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AN: Holy smokes, they're getting longer. Much longer, actually. I hope my lovely readers can consider this a good thing.

Again, to the delightful folks who fed me with praise, favs and kind words last time, I doubt I can ever thank you enough. SmileSuzieQ, this is what happens when you say pretty please.

10 more drabbles set to the theme of Family Room, specifically things found in a family room (or my family room, anyway )

Pairing: As always, heavy on the JDox, past!Jordan/Perry, Turla is mentioned.

Genres: Romance, Angst, Drama, Humour, Family

Warnings: A bit of coarse language, some sexual references, rather heavy angst, the horrendous stench of an actual plot and the advantageous usage of an adorable child as a plot device.

Again, something of a sequence, but all drabbles can be read on their lonesome without the reader missing anything.

Disclaimer: I own very little- a laptop and a block of white chocolate that I intend to make fudge with.

TV

Quiet evenings at home... there had been too few of them at late. Just him, JD and the kid, watching bad sitcoms with greasy takeout or steak, finishing paperwork or- on the days there were no Jack around- screwing each other into submission. Those nights, in particular, were becoming further between than ever. It was easier than ever to cherish them, as well.

Tonight, though...

The tapping of footsteps outside the door stirred Perry from his comfortable position, spread eagle with his son snuggled against his chest and JD dozing next to him, and the urge to ignore it was too powerful, and he was just starting to relax completely, when-

"Oh, honey, I'm home."

Computer/Game Console

They had a routine- she didn't see why he thought it would change now he had a new sex buddy. Their arrangement doesn't alter because Perry is fucking someone newer and more  - even his protégé, who's been crawling after him, kissing his shoes and his ass for five years.

Besides, they had a child together. A son, born from both of them. He wouldn't -couldn't- ignore that. It wasn't who he was. And besides, they worked together- she knew they did, despite everything. They had to work. After all, who else was left for either of them? They were damaged merchandise.

If she had her way, they'd be back together, making each other miserable by the end of the week. After all, who knew how to push his buttons better than her? She'd had ten years worth of practice.

Board Games

JD slammed his charts down at the nurses' station loudly enough to make Carla jump. Dammit, he needed a day or two of to think, he couldn't work like this, without that she-bat hissing and snarking at him while he tried to heal the sick and injured.

Jordan didn't seem to realize that this wasn't some sort of game she could play every few months. Jack wasn't a token she could use to sway her ex-husbands emotions in her favor, but a three year old who couldn't understand where Mummy went to every few weeks and why she left. JD wasn't the opposition player, and Perry wasn't the prize- they were people.

And in the end, no matter who got to the finishing line first, in reality, everybody was going to lose.

Mouse

"Dr Cox?" A soft, high voice sounded behind him, and Elliot sidled slightly closer to him, eyes wide and face obscured by a mask of sickening sympathy that she probably didn't truly feel and he didn't want even the slightest.

"I just wanted to say, that no matter what happens, no-one will judge you. Well, except Carla, but you know how she feels about you and Jordan. And Turk, obviously, I mean, JD and he are so close, you have to pull them away from each other kicking and screaming some days, which Carla actually claims actually  happened once, during-"

A sharp whistle ended the young woman's babbles, and the arm-fold/nose-flick combo made its sudden appearance. Behind the blond, two interns sped away in fright.

"Listen here, Head-Case Barbie. The very fact that you've gotten yourself so worked up about this will forever remain testament to you ability to blow things way-hay-hay out of proportion. I mean for god's sake, Princess, the little devil-woman turns up unannounced, unwelcome and back from the fifth circle of Hell and everyone assumes Doomsday is coming- not exactly an unfair assumption, considering she is Satan's Mistress. Still, I find myself wondering just how much everyone is silently playing cheer squad here for either side." He huffed slightly. "Really, the lack of faith, it's… it's phenomenal. It truly is."

He dropped his voice to an almost inaudible volume. "Gladys and I are fine, thank you. No, go. Go, before I say something unkind."

Elliot huffed once, but looked slightly mollified, and Perry rubbed his temples lightly with a tiny growl.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss for all involved.

