Woof threw himself down on the couch with a quiet whimper. Who'd have thought that following two fourteen-year-old girls around the city for one afternoon would be so draining? For goodness' sake, it had only been a few hours... Then again, as taken as Kelly had been with Sheila, she'd been even more so with her daughter, Georgie. The two girls had gotten along like a house on fire. And those two working in tandem... Jesus, he was exhausted.

Crissy dropped down onto the couch next to him then rolled her head to look at him. After a moment, she asked quietly, "Do you think what we did was wrong?"

Without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely not. Sheila can handle them on her own for a while. And it's only fair since it was her decision to bring her daughter in the first place."

Crissy laughed, "So speaks the voice of experience?"

Turning sideways, Woof raised an eyebrow, "You'd rather I kept them with us? Crissy, no one in their right mind would want to supervise those two at their first sleepover. Especially with the sheer amount of sugar they consumed after dinner." Smiling wryly he added, "Which was not my fault either, for the record."

Out of the periphery of his vision, Woof saw a pair of steaming mugs approaching the couch. Reaching out a grateful hand and seeing Crissy mirror the action beside him, he smiled up at their deliverer, "Thanks, Jeanie. You're a life saver."

Smiling gently down at the pair currently sacked out on her couch she settled herself in the arm chair, "I'm not the one who deserves your thanks." At Crissy's questioning look, she elaborated, "It's Claude and Zack who deserve it for rearranging their own evening to go look after Eileen for you."

Crissy raised her mug in salute and smiled, "That was definitely an unexpected kindness." Eyes then taking on a more serious cast, she asked, "Have they figured out what they're going to do come fall?"

Raising a hand to rub at her temple and shook her head, "No, they haven't." Looking up at her two friends, Jeanie sighed, "We only know two things for fact... and that those two things are going to make making their relationship work very difficult. One: Zack is going away to school to pursue a career in law enforcement. And, two: Claude is staying in New York to pursue a career in acting, G-d help us all."

Woof frowned, "I thought you convinced him to go to college...?"

Throwing her hands up in the air, Jeanie answered, "Well, that was before this latest stunt of his, wasn't it? I sure wasn't going to tell him to turn down the part since he got it fair and square. That would be career suicide."

Crissy laughed, "Not to mention, you're selfishly glad that he did get the part because you know he'll do it justice."

Jeanie crossed her arms over her chest and scowled, "That isn't the point."

Wrinkling her nose in an impish grin, Crissy answered with twinkling eyes, "Maybe not... but it's at least a corollary."

Jeanie sighed, then slumped back in her chair, "Well, at least I've convinced him to take a few classes at NYU so he can work towards a degree part-time. That way if the whole acting thing doesn't pan out, he'll at least have something to fall back on."

Now Woof joined in the good-natured teasing, "All of which adds up to he's going to be living here with you for the next however-many-years because he won't be able to afford his own apartment, right?"

Sarcastic-edged smile firmly in place, Jeanie answered, "Got it in one." She paused, then the smile softened, "Really, though... I don't mind." At Woof and Crissy's disbelieving looks, she continued, "Really, truly. It's been just him and me for so long... I don't think I'm really ready to let him go. So I guess I'm selfishly glad for that, too. I don't know what I'll do when it really is time for him to leave."

Reaching out, Woof and Crissy each took one of her hands to give them a gentle squeeze. Crissy was the one who said it, "Well, you'll still have us, you know."

Gratefully squeezing back, Jeanie gave them both a beaming smile, "I do know that. I appreciate you saying it, though."

After a moment of silent communion, Woof's smile twitched, "Personally, I don't see the big deal. As much as I love my kids -- and I do -- I can't wait for them to move into their own places so I can have mine to myself, again."

As they leaned back from each other, Jeanie laughed, "Yeah, well, I'm willing to grant you that if I'd had a Kelly instead of a Claude, I might feel the same way. Just watching that girl makes me tired." Eyes sparkling, Jeanie asked, "Speaking of which, how did she end up spending the night in Sheila's hotel room? I bet Sheila was thrilled about that..."

Crissy burst out laughing as Woof grimaced. Cradling his coffee mug close, the grimace then slid into a pout. Crissy patted his knee, "Sorry, Woof... Claude still does that better than you do, though you come close." Turning back towards Jeanie, the smaller woman said, "Well, apparently, Sheila has a daughter that's about Kelly's age. And if you think Kelly's scary... holy crap, Kelly and Georgie together? Much scarier."

Jeanie joined in the laughter, "So you just foisted the pair of them off on Sheila for the night? Woof, that's mean." At Woof's sly smile, Jeanie laughed harder and concluded, "But, I like it."

Once they'd all sobered, Jeanie slapped her hands on her knees and stood up, "But since you're both here, you're going to help me. I still need to figure out how I'm going to fit eight adults and seven kids into this tiny apartment of mine tomorrow evening."

Crissy groaned and covered her head with one of the couch pillows, "I'm too tired to think, much less do anything more strenuous than that. Count me out."

