"Did you see how absolutely breathtaking the architecture is?" Jenn asked wistfully, a far away look in her eyes. She was carrying Isaac in her arms and holding Brendon's hand rather tightly. "Reminds me of Paris," she said, sounding only the tiniest bit sad, now, and she smiled down at Isaac when he chanted Paris! over and over again. She'd been gushing the whole three hours they'd been out, sight-seeing, after having eaten at a small cafe. Brendon smiled at her and nodded, kissing her cheek impulsively before knocking on Ryan's front door. They were staying here, but he thought it only polite that they not just traipse into his house whenever they wanted.

"You're killing my hand, you know," he said quietly, his smile strained now. Jenn giggled girlishly and nodded. "Kind of reminds me of when you went into labour," he said after a few seconds. Jenn sent him a scathing look, but didn't answer. And didn't let go of his hand, instead squeezing it tighter. It was something she did when she was overwhelmed, or in pain, or just very happy. Brendon let her.

Lucía heard the knocking and shot up from her seat on the couch in front of the TV, jumped down and scurried through the house before she opened the front door with a smile, the expression turning into a grin when she locked eyes with Jenn. "Dinner isn't really ready." She scrunched up her nose. "Or started. If you want something from the fridge or the freezer, that's fine, but I think we should order out," she stated, feeling very important to be the one to tell grown-ups these things. "Daddy's gone into his head, and we can't disturb him. He has to come out himself," she added, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

Brendon smiled at her before slipping past her into the house. He watched Jenn gush about the sight-seeing they'd done, again, with Keely, and rolled his eyes. "Well, what does everyone want to eat, then?" he asked as he took off his jacket and watched Isaac slide out of Jenn's arms to march over to him. He struggled a bit with his sleeves, and Brendon helped him take off his shoes before leading him towards the kitchen.

Jenn took off her own sleek, black jacket and kicked off her heels. "Your daddy's gone into his head, has he?" she asked, hoping the girl would give more of an explanation. Since she didn't know Ryan very well, only through Brendon, she had no clue what this could possibly mean.

"It means he'll probably write five full chapters or the lyrics to a whole album in just one day," Lucía answered, with a shrug. "But he kind of forgets the world when that happens, so you have to be really quiet when you're by his study because he startles easily when he's in his head." She reached up and took the woman's hand, leading her into the kitchen after Mr. Brendon and the little boy. "He gets sick when you don't let him come out of it on his own. I did it once, when Uncle Jon was visiting, and Daddy cried and couldn't breathe right and I think he was sick all over the place, but Uncle Jon took me into my bed. I was really scared, especially because Uncle Jon couldn't stay with me. And it lasted longer than it usually did, so Uncle Jon had to get doctors and pills, and Daddy was really tired and stayed in his bed for days, so I haven't done it again. I'm a big girl now, and I know he needs to get out of it himself. If you guys weren't here I would've called my sitter, because it can last really long and I can't cook on my own, but I'm big enough to call my sitter." She smiled proudly, not really that concerned. It was just one of Daddy's little quirks, and as long as she was quiet and didn't go into the study, everything would be fine, she knew.

"Well, we'd better be extra quiet, then, shouldn't we?" Jenn asked, storing the story away so that she could tell Brendon later. He'd need to know about this. She didn't think he could handle it if he made such a big mistake with Ryan, and his daughter would not approve at all. Following the girl to the kitchen, she spotted Brendon by the phone and shrugged. "Does everyone like Chinese?" she asked, looking down at Keely. She was more concerned about what she and her father liked, since she already knew what Isaac did and didn't eat.

"Fried rice and chicken for me, noodles and shrimp with soy for Daddy," she answered automatically. "We'll just put Daddy's in the fridge," she added, once again feeling very proud and grown-up for being able to take care of the things her Daddy couldn't right at the moment. She looked directly at Isaac. "You can't make a lot of noise, little boy," she told him seriously. "We have to be quiet like mice, all right?"

Isaac looked up, an interested gleam in his eyes, at being called 'little boy'. He wasn't that little, was he? He pressed an index finger against his mouth and grinned before letting his hand fall and sticking out his tongue. Brendon ran an absent hand through his hair as he picked up the phone. "Isaac has experience in being quiet; I'm sure it'll be fine." he mumbled before putting down the phone, looking sheepish. "I don't even have a number," he chuckled, feeling slightly ridiculous. "Do you, er, have the number somewhere, or have a phone book..?"

"There are food numbers on the fridge," Lucía informed. "And Uncle Jaken's number and my sitter's number. Because I can make phone calls, I just don't remember the numbers very well." She bit her lip slightly. "I think we should put the chicken away or it will be bad and we can't eat it anymore," she added, pointing towards the whole chicken that was already stuffed and ready to be put in the oven, on the kitchen counter. Daddy would be really embarrassed once he came back, she knew, but if you hugged him a lot and kissed his cheeks he would be fine again.

Jenn chuckled and nodded. "You're right, of course," she said, moving forward to take care of the chicken as Brendon scanned the fridge for the right number and picked up the phone. She listened to him order and give the address and house number before thanking the person on the other end and hanging up. Placing the chicken in the fridge, she smiled at him crookedly before turning to the children. "Well, I'm sure we have time to spare before the food arrives, so why don't we go into the living room and be very quiet while we wait for supper? In about half an hour you two can wash up and we'll set the table, alright?" she asked, and smiled when Isaac nodded eagerly. "The doorbell shouldn't disturb your father, right?"

