AN: New week, time to rank up. So gimme those powerstones. And instead of double chapters, enjoy this big chapter with over 2.8k words. See you all tomorrow.
Goal: 500 PS> 1 Bonus chapter
800 PS> 2 Bonus chapters
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Mitchell stood by the bed, carefully folding a shirt with more focus than necessary, like getting the corners right might somehow organize everything else in his life. The suitcase lay open beside him.
Cameron walked in, unusually calm, which by itself was already suspicious.
"We should call everyone," Cam said, stepping further into the room with a soft smile. "You know, introduce Lily properly."
Mitchell didn't look up right away. He smoothed the fabric once more, buying himself a second before answering. "I don't know if that's a great idea right now," he said, his tone careful but honest. He picked up another shirt, folding it more slowly this time. "My dad wasn't exactly thrilled about the whole… us thing. He's trying, I'll give him that, but he still gets awkward. And this?" He gestured vaguely, meaning the baby, the situation, all of it. "Two gay parents raising a baby might be a lot for him to process all at once."
Cam's smile didn't drop, but it shifted just enough for Mitchell to notice when he finally glanced up.
"Maybe we wait until after Halloween," Mitchell continued, watching him now. "Let things settle a little. We can ease into it, give everyone time to adjust instead of just throwing a baby into the middle of—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Cam was standing a little too still. A little too innocent.
Mitchell narrowed his eyes slowly, a sinking feeling forming in his chest. "Oh my God," he said. "Don't tell me you called them."
Cam pressed his lips together for a second, then let out a small breath like he had been holding it in for too long. "I had to," he said, stepping closer. "Mitchell, I tried not to, I really did, but she's perfect and I just kept looking at her and thinking, how do we not share this with everyone?"
Mitchell stared at him, completely frozen. "What did you do?"
Cam clasped his hands together, his excitement bubbling back up despite the situation. "I might have made a few calls," he admitted, his voice getting faster. "Okay, more than a few calls. It sort of turned into an emergency family announcement situation."
Mitchell blinked. "An emergency announcement."
"Yes, but a happy one," Cam said quickly, like that somehow made it better. "I told them it was important, that they needed to come over, and that we had something big to share."
Mitchell let out a slow breath, dragging a hand down his face as the reality hit him. "Cam…"
"They're coming during lunch," Cam added, checking his watch like he had been waiting for the right moment to drop that part. "Since everyone's busy tonight with Halloween stuff."
Mitchell's hand dropped from his face. "Lunch," he repeated flatly.
Cam nodded, then looked at his watch before saying, "Which is in about four hours."
Silence filled the room for a second.
Mitchell looked at him, then at the door, then back at him again, like he was considering several escape plans at once. "Four hours," he said, his voice rising just a little. "You gave me four hours to prepare my father for the concept of us having a child."
Cam stepped closer, reaching out like he might try to calm him down, but Mitchell immediately took a step back.
"No, don't," Mitchell said, holding up a hand. "I need space to process the fact that you invited my entire family over for what is essentially an emotional ambush."
"It's not an ambush," Cam insisted gently. "It's a reveal."
"That's worse," Mitchell shot back. "That sounds like a reality show."
Cam softened, his voice lowering as he looked toward the hallway where Lily was resting. "Mitchell, she's our daughter," he said quietly. "I don't want to hide her like she's something we have to ease people into. She deserves to be celebrated."
Mitchell's expression shifted at that, the edge in his frustration softening just slightly. He glanced toward the door as well, his shoulders dropping a bit.
"I know," he said after a moment, quieter now. "I know she does."
Cam stepped closer again, more carefully this time, resting a hand on his arm. "We'll handle it together," he said. "If your dad gets awkward, we'll get through it. If anyone says something weird, I will shut it down immediately with charm and possibly baked goods."
Mitchell let out a small, reluctant breath of laughter. "You think baked goods are going to fix this?"
Cam gave him a confident look. "Baked goods fix a lot more than you think."
Mitchell shook his head, but the tension had eased just enough to let him think clearly again. "Okay," he said slowly. "Okay, four hours. That's… not nothing."
Cam brightened instantly. "Exactly, that's plenty of time."
Mitchell pointed at him again. "No more surprises."
Cam nodded quickly. "No more surprises."
...
[Meanwhile...] [Costume shop]
The costume store was loud in that messy, pre-Halloween way. Fake cobwebs hung from the ceiling, racks of costumes were half-pulled apart, and somewhere near the back, a kid was repeatedly pressing a button that made a plastic skeleton scream every five seconds.