Woof smiled and shook his head, "No worries, we'll figure it out without you." With a wicked grin, he said, "Hey! We could put the kids out on the fire escape!"

At that comment, Crissy uncovered her head, a disbelieving look on her face. Slowly she said, "I'm going to assume you were kidding... but just in case you weren't, I think I changed my mind. Goodness only knows what you two would come up with as a solution if left to your own devices."

Beaming smile firmly in place, Jeanie leaned forward, "Excellent! I figure with all three of us working together we ought to be able to get this place cleaned up, the seating arrangements figured out and all the cooking done by the time everyone gets here tomorrow... maybe even an hour or two before!" Ignoring the gaping, horrified looks now firmly on her friends' faces, Jeanie grabbed their hands and hauled them to their feet, "Come on, guys! We have a lot to do and very little time to do it in. Let the games begin!"

Claude carefully shifted the platter of sandwiches onto his left arm so he could raise his right to knock on the door. It might have been easier to have Berger do it, but he was loaded down with his own fair share of refreshments. However, when Claude had his hand halfway up to the door, the tray wobbled and he immediately had to drop his hand back down to steady it. Scowling at the door, he made an irritated noise, "For goodness' sake, this should not be so hard."

Berger made a frustrated noise of his own and nudged Claude out of the way, "Here, let me." He raised his right foot and kicked the door three times in rapid succession, then yelled, "Wake the hell up in there! This shit is heavy!"

Claude stared at the other man in disbelief for a second, then dissolved into laughter, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Grinning broadly, Berger leaned his head against Claude's shoulder, "Because I'm a genius!" Eyes taking on a teasing glint, he added, "'I'm as smart as any of you, maybe even smarter,' remember?"

Letting out a small groan, Claude let his head lean over to touch Berger's, "I knew I shouldn't have pointed that part out to you. You've been insufferably smug ever since."

Smile widening even further, Berger pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss, "Aw, you know you love me."

Eyes softening, Claude answered, "I really do, you know. Even when you're being a jerk." He then joined their lips together in a somewhat less chaste kiss.

That was when Crissy opened the door. She gaped at the pair for a moment, then threw her hands up in frustration, "Damn it, why do I never have a camera when I need one?"

The two broke apart instantly, Claude smiling sheepishly and Berger's grin assuming "cat that ate the canary and then washed it down with a whole bowl of cream" proportions. He planted a small peck of a kiss on Crissy's cheek, then brushed past her and yelled, "Jeanie, we brought the food! Where do you want it?"

Claude followed more sedately, an apologetic look on his face, "Sorry about that, Crissy."

The diminutive woman just smiled angelically and said, "Don't apologize, just make sure you're more obliging next time I do have a camera."

A wildfire blush raced across Claude's face as he chased Crissy into the kitchen, "You... Crissy... You're joking, aren't you? Crissy?"

Woof paused in lifting his coffee cup to his mouth as the two scuttled by. Blinking confusedly, he finally stated primly, "I don't want to know. Whatever it is... I just don't want to know."

Berger laughed as he deposited the soda bottles and chips on the kitchen table, "Probably a wise choice, my man." Then he did a double take, "Wait a second... What are you and Crissy doing here, anyway? I thought you weren't coming by until later."

At that, Crissy and Claude joined them, companionable arms slung around each other. Crissy made a face, "Yeah, that was the original plan. The short version? Kelly spent the night with Sheila and Georgie and Zack and Cloud stayed at Woof's to watch Eileen. Then Woof and I made the mistake of coming here and have spent the better part of last night and this morning helping Jeanie cook and clean."

Claude's eyebrows climbed up into his hairline, "Well... that's unfortunate." Then he paused, "Wait a minute, who's Georgie? I thought Sheila's husband's name was Brad."

Woof moaned and buried his face back in his coffee. Crissy let out a pained laugh, "I think we'll save Georgie for later, guys. Let's just say that she's Sheila's oldest daughter and leave it at that."

Expecting a snarky answer from his lover, Claude was surprised to find him silent. He nudged the other man, "Berger? What's wrong?"

Berger swallowed hard, an indescribable look on his face, "She... Sheila named her first child Georgie?"

It took a moment for comprehension to sink in. When it did, Claude released Crissy and walked over to wrap his arms around Berger. Leaning in close, he said quietly, "She loved you, Berger. She still did, even after what you put her through in those last years. Does it really surprise you that she named her first child after you?"

That was when Jeanie joined the conversation, "Actually... she named her after both of you." At the twinned looks of shock she received, she ducked her gaze, "If I remember correctly, the girl's full name is Clara Georgina." As two pairs of eyebrows rose, she laughed softly, "Well, her husband's family is old Republican money. She wanted to make sure she picked family names so it wouldn't be so conspicuous that she was naming her child after her two former lovers."

Berger snorted, "And in spite of that, she calls the kid 'Georgie?' I'll bet her husband's family loves that."

Woof lifted his eyes back up from his coffee mug and smirked, "I gather that wasn't the initial plan. Apparently the 'Georgie' thing is still fairly new. They were arguing over it when they got off the train yesterday." Eyes twinkling, he added, "I gotta say, Banana-Berger, Georgie's almost as good at baiting her mother as you always were. And she does it with such finesse!"