"Not if we only let it ring once," Lucía reassured confidently. "He usually has just a bit of music on."

***

"God, I'm so full," Brendon complained as they made their way to the living room after dinner. "I'm going to explode," he whined, plopping down into one of the armchairs and groaning. Jenn sat on the couch opposite him and laughed softly. Isaac, who'd been very quiet throughout dinner, just as requested, climbed onto the chair with Brendon, sitting down heavily against his father and eliciting another groan from the man.

"Well, if you hadn't made a complete pig of yourself," Jenn suggested, a grin on her lips. Brendon sent her a glare, but didn't respond. He knew it was true.

"When it's Chinese you have to make a pig of yourself," Lucía piped up, more interested, really, in getting her own opinion out than in supporting Mr. Brendon. "That's what Daddy always says, although then he usually ends up saying that his metabolism is slowing down so he really should watch it." She shrugged. "I don't really know what that means," she admitted.

Brendon laughed, despite himself, though made sure to keep it quiet. "I don't think your father will ever have to worry about gaining weight," he said, still chuckling. "Me, on the other hand. Well, my-- butt is huge," he shook his head, winking at Jenn, who'd thrown her head back to laugh before looking at him again.

"I won't even go there," she muttered, though she remembered many times in the past when she'd told Brendon how jealous she was of his ass. He could put most girls to shame with it, really. She'd always been surprised men weren't lining up for a night with him.

Lucía shrugged. "He's a little bit softer than he was when I was little," she informed. "It's okay, though," she quickly added. "Cuddling is nicer when there aren't bones everywhere." She went across the room and started rummaging through some drawers. "He says in our family we take ages to grow into our bodies," she added with a small giggle. "But I don't think I'm that bony." Finally she pulled a box out, holding it triumphantly to her chest. "Puzzle!" she exclaimed excitedly, grinning, before moving to lay it out on the floor, looking up at the little boy with a smile.

Isaac scrambled off the chair and sat on the floor, grinning. He loved puzzles! He looked back at his father, content when the man smiled down at him, and then looked up at his Matante, flashing her his small teeth when he grinned again. "I can play!" he said, stating the question instead of asking it.

Nodding wildly, Lucía grinned back. "Puzzles aren't very fun all alone," she stated seriously, finding a corner piece and putting it on the floor before looking around for the next one.

Isaac giggled and started rummaging through the pieces, randomly testing some of them to the piece Keely had laid out. His bottom lip stuck between his teeth, he adopted a look of intense concentration that made Brendon smile softly. Jenn stood from the couch suddenly, walking over to Brendon. "I need to continue researching for that case," she told him, kissing his cheek before heading upstairs, making sure to be very quiet. Brendon sat back in the chair and sighed, listening to his son's soft giggles every now and then.

***

Ryan's fingers suddenly stopped on the keyboard and for the first time in he had no clue how long, his mind felt empty. He had to take a few deep breaths to get properly out of the deep kind of writing mode he'd been in. Usually, when he wrote, it was just casual, a special mood but nothing that special. Once every few weeks or so, though, he'd get completely caught up in it, forgetting time and space and everything except what he was writing. He felt a little bad about it, really, because it wasn't something that was proper for the single parent of young child, but to properly prevent it he would have to stop writing entirely and he didn't think that was something he could ever actually bring himself to do. And Lucía seemed to have adjusted pretty well over the years. A growl emitted from his stomach and he looked up at the clock. It was nearing three in the morning, so he must've been out of it for over twelve hours. No wonder he was hungry and in desperate need of the bathroom. He got up with a groan, joints aching at being used after so long in the same position, and made his way to the bathroom to take care of his business.

When he came back out he realized he'd forgotten about the dinner he'd been planning to make and that he'd left his guests with nothing to eat and... he groaned again, feeling supremely embarrassed now. Bad host, anyone? Grimacing, he made his way down the hall and into the kitchen where he opened the fridge, sighing in relief when he realized that the chicken had at least been put in and could still be used the following day, and that there was even something for him to eat. He pulled out the Chinese and put it in a microwave bowl before setting it to heat and grabbing a beer to go with it, sitting down at the table to wait.

The moment Brendon heard something in the hallway, he leapt out of bed and opened the door in time to see Ryan heading downstairs. Rubbing his eyes, because he, like any normal person, had been sleeping, he pulled up his loose pajama pants and headed downstairs, uncaring of the fact that he was wearing a loose, old, ripped t-shirt that probably looked horrible on him. Following the smell of food, he made his way to the kitchen, where he leaned against the doorway and smiled at Ryan. "Someone's up late," he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

Ryan looked up and blushed slightly at the teasing observation. And, of course, the fact that he'd only ever really heard that voice when they'd fallen asleep together and woken up the same way. "I guess I got a little lost," he mumbled as he opened the beer and took a deep swallow, sighing at the way it felt to finally have liquid, cool at that, running down his parched throat. The microwave dinged and he got up to take the food out, grabbing utensils from the drawer and sitting back down. "Do you want anything?" he asked, his stomach giving another rumble, and he quickly took a bite in an attempt to pacify it.

Brendon chuckled and shook his head, pushing away from the entrance and taking a seat opposite Ryan. "No. I, like anyone sane, ate hours ago," he assured, giving Ryan a lopsided smile. "It's a good thing Keely knows how to take such good care of you," he added dryly. "Or we would have had a slight problem on our hands, on top of not knowing what you would eat," he bit his lip and looked away, almost amazed, suddenly, at how well Keely knew her father. But, he figured, that was what happened when people lived together and depended on each other. He wondered if Isaac would be like that, but somehow, couldn't see it happening.

