Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Keeping One's Way ❯ Steps ( Chapter 5 )

Title: Keeping One's Way

Author: Daxemon

Fandom: FAKE (yaoi)

Pairing/Characters: Drake/JJ

Rating: M (for later chapters)

Warning: MAN ON MAN SEX - I can't say it any clearer people if you don't like it don't read it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Fake, but if someone was willing to steal it for me, I wouldn't mind. Otherwise it belongs to Ms. Matoh.

 

A/N - I would like to give great thanks to my BETA Menge Horde. She does a gorgeous job getting my jumbled thoughts into something legible and consumable for you guys.

Well, sorry I took so long. REAL LIFE can kick your butt sometimes, but I'm back now and I've finally reached the part of this fic that I've been working towards. I can't wait to start the next chapter. Again thanks to my BETA. She rocks!!!!!!!!! And rolls too!

 

Chapter 5 - Steps

 

 

 

'What a beautiful city. Too bad I may never see it again after this weekend.' thought Drake morosely as he stood on the precinct roof breathing out a plume of 'lung destroying toxins' as JJ was so fond of saying, whenever he watched Drake smoke.

 

"So, off to see the folks?"

 

Frowning thunderously, Drake didn't turn to watch as Dee sauntered over to stand next to him, his own cigarette in hand.

 

"Yeah." Drake murmured, his face relaxing a bit. Stubbing out his own half smoked cigarette, Drake buried his face into his folded arms on the cement ledge in front of him, releasing a morose sigh of resignation that showed how much he was not looking forward to his impending trip back to his childhood home.

 

After speaking with his parents the previous night and letting them know that he wanted to call a family gathering and he needed them to contact all his siblings and that there were no exceptions to be made, unless it was life threatening, Drake called Dee for some morale support. Drake didn't think that he could do what he was planning this weekend, twice. Maybe not even once with the way his stomach was flip flopping and he hadn't even left work yet.

 

"So, does JJ know?" Dee asked, flicking ash off his cigarette and taking a long drag.

 

"Kind of." Drake mumbled into his arm.

 

"What? Does he or doesn't he know that you're about to come out of the proverbial closet to your entire family this weekend?" Dee asked turning to face Drake and putting his cigarette out under foot.

 

Sighing, Drake turned his head so that he could look at Dee. "He knows I'm going to go see my folks, but he doesn't know why. He thinks I'm just going to visit them for the weekend."

 

"So why the secrecy? I would think JJ would be the perfect person to tell. He would definitely have your back." Dee rationalized.

 

"Honestly? I didn't tell him just in case, when that moment comes, I completely chicken-out. Or worse, I DO go through with it and my family decides to disown me. You know JJ would totally blame himself. For now I'll play it close to the vest until I see where I stand."

 

"I feel ya." stated Dee nodding sagely in agreement. "Well more power to ya Drake. Hope it all works out for the best. Gimmie a call and let me know what happens." Dee said, slapping Drake on the back before heading back down into the precinct.

 

Drake knew end of shift was coming up and he dreaded each minute that passed, because it meant that he was that much closer to the time he had to leave for his family's place. He knew that by the time he got out to Islip, Long Island, most or all his siblings would be there already. Especially 'Cain & Abel', as he liked to call his twin older brothers, the bane of his childhood existence until they left for college, thankfully.

 

Drake suddenly felt a pair of arms slide around his waist from behind and immediately knew who it was and felt himself relax. "You know Dee I don't think JJ would like it very much if he caught us in such a compromising position." Drake joked.

 

"Actually I'm not too sure about that, it just may be a complete turn-on, to see two hot cops together." stated JJ with mild humor coloring his voice as he watched Drake turn to face him in mock surprise.

 

"JJ, was that you?"

 

"Who else? Oh yeah, Dee. So how long have you been stepping out on me?" JJ asked poking Drake in the chest.

