What's In A Name? [Closed]

[Chase Campbell]

Chase had done a lot of stupid things in his life. Among them was performing vigilante acts and nearly getting himself killed. At least his newest stupid thing hadn’t endangered his life.

It had taken a lot of work, and more secret keeping than he would have liked. However, now it was done. He had the proof right in his wallet.

Things had been better, lately. The sessions with Sean were starting to pay off. Once Chase had begun to let himself open up, if not for himself, then for his family, things had gotten better. Though he still wasn’t as comfortable as he’d once been using his powers, he’d started again. Slowly, gently, just the smallest of nudges, but it was better than nothing.

As a result, things at home seemed to have improved as well. Things with James hadn’t seemed so strained lately. Family life had settled back into normalcy. Things were even better with Nikki. He was back to spending time with the boy as father as son, without feeling the guilt that had accompanied any sort of good social interactions.

Things had gone so much back to normal that the trainer had even gotten back into thinking about something he hadn’t thought about in a long, long time. He’d once given it some idle thought, but recently, now seemed as good a time as any. Perhaps it would help them come back into the closeness they’d had not so long ago.

Unless James called him an idiot.

He pulled the dark sedan into the driveway, throwing it into park. Everything had finally been finalized, and he was ready to tell his husband what he’d been up to. After grabbing the few groceries he’d volunteers to pick up from the trunk of the car, he headed into the house and dropped the bags on the kitchen counter. Groceries could wait.

“Jamie?” He found his husband relatively quickly. The dining room table was covered in newspaper, and James was carefully hunched over a small model, gently brushing paint across it. Chase smiled, leaning against the wall for a moment, just watching him. “When you’re done, I have something for you to see.” He could draw this out a little.

[Dr. James Campbell]

James knew his husband had been up to something. Such was the trouble of being married to someone with the power James had, he always knew when Chase wasn't telling him the truth. And the blond man was definitely up to something.

Two years ago, he would have asked the trainer what he was doing. A year ago, he would have stayed up all night worrying that Chase was planning on leaving him because he was falling apart. But now, James just didn't say anything, because other than whatever this secret was, things were getting better. Chase was using his power again while training, even if he still wouldn't use it on his husband. If he was still keeping the secret tomorrow, James would ask about it.

He had to prove he trusted the other man somehow.

So the secret was put far back in his mind as James concentrated on painting his model of an orc. He hadn't brought out his models in a while, so it was nice to open up the paints and get lost in the precision work he was doing. Detailing was his favorite part, and he was quite proud of the fact that each of the three-inch-tall models had enough variance to look like they were supposed to be different individuals.

When Chase came home, James didn't look up from his painting right away. His concentration only broke when his husband actually addressed him. "What is it, Chase?" The recruiter looked up, but he didn't put down the paintbrush. (And yes, he absolutely did notice that the blond man hadn't put the groceries away as soon as he got home. That would have to be fixed soon, or it would really bother him.)

[Chase Campbell]

Hard as it had been to keep things from James, Chase had done it this one last time. In his defense, at least it wasn’t anything horrible. It was good. Amazing, even. At least, he thought so.

He just hoped James would too. This was so much bigger than the last time he’d done something like this. Bigger than a tattoo. Much bigger. Maybe not quite as permanent, but more important.

Watching James paint was oddly relaxing. It was nice to see him with his hobby again. It was like things were finally back to normal, like nothing bad had ever happened. Sometimes, it was almost easier to think about things that way. Nothing could change what had happened, but at least going forward, things were getting better. Eventually, they’d have their lives back.

This was going to aid in that, he was sure of it.

“I have something for you,” he clarified. Maybe drawing it out wasn’t the best thing. So, he pulled out his wallet and approached his husband, leaning over his shoulder to investigate the little model. “Nice orc,” he managed to say before sliding out his driver’s license.

His new driver’s license.

He slipped it in front of James, just beside the model. “Take a look at this,” he invited before pulling away and going back to the kitchen to put the groceries away. He’d just let that sink in for a moment.

[Dr. James Campbell]

James smiled and looked up at his husband, satisfied that he had been right to trust him about whatever this secret was, because now he was going to know about it.

Okay, driver's license. What?

He turned and watched his husband walk back to the kitchen, then looked at the bit of plastic on the table. It took a moment for him to process exactly what he was looking at. The license looked exactly like his own, except for the information, which was obviously his husband's.

Except for the information, including his name, which clearly said Chase Samuel Campbell.

Chase Samuel Campbell.

James felt his mouth go dry. Chase Campbell. He dropped the paintbrush and picked up the ID carefully, inspecting to see if it was some clever fake, a not-exactly-funny prank. Campbell. Finally, the recruiter stood, hands shaking so much he was vaguely worried he was going to drop his husband's driver's license. He changed his name.

In the kitchen, where Chase was conspicuously not putting the groceries away, James finally managed to get an actual sentence out. "Is this real?"