Green eyes met hazel for a few silent moments, then both men broke up into laughter. When they'd finally calmed, Berger gave them all a broad grin, "A kid after my own heart. I can't wait to meet her!"

Jeanie grinned, "Well, you'll get a chance in a couple of hours. In the meantime, I think we'll allow a shift change. Woof, Crissy, why don't you guys go on home, shower, change, pick up kids, do whatever you have to do, then come on back later? Claude and Berger can stay here and help me finish up."

Claude winced a small smile, "What if we had other plans for the afternoon?"

Jeanie raised an eyebrow and pinned the taller man with the "mom stare." As Claude began to sweat under the scrutiny, Jeanie calmly asked, "What makes you think that any part of that suggestion was a choice?"

Letting out a weak laugh, Claude answered, "Of course... how silly of me. Jeanie, we'd be happy to help you finish getting ready for tonight." When Berger looked like he was about to open his mouth and say something they'd both regret, Claude clapped a hand over said mouth and concluded, "Really, we'd be absolutely thrilled. OK?"

Jeanie beamed a smile at him, "I knew I could count on you boys!" Then she cheerfully turned around and headed back into the kitchen.

Woof clapped a hand on Claude's shoulder as he deposited his coffee mug on the table. Crissy was already at the front door, her purse on her shoulder and an anxious look on her face. Woof smiled at them and waved as he joined her, "Have fun, guys! It's been a pleasure knowing you!" Then the pair beat a hasty retreat out the door.

Holding on to each other as though they were about to meet their doom, Claude and Berger turned towards the kitchen. Jeanie came back out at that moment and handed them a few rags and some furniture polish, "If you'd start with the furniture, I'll finish up in the kitchen. Then when you're done, I'll tell you where I want to move the furniture to to maximize the space we'll have. Hud and Dionne are bringing by some extra chairs and a few floor pillows when they come, so we'll need to make some room." Giving them each a peck on the cheek, she then walked briskly back into the kitchen.

Berger turned to Claude, already opening his mouth to protest, when Claude just shook his head, "Oh, hell no, Berger. You want to object, you go right ahead... but if you do, you act on your own. I am not facing the 'disappointed mom look' from Jeanie. I've seen it often enough in my life, I don't need it from her, too." Berger thought about it for a moment, then wordlessly joined his lover in starting to polish the furniture.

Four hours later, Claude and Berger were sprawled out on Jeanie's couch, already ready to call it a night though it was only five o'clock. Claude was curled up against his lover's side, idly twirling one of his dark curls and fighting the urge to close his eyes. In a shell-shocked voice, he commented, "You know... I never realized how much cleaning you had to do to get one little apartment ready for company."

Berger tightened his arms around him and lightly kissed his forehead, "Well, with any luck, we'll never have to go through this, again. Ever."

That was the moment someone knocked on the door. Claude whimpered, not wanting to even think about moving. Berger hunched down on the couch and whispered, "Maybe if we're really quiet... they'll go away."

Jeanie yelled from her bedroom, "That should be Hud, Dionne and the kids! I'm not fit for company just yet, so can one of you open the door?"

Claude made a small moue of unhappiness and attempted to bury himself behind Berger on the couch. The other man laughed, pulled him close for one more kiss, then said reassuringly, "I got it, I got it. You stay right there and rest for a while, OK?" Claude's nakedly grateful look was all the reward Berger needed for that kindness.

Gently extracting himself from his lover's hold, Berger rose from the couch and made his way to the apartment door. He could practically feel the two children vibrating with energy and excitement on the other side of it. And, as usual, Berger found that it was contagious. There was something about the exuberance of children... he couldn't help but respond to it in kind. And the kids loved it. So when he flung open the door and Shane and Monica saw their "Uncle" Berger on the other side, they immediately squealed with joy and launched themselves into his arms.

Berger let out a quiet "oof" and stumbled backwards a pace, then looked up into the smiling faces of Hud and Dionne and said, "Holy crap, what are you feeding these two? They're getting heavy." Then he smiled and pretended to drop Shane, catching him again and easing him down the rest of the way before he could actually hit the floor.

The boy laughed and immediately latched back onto him, hugging him tightly, before stepping back and proclaiming, "I'm allowed to get big, now! Dad said so! I'm almost twelve, Uncle Berger!"

Settling Monica more firmly against his hip as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, Berger raised an eyebrow, "Is that so? Now, who said you were allowed to go and get that old? Twelve?" He scoffed, "That's practically ancient, man."

Monica leaned back and frowned, confusion and suspicion in her deep brown eyes, "But Uncle Berger, if Shane's practically ancient, what does that make you? You're a lot older than he is!" Then she paused and her eyes widened comically as she turned to look at her father, "And Dad's even older than you are!"

