All Together Now (Chase and Niko)

[Dr. James Campbell]

James was excited.

Finally, finally, finally, he was going to have one of his kids--he was already thinking of Niko as his, even though he didn't say that exactly to the boy, no need to overwhelm him--living at his house. And it wouldn't just seem like he was renting him out for the summer, like it so often did when he was taking care of Ginny.

The three of them were walking to their house, to show Niko around before he moved in properly that weekend. The paperwork was filled in and signed and they'd all gone through another interview with the social worker. And they were excited.

The only thing that even slightly marred his day was the knowledge that even though Chase had forgiven him for the Adam debacle, neither of them were going to forget. And he could see that there was a part of Chase that still didn't trust him entirely, particularly since he'd had to go out on a recruiting trip a few days later. (He'd called Chase from the hotel room each night, and wasn't planning on going to a bar without his husband for a long, long time.)

James was used to walking a bit faster on his way home, so he was also trying not to look like their pace was boring him. The little boy hadn't been this far outside of Hammel since his arrival, so it wasn't a surprise that it would take him a bit longer. The trees in this area were beautiful in the early summer, but he just wanted to tell Niko to wait for the fall. Then it would be stunning, and they could jump in leaf piles.

(And by they, he meant Niko and Chase. James would rake, and maybe jump once or twice, but there were all sorts of things with too many legs living in piles of dead leaves, and he preferred being less fun to being covered in bugs.)


"It's just through the trees, there," James finally said, pointing to the house he that sat about half-way up a small hill. It was made to look like a log cabin from the outside, but it was just the right size for them, with room for Ginny when she came up for the summer as well. "You'll be able to see the house in a few seconds. It's got a pretty big backyard, and there's room on the hill for sledding in the winter." As much as James disliked playing in leaves, he enjoyed snow.

With a smile, he reached out and took Chase's hand. So what if the past two weeks had been rough on them? They could do this. All together.

[Chase Campbell]

James wasn’t the only one that was excited.

Despite the anxieties and the stress of the past little while (which the trainer was still blaming Adam for),Chase was excited. They were bringing Niko home to show him the house, and meet Milo. That was exciting enough. He and James had spent a lot of time moving Ginny’s things into the smaller of the two bedrooms, and generally getting things ready for the kid.

He was trying to forget the apprehension that had come with James’ recent recruitment trip. Though he’d tried to hide it as best he could, he knew James could tell things still weren’t ‘normal’ between the two of them, much as he Chase wanted it to be. Still, he had to put that at the back of his mind. Nothing was as bad as that first day.

Yeah. Things were better now.

Walking to their house with Niko in tow was a nice feeling. After this weekend, they’d be doing this every day. A part of that still scared Chase. He didn’t care how good he was with Ginny, or with his nieces and nephews. This was different. This was permanent, and he was scared of screwing up. Thank God James seemed to know what he was doing. Even if the blond did manage to screw up, he knew he could count on his husband to help him out of whatever hole he’d just dug for himself.

Chase loved the walk from Hammel to Pilot Ridge. It was so pretty, any time of year. Except perhaps the winter, but that stemmed more from his general dislike of the cold. Snow was pretty, sure. But cold. He did, however, get a kick out of thinking about winter with Niko. Suddenly, making snowmen, and snowball fights, and tobogganing didn’t seem so damn horrible. And fall would be good too, making a massive mess of James’ carefully raked leaves. Yeah. This would be fun. This would be good.

He looked up as James explained to Niko about the house, a half smile on his face. He remembered the first time he’d seen the place. It was an easy place to love. It had been home in a very short amount of time, and he was hoping it would be the same for Niko.

When James took his hand, Chase glanced down and gently squeezed before looking over at Niko. “Think you could handle the hike every day?” … At least it wasn’t uphill both ways.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko was supposed to be excited. He'd been excited an evening prior, when he'd tried desperately to get to sleep, only to find there was no chance of it. He'd been excited days before- in fact, he'd been excited ever since Chase and James approached him. But right now? Right now he was walking quietly, thinking things that hadn't occurred to him before now. While the excitement from before hadn't left him, there was a new sense of gravity to the situation, a new reality that, really, only the moment could bring.

