She was going to lose this battle. He was going to make damn sure of it.  Jr had decided that he was going to ingrate himself into every part of her life, slowly and with deliberate precision, til she just couldn't fight this, fight him anymore.

What was it with older women being so hung up on being older he wanted to know. Because seriously. He didn't give a flying figs rats that she was older than him. In his humble opinion that just made her that much hotter, that much ier. And man was she y, and sweet, and funny, and strong and she had that cute little dimple on the side of when she smiled, and she was all warm soft woman and yeah he had it bad.

So here he was, delibarately sitting on the couch with her, while the children delivered their letters,. He was going to make her see that he wanted to be a part of her life, of their life every single part of it, even the not so fun parts like discipliing the children.

He was leaning back in the couch, holding one of Thalia's hands on his lap, so she wouldn't forget he  was here, and listening  as she reprimanded the children.

" Your letters are very good, but i'm still upset that you were fighting. Theresa you know better than to push and punch, and you Thaddeus I understand you wanted to defend your sister, but I would prefer next time, if there ever is a next time, that you either get a teacher or pull your sister away. Now I can tell neither one of you is going to tell me what the boy said. Though I really wish you would. So I have decided on your punishment. I want you to write a letter to Uncle Jr,Uncle Jb, Uncle Jackson, Uncle Mark, Uncle Youngjae, Uncle Bambam, Uncle Yugyeom, Aunt Lina,Aunt Mika, Aunt Tj and Aunt Soo, and in the letter you are going to tell them why fighting is bad. You have until the end of the weekend to get them written, and if they are not done by Friday,then no tv for you saturday morning til they are done. And remember they have to be good letters."

Jr felt bad for the kids. Thalia was strict, really strict, but he supposed being a single parent she'd had to be. And he supposed writing letters was a healthy alternative to getting spanked, though he figured if he had a choice he'd rather get spanked and be done with it. The children, dejected though they looked, seemed to understand that they deserved the punishment, and he was very proud of them, when they both squared their shoulders and said " yes mama," in unison. Even like this, they looked too cute.

" We'll go get started mama, " Terry said.

And Thalia nodded, " thank you, just remember to be quiet, Theo's sick, i'll call you for dinner,"

" Yes mama, " they repeated.

" Mama?"

" Yes baby, "

" We're sorry we made you mad, " Thad said quietly.

Thalia smiled then held her arms out and both children rushed into them for a group hug. Then they both stepped away and marched to their chamber of doom to act out their punishment.

Jr waited til the children were back in their room before he spoke again.

" They're good children, I doubt they would have gotten into a fight if the other kid didn't desrve it," he offered as he calmly her palm.

" I know, but I just don't want them thinking that i'm ok with fighting, " she said sounding sligtly defensive.

" Shh, I know, you're a good mother, " 

Thalia turned to look at him, did he mean that? Did he really think she was a good mother, she doubted herself sometimes. And so many times she'd been so afraid that she was doing this wrong.

" Come here mama, " he said gently pulling her into his arms for another mind searing, heart stopping, breath stealing, soul numbing kiss. 

" We can't keep doing this, " Thalia muttered gainst his lips.

" You just have to say the word Thalia, one word and i'll stop," he whispered back. She couldn't bring herself to say the word. She didn't want to say the word. She wanted him to keep kissing her, she wanted him to do more than kiss her. But she wasn't greedy, she'd take the kisses and be happy with them.

Mindful of the children one door away Jr kept the kiss above and his hands on her face, though they itched to touch her, to feel her, to know her. And from the way she was moaninng and moving against him, she wanted the same things.

" I need to make dinner, " she finally managed to say when he released her. 

" Ok, come on then," and so saying he pulled her up and led her to her kitchen, where he helped her with dinner.

He read to the children again that night and even offered to stay and help watch Theo for Thalia so she could get some rest. But she wouldn't take him up on his offer.

" I can't let you do that," she said.

" Thalia, I want to, let me stay and help you, " 

She still wouldn't let him,. But what was it Soo had said about Jr, that he was persistent. And he was,as Thalia was beginning to learn. He went back to his place after dinner, and then thirty minutes later he was back at Thalia's showered and changed into a set of pajama's which consisted of a pair of cotton pajama pants and a simple white t-shirt, and why did Thalia find that ridiculously y. He had a blanket and a pillow in his hand.