 

"Umm let's see...." Drake said, contemplating thoughtfully, until he felt a punch to his mid-section that was non to light.

 

"Parker. Don't make me hurt you." JJ growled.

 

"Jealous much? " Drake said, smiling down at JJ.

 

"When it comes to you, everyday." JJ stated, looking into storm gray eyes that made him just want to fall into them.

 

"God you're sappy." Drake said as he captured JJ's lips in a deep, knee-buckling kiss. 'Please God let this weekend go well, for JJ's sake. Help me make his wish come true.' Drake thought as he kissed JJ deeply.

 

"Wow." JJ panted coming out of the kiss and swaying slightly. "That was some good-bye kiss. How long are you gonna be gone again?"

 

"Just the weekend. I'll be back Sunday night."

 

"I'll miss you." JJ said smiling and pecking Drake quickly on the lips. "You better get going."

 

"Yeah, if I wait any longer I'll hit rush hour traffic. I'll call you when I get out there. It shouldn't take more than an hour." Drake said, kissing JJ once more, then slowly going downstairs to grab his bag. JJ was on shift for another few hours so Drake's original plan of dragging him home and making sure to say goodbye properly was out. He was somewhat put out, but JJ had made up for it the night before - quite enthusiastically.

 

As Drake drove the twenty miles to his exit on the Long Island Expressway, his mind began to go over previous family meetings. There was when his sister Elizabeth, passed the bar exam and officially became a lawyer and also later when she announced she was having a baby.......alone. Drake wondered how his niece Claire was doing; he hadn't seen her in about a year, she was about ten now.

 

Then, when the twins graduated from medical school, Gregory (Surgeon) from Columbia School of Medicine and Matthew (Dentist) from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, with his own practice up in Riverhead. They had both won full Academic Scholarships from each school respectively. That family meeting Drake could have done without. It just gave “Cain and Abel” the opportunity to rub their success in his face. He even had to miss a few days out of his academy training, and it had definitely not been worth it.

 

Also, when his sister Abigail decided that she no longer wanted to be a Psychologist, but a Teacher. She started teaching kindergarten and ironically married a Psychologist, her college sweetheart.

 

The one gathering that Drake actually enjoyed the most was when he was nineteen. His parents called a meeting to announce the arrival of a new bundle into the Parker household - fifteen years after their last child was born. His mother had Daniel Abraham Parker when she was forty-three. Although he was already nineteen and well on his way to being on his own, Drake was thankful to have a little brother and no longer be considered the baby of the brood. Daniel was in his second year at Stony Brook University and Drake kept in regular contact with his little brother, who was a good kid overall - he just tended to be a little bit of a horn-dog after entering his second year of High School. Drake and his parents had to divert a few disasters when it came to fathers wanting to divest Danny of his life and certain appendages, when he was caught with their daughters in a compromising situation - repeatedly. Now that he was in college Drake kept more of an eye on him, since there was more opportunity for him to misbehave, but so far so good.

 

Before Drake knew it he was pulling into the long driveway to his old house where there were already three cars parked. Drake already knew the two Mercedes-Benz's belonged to Gregory and Matthew. 'Pretentious bastards'. Drake thought viciously as he parked. Drake grabbed his overnight bag off of the passenger seat and steeled himself for what was to come.

 

As he closed the car door after getting out, Drake felt himself suddenly get pinned to the side of it in a breath stopping hug.

 

“DRAKE!!!”

 

“Hey Abi.” Drake wheezed. 'Still the same, huh Abi.' thought Drake as his lack of oxygen was starting to really deplete. “Abi, can't breathe.”

 

“Oh sorry. I'm so happy to see you bro!” Abi squealed in happiness as she released Drake.

 

'Sometimes I wonder if she's really two years older than me.' Drake mused. Abi was always the high-strung sibling, she definitely picked the perfect profession, with her energy level, no five year old could wear her out. “Hey Abi.” Drake said, finally able to greet his sister now that she had released him and allowed air back into his lungs.