As Niko walked he found himself looking to Chase, wondering things like whether he'd still get to be in his class, or whether Chase would be willing to play football with him here, too. Then, he'd look back down at the ground beneath him for about ten steps, followed by a glance at James with questions like would James join their games of football, or would he be allowed to spend more time in James' office, or even just an unexplainable feeling of the curiosity toward him, one he couldn't vocalize. Niko hadn't had much of a chance to get to know him so far, but he knew he was funny, that he obviously loved Chase, and that he'd be a good person to turn to if he had a problem. If Niko had his way, he'd certainly find a way to become more familiar with him in the coming days.

Niko shook his head, trying to focus on the present rather than his thoughts. By doing so, he managed a genuine smile. Keeping his gaze up wasn't hard when he noticed the unfamiliarity of his surroundings. At nine, beauty was something he took for granted, something he didn't have patience for. Even so, there was something about the way everything looked so different to him, the way it was all magical. It captivated the young boy so completely that it was really a wonder that he didn't stop walking entirely to admire the world before him. Only James' words seemed to stand any chance at getting his attention.

Niko reluctantly shifted his gaze to James, listening attentively to his statement. Then excitement kicked in at the idea of finally seeing the house. Niko kept his eyes trained expectantly at the trees James was pointing to while they continued forward. Though James said it'd be a few seconds, Niko would have loved to tell him that it felt like a lot longer. Of course, that was probably due to the level of concentration he maintained. When he finally did see the house as James had foretold, he had to smile. It looked to Niko like it was meant to look- like a cabin. And cabins meant camping. Camping, of course, was synonymous with fun to Niko.

"That's so cool,"Niko announced in an excited, yet hushed tone. Awe accounted for the hushed tone. Never would he have guessed that they lived in a cabin! Then, Chase's voice caught his attention.

"Hmm? Hike,"Niko echoed curiously. He had to think about that for a moment. It only took him a few seconds, though, before he was grinning, realizing he meant the walk to the house. Or, maybe he meant the hill. He glanced from Chase to the house, gauging just how far up the hill it was. "Mhhm. I'll be fine. You really live in a cabin? Like, camping?" Though Niko answered without hesitation, he wasn't so sure. He wasn't ready to collapse on the spot, but after a walk like this one he wasn't exactly ready to go bouncing off the walls, either, no matter how much the prospect of this change in his life excited him.

[Dr. James Campbell]

If Niko had said he was tired, James would have been happy to give him a piggy-back ride the rest of the way to the house. It wasn't far, and it wasn't like the boy would be that heavy....Okay, maybe Chase would have been better off offering. But Niko said he was fine.

James didn't like camping. There were too many variables, most of which involved some sort of combination of getting cold, wet, and dirty. (He'd managed exactly one trip to Boy Scout camp the summer after he had turned eleven. It had been torturous.)

But if being something like camping was an idea that Niko liked, he would go along with it. After all, it wasn't unusual for them to have a barbeque and a bonfire during the summer months. That was camp-ish. "Yes, we live in a cabin. It's big though, or at least big enough for four. Five, if you count Milo." And James did.

Their yard was large, and sloped down towards the road. The property wasn't exactly on the lake, but it was close enough that there was a path worn through the trees in the back. Eventually, they would take the little boy there, on some warm Saturday. (It had taken a few summers, but Chase had finally convinced James that no matter what lived in the lake water, he would survive a swim.) The long driveway wasn't paved, and lead up to the house itself. There was a wide deck that jutted out over the hill like the prow of a ship, and three stories of glass windows reflected the afternoon light.

When they reached the front door, James smiled and threw it open. "Welcome home." In the middle of a rug on the floor, a brown cat lay in the sunlight. Milo lazily stretched, then got up and wandered over, looking for his people to either feed him or pet him. (Though the first would be preferable.) He nuzzled Chase's leg, then looked up at the newcomer. Smaller than the others, but he smelled okay, so Milo rubbed up against him too, looking for a skritch behind his ears.

"And that's Milo," James said, taking off the jacket of his suit and sliding his shoes off, which he carefully lined next to the other pairs on the rack by the door. "He's friendly, but don't feed him any people food, even when he asks for it. It'll make him sick." As if he knew he was being talked about, the brown cat looked at him and meowed. The man addressed it, with complete sincerity, "It will. And you know it."

