Finally [James/Niko]

[Chase Campbell]

Chase couldn’t sit still. He was ansty. Fidgety. He hadn’t stayed still once during his previous classes. Even this morning, before he and James had left the house, he’d been unable to sit still. It wasn’t that he was nervous, or even excited. It was an odd mix of the two. He and James had talked about it over dinner the other night, and they’d made a decision. All that was left was to talk to Niko about it. And that was what today was about.

The trainer often saw Niko on his own for training. Because he was young, it was harder for him to work in groups with the older teenagers. Not that Chase minded. It was easier to work one on one with Niko. He glanced at his watch. Niko was due to hit the classroom soon. And so was James. This wasn’t so much an actual lesson as it was a meeting. Though he didn’t want to admit it, Chase supposed he was nervous because, in all reality, Niko could turn down their offer. And then things would change. When he and James had talked, this seemed like the perfect solution to everything. But there was that factor in there, if Niko said no.

Sometimes, he wished he could give himself the same little mental nudges he gave to James. It would get him out of his little freak out. Really, he hoped that James got here before Niko did. James could calm him down, and reassure him that this was the right thing to do. Until then, he pulled himself backwards, sitting on his desk like he was so prone to doing, and slipped his phone out of his pocket. While it was a bit of a silly thing to do, he pulled up Tetris. Hopefully, the fact that he didn’t really have to think about the game would calm him down. At least until James got there.

[Dr. James Campbell]

It was a rare day that James was the calm one in the morning. Give him one cup of coffee, and James could go all day. And he never had just one cup of coffee. (Though too much caffeine was bad for him, so he didn't like how much of it he drank. But if he was preoccupied with how much caffeine he was taking in, he wasn't worrying about his calorie consumption and how his body metabolized like a ferret and he really needed to get more iron in his diet and...you get the idea.) But he'd been a father for eighteen years now, so though he was very excited about the thought of adopting, he had two decades of experience to fall back on.

Of course, by this point in the afternoon, James had something completely different to worry about. Adam. He'd claimed that he was going to find Chase and tell him about, well, everything. But since Chase didn't launch into him the second he walked in the door to the training room, he could assume that the other trainer hadn't found him.

If he was going to tell him before they talked to Niko, it would have to be now.

But the words weren't coming. James just smiled and went to sit next to his husband. "It's okay, Chase. I think his going to like the idea."

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko hadn't liked the idea of training to begin with. He hadn't liked the idea of Hammel, either, or really much of anything when it came down to it. How could something you didn't like hurt you or scare you? It seemed like the logical approach at the time. But now he looked forward to almost all of the things Hammel offered because of Chase- Chase took the need to fear away. At the moment, as Chase and James dealt with their own anxiety caused by matters far beyond Niko's own training, Niko was simply excited. Unaware, but excited. Shy of running through the halls to get to the training rooms faster (this option only being avoided so he didn't upset anyone or run into anything) he walked as quickly as he could to the without letting anything distract him. That in itself was not easy for the nine year old. Once Niko cared about something, he really cared and being late was not okay. On the other hand, Chase was the one person Niko knew wouldn't get too angry over it. That seemed to be a good enough reason to avoid testing it.

Niko stopped in the doorway, tilting his head a bit when he noticed James. He remained smiling as his mind seemed to rapidly begin to spin, trying to figure out why James would be in the room during the time Niko was supposed to be training. It wasn't that he minded, he thought James was pretty cool. The real issue was just that it was different, and that was not something he was specifically comfortable with. Why did James have to ruin the routine? Did that mean James was going to steal Chase's attention from him? Considering the gap in age between James and himself, he didn't think he stood a chance in fighting or winning the blond man's attention. He wasn't even going to pretend he wanted to try it. It did cross his mind as he willed himself to approach the two adults on the desk, though.

"Hi,"Niko chimed in, finally looking over at Chase. James had been so distracting initially that he hadn't taken any time to really examine Chase- he had noticed he was on the desk, but that was it. Chase looked different somehow, the way he was moving, mostly. Niko wouldn't have put a word to it. He wasn't exactly great at sitting still so he could relate, but he wasn't an adult like Chase so it was a lot different.

