Time Warp: Challenge Accepted [Jesse]

[Clement Evans]

Boston, MA - Summer vacation of 2032

Now that the kids were older, and this coming school year would both be in class full time, Clement had a little more time to himself. After Gabby and Joey went off on the bus, he cleaned up anything that needed it and took his cold coffee into his office to write till Joey came home from morning kindergarten. And them being old enough to properly speak and understand (most of the time), meant they didn't have to be watched every second of the day. Clement was still there to help with projects and homework and to cart them off to activities, but it was a lot saner in the house than it had been even two years ago.

Gabby was still a happy, bubbly little girl, too adorable for her own good, and sometimes had more energy than her parents thought possible to pack into a seven year old. Joey was more serious and thoughtful, and played better by himself. He was still rambunctious and loved tearing around, but when something caught his fancy he could concentrate on it for an awful long time. They adored each other, but they had their fights too, as all siblings did.

Though they'd taken several family vacations over the years (especially once that whole 'indoor voice' thing had taken hold), Clement had been the one to stay at home and Jesse had been the one to work outside it, though they both brought in income. But that was about to change, if only temporarily. For three days, Clement was going to go down to New York City for a combination Writer's Conference/Retreat. For one day, he'd see what other published authors were working on, and have the opportunity to share some of his own writing if he so chose, brainstorm, collaborate, and/or just write in a quiet place away from home. Since driving in NYC was insanity, he was taking the train, and he'd promised a group present, since he was there for work, not shopping.

Before he'd left late on Thursday afternoon, he'd told Jesse there was food in the freezer, reminded him that the kids bathed on Saturday, and said he'd be monitoring eBay for sudden auctions on children. His phone would be off during various times for meetings or groups, but he'd still get texts.

It had rained earlier that day, forcing the kids to stay inside. Looked to keep sprinkling overnight. Well. Jesse was a big boy, he could handle it. With kisses all around, overnight bag slung over his shoulder, Clement left.

The next day dawned clear, if soggy. The kids rose for their dose of cartoons, and all went reasonably well through breakfast.

"Dad, can we go outside t'day?" Joey's big blue eyes were hopeful.

[Jesse Adams]

Not much had changed for Jesse when both kids started going to school. He still got up, left before everyone else, went to work, and came home again. The only real change had been the topics of conversation was he was bombarded with upon walking in the door. Not that he minded. After what he dealt with day and day out, hearing about what they did in class couldn’t possibly be more welcome.

At least Gabby was finally coming out of her princess phase. As kids tended to do, her interests were becoming more varied. She still liked playing dress up from time to time, but her latest interests seemed to be a combination of My Little Ponies and superheroes. There was nothing like a quiet Saturday at home interrupted by Gabby thundering up and down the stairs at warp speeds proclaiming to be Super Girl. Jesse was honestly worried she was going to break her neck one day. But at least it meant she was active, rather than lazing around with video games all day.

Since the plans had first been made for Clement to go to New York, Jesse had first been somewhat worried about being alone with the kids for three whole days. At least privately. On the surface? He’d been the picture of confidence. He could totally do this. Without even listing either of them on eBay. Yet as Clement had left, Jesse had felt that confidence waver slightly. No, no. He could do this. And he could do it without any frantic texting to his husband.

Bedtime without Daddy went as well as to be expected, and by the next morning Jesse felt just the slightest bit better about the whole thing. It was only three days. The kids were getting better at listening. This was doable.

After the breakfast dishes had been loaded in the dishwasher, Jesse had deemed the kitchen clean enough and had been about to go check on the kids when he nearly ran right into Joey. Going outside wasn’t actually a bad idea. “Sure, buddy. We could go for a walk in the trees? What do you think?”

“BY THE WATER!” Gabby more or less shrieked from the next room. Of her two parents, she knew that Dad was the one more lenient with things like indoor voices. “PLEASE DAD?”

“Okay, okay, we can go for the walk by the water.” It wasn’t terribly far, though he suspected the kids would be flopped out by the time they got back. “But you’re both wearing your boots.” It still looked wet out, and Clement would probably kill him if the kids wrecked their sneakers.

