Ian gets home from work early and is greeted by an empty living room, which is weird... Where are Mikey and James? He checks the kitchen and stealing a still-warm cookie goes to the backyard, both empty. Going up the stairs he can hear the voice he came to know over the years and is now home to him. Mickey. He can feel his shoulders drop and already feels more relaxed. He stops by the door and his heart swells with love.
They had some pretty rough moments; moments that led Ian to believe that what he is seeing now would never come true. Not with Mickey. Not with the man he was, and still is, sure he would forever love most. After Terry passed, Mickey could finally divorce his wife, no, ex-wife. And since then so much has changed. They moved to New York, got a place of their own and got jobs that did not pay enough, but they always made it work. Things got better in every possible way, but the most important of them was that over the past nine and a half years Mickey slowly started to soften up.
Ian noticed it all, but did not mention any of it, afraid it would all go back to the start. Until one day they were almost sleeping when Mickey dropped the bomb.
''I think we should have a kid'' and as if that was not enough to wake Ian up he added ''and maybe get married. It would make everything easier to adopt if we have to'' Ian was staring at Mickey and could feel the insecurity creeping up on Mickeys features ''that is, if you want, of course''.
Ian was speechless. That was everything he wanted and, until now, everything he thought Mickey didn't. With tears in his eyes he assured Mickey that yes, that was all he wanted. And got a ''don't go all gay on me'' as a response. Well, he said Mickey was getting better, not he is 100% converted.
The day they brought Mandy to New York was probably the most nervous Ian had ever seen Mickey. He wanted to tell him to come down, that the worst that could happen is Mandy saying no, but he knew Mickey would snap. When the doorbell rang Mickey's eyes went comically wide and Ian did his best to supress his laughter. With no hesitation she said yes and they decided Ian would be the biological father because ''I am not fucking my sister'' and ''I am not fucking my brother'' (they did not have the money to do it ''the right way'').
Four tries later, they were almost giving up when they got a call 7AM from a screaming Mandy. It took her repeating three times for Mickey to understand and start screaming to Ian how they would be daddies. He had never seen Mickey so happy and excited about something. It was something he wanted to remember forever.
So, nine months later they had baby James on their arms. He could swear Mickey cried, but when he asked ''fuck off, man. I'm not fucking crying'' was what he got for an answer, though with no real heat behind it. He was going to be a great dad and Ian new it. The complete opposite from what Terry was to him. And through the last five years, Mickey just proved him right. And tonight, there he was, doing it again.
Judging by his sleeping child's tear stained cheeks; the first day of school did not go as well as planned.
''So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,'' Ian could remember James first reaction to that particular part of his now-favourite book ''But none of those are my name, Papa''
''You are off to Great Places! Today is your day. Well, maybe it wasn't, kid. But it will be soon. Your mountain is waiting. So... Get on your way!'' Ian could hear the smile on Mickey's voice. Caressing his son's cheek he leans down and kisses his forehead ''It'll be alright, Jem''
Noticing he's been staring for probably too long, Ian knocks gently on the bedroom door and startled, Mickey drops the book from where he was putting it away. A smile spreads on his face as soon as he sees Ian and goes kiss him hello telling him not to make too much noise. Ian drops a kiss on James' forehead and turning on the nightlight he closes the door and instantly finds himself on Mickey's arms.
Later that night, Ian is almost asleep when Mickey does it again.
''What do you think about giving James a younger sister?''
Ian is wide awake at that.
''I'll call Debbie first thing tomorrow.'' And after a second adds ''It could be a boy, y'know''
