said, taking a sip of the tea. “And I’m fine. I just wanted to get you in bed.”
Leonard chuckled. “Don’t need an excuse for that Darlin’. Let’s go.”
Jim headed out of the kitchen with Leonard following, and turned the lights off as they went. In their bedroom, Leonard spread an additional blanket over their bed, then pulled them down. Turning off all the lights except for one bedside lamp, they climbed in and leaned against each other. Sipping their hot drinks, warm under the blankets, they each relaxed against each other while the television played low in the background, set to a news station.
After a while, Jim handed his mug to Leonard to set on the bedside table. Leonard put an arm around Jim’s shoulders, and held him to his side tightly. Jim sighed and wrapped an arm around him, his head resting on Leonard’s shoulder.
“I know I said it before,” Leonard said after a moment. “But thank you coming with us and missing out on your own family for the holiday. Jo had a great time, and it was good to go home again.”
“It was nice Bones,” Jim said. “Everyone was…” he paused, reconsidering. “It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Katie and Dennis are great. Something seemed…different with Hannah, too. She didn’t seem as…uptight…about us as before.”
“Hm. Well, she’s had a good few months to wrap her head around it. And also…Jo loves you. It’s obvious she loves you, and that you feel the same about her. Ma may be stubborn and set in her beliefs, but she’s also a reasonable woman. And…I think she kinda loved the idea that Jo is saying bedtime prayers - and I know she knows that’s not because of me.”
“I…I really hope she comes around,” Jim admitted. “I mean, it’d be okay if she never really did, as long as it didn’t come between you and Jo and her. But…I’d really like it if she could accept…us. Me.”
“I know, Darlin’. And I think that she’ll become more and more accepting after a while.” He paused, holding Jim close. “I think it’s impossible to know you, and see what you’ve done for me and Jo just by being in our lives, and continue to deny that what we have is anything but good. My mom’ll see that.”
Jim lay quietly, listening to the beating of Bones’ heart. He sighed, and Bones raised his hand to run his fingers through Jim’s soft hair. It was getting a little longer now. He stayed quiet, waiting to see if Jim wanted to talk about anything else. They lay in silence a little while longer, a relaxed sleepiness pulling at them, the result of the general stress of cross-country travel, and the emotional toll the situation - even though Jim never fully admitted how he felt about it. Finally, Leonard shifted slightly, urging Jim to raise his head. He kissed him, holding him tightly, letting his hand trail softly up and down Jim’s back.
“I love you,” Bones said sincerely, looking into Jim’s eyes. “I love everything about you. I know you want my family to accept us, and I think everyone will, in time. But even if they never do, I can live with that, because as long as I have you, I have everything I need.”
Jim swallowed and lowered his eyes. Bones was always so certain about them…their relationship. Even in the beginning, when he was struggling with the physical part of their relationship, he never wavered in his belief that they could, should, be together. That strength…even in the face of other people’s prejudice…was so powerful. Jim had struggled with this his whole life, with his own mother. He didn’t know why Bones was so much more comfortable saying ‘to hell with them, we’ll do what we want,’ but he was grateful for it. His strength was enough for both of them, when Jim had doubt.
But he didn’t like the heavy feeling of the conversation now, so he did what he usually did. He deflected. “Do you love that I leave my dirty clothes on the floor, or that I drink out of the orange juice carton?” he asked, a teasing smile on his face.
Leonard rolled his eyes, not falling for the defense mechanism, but willing to play along. “Yes, even that. Everything, Jim.”
Jim looked back up at him, kissed him again. “I love you too, Bones. So much.” He reached up, pushed Bones’ hair off his forehead, trailed a thumb over the line of his eyebrow. He shook his head, a small smile on his face. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I know you don’t believe in it, but I thank God for you and Jo every day.”
Bones didn’t answer, but leaned in to kiss him again. He didn’t know what to say to that, but he appreciated the depth of that feeling, and the admission. Jim understood his silence, and just held him tighter.