Yes, James talks to the cat.

He folded the jacket and laid it over the back of the overstuffed sofa, then walked over to the area of the great room that housed the kitchen. "I was thinking chicken and pasta for dinner, how does that sound? Would you like to help?" Though Chase would know better than to volunteer, maybe Niko would prove to be a better assistant in the kitchen. "Or would you like to see your room first?"

[Chase Campbell]

Chase was well used to wearing assorted nieces and nephews much like backpacks when he went to visit with James’ family. Carrying Niko wouldn’t have been a big deal for him. He got the feeling that as his training intensified, or if the kid had gym class last, he might end up getting piggybacks home more than once.

Being outdoors was something Chase liked a lot. It was one of those things that had made him fall in love with the house as fast as he had. It was fun, roughing around in the dirt, hiking. He’d done it a lot in high school, taking off for the weekend with his friends. Half the time they’d gotten hopelessly lost, and there’d been the one time Ryan had disturbed an angry wasp nest. (Sticks + wasps = never a good idea.) The trainer had spent a lot of time in the past four years getting familiar with the area surrounding the house, and rarely got lost anymore. Even if he did, it didn’t take long to find his way back.

The lake was another bonus. During the summer, almost every Saturday morning Chase would head down the now worn path to swim. Now, James would come with him too, though that had taken a lot of persuasion on the blond’s part. As they approached the house now, Chase gave James’ hand another squeeze. This was it. He followed James through the door and gently let go of his hand, freeing it for his husband to take off his jacket.

“Hey, Milo.” Lazy cat. Yes, Chase was jealous of the cat, getting to lay around in the sun and sleep all day. Rough life, the animal had. He smirked a little as he rubbed his head against his leg, ‘reclaiming’ him, then decided to ‘claim’ Niko, too. Chase had to laugh when the cat meowed at James, and James replied. It wasn’t uncommon in their house. They both talked to the cat, though James did it more often. “I think he’s got other ideas, Jamie.” He kicked off his shoes (placing them on the rack, because he knew what would happen if he didn't) and scooped up the little cat, gently holding him in his arms for Niko to see. “Milo, this is Niko.” The cat just stared at the little boy for a moment, before reaching out and tapping Niko on the cheek with his paw. He smiled and gently set the cat down. “He likes being held, so long as you’re gentle.”

Chase knew who the question was being directed at. Niko would come to learn very, very quickly that his trainer was useless in the kitchen, and he had no doubts that Niko would be more useful to James than he was when it came to the kitchen. He was also excited about the prospect of the kid seeing his room for the first time. They’d put a lot of work into getting it ready for him, and this weekend he could settle in properly. And that would be the fun part.

[Nikolai Campbell]

James' explanation that the house would fit five, counting the cat, was met with a nod of acknowledgment though Niko could think of no verbal response. He was a little distracted, anyway, taking in the sight of the house from a closer vantage point. His assessment, ultimately, was that James and Chase couldn't have picked a cooler house. This feeling was only improved upon when James told him 'welcome home'.

"Thank you,"Niko offered. Maybe not the most appropriate answer ever, but he felt odd saying nothing. Niko had a habit of being unnecessarily polite when he was uncomfortable or uncertain, as it turned out. Not that he'd admit that. Before James pointed the cat out, Niko's attention was diverted to her as it rubbed against him. It didn't hurt, and yet, he stared at the cat in muted confusion. Did it want something? He wasn't about to ask aloud.

James went on to tell him not to feed him human food- another thing Niko nodded his head in acknowledgment to. He didn't want to make the kitty sick if he could help it, so it'd be an easy rule to abide by. The meow that followed the information slightly startled him, mostly because it made him think the cat was really talking to James. James responded, making it seem even more believable.

Chase seemed to salvage the situation for him by picking up the creature. Niko could only assume that's what the cat had wanted from him in the first place, which was something he'd try to remember for next time. So this was Milo? He looked as harmless as everyone said if nothing else.