 

“So I hear this was all engineered by you. This is the first one that you ever called. You've never done this, not even when you graduated from the academy. This must be really important. So what, are you getting married or something?” Abi questioned.

 

“Yeah, are ya , D?” said a voice from the front steps of the house.

 

 

Drake looked up and saw his sister Elizabeth coming down the stairs to join him and Abigail.

 

“Hey Lisbeth.” Drake greeted his sister. “How's Claire?”

 

“Claire's just fine. She misses her Unckie D.” Lisbeth said as she hugged him.

 

“Well you do live all the way in Albany. It's kinda hard to get out there on a whim.” Drake explained.

 

“Well whatever. So what's this all about?” Lisbeth asked, her sharp gaze pinning Drake.

 

Drake hated being questioned by Elizabeth. It was bad enough that even as kids he could never keep anything from her, but her being a lawyer just added to her ability to get him to spill his guts. To avoid Elizabeth's piercing gaze, Drake suddenly found it imperative that he get his bag from where he had thrown it on the back seat. He couldn't tell - not yet - he needed to wait until tomorrow. “You guys will just have to wait until tomorrow, just like everyone else.” Drake stated as he pushed passed his sisters to go inside, when he suddenly heard someone call his name.

 

“Yo D!”

 

Drake turned to see his youngest sibling walking up the drive from a taxi. “Danny, hey!” Drake greeted his brother as he reached him, engulfing each other in a brotherly hug.

 

“It's Dan alright, Dan.”

 

“Whatever. Have you been behaving yourself?” Drake questioned ruffling his brothers hair good naturedly.

 

“Yes Daaaad.” Danny drawled sarcastically shifting his bag to his other shoulder.

 

“So Danny, you still boinking everything in sight?” Lisbeth questioned sarcastically.

 

“It's Dan. And no, Lizzy, I'm not.” Danny answered tensely, using her hated pet name, given to her by “Cain and Abel”.

 

Drake wasn't the only one tortured by the twins. Elizabeth had them for the terrible two's, until Abigail was born. Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on your point of view, Abi was never burdened by their special brand of treatment. Elizabeth had to deal with the little terrors until Drake was brought into the world. The twins' attentions were acutely centered on Drake once he was of age to torture, and without his imminent death or a total psychological breakdown being the result of such attentions. By the time Danny was born the twins were out the house and living their own lives in college, but when they came to the house to visit when Danny was older, he was able to get an idea what Elizabeth and Drake had to go through when they were all kids.

 

“Well Danny that's not what I heard from Dad today and I hear it may even be one of your professors. Upgrading? Or is it downgrading?” Lisbeth said snidely.

 

“Lizzy, you are quite mistaken and whatever Dad was told, I'll set him straight. You can even ask D. Right D?” Danny asked turning to Drake to back him up.

 

“Yeah Lisbeth. I think Danny.....” Drake trailed off seeing the look his brother gave him. “...Dan.” Drake corrected. “I think he learned his lesson the last time before he left for college, when Mr. Sanderson showed up here with a thankfully unloaded shotgun.” Drake explained.

 

“Damn right I did.” Danny agreed vehemently.

 

“So what. A leopard will never change his spots. Once a hornball, always a hornball.” Lisbeth stated as she pushed passed her brothers, ruffling Danny's hair as she passed with a smirk on her face. “Good to see ya Danny. Stop boinking everything please, and if you don't, make sure you keep it covered.”

 

“Ewwww Lisbeth. TMI...ugh.” Danny gagged as he followed his oldest sibling into the house, with Abi turning to follow.

 

“You coming?” Abi asked as she turned back toward Drake, who was still standing there his overnight bag over his shoulder. “Drake?”

 

“Yeah. Let's go.” Drake answered following his other siblings into the house.

 

After dinner that night Drake went straight to bed, not wanting to get interrogated by Elizabeth or the twins.