Books

Flicking through the pages of the album, more than anything, JD found himself focusing on the pictures excluding his dad, and the few pictures with his multiple step-fathers. And remembering each time he wished it was Sam Dorian with him and his brother, instead of the newest stranger introduced into his life without his permission.

Is that how Jack felt sometimes? That JD was an unwelcome inclusion into his short existence? Did he want his mother back? Would it be better for him to have Jordan around?

What the hell was he doing here? He was no better than all of those substitute fathers that Barbara had tried to force on him and Dan.

The young man sighed, and started to pack an overnight bag.

Maybe he should take a few more personal things as well…

Just in case he wasn't coming back.

Trinket

The first thing he noticed when he got home was the silence. Jordan had remembered Jack was, indeed, her son, and had taken him for a few days, so there was nothing but the ominous ticking of a clock and the soft creaking and tapping of furniture from next door. This of course led to a solid conclusion- No Newbie.

The second thing he noticed was the lack of JD's clothing in the chest of drawers and laundry hamper. Oh shit…

He bolted back into the lounge room, panic shooting through him like bad drugs- oh please, still be there, come on, he wouldn't have left without talking to him…

There was a resigned look on his aging face when he realized what was missing, the one, significant thing that screamed out the fact that JD himself doubted that he was coming back.

Rowdy was gone.

Puzzle

Eighteen months ago Perry would have killed for this kind of quiet. The interns were too terrified to go near him, Carla and Gandhi were pointedly ignoring him, and there was no yipping, bouncing man-child nipping at his heels and begging him for attention, advice and doggy treats.

But that was then, and this was now. Now, he'd kill for a five minute make-out session in a nearby closet, a sneak hug, a pet name- hell, even a weak argument or pathetic comeback after an insult would have done the trick.

The days where JD wouldn't shut the hell up were starting to fade into days where the young doctor barely said a word to him. He'd briefly consult him about a patient, out in the open, where he knew Perry wouldn't allow for any sort of personal conversation, then walk away, shoulders straight and posture purposely poised away from him.

He'd needed to make a choice- not about what made him happy (he wasn't allowed to be happy, why change that now?) but what was best for his son. JD, apparently, had decided on his behalf that what was best for Jack… wasn't him.

It was ironic, really. He was finally getting what he wanted- a mother for Jack, a stable, normal family unit so unlike the one he grew up with, complete solitude in the work place- and he was completely fucking miserable.

Life really was a bitch sometimes.

Toys

Jack really didn't know what was going on. Mummy had been gone for ages- weeks, weeks! –and now she was back… at the same time Aunty JD stopped coming home. Why? Did they not like each other much? Did JD not like Jack anymore?

And Daddy had been acting odd, too- sad all the time. Jack had tried giving him some of his most special cars to try and cheer him up, as well as an extra large hug, but it just seemed to make him sadder, which, in turn, made Jack feel sick inside- it felt like it was his fault his father was so unhappy.

And now he was sitting next to Jack, watching him with his blocks, and the boy's curiosity took hold of him.

"Where's Aunty gone?" It was the big question after all- JD, apart from Daddy and Lucy the Nanny, and maybe James, the boy from next door, was his favorite person in the whole world, and he was getting worried he'd left because of something he'd done wrong. His throat got uncomfortable at the thought.

But Daddy looked strange for a second, as if realizing something important, and asked, "You want him to come home? If you do, speak up, kiddo. I'll let him know, he'll," He paused and swallowed, "He'll probably want to know."

The boy looked up at him- such an odd question, Daddy had to know he did- but his father looked so serious, and the answer seemed like it was very important, so he replied anyway, "Yeah, I miss Aunty JD lots ." He pondered for a second, before inspiration struck. "Do you think if I made him another dinosaur, he'll come back? It worked last time!"

There was a second where Daddy's eyes went very wet and he blinked several times, and Jack wondered what was wrong. But then he scooped his son up into his arms, kissed his cheek, and gave him a large smile, one that Jack didn't see as much as he'd have liked to see it. It was a shame- he liked that smile a lot.

"I think he'd like that, Jackster. He'd love it. Hell, I'll…" His grin widened, "I'll help ya."

And with that, Jack smiled. He'd paint it blue, he decided. He, Daddy and JD all liked blue.