"Hi."Niko greeted after Chase introduced him to the cat. They both spoke to Milo before, it seemed natural that Niko should follow suit. Then, the tap, to which Niko responded with a soft 'heyy,' of surprise. It wasn't so much that Niko minded (or even that he really felt it) as he didn't know what to make of it. Taking cue from Chase, he figured it couldn't be a bad thing if Chase didn't react. Gentle would be easy enough, as Niko was convinced that he now needed to get the cat to like him. Finding out what constituted as 'like' to the animal would be a logical first move, of course.

When Chase set the cat down, Niko turned his attention to his own shoes. As Chase had removed his before, Niko figured he'd do the same, a task he found easier to accomplish when he sat down. Once off, he set his shoes by Chase's and looked in the direction James had went in, realizing the question was directed at him only when James followed it with the question regarding his room. While he was excited by the idea of a room in such an amazing house, he had no problem choosing the first option.

"It sounds great,"Niko answered, his tone nothing short of enthusiastic. Not that he wouldn't have given the same answer, even if they'd told him the meal would be something he hated. Niko tended to be pretty easy to please in general, so long as no one forced milk upon him."I'd love to help,"Niko added, getting to his feet before walking in the direction James had went in. He expected that Chase would follow and help them, too, so it didn't occur to him that he should have looked back to make sure he was coming.

[Dr. James Campbell]

It was good seeing Milo react well to Niko. On the rare occasion one of his siblings came to stay with them with their family, Milo had been intimidated by the noise and people and spent most of his time asleep on James and Chase's bed, or hiding under it. But he was doing fine with just Niko. Good. One less thing to worry about. Plus he didn't seem too weirded out by their habit of holding conversations with the cat. And the little feline seemed content enough with the new addition to the family.

It was comforting for James to notice--of course he noticed--that both his husband and foster son took off their shoes as soon as they walked in the door. Though Chase wasn't as particular about making sure that they were aligned properly, at least he wasn't tracking dirt into the house and were on the rack. James would fix them later, since they weren't particularly bothering him at the moment, and he tried to avoid his compulsions when he could. Sure, putting off worrying about them seemed a little counterproductive when he could just fix it now, but it made him feel like he was a little more in control of his life.

There was no question between the adults who James' question was addressing. Because of the open floorplan, Chase often nearby when James was cooking, but he didn't actually help. Usually, he would be on the couch, doing paperwork or watching the news.

James considered pulling out the step-stool he'd had since Ginny was small enough to need one, but he figured that the boy would be able to reach the counter just fine if he sat on the stool by the counter island. He rolled up his sleeves, then went to the sink to wash his hands. "Okay Niko, you just have to wash your hands, then hop up on the stool over there. You can bread the chicken." Once his hands were clean, he pulled out a large pot and filled it with water, then put it on the stove. "Pasta cooks faster, so we just get the pot set up and start that a bit later."

Trying to avoid stepping on the tail of the cat that kept winding his way around his feet, he rummaged through the cabinets, knowing exactly where he would find the bread crumbs, readying the stuff for Niko to prep the chicken. He put out a bowl of crumbs and a bowl where he'd quickly beat an egg. "All you have to do is take the strips of chicken, dip it in the egg, then roll the chicken in the crumbs, so it's completely covered." He also put out a glass dish, then smiled again at the boy. "Then you put it in the dish, and that's it. I'll get started on the sauce we'll bake it in." Then he looked over his shoulder at Chase and smirked. "And you can feed Milo, so he won't be begging."

Not like it would really stop the cat.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase knew James well enough to know what would happen if he didn’t put his shoes where they belonged. He also knew what happened if he was doing something like mowing the lawn, and came in to get something without taking off his footwear. Yeah. It was better to avoid those situations. He was also happy to see Milo curious, but gentle with the little boy. Granted, he was quiet. And as long as Niko remembered to be gentle with the cat, they’d get along well.

Chase followed Niko to the kitchen, not surprised that James was already getting things ready. If they didn’t have Niko here, the routine would be the same. James would be getting dinner ready, and Chase would... well, in all honesty, he’d try to help, if the task was suited to his skill level. That wasn’t often, considering that he’d once managed to injure himself making salad. (He was convinced the entire Hammel staff knew that story.) So if he wasn’t trying to help, he was usually doing some work, or cat wrangling to keep Milo out of the kitchen and off the counters.

