As Jack slipped inside, Thomas took back his phone and asked him. "You ok?" Jack swallowed, not making eye contact with him as he told him under his breath. "Just great." Thomas grabbed Jack's arm lightly to stop him, pulling him back. Jack reluctantly met his eyes with his fragile ones. He hated that his true emotions were showing, but he just couldn't rein them in. Thomas's hand rose to tap the corners of his lips, while telling him. "You don't look fine. You wanna talk?" Jack felt a small smile pull at his lips. He reminded him a lot of Mark. Staring into Thomas's similar brown eyes, he told him honestly. "I do want to talk to you about... but that will have to wait. What I have to say... Mark is the one who needs to hear it." Thomas leaned back against the wall, replying with a very subtle smile. "Mark's lucky to have you." Jack nodded, only getting a single step away from him, when Thomas told him softly. "I wanna talk about what happened too. So... When you get the time to talk. Let me know."

Jack nodded, then jumped as Mark asked from nearby. "Jack?" Jack stepped more away from Thomas guilty. He hadn't meant to, but his body was on edge. Mark glanced between the two of them. His eyes narrowing on his brother a bit. Realizing Mark's expression was turning stony, Jack stepped closer to him to say casually. "You scared me! Don't do that!" Mark jerked his attention to Jack, telling him with relaxed features. "I didn't mean too. I was looking for you." Jack blinked, asking with sudden worry. "Why?" Mark reached out to touch the arm that he'd grabbed roughly. Jack flinched, but Mark's hand ran down the arm of his jacket gently. Bowing his head, Mark asked him hopefully. "I... I wanted to apologize." Jack looked over Mark's shoulder to see Mark's mom was hanging up her jacket and stomping snow from her boots. She looked tired from scolding Mark or her face was just red from the cold. Taking Mark's wrist, Jack led Mark down the hallway toward Mark's old bedroom.

Walking in, Jack snickered at the look of the room now. It still shocked him how different it looked. It was more open for baby cribs and stuff. Pulling Mark in, Jack closed the door. Locking the door, Jack leaned back against it and started calmly. "Mark, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault... and I... I have to tell you something." Mark rushed up to him, cupping his face as he told him. "No! Don't say anything. Jack, what happened was on me. I... I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear. I just didn't want you to hurt yourself or the babies... So I... I just wanted you to stop. I intended to pull you away but I..." Jack raised his hands to put them on Mark's warm chest within his open jacket. Mark looked terrified like he had thought he was talking about leaving him. Stroking his chest to calm his pounding heart that he could feel beneath his hands, he shushed him before whispering lovingly. "I'm not going anywhere, Mark. Easy." Mark dropped his hands. Then his hands slid around Jack's waist to pull him into a hug. Jack accepted the hug, prying the jacket off his shoulders to rest his head on the warmth of his shoulder and not the cold jacket.

The gesture was innocent. Yet, the way Mark dropped his arms to shrug the jacket off to the floor was somehow... not. Biting his lip, Jack's heart began to speed up a little. The jacket fell to the floor and Mark's hands carefully rose to seek out the zipper of his jacket. As the zipper slowly opened, Jack found it harder to breathe. With the jacket open, Mark's hands slipped just under the fabric to gently pushed it off Jack's shoulders. Feeling Mark's warm hands caress his shoulders and run down his arms, Jack swallowed. The jacket fell to the floor behind him, causing Jack to look up into Mark's eyes. Mark stared into his eyes, his hands caressing back up to his shoulders from his wrists. Gently pushing him back up against the door, Mark brought his lips to his, whispering over them. "Let me make it up to you." Jack accepted the slow tender kiss, enjoying how soft and loving the kiss was. He believed Mark would make it up to him. He wanted him to. He couldn't bare to be scared of him. He loved him. He knew Mark wasn't entirely like this. He just couldn't tell what pieces were Mark and what was the potion.