After a couple more minutes, Jim picked up the remote and turned the tv off. Leonard reached over and snapped the light off. They settled down, lying on their sides. They held each other, trading kisses. Jim curled slightly, bringing his knees up and Leonard slipped one of his legs between Jim’s. Closing their eyes, wrapped around each other, they gave themselves over to the pull of sleep.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Are you excited Jo?” Jim asked, a big smile on his face. Joanna looked up at him, and “excited” was not necessarily the look on her face. She held Jim’s and her father’s hands tightly as she tried to see around the people ahead of them in line.
“Is that really Santa Clause?” she asked. Leonard and Jim looked at each other, and Jim raised his eyebrows at him. Leonard knew that a lot of parents would answer “yes” to a question like that, but that wasn’t his style.
They were standing in line to have their picture taken, together, with Santa Claus. Leonard had never done this before, but Jim had suggested it, and Joanna had seemed excited about it. Now, though, they could see she was starting to get nervous. It was crowded, and Leonard didn’t want to say anything too loud that could be overheard by any of the other kids waiting with their parents. Leaning down, Leonard picked her up and settled her on his hip.
“No, that’s not really Santa Claus,” he said quietly. “A lot of kids here think that is really Santa Claus, so we have to keep that to ourselves, okay?”
Joanna nodded, wide-eyed. “Who is it?” she whispered. “Does he work for Santa Claus?”
“Kind of,” Leonard answered. “Kids like to tell him what they want for Christmas, and then get their picture taken.”
“Like we talked about, remember?” Jim asked. Joanna nodded.
“Are you going to take the picture with me?” she asked, turning in her father’s arms to look at the huge North Pole display with Santa in his chair at the center.
“Yes, both of us are,” Jim said. Everyone shuffled forward a few steps in the line, and Joanna brought a hand to her mouth, a nervous gesture she’d developed over the last few months. Not having her in his classroom every day, he hadn’t noticed it right away. Leonard had actually noticed it first, and mentioned it to Jim. Now, Jim gently pulled that hand away from her mouth and held her.
After a few minutes, Leonard went to put Joanna down, but she stopped him. “No, Daddy. I want you to hold me,” she said.
“I’ll hold your hand,” he said, not wanting to validate her insecurity by giving in to the childish request. It wasn’t as if they’d been standing in line all that long. Leonard put her down, and she held his hand, and reached for Jim’s again too. They swung her hands, talking to her, and singing along to the happy Christmas music piped through the mall. They talked about their Christmas plans, and Jo’s anxiety seemed to ease.
At least until it was their turn to take the picture.
Joanna stopped, pulling at their hands. “Daddy, no,” she said, tears welling in her beautiful eyes. Leonard pulled them off to the side, and Jim asked the helping elf to let the next family go first.
“What’s wrong, Darlin’?” he asked, kneeling in front of her. She had her arms wrapped around him, and was pressing her face to his shoulder.
“I don’t know,” she said, sniffing. “I just don’t want to.”
Jim joined them, gently tugging on a lock of her hair. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, sweetie. He’s a very friendly Santa’s helper.”
Joanna let out hiccupping sob, and wiped her cheeks. Jim fished in his pockets and pulled out a few napkins he’d kept left over from lunch and handed them to Leonard.
“Thanks,” he said. He gently wiped Jo’s cheeks of the tears and encouraged her to blow her nose.
“Jo, Jim and I would like to take a picture with you with Santa Claus. We’re going to be right next to you.”
“Do I have to talk to him?”
“No, sweetie,” Jim replied. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“What do you think?” Leonard asked after another couple of seconds. He noticed another family go ahead of them. “Should we tell the elf that we’re ready to go?”
She watched as a little boy happily clambered onto Santa’s lap, and start talking. “Okay,” she said.
They waited by the ropes for the current family to finish, then the elf ushered them up towards Santa.
“Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!” Santa said merrily. “And what’s your name, little one?”
Joanna was clutching her father’s arm, and Jim gently settled a hand on her back. He felt her trembling, but she wasn’t crying. Brave girl, he thought.