Speaking of cat wrangling, Chase could see that Milo was being a pest. He walked around the island and crouched down, rubbing his fingers together and making a clicking noise with his tongue. “C’mere, you.” The cat came trotting over, pushing his head against the blond’s hand. Chase smirked and scooped him up. “You’re such a pest.” Though it sounded mean, it was spoken in an affectionate tone. The cat just purred, lazily flicking his tail and eyeing the chicken his taller person was getting ready for the smaller person.

“Sure,” he answered James. “But you know he’s still gonna want chicken later.” Spoiled cat. Chase carried him over to his dish and set him down. Milo knew the routine, and happily wound around Chase’s legs while he dished out the cat food before face planting into his bowl. That would keep him out of the way for now.

With that done, Chase walked over to check on James and Niko. He was almost positive that, if Niko managed success, he’d be hearing about it. Yes, okay, the nine year old had better luck in the kitchen than him. The last time he’d tried this, he’d had minor success. Except he’d gotten so focused on his task that the chicken had ended up with a breading layer about five times thicker than it really needed to be. He really was better off not helping most of the time, but with Niko helping too, he felt a little awkward.

“Jamie? Can I help with anything?” He didn’t have any real paperwork to do, and if he was going to show Niko the rest of the house, well... he needed the kid. He just didn’t know if James would trust him with much in the kitchen.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko nodded in understanding to James' instructions. He didn't get the chance to help someone cook very often so the opportunity was met with appreciation. And the instructions made obvious sense to him, so he moved to the sink. He mimicked James further by rolling up his own sleeves, albeit a bit clumsily. He did so mostly because James had, but also because he wanted to avoid being reprimanded if it was preventable. He then set to washing his hands.

Before Niko followed James, his attention went to Milo, which did effectively distract him from the task he'd agreed to. Niko didn't move to touch the cat, as he'd already washed his hands- rather he settled for keeping up with his movements with an amused smile. Niko was certainly going to get the cat's attention when he was done helping James. He still wasn't sure what to make of him yet, but holding him seemed like a good idea in that moment.

Only when James spoke, giving him more instructions, did he seem to realize he should focus on something other than the cat. He did just that as he moved toward James, stepping onto the stool before taking in the things that were set up for him. It seemed to him to be a task he could enjoy. Until the cat distracted him again, that was. Milo left him giggling as he dug into the food Chase put down. But this time, Niko caught himself after a moment, turning his attention back to his task without any prompting from James or Chase.

Niko finally smiled, picking up one of the strips of chicken. He could handle this. As James had indicated he should do, he put the chicken in the bowl with the egg, giving it a look of suspicion when his fingers came into contact with the egg. Well, that was new. Niko would be washing his hands again after this, too, especially if this egg dried or hardened on his skin. But it was fun, anyway, and once his suspicion vanished, it was replaced by a content smile as he lifted the chicken and moved it to the second bowl where he began rolling the chicken. Covering it completely seemed like an easy task, and one he felt somewhat proud to be trusted with. This pride was particularly evident when he could place it in the dish specified for just that purpose.

Niko looked up from what he was doing when Chase addressed James, his interest mostly held by the name Chase opted to use. Hearing Jamie instead of James or Dr. Campbell, as it'd been at Hammel, made everything feel different to Niko. (Not that it was the first time, Niko just took more notice of it this time) Not in a negative way- it really made him feel more relaxed, though he had nothing to do with the question Chase was asking. It left him smiling in an entirely genuine, happy way.

As for the question itself, Niko would have gladly asked Chase to help him if Chase hadn't directed his question at James. This potential move on Niko's part may or may not have been a safe idea. Not that he had any reason to know either way. Before James could answer, Niko had turned his attention back to the task of dipping another strip of chicken in the bowl with the egg. James' answer was less significant than the name had been, though he was inclined to still listen to the two adults. They certainly didn't bore Niko by any means. Actually, listening to their voices was comforting to him, if nothing else. The task he was charged with was just more pressing.