"She is," Ryan agreed softly, taking another bite, chewing and swallowing. "Even back when she was a baby and I should've been the one taking care of her." He chuckled wryly. "Truth is," he stated. "She saved me. With all the shit I was doing back then I'm not sure where I'd have been today at all if she hadn't come into my life. Not anywhere pleasant, I can assure you." He took a sip of his beer, slowing down a little on his intake now that the worst edge of hunger had mostly passed. "I'm amazed at how well she turned out, but I'm definitely giving a lot of credit to Jon," he admitted. "He was the one capable of being an adult in that situation. I panicked and lied to myself and broke down and had no idea what to do. As horrible as it is, I'll admit that I was about the worst father you could imagine for a couple of months there."

"I wouldn't blame you. It was hard enough having a child when I expected it and thought I was prepared, but--" Brendon sighed and shrugged. "I can't even imagine how hard it must have been," he bit his lip before looking up at Ryan and smiling softly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he spoke. "I don't think she likes me," he whispered, dropping his gaze to look at the table. "I don't-- think she approves," he added. He knew that this could make up Ryan's mind, and it made him angry that this could be one of the turning points. Angry at himself, mostly, for being unable to open up to someone new, even a child. He was pathetic.

Ryan sighed slightly, putting down his beer and reaching out to cover Brendon's hand with his own. "Don't treat her too much like a child," he suggested. "She's a lot smarter and more mature than her age and size would make you think." He sucked in a deep breath. "And try to be interested in what she has to say, what she wants to do, but also to talk about what you like to do and what you're interested in. She likes the thought of helping people even though she can't do much yet. I'm sure she'd like to hear about the charity." He bit his lip slightly, feeling dread settle tight and heavy in his stomach. "But she is the most important person in the world to me and I have to put her first. If by the end of this visit you still don't get along with her, then... I don't really see a future for us." His voice had gone incredibly soft and he was looking down at his food, not feeling so hungry anymore. He'd really not been aware that he'd gotten so attached to Brendon and Isaac already, but just thinking about having to end things now that they finally seemed to be going right hurt him to no end. But he knew his priorities, and no matter how much the thought of parting hurt him, he refused to be one of those parents who put themselves first and placed their child in a situation they would hate, forcing step families on them and pushing them away in the process. That thought was even harder to bear than that of going his separate ways from Brendon once more.

Brendon covered his face with his hands, shaking his head forcefully. He couldn't leave Ryan for good, he couldn't. Drawing in a sharp breath, he swallowed down the urge to cry, closing his eyes against the tears, before letting his hands fall back to the table and nodding. "I want her to like me," he said. "So much! I just feel like she doesn't want me here, but maybe-- maybe that's just me, right? Maybe I just have to try harder and- and I'll do anything, Ryan. Anything," he whispered, pleading, now. He was already making plans to talk to her, maybe spend some time alone with her, try to get to know her. If he could do that, everything would be okay. They were on familiar ground, after all. They both loved Ryan and just wanted to see him happy. What more did they need? He bit his lip and looked away, breathing loudly through his nose. She had to like him. She had to. He needed Ryan.

"You need to like her back," Ryan stated softly, leaning in without a second thought to wrap his arms around the younger man and holding him close, stroking random circles on his back with long fingers. "She has this... eerie ability to pick up on it when people don't. She generally likes everyone, unless they do something she doesn't like or she senses that they don't like her." He sighed and pressed a small kiss against the top of Brendon's head. "I don't expect you to ever love her as much as you love Isaac, or the same way, but you and I are both package deals. We come with our kids, not separately, and for this to work... You can't see her as some random annoyance or an obstacle you have to overcome. Tell me..." He sucked in a deep breath, squeezing his own eyes shut. "Can you see yourself, somewhere down the line, loving my daughter?"

Brendon leaned into Ryan, burying his face in his neck and breathing harshly still. He agreed with everything Ryan said, and he was so glad that Ryan and Isaac were getting to know each other, and getting along so well. He knew it would be harder with Keely, because she was older, and more perceptive, and so protective of her father, but he wanted it. At the last question, though, he pulled back so that he could look at Ryan, cupping the man's face in his hands. "She's part of you, Ryan," he said, smiling softly, though his eyes were still wet with unshed tears. "She means so much to you, she's the-- the love of your life," his voice broke and he took a deep breath to reign himself in. "Of course I can," he finally said, and he knew that he meant it with every fibre of his being. He hoped that Ryan could see that.

A small smile settled over Ryan's features and he felt hope chase away the swirling pain in his chest. "Then everything will be fine," he whispered, one hand rising to settle on Brendon's cheek, thumb stroking gently. "Trust me," he added, voice gone even softer, and then he leaned in and pressed their lips together, lingering this time, and giving Brendon a chance to react.

Brendon smiled into the kiss, unable to stop himself as he slid his hands into Ryan's hair and pressed against him firmly. He'd almost forgotten how good it felt to kiss Ryan, really kiss him, but suddenly the memories were all coming back. The good times rose to the surface, because the bad times didn't matter right now, and he would be happy if they never mattered again. They were moving on, and everything would be fine, because he did trust Ryan, and he would make an effort with his daughter. How could he not?

