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Chapter Text

One of worst night of Jake's life started with simple question.

"I need a favor, you're sober right?"

It's was surprisingly warm Saturday evening in December, so almost all plebes from Naval Academy were still gone using town liberty (including his roommate Javy) when Natasha Trace come to his room without even knocking.

Normally Jake would joke about rudeness of that or how he was underage and he would never drink illegally, but Natasha looked like shit.

She was pale sweaty and holding her stomach, so he just answered her. "Yes. Do you need me to drive you to hospital or something?"

He asked right away, because he can be nice and he never really saw her look that bad before, so maybe he was a little worried about her. 

"What? No, I'm fine. Don't be ridiculous" She said like she didn't look half dead.

"You don't look fine."

"I'm fine! It's just... I just started my period. It's not that bad usually, but today it's hell."  She whispers while looking away after he gives her a look. 

"Okay, do you need me to buy tampons, pads or anything like that?" She looked surprised at that offer, and Jake felt very offended by that, but she started moaning before he could say anything about it.

"Just shut up and let me talk." She whined. "I'm fine on period front, but I can't drive like that and promised Bradley I would pick him up."

Jake only then noticed she was holding the car keys in the hand that wasn't clutching her stomach. "Can you pick him up for me?"

He rolled his eyes at that, because of course this is about Bradshaw. 

"He is big boy, I'm sure he can find his way home." 

Because fine, Jake he is aware that he is what some people might consider acquired taste, but he really tried particularly in these early weeks, and Bradley Bradshaw literally took one look at him and he decided he didn't like him, as if Jake's very existence triggered him.

"I'm sure one of guys will give him ride or something." He added after Natasha given him a look this time.

"No, because he went on a date and it's in Washington. I tried calling him so he wouldn't wait for me and get taxi or something but I think his phone is dead."

Natasha given him pleading look and with how pathetically she already looked, it was very effective on Jake. He already knew he was going to waste his evening on that tasteless (those Hawaiian shirts are fashion crime) asshole instead of studying. 

"Please, I don't want him to miss curfew because of me." Natasha didn't even need to add that.

"I'll really own you one for this."  And she definitely didn't need to add that, but since she did, Jake would me fool not want a favor from her. 

"Fine. I'll hold you to that. Just tell where to pick him up. "

"You're not Natasha." Is the first thing Bradshaw said after he got in the car. He looked so very confused that Jake had trouble refraining from laughing.

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Did you steal her car?"

So Bradley Bradshaw is one of those really stupid drunk. Jake thought. This might be fun actually.

"Yes, I stole her car, and came to the one place she was supposed to be right now, because that is more likely than her just asking me to pick you up instead of her."

And Bradley looked as if he was actually considering this possibility, at least until Jake started laughing, then he mumbled. "Right, that was a stupid question." 

"You're really drunk, aren't you?" Jake asked rhetorically. He saw Bradshaw stagger to the car earlier but still, he didn't expect that level of drunkenness from Mister Perfect. Bradshaw just flipped him bird in response.

"I guess the date didn't work out." Jake added because he couldn't help himself.

"It is none of your business. Besides, so what if I'm drunk? I'm over 21! I can drink if I want!" Bradshaw sounded angry now.

Bradshaw is stupid and angry drunk, this won't be fun.

But fine, Jake could handle this, so he stopped himself from making some old man joke, because the fact that he's on the older side of plebs seem to be very sore spot for Bradshaw.

Jake decided to be nice, he definitely didn't joke about it, because he never saw Bradshaw that drunk before and he might be worried of his reaction. 

"Just please fasten your seat belt, so we can leave and not miss curfew." He just said instead, because he realized Bradshaw had no intention to do so. "It's over an hour away, so we only have a few minutes extra."

"Fuck you, you can't tell me what to do Mav!" 

Mav? Who the fuck is Mav? 

Jake just looked at Bradshaw while blinking, because dude not only turned fully into moody teenager from alcohol, but was also having some kind of hallucination or something?

"I'm not Mav? I'm Jake." He tried to be reasonable. "This is literally the law. I'm not starting this car until you do so." 

"Whatever." Bradshaw answered with eyeroll but he actually did buckle up, so Jake started driving. 

"Wait, why did Natasha asked you to do this? Did something happened to her?" Bradshaw suddenly asked after few minutes of silent drive.

"She's fine. She just started her period and it's rather bad one, but she's fine beside that."  

Bradshaw relaxed his head against window again after hearing that, and after a while he started snoring. 

The last thing Jake remembers is mostly that snoring, and that he looked at the time thinking they would easy make it before curfew. 

He didn't know that they would not even get to leave Washington that night.

The thing is he doesn't remember the crash, but apparently this is the case sometimes, and this is not something to worry about.

Jake doesn't really mind that, because he wishes he could also forget what he does remember. All that blood, noise and pain.

He knows, but doesn't remember, that at the junction they were hit by a drunk driver who ignored a red light. 

Apparently there was nothing he could have done to avoid that, and Jake not sure he believes that, but he really doesn't remember anything about the crash, so he tries to believe official reports that all the blame was on the other driver.