It only took minutes for Gabby to pull on her bright purple rainboots and impatiently start dancing by the door as she waited for her brother to catch up. Once he had, Jesse made sure the house was locked up before throwing his keys in his pocket. “Remember guys, stay close.” And please, please God, let them keep their hands off of dirty, slimy, smelly things.

[Clement Evans]

"YES BY THE WATER!" Gabby had such great ideas. Joey admired that about his big sister. It pretty much made up for how bossy she could be sometimes. He giggled when Dad said yes and immediately ran off to find his little bucket. For collecting sticks or pinecones or leaves or fun rocks... or worms, if Dad wasn't looking. The minutiae of small boy life. Daddy had bought him three big plastic jars, and Joey kept his collections in them, with the stipulation that he could only open them outside. Because they were outdoor things, of course. Joey loved the way Daddy explained things.

Running out to the mud room with the little orange bucket, Joey wrestled with his yellow boots, realized they were on the wrong feet, and finally got himself in order. Taking one of Dad's hands, he skipped and hopped and hummed tunelessly, excited about finally going out after a long time of staying in. Their home was far enough from Boston to be in a good neighborhood with old bits of forest left, and there were a few small streams or tributaries that eventually fed into the ocean. A couple of them pooled a bit or became very shallow, and the kids lived for splashing around them.

When one of those very shallow places came into view, Joey let go of Dad's hand and ran, shrieking, till one large leap landed him squarely in the water with a big splash.

[Jesse Adams]

Jesus the kids could be loud when they wanted to be. Maybe Clement's constant reminders of indoor voices weren't such a terrible thing after all. Between the two of them, rules were always better enforced with Clement around. Jesse tried, but often hesitated. Mostly due to a strong desire to never, ever be like his father. His once easily flared temper was well under control now, but the last thing he wanted was a slip up when it came to his kids. He'd experienced enough as a kid himself, and saw enough of it at work to know he never, ever wanted to be like that.

The blond waited for Joey to get his boots and bucket, then easily held his hand as his son bounced around. Going for walks always seemed the best, and easiest, way to tire them out a little. They were out of the nap habit now, so they needed other ways to expel their energy and settle down later on in the day. By the end of the walk, Jesse was hoping they'd settle down for a Disney or Pixar movie. If they didn't get thrown in the bathtub first for messing around in the dirt.

Gabby pranced ahead, occasionally spinning in circles, her long blonde hair swaying behind her. She wasn't as interested in picking up sticks or rocks, but she did like flowers. And sometimes shells, if they washed this far inland. Otherwise she'd pick them all day long at the beach with her family.

Things were going well, at least until Jesse felt Joey's small hand slip out from his. The resulting splash made it rain water a fair distance away, which only served to make Gabby squeal and follow suit, effectively soaking the hem of her skirt. "WATER!" With gleeful giggles, she made more splashes before spotting something in the shallow water. Gasping in sheer excitement, she ran over to it and pointed. "Joey, LOOK! FISHY." Just like her Fishy at home, only SHINY. And not orange. "He's PRETTY."

Jesse had been keeping an eye on the kids, but the shriek about the fish made him get closer. Any fish this far out was either a tiny minnow, or... yeah. Dead. Gross. "Guys, don't touch it. Please." Because that always worked so well.

[Clement Evans]

As they walked, Joey often paused to inspect an interesting rock or stick or area of ground that, to most other non-six-year-olds, did not look discernibly different from any of the others. The air had that faintly metallic scent that meant worms, but most of the ones they encountered had been at least partially flattened.

When Gabby joined him splashing, Joey grinned at her and leaped as high as he could, difficult given the weight of his boots. The second she said FISHY he was at her side, gaping alongside her with wide eyes and the sort of expression normally reserved for lottery winners. Oh. My. GOSH.

When he could finally speak (about 30 seconds later), his voice was hushed, awed. "It is. It's a FISHY. He's awesome!"

The idea had actually not occurred to Joey. "Touch it?" He was aghast. "If you touch fishies they die." His expression turned unsure. "Don't they, Dad?" Peering back at the fish, a smile crept back to his face. "He really is nice. Can we bring him back for Daddy? He can be friends with Gabby's Fishy! Please, Dad!"

