Rating:PG-16
Please note these last two chapters should be read in one sitting to avoid being confused, just a hint. Thanks for reading.

Jason stayed with Cassie and Dean for almost a month until Courtney was well enough to fly in to pick him up. Cassie had agreed to let her stay the night instead of taking Jason to the airport to go back with his mother since the idea seemed so insensitive. Dee Dee heard the doorbell and was excited with the thought that it was her uncle.
“Uncle Sam, uncle Sam,” she cried as she ran to the door.
“No Sweetie Uncle Sam isn’t coming until next month, settle down now,” Cassie said as she pulled her daughter away from the door.
Courtney stood there with a frown on her face as she openly looked at Cassie’s stomach. “Come in,” Cassie said as she moved Deana out of the way.

“Thanks,” was all Courtney said as she dragged her overnight bag.
Cassie wanted to be nice to the woman that seemed to have nothing but anger for her.
“I’m not pregnant so you can stop staring, I am not a freaking baby making machine,” she said as she walked back to the kitchen leaving Courtney to dump her bag in the entryway.
Courtney didn’t apologize but felt justified in getting Cassie angry.
“Where should I put the bag,” she asked when she finally showed up in the kitchen a moment later to see her son happily eating a snack in the high chair while Marty played in the play pin. Deanna came in and just stared at the lady who stood awkwardly in her kitchen, why are you here? Cassie had hoped Courtney would show up after Dean was off work. She had no patience to deal with the woman who seemed determined to cause a rift if not completely break up her happy home.

“Look, I am sorry that you were ill but I will not put up with your indifference to my place in Jason’s life. I am Dean’s wife and you Damn well need to respect that,” Cassie said as she glared at Courtney who only looked at her like she had no idea why she was upset.
“I get that, you have told me in a hundred ways,” she replied as she rolled her eyes at Cassie.
Cassie felt like kicking her sorry butt out of her house, if it weren’t for the sweet little kid who sat ignoring his mother as he enjoyed his crackers. She had to relax, pregnant or not she would not let Courtney push her over the edge. She loved her husband and since Jason was a part of their lives then she would try to be civil if only to spite Courtney.

She took a deep breath.
“Would you like some lunch?” she asked as kindly as she could muster.
Courtney nodded as she took a chair closest to Jason.
“Hey Sweetie, “ she said to the little boy who only at the moment acknowledged her presence.
“Mama, mama,” he said as he reached out his dirty hands toward her.
Cassie brought her a towel to wipe his hands off with.
“Thanks.”

Dean showed up on time after work and seemed surprised to see Courtney in the living room with the children while Cassie worked on dinner in the kitchen.
“When did she get here?” he asked as he kissed Cassie.
She told him around lunch as she scrunched up her face like she wanted to strangle Courtney.
“Sorry about that,” he said as he pulled her to him gently as he avoided getting oil on her.
“It’s not your fault she is acting like a slutty home wrecker.”
“It doesn’t matter how she acts but how you respond, that is what some wise woman once told me.”
“Maybe that woman hadn’t had to deal with her adversary very often,” she replied with a grin.
“Try not to let her get to you its only overnight and its for Jason, okay.” With another kiss Dean headed for the shower.

Damn Courtney, why was she always pushing Cassie’s buttons? He couldn’t be any clearer about the fact that he was where he wanted to be. He had never allowed Courtney to believe anything else. He closed his eyes as the warm water washed the kinks from his stiff arms. Being under a car for hours at a time made him feel like he needed to get more exercise. He had began to work out with some of the guys from work a few weeks before Jason arrived but afterward he felt he needed to be home after work to help Cassie with the kids. He missed that time but now that Jason was leaving he would be able to resume his workouts, at least occasionally. If Cassie thought he had only been coming home on time because of Jason she would be livid because he needed to be around for their children too.

Courtney could tell Dee Dee had finally begun to accept Jason in her house though she still seemed stand offish toward her. The little girl tentatively leaned against the sofa near Courtney before she saw her daddy come in the room.
“Daddy,” she said as Dean caught her up in his arms.
“Hey Sweetie,” he said before he kissed her and acknowledged Courtney with a nod as he went to hug his sons.
Marty went immediately back to play when Dean sat him back down but Jason clung to him a bit longer as he looked at his mother across the room.
“Daddy,” he said to Dean who was going to miss having the kid around.
He gave Jason to Courtney just before Cassie came in the room to let them know supper was ready though she had only ordered a pizza today to go along with a hand made salad. The children all had their own foods to eat, especially Marty who still drank breast milk as a supplement to his cereals and organic foods.
At the airport the next day Jason cried when Dean handed him over to his mother; Dean was unexpectantly sad himself to watch his son leave. Maybe having him around hadn’t been a great idea after all. Cassie watched him as he tried to make Jason understand that they would see each other soon. She felt sorry for her husband it seemed each time he attempted to do the right thing it blew up in his face. She prayed some day things would be right the way they were before Courtney knocked on their front door.