 

 

 

 

Slowly Drake came awake as his cell phone went off annoyingly. Reaching out blindly he tried to silence it, but he just succeeded in knocking it to the floor where it just continued to beep. Groaning, he finally sat up, his hair sticking up in every direction, showing he hadn't slept very well.

 

As a matter of fact he didn't fall asleep till about three a.m. After hearing how wonderful the twins' families were — that Gregory was expecting his third child, that Matthew's oldest of two was starring in their school play, that Matthew's wife just became Managing Director at her job — he felt depressed. Everything was so damned perfect for them, he could just picture their reaction at his impending news. Swinging his legs over the bed, Drake stood, bent over and picked up his phone. He had just shut off the alarm as a knock came at the door of his room. “Yes, come in.”

 

“Good morning.” said Drake's mom, Marie Parker, as she entered.

 

“Hey Ma.”

 

“How did you sleep?”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Really.” she answered sounding unconvinced.

 

“Well to tell the truth. No I didn't sleep very well. I'm a little preoccupied.”

 

“Is it about this weekend?”

 

“Yeah.” Drake answered sitting back down on the bed.

 

Marie joined her son on the bed. “Drake whatever it is, it'll be okay. You have me and your father, all of your family you even have Greg and Matt.”

 

Drake snorted when he heard that the twins would actually be understanding. “Matt and Greg. Come on Ma, we both know those two could give a flying fu-f-fig about my dilemma. Right?”

 

“Thank you for editing yourself and, believe it or not, your brothers love you. Yeah they can be a little abrasive sometimes, but when their family needs them to be there, they will come through. Believe me. They are my children.”

 

"Ma, you say they're your children, but are you sure they weren't switched at birth with another set of twins, and you came home with a pair of Rosemary's babies?"

 

"Drake, stop it!" Marie admonished while getting up. "Now, get dressed and come downstairs for some breakfast."

 

"Okay." Drake answered as he watched his mother smile sweetly at him before closing the door. Drake really hoped that what his mother said was true, and that after tonight she would still smile at him just the same.

 

Drake went down to the dinning room to find that his mother hadn't lost her touch, she had always cooked as if she was feeding an army. All the food was set out buffet style - everything from scrambled eggs, toast (white and whole wheat),bacon (turkey and original), sausage, pancakes, and french toast. Drake loved all the choices, and happily filled his plate with healthy helpings of each. 'Mmmm, home cooking, there's nothing like it.' Drake thought as he cleaned his plate, knocked back a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and belched like a sailor.

 

"Crass as usual I see." said a voice from behind him. "That's our Drakey for you." came an answering reply in a similar baritone.

 

'Well there goes my moment of contentment.' thought Drake as his twin older brothers took seats on either side of him at the dining room table, setting down their own full plates.

 

"Good morning, Drake." Greg and Matt said at the same time, laughing at their timing.

 

'It was.' thought Drake rolling his eyes. "Morning." he replied, getting up to take his dishes to the sink.

 

The day progressed slowly, but Drake actually got to enjoy himself somewhat. He hung out with Abi, Danny, and Elizabeth for most of the morning in the family room, before they went out and played a little basketball in the driveway just before lunch. Greg and Matt even joined in so that they could have a three on three. At one point Matt threw Danny over his shoulder trying to get the ball away and giving Drake the opportunity to quickly snag the ball out of Danny's loose grip, making the game winning basket. After his triumphant shot he turned back to see all his siblings interacting loudly and happily. Abi and Lisbeth were trying to wrestle Danny away from Matt as Greg looked on laughing himself silly as he took pictures of the melee with his phone. Drake's heart clenched in his chest at the thought that by the end of the weekend all this could be a bitter memory. As Drake felt his emotions start to unravel, Marie Parker called her brood in for lunch, which was another buffet feast.

 

Afterwards Drake went upstairs to be alone.