“Hi Santa!” Jim said brightly. “This is Joanna…and I think we’re just going to take a picture today.”
Catching on right away, Santa nodded. “Of course, of course. Come on over, and let’s take a nice picture!”
“Want to sit on Santa’s lap Jo?” Leonard asked. Keeping her eyes averted, she shook her head no.
“No? Well, that’s quite all right Joanna,” Santa said. “If Dad and…if everyone wants to gather around, we can take a picture that way!”
They did as suggested, with Leonard holding Joanna, and Jim standing next to them, his arm around them. Everyone smiled, and the photographer took the picture. They thanked Santa, and Joanna actually reached out to take his hand, though she had a death grip on her father’s shirt with the other hand.
“It was nice to meet you Joanna!” Santa said. “Merry Christmas!”
“Thank you,” Joanna said. “If I see Santa on Christmas, I’ll tell him you did a very good job,” she said seriously.
Jim laughed, and the Santa blinked in surprise. Then he laughed and gave her a wink.
“Thank you Joanna. I’d appreciate that!”
Author: Caera1996
Disclaimer: Not mine
Rating: PG
W/C: 3,786
Summary: Sequel to The Basics of Primary Ed. AU. It is possible to read this story without reading TBoPE first, but it will make much more sense if you do.
This part: They settle back into home after being away for Thanksgiving, and then go see Santa Claus!
Note: Again, sorry it’s shorter than usual, but I figured I’d post what I have.
“Bones, I’m going for a run!” Jim called, raising his voice enough to be heard over the water running in the tub for Joanna’s bath.
“Wear a sweatshirt - it’s cold out there!” Leonard replied. Jim hesitated, making a face. He didn’t think it was cold outside. Jim contemplated just slipping out of the apartment… “I’m serious, Jim!” Leonard called again.
Giving up, Jim rolled his eyes and pulled a sweatshirt out of the closet at the entryway. Bones just knew him too well.
“Be back soon!”
Heading out of the apartment, Jim started off at a slow jog until he exited the apartment complex, and then picked up his pace as he headed down the street towards a park that had a running trail encircling a lake. Jim figured he had about an hour of light left, and he intended to make use of it.
Falling into a pounding rhythm that connected his feet with his breath and the beating of his heart, Jim slipped into an almost meditative state. Running like this was so much more than just a method of exercise for him…it was a way to clear his head, to center himself, and to back away from a situation or problem enough to get a new handle on it. He’d started this when he was a teenager, and the habit had followed him into adulthood. Jim really felt he often did his best thinking when running like this…everything else fell away, and he could just let his brain do its thing.
Tonight, he was thinking about his future.
Liam had seemed to be very open to Jim’s concerns about leaving McKinley in the middle of the school year.
“I appreciate how much you care about your students, Jim. Let me see what I can do. You were my choice and…” he paused, giving Jim a wink. “I usually get what I want. Give me a few days, and I’ll get back to you.”
And true to his word, he had…with good news. Jim would be able to finish the year at McKinley, and start his job with the county fresh. In the meantime, Liam had given him materials to get started with. Binders of information on the demographics of the schools that he would be responsible for, policies, guidelines...enough information to keep him reading for the rest of the year, definitely. Liam also went ahead and gave Jim access to the website portal so that he could familiarize himself with the programs they used.
It was a lot. Not enough to make him feel like he couldn’t do it - He had a little more self-confidence than that - but it was a little daunting. He was also beyond excited. Jim could still hardly believe that he was being given this opportunity to do what he wanted to do…and on his own terms. His life was working out in ways that he’d never even thought possible.
He had a man he loved, a child he adored, and the beginning of the career he wanted. It was almost unbelievable. He still sometimes dealt with the feeling like he didn’t deserve everything he had, and the worry that it would be taken away. Logically, he knew that was ridiculous. Nothing had been handed to him. He’d worked for everything he had…even his relationship with Bones and Jo. They’d gotten to the where they were because they’d worked for it.