Ryan sighed into the kiss, eyes falling shut once more as he caressed the younger boy's lips with his own. It felt amazing, oddly like he'd been lost and then found again. It felt like... home, he realized as his fingers ran back and forth over Brendon's lightly stubbled cheek, the other holding onto his back firmly. He breathed through his nose, revelling in the rush that came with it all; not a wild rush, but a gentle, sweet one, one that made him feel safe and cared for in a way he couldn't remember ever happening before. He opened his mouth slightly, hesitantly, leaving Brendon to decide what to do with the opening and felt ridiculously like an inexperienced, stupid teenager although he had been well out of his teens when he'd gotten his first kiss. He dismissed the thoughts, though. Right now wasn't where they belonged.

Brendon opened his own mouth against Ryan's, flicking his tongue against his bottom lip before slipping it inside to tangle with Ryan's. He moaned softly, almost shocked by the fact that this was his first open-mouthed kiss since that Christmas with Ryan, and unbelievably happy with the fact that it was so much better this time because they were both put back together, both more or less in charge of their lives, and both comfortable with each other. He shifted closer, bringing his hands back to cup Ryan's face again, rubbing his thumbs across the man's cheeks over and over. It was almost surreal, to have waited for something for so long, and to finally be getting it. He pulled back for a second, just enough time to gasp for breath before leaning in again, his eyes closed and a look of concentration furrowing his brows.

Ryan was lost in it, could feel small moans building in his throat, and he was a little too aware of the fact that his tongue seemed to have grown a direct connection to his cock and that with every stroke, every suck, his pants were growing tighter. He finally pulled away a little, leaning his face into the hold of Brendon's hand as he gasped softly for air. He didn't want to stop it, he really didn't. But he also wanted to savour this as something special, to take one small step at a time. Maybe he was being overly cautious, but he didn't believe rushing into anything would be good for either of them, and if they didn't stop now it would be infinitely harder to do later. "I missed that," he murmured after a while, a relaxed, slightly tired smile settling on his face and showing that he genuinely meant it.

Brendon chuckled breathlessly and leaned his forehead against Ryan's. "So did I," he whispered, grinning. He gave Ryan another peck before pulling away completely, letting his hands fall to his sides. "We should probably, um... go to bed," he said, feeling a bit awkward and sad at the same time that he couldn't just follow Ryan into his room. Reluctantly, he stood, running a hand through Ryan's hair, and smiled. "See you.. in a few hours," he said, and left the room, walking slowly to his bedroom and thanking God that Jenn wasn't waiting up for him this time. He couldn't talk right now, just grin goofily. The moment his head hit the pillow, Brendon was asleep.

***

It was nearly noon when Ryan woke up, and he couldn't help but feel a little bad once again at how poor a host he was being, but he didn't imagine he'd be much better dead on his feet from lack of sleep either. He showered and dressed a bit more quickly than he normally would before heading down to fix himself some breakfast, eyes and ears strained in an attempt to figure out where everyone was and what they were doing.

"I want to swing!" Isaac was shrieking from the living room, despite Jenn trying to quiet him down. He was jumping on the couch, much to Brendon's despair, and was threatening to yell or cry any second. "I want to swing!" he cried again, and Brendon caught him mid-air, pulling him away from the couch and setting him firmly on his lap.

"You will stop that screaming right now, mister," he warned, staring down at Isaac sternly. His son, though, merely screamed again and started to kick his legs against Brendon's thighs.

Ryan followed the sounds into the living room, smiling in amusement at the scene. "Luce, why don't you show them the playground while I get something to eat?" he asked with a grin. "The weather's a lot better today, and I'll help you out with your homework later this afternoon if you haven't done it yet."

Lucía nodded wildly, grinning broadly. "We have the most awesome playground, just a block down, in the park," she stated excitedly, looking expectantly at the others. "Can we please go? Please?"

"I'll take you," Brendon said immediately, getting up as Isaac slid to the floor, having finally stopped screaming. "Not that Isaac should be rewarded for having such a fit, but... I'll go," he finished, taking a deep breath and sending a look Jenn's way that warned her against stepping in. She narrowed her eyes for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, I have a case I should be working on..." she said before ruffling Keely's hair a bit. She kissed the top of Isaac's head, Brendon's cheek, and waved at Ryan before heading upstairs. Brendon looked at the two children with a wide grin, telling himself that he could most definitely do this and that nothing would go wrong.

Lucía squealed in joy at getting to go to one of her favourite places in her hometown, bouncing slightly on her feet. "Thank you!" she exclaimed loudly, her opinion of Mr. Brendon vastly improved already.

Ryan laughed at his daughter's antics, shaking his head slightly. "Lucía, you need to promise me to do as Brendon says and to hold his hand when you cross the big road, all right?" He paused to wait for the dutiful nod that came a moment later before turning to Brendon. "I might come join you once I've eaten," he stated. "Have fun." And with that he turned and made for the kitchen.

"Alright," Brendon said, beckoning the children to follow him to the entrance. "I'm sure you can put on your shoes without my help," he stated, looking at Keely questioningly. When she nodded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, he chuckled and helped Isaac put on his shoes and jacket, before doing the same himself. "Now, you're going to have to take the lead and show us where this park is," he told Keely, hoisting Isaac into his arms. "But remember what your dad said when you get to crossing the street." He opened the door and ushered her out, then followed her, making sure to stay only a step behind her.

Lucía nodded brightly and started skipping the familiar way down the sidewalk towards the park, stopping by the crossing as she had been instructed and held Mr. Brendon's hand as they walked over the road before leading the guests into the park where she resumed skipping along the paths until they reached the playground where she let out another squeal and ran off in the direction of the slide.