[Dr. James Campbell]

He smiled, watching the blond boy watch the cat. Milo was friendly, and had always been that way. He was the kind of cat that would worm his way onto anyone's lap, asking for affection and love. On the rare occasions where James and Chase ignored him (notably during their rare fights) he would first sulk off somewhere, then return, yowling until someone gave in and skritched behind his ears.

James then got started on making the sauce the chicken would cook in. He never, ever used tomato sauce from a jar, so he pulled out a can of crushed tomatoes and dumped it in a saucepan, then began to season it carefully. It had taken him years to trust his own measurements enough to do it this way, knowing exactly how much to put into the sauce and knowing exactly how it will come out. Cooking in the same kitchen, making the same recipes often enough had made him more confident, to the point where he didn't over-obsess over cooking any more. And that felt good, knowing that there was one part of his life his OCD didn't touch.

Of course, his kitchen was immaculate, but that was just healthy.

When Chase offered to help, James hesitated. On a different night, his husband would be the one breading the chicken. But Niko seemed to have a good enough handle on that one that he didn't want to send in and adult to help. "Well love, you can chop a small onion, and a clove of garlic. Just remember to peel the onion this time." This was a potentially dangerous instruction, as Chase wasn't the most trustworthy when it came to knives. But it was just an onion. Chase could do it just fine.

He hoped.

So as James got the rest of the ingredients out (the cheese would need to defrost, and a few more things went into the sauce that would be put on the pasta.) he asked the little boy (who was remarkably efficient at getting the chicken ready) "So how was your day, Niko?" James had many fond memories of helping his mom in the kitchen as he told her about his day at school.

Five years ago, James would have never expected such a domestic scene in his house. In fact, if someone had told him that it would happen, he would have laughed, then smiled to himself, wishing it were so.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase could remember when he’d first brought Milo home. He’d been a little late home that day, because he’d been looking at a friend’s litter of kittens. Milo had been affectionate, even as a kitten, and he’d brought him home as a surprise for James. Up until now, the cat had been a little like a surrogate child, which wasn’t helped by the fact that they did, in fact, talk to the little animal. It wasn’t uncommon for them to crash on the couch after dinner with the cat on either one of them. It worked.

Watching James cook was always something Chase liked to do. It was just so... easy for him. Whether the trainer was helping him or not, he often hung in the kitchen just to talk, and watch. He liked that it was familiar, the sounds and the smells. He’d been with James so long that he didn’t even have to be in the kitchen to recognize what James was doing. He also knew it was the one thing that James seemed able to let go of his OCD for. Watching him toss in different spices without measuring it perfectly, well, it was nice to see. The OCD was something Chase had really had to get used to when he’d first been with James. And he did his best to avoid triggering anxiety attacks by not thinking, and by now, most things were habit. At least he tried.

Chase flashed a little grin at Niko when the boy turned to look at him. Nicknames were just the way of life around their house. James’ instructions distracted him, though. He shot a playful scowl at his husband. “I’ll remember. I only did that once.” ... Twice, actually, but who’s counting, really? He just got out a small, sharp knife (one he was intimately, and, unfortunately, painfully familiar with) and a cutting board, and got to work. And yes, he remembered to peel the onion.

Really, he couldn’t believe the situation he found himself in. Back when he was student, he’d have never thought about this happening in his life. He’d never pictured himself getting married, let alone having a kid around that wasn’t some random cousin’s offspring. Yet here he was, in the middle of his kitchen with both a husband and a son. It was a little surreal. Chase smiled to himself. Surreal, maybe. But he wouldn’t have changed a thing.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko looked up in reaction to the question, his hands frozen mid roll. He had to think for a moment before he could answer James. Before he could begin considering an answer, he found himself considering the simple fact that James had bothered to ask at all. It was nice of him to, though Niko really couldn't say he thought his day was very interesting. It'd been fun, Niko always made things fun, but these were adults he was talking to. Not other kids. What he found enjoyable, they probably wouldn't. Besides, adults were always so calm, so Niko felt compelled to mimic the behavior in an attempt to seem older and more mature to them. They'd like him then, right?