Study Desk

His Newbie was quite a study. Hunched over a chart, he was clicking is pen over and over again, while Carla twitched with the urge to fling it out of hand. His eyes were oddly unfocused, as if he was off on one of his insane daydreams- an assumption that was swiftly confirmed when they re-focused and he murmured, "But would the toffee trees fit between the Milkshake Lake and Pancake Hill?"

So focused he was on his absurd little Candy-land that he nearly jumped out of his skin when Perry placed two tiny gifts in front of him.

The young man looked at his- his what? Lover, Mentor, Ex? What they were now would be determined in the next few minutes- as if he'd grown an extra arm on his forehead, and apparently his curiosity as to what the little packages contained staved off the impending trip back into his own mind.

The smaller, more slender of the two was opened first, and the tissue paper fell away to reveal-" A key? I already have a key…" JD looked lost, and Perry cleared his throat, whistled and telling the orderly near them to scram and murmuring, "I changed the locks, that there… that's your new key." The younger man's eyes widened to become oddly tennis-ball like for a moment as he realized the significance of the gesture- Jordan could no longer enter whenever she pleased. He looked away swiftly, clearly trying to think of something- anything- to reply with, but coming up with absolutely nothing, he reached for the second, lumpier gift and unwrapped it with shaky hands.

"Another dinosaur. I think." He muttered, with a tiny huffing laugh that was so uniquely John Dorian it nearly made Perry smile genuinely. And in a public place, no less…

"Yeah, you're getting quite the collection here, Cynthia. Jacky made it last night. Had to be blue, apparently green or red wouldn't do so we had to tear around the city looking for blue clay paint that cost more than a bucket of scotch and I'll bet wouldn't get me half as drunk." He was rather impressed that he'd managed to say all of that in one breath. He cleared his throat again, eyes darting around as if Laverne was hiding behind a wall with her phone at the ready. "He, uh… was wondering when you were coming home. And to be perfectly honest there, John… so was I."

JD's reply wasn't exactly verbal. Oh, it included his mouth, yes, but words had, for once, completely escaped him.

Perry had just fought down the urge to shove him off, bark at him about reputations and drag him into a closet where they could do this in private when three things happened. The first one was that he found he didn't actually mind kissing his Newbie in public for once- it had been seven days, and he'd actually been missing it more than he'd allowed himself to realize. The second was Barbie dropping the pile of charts she was handing to Carla onto her own feet, mouth open slightly at the show before her. And after the surprisingly kind words she'd spoken earlier in the week, he felt entitled to allow her a few seconds of gawking. If only this one time. It must have been the euphoria.

And the third was the appearance of Jordan walking out of the board meeting, stopping dead at the sight of her ex-husband and his protégé, and looking ready to start killing.

Photo

"I don't get those two..."

"Why did he stay with the idiot…?"

"All they do is fight and have sex- Dudes, high five for the J-Dizzle and the Big Dawg! Oh yeah..."

Both men heard the snide comments, the disbelieving sounds, and the stifled laughter as they walked through the hospital corridors as if the past week had never happened. No-one had been surprised at the turn of events; what, with Jordan smiling as smugly she had been and JD looking like someone had run over his puppy, but the conclusion? Now that had been mystifying. From what the rumor mill, with the nurses as the snake heads, had been spreading around, they had ended their liaison.

Something about Jordan (who was now sulking and hissing at everyone like a cobra amongst mongooses) wanting Dr Cox back, JD moving out for a few days, and a dinosaur figurine…

Of course, their little group of companions were equally clueless- apparently this had been a rare time when JD had completely clammed up, and refused to spout a word; even after Turks puppy-eyes and coaxing, or Carla's legendary interrogation techniques. So people continued to speculate and gossip, and the stories got wilder, and those who had money riding on when they were bound to split up proceeded to misunderstand everything.

They didn't understand, because they didn't see... see what happened behind the doors of closets and on call rooms, in the safety of home, the little touches that they granted to each other, only noticeable if you really looked at them. Of course, nobody really did, too afraid of garnering the wrath of Perry Cox.

But when someone took the time to look, carefully, past the surface layers, they would notice something.

Contentment. Comfort. Genuine delight at being in each other's company.

They were picture perfect.