"Are you okay, Chase?"Niko questioned promptly as he moved closer, keeping his eyes on Chase as though he'd forgotten about James. Was that why James was in there, because something was wrong with Chase? Niko hoped not. It seemed plausible to say the very least. And would that mean he had to leave? He didn't want to. If Chase wasn't feeling well, he wouldn't want the man to think he had to spend time training him. As he considered this, and really what he'd be doing if he wasn't with Chase, he linked his hands behind his back absently, silently hoping for some explanation.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase had no idea of the impending relationship doom heading their way. In his world, things were good. He had James, and soon, they might have Niko. If he agreed to this thing. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. And, because Tetris does, in fact, require a small amount of brainpower, by the time James joined in him his office, he was losing. Badly. So his husband was a welcome distraction. Normally, he’d be able to tell if something was amiss with James. He knew him well enough to read his expressions. But with his mind elsewhere, James’ thoughts and feelings weren’t registering. He was still the happy, nervous wreck he’d been that morning.

But at least James had some comforting words for him. Chase smiled and stopped the game and put his phone away, dropping his head gently on James’ shoulder. “I know. It’s just… the waiting. It’s killing me. And the possibility he says no.” It was weighing on his mind heavily, and he just wanted this over and done with, one way or the other.

James being in the room was bound to be a surprise for Niko. Beyond being involved in the recruitment process, James had very little to do with the students. But Niko was an exception, in just about every way. If things worked out, James would become a lot more involved with him. As would Chase. It still sounded weird to him. That he’d be less of a teacher, and more of a father. Sure, he was Ginny’s stepfather, but that really didn’t mean much beyond hanging out with her when she came to visit, and helping her gang up on her father during round after round of laser tag in the house. (Only to have her turn around, switch alliances, and have them gang up on him.)

“Hey, kiddo.” Chase lifted his hand in greeting when he saw the nine year old. Had he known he looked different even to Niko, he’d really make an effort to calm himself down. The kid’s concern was sweet, and he actually laughed, albeit nervously. “No, I’m fine, Niko. Honestly. C’mere a minute. We… ah… aren’t really going to train much today. James and I wanted to talk to you about something. And don’t worry. You’re not in trouble.” He glanced at James, wishing he knew how to word this right. When it came to kids, he seriously didn’t have a clue.

[Dr. James Campbell]

It wasn't doom, exactly. But it might as well have been, because James was definitely stressing at the thought of Adam actually going ahead and telling Chase everything. He would have to do it first, maybe tonight, after they got home from work. the last thing he needed was some psychic on staff catching wind of it. (Or, god forbid, a student.) Actually, it was pretty amazing that no one had realized it at the time. Sure, Adam had insisted on them keeping their relationship a secret, but they worked with plenty of people who were able to pick up on things like that easily. And neither had been happy right after their breakup.

But so far as he knew, no one had put together their combined bad moods with the man James had brought back a few weeks later.

Anyway, when Chase dropped his head onto his shoulder, James just gently put his arm around him, same as he'd done a thousand times before. It didn't matter what had happened four years ago, at that moment, it was almost perfect. If only Chase was as confident about this as he was.

He probably knew better than even Chase how well the blond was suited to being a father. He'd always been able to handle the hordes of nieces and nephews better than he realized, and Ginny really did like him as well. (She was the first--and really, only--outside opinion he'd sought on this relationship. He really cared about who his daughter liked, and she liked Chase.)

James smiled slightly when the boy walked into the room. Kids were intuitive; they knew when something was up, and it registered on Niko's face. And if there were any doubts still in his mind that the boy would fit in well with them, that erased them. Chase's bumbling made him roll his eyes and shake his head slightly.

It didn't matter what Adam said or didn't say, this was the most important conversation being held today. "Do you remember when Ms. Hawkins came to talk to Miss Bri about you coming to live at Hammel so you can study here? Well, she told us about how you were living there as a foster kid. And Chase and I have been thinking about becoming foster parents, and maybe adopting in the future, if everything works out." He gently squeezed Chase's shoulder and smiled a bit larger. "We were wondering if you would like to live with us? You don't have to answer right away, if you want to think about it, but we think you'd like it there."