Jack stood near one of the aisles, flipping absentmindedly through a rack of costumes without really seeing any of them. His focus kept drifting to the fact that Haley was somewhere behind one of those changing room curtains.
A few minutes later, a curtain slid open.
"Okay, don't say anything yet," Haley's voice came first, a mix of confidence and nerves.
Jack looked up.
Haley stepped out fully, adjusting the edge of the costume like she was trying to act casual about it. It was a sexy nurse outfit, clearly designed for certain activities rather than practical, and she knew exactly what she was doing by picking it. It hugged in all the right places, clean white with red accents, the hem just short enough to make it obvious what the intention was. She shifted her weight slightly, watching his reaction with a mix of confidence and curiosity.
'HOT! HOT! HOT!' That's the one word Jack kept repeating in his head.
"Well?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, watching his face carefully.
Jack blinked once, then let out a quiet breath like his brain had just caught up. "Give me a second," he said, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at her properly.
Haley smiled a little wider, clearly enjoying this more than she should. "Wow. Speechless. That's new."
He stepped a little closer, eyes still on her, then gestured lightly with his hand. "Give me a spin."
Her eyebrow lifted, amused. "You want a full evaluation now."
"Oh, yes," he replied without hesitation. "I want a full evaluation."
Haley laughed softly but did it anyway, giving him a slow spin like she was on a runway. When she faced him again, she crossed her arms loosely, waiting.
Jack watched the full turn, then nodded once to himself like he was confirming something. "Yeah. That's… yeah."
She raised an eyebrow. "So...? What do you think?"
He exhaled through a small laugh, shaking his head slightly. "Okay. It looks really good. Like… really good... Hot~!"
Haley's smile widened just a bit more, clearly satisfied. "I knew it."
Jack's expression shifted slightly, though the smile stayed. "But no."
She blinked. "No?"
He shook his head slowly, still holding Haley's gaze, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "No way," he said with a serious expression that was enough to make her pause. "That's perfect for private time together, for us. Not good for walking around in public." He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "I don't want anyone seeing you like that and thinking they can look at you the way I do. Only I get to do that. Am I selfish? Hell yeah, I am."
Haley leaned in just slightly, her voice softer but clearly teasing. "Wow," she said, eyes locked on his. "That was very… possessive of you."
Jack didn't move away. If anything, he leaned in just a fraction, his hands settling lightly at her waist again. "Am I wrong?"
She smiled, slow and knowing. "No," she admitted, her fingers loosely linking behind his neck. "You aren't wrong."
Her eyes flicked down for a second, then back up, a playful spark returning. "And just so you know," she added, her voice dropping a little, "it's actually really sexy when you act like that."
Jack raised an eyebrow slightly, caught off guard for half a second.
Haley's smile widened just a bit as she held his gaze. "And I love it when you look at me like that," she meant every word.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The noise of the store faded into the background, the screaming skeleton going off somewhere behind them completely ignored.
Jack exhaled quietly, his grip at her waist tightening just a little before he caught himself. "You're making this harder," he muttered, half amused, half serious.
Haley let out a soft laugh, leaning just a little closer. "Good," she said without hesitation.
He shook his head slightly, a small smile breaking through again as he looked at her. "Pick something else," he said, gentler this time but still firm. "Something you can actually wear outside without causing a public incident."
She pretended to think about it for a second, her arms still around him. "So you're saying I should save this for… later?"
"Oh, yeah. Also, pick that cat costume with a tail," Jack said with a smirk.
And so, Haley ended up with two sexy costumes for private time, and as for tonight, she picked a female pirate costume. And Jack also picked a matching pirate costume.
...
Haley and Jack walked out of the costume shop side by side, the plastic bag swinging lightly between them with their new outfits tucked inside. Haley slipped her hand into Jack's as they headed toward the food court. She leaned against his shoulder for a second, still smiling about the way he had looked at her in that nurse's costume back inside.
Haley's phone started ringing. She took it out of her jeans pocket.
"Uh oh," she muttered, reading the screen. "It's Mom."
She pulled away from him before answering.
"Hi, Mom," she said with forced cheer. "What's up?"
"Haley," Claire's voice came brisk and clipped, "I need you to come to Uncle's house right now. Cam called for an emergency family meeting."
Haley immediately stiffened. "Right now? Can I skip it? I was about to grab lunch with Jack, and I was really looking forward to spending some time with him."