:D (Big Grin) — Description
AN: Holy smokes, they're getting longer. Much longer, actually. I hope my lovely readers can consider this a good thing.

Again, to the delightful folks who fed me with praise, favs and kind words last time, I doubt I can ever thank you enough. SmileSuzieQ, this is what happens when you say pretty please.

10 more drabbles set to the theme of Family Room, specifically things found in a family room (or my family room, anyway )

Pairing: As always, heavy on the JDox, past!Jordan/Perry, Turla is mentioned.

Genres: Romance, Angst, Drama, Humour, Family

Warnings: A bit of coarse language, some sexual references, rather heavy angst, the horrendous stench of an actual plot and the advantageous usage of an adorable child as a plot device.

Again, something of a sequence, but all drabbles can be read on their lonesome without the reader missing anything.

Disclaimer: I own very little- a laptop and a block of white chocolate that I intend to make fudge with.

TV

Quiet evenings at home... there had been too few of them at late. Just him, JD and the kid, watching bad sitcoms with greasy takeout or steak, finishing paperwork or- on the days there were no Jack around- screwing each other into submission. Those nights, in particular, were becoming further between than ever. It was easier than ever to cherish them, as well.

Tonight, though...

The tapping of footsteps outside the door stirred Perry from his comfortable position, spread eagle with his son snuggled against his chest and JD dozing next to him, and the urge to ignore it was too powerful, and he was just starting to relax completely, when-

"Oh, honey, I'm home."

Computer/Game Console

They had a routine- she didn't see why he thought it would change now he had a new sex buddy. Their arrangement doesn't alter because Perry is fucking someone newer and more  - even his protégé, who's been crawling after him, kissing his shoes and his ass for five years.

Besides, they had a child together. A son, born from both of them. He wouldn't -couldn't- ignore that. It wasn't who he was. And besides, they worked together- she knew they did, despite everything. They had to work. After all, who else was left for either of them? They were damaged merchandise.

If she had her way, they'd be back together, making each other miserable by the end of the week. After all, who knew how to push his buttons better than her? She'd had ten years worth of practice.

Board Games

JD slammed his charts down at the nurses' station loudly enough to make Carla jump. Dammit, he needed a day or two of to think, he couldn't work like this, without that she-bat hissing and snarking at him while he tried to heal the sick and injured.

Jordan didn't seem to realize that this wasn't some sort of game she could play every few months. Jack wasn't a token she could use to sway her ex-husbands emotions in her favor, but a three year old who couldn't understand where Mummy went to every few weeks and why she left. JD wasn't the opposition player, and Perry wasn't the prize- they were people.

And in the end, no matter who got to the finishing line first, in reality, everybody was going to lose.

Mouse

"Dr Cox?" A soft, high voice sounded behind him, and Elliot sidled slightly closer to him, eyes wide and face obscured by a mask of sickening sympathy that she probably didn't truly feel and he didn't want even the slightest.

"I just wanted to say, that no matter what happens, no-one will judge you. Well, except Carla, but you know how she feels about you and Jordan. And Turk, obviously, I mean, JD and he are so close, you have to pull them away from each other kicking and screaming some days, which Carla actually claims actually  happened once, during-"

A sharp whistle ended the young woman's babbles, and the arm-fold/nose-flick combo made its sudden appearance. Behind the blond, two interns sped away in fright.

"Listen here, Head-Case Barbie. The very fact that you've gotten yourself so worked up about this will forever remain testament to you ability to blow things way-hay-hay out of proportion. I mean for god's sake, Princess, the little devil-woman turns up unannounced, unwelcome and back from the fifth circle of Hell and everyone assumes Doomsday is coming- not exactly an unfair assumption, considering she is Satan's Mistress. Still, I find myself wondering just how much everyone is silently playing cheer squad here for either side." He huffed slightly. "Really, the lack of faith, it's… it's phenomenal. It truly is."

He dropped his voice to an almost inaudible volume. "Gladys and I are fine, thank you. No, go. Go, before I say something unkind."

Elliot huffed once, but looked slightly mollified, and Perry rubbed his temples lightly with a tiny growl.

Sometimes ignorance is bliss for all involved.

