The Parent Trap [Sanders Sides] - HIATUS

Prologue

The wedding was perfect.

Both Patton and Janus could agree on that. From the decorations to the cake, there were no issues. They said their vows under a gorgeous gazebo, had their first dance at a stunning outdoor venue, and there wasn't a single flower out of place among the centerpieces. Their families congratulated them, teasingly reminding them of the way they first thought of each other before falling in love.

When they first met, Patton and Janus couldn't stand each other. They disagreed on practically everything, but eventually found a way to meet in the middle. Once they reached that middle ground, there was no escaping it. They became captivated with each other and fell hard.

After the wedding they returned to their small house they shared, also sharing a couple glasses of wine and sloppy kisses. One thing led to another, and nine months later they became the dads to twin baby boys; Roman and Remus.

Patton and Janus loved their boys with all of their hearts, each of them doing their best to take care of them. Patton tried to raise the boys in a positive and nurturing way, teaching them how to be good people while still allowing them to learn on their own.

Janus on the other hand believed that they needed a more realistic view about the society of the world they live in. He tried to raise their boys with a much more authoritative approach, setting clear rules and making the consequences for breaking those rules clear. Janus wasn't afraid to discipline his boys, while Patton believed in learning from mistakes.

Their differences in parenting styles started slowly forming a rift between them. Patton and Janus argued more and more until it was nearly a daily occurrence. As the rift grew bigger and bigger, eventually it all caved.

After a particularly rough day, Janus and Patton found themselves in a heated argument. This wasn't unusual at all but it was a little more intense. Janus accused Patton of sheltering their boys too much, lying to them about the reality of the world. Patton fired back with the accusation that Janus doesn't allow them to have a childhood, exposing them to too much too soon. At some point the back and forth yelling got so loud that they both had to take a moment to calm themselves down, just so they wouldn't wake up the boys.

But Roman and Remus were already awake, perched at the top of the staircase, listening to every word.

Nearly an hour of fighting resolved nothing, but pushed them even further apart. For a couple who had been so captivated with each other for so long... they suddenly found that they stood on opposing sides again.

Their middle ground was gone.

The inexhaustible fighting finally ended with a single agreement; divorce papers. Patton and Janus separated, each taking one son with them. Roman went to live with Patton, who moved away to London to start a completely new life. Remus stayed with Janus in their home in California.

Over the years, Patton became a well-known pastry chef in England. His wedding cakes were particularly notable. Roman was a very creative boy, building forts out of pillows and cardboard. After years of adventuring solo, Roman got tired of playing alone. He begged his dad for a brother or sister to play with. Patton adopted two more children as his wealth and Roman's begging grew.

Logan was adopted at birth and grew to be a remarkably smart boy. He figured out that he was adopted fairly easily, but it didn't change anything between him and his family.

Emile was adopted much later. He was almost five before he was adopted out of the foster system by Patton. Emile had developed extreme anxiety due to some not-so-good foster parents in his past, which resulted in him flat out refusing to speak. Emile's selective mutism wasn't an issue at all with Patton, Roman, or Logan. They both understood him and found different ways to communicate with him. The four of them were a very happy family.

Back in California, Janus became a family lawyer. He struggled for a while to make a decent paycheck, but he made sure that Remus was happy. Remus was a... strange kid. He was creative... in a more demented way. His creations were bloody and extremely graphic. Still, Janus supported him in everything he made. After years of being content with his little family, life threw yet another curve at him.

One of the cases he worked on was regarding the custody of a little boy named Virgil. Virgil's parents had tragically lost their lives in a car crash. His parents had no other family for Virgil to go live with, leaving him utterly alone in the world. Janus's heart ached for the boy and ultimately requested to be granted custody of him. A few months passed and Janus adopted the scared little boy. Remus didn't like the idea of having a brother at first, but warmed up to it after he realized that it meant he had someone to play with at all times. It took a while for Virgil to warm up to Remus. His new brother was... a lot to handle. But over time, they learned to love each other unconditionally. The three of them were an admittedly strange but happy family.

Both Patton and Janus were in completely separate worlds after those ten years.

But those worlds were about to meet in the middle yet again.

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