LET THE SLOTHS UNITE US (CH#3):  

I slide in next to Grey at the table and scoot my chair really close to his so that I can lean in to whisper conspiratorially in his ear.
"Soooo Mr. Weasel," I drawl, throwing my arm around his neck, "why so uptight today huh?"

Grey's menacing eyes try to bear a hole through my head as I invade his personal space just to piss him off good-naturedly.

He shrugs my arm off rather rudely, "Depends on if you don't let me skewer your eyes out with this fork," he twirls the fork rather dangerously in front of my face so that I smile sheepishly and scoot my chair a bit back, letting him win this round to keep him in that chipper mood (note the sarcasm).

I need my answers.

"Grumpy pants," I say very matter of factly, "you and I are like PB&J. But I've already told you that before--"

"And I've already told you I despise that combination."

"Point being," I continue, as though not having just been rudely interupted, "you and I can share anything with each other." I lean in a bit closer whispering dramatically, "Even our deepest, darkest secrets --even where we bury murdered bodies."

I'm not just being curious anymore. I do mean it. Grey is my friend and I want him to know he can trust me.

"That'll be rather hard seeing as you'd be the only person I'll ever murder," he replies, a far away look in his eyes now.

It's something thats confusing him, I can tell. His grey eyes are like swirling thunderclouds, a dept of a storm of confusion running amok in them.

"So spill out all your doubts to me Mr. Weasel," I continue, "I'm listening to your aching heart."

"Stop. Calling. Me. That," is all he grits out his teeth, just as Greg's hearty laugh takes us both by suprise.

"I think I know what's going on now," he says, still laughing softly, shaking his head just as Grey whips his head towards him, his eyes pleading and his lips mouthing 'no'.

I look at Boss Man expectantly, my arms crossed over my chest.

"Now that I think about it, it's not the first time you've been called Weasel is it, Grey?" Boss Man asks with a subtle glint of amusement and mischief in his eyes.

Grey scowls at him.

I'm confused now, I've never heard anyone else call him that before. In fact I was really proud of the new nick name I had come up with. I huff and pout at Boss Man, a little ticked off. "Then who's called him that before?" I demand but Greg just stares at Grey, who's desperately trying to morph into the background, or maybe trying to finally become one with the chair. I always knew that chairs were Grey's spirit animal ('thing' whatever) with his stiff attitude and all. Yup, stiff as a chair. He's finally embracing his inner self. Grey the chair.

He's being very fidgety for a chair though.

Before Boss Man can answer me Jay comes in from the kitchen with two plates and I immediately break out into a grin. He places mine before me and my smile broadens ten fold.

He's topped my pancakes with bubblegum ice cream!

What did I do to deserve Jay Taylor?

"Have I told you how much I love you?" I ask him, throwing my arms around his neck and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

His sweet bubblegum eyes light up as he beams at me, "No... but let me guess, you're considering it?" he teases me with a wink, beating me to my answer, before digging into his pancakes hungrily.

I laugh before taking a mouth full of mine, the bubblegum flavour bursting in my mouth with the sweetness of the pancakes. Then I turn to Greg motioning him to continue on, "Alright Boss Man, disect Mr.Weasel's weird behaviour please."

Grey scowls at me again but I ignore him, paying attention to Greg.

Instead of answering me though, Greg asks Grey another question, "She's finally in town then?"

Grey, let the world not be ending soon, actually blushes a little at Greg's question! To top that off Landon, Max and Bells start laughing while Jay smirks at him.

"Who?! Who's coming?!" I demand from all of them, whipping my head left and right while Grey fully embraces his natural form, sinking deeper and deeper into the chair.

Jay places a hand on my thigh underneath the table, to calm me down and Boss Man finally answers, "Leila."

My eyes widen in realization but before I can say anything Grey makes a run for it, as he gets up and leaves.

"But Greeeeyyyy," I call out, "this just got interesting! Come back!" I yell not able to control my laughs just as the others join in with me.

Grey sends us all the middle finger, not even bothering to turn around as he heads for his room.

The smile lingers on Jay's face even after he stops laughing and there is a distant look in his eyes now. Somehow I can tell he's remembering the past. Then he absent-mindedly starts stroking my thigh with his butterfly touch that sends tingles up my spine.

Jay's being very touchy lately and extra passionate. It's as if he's on a happy high. I wonder if it's our engagement that has him on cloud 9. His electric blue eyes catch mine, full of compassion and love and I immediately know that is actually why. Jay Taylor looks complete. He looks whole. Maybe the future of our relationship was the only thing that was troubling him, causing him to stress out. The nights he slept with me, Jay didn't have any nightmares or woke up in a start. It's as if last night was the cure to all of it. It's as if my existence is his existence as well.

I beam at him but it seems the peaceful atmosphere had lasted too long.

Blanche suddenly lets out an ear splitting cry, her chew toy having been snatched away by Rhys who accidently throws it on Riosh Dazzle Flare who starts crying too. Melby, feeling left out, cries for the heck of it.

"Bells! Your son just hit my poor Riosh Dazzle Flare!" Jezel pipes up outraged as she takes him into her arms.