[Jesse Adams]

Provided the kids stayed close and out of major trouble, taking them for walks could be remarkably peaceful. Better yet, it helped burn off energy they would otherwise be using to crawl all over him and drag him into endless games of tag and hide and seek. At least they had a decently sized yard for keeping them contained as they ran in circles and shrieked at being chased. Plus there were playgrounds nearby. Clement was right, though. Every time Jesse thought he was in shape from the hours he squeezed in for running, an hour at the playground would often leave him panting, and the kids only wanting more running, chasing, and screaming. Yeah, the walk was a better option right now.

Gabby was fascinated with the pretty, shiny fishy. He was so much nicer than her Fishy at home, even if she did love her fuzzy Fishy very, very much. Her Dad's instruction made it all the harder to restrain herself. Fishies didn't like petting, but he looked so shiny. Surely one tiny touch wouldn't be awful, would it?

"But Daaaaad!" Her purple boots splashed in the little stream as she stomped her disapproval of his warning not to touch. "It's preeeetty!" Jesse sighed as he edged closer to the water to get a better look at the thing.

"I know it's pretty, Gabs, but Joey's right. Fishies can get really sick if they're touched." He was so proud of his son sometimes. ... Most of the time. As for the request, he shook his head. "No, Joe. We can't bring him home. He's happiest here. Why don't we bring back something else for Daddy? Like a pretty rock, or pinecones?" Yes, that was it. Gabby was stubborn, but she was also competitive. "Why don't you try to find the biggest pinecone for Daddy?" Gabby didn't look like she was buying it completely.

"A fishy is better than a icky pinecone," she countered, looking to Joey for back up. "Right JoJo?" They might have fought now and again like any siblings, but they could also make a decent united front when they worked together. And two against one was always good odds.

[Clement Evans]

If his husband had been around to observe, he would've told Jesse that walks could be plenty traumatic, for everyone, including innocent bystanders. Neither kid was a whiner, thank everything, but they were still small children who pouted when disappointed. So if an ice cream truck jingled by, or a passing doggie didn't want to be petted, or the fabulous treasure one of them just had to take home was on someone's property... yeah. Things could get rough. As Jess was about to learn.

At Dad's mention of fishies getting sick if touched, Joey's eyes became a bit fearful and he backed up, though remained in viewing distance. Gabby was right though, this Fishy was so pretty. It sparkled in the sun! Like a magic gemstone! Joe was torn; touch or do not touch. So far don't touch was winning, but like his sister, Joey was very curious and he was convinced it would be the perfect present for Daddy.

"Daddy has lots of pinecones and rocks and leaves," he reasoned. "But he doesn't have a FISHY, Dad. Look, look! Fishy's all by himself. He's lonely, Dad! We can take him home and love him and make him feel nice! He can tell Daddy about being a Fishy and Daddy can write it into a book." Joey threw himself at his father, squeezing those surprisingly strong little arms about his waist. "Please, Dad. He's perfect. He's most perfect. I bet Gabby even knows his name! Then we'll be friends, Dad, pleeeeeeeease!"

No, no whining. But man, could they beg.

[Jesse Adams]

The walk was supposed to have been an easy, peaceful way to get the kids settled down for the rest of the day. Well, at least for a few hours. Jesse really hadn't thought that anything could go wrong beyond someone slipping and falling, or tripping over a tree root or rock. Scraped knees and tears, he could handle. This fish business? Not so easy.

Jesse braced himself as Joey threw himself full-force into his legs. For being small, the kid was still surprisingly strong when he wanted to be. Ugh, this was so not happening. And he was not about to text Clement an S.O.S. when he hadn't even been gone twenty four hours yet. No, he was going to handle this, and he could tell Clement all about it when he got home.

While Dad was distracted with Joey, Gabby inched closer to the fish, watching the scales glitter in the early morning light. He was the prettiest Fishy that ever lived. Of course Daddy would want him! Maybe they could put him in Joey's bucket with some water and carry him home like that. Fishies liked water (except her Fishy - he was allergic to the washing machine), so it would be perfect! She was just about to touch the tail when Jesse looked up from Joey. "Gabrielle, no." Just like that, she skittered back from the fish with a slightly guilty look on her face.