He feels guilty anyway.

What he does remembers is waking up in a car thinking his head and left arm were killing him.

Someone was screaming outside the car (Please shut up.) and he could smell the sharp stench of petrol and blood. 

He also remembers realizing the car is wrecked and thinking Natasha is going to kill him.

And then he remembers looking at bloodied and stiff Bradshaw, and forgetting about his own pain because Bradshaw looked like he was dead.

He remembers blooding (there was so much blood everywhere) his shaky hands while trying to find his pulse and swearing when he couldn't. 

"Don't you die on me you fucking asshole." 

The last thing he remembers before darkness came is thinking he killed Bradshaw and now Natasha was really going to kill him. 

Chapter Text

Jake is used to waking up in a hospital bed, so at first he doesn't panic.

Even when he notices that his left arm is in a cast, he still doesn't panic.

Then he looks around the room, and notices Brashdaw lying in next bed, all in bandages like a mummy, recalls last night and he perhaps panics a little.

He almost killed Brashdaw, his social life is over. 

So a slight panic is very much in order.

The nurse who came to reassure him is young and beautiful, but after having a panic attack in front of her, he is unlikely to have a chance with her.

After he calms down, they have a typical conversation with questions like ‘how many fingers am I holding up?’ and ‘do you know your name?’ to see if his brain is working. 

"Do you remember what happened?"

Yes?

No?

Kinda?

When she notes that he is considering his answer she adds. "This is normal if you don't remember everything."

"Car crash?" She nods in response.

"I don't remember crashing, but I know that I was driving, and then I woke up in wrecked car. Brashdaw was fully covered in blood. Is he all right?" As soon as he asked about it he felt stupid.

Brashdaw is literally drowning in bandages next to him and he asks if he is all right.

"Don't worry, you and your friend seems to be are very lucky." She smiles, but he can tell she's hidding something.

"And don't worry about the naval academy." She changes topic. "They were informed of the situation right away because you both had emergency contacts set up as staff from the academy. They can't come, but they said to not worry about your absence, it will be excused."

Normally Jake would feel a little offended by the sympathy in her voice, but he's too focused on the fact that Bradshaw also has no one private he can set up as a emergency contact.

He is always surrounded by people, does he seriously not have normal contact in case of an accident?

Not even Natasha? They seem to have been non-stop connected since the beginning of the academic year.

Although, all in all, it's only been a few months.

Fuck, speaking of Natasha, he really need to call her.

He puts on his best smile. "Is it possible for me to get my phone back?"

After a little negotiation he gets his phone.

A phone that is almost discharged, because it comes out that Natasha and surprisingly also Javy tried to contact him practically all night.

He is most surprised by the number of worried text messages from Javy. 

He did not expect that he would care so much about him.

His last message is from an hour ago. "We know about the accident but they didn't tell us much and they won't let me and Natasha leave to come to the hospital. Please get back to me when you are able to"

Jake definitely did not expect Javy to want to visit him in hospital. 

He texts Javy "it's fine and i'm fine" (He doesn't say anything about Bradshaw because he's still lays like mummy next to him, so he can't really say he's fine).

He tries to force himself to call Natasha next, since she didn't text only called, but before he can do this, Javy starts calling. 

It's almost like he started calling the second he got his text.

Wierd.

Wierd, but nice. He is a little scared to call Natasha anyway. Not only he wrecked her car but also wrecked her best friend.

Any excuse is good to postpone this conversation.

So he picks call from Javy, and that conversation is even weirder because Javy seems so sincerely worried about Jake.

And it comes out that just before he was together with Natasha and they were worried together, but now she's in the bathroom.

He states that he will allow himself to be a coward this time and will take the easy way out, so he tries to finish this conversation fast, before Natasha can come back and yell at him. 

He asks Javy to pass everything on to Natasha, not that he knows a lot to be honest and that he will call when Bradshaw wakes up, but right now he's getting tired. 

He falls asleep almost as soon as he finishes talking, so he didn't even really lie with the fact that he's tired.

He is woken up by Brashdaw talking to some other nurse.

Before he happens to be completely reassured by the fact that Brashdaw sounds reasonably functional, the nurse asks his age.

"Eighteen." He responds confidently. 

Fuck.

Nurse doesn't even blink. Jake almost wonders if she knows that Bradshaw is definitely not eighteen.

"What year and month are we in?" She ask next.

"July, 2001."

It's December 2005.

"Ok." Nurse just smiles at Bradshaw like he didn't just get year wrong by almost half a decade.

"I think I'm gonna get a doctor." She says leaving their room in hurry.

Since his bed is closer to door Jake gets to see her smile dropping as soon as she's out of Bradshaw sight. It gets replaced by worried face.

And Jake gets left alone with Bradley who thinks it's 2001. Maybe he can close his eyes and pretend to be asleep before he notices him.

"Hey, sorry for asking, but do you know if they called my dads? She left so suddenly I didn't get to ask."

Damn, he noticed him. 