[Nikolai Campbell]

Apparently Chase knew him well. Niko's mind did jump to being in trouble when Chase said they wanted to talk to him. Both of them wanting to talk to him at once? What else could it be? He had time to think about the possibilities after he was assured that he wasn't in trouble. He was also reassured that Chase was fine- so, what did that leave? There weren't a lot of immediate answers to that question. His mind abandoned the question all together as he thought about climbing on the desk next to Chase, since he'd said come here. Niko could, and he'd like to, but not while James was in the room. Not that he didn't trust him- rather, James was too interesting, and if he sat beside Chase, he wouldn't see James nearly as well. But to satisfy the request, Niko stepped closer to the desk and the two men. Close enough to touch them, an action he wouldn't take yet.

Ah. A wince at the words James spoke. Though it wasn't physical pain, there was a wince all the same. An expression of surprise, a 'oops' realization that showed clearly, not really pain. James knew about Ms. Hawkins? Well, Niko wouldn't have remembered her name if he didn't say it, but he knew precisely what he was talking about. And if he knew that, did he know that Niko really did have no place to go when he'd asked to run away or go home? Was this some kind of 'you're lying to us, fess up' meeting? Niko began to think of how he was going to explain himself as James went on. At first, he was a bit too preoccupied with the planning to catch on to where James was going with it when he mentioned that Chase and him were looking to adopt. Niko had no reason to jump to conclusions- it wasn't odd for someone to ask a foster kid how it worked, right? When James finally got to the part about Niko living with them, Niko's full attention shifted to that. Were they serious? His eyes flickered from James to Chase- James was nice, but he spent far more time with Chase. If Chase looked like he wasn't agreeing with what James was saying, Niko would certainly consider the matter further before jumping at the chance to say yes. As it stood, Chase didn't look like he disagreed. Even if he really didn't approve of it, Niko didn't want to see (and likely couldn't, had he tried) any subtle indication that Chase may show, so beyond a frown, a worried exchange of glances to James after James spoke, or a look of surprise, Niko would assume he expected the request of his husband and agreed enough to go along with it. Satisfied by Chase's expression, Niko looked back to James to answer the question.

"If I say yes, I'll get to live away from the school, which I really wanted to do anyway, and I'll get to live with both my trainer and you? Instead of Jesse, Horus, and Toru?"Niko grinned, tightening the grip he had on his still clasped and still hidden hands as he tried to contain his excitement. This was an easy choice, made easier when he noticed James' grin. James seemed so calm, it was hard to think of him as happy as he appeared now. And though Niko'd agreed not to run away or leave the school grounds because of James, that didn't mean he'd entirely forgotten all the benefits of leaving. The school felt like a trap, which it probably shouldn't have. In fact, Chase was the only reason he didn't break his promise. Chase was a unique adult, and one Niko had come to really admire, while his husband was a lesser-known figure to Niko who's main attribute, beyond being an expert and obviously intelligent, was the mere fact that Chase loved him. It was hard not to see, though they didn't resort to pet names or touching one another around Niko (or really anyone, though Niko didn't know that). Now they were almost hugging and it solidified Niko's conviction that James had to be a good guy if Chase liked him. Not that it had to be in question in the first place, considering how kind he was and how he was able to reassure Niko before. He seemed like a good person to go to if something was wrong, given Niko didn't or couldn't ask his trainer to make things okay first.