"I just wanted to feel him," she called back as innocently as possible. "And he said his name is Bubbles!" Now he had a name, that meant he was theirs. Now they had to take him home! Jesse shook his head and very gently pried Joey off, crouching to meet him at eye level while still trying to keep an eye on Gabby.

"This is the fishy's home, JoJo. He likes it here." God, Clement was so much better at this. "Maybe he's waiting for his fish family to come home. We don't want to take him away if his family will miss him, right?" He'd raised his voice very slightly, to ensure Gabby could hear as well. "Tell you what. If the fishy - "

"BUBBLES."

"... If Bubbles is still here when we come back this way, we'll take him home." God, he might live to regret that later, but it was all he could come up with at the time. "Deal?"

[Clement Evans]

If Jess couldn't take away from the evening talks with his husband that anything could go wrong anywhere, Clement wasn't particularly sympathetic. The mess Joey could make with just a cup of water he was supposed to be drinking... all the paint in the house could be wiped of stains, and all the carpet was treated with Scotchguard. And still, during some of those early days Clement had wanted to just get a new house instead of clean up.

He would be upset that no one was around to film this.

"Bubbles!" Joey laughed, delighted. "HI MR. BUBBLES." A thought occurred to him. "Do you think he knows the bubblebath man?"

Then Dad was hunkered down. Joey loved when his dads did that, both of them had such pretty eyes. Dad's words gave him some food for thought. "Or he could be waiting for his brand new family?" he hedged. Leaning in, he whispered, in that loud way children have, "Gabby would be reeeeeeeally happy."

Of course, neither parent had 'favorites', but Joey was not blind or deaf to the fact that his sister had their blond dad 'whipped'. As their brunet dad put it. Looking worriedly at Bubbles, he added, louder, "He might find some other family to go home with if we leave."

Walking over to Gabby, he looked at her with big eyes, silently saying he'd take her lead. At just that moment, a ray of sun fell through the clouds to make Bubbles shimmer attractively.

For a dead fish.

Not that that mattered.

[Jesse Adams]

Jesse took their evening talks to mean that they had bad luck when it came to the kids, but that surely, somehow, somewhere, they would stop being raging maniacs and settle the heck down. He just hadn’t been prepared for how long the process took. Then again, he didn’t exactly have a great measuring stick to use. His own childhood had been full of being dragged from one extracurricular to another, and being expected to behave in a certain way, or else. With that in mind, he didn’t mind giving the kids some extra slack, but Jesus they needed to settle down at some point.

Gabby was still determined to make friends with Bubble. He wasn’t very talkative, but that was okay. Fishies didn’t often like to talk. Still, Joey’s idea made her shriek with excitement. “He does! He does know the bubblebath man!” Which made him that much better. Now they had to take him home!

Well, unless Dad actually found a way to keep that from happening.

Jesse twitched slightly at Joey’s loud whisper. Denying something Gabby wanted wasn’t exactly unusual, but that didn’t mean he liked doing it. Nevertheless, she was absolutely not bringing home a dead fish. “JoJo...” He wasn’t admitting defeat, but he really wanted the kids to understand that the fish wasn’t going home with them. Somehow. So when his son wandered back to the fish, Jesse whipped out his phone and tapped out a message. This wasn’t admitting defeat either. It was just... fishing for ideas. Clement probably encountered this at least once or twice before, so he’d know how to fix it, right? Kids found a dead fish. How do I convince them that it has to stay here? Tried that the fish has a family already. Once it was sent, he stuck his phone back in his pocket and went back to where the kids were to ensure no one was touching the thing. It was kind of pretty in the light, yes, but still very, very dead. And very, very not coming home with them.

[Clement Evans]

By many accounts, neither Clement or Jesse had 'settled down' till well into their 20s, and the former of the two didn't expect anything less with their children. Gabby he worried about more than Joey; she was smart, impatient, and could be mind-blowingly stubborn about getting her way. A lot of the time Clement had her go second when the kids had to take turns to make her learn how to wait. She was a spitfire though, their spitfire, and he loved her.