Even more amazing to him was the reception he’d gotten from Bones’ family. He’d been so stressed about it, but with the exception of Charles, who really seemed like he didn’t like anyone anyway, everyone had been very welcoming. Even Hannah’s attitude had seemed to change. She seemed more open to him, more…genuinely happy for Bones, and for him to be there. He was grateful for that. He was much more secure now in Bones’ commitment to him, regardless of how his mother felt about their relationship, but it was still a relief to know that his presence in Bones’ life wasn’t going to separate him from his family.
It was still hard for Jim, sometimes, to know that what he and Bones had could be the reason Bones’ family pulled away from him. And though he knew Bones loved him, he still sometimes struggled with the possibilities if Bones every truly had to choose.
Finishing his second time around the loop, Jim headed out of the park, slowing his run to a jog as he headed back to the apartment complex. At their unit, he opened the door carefully…Jack (Joanna finally chose a name for the little orange cat) had gotten into the habit of waiting by the door and trying to dart outside. Bones didn’t mind if the cat wanted to be an indoor/outdoor cat, but it upset Jo, so they kept him in the apartment for now.
She hadn’t said as much, but Jim was pretty sure it was because she was afraid the boys would come back and abuse the cat again. They’d tried to explain that the boys didn’t live here and probably hadn’t found the cat here, but she wasn’t comforted by that. So, Jack was an indoor cat.
In the entryway, Jim wiped his sweaty forehead and pulled the sweatshirt over his head, messing his hair. He pulled his sneakers off and headed through the house. Leonard looked over his shoulder as Jim came into the kitchen.
“Good run?” he asked, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. He handed it to Jim, and ran a critical eye over him, taking in the shorts and short-sleeved shirt. “Thought I told you to wear a sweatshirt. It’s 50 degrees out there.”
Jim took the water and downed it gratefully. “I did,” he said, holding up the sweatshirt he was carrying as he wiped his mouth with his arm.
“Hm. Go get a hot shower. Don’t want you getting sick.”
Jim smiled, as always, amused and touched by the way Bones cared for him, cared about him. “That’s where I was headed,” he assured him. “Where’s Jo?”
“Playing in her room. She’s got about twenty minutes, then bed. I want to make sure she’s rested enough for school tomorrow.”
Jim nodded. They’d gotten back from Georgia early last night, and today they’d stayed home, spending a quiet day in as everyone readjusted. Jo was happy enough to play quietly, read, and watch movies. Leonard had taken the opportunity to do some work and laundry, and Jim continued to make his way through the binders Liam had given him.
“Sounds good,” Jim said. He threw the empty bottle of water away and looked at Bones warmly.
“What?” Leonard asked, after a moment.
Jim smiled and shook his head. “Nothing,” he said.
A softer look came into Leonard’s eyes. He reached out, cupped Jim’s jaw, and leaned in, giving him a slow, gentle kiss. “Shower,” he said. “I’ll put Jo to bed.”
“Then…will you make sure I’m rested enough for tomorrow too?” Jim asked teasingly. He smirked and turned to go as Leonard rolled his eyes at him.
He headed out of the kitchen and to their bedroom. He stopped in the doorway of Jo’s room. She was sitting on her bed with her back to the door. She had one of Jack’s toys and was playing with him with it. She was talking to the cat quietly, and reached to pet it. She giggled as Jack circled her little body with his back arched, rubbing his head and body against her. Jim smiled, and continued to his room without bothering them.
Jack was proving to be a good pet. Jim’s experience with cats was limited to the barn cats that had hung around their property in Iowa. They were very aloof creatures, really wanting nothing to do with the humans who shared their space, beyond whatever meal was being provided that day. But Jack, it was almost like he knew Joanna had saved him. He followed her around, tolerated being picked up and cuddled and held, and slept with her at night. And he also didn’t seem to have any murderous designs on Minnie. They’d warned Jo about not having both animals out at the same time, but the couple of times they did meet, Jack seemed wholly unconcerned with the hamster, to everyone’s relief.