" What are you doing?"

" I told you, i'm going to help you watch Theo, now let me in, please," he said the last word with the most adorable of smiles and blinked his eyes at her.

Thalia tried not to smile, and failed, and eventually she let him into the house whereupon he made himself a bed on her couch, and then instructed her to go shower and do whatever else she needed to do.

" Jr?"

" Yeah mama,"

" thank you, "

" anytime mama,. Now go before I drag you into the bathroom myself" amd if he did that, well lets just say there would be a lot more other and a lot less shower going on.

When Thalia returned from her shower, Jr was not on the couch, and for a moment she thought he might have left, but then she saw his blanket and pillow still on the couch and figured he was probably checking on Theo.

He was. The poor child had woken up in a fit of coughs that had led to wheezes and even Jr could tell that he probably needed his inhaler. 

Jr had found it laying in his room on his shelf, and like he'd seen Thalia do, he asked Theo if he needed it, and Theo nodded.

" Ok, bud, you're going to ahve to walk me through this, ok, tell me if I do something wrong," amd so saying he helped the little boy sit up, like he'd seen Thalia do once, and then he let him get a few pumps from his inhaler. 

" You good bud?" 

Theo nodded in response, " uncle Jr, sometimes mama holds me, after, can you hold me?"

Jr could most definitely hold the little guy, and he did so, sitting up letting the little guy lean against him and wrap himself in uncle Jr's arms for warmth and protection.

And that is how Thalia found them. She stared from the doorway and once more marvelled at how good, great Jr was with her children. If he wasn't careful she'd fall in love with him. And then where would they be.?

Jr watched her watching them from the door. She looked so... soft in her ankle length granny night gown. It was thick and looked flannel or wool with long sleeves and little sheep jumping over fences on it. She had her hair up in that little bun of hers, and socks on her feet. She looked.. inviting. He wanted to just wrap himself up in her arms like Theo had wrapped himself up in his.

Thalia walked into the room, kissed her babies goodnight, and on a whim because she thought he was sleeping she placed a quick kiss on Jr's cheeck as well and then she went and slept on the couch.

She'd switch with Jr when he woke up.

Jr stayed with Theo all night long, and it was Jr who woke Thad and Terry up for school the next morning, and it was Jr who got Thad and Terry to tell him exactly what the mean boy had said to Terry.

" He said I was ugly, and I was short, and I probably couldn't kick a ball properly because I was a girl," Terry tattled crossly,and Jr had to work really hard to keep from laughing. 

It wasn't that serious but he could see how to a five year old it was quite offensive.

" But you know you shouldn't have pushed and punched him right?"

" Yeah I know, but he was mean, " Terry argued, " and he was right," she added dejectedly.

Jr held back another smile, " I'll make a deal with you, if mama says it's ok, then I will teach you how to kick a ball ok, but only if mama says it's ok, and if you promise no more fighting. Deal?" 

Terry looked at his outstretched hand and shook it, then she jumped on him for a hug.

Thalia watched the whole thing from the door. She was becoming a regular stalker.

Unfortunately, Thalia's job could not get another librarian to cover for her until later in the day, so she would have to come in for a few hours.

" Go, I'll watch him." Jr said.

" But don't you have to work,"

Jr shrugged, running one's own business had it's perks. He had no meetings or clients scheduled today and Jb could take care of any walk ins.

He managed to convince her eventually that watching Theo would be no hardship for him, that she was not imposing and that he absolutely wanted to do this. 

Thalia couldn't do it, so in the end Jr offered to watch him for the morning and Thalia could at least go in to work for a few hours and then she could come watch him in the afternoon and Jr would go to work then.

" Areyou sure,?" she asked again standing at the door, handbag on her shoulder, dressed for work.

" Go, we'll be fine, and you'll only be gone for three hours, "Jr innsisted.

" It's ok mama, me and uncle Jr will be fine, " Theo added, " he even knows how to use my inhaler."

So with a heavy and worried heart Thalia left them and headed for work.

As she found when she returned from work, she had absolutely no cause to worry. Theo and Jr were just fine. In fact they were more than fine, they were absolutely lovey dovey, and she wondered exactly what had happened while she'd been gone.