Joey clapped his hands when Gabby agreed with him. "Maybe they're brothers!"

Then Dad said his name in that way that meant he wanted a nap. Dad, not Joey. But it was so exciting, meeting Bubbles the fishie right during a walk! It was disappointing Daddy wasn't there!

In New York, Clement's phone buzzed in his pocket. Fortunately for his husband, he was ensconced in a very comfortable little nook with his laptop and a large iced coffee, editing the piece he'd written the night before. And fortunately for the other conference goers who inhabited other nooks, they were quite private, which meant no one heard him burst out laughing when he read the incoming text. No location was given, but Clement assumed they weren't in a place where Jess could say the fish had to be paid for or didn't belong to them.

The return text was a bit lengthy, but it covered all the bases.

Kids and I talked about wild animals. Squirrels, birds, etc. How they need to stay outside, it's where they live. They don't belong inside houses, with us, they'll be unhappy. How only professionals should handle them. Tell them the fish is a wild animal and he needs to stay outside, where he belongs.

He paused, and then sent a second text: Maybe add that if the fish comes home, he'll be very unhappy, and they won't be able to visit Grandma or her horses for a few months since they'll know they were naughty and took a wild animal home. Be worried that they'll want to take a horse. Tell them it's the right thing to do, and that Daddy will be upset with them for doing something he told them not to.

Okay, the withholding Grandma part wasn't fair to Lahja, but it would certainly drive the lesson home. Besides, Clement was positive Grandma's horsies would win against a dead fish.

Well. He hoped.

Back in Boston, Joey had crouched down, the hem of his raincoat in the water. He was a good distance from the fishie, but it was just so pretty. "Bubbles is the most wonderfulest fishie we ever found," he said, sighing. "A'most as good as your Fishie."

[Jesse Adams]

Gabby giggled at Joey’s suggestion, nodding enthusiastically. “Brothers like Dad and Uncle Keith!” Not that they saw their Uncle Keith all that much, because he was always busy in California, but she still knew enough to know that Uncle Keith and Dad were brothers, just like Bubbles and The Bubblebath Man!

Jesse half paid attention to the kids, ensuring no one was touching the fish or running off. He could only imagine Clement’s reaction, but he honestly couldn’t find it within himself to care. All he wanted was for the kids to stop trying to take the dead fish home. If this was failing the challenge of looking after the kids for the weekend, so be it. He’d gladly accept losing if it meant he got help.

Finally, the text came back. Of course they’d had this talk. It was one of the reasons Jesse wished he didn’t work as many hours away from home as he did. He missed out on a lot of this stuff, and at times like this? It was important. Clement had such a way with the kids, putting things in ways they could grasp. Jesse had trouble with that, mostly as his mind worked in a very logical way, which wasn’t always kid friendly. He’d learned that when the kids had been quite young.

Clement came through with some fantastic advice, as always. Jesse breathed a soft sigh of relief as he read both messages. Of course. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Withholding the horses. God, his husband was a genius. Thanks, he tapped back. This is why I married you. You’ve got all the brains. With a little smile, he slipped his phone back into his pocket and looked back at the kids. Gabby was once again inches away from touching the fish again.

“Gabby, Joey, come here for a minute.” He beckoned them closer. Gabby took a longing look at Bubbles before slinking back to her Dad with Joey. Jesse crouched down again so that he could be at their eye levels. “Do you remember talking with Daddy about wild animals, and that they don’t like being inside?” He could tell by her expression alone that at the very least, Gabby remembered. She looked down at her boots, scuffing the soles against the pine needles that littered the path.

“But Bubbles is nice!” Jesse signed softly, but maintained what he hoped came across as a gentle smile.