"I would love to live with you and Chase, James."Niko's answer came without even the slightest regret or hesitation, but it was followed by a shift in his gaze from James to Chase. "I mean, if you're okay with it, Chase." Niko wouldn't have been able to explain it, but he wanted Chase's approval. Not just on adoption, and not when he did well when it came to training, but he wanted the trainer to assure him that what he was doing was right in general. To guide him, really, through the tougher decisions. Relying on someone he didn't know exceptionally well for such an important job was probably a bad idea, but Niko couldn't seem to resist. At nine, he desperately needed it, and would seek it out from whoever seemed capable of giving it to him- willingly and knowingly or not. No one else seemed to take the same interest that Chase did. After all, Chase spent time training him rather then doing something else he thought was important. Wasn't that proof enough? It was for Niko. So far James had done all the talking related to adoption. That wasn't a bad thing, and he liked to hear James speak. He did have a way of making things okay, where as Chase was noticeably less capable from Niko's brief experience, but Niko wanted to know what Chase was thinking. James had implied that the two had spoken and decided this together by using 'we', but he was going to make things perfectly clear in his own mind- if he could, while he could still keep himself in place. His excitement, and the way his happiness was slowly taking over, trying to win the battle between the thought in Niko's mind that this was all unbelievable, was bound to show physically in a matter of minutes, if not sooner.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase was calmed slightly by the arm that wound around him. Just being near James was often enough to pull him from any kind of anxiety cloud. If touch alone wasn’t enough, his husband often found the right words to bring him back into sanity. He knew it was going to be all right. James wouldn’t let it be anything less. This was something they’d talked about at length. They’d gone through all the hoops. Background checks, the works. And that had been the easy stuff. Actually finding a child they thought might fit in with their little family was going to be the challenge of the century.

And then Niko had come along. Though he wasn’t one to give into the idea of fate, little else could really be applied here. Things had just fallen into place at the right time. Ever since they’d thought about fostering/adopting/whatever they were calling it now, Chase had really tried to be around the younger kids more. When they were back at James’ parents’ place, he supervised the kids in the yard, and even played games with them now. Slowly, he’d gotten accustomed to them. He wasn’t as scared of them as he’d first been.

Thank God James knew how to talk to kids. Chase didn’t know how to propose what they were about to. He’d tried, several times, to word it in his head. But he never got far before decided that, however he worded it, it was just creepy. So when he stopped talking, he was grateful when James picked it up. He just seemed to do so much better with words. Especially with kids. In the beginning, Chase had talked to James’ nieces and nephews more or less like adults, or else he found himself talking down to them. It was impossible to figure out which ones got confused by adult talk, and which got insulted by being talked down to. But he’d figured it out. Eventually.

While James spoke, Chase watched Niko’s reaction carefully, hoping he saw what he wanted to in his expression, all the while trying to keep his expression calm, but happy. Niko’s response was so simple, and sort of sweet. Kid logic was something he’d long since lost (unless he was playing out a ridiculous argument with James – then his logic tended to get a little juvenile). “That’s right, Kiddo. You’d have your own room at our place, not in the school.” Not to mention, a sort of stepsister, and a cat. Trying to explain they’d be more like a family, like fathers and son rather than staff and student seemed like it would be harder, so he decided to stick to the basics.

The fact that he agreed made Chase simultaneously relax, and happy at the same time. The worst was over. Niko hadn’t flat out refused. But the fact that he felt he needed to check with him made him smile softly. “’Course it’s okay with me, Niko. James and I have talked about this for a while, now.” He grinned now. “Hey, you can finally meet Milo. I bet he’ll like you.” Aw, hell. There were so many things to figure out now. When could they bring Niko home? What color would he want his room? How long would it take him to settle? Was he really going to be a good dad?

[Dr. James Campbell]

There was the wince on the boy's face. James caught it, he always caught things like that, and he wondered what the boy felt guilty enough about to justify it. Whatever it was, it couldn't be all that bad, but it was obviously somewhat of a big deal for Niko. He figured the little boy was just uncomfortable talking about his family situation. If James was in his position, he would be as well. But hopefully, that was about to change.

He focused on the blond boy's face as he processed the question. Disbelief, and some excitement, but also some hesitation, and it seemed like he was looking for something from Chase. But apparently he found whatever it was, because more excitement slipped into his voice. Chase answered his question first, and kept it simple. That made sense to do, after all, this was probably a little overwhelming. Niko had already had his world overturned once when he was shipped off to Hammel, then, just when he was settling in, Chase and James were changing things up on him again.