Not only has he noticed him, but he seems to be looking at him as if he is seeing him for the first time in his life.

As if they were some strangers in a hospital who happen to share the same room.

Not like they've been seeing each other almost every day for several months.

"Sorry, what?" He pretends to be fool.

"My dad. Do you know if they called him? Or my p-uncle Tom?"

There's something in the way he says that uncle Tom, but Jake is not sure what.

"It's wierd that none of them are here." He adds this so quietly that Jake almost didn't hear it.

And the thing is Jake knows nothing about Bradley's parents except that they are dead, so he can guess that his father died somewhere between July 2001 and when they started naval academy this year. 

Given that Uncle Tom is no longer his emergency contract, he guesses that he probably died during those years too.

"No, sorry, I don't know if they called your dad or your uncle Tom." He lies.

He's not cruel enough to say They can't call dead people.

"Can I use your phone to call them?" He ask or almost begs really, because of course he noticed the only thing on his bedsite table. 

You also can't call dead people. 

"No, sorry. I don't let other people use my phone." He lies again, and mentally begs that nurse to hurry up, because Bradshaw looks like he's gonna cry soon.

"If I give you his number can you call him for me, please?" 

I also can't call dead people.

"Fine." He lies once again, because he can see tears in Bradshaw eyes so he figures he'll try to stall before nurse gets back here. 

Bradley gives him sunny smile (VERY WIERD) and then gives him the phone number.

Jake enters the number as slowly as he can. He doesn't even know is this phone numer is for his dad or his uncle, but it is unlikely to matter since they are both dead.

He starts calling expecting simply to be told that the number no longer exists or something.

Only that there is a signal, and someone picks up almost immediately, so Jake makes some started noise instead of saying anything normal like 'hello'.

Damn, of course someone else have this numer right now.

"Who are you, and how did you get this number?" The voice on the phone is so icy that Jake feels threatened.

Great some psycho now has this number.

And he really didn't think it was possible to be afraid of someone's voice until that moment.

"I'm not gonna ask again."

Now this guy is definitely threatening him. That's what he gets for trying to be nice. 

Where's that damn nurse?

"I'm sorry, sir. I think my friend gave me wrong number."

"It's right number! It's Ice, he just sound bitchy on phone!" Bradley screams offended from next bed, and Jake just hopes guy on phone didn't heard that because he sounds like serial killer (not bitchy), and he doesn't want to piss him off, or at least piss him off even more than he already has by this accidental phone call.

His luck is, of course, that serial killer heard it.

"Was that Bradley?" Only now the serial killer seems concerned, and actually sounds far less like serial killer, almost like normal person.

Serial killer knows Bradshaw.

"Yes? Are you uncle Tom?" He ask because he knows for sure that Bradshaw parents are dead and he has only guessed that his uncle is also dead.

And if his uncle is in the habit of threatening everyone as a greeting, then Jake is not surprised that they might have had some falling out or something.

"Yes. What happened? Where is he?"  

"Car crash. We're at MedStar in Washington." He remembers being told this by the first nurse. 

"I'll be there. Do you..." Whatever he wanted to say gets cut.

"Fuck, my phone is dead."

He puts useless thing on table, he isn't sure when he will be able to get charger.

"Good news is, he said he will be here." He says to Bradley, and he seems to relax by hearing that, but only for few seconds.

"We're in Washington?" 

Damn.

"Yes?"

"Why I'm in Washington?" 

Fuck.

He is rescued from answering this question by a nurse with a doctor who has kindly turned up at last.

Chapter Text

When Bradley's uncle said he would show up, Jake wasn't sure what to expect, but he definitely didn't expect that dude would show up not even before doctor was finish talking with Bradley.

(Maybe he was magician instead of serial killer. Maybe Bradshaw was the kind of guy who was embrassed to have uncle in the circus or something.)

Talking is graceful way of saying what was happening.

The doctor seems so fascinated by this case of amnesia that he questioned Bradley without paying attention to his reactions. After few minutes Bradley seemed get rather overwhelmed by the doctor's interview and intrusive questions. The nurse tried to restrain him a bit, but to no avail. Doctor asshole dismissed her rather rudely.

After another few minutes of intense questions, even Jake could tell Bradley was about to cry.

Just as he was about to try interviene somehow, someone else spoke.

"I think that's enough of this interview for now."

Bradley visually relaxed at the sound of that voice. Which was quite funny because the voice was very murderous. Doctor Asshole literally flinched in surprise.

"And who are you?" 

"I'm his uncle." He said, approaching the bed. Bradley stretched out his hands towards him, expecting a hug. Uncle seemed surprised by this, but he hugged Bradley gently. "Hi, sweetheart."

(Jake isn't jealous.)

"Took you long enough. You'll have to make it up to me." Bradley mumbles, hiding in his shirt.

(And Bradley is spoiled little shit, because Jake is sure, it had not been more than half an hour since he had called his uncle. Unless he was somewhere really close to hospital, he probably broke some speed limit to get here.)

"I'm sorry, baby goose. I'll will." His uncle answers with kiss to his hair.