“Bubbles is nice, but he won’t be happy in a sink or in a tub at home. He likes it in his stream.” Well, sort of stream. Anyway. “Besides,” he said in a more serious tone, dropping his voice like he’d heard Clement do when he was telling them things that were stage whispered. “If we took him home with us, Grandma’s horses will know, and they’ll be sad you took a wild animal home. We might not get to visit for a while if they’re sad.” He let that sink in for a moment before he held out his hands. “How about we do the right thing, and leave Bubbles in his home.” He’d leave that Daddy would be upset with them as his ace in his sleeve if they still didn’t want to listen to him. Thankfully, Gabby gently put her hand in his.

“Okay Dad,” she agreed solemnly. “For the horsies.” Of course it was for the horsies, but he wasn’t going to complain. He had one on board. Now he just needed Joey.

[Clement Evans]

I'm pretty hot, too, he texted back, hoping that would be the end of it. Still chuckling, he went back to his story.

As his sister had gotten closer and closer to Bubbles, Joey's eyes had gone wider and wider. He totally wanted to touch the fishie too, even though it was so very forbidden and naughty. He was also worried about what would happen - would Gabby get sick? Would Bubbles blow up or flop or scream or swim away?

Dad's voice cut the tension, and with some relief Joey trotted back with Gabby. He didn't look back, feeling guilty about how much he'd wanted to be bad, but he saw his sister look.

The second Dad brought up the talk they'd had with Daddy, Joey's lips pressed together and he made an unhappy humming noise. The more Dad said, the more conflicted the little boy became, but he put his hand in Dad's other. The horses weren't the draw they were for Gabby, but he did love visiting Grandma and he knew in his heart that they'd have to leave Bubbles where he was. It was just so hard! Bubbles really was the most wonderfulest fishie.

Solemnly, he asked, "Can we say goodbye to Bubbles, Dad? He might be sad if we just left."

[Jesse Adams]

Jesse smirked at the text, because Clement was entirely right. He may have been a domestic god, what with the cooking skills, the cleaning, and dealing with the kids as much as he had the past few years, but he was also charming and damn hot, if the blond was being honest. He was lucky, and he knew it.

And thank God the kids were listening, though he could tell that neither of them were really that happy about it. Especially Gabby, if the look on her face was anything to go by. Dark clouds ahoy, even if she was clearly doing it for Grandma's horses. Still, she perked slightly at her brother's suggestion. "Yeah, Dad. We don't want him to cry." She craned her neck slightly to look back at the pretty sparkling fish. Jesse sighed before releasing both of them.

"Okay, say goodbye to Bubbles. And then maybe after the walk, we'll go to the playground?" He'd probably want to lay down after a trip to the park, because good lord the kids had energy to spare and he apparently didn't anymore, but they were being good and listening. They deserved a reward, and he knew Clement would be proud of him that it wasn't a material thing.

Gabby gently took Joey's hand and trotted back to Bubbles, giving the fish a small wave. "Bye bye Bubbles. We'll miss you!" Glancing back to her father, she then smiled at Joey and leaned in a little closer to the fish. "Come back and visit our house," she murmured, too soft for her dad to hear. There. Now the fish had been said goodbye to, and he was invited over.

[Clement Evans]

Joey bit his lip at the idea of Bubbles crying. Could fishies cry? He bet if any fishies could, Bubbles could, especially if he thought they were leaving him all alone. Still feeling conflicted, he just nodded to Dad's offer of the park as he let Gabby escort them back to Bubbles.

Crouching down, the little boy was genuinely upset that they had to leave their new friend where he was, even if it was 'right'. About to give his own goodbye, he gasped softly when Gabby told him to secretly come over. It was times like this that Joey believed his big sis was as smart as Daddy. Plastering his hands over his mouth to smother his giggles, when he'd composed himself he took them away to say, "Bye bye. I hope your family comes soon. We love you! I'll tell Daddy all about you!"

Running back to Dad, Joey hugged him around the legs. "Will you push me on the swings but not too high?" he asked, his light brown hair blowing everywhere in the breeze. "And go down the slide with us?"

Picking up his bucket, Joey started skipping again, splashing in the puddles. The water made the tops of his boots shiny!

A few minutes later he shrieked and bent over, picking up a long pink worm. Running over, he held it up for Dad to inspect in all its glory. "Look Dad he's perfect!"