Keeping Promises
Rating: PG-13 (just for a couple of words and a suggestion)
Disclaimer: *I* don't even claim it.
Summary: Webb & Mac take AJ to the Haunted House
Author's Note: This is snipped from the ficlet, "Cleaning Out the Closet". The 4 "lessons" embedded in that ficlet are actually the beginnings of an experiment I'm undertaking. Called "ClaySchool," I'm going to post some vignettes that show little things Mac learns about Webb over the months. Anyone who wants to try writing one, please feel free. (Hint: I listen to the song "I Hope You Dance" while I write the ones with little AJ.)
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OCTOBER 29, 2003
CLAY'S TOWNHOUSE
ARLINGTON, VA
Seeing the Roberts' van through the window, Clay got to his feet and opened the front door. "C'mon, sweetheart---Harriet and Bud are already here!" he called up the stairs, then turned around to kiss Harriet's cheek and shake Bud's hand. AJ pulled on his pant leg, so he hunkered down and shook his hand, too.
"Well, then, they're eight minutes and twenty-seven seconds early!"
"Okay, I'll tell them that!" Clay grinned and gestured the small family into the den where AJ immediately dove into the oversized couch. AJ's parents wisely chose to remain standing. They knew the temptation of that couch and could only stay a few minutes.
"Clayton Webb, don't you dare!"
"Don't have to---you already did!" Bud started to laugh but Harriet chidingly slapped Clay on the shoulder. Clay's grin just got wider as his eyes twinkled with mirth.
"You're an ass, sweetheart!"
"I know�and now, so does young AJ Roberts!" Sure enough, AJ's eyes had opened wide and his mouth formed an "O" of surprise at the new name he might be able to call Clay. Harriet gave a negative shake of her head, silently warning her son he'd better not try it---ever. AJ pursed his lips, ignored his mother, and industriously searched through the cushions for the remote.
"Did they bring the baby?" It sounded as though Sarah was getting closer. Bud gestured to Clay that he'd answer this question. He walked over to the base of the stairs; Clay and Harriet followed him.
"No ma'am, she's still a bit croupy so Dad's with her `til we get back! It sure is great of you and Clay to take AJ to the Haunted House! We really appreciate it!" Bud was going to call up a few more words of thanks when Sarah suddenly rounded the top of the staircase and began her grand descent.
"WOW, ma'am!" Bud had never seen the colonel decked out in such an---appropriate---outfit. Harriet seconded her husband's pronouncement, then looked over at Clay to catch his reaction.
Clay's jaw had dropped and his eyes glittered a deep forest green. In Harriet's mind, seeing Clay's besotted reaction to Sarah's costume was worth the twenty-minute drive. The colonel certainly did make a perfect superhero. Studying Clay's uniform for the first time, she definitely thought that he made a pretty dreamy Star Fleet commander.
Missing the company of the adults, AJ ran over to the staircase and stood between his mother and Clay. Wearing an expression similar to Clay's, he looked up at his father and asked, "Is that really Aunt Sarah?"
Before Bud could reply, Clay swallowed hard and said, "No, AJ. That's Wonder Woman. The real thing." AJ nodded his head in awe.
Enjoying herself, but knowing they needed to get back to their own home, Harriet gave Sarah and Clay some last-minute instructions and made AJ swear to behave. Once his parents had gone, AJ kept looking back and forth from Clay to Sara, then down at himself.
"Was I s'posed to wear a costume, too?" he wondered
"No, sweetie, that's two days away," Sarah assured him as she tried to shove her satin cape over her shoulder. "Clay and I have to attend a Company function after we have fun at the Haunted House with you."
"Oh, that's too bad, Aunt Sarah." AJ looked thoughtful for a moment while Sarah leaned down to zip up his jacket and Clay switched off most of the lights.
"Aunt Sarah?" AJ tugged on her cape as Clay joined them at the door.
"Yeah, sweetie?" Clay was helping her into a long coat when they both realized it would never go on over the cape. Clay untied her cape, kissed her neck, then folded up her cape while she put on the coat.
"What's a Cump'ny Fun'shun?"
Clay laughed and scooped AJ up in his arms. "That, young Mr. Roberts, is a form of torture only adults could dream up. Basically, we get dressed up, stand around, listen to boring stories, and wait to see whose going to be lucky enough to go home first."
"Oh," AJ wisely nodded as Sarah shook her head at Clay, "I've been to one of them before."
"You have?" Clay and Sarah asked at the same time.
"Yeah," AJ heaved a long-suffering sigh in remembrance, "Mommy calls it a family reunion, but Daddy calls it---."
"AJ," Sarah stopped him, "I don't think your Daddy would want us to know what he calls it, do you, sweetie?" She curved her finger around his chubby cheek in affection while she pinched Clay's butt to stop his chuckles.
AJ let out another long sigh and admitted, "I guess not. I'm not s'posed to use those kinda words anyways."
Clay handed the serious young boy off to Sarah while he leaned against the wall, repressing peals of laughter. AJ stared at Clay while Sarah forced her own lips not to curl in commiseration. Wiggling to get down, AJ stood in front of Clay and pointed up at him.
"Clay, are you laughing at me? Mommy says that not nice. Don't you like me anymore?"
Clay immediately sobered up and came down on his knees in front of the little boy, "Oh, AJ. I'd never laugh at you. I'm sorry if you thought I did---really sorry. Thing is, you're such a wonderful mixture of your Mommy and Daddy, that I'm just really happy when you're around. You make me so happy, that it bubbles out and I can't control it sometimes."
"Really?" AJ looked deeply into Clay's eyes.
"Really," he assured the boy.
"Okay, but you better play nice." Clay nodded and in a gesture that so reminded him of Harriet, AJ leaned forward, kissed Clay's cheek and hugged him around the neck. Clay held the precious little boy to him for a few moments, blinking back unexpected tears. When he wiggled free and ran out to the car, Clay slowly stood up and turned to face Sarah.
"If it's possible, I want ten just like him," he choked out.
Sarah enfolded him in her arms and promised, "We can start tonight."
Lesson Three: Keeping Promises---it's a good thing.