Sliding his hands up Mark's chest to his neck, Jack pushed him back weakly. Mark broke the kiss, asking breathlessly. "Here or the hotel?" Jack was about to tell him neither but stopped himself as Rosemary's voice echoed through his mind. If he rejected him... would Mark get forceful? He'd been denying him all day and Mark's mood had made him grab him roughly. Would doing it again make it worse? Not willing to risk it. Jack licked his dry lips, stepping up closer to tell him clever and confidently. "Tell you what, honey. Just a few more hours with your family. Then when we do go back to the hotel... We'll play for as long as you want." Mark let out a deep throaty moan, turning his head to lightly bite the tip of Jack's thumb. Blushing, Jack asked him breathlessly. "Is that ok?" Mark closed his eyes, taking Jack's thumb in more to suck on it. Jack forgot how to breathe watching him. Mark had NEVER done that to him. It gave Jack a mental image that his mind hadn't been ready for. He had to swallow to keep from drooling.

Sliding his lips off his thumb, Mark's eyes opened to look at him with dark lusty eyes. His voice deep and buttery as he told him. "As you wish." Jack's body was in a dizzy haze. He could barely move his mouth to talk. His body was so unresponsive all of a sudden. Mark's dark bangs fell over his dark lusty eyes that held his like the captivating gaze of a snake. Mark sank to his knees before him so slowly that Jack barely noticed he was moving. His stomach sucked in on its own, upon faintly feeling Mark's hands sliding over the hem of his jeans. At the front, Mark's fingers pulled at the button and zipper, but their eyes never looked away. Jack tried to use his voice but barely any sound came out. Mark finally looked away. Closing his eyes as he leaned in to press his lips to a tender spot under his belly button. Jack gasped so lightly, tilting his head back against the door. Something was wrong. He felt like Mark had hexed HIM! Mark hummed against his skin, his lips trailing down to the hem of his underwear. Jack turned his hands to press them against the door, clawing the wood lightly.

He could feel Mark's breath warming the front of his underwear, when someone knocked on the door. The dizzy haze surrounding Jack instantly broke, causing Jack to yelp loudly and sink to the floor to cover himself. Behind the door, Mark's mother asked them curiously. "Boys, I hate to interrupt. But Barry needs a new diaper, and all the baby stuff is in there with you. So, how much longer are you going to be?" Jack panted quickly staring directly at Mark. Mark was braced on all fours like an animal, watching him with a slightly startled expression. Had that not been Mark's doing? Or was he just as startled by his mother? Mark cleared his throat, rising to his feet to answer casually. "Just give us a minute, Mom." Jack rubbed his arms, shaking a little. Mark extended a hand down to him, warmly purring out. "We'll finish this tonight then." Jack took his hand, letting Mark pull him back up to his feet. Leaning against Mark to steady himself on his shaky weak legs, he fumbled to fix his pants.

Mark picked up their jackets, then unlocked the door. Pulling it open after Jack had fixed his pants, Mark slipped out past his mother with a sweet smile. His mother stepped in with Barry in her arms, taking him to the changing stand. On the way though, she caught Jack's look and gawked out. "You alright? Your face is so red. Feeling sick again?" Jack huffed, panting out breathlessly. "Oh, I'm feeling something... I need some water." Jack staggered down the hall toward the kitchen. Making his way into the kitchen, he swatted the lever up and leaned over the wide sink to splash his heated face. The cool water felt good against his burning skin. It didn't make sense to him. The potion wasn't supposed to affect him... Yet, Mark had certainly done something to him. Sam giggled in the living room, drawing Jack's attention. Mark was holding her up and puffing air into her face. Watching him smile as he played with her relaxed him. Whatever was happening between them, clearly wasn't affecting his love of their kids.