(JAKE ISN'T EVEN TINY BIT JEALOUS.)

After Bradley's uncle chased away the asshole doctor, Bradley ask. "Where is dad?"

(And Jake thinks, this is going to be so awkward.)

"He's probably at the San Diego airport right now. I was in Washington for work."

(What?)

"He is coming for sure, right?"

"Yes."

"He's not mad at me? Because, he said he would kill me if I ever drove drunk again."

(Huh?)

"Were you driving under the influence? And what do you mean again?"

"I don't know, I don't remember anything, but he said I had a high blood alcohol level and I hear something about a drunk driver, and I really don't remember anything."

And although Jake would prefer to remain ignored (he's still not convinced the guy isn't a murderer), he feels he has to intervene.

"That asshole doctor explained it to you wrong. We were hit by a drunk driver. You were drunk, but I was driving. Sober." He adds.

"We?" Bradley seems most confused by the fact that they were in a car together; He seriously thought Jake was some random guy from the hospital room. "Sorry, I don't remember you."

"Relax, I guessed it from the context."

Bradley's uncle turned to him. "I'm sorry, I was extremely rude. I didn't introduce myself."

"That's fine." Jake interrupts him." Considering the circumstances." He extends his hand towards him. "I'm Jake Seresin."

"Tom Kazansky." He grabs his hand before Jake can take it away.

Fuck.

He knew there was something familiar about him when he saw him, but he seriously thought maybe he had seen him on TV somewhere as a portrait of a murder suspect.

"Don't worry, I'm here privately. Just call me Tom or Ice please."

That's right, he's here privately because he's Bradley's uncle.

Jake almost killed Bradley.

And Bradley's uncle is Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.

Jake is dead dead.

The most embarrassing thing about panic attacks is the awareness afterward.

Jake didn't think he could ever have worse and more embrassing panic attack, then the one in middle of school at fiften.

Then he had panic attack in hospital infront amnestic Bradley Bradshaw and Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.

Admiral Kazansky, who calmed him down from his panic attack.

He is pretty sure Kazansky called him kiddo, buddy and even baby at some point.

Jake is gonna have to quit academy.

If Kazansky doesn't kick him out first for being so pathetic.

"Jake, you're not weak or pathetic." At Jake's surprised look, he added. "You have it written all over your face."

"Okay." 

"I know you don't belive me now, but really panic attacks are nothing to be ashamed about. Especially when you had a traumatic night."

Jake just nodds, because he won't agrue with admiral.

"Would you call me pathetic or weak?" Suddenly he asks.

"No, of course not, sir." He adds sir because he suddenly feels in trouble again.

"Well, I'm pretty sure due to the age advantage, I had way more panic attacks then you. And kid please, don't call me sir."

Jake isn't sure what to say in response to such unexpected honesty.

Brashdaw saves him by snoring.

"Did he actually fall asleep while I was having a panic attack?"

"Told you it wasn't that big of deal."

Jake was embarrassed that Bradshaw had potentially witnessed his panic attack, but the fact that he simply fell asleep was somehow insulting.

Jake decides to change topic.

"He thinks it's 2001." He starts. "I'm pretty sure he even doesn't remember 9/11." He adds because thas is just weird.

(And he also doesn't remember whatever beef you guys had.)

He only gets a nod in response.

"Can I leave you alone, to go talk to doctor while he's still asleep?" Kazansky asks, and it's is a weird question because Jake is nothing to him.

"Yeah, sure." 

"Are you sure? Because, I'm pretty sure this guy won't say anything sensible anyway, so if you want, I can stay." And suddenly Jake wants to ask him to stay, if only to see if you would really stay. 

"Yeah, I'm sure." He says instead, because asking him to stay would be kind of wierd. Even very wierd if Jake was being honest.

Not even counting the fact that he's only nice to him because he's under the false impression that he must be good friends with Bradley. 

Kazansky gives him one last chance to change his mind with a raised eyebrow in question. Are you sure? Like he could somehow see thought his bullshit. 

"I'm fine to be left alone." 

"Okay." He says finally and leaves.

Jake gets left alone with Bradshaw and his snoring, and starts crying for some reason.

Chapter Text

Jake doesn't even remember when he fell asleep. One moment he got left alone and and started crying like a baby, while Bradley was snoring, next he got woken up by swearing. 

"This is not fucking funny!"

Now Bradshaw is crying. He cries very loudly.

(And it's almost rude, Jake was crying silently, trying to not wake up Bradley.)

Admiral Kazansky is back in their room, only this time with different doctor. 

"Buddy, this isn't a joke." Kazansky sounds sad.

"It's impossible that it's 2005." 

This doctor starts to nicely explain that head injuries are really unpredictable, and that he's confused now, but most memory loss following an accident is temporary. 

She says he will most likely remember everything, sooner or later.

(Jake can see she's trying to be comforting, while not giving any guarantees.)

Bradley just keeps crying, while Kazansky rubs circles on his back.