"It was great,"Niko answered, unable to keep the nervousness from tinting his words (though he tried)"I got to draw at the pond- like science drawings. But, the fish moved too fast for me to see them, so I couldn't draw them. It was really fun anyway." Niko's explanation was short and to the point. By the time he stated that it was fun, he managed to sound happy again. Comfortable, even. He'd also gotten back to the task at hand while he was speaking. Chances were that this particular strip would have more bread crumbs than it needed since he couldn't seem to remember if he'd rolled it all the way as a result of the talking, but it was a small price to pay. Even knowing that, he felt very accomplished in his ability to do what was asked. Which lead him to ask James a question. The right question probably would have been,'how was your day,' but Niko wouldn't have thought of that, so James got a completely different question from the young boy, one that he'd considered asking Chase before, since he saw Chase more often. He hadn't gotten around to it, but he considered it a few times all the same.

"James. Before, when Chase took me to your office, you made me feel a lot better. You explained it, made it okay. Is that what you do? I mean, you said you were an expert. Does that mean people come to ask you questions like I did? Because you're so smart? Is that why you have an office, like the principal has?" Principal, as in principal of his school. He didn't call Mr. Harris the principal- actually, he didn't call Mr. Harris anything because he was nervous about being around such an important person. As for the question itself and why he asked it, Niko had an answer for that. Questions invited other people to talk, and hearing their voice rather than his own was just what he wanted.

Not that Niko wouldn't talk- he didn't mind it at all. If nothing else, though, it seemed only fair that they should take turns in the 'ask a question' department. Niko wasn't particularly persistent, unfortunately, so if his question didn't go over well, he was likely to settle for going with whatever James had in mind, even if that did mean telling them more about himself and what he'd done today and what he'd done in general. If James, or Chase for that matter, wanted to know, Niko would answer any question he had. At least, he thought he would. There was always that chance that he'd ask a question Niko didn't like. Yet, as he was in James' home, he'd likely answer it anyway because he was fairly certain that he had to. Even if he made the argument that he didn't have to, he would so that James wouldn't be upset. And that, at the moment, was the goal for Niko; to keep both adults from being upset with him. Easy, right? Maybe.

[Dr. James Campbell]

It never really occurred to James that Chase would like to watch him cook. It was just one of those things that he did. He was comfortable in the kitchen, and always had been, even as a kid. In fact, when his powers started to manifest and the side-effects kicked in, it was calming for him to help his mother bake, and measure things out precisely, to make things come out perfectly right. And then he would clean up afterward. James' mother hadn't understood it at first, but was secretly pleased by her oldest son's sudden interest in keeping the house clean. It was when he started getting anxious when it wasn't clean that she began to worry about him.

James cocked an eyebrow at Chase's retort. He was the one counting. "Twice." But there was nothing else to say about it, so long as Chase remembered this time, and didn't cut his hand again. Then he turned his attention back to Niko, listening intently to what the boy had to say. He'd always wanted to have these kind of conversations with Ginny, but he didn't see her every day. It was more like, "How has the semester been?" and pestering her about her grades and college applications. "You know, it's probably a good thing that the fish in that pond are fast. It wouldn't surprise me if one of the students with animal control tried to make them swim backwards or something."

Niko's question made him smile, and his ears tinged pink with embarrassment. He was talking as if James was a real doctor, someone like Sean. "No, that's not exactly what I do. See, I am the Head of the Recruiting Department at Hammel. All of the recruiters work for me, but I have a boss too, Mr. Harris." He thought about it a bit more. Actually, there were a few students with whom he had pretty good relationships. Students like Misato would sometimes come in to talk, and his door was almost always open for whoever wanted to visit. "My job is to make sure that we find the right people to bring to Hammel, and that their families accept having meta-humans as part of the family. Sometimes, people have a hard time with that. Actually, I was pretty lucky, since my brother and sisters thought it was pretty cool, and my parents didn't think it was a big deal."

James suddenly realized he'd gone off on a bit of a tangent, and tried o actually answer the boy's question. "Sometimes students come to talk to me, and you can to, so long as my door is open. But mostly I work with just adults, and usually I'm telling them what to do." Then, as if to prove it, he looked over at Chase's handiwork and said, "And chop them a bit finer, love, okay?"