Bells scoffs at this, "My son is an angel! Just look at him. He's the only one who doesn't cry." Rhys is in fact busy chewing his toy with satisfaction and watching the whole thing play out, the little rascal. He's already stirring the pot and he can't even walk yet, let alone talk. I smile proudly. He's living up to my name.

"That's cause he's the one who starts the crying!" Jezel replies getting angrier.

Max and Troy decide to quietly sneak away at that point, and they're right.

This is war.

Bells picks up both Blanche and Melby, rocking her girls to calm them down, her anger isn't calming down along with though, "Atleast my son doesn't have an absurd name," she comments under her breath but Jezel picks it up.

I'm tempted to run away as well now.

Outraged, Jezel bends down to take Rhys' toy and throw it away full force.

The toy hits Ryan square in the face, knocking him out cold, his console finally escaping his hands, just as Blubber yells out in victory, "It wasn't me this time!"

Rhys starts crying. "Now look who doesn't cry," Jezel retorts and it's when I see Aqueela The Great The Second in tears that I finally get up to stop this chaos. It might also be because I saw the flame of slow murder burn in Bells' eyes.

I walk up right in between the angry moms and pick up my little sweety, craddling him gently in my arms, he stops crying instantly, "Oh put a sock in it both of you. You're both great moms so stop fighting," I tell them.

Bells and Jezel whip their heads in unison away from the other with 'hmphs'. They retreat to empty seats on the sofas far away from each other.

I'm not worried. Knowing them, it'll take a trip to the mall or just general discussion on clothes to get them back on track. Either that, or a catastrophe from Troy. Either way, I'd give it fifteen minutes tops, sincerely hoping it's not a Troy-catastrophe.

I've already lost one house.

I smile down at Rhys and give him my finger. He grasps it immediately, gurggling in his own baby language.

"What's that little one?" I lean in, pretending to hear him, "you want mommy to disown you, so that I can adopt you instead?"

"Mommy!" Rhys laughs out, jumping in my arms excitedly, "Mommy!"

Bells gives me a glare that would have me five feet under but I laugh out loud.

"See Bells, he agrees. Give the kid what he wants," I plead to her.

"Not in your life time," she grits out then smirks, "Besides, you should be expecting your own any time soon."

Check mate.

I blush deeply, unconsciously going back to this morning.

"Whatever," I reply slumping down to the carpet and setting Rhys with the toys. I start playing with him, fascinated by his reactions.

Someone sits down next to me and I turn to see Jay as he holds up a toy for Rhys. His expression is serious, lost in thought, but breaks out into a full grin just as Rhys starts crawling towards him, ignoring the toy. Jay takes Rhys in his arms snuggling his head in his little tummy so that Rhys starts laughing.

Seeing Jay like this, I can't help but admit that I want a life like this with him. Where we're both happy and have a family together.

Jay catches my stare, "I'd like that," he whispers looking at Rhys now, replying to Bells' previous comment and somehow to my own thoughts as well.

I smile at him giving my finger to Rhys looking down at him as well, "Me too," I reply in my own whisper.

It's then that Landon lets out a lion sized yawn and switches on the TV.

"I'm bored to death," he comments while switching channels to find something good. Jay adjusts his position so that his back is supported by the sofas behind us, turning Rhys around gently who stares at the TV with wide eyes.

"Same here man," replies Benley, "turn on a good serial or something."

"Serials? Who watches serials?!" Landon comments swipping through the sports channels.

Everyone does Lan.

Max and Troy re-enter the scene, having confirmed the coast is now clear.

Max jumps onto the seat between BenBen and Lan and snatches the remote in the process.

"All of us do," he echoes my thoughts, earning a glare from Lan.

He swipes through the channels stopping when he sees Modern Family.

"Now this is TV," he grins, satisfied as he high fives Benley.

"You guys are men right?" Zac asks, peeved off and sidding with Landon, "Scratch that, forget I ever asked."

Max and Benley glare at Zac and Lan sees his opening to snatch back the remote.

He switches back to soccer, and Zac stretches on the couch, satisfied.

It's then that Max passes a conspiratory glance at Sarah and she nods, obviously sidding with them. Sarah sees her chance and snatches the remote from her husband throwing it to Benley who changes the channel.

"Babe," Lan says dejectedly feeling betrayed.

"Sorry honey, I'm just not in the mood for soccer right now," she replies with a smile giving him a peck on the cheek.

It's then that Zac goes over board launching himself at Benley to tackle the remote away from him. Max is quick to defend him though as he shoves Zac away only to be crushed by Lan and Blubber.

It's Zac and BenBen neck-to-neck (literally going for the throats) for dominance. The TV goes crazy, switching in between the two channels as they wrestle, Max still trying to push off Lan and Blubber from on top of him. I think he'll die today.

It's then that Troy takes action, wanting the lime light, and hurtles towards Zac and Benley with his girlish warrior cry.

The channel gets changed to a documentary on Sloths before the remote goes skidding to the middle of the floor.

Troy, not wasting a second, hollers like Tarzan and jumps from the sofa landing directly on the remote, stamping it with his foot to pieces like a savage, the adrenaline gone to his teeny tiny mind. The TV is now stuck on the documentary.

Everyone freezes.

Even Max forgets his need to breathe.

"You know," I say tentatively, breaking the silence, "We never have gone to the Cinema together. Lets all go watch a movie today."

*~*~*~*

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