(When it's his turn for the doctor to talk to him, like always there's no one there to rub circles on his back. Not that he needed it, of course.)

(But maybe, just maybe Jake is a little jealous.)

After the doctor had left, and a few Polish lullabies that Kazansky softly sang to calm Bradley (If Jake wasn't having auditory hallucinations, which he's almost sure he wasn't, but not 100 percent. Maybe he also had some kind of head injury.), they got their first meal.

(It's a bit rude to give things that require cutting to someone with only one working hand.)

Bradley may not remember the last few years of his life, but at least he has two working arms, so he has no problem eating.

"Jake, do you need help?" Kazansky ask, as he starts moving towards Jake.

Obviously. 

"No, I'm good." He huffed instead.

"Ok." Kazansky raises hands in surrender and Jake pretty sure he also bites his lips to keep from laughing.

Little shit Bradshaw actually laughs at him. 

"Ice, don't a dick." Jake is almost impressed by the audacity. Bradley called Iceman a dick to his face, even if he is his uncle, he's still Iceman. "Help him." 

"Language." Kazansky says half-heartedly towards Bradley, then he ends up taking Jake's cutlery and cutting up his food. 

Jake let's him do this, and tries very hard not to look at him. For some reason, this feels even more embarrassing than a panic attack.

(Jake doesn't remember anyone ever cutting his food.)

"Apparently I'm old as fuck right now. I can swear if I want to." 

"Bradley, twenty-two year old is not old as fuck." Kazansky says dryly.

"For you, because you're fucking ancient." 

"Thank you sweetheart, you always say the nicest things." Iceman chuckles while rolling his eyes, then he turns to Jake. "Done, you got this now?" He ask as if he would be ready to help if Jake said no. The fact that he even asks is even more embarrassing than the fact that he just cut up his food. As if Jake were a child who couldn't even eat on his own. Jake feels his face burning.

"If I say no, will you spoon-feed me?" Jake asks sarcastically, hoping to embarrass Kazansky at least a little, because it's not fair that he's the only one dying here from shame. The guy is an admiral, he shouldn't be mollycoddling some random first year student from naval academy. Even if he is under the false impression that he is good friends with his nephew.

"I can." He simply answers seriously, and Jake doesn't know what to respond to that. 

For long moment the only sound is Bradley chewing.

"No, thank you. I got this." Jake finally mumbles while taking his cutlery back and he's pretty sure his face is red as tomato at this point. "And twenty-two kind of is old as fuck." He adds, because he's petty like that.

"See?! Jake as my fellow eighteen years old gets it." Bradley says refusing his real age, then he smiles brightly at him, definitely not realising that Jake also said that to indirectly insult him. Bradley with amnesia is weird.

"I'm still seventeen actually." Jake corrects him, focusing on his food which was cut into such small pieces as if Jake was three years old or something.

(Kind of embarrassing, kind of nice, but mostly embarrassing.)

"You're a minor?" Kazansky suddenly sounds pissed.

"Only for like seven more months." Jake isn't sure what he did wrong. It's not like he chose when he was born.

"That's over half a year." 

(Mind your business Bradshaw.)

"You're a minor, and they didn't even send anyone from the academy." Kazansky swears something in polish, and if Jake didn't know better he would think, that somehow Kazansky was offended on his behalf.

"I'm not a child." Jake says because he doesn't know what else to say.

(It's impossible he is offended on his behalf, right?)

"You're a minor." Kazansky repeats it again as if Jake didn't know how old he was. "Not even taking into account how weak it is from the point of view of decency. It's a legal matter. If something happened here at the hospital and they even didn't send anyone, there's potential for a lawsuit."

(Right. That makes so much more sense.)

"Don't worry, I don't have any living parents to sue academy." Jake tries to reassure him, but that doesn't seems to work. "Foster father who signed waiver and parental permission for me doesn't care enough to sue, for sure." Since it also doesn't seem to calm Kazansky, so Jake adds with uneasy laugh. "I can guarantee you that James Smith wouldn't even piss on me, if I was on fire, so academy is safe."

Kazansky suddenly takes a deep breath. "What do you mean?" 

Maybe he shouldn't have said that.

Now both Kazansky and Bradley look at him with something like sadness and pity.

(And Jake really wants to say: Screw you Bradshaw, guy who doesn't remember last few years of his life doesn't get to look at anyone with pity, at this point you are the most pitiful person here.)

"Jake, what do you mean?" Kazansky simply repeats the question. The question is very heavily loaded.

Damn.

He really shouldn't have said that.

The silence is very awkward.

Jake wonders if he could turn this into a joke, but it's probably way too late for that. Besides, he would literally rather set himself on fire than start talking positively about James.

Fuck.

Jake idiotically wonders if there's a chance that if he doesn't respond, Kazansky'll drop the subject. Plan is very idiotic but, no harm in trying. And since Jake has no other plan, he will simply remain silent. 

Kazansky just keeps on staring at him, waiting for an answer.

Bradley raises an eyebrow at Jake. Is that your plan? Really? As if to ask.

(Bradshaw with amnesia is even more annoying than normal Bradshaw.)