Jack's hand subconsciously went to his stomach at the thought. A fear crept up his back at the idea that the potion had done something to his baby. The potion required his blood and the baby shared both of their DNA. Gripping the counter in a death grip, Jack turned to the sink and threw up. Washing his mouth out, Jack leaned on the counter and mumbled out to himself. "Shite..." Jack felt a hand run up his back and moaned. His back was so tense that it felt good. Sighing, he lifted his head up to grumble out. "Thanks. It helps." From behind him, Thomas answered sweetly. "You're welcome." Jack straightened up quickly, whirling around to face him and grabbing the counter behind him for support. Staring at Thomas with wide eyes, he blurted out. "What are you doing?" Thomas huffed with a smirk, leaning in so close that Jack whined a little and tried to back up into the counter more. Thomas shut off the water to the sink, then stepped back before answering casually. "I came in to get a drink. Saw you in pain. Tried to help." Thomas moved to the fridge, removing a beer as he said softly. "Why? What did you think I was doing?"

Jack shrugged, mumbling out a bit tense. "I don't know..." Thomas twisted the cap off the beer bottle, tossing the cap into the sink. Jack followed the cap into the sink, tensing up more as Thomas moved closer to him in his peripheral vison. Turning his eyes to meet Thomas's, he listened closely as Thomas whispered to him coolly. "Do I make you nervous?" Jack nodded without hesitation. Thomas raised an eyebrow, asking curiously. "Why?" Jack opened his mouth, then shut it as he saw Mark enter the kitchen to ask aloud. "Everything alright, Jack?" Jack pushed off the counter, walking toward Mark, upon answering with a deep exhale. "Ya. Just still feeling sick." Mark looked over to Thomas. Thomas took a swig of his beer, giving Mark a shrug before telling him with a smirk. "She's got his eyes. Shame that Barry didn't get his eyes. A blue eyed Korean would be interesting to have in the family." Mark looked to Sam in his arms. Sam giggled, reaching out for Jack. Jack carefully took her from Mark, holding his breath as Mark replied calmly. "She's part Korean. Like me and you." Thomas shrugged, telling him simply. "True. But she takes after Jack more in her looks. Barry takes after us more."

Feeling uncomfortable with this conversation, Jack slipped in firmly. "We love them both. Doesn't matter what they look like." Turning on his heel, Jack made his way into the living room to sit before he could fall down. Dropping onto the couch, Jack leaned back and laid Sam over his chest. It felt good to lay back and relax. Sam reached out toward the tree in the corner, her eyes sparkling with the reflection of the bright lights of the Christmas tree. Mark's mom finally rejoined them, chuckling out. "He certainly is fussy to change, isn't he? Little boys just hate diapers..." Jack chuckled to himself. She set Barry down in a playpen, then told everyone. "Alright, boys. You can work on building the gingerbread houses and I'll get dinner started. Sound good?" Thomas slipped around his mother, stating out with a grin. "As long as I get to decorate my own house, I'm happy. We aren't repeating the last time." Mark crossed his arms, blurting out. "What was wrong with last time?" Thomas gawked at Mark, retorting shortly. "Really? You didn't see the problem with the Ground Zero Christmas set up?"

Mark's mom put a hand up to cover her face, but Jack could see her trying not to laugh. Mark shrugged, saying casually. "We had broken pieces and it worked out. Not to mention it was unique. No one thought about it." Thomas crossed his arms, stating out perplexed. "You didn't think the gingerbread reindeer blasted from the air with a sugar cookie nuclear missile was too much? Come on, Mark..." Mark waved a dismissive hand at him, chuckling out. "Killjoy. Why does everything have to be a 'happy' Christmas. We all got a laugh out of it. That's the important thing." Thomas looked to Jack, pleading out. "Jack, please explain to Mark what Christmas spirit is to him." Slowly sitting up, Jack hugged Sam to his chest, chuckling out. "I don't know... That does sound like fun." Thomas looked between them, then took a long swig from his beer. Upon lowering it, Thomas chuckled out. "Fine... What shall it be this year?"

Mark's mom headed into the kitchen, telling them over her shoulder. "I'll thaw out the sugar cookie dough... I have a feeling we'll need it again." Mark started opening the gingerbread house kit, looking over the pieces. Pulling out a gingerbread man with half a head, Mark told everyone. "Zombie Christmas." Thomas snorted, but raised his beer to repeat with a laugh. "Zombie Christmas, it is then." To Be Continued...