 

Once in his old room Drake dropped down on his bed lay back and folded his arms over his face hiding the one or two tears that he let slip free before he reigned in his emotions. He couldn't believe how worked-up he was getting, he had to get his emotions under control or he would never get through this weekend. As Drake pulled himself together his cell went off. “Parker.” he answered his voice a little raspy.

 

“Drake? Is something wrong?”

 

Drake felt his control slip a little, but pulled himself back.

 

“JJ?” he asked giving him the opportunity to clear his throat.

 

“Yeah. I was just calling to say hello. I know you've only been gone a day, but I really miss you. I know, I know......sappy.” JJ laughed.

 

Sitting up Drake hunched forward hugging the phone close to his face and gripping his forehead with his free hand. “I love you JJ.”

 

“Drake did something happen?” JJ asked worried.

 

“No. I guess all the nostalgia is getting to me. My brothers and sisters actually showed up too.” Drake explained, his voice normalizing as he got full reign on his rampant feelings.

 

“Oh really? That's so great Drake. I remember the last time I saw my sisters, it was loud and piercing and - well, that was just me.” JJ joked.

 

“I could only imagine.” Drake said, feeling like he didn't have to hold on so tightly to his control now. Drake's chest relaxed as JJ's voice flowed through him as he rambled away about his sisters.

 

“Are you having fun?” JJ asked.

 

“Actually yeah, I am.” Drake answered and he realized that he actually meant it.

 

“What about “Cain and Abel”?” JJ asked using the nicknames for the twins.

 

“They're actually acting somewhat human. They haven't been complete douches.” Drake informed chuckling.

 

“I'm glad to hear that. Damn, sorry, but I gotta go.”

 

“Are you at work?” Drake asked surprised.

 

“Ah yeah. The chief asked if I could fill in for Marty, so that he could work with Narcotics today. They need his input on a case that he worked on a few years ago.” JJ explained.

 

“That sucks.”

 

“Not really, there is one good thing about it.” JJ said softly.

 

“And that is?”

 

“It keeps me from counting the hours until you come back.”

 

“You dope.” Drake chuckled.

 

“I know. Miss you.”

 

“See you Sunday.”

 

“Sunday.”

 

Looking down at his cell after hanging up, Drake actually felt better. The vice-like feeling around his heart had eased and his anxiety about talking to his family had faded to a dull roar. Drake knew in his heart that he could let his family know about him and JJ, it was just dealing with the aftermath that he wasn't to keen about.

 

A few hours later Drake found himself all to quickly on the precipice. As he helped Danny load the dishwasher after dinner, he went over in his head what he would say, but no matter how many times he re-worded it, there was no soft way to deliver the news. Basically all he was left with was to just spill the beans and let the chips fall where they may.

 

"Finally." Danny exclaimed, straightening. "If it wasn't for me and Dad we would be up to our elbows in hot soapy water."

 

"Yeah I remember when you and Dad finally convinced Mom that she should get a dishwasher after all these years."

 

"Yeah I told her that with the last human dishwasher leaving for college, where would she be? I know Dad sure as hell wasn't going to do them. I can't remember the last time I saw Dad wash a dish." laughed Danny.

 

"I know. Where is Dad anyway? He's been kinda quiet today."

 

"He's been mostly holed up in his nice new workshop out back. Tinkering with God knows what."

 

“Yeah I went out there earlier and he was working on a birdhouse or should I say bird mansion. The thing was huge.” said Drake with a wry look on his face.

 

“You know Dad, he never does anything on a small scale.” Danny stated.

 

"Are you boys done yet?" Mrs. Parker asked as she entered the kitchen with all the table linen's in hand, ready to put in the wash. "Dan go out and get your father please and let him know that it's time for him to come inside. After I put these to soak we're all going into the family room. Abi, Lisbeth, Greg, and Matt are already in there." Marie said from inside the laundry room, her voice slightly distant.