Isaac screeched when he caught sight of the park and wriggled around until Brendon let him go. He ran to the swings, kicking up sand as he went, and giggled loudly, his hair flying in the wind. When he was unable to lift himself into the swing, Brendon picked him up and set him in it, then gave him a small push, grinning when Isaac giggled infectiously again. He looked over at the structure, making sure to keep an eye on Keely, as well. "If you want to swing, I can push you," he called, just so that she would know. Plus, it would be easier to have her closer.

Finishing climbing onto the structure, Lucía flashed her companions a bright smile before pushing herself down the slide, squealing as she went and landing perfectly upright on both feet before she hurried in their direction, climbing onto a swing and kicking her legs. "Yes, please," she answered, laughing a little. She was just really happy! She always was when she got to use the playground.

"Alright," Brendon chuckled, pushing her in time with Isaac, though with more force. She was older, able to hang on properly, and had probably been here a million times. Isaac, on the other hand, was only used to the baby swings, where he was safely tied in with no chance of falling. "You know, when I was young, I used to have a playground somewhat like this one in my backyard, and I wanted to play in it almost everyday," he said, smiling wistfully as he remembered Grace Cottage. He'd spent every happy day of his childhood there, though he remembered being at the castle a lot, as well.

"A playground in the backyard must be absolutely brilliant," Lucía managed to get out in between giggles and squeals, her stomach fluttering pleasantly as the height got greater. "You must have been really rich," she added. "Daddy's got lots of money but I don't get my own playground."

Brendon chuckled uncomfortably, cursing himself for having mentioned it. "I-- uh... well, I was rather rich. But having your own playground just makes you spoiled," he said, giving her another push. "Isaac doesn't have his own playground, either," he added, hoping that was good. He didn't know if Ryan had told Keely about his past, or who he was, but if he hadn't, he didn't think he should be the one to enlighten her.

"I think Daddy would say that too," Lucía agreed, hands clenching on as she went higher and faster, enjoying it to the core of her being. "We'll just have to keep coming here, then," she declared, letting out another laugh as her stomach surged and tickled, her pigtails flying into her eyes.

Brendon chuckled and nodded. "That's probably because he knew me while I lived in the cas-- uh. Well, anyway. Your daddy's right." He cleared his throat uncomfortably, giving Isaac a small push when he started to slow down and whine. He was kicking his feet, which wasn't doing much good to his swinging, but seemed to be enjoying himself nonetheless.

Lucía's brow furrowed in thought as she tried to figure out what Mr. Brendon hadn't quite said, but another brilliant surge in her stomach sort of halted it and she let out another squeal. "Daddy's almost always right," she declared. "He's the cleverest man in the whole world!"

"Of course he is," Brendon answered wryly, wishing Isaac spoke this highly about him, then laughing at the thought. Isaac didn't really speak of anyone, so why should it be any different with his father? Actually, he spoke of Jenn quite a lot, but...

"Look at these two beautiful children," a voice that Brendon didn't recognize suddenly spoke up from somewhere very near and he looked up to find a woman standing nearby. An older woman, with a pale pink hat on top of her white as snow hair, and a cane in one hand. Brendon blushed, but smiled proudly as she continued. "Such beautiful eyes, both of them... and look at her hair! Makes her look like a little angel," she crooned before looking up at Brendon. "Oh, you must be so proud of your children," she said knowingly.

Brendon blushed and stuttered and shook his head a bit. "I, uh-- we-well, not--"

"Doggie!" Isaac shrieked, pointing to the tiny dog sitting next to the lady, and his moment of preciousness was obviously broken. Brendon sighed, plastering on a smile for the woman, and tried to calm Isaac down.

Lucía smiled winningly at the lady, very proud at being called an angel. Only her Daddy and her uncles had ever called her that, never a stranger. And she did think it was a little bit amusing that the situation had been misunderstood. The swing had slowed down, and she looked over at the little boy with a small frown. "You don't like doggies?" she asked.

The lady smiled and took a step closer, her small, white dog following obediently. Brendon had lifted Isaac off the swing, but he was still chanting Doggie, doggie, doggie rather loudly. He looked over at Keely and smiled reassuringly. "No, the problem is, he likes dogs too much," he explained, and then finally went to crouch down next to the woman, Isaac flailing in his arms. He beckoned Keely over. "Ask the lady if you can pet him," he warned both the children, though he had a feeling only Isaac needed it. The woman chuckled delightedly and assured them that petting was quite alright. Taking Isaac's hand in his, he pulled it closer to the dog, allowing him to sniff Isaac before letting his son pat the dog on the head. "There we go," he mumbled.

"That's good," Lucía informed. "Because I'm having a puppy-dog." Then she crouched down too and held her hand out for the dog to smell, giggling slightly at the lick she received in response before scratching it behind the ears and stroking its back gently, smiling at the soft fur beneath her fingers. She really did love doggies a lot, and she couldn't wait until she finished her homework and Daddy finally let her have one.

Brendon smiled apologetically at the woman, but she seemed perfectly at ease with letting the kids pet her dog. When she started leaning on her cane rather heavily, though, Brendon pulled back with Isaac, giving him a look that broached no argument, and sighed. "Well, I think we should let the lady be on her way, right Keely?" he asked carefully, and was glad to see the woman look slightly relieved, despite the smile on her face.

Lucía nodded and stood back up. "Have a nice day," she said politely, offering another smile. Then she looked up at Mr. Brendon. "Will you push the merry-go-round, Mr. Brendon? Please?" she asked, jutting out her lower lip.