Claude and Dionne desperately tried to hide their laughter, but at the twinned looks of dismay on their respective partners' faces, they couldn't quite manage it. Berger, as expected, recovered first, "Well, naturally... We're decrepit!" Then he proceeded to make scary monster faces at them. The two kids squealed with delight and Monica struggled to get down. Once she was, she and her brother took off running with Berger hot on their heels.

Once they were out of sight, Claude and Dionne collapsed into helpless fits of laughter. Claude eventually calmed down and wiped his eyes on his sleeve, "Oh man... that was priceless." He smiled up at the other two from his sprawled out position on the couch, "It's moments like these that make me glad that you have kids -- our recent conversation notwithstanding, they keep us all young." Then he stood up and gave both of the other Tribe members a hug.

Dionne laughed as she hugged back, an evil twinkle in her eyes, "You know... if you and Berger ever want the experience of parenthood, you could have them for a week... or a month... or two... really, you'd be welcome to them!"

At the thought of having a 10-year-old and a nearly-12-year-old running around their apartment for more than an afternoon, Claude's eyes promptly glazed. He stepped back and slowly shook his head, "Oh, no. You are not foisting them off on me that easily. I'm perfectly happy being 'Uncle Claude' who gets to play with them, spoil them rotten and then send them home at the end of the night."

Dionne shrugged and smiled knowingly, "Suit yourself, then. You just let us know if you change your mind."

As the two kids and Berger came stampeding back through the living room and then ran up the hallway to go terrify Jeanie, Claude let out a laughing snort and said, dryly, "Not likely."

Dionne's laughter ringing in their ears, Claude and Hud headed back down the stairs to Hud's car to grab the remaining bridge chairs and the floor pillows. By the time they made it back up, Woof, Crissy, Cloud, Zack and Eileen were there, too. Eileen was sitting close to where Monica was playing with a few puzzles that Jeanie had pulled out for them, eyes paying rapt attention to everything the older girl was doing. She was only a year younger than Dionne's daughter, but ever since they'd met, she had looked up to her like another older sister. In a way, she looked up to her more than she did her own sister. Maybe it was because they were so much closer in age and temperament.

Looking around the room, he almost laughed when he saw that Shane had Berger all to himself and was apparently thrilled to be able to monopolize the kids' favorite honorary uncle. What was even more hysterical was that at the moment, Berger looked like nothing more than an oversized kid himself. He and Shane were clustered together on the floor playing with Shane's Matchbox cars, making loud racing sounds and causing some impressive 20 car pile-ups in the corner as they crashed the small cars into the walls.

Claude and Hud handed over the chairs and pillows to Cloud and Zack. As they did so, Claude asked quietly, "Shouldn't Sheila be here by now?"

From across the room, Crissy choked on her soda as she suddenly started laughing, "Claude, she's got two teenaged girls with her and only one bathroom. Do you have any idea how long it's probably taking her to get them all ready and out the door?"

The answer to that question turned out to be "almost an hour." The adults were just starting to toss around the idea of calling the hotel to check on Sheila and the girls when they finally arrived. Being the one closest at the time, Berger again got the distinction of being the one to answer the door. He got only a brief glimpse of Sheila's relieved face before she whimpered out, "Oh, thank G-d," and collapsed into his arms, burying said face in his shirt. He was so busy comforting the distraught woman that he didn't even noticed as the two girls slunk past him into the apartment.

Woof wasn't so distracted. Just before they could slip past him, he cleared his throat and said in a stern voice, "Ladies... Do you have some explaining to do?" The two in question stopped, looked at each other, tilted their heads sideways, shrugged, then shook their heads, all in unison. Woof snorted in disbelief, "Kelly, give me a little more credit than that. What exactly did you do to Sheila to get her into this condition?"

Kelly let out a dramatic sigh before turning to her father, "Nothing, Dad, really. It was just that Georgie and I found that we had a lot to talk about... so we did. And then today I took them down to see the store and to some of my favorite places around the city and then we went to the park and then we--"

Woof held up a hand to stop the flow of words, a pained wince spread across his features, "Never mind. I think I get it. Did you let her get any rest?"

The two girls look at each other again, then shrugged. This time Georgie was the one who answered, "Eh. Sleeping's over-rated."

Sheila, meanwhile, was still clutching tightly at Berger and making a variety of sounds that were somewhere between a laugh and a sob. Woof let out a heavy sigh as he walked over and put a hand on Sheila's shoulder. Once he had her attention, he said, "I am so sorry, Sheila. I should have warned you... I really should have. That wasn't kind of me. How about I take them both off your hands for the night and let you catch up on that lost sleep?"

Sheila's eyes brightened and she transferred her stranglehold from Berger to Woof, muttering, "Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou..."

Woof merely patted her back, his eyes those of a man condemned, "You're welcome, Sheila. It's my pleasure."

On her way past them to get to the appetizers, Georgie snorted, "Not likely, dude, but I'll accept the invite anyway." She then tossed him a wicked grin and grabbed a handful of potato chips out of the bowl.

At that point, Berger untangled himself from the group by the door and made his way over to where Sheila's daughter was settling on the loveseat. At his approach, she turned to watch him and raised an eyebrow. He just smiled in return and asked, "Georgie?"