When it finally looks like Kazansky is going to say something more, after he seemed to realize that Jake is not going to crack from his stare alone, Jake starts praying to some higher power to save him from this conversation now.

He can't cope with it now.

And for the first time in a long time, somehow something listened to him, because suddenly a hurricane blew into the room.

Kinda tiny hurricane, but hurricane nonetheless. 

"Dad!" Bradley managed to cry before the hurricane hugged him.

This was the very first time in Jake's life that Pete "Maverick" Mitchell saved him from something.

It wouldn't be the last.

Chapter Text

When Jake found out that Bradley's uncle was Tom Kazansky aka Iceman, he didn't think anything could surprise him anymore about Bradley's family.

Then turned out dude's dad was Pete Mitchell aka Maverick.

(Like the fuck?! We're talking about Navy royalty here.

He wonder does Natasha knows? Does anyone?

Bradley Bradshaw was some kind fucked spoiled runaway princess.

Because Jake is pretty sure something happened between them, and it was probably Bradshaw's fault, he couldn't image Maverick doing anything wrong to Bradshaw, not when he was staring at Bradley like the sun was shining out of his ass.

(Jake can now admit, he's dying from jealousy. Like come on, it's freaking Maverick. Yes, Iceman is technically just as impressive, but he's not MAVERICK.

He's not reason why Jake wants to fly.)

He doesn't know what happened, but when Bradshaw was saying he doesn't have family, it didn't seem to be like I don't want to admit I'm Super Nepo baby. Guy really seemed to believe he didn't have anyone.

And for real, the audacity of this fucking lying asshole?! Just unbelievable!

Jake's the one who doesn't really have anyone.

When you really don't have anyone, you don't have anyone to show up in hospital, even if you minor and there's apparently lawsuit potential.

But since you're just nobody who doesn't have anyone, naval academy doesn't even bother to send anyone for five minutes.

When you lie that you don't have anyone, when you're in hospital two Navy legends show up as if you're the most important thing in the fucking world.

How can you have family who loves you so freaking clearly, and say you don't have anyone.

Jake wanted to fucking fight lying Bradshaw, but of course fucking asshole just had to get amnesia, so Jake couldn't fight him now, at least not without looking like he was asshole.)

Jake didn't even realize he was spiraling, until he felt two gentle hands on his face. 

"Jake, calm down." Iceman.

"Calm down yourself." Jake cries.

"Just breath, buddy." Ice says and Jake realizes, He really kind of forgot to breathe.

"Breathe yourself." Jake chokes, but he tries to breathe.

"That's right, baby." Ice starts to encourage him.

"Not a baby." Jake cries like a baby, but he's not anyone's baby anymore. "You're a fucking baby yourself."

"Okay, not a baby, sorry." Ice says like he gets it, but he doesn't get it.

"Not a baby." Jake sobs louder, he wanted to be someone's baby again, but nobody wanted him since his mom died when he was eight. 

And freaking Bradshaw with his stupid mustache was still someone's baby. He clearly was his dad's baby despise whatever happened between them. He was even clearly his uncle's baby. And isn't it just not fair?

Jake was nobody's baby, and Bradshaw get to be baby of two somebody's and then he had the audacity to say he doesn't have anyone. 

"You're not a baby, Jake." Suddenly Ice is hugging him, while rubbing circles on his back.

This is so nice. Jake's pretty sure nobody did it to him since his mom died.

"You're not a baby, Jake." The way Ice keeping humming that phrase, makes it's easy to pretend he's saying "my" instead of "not a".

So Jake closes his eyes, and let himself pretend he's still someone's baby.

Ice is kind enough to start singing Jake lullabies the same way he did to Bradshaw before.

When nurse or doctor or something (Jake not sure who was that) shows up, he ended up getting some really good fully legal drugs to calm down.

And Jake doesn't know what he got exactly, but it knocked him down pretty good. He even ended up having this kind of funny, kind of fucked up, kind of weird, kind of sweet dream after he fallen asleep listening to Admiral Kazansky sing him polish lullabies.

There was nothing for a long time.

Just darkness and silence.

Then there was more darkness, but silence stopped.

"Okay, I didn't think I'd say this, but let's ignore the whole Bradley situation just for a moment." He dreams that his idol is talking. "Can we talk about the thing with this Jake kid?" Silly dreams, Maverick would never want to ignore Bradshaw, even for a second, to talk about Jake of all people.

Jake literally had talked with him only for few minutes before he had his mental break-down or whatever that was, let's just ignore that, and he could already tell that Bradshaw was like Maverick whole world. And really? The most annoying guy in whole naval academy, was secret son of Jake's idol? Could Jake's life be a bigger joke?

"We can't ignore the Bradley situation." Ice response is actually very realistic, Jake would like to praise his subconscious. Obviously Ice wouldn't care to talk about Jake, even if he had just lulled him to sleep by singing gently. Jake still not sure if that was real or did hospital drugs really have him such good trip. Maybe he should have car accidents more often, but it would be best if it were done alone in the future, so that he wouldn't have to feel responsible for anyone.