Brendon barked out a laugh, nodding his farewell to the lady, then looked down at Keely. "Just Brendon, if you're going to call me anything. You make me feel old with the 'mister'," he said, then started towards the merry-go-round. The things had always made him sick to his stomach, but if she liked them, well... He put Isaac down and instructed him to sit on the round platform and to hang on. He then helped Keely on, warning her to hang on tightly as well, before grabbing onto the railing and starting to jog. As he picked up speed, so did the merry-go-round, until finally he could let go and watch from a few feet away, as the thing spun round and round.

Squealing and laughing, Lucía clung on as best as she could, loving the tickling feeling in her stomach and the wind whipping all around her. They were going so fast, and she absolutely loved it, giggling through her pouting when it slowed down. "Funfunfun!" she cried, eyes wide and happy. "Againagain!"

Brendon did as he was told, though he starting to feel sick just looking at them, but Keely was giggling and smiling and Isaac had thrown his head back and was grinning, as well. So it was worth it. He just hoped he wouldn't start throwing up, that his stomach was stronger than that, because if he threw up over some children's toy in front of his son and Ryan's daughter, well-- he'd never live it down.

***

Jenn snuck back downstairs when she heard Brendon leave. That asshole knew she had finished her work, but of course he'd send her running upstairs with just a glare. She'd changed into a pair of tight fitting jeans and a tanktop, letting her long hair down for the first time since they'd got here. She really just felt like having a drink and relaxing. She made her way to the living room, looking for Ryan so that she could ask where he kept his liquor-- it was after twelve, at least-- but when she didn't find him there, she made her way to the kitchen, where he was eating his breakfast.

"Hey," she greeted, leaning against the doorway and smiling.

Ryan looked up from his cereal with a smile. "Hi," he returned, yawning just slightly. "Didn't you have research?"

"No," she grumbled, coming in to sit at the table. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and sighed. "Brendon wanted some time alone with the kids, and obviously if I had work to do Keely wouldn't ask me to come..." she trailed off and shrugged. "Not that she would have asked me, but just in case," she explained. "Or, Brendon's just odd. Whichever," she chuckled.

Laughing slightly, Ryan shook his head. "She would've," he assured. "But I think Brendon probably made the right decision. Lucía was really beginning to dislike him, and he took the first chance he got to turn the situation around before it got out of hand. His attitude doesn't always show that he was raised to be a certain kind of diplomat, but a lot of his decisions do." He scooped up another scoopful and washed it down with a mouthful of orange juice. "So, how are you liking England so far?"

Jenn chuckled and nodded. "Oh, yes, he's quite the diplomat when he wants to be," she agreed dryly. "I like it here, though it makes me long for Paris," she sighed. "I haven't been since my school years, you know, but it's so close, now, and... well, I've been trying to convince Brendon to come to Paris with me, or at least let me take Isaac, but he's always using The Charity Excuse," she chuckled, then looked towards the fridge. "And... I'm pretty sure I saw beer in that fridge," she stated, standing up. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all," Ryan answered. "So long as I don't have to get any yet. It would make me feel a bit like an alcoholic to drink with breakfast." He took the last scoop before pushing the bowl away, full. "It's only a drive away, Paris," he added. "A few hours, nothing bad. We can head down one day, stay the night in a hotel and come back the day after. Would give us enough time to see some of the sights at least although it's better outside of season. It's got to be swimming with tourists now, but when Lucía and I went back in March it was lovely, and warm enough that we didn't have to wear coats." He smiled lightly. "It's beautiful down there, but not as much as Spain."

"We'll have to agree to disagree on that one," Jenn replied with a wink, grabbing one of the bottles of beer and twisting the cap off with some difficulty. She took a swig from it and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Sitting back down, she gave him a smile. "I'd love to go down, by the way. Thank you for offering," she said quietly. "So," she started, taking another swig. "You knew Brendon when he was ... an even bigger spoiled brat than he is now," she stated, giving him a grin.

Ryan rolled his eyes slightly, but nodded. "That description barely even scrapes it," he stated dryly, taking another swallow of his juice. "His major difficulty was looking past his own nose. But I can't really blame him. He was very young and the situation was horrible to begin with." He shrugged. "It suits him better to have left most of that behind, though. Hopefully he's over himself for it not to tear us apart this time." He sighed and shook his head slightly. "Depressing story, really," he added. "You don't want to hear it, trust me on that."

Jenn chuckled. "I've heard bits and pieces here and there," she admitted. "But I'm not really sure it's my place to even ask for the full story. I'm just here because he wanted a son, and I gave him that son," she smiled bitterly, looking up at Ryan. "Does that make me pathetic?" she asked quietly. "Having a baby with a man who doesn't love me, and then not being able to let that baby go, even though I promised to stay out of his life?" She scoffed and shook her head. "You never know you're going to love a baby before you hold it in your arms and realize that it's yours, for the first time. When Isaac was born, I had every intention of leaving both him and Brendon behind, never to think of them again. But a few months later, Brendon invited me to see him, and..." she chuckled softly. "Well, the rest is history. And now I pretend that I'm his aunt."

Scoffing, Ryan shook his head. "I would think you more pathetic if you had been able to just leave them behind," he stated. "And at least he will have you in his life, even if he never knows who you actually are. Lucía... her best friend is the son of a lesbian couple." He chuckled slightly, but it wasn't a particularly pleased sound. "So that she can borrow a mother if she needs one." He sighed. "I hated Miriam for so long, but these days I just feel contempt for her. And pity, maybe, for choosing to miss out on something as wonderful as my little girl."