But James wanted to add something, even if it wasn't exactly the right time. Niko had referred to Chase as "his trainer" which was accurate, but that wasn't what they were offering, really. It was more than just his own room at their house, away from roommates and and the school. They would be a family. That's what they wanted, at least. And there was a moment of anxiety for him, where he imagined that Niko understood that exactly and just didn't want to be a part of that, but would agree if it meant he didn't have to live at the school. It was just for a moment, because then Niko spoke again. Clarifying it, confirming with Chase. Maybe the blond man should have been the one to do the talking, as he knew the boy better, but it seemed like Niko liked James enough to agree that quickly.

(James, long since used to Ginny mentally assigning different roles for her parents, wouldn't be surprised to find out how much Niko looked up to Chase. He was the one who worked with him on his power and the one who was just around the school more often in general. So it made sense that he would want to be absolutely sure they were both okay with this plan.)

He just nodded at Chase's response, still watching the boy. Even if he hadn't had his perceptional powers, James would have been able to tell that the boy was getting more and more excited about the idea, as it sunk in. James looked at Chase and noticed the little smile. He was going to be brilliant at this. If his husband ever felt insecure about being a father, then all James would do would be to point to this moment, when he was happy that Niko wanted his approval. It was obvious he was already a role-model for the boy.

"And it's more than just that, Niko," James finally said, using the boy's nickname for the first time. (He was usually a bit more on the formal side with the students, at least the ones he'd met since he'd become Head of Recruiting.) "It's not just you having your own room and living at our house. We want you to be part of our family."

And James was reminded suddenly of holding Lucy's hand as the nurses cleaned off Ginny and wrapped her in a blanket for them to hold her for the first time. Sure, there was a lot of work coming, but the hard part was done.

[Nikolai Campbell]

While Chase seemed to be relaxing, Niko was experiencing quite the opposite reaction. In fact, he was convinced that adults were weird to keep their excitement reigned in. Fortunately, Chase's answer distracted him from such thoughts. Niko wasn't the least bit surprised by Chase saying they'd spoken about it, but having confirmation that Chase liked the idea made Niko's smile brighten. Niko couldn't say he was specifically interested when Chase mentioned Milo. He had a bit more on his mind, the idea of meeting a cat didn't quite stack up. Days ago it would have been an amazing offer. For now, he gave a nod anyway. Meeting Milo could be fun.

"I hope he does,"Niko agreed. Akira had told him that Milo was nice, so he wasn't too worried. And if the cat didn't like him, at least he could assume Chase and James did. Niko turned his attention to James when James said that it was more then just that. Immediately, Niko was curious. What was James talking about, exactly? James made it clear a moment later. James had been right, Niko hadn't exactly considered that. A foster family was like a family, but not in the way James was implying. A family was something that held more value, but it was also something that Niko had to think about. His expression slipped to reveal one of conflict- he was confused now. His eyes focused on James as though he'd get an answer if he watched him closely- unfortunately, that wasn't the case. There was no clear answer in his eyes at all (at least that a nine year old could pick up), just the face of the man Chase introduced him to.

It wasn't easy to figure out himself without seeing some easy answer- the prospect of just a room was appealing on many levels, and it meant that things would be normal again. In fact, things would be better than normal, but Niko merely assumed that life would return to it's old pace, and that he'd live in the same general environment his last foster home had provided. The chance of them being fathers to him, or of the arrangement being permanent, did not factor into his mind until James used the word family. Families were very permanent. If it had factored in earlier, he probably would have given it a bit more thought before answering. Chase and James were nice, but did he dare say he would live there without knowing what it was like? That was the problem with staying in Hammel for the duration of his education, he'd been told he had to stay there without knowing if he'd like it. Niko couldn't bring himself to agree this time without first pausing. It was a lot to commit to, something that was not easy for a nine year old. He would have been happy with the room and with people who'd pay attention to him. Now James was offering him the chance of a lifetime, it seemed, something he didn't accept or desire when he was in the foster home, oddly enough. His choices were either take a chance on it, or go back to waiting until he was eighteen for something to be different. By eighteen, he was under the impression that family would be something he would no longer need.