Claire let out that familiar sigh on the other end. "Haley, you have to come. It is important, and the whole family is going to be there."
"Fine, I will come," Haley said after a moment, "but I am bringing Jack with me. He is going to get busy with his shooting schedule again soon, and who knows when we will get another chance to actually spend time together like this."
Claire's tone sharpened immediately, the way it always did when she thought Haley was pushing boundaries. "This is a family matter, Haley."
"And?" Haley asked, confused. In her mind, Jack is already a part of the family.
Claire did not miss a beat. "And Jack is not family." She closed her eyes and slapped her hand on her forehead as she realised what she had just said. Phil stopped and gave her that disappointed look.
Haley's hands tightened on the phone, her jaw working like she was chewing the words before she could say them. "You always ruin my life. I hate you," she almost yelled before cutting the call before Claire could respond. She shoved the phone back into her pocket and let out a frustrated sigh.
Jack frowned, tilting his head. "What was that about?"
"Mom wants me at my uncle's house for some emergency family meeting," Haley said, dragging her fingers through her hair. "And I'm not allowed to bring you with me. I hate her."
Jack sighed, hugging her tightly before kissing he forehead. "Hey, don't ever say that... Anyway, it's a family matter and I don't think it's okay for me to be there. So, you go and we'll meet at night. I'll pick you up at seven."
...
//Phil and Claire Confession//
Phil and Claire sat side by side on the couch. Claire looked a little tense, her fingers lightly pressing against her forehead as if she could smooth the situation away.
"So…" she began, exhaling. "I might have said some things I should not have."
She paused, then sighed again.
"It just slipped out. I did not mean it the way it sounded, but once it was out there… yeah. No taking that back."
Phil turned toward her. He was not angry, but there was a firmness in his expression.
Claire continued, already anticipating the reaction. "And before anyone jumps on me, I was already stressed. Then Cam called an 'emergency family meeting,' which in this family could mean anything from a new baby to someone buying the wrong kind of hummus. I thought they broke up."
She glanced at Phil.
"I panicked. And Haley immediately tried to bring Jack, and I just… reacted."
Phil nodded, but he did not let it go.
"Okay," he said, "but saying 'he's not family'?"
He shook his head.
"Not cool, Claire."
Claire looked at him, a flicker of defensiveness rising.
"I did not mean he will never be family. I just meant he is not… technically… yet…"
Her voice trailed off under Phil's steady look.
"Claire," he said gently but clearly, "thanks to Jack, Haley actually passed high school."
He started counting on his fingers.
"She stopped the whole party all night, sleep all day phase. She got a paid internship. And this is my favorite part: she has not been arrested."
He leaned in slightly.
"That is a strong résumé for 'not family.'"
Claire pressed her lips together, trying not to smile. "Okay… when you list it like that, it sounds bad."
"It is bad," Phil said, though his tone softened. "He is good for her. Really good. Can't you see it?"
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"So when you say something like that, she hears 'this person who matters to you does not belong.'"
Claire's expression shifted as that settled in. She nodded slowly.
"I get it, Phil," she said with a quiet sigh. "I will talk to Haley later."
//Phil and Claire Confession End//
....
//Claire's confession//
Claire sat upright, already composed, like she had been waiting for the chance to explain herself.
"Okay, I feel like everyone is being a little dramatic about what I said."
A small, controlled smile appeared on her face.
"All I did was state a fact. A technical fact."
She gestured lightly with her hands, as if laying out a perfectly reasonable argument.
"Jack is not family. Yet."
She gave extra emphasis to the last word, letting it land.
"They're teenagers. They've been dating for, what, a few months? Maybe longer, but still. They aren't married nor engaged."
Claire leaned back slightly, completely confident in her reasoning.
"And statistically speaking, there is a very real possibility they might break up at some point. That's not me being negative, that's just math. They are young and madly in love. It happens to all before the breakup episode."
She nodded once, as if that settled the matter entirely.
"So yes, technically, he is not a family member. Yet."
There was a brief pause before her tone softened just a little, though her certainty did not.
"That doesn't mean I don't like him. I do. He's great. Honestly, he's suspiciously great."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, as if that alone was worth questioning.
"But liking someone and officially adding them to the family roster are two different things."
She folded her arms, fully convinced.
"I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking and not saying out loud. And somehow I'm the bad guy?"
Claire gave a small shrug.
"I'm not wrong."
//Claire's confession End//
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