— Jake & Monica —

Stalling is used for a multitude of reasons and the reasons could be that you didn't do last night's homework assignment, or your putting off breaking up with someone to spare them the hurt, or maybe you're trying to dodge giving someone bad news. Which, in some way, Monica was doing.

She had yet to inform Tim and Mara that the studio was closing down, always failing to tell them during their lessons. It wasn't until last night's talk with Jeff - he called to ask how the little man was doing and how his oh-so-lovely sister was as well (he was in a good mood because he had a date with this girl he'd been chasing after) - did she know that it was time. After Monica had filled him in on her date with Harry, one that she couldn't stop talking about until he interrupted her, she told him about the studio. He apologized for not having the money to help, even though Monica insisted that she didn't want any help, before asking if she's told her dancers of the dreadful news. The answer had been: no, she had not.

It was promised that she'd do it today, after lessons.

"To those people that say dancing isn't a real sport, are a bunch of liars," Mara says while wiping her forehead with arm. What they had been doing wasn't anything extreme, it's just that the air conditioning has already stopped supplying the small studio. Tim nods in agreement - as if he too had done extreme work out.

"Can't say that I don't agree," Monica says whilst glancing at the clock. They've gone over their usual lesson by twenty minutes, meaning the kids were out of school. Harry had told her that he'd pick the two rambunctious five year olds up from school, he'd always call her in the morning and ask how she is (even if they just saw each other yesterday), as long as she tells the couple that the studio would be no more.

"Are you okay, Monica? You've looked a bit off this entire time," Mara observes with a small frown. She turns to Tim, "Don't you think, babe?"

"I do," he agrees before trailing his eyes back to Monica.

She shifts uneasily under their prodding gazes, hesitant to say the awful news. She knew that the two would be upset, because it was clear that they enjoyed Monica and that they enjoyed everything this self-made studio had to offer. That's what had drawn Tim and Mara in in the first place, how quaint and modest it looked. They couldn't have asked for a better place to try out their new couple adventure.

"The studio's on foreclosure," Monica rushes out, knowing it's better to rip off the band-aid rather than peel it off. (Knowing this from many scrapes Jake had gotten every time he'd ride his bicycle without his mother's approval.)

Mara blinked in surprise and fiddled with the water bottle in her hands. Tim's eyes fell to the wood floors. It was silent for three minutes before Monica had enough of the saddened silence. She wasn't much of a fan of that, since she had witnessed them too many times before.

"I went on a date with Harry." Is her attempt to change the topic. And when Mara just about yelps in happiness, Monica new she succeeded in doing so. It was better to put off the talk until reality sunk in for them.

So, rather than the heavy topic of the studio, the two girls talked about the date while Tim shifts awkwardly at the boyband member he was a tad jealous of - on the fact that his fiancée is fawning over another man. After the date talk, things shifted to wedding talk, something Tim was happy to intervene in, which would be occurring in exactly twelve months since it was now December. Just as Mara insisted a last lesson - one that would be choreographed to be their first dance as Bride and Groom for the wedding - Jake ran in with a huge smile.

"Mummy! I lost a tooth today!" He shouts before stopping in front of her, grinning wide so she could see the gap. Monica's lips parted to speak, but was cut off.

"You never told me if you found it though, bud. I wonder where it's hiding." Is what signals that Harry was following Jake.

Jake turns to Harry and with a know-it-all tone he says, "Teeth cannot hide."

Monica laughs and shakes her head at their small banter - which she was really fond of - before looking back to the couple who looked surprised yet shocked.

"You have a child?" Mara questioned, eyes darting between Jake and Monica.

"You haven't told her about your pride and joy?" Jake frowns at his mom, to which she rolls her eyes - he's heard Jeff say that one too many times. She nods at Mara's question but the brunette still seems to have something on her mind based on her furrowed eyebrows and small frown.