Books

Flicking through the pages of the album, more than anything, JD found himself focusing on the pictures excluding his dad, and the few pictures with his multiple step-fathers. And remembering each time he wished it was Sam Dorian with him and his brother, instead of the newest stranger introduced into his life without his permission.

Is that how Jack felt sometimes? That JD was an unwelcome inclusion into his short existence? Did he want his mother back? Would it be better for him to have Jordan around?

What the hell was he doing here? He was no better than all of those substitute fathers that Barbara had tried to force on him and Dan.

The young man sighed, and started to pack an overnight bag.

Maybe he should take a few more personal things as well…

Just in case he wasn't coming back.

Trinket

The first thing he noticed when he got home was the silence. Jordan had remembered Jack was, indeed, her son, and had taken him for a few days, so there was nothing but the ominous ticking of a clock and the soft creaking and tapping of furniture from next door. This of course led to a solid conclusion- No Newbie.

The second thing he noticed was the lack of JD's clothing in the chest of drawers and laundry hamper. Oh shit…

He bolted back into the lounge room, panic shooting through him like bad drugs- oh please, still be there, come on, he wouldn't have left without talking to him…

There was a resigned look on his aging face when he realized what was missing, the one, significant thing that screamed out the fact that JD himself doubted that he was coming back.

Rowdy was gone.

Puzzle

Eighteen months ago Perry would have killed for this kind of quiet. The interns were too terrified to go near him, Carla and Gandhi were pointedly ignoring him, and there was no yipping, bouncing man-child nipping at his heels and begging him for attention, advice and doggy treats.

But that was then, and this was now. Now, he'd kill for a five minute make-out session in a nearby closet, a sneak hug, a pet name- hell, even a weak argument or pathetic comeback after an insult would have done the trick.

The days where JD wouldn't shut the hell up were starting to fade into days where the young doctor barely said a word to him. He'd briefly consult him about a patient, out in the open, where he knew Perry wouldn't allow for any sort of personal conversation, then walk away, shoulders straight and posture purposely poised away from him.

He'd needed to make a choice- not about what made him happy (he wasn't allowed to be happy, why change that now?) but what was best for his son. JD, apparently, had decided on his behalf that what was best for Jack… wasn't him.

It was ironic, really. He was finally getting what he wanted- a mother for Jack, a stable, normal family unit so unlike the one he grew up with, complete solitude in the work place- and he was completely fucking miserable.

Life really was a bitch sometimes.

Toys

Jack really didn't know what was going on. Mummy had been gone for ages- weeks, weeks! –and now she was back… at the same time Aunty JD stopped coming home. Why? Did they not like each other much? Did JD not like Jack anymore?

And Daddy had been acting odd, too- sad all the time. Jack had tried giving him some of his most special cars to try and cheer him up, as well as an extra large hug, but it just seemed to make him sadder, which, in turn, made Jack feel sick inside- it felt like it was his fault his father was so unhappy.

And now he was sitting next to Jack, watching him with his blocks, and the boy's curiosity took hold of him.

"Where's Aunty gone?" It was the big question after all- JD, apart from Daddy and Lucy the Nanny, and maybe James, the boy from next door, was his favorite person in the whole world, and he was getting worried he'd left because of something he'd done wrong. His throat got uncomfortable at the thought.

But Daddy looked strange for a second, as if realizing something important, and asked, "You want him to come home? If you do, speak up, kiddo. I'll let him know, he'll," He paused and swallowed, "He'll probably want to know."

The boy looked up at him- such an odd question, Daddy had to know he did- but his father looked so serious, and the answer seemed like it was very important, so he replied anyway, "Yeah, I miss Aunty JD lots ." He pondered for a second, before inspiration struck. "Do you think if I made him another dinosaur, he'll come back? It worked last time!"

There was a second where Daddy's eyes went very wet and he blinked several times, and Jack wondered what was wrong. But then he scooped his son up into his arms, kissed his cheek, and gave him a large smile, one that Jack didn't see as much as he'd have liked to see it. It was a shame- he liked that smile a lot.

"I think he'd like that, Jackster. He'd love it. Hell, I'll…" His grin widened, "I'll help ya."

And with that, Jack smiled. He'd paint it blue, he decided. He, Daddy and JD all liked blue.