Jenn shook her head in disappointment. "I don't know how a mother can just abandon their child like that. Even with Brendon, I knew that Isaac was going to have a loving father, two loving uncles, and everything he could dream of. But I couldn't just leave him," she smiled a little. "I pity that woman, as well. Keely is a beautiful child, intelligent and well brought up. You've done really well. I think... maybe it's best that she was left with you, because she could have turned out very differently with a mother like that," she shrugged, taking another sip of beer. "And if she ever wants to call, or-- or anything, really, I'll leave my number when we go," she offered, hoping it wasn't stepping over the line too much. But she'd grown rather fond of Keely, even just in the couple of days she'd been here.

"I think she'd like that very much," Ryan stated. "And I'm very grateful I got her." He shrugged slightly. "As I've said maybe too many times, I have no idea where I'd have been without her, but I don't think it would've been a very good place at all. And I love her more than I think I could ever really explain." He looked down, inspecting his own hands. He'd have to cut his nails soon. They were getting a bit long. "My two regrets about Lucía is how I was for the first while I had her with me, and the fact that I've never given her siblings. They're supposed to be healthy for a kid, and I remember how lonely I sometimes was growing up without any."

"Well, I'm sorry darling, but I don't see men being able to carry children any time soon," Jenn chuckled, shaking her head. "And there's always Isaac," she said, and immediately cursed herself. "Not that-- not that you and Brendon are, um, together... or anything, but..." she trailed off, looking down at the table and taking a sip from her bottle. She'd obviously made a complete ass of herself. "I don't know how you were with her at first, but I can assure you that no parents is prepared for their first child, and I have seen some bad cases where parents were so unprepared that they took it out on their children and that... that is something I would regret. But Keely is healthy, and well, and she loves you. So, you must not have done that bad," she whispered.

Ryan let out a loud burst of chuckle, relieved that some of the sadness seemed to have lifted from the room. "I think we hope to be," he finally stated, once he had calmed down a bit again. "Part of the reason he has to spend time with Luce. They got off on the wrong foot, apparently." He breathed out, calming a bit more. "And you're right. There is Isaac. Lucía likes him a lot, and from what I can tell it's pretty mutual. There are a lot of things to work through first, though. The distance, the past, each our individual problems. But I think it'll end better this time. Back then I was a lying, treacherous bastard, to put it mildly, and Brendon was conceited and about as spoiled as they come. I wasn't a lot more mature than he was. And five and a half years doesn't make me feel nearly as bad now as it did when he was eighteen." He shrugged, pausing for a bit. "As to when Lucía was a baby... she was three months old when I got her, and I absolutely freaked out. I didn't completely believe she was mine until after the paternity test came through, and Jon had to come help because I was that panicked. I don't think I ever really felt anything but annoyance towards her before she was eight months old." He looked away a little, ashamed. "I give Jon a lot of the credit for how well she turned out. For a long while there, he was the only person in the world who actually cared about her."

Jenn sat forward, leaning on the table. "But you kept her," she said quietly. "That has to be worth something, right?" she sighed softly, remaining silent for a moment before looking down at the table. "For what it's worth, I hope you and Brendon make it. You know how some mothers never think any woman is good enough for their son? I was kind of like that with Brendon for a while, and I kept hearing about you, and I never thought you were good enough. No offence or anything, I didn't know you and I was making a judgement I shouldn't have, but that's the way it was. But I think you're more than good enough for him, now," she smiled. "I pretty much think the two of you are perfect together. I mean, you should see the way he lights up when he talks about you..." she trailed off, smiling wistfully. "It's the way I'd want someone to talk about me."

Smiling softly, Ryan leaned in over the table to squeeze her shoulder tightly. "Thank you," he muttered. "Believe it or not, it means a lot to me that you approve. I can see how close you and Brendon are and it would be a right pain to attempt anything if you're against it. All we need is to get Jaken off his macho, over-protective little mode for a while and things should be fine." He chuckled lightly. "And I'm sure you will find someone like that some day. We aren't that old." He winked, taking another sip of his juice. "Although turning thirty was kind of a blow to the ego, wouldn't you say?"

Jenn threw her head back and laughed, shaking her head when she stopped long enough to look back at Ryan. "It was horrible," she confided. "I yelled at Brendon, walked out of a surprise party, and then refused to talk to him for days," she chuckled. "Next thing you know, you're forty, and your kids are teenagers, and they're being ignorant little brats who think they know everything," she rolled her eyes and chuckled again. "But I think it'll all work out," she finally said, referring both to his and Brendon's relationship, and the children.

"I hope so," Ryan agreed. "I definitely do."

***

"You're not that bad," Lucía declared as they were walking back, her hand gripping Brendon's tightly. "Just a bit up-tight." She giggled happily, swinging her arms exaggeratedly. Then she looked up at him curiously. "So now I want to know more about you. How old are you? Where do you really live when you don't visit us? What do you do?" She paused for breath and decided to stop speaking, simply cocking a curious eyebrow.

Brendon chuckled and shook his head, swinging both Isaac's and Keely's hand back and forth. "I'm glad you approve... thank you for pointing out how uptight I am. I am younger than your father at twenty-five years old, I live in New York, which is in America, though not by choice, because I was born in Beauregia, and I'd much rather be living there. And I work for my Charity," he said, suppressing a grin. He'd had a feeling this grilling was coming.

"You're very welcome," Lucía answered brightly, flashing a brilliant smile. Then she scrunched up her nose slightly. "That's still very old," she decided before biting her lip a little. "I thought Beauregia didn't exist anymore," she half-stated, half-asked. "Are you old enough that you were born in a country that doesn't exist? And what's your Charity?"