 

"Sure Mom." Danny answered pushing through the rear screen door of the kitchen.

 

After she was done Marie came out and walked over to her son, linking her left arm in to Drake's right and started leading him out the kitchen.

 

 

"Come on Drake, I can't wait to hear what you have to tell us." Marie stated as she pulled her reluctant, unbeknownst to her, offspring along.

 

'Trust me you can wait.' thought Drake as his mother led him into the family room where four of his five siblings sat.

 

Marie took a seat on the loveseat next to Abigail, the couch was taken up by Lisbeth and the twins. Drake sat down in the armchair across from the couch, trying not to look nervous and actually succeeding to his surprise. That is until Danny walked in with their father, who was still an imposing force and still had the ability to make his children nervous as hell.

 

Daniel Parker was not a small man in any form of the word. Daniel Parker worked as an Engineer/Construction Worker with the Teamsters for all of his adult life and that was evident from the bulky forearms and work worn hands.

 

"So son what is it that's got ya all worked up? You look like someone just poked ya with a cattle prod." Daniel asked as he shooed Abigail off the loveseat and sat next to his wife.

 

"Yeah Drake what's up?" Abi asked as she sat on the floor in front of her mother.

 

Drake could honestly say that if his heart beat any harder that it would burst out his chest. He could feel goosebumps all over his arms as seven sets of eyes watched him intently as they waited. Drake knew that he couldn't just sit there, the longer he drew this out the harder it would be, but he knew he couldn't just blurt it out, so he started slowly.

 

"Well it's about my current relationship." Drake stated.

 

"What, did you finally knock somebody up?" Lisbeth asked crassly.

 

 

"ELIZABETH CATHERINE PARKER!" Marie chided, looking utterly put out by her daughters tactless question.

 

"What! Don't be a prude Mom, it's a legit question."

 

"He's your brother, not a defendant."

 

"Whatever." Lisbeth said, waving off her Mother's reaction.

 

"Go ahead sweety." Marie encouraged with a smile.

 

"Thanks Ma, and no, Lisbeth, I didn't knock anyone up." Drake informed. "Anyway we'll be going on a year together in about a week."

 

"Congratulations sweety. We should celebrate." encouraged Marie.

 

"Well that's kinda the reason I'm here, Ma. The person I'm with wants to throw a party and would like all of you to come."

 

"So, I came all the way from Albany for a party invite that I could have gotten in the mail?" complained Elizabeth.

 

"Lisbeth has a point there D." Abi agreed.

 

"This can't just be about the party. There has to be something more. Right Drake?" Questioned Danny who'd also taken a seat on the floor like Abi.

 

"Sweety, is Danny right?" Marie Parker asked.

 

Looking at his mother Drake could feel his resolve crumbling and all his fears clawing to the surface, but he made himself continue. "Yes." Drake knew it was now or never. "You guys all know JJ right?"

 

"Yeah, so?" answered Lisbeth.

 

"Well...he's the one who wants to throw our anniversary party, mine and his, ours, together." Drake studied his hands as his throat threatened to close up on him, lowering his voice to just audible. "It's our anniversary party."

 

Drake sat there afterwards the deafening silence enveloped him. Sitting there Drake could actually hear his own heartbeat as it pulsed blood through his now seemingly stone-like body. 'God' somebody say something!' Drake screamed in his head, his eyes locked on the floor as he waited.

 

"I came all the way from Albany for this?/ It's about time!" said Lisbeth and Danny at the same time and looked at each other smirking.

 

"Congratulations Drake." said Abigail from the floor with a smile.

 

"We were wondering when you were finally going to realize. Took you long enough." chimed in Gregory.

 

"You can be really thick and mule headed, to the point you can't see what's right in front of you." added Matthew, seemingly annoyed.

 

It was now Drake's turn to sit in shocked silence. As his eyes traveled from sibling to sibling, his poor mind could not comprehend the words coming out of their mouths. Drake's brain felt like it was receiving the information, but all reversed and convoluted. His siblings couldn't actually be happy for him? Could they?