In the bathroom, Jim stripped, dropping his sweaty clothing to the floor. He made the water as hot as he could comfortably tolerate it, and sighed in pleasure as he stepped under the spray. He took his time, letting the pounding hot water relax his muscles as he washed. A few minutes later he stepped out and dried off quickly. He heard Bones’ low voice and Jo’s high pitched childish responses, though he couldn’t make anything out clearly. He heard Bones open and close the linen closet and guessed he was getting another blanket for Jo.
Dressed, he pulled open the door and headed down the hall, stopping in Jo’s doorway. Bones was sitting at the side of her bed reading.
“Uncle Jim,” she said, interrupting her father.
Bones looked over his shoulder and smiled at him. “Come on in. We’re just finishing up,” he said, closing the book. He gave Jo a kiss goodnight, lingering for a moment as he hugged her, resting his cheek on her head. “Love you, Baby.”
“Love you, Daddy,” she said. He kissed her again and stood, turning to Jim. “I’m gonna go make tea. Want something?”
“How ‘bout that cinnamon tea?”
“Sure. Don’t keep Jim too long, Jo.”
“I won’t,” she said.
Leonard headed out of the room and Jim turned to the little girl and knelt by her bed. Lying on her side, Jo brought her hands together.
“What do you want to pray about tonight?” Jim asked. Joanna closed her eyes, her clasped hands under her chin, and Jim bowed his head. He loved these quiet moments with her just before bed. He knew Bones didn’t feel the same, but to hear a child (especially this child) spend a few moments each night thanking God for the people she loved in her life…it was such a simple, amazing thing.
They finished their prayers, and Jim dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Good night sweetie.”
“Good night, Uncle Jim. I love you,” she said shyly.
Jim smiled, smoothed a hand down her soft, curly hair. “I love you, too, Jo,” he said.
Jo reached an arm out to him, and he leaned down again to give her a hug. She wrapped her little arm around his neck and squeezed, giving him a kiss on his cheek. Straightening, he pulled the blankets up around her, and gave Jack a pat and scratching under his chin. He turned off the bedside light, leaving her room in darkness softened by a nightlight.
“She all set?” Leonard asked, as Jim joined him in the kitchen.
“Yup.” Jim wrapped his arms around Bones’ waist from behind, resting his head in the center of Bones’ back.
Leonard smiled as he finished adding the milk and sugar he knew Jim liked to the cinnamon tea. Jim’s solid warmth behind and around him felt good. “Family room?” he asked.
“Do you have anything else you need to do tonight for work?”
“Nope,” Leonard replied. “Nothing that can’t keep.”
“Good. Let’s go get under the blankets. It’s chilly in here.”
Leonard turned, and Jim released him. He handed Jim one of the mugs he was holding and peered at him closely. “You’re never cold…you feeling okay?”
“I’m not cold,” Jim said, taking a sip of the tea. “And I’m fine. I just wanted to get you in bed.”
Leonard chuckled. “Don’t need an excuse for that Darlin’. Let’s go.”
Jim headed out of the kitchen with Leonard following, and turned the lights off as they went. In their bedroom, Leonard spread an additional blanket over their bed, then pulled them down. Turning off all the lights except for one bedside lamp, they climbed in and leaned against each other. Sipping their hot drinks, warm under the blankets, they each relaxed against each other while the television played low in the background, set to a news station.
After a while, Jim handed his mug to Leonard to set on the bedside table. Leonard put an arm around Jim’s shoulders, and held him to his side tightly. Jim sighed and wrapped an arm around him, his head resting on Leonard’s shoulder.
“I know I said it before,” Leonard said after a moment. “But thank you coming with us and missing out on your own family for the holiday. Jo had a great time, and it was good to go home again.”
“It was nice Bones,” Jim said. “Everyone was…” he paused, reconsidering. “It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Katie and Dennis are great. Something seemed…different with Hannah, too. She didn’t seem as…uptight…about us as before.”