She raised the other eyebrow, "Yeah. Who's asking?"

Laughing, he answered, "If you believe the rumors, I'm the one you got the name from." He then extended a hand in introduction, "George Berger. But, unlike you, I don't dig 'George' too much. Just Berger will get the job done."

Having finally regained her equilibrium, Sheila stepped away from Woof and walked over to wrap her arm around Berger's. There was a wicked smile on her face as she piped in, "So will Banana-Berger."

At Georgie's confused look, Sheila laughed and turned to look over at Jeanie with a raised eyebrow. Jeanie's eyes started to twinkle as she too walked over to take Berger's other arm, "No, no, no. It's Karma-Berger. Get it right, Sheila."

Crissy giggled in response and started bouncing on her toes, "Oo, oo! This one's me!" Then she paused and her eyes widened, "Oh shoot... what was it? Oh, that's right! Unzipped-Berger!"

It was cute, really -- as much as he didn't normally care about what was socially acceptable, they'd all found that Berger got awfully squeamish about what was said around children younger than twelve. So was it anyone's fault that they felt the need to tease him mercilessly about it? They all gathered closer, smirking as Berger attempted to head off the rest with a panicked look on his face, "Guys... there are little kids in the room, aren't there? Maybe we should... I don't know... save this for later? Like when they're asleep?"

A wicked grin on her face at Berger's discomfort, Dionne just shook her head before plunging right on in, "Not on your life, Pull-'em-Down-Berger!"

Hud pulled his wife in for a tight hug and smirked, "No, no, sweetie, don't you remember? It's Take-'em-Off-Berger!"

A loud "Eh-hem!" caused the rest of the group to drop into silence as they all turned to look towards the sound. Claude slowly stood up and stalked across the room to stand by Berger's side. Berger's eyes took on a grateful shine as he wrapped his arms around the taller man's waist, certain he was here to put an end to the teasing, "Claudio!"

Claude leaned over and kissed his temple before turning back to those assembled with a wicked grin. At the sight of that grin, however, Berger again began to sweat, "Claudio...?"

Claude merely draped an arm around Berger's shoulders and shook his head sadly, "I'm disappointed in you all. You have such shoddy memories. It's sad, really..." Then turning back towards Berger to give him the full force of that wicked grin, he said, "He told me on the night we met, all those years ago, that it isn't any of those. Now, what was it again...?" He paused with a mock-contemplative look on his face before he leaned his forehead against Berger's and chuckled, "Oh, that's right... Sexy-Berger... wasn't it?"

As the rest of the Tribe broke up into laughter, Berger finally caved to the inevitable and pulled Claude up against him with a mock-growl, "I'll give you sexy, you... you... you." He then bent the taller man backwards and engaged him in a no-holds-barred, needs-a-private-room-now kind of kiss.

As the other adults whooped and hollered around them, Georgie couldn't contain her own grin. Leaning over to Kelly, who had just joined her, she asked delightedly, "Do they do this sort of thing often?"

Kelly laughed and rolled her eyes as she stole one of Georgie's potato chips, "You should have been there the time Uncle Berger, Aunt Jeanie, Aunt Crissy and my dad got us thrown out of a restaurant."

"Kelly, you didn't tell her about that, yet?"

At that shout, the girls looked up and the rest of the room fell silent. Kelly blinked and shook her head. Crissy laughed as she and Jeanie each draped themselves on one arm of the loveseat, "Well, we'll have to rectify that, then!" She then waved a hand at Jeanie and beamed, "Please, after you!" Jeanie laughed and started to tell the story. And when that one was finished, there was another... and another... and another.

Georgie sat at the kitchen table, where she'd been hiding from the rest of the group for the last twenty minutes, idly pushing her glass of soda back and forth between her hands. She'd been having fun, sure, but being around so many people she didn't really know had gotten a little trying. She could almost feel it as the leash she used to keep her wilder impulses in check had started to fray. Not wanting to embarrass herself in front of so many people that she actually found herself wanting to impress, retreat had seemed like the safer option. It gave her time to get herself back under control. It gave her time to think.

Tonight had been... it had been eye-opening to say the least. More often than not, her mother had cut off a story just as it was getting really interesting, but even with that, Georgie had learned plenty. It was no wonder, now, why her mother was so tolerant of her eccentricities -- hell, if she believed the stories, she wasn't even half as bad as Sheila had been when she was younger. Not yet, anyway.

Georgie snickered. She couldn't even imagine what her father's reaction would be if she brought home two young men and told him she was sleeping with both... at the same time. It was beyond strange, though, to think of her mother that way. Pausing, she tilted her head in contemplation. Well, at least she could say unequivocally that her mother had good taste. They might be older now, but no girl in her right mind could deny that Claude and Berger were still a pair of hotties. And together... Letting out a blissful sigh, Georgie secretly wondered how her mother could have ever let them go. What it must have been like to watch them with each other...

"Is this a private tune-out or can anyone join?"