[Chase Campbell]

That smile made Chase somewhat regret the fact that his mission had involved secrecy. But he was positive that he’d done the right thing. If he’d told James, he’d likely have been met with resistance. Things like ‘you don’t have to do this.’ But he did. Why he hadn’t done it when they’d gotten married, he wasn’t sure. But whatever the reason, it was gone now.

Yes, this probably gave Mia license to mock him for life for being James’ Jedi ‘wife’, but he really, really didn’t care.

He tried to keep himself collected as he placed the groceries in their respective places, careful not to disturb the careful organization that was James’ kitchen. The longer James looked at the card he’d given him, the more he began to get a sinking feeling. What if it had upset James? What if he was mad at him? Totally unrealistic, but hey, stranger things had happened.

He glanced up from the last bag when he heard his husband approach. Glancing up, he bit his lip and nodded slowly. “Yeah. It’s real. I… worked on the paperwork for the past couple of weeks. It’s all done. Official. I’m… a Campbell.” A slow, almost sly grin started spreading on his face. “Surprise?”

[Dr. James Campbell]

Finally, James started to smile as well. He shook his head as the grin spread, but he couldn't disapprove.

It was an amazing gesture, after all.

He took another step closer and wrapped his arms around the other man, pulling him into a tight hug. James tried not to let his voice waver, but he couldn't conceal it completely. "I'm just....a little stunned." They hadn't discussed this, not even when they had decided to marry. He'd thought about it, once, but James wasn't going to change his own last name, not when his daughter also had it. Otherwise, he might have considered it.

"But Chase, you've always been a Campbell." He'd warned his family ahead of time, the first time he'd brought the blond man home for a Fourth of July Barbecue, but he'd been accepted into the fold pretty quickly. Maybe it was because it was so obvious they were happy together--or maybe because his siblings had apparently been expecting something like that to happen--but any objections from his immediate family had never been expressed.

And honestly, the nieces and nephews had already switched to referring to Chase as Uncle Chase, long before they'd legally tied the knot. "Have you talked to your parents about it?"

[Chase Campbell]

Disapproval was what Chase had been fearing. Yes, he could, and probably should have discussed this with James. It was one of those important things that likely should be discussed between partners. Especially with everything that had been going on in their lives recently.

Apparently, it was important enough to ignore.

Chase hugged back, just as hard, nuzzling into James’ neck. “I know,” he managed to get out after the waver had registered. It wasn’t something they’d talked about, and at the time of their marriage… it just hadn’t seemed all that important. Funny how priorities change.

“Yeah, but this makes it official.” He gently pressed a kiss to his husband’s neck before pulling away. He’d always known he was a member of the Campbell herd, even before they were married. All of James’ siblings, and his parents, had always been so welcoming.

Ah. Parents. Almost like a guilty child, Chase shifted backwards and broke eye contact. “Not… really.” Or, you know. At all. “I wasn’t really thinking about them. I was just… thinking about our family. About you.” That was enough to get him out of trouble, wasn’t it? At least for now? He wasn’t sure what his parents, namely his mother, would say. He wasn’t all that sure he wanted to know, either. “I’ll tell them. Eventually. You’re the first one to know.”

[Dr. James Campbell]

Chase nuzzled against his neck, and James pressed a kiss to the blond man's temple. There was a definite lump in his , even if he didn't feel like he was going to cry. He'd felt similar when the other man had come home with his name tattooed on his skin, and when he'd declared out of nowhere that he was interested in looking into fostering or adopting a kid. Every time James thought there couldn't be anything else Chase could do to make him love him more, he'd find some kind of gesture that proved him perfectly wrong.

And actually, James wasn't trying to guilt him when he asked about the other man's parents. (Though he had learned that Catholic guilt was contagious. Just mentioning something his mother had worried over would stress out Chase as well.) "No, I understand that. Thank you." The next people to know would have to be the kids, and then they could tell the rest of their family and friends at whatever pace Chase wanted. James reached out and put his hand on Chase's arm.

Chase was trying so hard. James didn't need his power to see that.

"We'll have to tell Ginny and Niko, and it's going to come out at work." But he was grinning, because they had dealt with worse troubles than Mia resurrecting Chase's "Jedi Wife" nickname. "But we'll tell your parents whenever you're ready."

After a moment, James smirked slightly, twisting the big grin on his face. "Is this why you've been a little more closed off lately?" Now was the perfect opportunity to get Chase to open up a little. Maybe.

[Chase Campbell]

The trainer smiled at the kiss, relishing the fact that this was exactly how things had been over a year ago. Happily in love, no drama, no pain, no stress. He really did miss it. He missed the feeling of being close with his husband, of being completely at ease. It was times like that that it was easy to forget all about everything that had happened in the past year. He would do anything to get that feeling back. Up to and including a legal name change.