“Hm. Well, she’s had a good few months to wrap her head around it. And also…Jo loves you. It’s obvious she loves you, and that you feel the same about her. Ma may be stubborn and set in her beliefs, but she’s also a reasonable woman. And…I think she kinda loved the idea that Jo is saying bedtime prayers - and I know she knows that’s not because of me.”
“I…I really hope she comes around,” Jim admitted. “I mean, it’d be okay if she never really did, as long as it didn’t come between you and Jo and her. But…I’d really like it if she could accept…us. Me.”
“I know, Darlin’. And I think that she’ll become more and more accepting after a while.” He paused, holding Jim close. “I think it’s impossible to know you, and see what you’ve done for me and Jo just by being in our lives, and continue to deny that what we have is anything but good. My mom’ll see that.”
Jim lay quietly, listening to the beating of Bones’ heart. He sighed, and Bones raised his hand to run his fingers through Jim’s soft hair. It was getting a little longer now. He stayed quiet, waiting to see if Jim wanted to talk about anything else. They lay in silence a little while longer, a relaxed sleepiness pulling at them, the result of the general stress of cross-country travel, and the emotional toll the situation - even though Jim never fully admitted how he felt about it. Finally, Leonard shifted slightly, urging Jim to raise his head. He kissed him, holding him tightly, letting his hand trail softly up and down Jim’s back.
“I love you,” Bones said sincerely, looking into Jim’s eyes. “I love everything about you. I know you want my family to accept us, and I think everyone will, in time. But even if they never do, I can live with that, because as long as I have you, I have everything I need.”
Jim swallowed and lowered his eyes. Bones was always so certain about them…their relationship. Even in the beginning, when he was struggling with the physical part of their relationship, he never wavered in his belief that they could, should, be together. That strength…even in the face of other people’s prejudice…was so powerful. Jim had struggled with this his whole life, with his own mother. He didn’t know why Bones was so much more comfortable saying ‘to hell with them, we’ll do what we want,’ but he was grateful for it. His strength was enough for both of them, when Jim had doubt.
But he didn’t like the heavy feeling of the conversation now, so he did what he usually did. He deflected. “Do you love that I leave my dirty clothes on the floor, or that I drink out of the orange juice carton?” he asked, a teasing smile on his face.
Leonard rolled his eyes, not falling for the defense mechanism, but willing to play along. “Yes, even that. Everything, Jim.”
Jim looked back up at him, kissed him again. “I love you too, Bones. So much.” He reached up, pushed Bones’ hair off his forehead, trailed a thumb over the line of his eyebrow. He shook his head, a small smile on his face. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I know you don’t believe in it, but I thank God for you and Jo every day.”
Bones didn’t answer, but leaned in to kiss him again. He didn’t know what to say to that, but he appreciated the depth of that feeling, and the admission. Jim understood his silence, and just held him tighter.
After a couple more minutes, Jim picked up the remote and turned the tv off. Leonard reached over and snapped the light off. They settled down, lying on their sides. They held each other, trading kisses. Jim curled slightly, bringing his knees up and Leonard slipped one of his legs between Jim’s. Closing their eyes, wrapped around each other, they gave themselves over to the pull of sleep.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Are you excited Jo?” Jim asked, a big smile on his face. Joanna looked up at him, and “excited” was not necessarily the look on her face. She held Jim’s and her father’s hands tightly as she tried to see around the people ahead of them in line.
“Is that really Santa Clause?” she asked. Leonard and Jim looked at each other, and Jim raised his eyebrows at him. Leonard knew that a lot of parents would answer “yes” to a question like that, but that wasn’t his style.
They were standing in line to have their picture taken, together, with Santa Claus. Leonard had never done this before, but Jim had suggested it, and Joanna had seemed excited about it. Now, though, they could see she was starting to get nervous. It was crowded, and Leonard didn’t want to say anything too loud that could be overheard by any of the other kids waiting with their parents. Leaning down, Leonard picked her up and settled her on his hip.
