"So cool!" Theo grins before running and attaching himself to my waist. "Thanks dad!" He beams up at me with his earsplitting grin.

"Happy birthday bud!" My hand comes up and ruffles his curls, he groans pulling away to fix it before running off to the giant inflatable bounce house.

I laugh, watching is he trips in his hurry to catch up to Ryder.

"Sometimes you make me feel like a bad parent." Isiah slaps me on the back before handing me a coke. I take a minute to assess how he's really doing, I think being a doctor has taking its toll on him but the fact that he can come home to his wife and children keeps him from complete burn-out. "Carter! Don't you dare!" He suddenly yells, cutting off my verbal response.

I follow to where his eyes are trained and see his son up in the giant oak tree, ready to jump into the open bouncy castle.

"Oh my gosh!" Meghan suddenly gasps, "Carter if the fall doesn't kill you I will!" She screams, before slapping Isaiah on the shoulder. "Go get him!"

"As you wish." He mumbles, kissing her head and handing her his sprite before sprinting off.

"Glad to see you're still bossy." I smirk at her and she rolls her eyes.

When looks at me to respond, her eyes simply widen and nothing is said.

"What?" I ask, turning to where she's looking.

Amelia is standing there, politely smiling at at Xander and a petite girl in a yellow sundress.

I can hear Xander's sobs, I practically see his the lifeless teen in front of me and my rage is fueled.

"Is that.." I don't wait for her to finish as I start making my way over to my son and the girl who is not welcome in my home.

Amelia catches my eye first and must read my furry because she steps away.

Her action causes Xander to look up and he immediately excuses himself, walking toward me.

"I'm on duty, and I don't get off till late tonight."

"So you brought her here?" I question, loudly enough to draw to the attention of my wife.

"Dad," He sighs, "I don't like it either. In fact I hate it. I think about the last time she was here and I thought I would marry her and it hurts." His voice shakes and my furry grows. "I hate that she smells the same, I hate that her smile is the same, and I hate that I still care. But she is my job, I'm responsible for her, and no matter what, where I like it or not, I'm staying by her side."

"It is not a sign of weakness to quit on this one."

"No matter how much it hurts, I won't quit." He says with conviction. "You taught me that."

"This is different, Xander." I glance behind him and catch the almost sad eyes of the brunette watching us, she immediately looks away and I notice my wife's curious glance. "This is very different."

"Dad, I have to do this, I need to prove to myself that I deserve to carry this badge. I need this assignment."

He says it with such conviction that there's nothing left for me to say.

"Go tell your brother happy birthday. I'll talk to your mother."

He nods at me before turning to the women, "I'm going to say hi to Theo, I'll be back." He glances at me one more time before walking away.

"I'm going to excuse myself to the restroom for a moment." Audrey suddenly says forcing a smile my way and nodding. "Mr. James."

"Audrey."

As she walks away is approach Amelia.

"Why don't I like her?" She asks me once the girl is out of earshot.

I glance down at her, frowning, there's no way Xander would bring this up, unless...

"I just have this gut feeling that I shouldn't like her."

Oh. "She's Xander's ex-girlfriend." I explain to her and she frowns. "She broke him."

"I figured." She frowns. "She seems sweet but I just felt like I shouldn't trust her."

"That's good." I smile at her. "It's your mind trying to remember."

"Ah," Jack says from the other side of the office door and Amelia squeaks just before falling off my lap. "Mr. James?"

"Just a second, Jack." I call through my laugh as Amelia sits on her ass groaning. "Ever the graceful one."

"Laugh all you want," She reaches for my outstretched hand. "I'm not the the that has to figure out how to get rid of a hard-on."

Pulling her with too much force, I yank her up and she stumbles, falling against me. "Hi." I can't hold back my grin, as I take in her glowing skin and mussed up blonde hair. My fingers twist in what, a few minutes ago, had been a neat braid and I pull her towards me, our lips meeting almost painfully. Her mouth opens for me without hesitation and I savor her taste.

Another knock on the door causes her to slowly pull away and I groan.

"Fuck, Jack," I shout as Amelia rubs her thumb against my bottom lip. "Is it important."

"A Miss. Rush has made her way into the premise, sir." The name alone has Amelia and I both standing to our feet but she shoves me back down.

"Show her to the living room when she knocks, Jack." She calls, giving me a grim look. "Your mother and I may not know each other but she did show me how to instill fear into the hearts of young girls." Her anger isn't hid in her tone.

I simply motion to the door, happy I'm not on the receiving end of her attitude.

Not twenty minutes later, she walks back into my office. I close my laptop before standing and Frowning at the dark pantsuit and pearls she wearing. "You look like my mother."

"I hate it." She sighs, unclasping the pearls and setting them on the desk.

"What did you say to her?" I ask, pulling her to me.

"I just sat down and told her-"

"Who invited the witch?" Meghan's voice pulls me from my thoughts and I glance over where she's glaring and see my mother laughing with my smiling wife.

"Grandfather!" Mayzie yells, running past me and attaching herself my father's. My mother laughs and reaches down for her and my fist clenches as I make a beeline for my wife with Meghan hot on my heels.

"This party just got interesting."