"I-I don't know about that."Niko replied uncertainly, taking a step backwards as he did his best to sort his emotions out. He cast his gaze to the carpet, fixating on it so that he didn't have to look at either of the men. He didn't stay quiet long, however- only a few seconds."I've been in a foster home before, but a family is different. That's what everyone else wanted- a family. No one ever bothers to tell you how, though, so I don't know why they wanted one so badly." When Niko referred to how, he meant along the lines of rules or guidelines that may have tipped him off to how to act. It was always good to get an idea first before jumping in. Niko stopped shy of admitting aloud that the idea scared him, settling for taking a deep breath instead, hoping to calm himself. He knew his voice didn't sound as confident as before. He sounded scared, he knew it, and he didn't like it. Niko paused for a few moments longer to think about his next statement."I don't know if I'll be good at being part of a family, but maybe I could try it, if that's okay."

[Chase Campbell]

Chase was finding it difficult to find the words to convey to Niko exactly what they were offering. This was why he was glad James was with him. He’d have never been able to do this on his own. Even if he’d taken Niko outside to talk to him, while playing catch or something. James was just better at this kind of stuff. So he was honestly grateful that his husband had helped him. He knew that Niko’s little deduction of simply living with them wasn’t exactly true, but he didn’t know how to word it.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to. James did it for him. Ever since they’d talked about it, Chase had thought about this. He’d thought about having Niko in the house. Of watching James try to teach him how to cook. Of getting the kid a hamster, or some little pet. Of them all snuggled in the family room, watching movies. It was so easy to picture, and he’d hoped that that alone was enough to prove that this was the right thing to do.

The way James worded it, even to Chase, it sounded right. It was exactly what they wanted. He gave James’ hand a little squeeze, silently letting him know that he was doing well. However, he noticed the difference in Niko almost immediately. Since he’d first met the boy, he’d felt bad over the lack of parentage in his life. Even though Chase had had his disagreements with his own parents, without them, he wouldn’t have been the man he was today. The fact that he could help to change that fact with Niko had made him happy, and even a little less anxious over the idea of fostering. If he already knew the kid, it was that much easier.

For a moment, he wondered if Niko’s reluctance was born of the simple notion that families, usually consisted of a father and a mother. Then again, he’d shown no real aversion to the fact that his trainer was, in fact, married to another man. So... he was back to square one. He had no idea why Niko was hesitating. At least, not until the boy spoke again.

Okay, he didn’t quite get the ‘how’ part, but now Niko was looking so unsure of himself, Chase had to try to fix this. The fact that Niko sounded scared now made him want to give the kid a hug, but he wouldn’t do that. Instead, he slipped off the desk in favour of crouching in front of Niko. “Kiddo.” The nickname seemed to have stuck for as long as he’d known the kid, and it was spoken softly, affectionately. “I’ll tell you the truth. Sometimes, families suck. Sometimes they don’t agree, or get along, but they always love each other.” He smiled. “I didn’t think I’d be good at being part of a family either. And James will tell you, I wasn’t sure I’d be good at being, well, a dad, either.” He had no idea if this was going to work or not. “We could try it. You and me. I know James is a good dad. He’s good at family. He could help us. Right, James?” Chase looked over his shoulder at his husband. Was this the right way to approach this? He had no clue. It could have the exact opposite reaction that he was hoping for. But it was worth a try.

[Dr. James Campbell]

The squeeze on his hand made him smile. But he picked up just as quickly that Niko wasn't instantly on board with the idea of a family, at the moment. He didn't know the exact details of what was going on behind the little boy's eyes, but he could see the hesitation, even before he spoke.

This had never been something he'd worried about. Sure, James stressed about many things, but he'd always remained convinced that he'd be good as a father, and not just one who got to see his kid once a month if they were lucky.