Turning to see who had spoken, Georgie almost blushed when she identified the speaker. Instead she found a smirking grin somewhere and planted it firmly on her face to cover her embarrassment, "No sweat, Banana-Berger. Last I checked, it's a free country. You can sit wherever you want."

The older man smiled down at her and reached out to ruffle her hair. Surprisingly, she found she didn't mind. There was such open affection in the gesture and she couldn't pick up any condescension underneath it. Berger was just such a carefree kind of guy, it was hard to take offense. Besides, she got the feeling that he, like Georgie, was the kind of person that if he really wanted to tick you off... there'd be no doubt that that was his intention. Once he sat down, he tilted his seat back against the wall and laced his hands behind his head, smiling benignly.

As the minutes started to tick by with Berger doing nothing more than sitting in that chair and grinning at her, Georgie had the sudden uncomfortable realization that he might be content to sit at the table for hours waiting for her to talk. She'd done it to her parents and friends often enough herself and was not entirely comfortable being on the other end of the waiting game. After about ten minutes had passed, she found herself feeling the completely unusual desire to squirm and just knew she was going to break first. Just before she could, however, Berger caught her eye and smirked, then deliberately lowered the front of his chair to the ground and folded his hands in front of him on the table, "So, I hear you got in a bit of a row with your parents over this name of ours."

At that, Georgie did squirm. She then mumbled, "It's kind of complicated. You wouldn't understand."

Berger waited until she looked up again, then let his smile grow teeth, "Try me."

Looking into those earnest, jade green eyes, Georgie felt the touch of a kindred spirit and suddenly knew why he had sought her out in the kitchen. He probably had wanted to talk to her... but that wasn't all of it. Even though these people were his dearest and closest friends and had probably handled the worst that he had ever dished out... he didn't want to do or say anything that would get anyone upset. Not tonight. Not when it was the first time they'd all been together since Claude had been drafted in '67. So, he was in the kitchen because he was repairing his own fraying leash... just like she was. It was odd, looking into the eyes of an adult and suddenly knowing that they looked at the world from the same skewed viewpoint that you did. Meeting those eyes and seeing the empathy in them, she slowly nodded, "OK... maybe you would."

Over the next few minutes, she recounted and elaborated on the discussion she and her mother had had on the train. It was liberating, speaking those words and seeing the echo of her own feelings and understanding in another pair of eyes. In spite of herself, Georgie found that she was relaxing, comfortable with her mother's old boyfriend in a way she hadn't ever been with anyone else. Almost better than that, though, was that she could sense that same sense of relaxation within him.

Once they exhausted that particular topic, Georgie found herself casting around for something else to say, not wanting the conversation to end. Seeing Berger similarly looking for another topic to drift to warmed her heart and she suddenly knew what she had to ask about. Letting her mouth stretch into a wicked smirk, she said, "OK, Banana-Berger. You. Claude. My mom. Spill."

Eyes sparking gleefully at the challenge, Berger leaned forward, expression eager, "Well, I met your mom about a half a year before I met Claude. I was 16 and going into my junior year of high school. She was a couple years older, 18, I think, and was getting ready to take some classes at Jersey City State College. She was saving up money to transfer to NYU in the spring..." Eyes taking on a distant, daydreamy look, Berger continued recounting the story while Georgie listened in rapt attention.

Once he'd finished that story, she convinced him to tell her about the night he'd met Claude. If the story of his meeting her mother had been your typical boy meets girl at the shore and falls in lust, his meeting Claude was the total opposite. It was almost a fairy tale creation, full of mysticism and predestination. It sent shivers down her spine.

Just as she was about to talk him into yet another story, they were interrupted. Her mother paused in the kitchen doorway, staring at the pair of them for a moment, before finally speaking, "So this is where you two ran off to. The rest of us just realized you were missing."

Another voice spoke up from behind Sheila, full of warm affection, "That's not true. I knew you'd left." Georgie felt her face heat a bit at the gentle, loving look Claude sent Berger's way as he spoke, "I always know when you're gone."

Turning back to look at Berger, she caught an even more heated look coming from him, in spite of the almost flippant words with which he answered, "Yeah... you always were clingy like that, Claudio."

And oh, G-d, the sheer overwhelming heat between the two of them! You could roast marshmallows in it. It wasn't until Berger snorted out a laugh and her mother groaned that she realized that she'd spoken those last words out loud. Claude stared at her for a moment, then just shook his head in resignation, "Looks like you finally found someone with the same 30 second limit that you have, Berger."

Embarrassed as she was that she'd said something like that in spite of having taken the time to get herself back under control, all Georgie could think to say in response was, "Huh?"

Berger reached across the table and patted her hand, "Don't worry about it, Georgie. It's just an old joke." At her curious look, he elaborated, "Claudio, here, is always telling me that I can't seem to be serious for more than 30 seconds." Smirking, he said, "So, he was just implying that you have the same inability to remain serious that I do. You'll note, I don't think that's a character flaw."

Sheila made a scoffing noise as she crossed her arms over her chest, "You wouldn't."