“No, that’s not really Santa Claus,” he said quietly. “A lot of kids here think that is really Santa Claus, so we have to keep that to ourselves, okay?”
Joanna nodded, wide-eyed. “Who is it?” she whispered. “Does he work for Santa Claus?”
“Kind of,” Leonard answered. “Kids like to tell him what they want for Christmas, and then get their picture taken.”
“Like we talked about, remember?” Jim asked. Joanna nodded.
“Are you going to take the picture with me?” she asked, turning in her father’s arms to look at the huge North Pole display with Santa in his chair at the center.
“Yes, both of us are,” Jim said. Everyone shuffled forward a few steps in the line, and Joanna brought a hand to her mouth, a nervous gesture she’d developed over the last few months. Not having her in his classroom every day, he hadn’t noticed it right away. Leonard had actually noticed it first, and mentioned it to Jim. Now, Jim gently pulled that hand away from her mouth and held her.
After a few minutes, Leonard went to put Joanna down, but she stopped him. “No, Daddy. I want you to hold me,” she said.
“I’ll hold your hand,” he said, not wanting to validate her insecurity by giving in to the childish request. It wasn’t as if they’d been standing in line all that long. Leonard put her down, and she held his hand, and reached for Jim’s again too. They swung her hands, talking to her, and singing along to the happy Christmas music piped through the mall. They talked about their Christmas plans, and Jo’s anxiety seemed to ease.
At least until it was their turn to take the picture.
Joanna stopped, pulling at their hands. “Daddy, no,” she said, tears welling in her beautiful eyes. Leonard pulled them off to the side, and Jim asked the helping elf to let the next family go first.
“What’s wrong, Darlin’?” he asked, kneeling in front of her. She had her arms wrapped around him, and was pressing her face to his shoulder.
“I don’t know,” she said, sniffing. “I just don’t want to.”
Jim joined them, gently tugging on a lock of her hair. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, sweetie. He’s a very friendly Santa’s helper.”
Joanna let out hiccupping sob, and wiped her cheeks. Jim fished in his pockets and pulled out a few napkins he’d kept left over from lunch and handed them to Leonard.
“Thanks,” he said. He gently wiped Jo’s cheeks of the tears and encouraged her to blow her nose.
“Jo, Jim and I would like to take a picture with you with Santa Claus. We’re going to be right next to you.”
“Do I have to talk to him?”
“No, sweetie,” Jim replied. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
“What do you think?” Leonard asked after another couple of seconds. He noticed another family go ahead of them. “Should we tell the elf that we’re ready to go?”
She watched as a little boy happily clambered onto Santa’s lap, and start talking. “Okay,” she said.
They waited by the ropes for the current family to finish, then the elf ushered them up towards Santa.
“Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!” Santa said merrily. “And what’s your name, little one?”
Joanna was clutching her father’s arm, and Jim gently settled a hand on her back. He felt her trembling, but she wasn’t crying. Brave girl, he thought.
“Hi Santa!” Jim said brightly. “This is Joanna…and I think we’re just going to take a picture today.”
Catching on right away, Santa nodded. “Of course, of course. Come on over, and let’s take a nice picture!”
“Want to sit on Santa’s lap Jo?” Leonard asked. Keeping her eyes averted, she shook her head no.
“No? Well, that’s quite all right Joanna,” Santa said. “If Dad and…if everyone wants to gather around, we can take a picture that way!”
They did as suggested, with Leonard holding Joanna, and Jim standing next to them, his arm around them. Everyone smiled, and the photographer took the picture. They thanked Santa, and Joanna actually reached out to take his hand, though she had a death grip on her father’s shirt with the other hand.
“It was nice to meet you Joanna!” Santa said. “Merry Christmas!”
“Thank you,” Joanna said. “If I see Santa on Christmas, I’ll tell him you did a very good job,” she said seriously.
Jim laughed, and the Santa blinked in surprise. Then he laughed and gave her a wink.
“Thank you Joanna. I’d appreciate that!”