James had a slightly different idea of family than either of the other two. He had grown up in a very tight-knit, fiercely protective family. When Jonah Winthrop had stolen Laura's teddy bear at the playground, it had been James who had gone to get it back. And when his powers had manifested (though they didn't realize it yet) Harriet and Mike had told off more than one kid several grades older than them for making fun of him. There had never been anything but complete support from the Campbells, no matter what he'd done. Even with Lucy and Peter, because they were also Ginny's family, there was some kind of camaraderie. Big, loud, competitive, and affectionate: that was how James saw family.

So it wasn't really all that surprising that it would overwhelm the boy. In retrospect, James realized that. Too much, too soon. He didn't mean to be that way, but as noted above, that was just the way he was when it came to family.

Thankfully, Chase seemed to pick up on that, and moved in to answer first. Really, James didn't know who his husband thought he was kidding; he was a natural at this. He smiled at the way the blond man put it, nodding gently. (And it was particularly nice to hear "He's good at family." That's one of those phrases that becomes the greatest compliment ever, even though it's never something he'd ever considered before.)

"I didn't mean to pressure you about it. Of course you can try." James' voice was softer now. "And I'll help however I can." He leaned over, so though he was still sitting on the desk, his face was closer to even with Niko's. "But I'd just like you both to know, I think you will both be fantastic." And, after all, he was the expert. "And I think Milo will like you as well. He's a very friendly cat."

Now all he had to do was figure out a way to tell Chase about Adam without messing everything up. Hopefully, the knowledge that everything worked out right in the end for them was enough.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko had taken a step back before to put distance between himself and the two men- a defensive action, and one of necessity in the moment. But Chase had other ideas. Chase moved close enough for Niko to reach out and touch. Close enough, it seemed, to embrace. Unlike Chase, an embrace was not the next logical move for Niko, let alone one that occurred to him, so he didn't offer a hug, either. His old home hadn't provided much basis when it came to affection. It wasn't like he couldn't hug them, but they certainly weren't a 'hugging' family.

More significant than the close proximity with Chase was the statement that followed; Chase was uncertain, too? He didn't know if this family thing would work out? Niko smiled to himself- as long as he wasn't the only one, he could rely on Chase to relate to him and, perhaps, make mistakes right along with him. To hear that they had James there to provide guidance offered more ease for Niko- there was hope yet.

To be fair, Niko was well aware of the fact that Chase had a family before, despite how he made it sound. He'd mentioned his mother and her disapproval of his tattoo, which was indication enough that he'd had enough of a family life to bank on. Niko wasn't about to point that out to either of them. Still, such thoughts brought about another realization- Niko wasn't being compared to anyone, was he? If they were adopting him, there weren't brothers or sisters to build off of, and there weren't brothers and sisters to be compared to.

Niko did know of Ginny, and she would be his sister if James was his father, a fact Niko took into account. On the other hand, if the pictures in James' office were any indication, she was too old to be an accurate comparison and she was a girl, so there was a chance that those two facts would keep him safe. He'd tell himself that it was so at very least.

Before Niko responded to Chase, he turned his attention to James to hear him out. This time his words eased him, so he smiled.

"If you think so, James, then I'm sure you're right."Niko stated. His confidence was back, and the way he was speaking, you'd think he believed what he said was an obvious and undeniable fact."That makes me feel much better." Which, it did. The fact that James was the expert didn't escape him- that was part of the reason he had to be right. Niko turned his attention back to Chase, still smiling.

"You shouldn't worry, Chase. I don't know a lot about dads, but I think you're very good at it so far- you play with me, and you teach me things. I think that's good enough. And, I'd be very happy to be a part of your family."Niko offered, hoping to make Chase feel a little better since he'd effectively eased Niko's mind. It was strange to think that adults could be scared, too, but stranger still to imagine that he could really reassure an adult. He'd still try. If all Chase did was remain his trainer, but take on the title of 'dad', Niko would be happy as ever. But he couldn't imagine being truly confident in this whole family thing until he tried it, so he decided to just be happy that he felt better then he had a moment ago.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase had been raised on an entirely different kind of family than James. He’d never had any brothers or sisters to defend or be defended by. He’d had a loose assortment of cousins, but he really wasn’t all that close to any of them. He’d spent a huge amount of time as a child being forced to play with them. It had usually ended in stupid games where they all ended up cheating. His parents had been decent, he supposed. Loving. His father had been one to follow his mother’s lead, and his mother had been the control freak. The one that had made decisions, and had more or less chased her son around until he’d been recruited to Hammel.