"Can you get him set in his car seat? I'll be out in a minute," Monica tells Harry, looking at him for the first time today. He was dressed in a black coat, a green beanie, tight jeans and boots - he looked dashing without even trying. Harry smiled warmly at her before nodding, taking grasp of a sleepy looking Athena and a hyper Jake's hands. Once they exit the building, Monica turns back to Mara.

"Where's the father?" The soon-to-be-bride asks quietly, as if they were talking about something confidential - which in some ways, it was but knowing the bad news Monica had given them merely a few minutes ago, she felt obligated to answer.

"He's not in the picture," she replies, face neutral. She didn't want to make it seem like his leaving had affected her, but of course, she was far from that.

"Have you had contact with him?" This time, it was Tim who had asked the question. Again, Monica gives a negative answer. "Have you had closure?"

Again, no.

As if having a silent conversation, Mara and Tim look at each other silently for a few moments before Mara sighs. She loops her arm around Tim's arm before meeting Monica's warm, yet confused, brown eyes. "I thinks it's best that you talk to him before things get serious with Harry."

The thing was, she didn't know how to talk to him. She didn't know anything about his current life - where he lived, worked, his number, how he looks after almost six years of not seeing him. Not to mention, she wasn't too sure whether things with Harry would get 'serious'. It's been weeks since their date and Harry had yet to comment about it, especially after their little argument back at his house regarding Katelyn. Of course, they've continued to talk and have each other come over but there were no talks regarding their brewing relationship and Monica doesn't know if she was mostly relieved (God knows that she'd embarrass herself with that talk) or upset.

"Okay," she finally agrees.

.

"Did you finally tell them?" Harry questions as he stirs what looks to be cupcake batter.

After the talk with Mara and Tim, the couple bid her adieu and the three headed out of the building. Harry was leaning against his car, that was parked beside her own, as the two children sat in their designated car seat. It was then that Harry had invited the mother and son for another dinner together, this time without a former band mate. Monica obliged not wanting to deal with cooking tonight after what Mara had said - and what she said was the truth.

Monica needs full closure, she needs to know why Matt left and carry on with her life. Because no matter how many times she denied it, her mind would tend to drift to Matt; what they had and what was ruined the minute he walked out the door.

"Yeah," she says, moving back into the kitchen from her stance in the hallway. She was watching, with a smile, Jake and Athena play in the living room with a toy parrot that would repeat everything they said. It was one of Jake's favourite toys, despite hate being mocked.

Harry turns around and meets her eyes, smiling softly as he did so. "How'd that go?"

Monica shrugs before walking closer, lifting the spoon, Harry used to stir, out of the bowl and scooping up some of the brown batter with her index finger. Harry whines in protest but is cut off when Monica smears the batter across his cheek. His mouth forms an 'o' at her action.

"You did not just do that," he says before placing the bowl onto the closest counter.

"Oh, but I did." She smiles innocently but before she knows it, Harry is chasing her.

At the sound of a scream, not a terrified one, Jake's attention snaps away from the green and white bird to watch his Mother run into the living room with a wide grin as Harry, too with a grin, chases after her. Smiling himself, he turns to Athena who watched the scene in front of her in awe.

"Did you see that!?" Athena asks excitedly, once the two adults run up the stairs, looking to Jake with wide green eyes. She grips his shoulders and shakes him. "Did you see that!?"

Jake smiles. "Yeah!"

"They love each other!" She jumps to conclusions, her smile not dimming what-so-ever. "When Daddy would chase me around the house he would yell 'let me love you' - he wants to love Moni!"

Jake merely smiles wider, revealing where his tooth used to be, before the two adults coming running back down the stairs. Which is unfortunate because Monica is really slow when it comes to walking, yet alone, running down the stairs. So once her foot steps onto the carpet of the living room, Harry has caught her. Arms wrapped around her waist and a joyous laugh ringing out.