Brendon drew in a sharp breath and had to force himself to keep walking. He closed his eyes briefly before looking down at Keely and answering. "I lived there until I was eighteen," he said quietly. "A war broke out, and I left my country..." exhaling shakily, he continued, despite the fact that his throat felt like it was closing up. "My Charity helps families that have been torn apart by war, by giving them places to live, food, and all other necessities, including money. We even have a children's center, which Spencer runs, where we take in kids who were orphaned because of the war," he explained quietly.

"Oh," Lucía muttered, very intrigued by it all, but also sensing Brendon's sadness. Why would he be sad when he'd had such an interesting life, though? "Is that the war Daddy was in too?" she asked softly. "He has this scar on his shoulder and he told Uncle Jaken it was a war wound, and Uncle Jaken laughed at him, but he told me it's true. Your work sounds exciting, though." She looked up and gave what she hoped was a supportive smile. "Maybe I could help you sometime. I like helping others."

"Yes, I was with your dad when he got that war wound," he said, smiling softly. "He was trying to save everyone, as usual," he said wryly. "Just like you, it seems. If you'd like, I could ask Spencer if you could visit the children's center one day," he suggested. "I'm sure that would be fun," he said, though the sentiment felt empty. Ryan wasn't allowed to go back to America, and he doubted he would let his daughter go alone, at least not until she was much older.

"I would like that very much," she answered with a smile. She really wanted to ask about the war. Her Daddy never wanted to tell her anything about it and that just made her the more curious, but maybe Brendon didn't like to talk about it either. "Was it very bad?" she finally settled on asking, as carefully as she knew how.

Brendon looked up again, staring straight ahead. "It was horrible," he said at last. "Especially because I thought that everything was my fault, and I was worried about my parents, and your dad and I had had a big argument," he explained. "But we got through it. Your dad, your uncle Jon, Isaac's Godfather and I all made it through alive, though probably worse for the wear," he finished, shrugging uncomfortably and suddenly wondering if Isaac understood everything he was saying, or what was going on. He had a feeling, though, that his son understood perfectly well, and was storing the information so that he could ask about it some other time.

"I thought it would be," Lucía stated in almost a whisper. "Daddy won't ever talk about it, and I stopped asking because he made a lot of noise in the night when I did. I think he had bad dreams." Then her curiosity took over a bit again. "Why would a war be your fault?" she asked. "And what did you and Daddy fight about?"

Brendon sighed heavily. "My father was the king," he said, and left it at that. He wouldn't say any more. "And, listen, darling, if your dad hasn't told you this, I'm not sure that I should either. It's as much his past as it is mine, and I don't want to say something I shouldn't," he paused for a moment, then looked down with a smile. "Maybe we can sit down, just the three of us, and see if he'll want to talk about it?"

Lucía shrugged, grimacing a little. "I don't want to make him sad," she stated. "He was sad a lot when I was little, and that made me sad too. He's a lot happier now and I like that much better, so I don't want to make him sad again. That's why I asked you," she explained before looking up with big eyes. "So you're a prince? Is Daddy a princess then?" She giggled slightly, not really aware that she'd let on the fact that she knew a lot more about what was going on around her than anybody tended to realize.

Brendon chuckled, trying not to feel sad that he hadn't been there for Ryan when he'd been torn up about the war, when he'd been having flashbacks and just generally been miserable. "I was a prince, yes, but no, that doesn't make your daddy a princess," he said, smiling. "I'm not a prince anymore. I left my country," he stated, and he'd never felt proud of that fact. No matter how much he'd hated being heir to the throne. "And you're right, your dad does get sad when we talk about the war, but sometimes talking about it can help, when you're not being pushed too far."

Shrugging again, Lucía looked down at her sandals. "I just don't want him to be sad again," she said softly. "And he always tried to hide it when he cried but I knew anyway, and I didn't like it. I just really want him to be happy, so I don't want to make him talk about it." She looked up again, meeting Brendon's eyes as they neared the house. "Will you make him happy, Brendon? Pinky-promise?"

Brendon stopped for a second, and he stared at Ryan's house, trying to think of anything he'd rather do than make Ryan happy. When he could come up with nothing, he looked down at Keely and nodded. "Yes," he said, letting go of her hand so that he could offer her his pinky. "If I knew that living through that war and spending years without seeing him and all of that-- that pain we had to live with.. if I knew that it would end with him being happy, I'd do it all over again. Because I'm not sure I could change any of it. I'm not sure I'd want to. If I had never met your dad.." he trailed off, shaking his head. "I would go through all of that again to make him happy," he whispered.

Lucía smiled brightly and wrapped her own small finger around the offered digit, squeezing before she let go. "Thank you," she said. Then she was silent for a moment, thinking. "You can call me Lucía," she finally offered quietly, a little insecure. "If you want to." Not even her Uncle Jaken called her that, only her Daddy and her Uncle Jon, but Brendon had been with Uncle Jon and Daddy in the war and he promised to take care of Daddy. Uncle Jaken did that too, but not in the same way, she reckoned. She shrugged, flashing another smile before she ran the rest of the way into the front yard and through the door.

Brendon gaped after her until he felt a small hand tugging at his, urging him towards the house. Snapping himself from his thoughts, he swooped down to pick up Isaac, who giggled at him, not noticing that his dad was possibly having a heart attack, so surprised was he by Keely-- Lucía's offer.