[Chase Campbell]

Once, twice, what was the difference? Chase tried to catch Niko’s eye as he childishly stuck out his tongue out behind James’ back Most of his students knew that he was fully capable of being a little immature now and again, particularly with his favourites (sadly, the ones that would be graduating before long). But it didn’t last as he paid attention to what he was doing with the garlic and the onion. He knew what happened if he didn’t pay attention, and really, blood wasn’t the best way to welcome their new family member.

But he still listened. Sure, he talked to Niko during training, but this was different. He didn’t get to hear a lot about the other classes. Now the kid was more settled into the school, though he still tried to make training fun, like a game, it was more about getting Niko to focus on control. This was nice, making dinner while listening to someone other than James (not that he didn’t love listening to James). When they had Ginny over, it was the same feeling. Granted, she was usually the one helping her father in the kitchen, and Chase was delegated to do something with significantly less risk than play with a knife. But he managed a little snort at the suggestion of the animal controllers and the fish. “Apparently the fish in the pond are jerks, according to the animal controllers.” Had they attended any other school, that might have sounded... well, strange. But for Hammel? Completely normal.

Niko’s question made him smile a little. Though he knew the technical aspects of James’ job, he knew his husband put a lot more into it than that. The way he talked to and connected with the few kids that sought him out just made Chase respect him that much more. He might not have been a doctor like Sean, but he helped the kids. His explanation for his job made perfect sense, and the trainer stopped his chopping for a moment to look at Niko. “I was pretty lucky too. My mom was more mad that I’d used my power on her than freaked out over my being meta. But some parents aren’t so accepting. But James is good at his job.”

Yes, James was a little bossy. And he proved it when Chase went back to chopping, only to discover that, yes, he wasn’t doing it right. This wasn’t uncommon. He shrugged and tried to slice the thing a little finer. “Yes, Jamie.” He really couldn’t do anything right when it came to the kitchen. And poor Niko would learn that very, very quickly.

[Nikolai Campbell]

Niko wanted to laugh when Chase stuck out his tongue, and he would have, too. That was not something he anticipated. But James looked at him, and he couldn't bring himself to laugh instead of answering. He still remained grinning after he'd answered, though, at least until another emotion over powered it. The stronger emotion was curiosity, and Niko's expression lit up with it at James' suggestion. Swimming backwards? The way he put it, it didn't sound like it'd be okay. Niko kept quiet, though, trying to work through it himself.

Chase saying they were jerks solidified his idea that it must be bad. Was that why the kids wanted them to go backwards, to get back at them? When James answered his question, he tried to forget about the fish swimming backwards for a moment, despite how difficult it was. He did so in favor of listening attentively. After all, what James had to say was interesting, especially the part about him being in charge of people. That made him very important in Niko's mind, even if Mr. Harris was in charge still. When James went on to say that some families didn't like their kids being metas, Niko had little to offer. Actually, he'd like to stay off that topic, not because it bothered him- at this point, it didn't. But because everyone else seemed bothered by it, and it made him realize he really was missing something, when otherwise he'd be content.

The part that really got him was the fact that James mentioned having brothers and sisters. Niko looked up at him, close to asking a question. He refrained when he remembered that plenty of people had siblings. It was only him who got left out in that department. And, he didn't mind, either, but he had a fascination with siblings to make up for it. Even so, when James was through explaining, he was far from satisfied. Chase had taken him to see James and not anyone else. James had made him feel much better, too! Though James seemed like the kind of person who was proper and strict, he was actually very funny (whether he meant to be or not). But arguing with an adult seemed like a bad idea, especially an adult he would rather not upset.

"Ohh,"Niko agreed passively. He was far more interested in the fish, anyway."Wait, though. Why is it mean to make the fish swim backwards? Do they get confused? I'd get confused if I started walking backwards. You guys should walk backwards! I bet everyone would do it if you did. If you're in charge of the adults, you should tell everyone to walk backwards! Then no one would make the fish do it, 'cause they'll know how they felt." Niko was very entertained by his own mental image of all the adults (and the students who would do it, though obviously they'd be harder to convince) walking backwards. So much so that, for a moment, it didn't seem to matter what James or Chase thought or said about it. Sometimes it was nice to be nine.