"Got ya!" He says before pressing the battered cheek to her own, wiping the uncooked dessert onto her skin. "That's payback."

"That feels so gross," she mutters to him, giggling in that melodic way that just screams happiness, before taking notice of their position, of her rapid heartbeat and the fact that they were in front of their children. She looks at the kids then peers over her shoulder, blinking a little when she notices how closer their faces are, before letting out and airy laugh. She then whispers, "I think we have an audience."

His obvious daze is ruined when she utters those words. She watches as his eyes travel to the two kids sitting on the carpet with eyes and smiles wide. He looks back to Monica and their position before his cheeks flush red. Slowly, she is released from his grasp.

"Um, should probably finish those cupcakes, yeah?"

It is then that Jake's attention is flipped. Because although he is happy to see their plan flourish, he was more excited about chocolate cupcakes - something Harry had promised him last week. So he shouts, "Yeah!"

"Can we decorate them too?" Athena asks from beside her best friend, having trouble pronouncing the word 'decorate'. Harry nods at his daughter before glancing back at Monica, jerking his head so that she followed him into the kitchen. She obliged.

"That was odd," Harry mutters the minute they enter the spacious kitchen. Monica purses her lips, not knowing exactly what Harry was referring to when he said that because in all honesty, all of that was odd to her.

Despite her amazing relationship with Matt, not including their last day together, they've never done anything like that. When Monica had accidentally got sauce on his skin, Matt would wipe it off with his finger, lick it off and kiss her - never would he chase her around their apartment. And Monica believes that's for two reasons. One, they weren't really that fun, adventurous type of couple and second, because he loathes running.

But it was exciting, and she liked that.

"I feel like they're up to something," Harry mutters, snapping Monica out of her thoughts. She gives him a confused look. "They just... looked so pleased when they saw us like... that."

"That," Monica repeated.

"Yeah, being all couple-y and stuff," he explains awkwardly.

"We're a couple?"

"No," he says almost immediately but not with distaste like Monica would've expected from any other boy she had associated herself with after Matt was gone. "I mean, we are a couple. In the meaning of two people - because we are two people and that means, you know, a couple."

Shaking her head, Monica smiles at the ground, muttering 'idiot' under her breath despite the fact that her feelings for him merely grew more because of it.

Back in the living room, Jake was pulled into a tight hug, little arms struggling to wrap around him. He wanted to hug her back, wanting to show his enthusiasm of the scene they'd witnessed, but couldn't due to her surprisingly strong arms - an since his arms were pinned to his sides because of it.

"All because of you," she says to him, her head resting on his shoulder. Jake grins at his master mind before finally wiggling his arms free, just so they could wrap around her. "Thank you, Jake."

- - -

(A/N): NOT EDITED guys, that whole chapter (not counting this author's note) was exactly 2222 and idk, that made me really happy. Btw, thank you so much for cooperating the other day when I asked for you all to be active - it means so much and because of it, The Parent Plan has been ranked higher than it ever has before and I honestly can't thank you enough! I love every single one of you x

Importance of Chapter: You finally know Tim and Mara's importance! Not only were they a cute couple, although in the beginning they weren't my favorite, but they (mostly Mara) are saying that Monica will have to have complete closure before things start up with Harry (uh-oh). AND, it also showed you Harry's growing suspicion of Athena and Jake - do you think they'll find out about the plan?

SONG OF CHAPTER: PART OF ME - KATY PERRY

Importance of Song: this song is not about closure but it shows that despite all that she went through once Matt left, there will always be a part of her that will always make everything okay - that being Jake and Jeff. (Btw, everything else in the song was wrong - Matt's love wasn't cheap and he didn't do anything crude.)

P.S. that banner is what I made a while ago (when I was actually looking for kids to play Athena and Jake - I came up with Mia Talerico and Mason Disick if you were wondering) and I really like it. By the way, you don't have to see them as those two, but those are who I picture as Athena and Jake so (:

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