Before the mild disagreement could erupt into something more violent, Claude deftly stepped between the two, "OK, OK, enough you two. It's getting late and we're all tired. Sheila, why don't you say good night to Berger and your daughter like you came in here to do so we can all leave? You have to be back here bright and early, after all, and I'm sure Woof wants to get Eileen home and tuck her into bed."

Grumbling good-naturedly, Sheila nonetheless did as suggested. After hugging her daughter, she met her eyes squarely, "You'll be good while you're over at Woof's, right?" At Georgie's fuming look, she held up her hands, "After last night, it's a legitimate question! I would like to be able to come back here and visit again sometime this century."

Her desire to lash back in response abruptly dissipated as Berger started laughing behind her. She turned to look back at him with a sense of hurt betrayal. In response, he shrugged, "Sorry, but she's got a point." As Georgie's expression slid into a pout, Berger wagged a finger at her, "Uh-uh. I know these tricks. Not only does she have a point, but you know she has a point. So don't act all hurt about it. Just 'Yes, mom' her like a good kid and then you can go on about your business and do whatever you want. No extra drama needed."

Sheila looked like she was torn between being grateful and being horrified. Finally she spluttered, "Good grief, Banana-Berger! With friends like you..."

Berger just gave her a wide grin as he stood up from the table, "Your choice, Sheila. You're the one who OK'd the whole 'forgive and forget' thing. It's a little late to take it back, now..." He then flicked her a salute and sauntered past her into the living room.

There was silence for a moment, then Georgie grinned widely, pronounced, "Mom, I like him!" and bounced out after him.

Sheila met Claude's eyes for a moment and just whimpered, "Jesus, Claude. What the Hell have I done?" Claude pulled her into a tight hug and just cradled her close, wishing he could think of something comforting to say, and knowing that there was no such thing in this circumstance. The genie's bottle had been opened and they'd all just have to deal with the fall-out as best they could. With a sense of fatalism, the two followed Georgie and Berger back into the living room to say their good nights.

Once everyone had left, Cloud turned to his mother and arched an eyebrow, "You didn't tell her." It wasn't a question. There was no way Sheila would have left looking as happy and relaxed as she had if his mother had told her about the musical.

Jeanie slumped, "No... I didn't have the heart. Everyone was having such a good time and she was so exhausted when she got here..."

Face taking on a disbelieving look, Cloud said, "But Mom, the premiere is tomorrow night! You're running out of time to discuss it with her!"

She winced, "I know, I know. She's coming back tomorrow morning so we can talk before I have to be at the theatre."

"Cutting it a little close there, aren't we?" was Cloud's dry reply.

Jeanie rolled her eyes and lightly slapped him on the shoulder, "Either way, it's my problem, not yours. You have bigger things to worry about." Turning to look at Zack, who had remained meekly quiet through the whole exchange, she added, "Would you just get him to bed already? I need him out of my hair for a little while."

Zack coughed politely into his hand and just raised an eyebrow at her before turning to remark to Cloud, "Have I ever mentioned how much I adore your mother?"

As Cloud started to snicker, Jeanie's eyes went comically wide and she waved her hands frantically, "That is not what I meant!" As the two started heading up the hallway, she yelled after them, "He needs to sleep tonight, damn it!" At the answering laughter, she shook her head and yelled back, "Fine, fine... just don't stay up too late!"

Both boys turned at the door to Cloud's bedroom and gave her broad smirks, then in unison said, "We won't!" and fled into the privacy of the other room.

Jeanie fought to keep the smile off her face but didn't quite manage it. It was good, that moment of laughter, because tomorrow... boy, oh boy. If she'd read tonight correctly, telling Sheila about the show was going to be the smallest problem they all faced.

Claude watched Berger as he moved silently around their bedroom, ostensibly getting ready for bed. Watching him, though... something was off. He'd gotten his shirt off, then opened the drawer that contained his pajamas... then he'd closed it again. Then he'd wandered into the bathroom to brush his teeth... and come back out holding the toothbrush to go open the drawer again. Once he'd done that, he put the toothbrush down on the dresser and said he was going to the kitchen to get a glass of water. By the time he came back without the water, Claude had worked himself into a state of mild panic. He hadn't seen his partner this scattered since he'd initially gotten sober. He had a feeling that he knew what this was about, but for once, was too terrified of saying the wrong thing to say anything.

Finally Berger shook his head and climbed under the covers. Now, Claude did say something, worry evident in his voice, "Berger... you still have your jeans on."

Berger looked at him uncomprehendingly for a moment before cursing, flinging back the covers and sitting up. Bracing his elbows on his knees, he dropped his head into his hands and buried his hands in his hair. Quietly and intensely, he said just one word, "Fuck."

Claude sat down next to him, hesitantly raising a hand to rub circles around his lover's back, "To quote a man I love... Do you want to talk about it?"

Berger snorted, then rolled his eyes to look up at him from under the fall of his hair. His response was just as snarky as Claude had expected, "And to quote a man I love... No, I really don't."