 

"Drake, sweety, are you okay?" Marie Parker worried, as it seemed her son may have gone catatonic.

 

"I don't get it - I - you - and...." Drake mumbled confused.

 

"DRAKE!" Daniel Parker snapped, which seemed to wake his son up as well as scare the bejesus out of everyone in the room.

 

"Daniel!" Marie chastised her husband for startling her so badly.

 

"Well the boy looked like he'd lost his senses for a minute there Marie. I was just trying to wake him up." Daniel explained grinning.

 

"That you did, Dad. Well, I know I'm awake." Danny stated sarcastically.

 

"Not what you expected, huh Drake?" asked Abigail smiling.

 

Looking at his sister and then around at everyone else. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one." Drake stated, as his eyes came to rest on his parents, his mind full of questions.

 

"Go on Marie, put the boy out his misery. He seems to be wondering why he hasn't been disowned." Daniel encouraged his wife, with a crooked smile.

 

'BULLSEYE!' Drake thought.

 

Taking pity, Marie smiled at her son and explained. "Well sweety, we kinda all knew how you felt about Jemmy. It seemed you were the only one who maybe wasn't aware of your feelings."

 

"No maybe about it, Ma. Denial ain't just a river, is it Drake." Gregory laughed.

 

'Ass.' thought Drake raising an annoyed eyebrow.

 

"Anyway Drake, whenever you brought Jemmy here with you it was really obvious how you felt about him and he about you." Marie continued.

 

"Yeah but those long lingering looks were a little trying on the ol' gastric system. There were times that I thought those sappy looks you would give JJ would fulfill my dream one day of an ulcer to rival all ulcers, and I've seen some beauts." Gregory said, his words rife with sarcasm.

 

"There were no long lingering looks." Drake snapped, feeling defensive.

 

"Dude don't let me pull out the home movies of the last five Parker BBQ's. Trust Greg when he says they were lingering looks, long ones, and you weren't the only one." Danny informed Drake.

 

"Long story short, your an imbecile who nearly let the love of his life slip through his fingers, because of some societal misconceptions ... now when and where is this shindig?" asked Lisbeth.

 

"Huh?" Drake asked still floored by his families reaction, or lack thereof.

 

"The. Anniversary. Party. When. Is. It?" asked Lisbeth stiltedly so Drake's poor muddled brain could understand.

 

"Oh, two weeks. I guess I'll have to give you guys the details. Oh yeah, it'll be kind of a special surprise for JJ that you'll be there."

 

"What do you mean you guess? JJ probably doesn't even know your telling us. Covering all the bases D? Just making sure that we give our blessing or maybe not. Talk about having no faith in us." Lisbeth snorted disdainfully as she got up and left still mumbling about Drake's lack of faith in his family.

 

"Well I guess that adjourns this meeting." Greg stated standing, then turning to Drake suddenly, "By the way D. Don't conveniently misplace our invitations." he said, indicating both himself and Matthew.

 

"Yeah. Don't make us crash the party." Matthew warned, then they both left chattering to each other.

 

'DAMN! They're on to me.' Drake thought, knowing that he would have probably done just that same thing.

 

"Congrats again D." Abigail said, then turned to her mother. "Come on Ma. I feel like making chocolate chip cookies."

 

"Sure Abi." Marie said getting up and giving Drake a kiss on his forehead as she passed.

 

Soon it was just Daniel and Drake. Father and son.

 

"Dad."

 

"Son. I guess your curious, huh?"

 

"I'm glad, but I have to admit a lot surprised. Especially by you." stated Drake honestly. "You haven't exactly said much though."

 

"Well Drake, remember your Uncle David?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Remember his best friend, Samuel?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Yeah. They're having their 50th in November." Daniel said, light grey eyes twinkling with mirth as he watched Drake's mouth fall open as his mind ran through all his childhood memories of his Uncle and Samuel at the different family events.