When he’d first met James’ family, he’d been overwhelmed. They were so much closer than his own. He’d seen his brother and sisters become somewhat protective of their older sibling, and they’d stayed that way for quite a while. Until they’d been absolutely positive that he wasn’t going to hurt him. It had been the same with Ginny. With Ginny, it had been easy though. He’d simply agreed not to hurt her father, and that had been that. Now he was used to the chaos that was the Campbell family, Chase could honestly say he loved the feeling of being close that came with it.

Of course, their family would be a little different. At least at first. Chase could imagine it was overwhelming enough with the offer they were proposing. There was no need to completely engulf him in family chaos. That could be introduced later on. To start, just them, Niko, Miko, and Ginny from time to time would be good. The blonde knew that Niko could be a little flighty, so he wanted to keep things as slow as possible.

He blushed a little at James’ praise, ducking his head slightly. “Thanks, James.” Then, he had to grin at Niko. “One thing you’ll learn very, very quickly, Niko. James is always right.” It was true. Chase couldn’t think of a single time he could have considered James in the wrong. Maybe it was his ability, or maybe it was just him. Either way, he just wasn’t prone to being wrong.

Niko brought Chase’s attention back to him quickly, and he had to smile. Niko was comforting him? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? “Thanks, Kiddo.” He felt an urge to give him a hug, but he restrained himself. “I think you’ll be good at this family stuff too. And we’ll be learning together, hey?” The fact that Niko, despite his hesitation, was now agreeing, made him grin again. Yes! Having Niko has his student had been good so far. But the idea of having him not just as a student, but as a son, well… he was pretty sure that it was impossible to ruin his mood now. (Not even class with Vincent later would ruin it.) Carefully, he stood back up and moved back to sit by his husband. “So… I guess we just have to figure out when we can arrange this.” He didn’t know what had to happen now. But James probably had an idea.

[Dr. James Campbell]

Well, he wasn't always right. But a lot of the time he was, because he was just able to analyze situations better than most people. And he'd seen how good Chase was with kids, not just the ones he taught, and not just Ginny, but also with the horde of nieces and nephews who had come with the marrying-a-Campbell package. And in Niko he'd seen the same kind of admiration and trust in Chase that he saw in Mike's kids. Chase had already become somewhat of a father figure to the boy, even if neither of them saw it yet. "I'm pretty sure I'm right too. And we're all in this together."

James, of course, had researched and found all the necessary steps for the two men to foster the boy. It certainly helped that they were already in the system, and had background checks and done the paperwork needed to foster other kids. But meta-human kids needed special attention, and not every family was willing to take them in. James and Chase, however, were able to offer pretty much the perfect environment for them. They'd both grown up with powers, and they worked with kids who had them. So the social worker he had talked to was enthusiastic about having them take in Niko.

Of course, they'd wanted his agreement first. But now that they had it, there was more paperwork to be done, as well as some other things. "I've already talked to the social worker who has your case here. She seemed okay with the idea, but she wanted to be sure that you liked it and you wanted to do this. So even though you talked to us, you'll have to talk to her as well, so she knows that for sure. I've also been able to work out some of the arrangements with the school, and if everything goes well, you can move in with us in about a week and a half. But we can take this as slow as you want." He tried to be reassuring, the same way he spoke to Ginny or his siblings' kids when they needed encouragement.

In his head though, he was much more excited. He had some plans for Niko's room, which would be the larger of the two guest rooms, unless he said he wanted the other one. He'd move out the stuff Ginny kept there--mostly a week's worth of clothes so she wouldn't have to pack as much whenever she came up for a visit--and paint the room something other than the purple Ginny had picked out when she was seven.