In spite of expecting it, Claude winced at the bite in those words. Hand stilling in its gentle rubbing, he sighed, "Well, if I may quote you again, love... 'If you need to run, don't run away... run to me,' right?" Sliding his hand around Berger to pull him close, Claude pressed a gentle kiss to his temple, "I think I know what you're running from, but I'd rather hear it from you."

Berger let out a choked laugh and dropped his head to his knees, arms crossing behind it as though for protection, "This is so fucked up."

Letting his hand resume it's comforting circles, Claude leaned close and said quietly, but intensely, "Tell me."

Sighing heavily, Berger raised his head to stare straight ahead, "I'm sorry, Claudio... G-d, I'm so sorry."

Claude could almost feel his eyebrow twitching at that, "Oh, for goodness' sake, Berger, what the hell do you have to be sorry about?"

Abruptly, Berger turned to face him and caught the other man's hands in his own, intense green eyes boring into shocked brown ones, "I know you push me off every time we have this non-conversation, but this time I need to hear the truth from you, OK?" At Claude's silent nod, Berger let out a breath, then continued, "Claude... do you regret not having kids of your own? I mean, looking back on it, do you regret that no one's going to carry on your name? Your legacy?" Eyes wide and upset, he said, "There's going to be nothing of you to go forward into the next generation. After you're gone, that's it. There's nothing left of you in the gene pool." He gripped Claude's hands tighter and voice low and anguished, concluded, "Doesn't that scare you? The thought of a world where there's nothing left of Claude Hooper Bukowski? Because to be frank, it terrifies me."

Claude sighed. There it was. Somehow, he'd known they would eventually come back to this, and it was no real surprise that it had happened tonight. Lifting a hand to cup Berger's cheek, he said, "I know it does, love. But in answer to your question... No. You see, I may not have biological children, but in a way, the children I teach are mine -- at least for the purposes of what you're asking. Every one of them carries a piece of me forward into the future. And then there's Cloud. He may not be mine by birth, but he's thought of me as his spiritual father his whole life. Now that we've met, that feeling has only intensified. So, in every way that counts, he is my son." Rubbing his thumb gently across Berger's cheek, Claude smiled, "Do you see? There's my legacy. And it's enough. It's always been enough."

Berger tore himself away and started pacing around the room, hands once again buried in his hair. Claude also rose, watching his lover as he struggled to put into words what was bothering him. Finally Berger stopped, turned and said quietly, "But there should be more. The world needs people like you, Claude. It doesn't need people like me."

At those words, Claude's eyes blazed. Berger actually took a step back from the ferocity in the other man's face. In response, Claude took a step forward, hands clenched, "Berger, if I ever hear you say something like that again, I swear to G-d, I will beat the ever-living shit out of you."

Berger's mouth dropped open in shock and in a sudden reversal of roles, it was Claude who used the opportunity to take advantage. Grabbing Berger's face in both hands, he joined their lips together and plunged his tongue into the other man's mouth, insistently laying claim to every inch. There was nothing gentle in that kiss -- Berger could practically feel the other man's anger pulsing in every sweep of his tongue. He hadn't meant to make Claude angry... shit, he never set out to make people angry, it just happened sometimes. And apparently something he'd said had set Claude off in a major way.

Just as Berger was starting to let himself enjoy the unexpectedly pleasant result of his blunder and relax from the tight knot of tension he'd been wound in since dinner, Claude reared his head back from him, separating their lips. It left him feeling vaguely unsatisfied, adrift... uncertain. Claude touched his forehead to Berger's and spoke, voice hoarse with desire... and something more, "I need you. I have always needed you. And the world needs you, too, George Berger. It needs people like you. Because without people like you, we stagnate. You're the ones that push us forwards. You're the ones who drive us to create. You're the ones that encourage us to look outside of the staid and logical to build whole worlds of new ideas. Without people like you, we'd never have come out of the caves... we'd never have flown. So, I don't want to hear you say things like that -- things that belittle who and what you are. You're special and valuable in your own way, Berger, and just because it doesn't jive with everyone else's way, doesn't make it any less important. OK?"

Huffing out a soft laugh at his partner's vehemence on his behalf, Berger nodded, "OK, Claudio. I guess I take it back."

Claude smiled and leaned back, "OK, then. Now, do you want to tell me the rest or are you gonna close down on me?"

At the question, Berger's eyes shuttered and ducked away. Claude sighed, but nodded in understanding, "That's what I thought." Placing a small kiss on Berger's forehead, he stepped away, "It's OK, Berger. You take whatever time you need, and when you're ready to talk, I'll still be here." A thousand words still unsaid between them, the two finally crawled into bed and went to sleep, on some level each wishing that tomorrow would never come... because when it did, everything would change.

A/N:

Claude: O_O Oh my.

Berger: O_O Indeed.

R-chan: *smirk*

Questions, comments, watermelon?

Coming Soon: The day of the premiere has arrived and Jeanie finally tells Sheila why she's really been invited to New York. Everyone deals with the stress of the day in their own way and we find out that Georgie and Kelly aren't quite so scary if you know how to handle them. And fortunately for Sheila... Woof apparently does.