"And there's nothing to talk about the Jake thing." Very realistic, a bit sad, but realistic.

"I already made up my mind about Jake." Oh, Ice probably decided to kick him out of naval academy after all.

Maybe it's for the better Jake thinks in dream, maybe James Smith was right, and Jake doesn't deserve to fulfill his dreams. 

"You can't be serious." Maverick says. That's sweet, he's trying to defend him from Iceman. Jake wants to tell him not to bother, but he can't talk in this dream.

He can do literally nothing in this dream. He can only listen to voices in the darkness.

"You've put me in this situation countless times yourself. But you can't handle a role reversal just once in your life?" Now Jake is confused, and it's kind of rude that's his own dream is confusing him so badly. He would like to be able to at least open his eyes to see what is happening.

"Ice, that's not fair. You can't compare it to anything I've done.“ Long pause, Jake thinks something that can’t be heard happened.  “Well, maybe apart from that." He sounds so heartbroken.

Rude! Jake doesn't know what that is, and he likes to know things. He was called a nosy bitch more than once. His own dream shouldn't have secrets from him.

Then Maverick laughs in a strange way. "Hon, I know you think, this kid is like a lost puppy." Hey, even more rude! Jake is not a puppy! He's a mad vicious dog if anything!

"But Ice, this isn't a pet." Thank you dream-Maverick. Jake thinks. You're the best, dream or real. Even if you have such shitty secret son like Bradshaw. And really if you wanted a secret child, it should have been Natasha. At least she looks like you, and she's kind of cool.

"You're the one who thinks he's like a clearance puppy." Jake really wish he could talk to tell them to stop calling him that. He could be a baby, but that was way more insulting.

"Okay, fine. I do think that kid is very cute puppy." Maverick laughs sincerely this time.

Betrayal! Jake isn't very cute puppy! If he has to be a dog, then he is a wild dog with rabies! He's going to fucking bite someone when he wakes up from this weird dream to prove it!

"See, you want to take kid home as much as I do." 

"Okay, enough with animals jokes." Maverick gets serious suddenly. "You really want to take in this kid, that you literally just meet today, might I add? You don't even know if this kid wants to be taken." Huh? When was that on the table?  And where are they taking him?

"Yes."

"Do you realize how crazy you sound? You sound like you want to kidnap a child, you know that?"

Jake is so confused. He thought they were talking about him, but now he's not sure. 

He remembers that his second foster mother told him once that not even a fucking pedophile would want to kidnap him, he was such a terrible child.

They can't be talking about him, he is not a child anymore.

What kind of child are they talking about now? 

"Yes."

"Okay, there's that at least." Maverick sighs. "Bradley's accident fucked me up too, honey, but this isn't a way to cope with that."

Honey?

"This isn't about Bradley right now."

"Sweetheart, you wouldn't even know that Jake existed if it weren't for Bradley." Low blow.

But beside that, sweetheart? Was his subconscious making Iceman and Maverick into lovers?

They must have really had gave him some good drugs.

Anyways Jake must have missed a piece of the conversation, because now Ice is talking about some scenarios.

"Best case scenario, soon Bradley remembers everything. Scream at us to fuck off, and probably calls us some nice homophobic slurs for good measure. He leaves, but we're get left alone with cute puppy now at least." At this point Jake starts to wonder, if maybe he was just a puppy whole time, just pretending to be human. Maybe that's why he sucked so much at being human most of time. 

"It was one slur, and he was eighteen and justifiably furious, he wouldn't do that now. Give him some credit."

Wait, what? He can't keep up with his own dream, he thought he heard something wrong before, because with all his mixed feelings towards Bradley Brasdshaw even before the accident, he is definitely sure he doesn't use slurs towards people. Like dude almost got into fist fight with that Jefferson asshole for using slurs??? 

"It's was one too many." Ice sounds so tired. "Pete, you would let him get away with murder."

"Don't pretend that you're not the same now." Mav bites back.

Ice just ignored this attack. "Anyway. " Ice takes nervous breath. "Worst case scenario, he gets worse." Ice begins but is interrupted quickly by Maverick.

"They said there's was almost impossible chance he could get worse." Maverick sounds scared. "Don't even fucking start-"

What??? Bradley could get worse? When was that on the table?

Jake won't live down if Bradshaw going to get worse, because no matter what people say, he was driving that car. He is responsible for it. It doesn't matter that he doesn't remember it. If only Jake had been better, he probably could have avoided a collision with that drunk driver somehow.

And what does it mean worse? Dude already forget like chunk of his life. How can it get worse?  

"But there's a fucking chance, so worst case scenario." Ice starts again, this time more firmly. He truly sounds like Navy Admiral now. "He gets way worse. He need full time care. One of us has to quit work to take care of him full time. And since Jake clearly already feel responsible for this car crash, if Bradley would somehow ended up requiring constant care, I think he would just quit academy and force himself into our house to help." That sounds a bit like something he would have to do, because he is responsible for this situation. Natasha trusted him with this one thing and he let her down.