 

"YOU'RE SHITTING ME!" Drake exclaimed.

 

In the kitchen Marie turned to her daughter. "Sounds like your father told Drake about your Uncle David."

 

"Yeah, D is a little oblivious isn't he?" wondered Abigail out loud, then they both went back to the cookie batter.

 

 

"No, I'm not. When your grandfather caught them kissing one day in the backyard, he was none to pleased and told David that he could never see Samuel again. I was eight and David was sixteen at the time. I could barely grasp what was going on, but the one thing I did understand was the look on my brothers face when your Grandfather said that he couldn't see Sam again. It was like his world ended. Dad transferred David to another High School a week later. Two and a half years went by, then David left for college...and never came back home.

 

I didn't see him for over ten years and then one day, I'm in my third year at college and I hear "hey runt, you've grown". I was twenty and I never cried so hard in my life as that day. It turns out that Samuel waited for him and they moved in together after David and he graduated college. According to Samuel he'd been trying to push David to get in contact with Dad for years, but in the end he only agreed to meet with me.

 

It seems my reaction surprised him; by that point I had already figured out his real relationship with Samuel and I didn't care. I just wanted my big brother in my life. In the end your grandfather didn't see David until the day he died. I think David regrets that to this day.

 

I love you son and your life is your life, you choose to do with it what you wish. JJ is a good person and he makes you happy and thats all that matters. Also the look on your face was absolutely priceless." Daniel Parker said laughing as he stood. "Now I'm gonna go see how long I still gotta wait for those cookies. You coming?"

 

"No, you go ahead, but make sure Greg and Matt don't eat them all."

 

"Yup, I'll make sure 'Cain & Abel' behave themselves." Daniel said, winking at his son's look of shock at his use of the nicknames.

 

Drake sat in the family room for a few minutes before he got up and went upstairs. His legs felt like jelly and his chest felt like it was in a vice. Entering the room he calmly walked over to the bed picked up the pillow and screamed into it until he ran out of breath, his rubbery legs giving out, dropping him to a kneeling position next to the bed, panting, clutching a pillow and grinning like a buffoon.

 

"Feel better?"

 

 

Drake turned startled to see Lisbeth standing in the doorway. He watched as she walked in, closing and locking the door, then came and sat down on the bed.

 

After about a full minute of Lisbeth staring at him he couldn't take it anymore. "WHAT!" he snapped.

 

Without saying a word Lisbeth leaned over and kissed Drake's forehead like their mother did earlier and sat back.

 

"Elizabeth you're weirding me out." stated Drake, eyeing his usually taciturn sister warily.

 

"Do you love him?"

 

"What?" he asked confused as to what she meant.

 

"JJ, do you love him?"

 

"What's up with you?"

 

"Are you going to answer me or not?!" she snapped.

 

'Now there's the sister he knew and loved.'

 

"Drake, so help me!" Lisbeth threatened, grabbing a handful of his hair.

 

"OWW, OWW, OWWWWWW. Let go Lisbeth!"

 

"I asked a question and you will answer."

 

"FINE! LET GO!" Drake hollered, feeling Elizabeth release her vice-like grip on his head. "God, things never change with you." said Drake rubbing his now tender scalp.

 

"Well?"

 

"Yes...yes I love him." Drake admitted, a soft involuntary smile coming to his face.

 

"Then do me just one favor. Don't ever treat him like a dirty little secret, okay?" She said, then got up and left as abruptly as she arrived.

 

Drake knew what his sister meant and had every intention of carrying out her request. He loved JJ too much to do otherwise anyway.

 

The remainder of the weekend was less eventful, other than the fact that Matt and Greg kept asking the most invasive and creepy questions about his sex life. But Drake knew that came with the territory and thankfully, JJ did too. JJ was already like part of the family, now all Drake had to do was make it official.