“I love you,” he responded, still trying not to look all that guilty. “I know I’m not always that adept at showing it, but I do, Jamie.” It was why he’d gone and tattooed his husband’s nickname before they were even close to marrying. Why he’d agreed to look into fostering a child. Why he’d gone and done some very, very stupid things. It all came down to that one small fact of life. He loved his husband. “I want you to know that.” He gently put his hand on top of James’ on his arm, squeezing slightly.

They were getting better. Slowly, but they were.

“Yeah. I don’t know what to say to the kids.” Work somehow seemed the lesser of two evils. Ginny would probably give him a hard time. Not that he’d mind. “I think we can hold off telling my parents until it’s absolutely necessary.” He could just foresee his mother being unhappy. At this point in time, however, he didn’t care. It was enough that James was smiling.

… Or smirking. Chase knew that look, and he didn’t entirely trust it. At least it was a question he could answer truthfully. He smiled and leaned against the counter, looking like he was going to hoist himself up onto it. “A little. I didn’t want you to know what I was up to. I knew you’d tell me I didn’t have to.” He shrugged. “Of course, I would have just told you that you were wrong. I don’t get to say that enough.” He was actually grinning now, a hint of his playful nature coming back. “What’s your mom gonna say?”

[Dr. James Campbell]

"I know you do." James spoke softly, "And I love you too." In the past few months, as he'd healed from his concussion and Chase had started healing too, he'd discovered how much he had missed those tender little moments that had used to be a constant thing.

"Well, we could just say that this is what a lot of married people do, and you're just going to have to suck it up if Ginny teases you." With a roll of his eyes, he continued, though, "I think you should tell them soon. It's a legal name change, so if you're on any of their paperwork, they need to know about it." James understood his husband's apprehension, though. His in-laws were good people who had accepted that their son was in love with a man, but they weren't great about surprises.

"You didn't have to, which is part of what makes this such a wonderful gesture." James couldn't stop smiling, particularly when his own mother was brought into the conversation. This was the kind of thing she would like to hear, even when she was used to the knowledge that her older son's life just wasn't like her other children's. "She'll probably ask when we're expecting another kid. Granted, she likes to ask that a lot." Of course, Ma Campbell had laid off the questions about expanding their family while Chase had been injured. But she'd said it often enough that James could almost see the logic in adopting another child, so Nikki wouldn't be alone while Ginny was in college.

And no, he hadn't mentioned this to Chase yet. He liked the idea, but not until at least a year had passed without either of them ending up in the hospital. As much as he would love to have a larger family, it wasn't a good idea to bring another child into their chaos.

[Chase Campbell]

“You better,” Chase managed to joke, a genuine playful smile on his face. It felt good to play like this, to give in to relaxation and just… live life again. These moments were rare, but they were finally starting to come around again. Soon, they might actually start being more common, and they might finally have their relationship back the way they both remembered it.

Of course Ginny would tease him. His step-daughter could find a million and one things to tease him about. This would just make it a million and two. “Somehow I think telling Niko will be easier than telling Gin.” Of course, he could always get creative. It might make it easier. “Just promise you’ll interfere if she gets too sadistic?” James did have a point, though, about his parents. There went that contagious Catholic guilt again. “I will. They’ll have to be eased into it, though. My dad should be okay, but my mom… will need convincing.” Not that that was anything new. “Soon, though. I promise.”

No, he hadn’t needed to do this. But he’d felt it would be a good thing, all things considering. “I know. But I wanted to. It just felt right, you know?” Whether it would actually bind them back together to some semblance of their original relationship would remain to be seen, but he was hoping it would help. At least a bit. Chase had to smile at the thought of his mother in law. He really did love Maeve Campbell. She’d always been accepting of him, and he got the feeling right from the start that she was a person he could be close with. “Who knows?” He shrugged and curled closer against his husband, happy for the contact. “Maybe Nikki and Gin would like a little brother or sister.” It was something that could be discussed, eventually. When everyone, including himself, was ready.

“We should go see your parents,” he mumbled absently. “Take the kids. Go for a week. Get away from here.” Maybe a break would do them all good. “What do you think?”

[Dr. James Campbell]

"Maybe in a few years, after things settle some. I'd like to have another kid, maybe foster again, but not until we spend less time in the hospital." And though they didn't spoil Nikki, exactly, he deserved all the extra attention he'd received since the kidnapping. "But yeah, my mother will think it's a sweet gesture, and you will once again be her favorite." It was a bit of an ongoing joke in the family that since James hadn't informed his mother they were getting until after the wedding, Chase had been her favorite son. (And yes, that was leaving Mike out of the equation entirely. That was also part of the joke.)

James wrapped his arms a little tighter around his husband and nuzzled his face into the man's blond hair. It Chase changing his name out of nowhere was a little overwhelming, but he understood where the other man was coming from. Last year, he would have done anything to prove to Chase that he still loved him. "Yeah. A vacation might be what we need. I'll try to work it out with my recruiters, okay?" They wouldn't be able to take a full week off, not with how much work they'd missed already that year. But they could work something out, even if it wasn't until Thanksgiving.