Study Desk

His Newbie was quite a study. Hunched over a chart, he was clicking is pen over and over again, while Carla twitched with the urge to fling it out of hand. His eyes were oddly unfocused, as if he was off on one of his insane daydreams- an assumption that was swiftly confirmed when they re-focused and he murmured, "But would the toffee trees fit between the Milkshake Lake and Pancake Hill?"

So focused he was on his absurd little Candy-land that he nearly jumped out of his skin when Perry placed two tiny gifts in front of him.

The young man looked at his- his what? Lover, Mentor, Ex? What they were now would be determined in the next few minutes- as if he'd grown an extra arm on his forehead, and apparently his curiosity as to what the little packages contained staved off the impending trip back into his own mind.

The smaller, more slender of the two was opened first, and the tissue paper fell away to reveal-" A key? I already have a key…" JD looked lost, and Perry cleared his throat, whistled and telling the orderly near them to scram and murmuring, "I changed the locks, that there… that's your new key." The younger man's eyes widened to become oddly tennis-ball like for a moment as he realized the significance of the gesture- Jordan could no longer enter whenever she pleased. He looked away swiftly, clearly trying to think of something- anything- to reply with, but coming up with absolutely nothing, he reached for the second, lumpier gift and unwrapped it with shaky hands.

"Another dinosaur. I think." He muttered, with a tiny huffing laugh that was so uniquely John Dorian it nearly made Perry smile genuinely. And in a public place, no less…

"Yeah, you're getting quite the collection here, Cynthia. Jacky made it last night. Had to be blue, apparently green or red wouldn't do so we had to tear around the city looking for blue clay paint that cost more than a bucket of scotch and I'll bet wouldn't get me half as drunk." He was rather impressed that he'd managed to say all of that in one breath. He cleared his throat again, eyes darting around as if Laverne was hiding behind a wall with her phone at the ready. "He, uh… was wondering when you were coming home. And to be perfectly honest there, John… so was I."

JD's reply wasn't exactly verbal. Oh, it included his mouth, yes, but words had, for once, completely escaped him.

Perry had just fought down the urge to shove him off, bark at him about reputations and drag him into a closet where they could do this in private when three things happened. The first one was that he found he didn't actually mind kissing his Newbie in public for once- it had been seven days, and he'd actually been missing it more than he'd allowed himself to realize. The second was Barbie dropping the pile of charts she was handing to Carla onto her own feet, mouth open slightly at the show before her. And after the surprisingly kind words she'd spoken earlier in the week, he felt entitled to allow her a few seconds of gawking. If only this one time. It must have been the euphoria.

And the third was the appearance of Jordan walking out of the board meeting, stopping dead at the sight of her ex-husband and his protégé, and looking ready to start killing.

Photo

"I don't get those two..."

"Why did he stay with the idiot…?"

"All they do is fight and have sex- Dudes, high five for the J-Dizzle and the Big Dawg! Oh yeah..."

Both men heard the snide comments, the disbelieving sounds, and the stifled laughter as they walked through the hospital corridors as if the past week had never happened. No-one had been surprised at the turn of events; what, with Jordan smiling as smugly she had been and JD looking like someone had run over his puppy, but the conclusion? Now that had been mystifying. From what the rumor mill, with the nurses as the snake heads, had been spreading around, they had ended their liaison.

Something about Jordan (who was now sulking and hissing at everyone like a cobra amongst mongooses) wanting Dr Cox back, JD moving out for a few days, and a dinosaur figurine…

Of course, their little group of companions were equally clueless- apparently this had been a rare time when JD had completely clammed up, and refused to spout a word; even after Turks puppy-eyes and coaxing, or Carla's legendary interrogation techniques. So people continued to speculate and gossip, and the stories got wilder, and those who had money riding on when they were bound to split up proceeded to misunderstand everything.

They didn't understand, because they didn't see... see what happened behind the doors of closets and on call rooms, in the safety of home, the little touches that they granted to each other, only noticeable if you really looked at them. Of course, nobody really did, too afraid of garnering the wrath of Perry Cox.

But when someone took the time to look, carefully, past the surface layers, they would notice something.

Contentment. Comfort. Genuine delight at being in each other's company.

They were picture perfect.