Jake starts to hate this dream. Why is his subconscious giving him idea that Bradshaw might get worse.

That is fucked up.

Jake wants to wake up, or at least wants to scream at those nightmarish versions of Iceman and Maverick for giving him such idea.

He thinks he manages to whimper something, because he can hear something coming closer.

Then he thinks that it was bad idea to make people from nightmares pay attention to him.

Fuck.

Before he can gets scared what those nightmare people will do to him, someone is stroking his hair. While someone else took his hand and started rubbing tiny calming circles with his thumb on Jake's skin.

Huh? Maybe it was nice nightmare after all.

"Calm down, sweetheart." Maverick is stroking his hair? "I guess you're really coming home with us, huh?"

Jake thinks this is actually isn't nice nightmare after all, because when he wakes up, he will be back in a reality where no one wants him. 

"Please be patient with me from now on. I'm also foster kid nobody wanted." Maverick whispers like it's a secret, and Jake would cry if it wasn't just a dream. But since it's a dream and he can't cry. Maverick just kisses his forehead as he says. "I guess you're really our puppy now." 

Person holding his hand stops with tiny circles, and Jake wants to protest, but he's still speechless in this stupid weird dream. "Mav, stop calling our new baby a dog before it sticks for good." Ice?

Jake thinks it's too late. He already resigned himself to being a pup in this dream, and honestly he doesn't mind as long as someone actually wants him. 

Ice then return to rubbing tiny circles with his thumb on Jake's hand, while still holding it. Jake's decided that, he loves getting tiny circles, somehow even better than getting big circles on his back, and the big circles are pretty amazing.

Maverick laughs softly. "So much for you're not a baby Jake." Because he also doesn't get, Jake wish he could to be someone's baby, but nobody wants Jake. 

"Please have you seen him? He's the babiest baby to ever baby. Not counting, Bradley before he grew that awful mustache." And we're back to insulting Jake, because it's one thing to be called a baby, but babiest baby to ever baby? That's just crossing a line. At least stupid mustache gets it too, this time.

"Please leave Goose's mustache out of this." This is once again is so absurd. Why does goose have a mustache, what's going on?

"Bradley is almost pulling this mustache look off. He's probably going to grow into it." Maverick adds, and the worst thing he's right. 

Bradley Bradshaw is one of the few people in the world who will be able to make this pornstache work.  Jake is sure he is that if he tried something like that he would get arrested on sight.

"Please, Goose was barely pulling his own mustache off." Ice somehow disagrees. "And mainly because it was the 80s."

Why are they keep talking about geese? Jake remembered suddenly that he is still a little afraid of geese, to be honest. In one foster home, a goose almost bit him. He thinks he would be even more afraid of a goose if it had a mustache. That's just a fucked vision.

Jake decides he doesn't like this dream after all.

"How dare you." Mav mocks. "For you Poles, nothing is truly sacred." He probably did point finger at Ice or something, because he stops stroking Jake's hair, and Jake doesn't like that even more. He wants to cry.

He wish he could say anything about it, he don't know how.

Only somehow since it's his dream, maybe he gets to control it a little sometimes or something, because Mav, seems to realize Jake didn't like that. 

"Oh, sorry." He chuckles, and he resumes petting Jake's hair. "I guess, you're a very needy puppy." Jake thinks he's almost managed to make some sort of sound of approval.

He can be called needy if it gets him attention.

"Fuck you, Mitchell. Now I'm thinking of him as a pup too." Ice sounds like he's given up on this issue. "I found this kid first, I should be the one to gets to choose main term of endearment." If it weren't for the fact that Jake knows better, he would think that Ice was whining. He's pretty sure you can't be whining, as an admiral.

Even in someone's dreams, it's probably beneath the dignity of the position.

Jake will probably have to apologize to him when he wakes up.

"We both know no one will believe it. You could swear under oath that you put me against the wall, that you want to take in child that you met literally a few hours earlier, and no one would believe it. Everyone will think that the roles were reversed, and that you're just covering my ass saying it was you."

Ice makes a noise of agreement. "I do happen to cover your sorry ass quite a lot." 

"At least pretend you disagree for a minute." Now Maverick is whining too? 

"What can I say, it's a good ass."

"Ice." 

"Mav."

"Kazansky."

"What do you want me to say, doll face? The roles would be reversed if you were here first."

"Not the point I was making." Now Maverick is definitely whining. "And I'm way too old for you to keep calling me doll face. " 

"You're always doll face to me."

"Have you really looked at my face lately? Because if so, you definitely need new glasses."

His subconscious went insane. Jake is definitely offended on behalf of his idol.

Maverick is definitely not the kind guy to be insecure about his face.

He'd like to fight his subconscious, which has created such a strange dream.

But his subconscious seems to start fight him first, because the voices seem to fade away, and somehow darkness becomes even darker.

The last thing he remembers from this dream is that he wanted to whine.

Just please let me stay in this dream where someone is holding his hand and petting his hair. He begs, he doesn't even know who.

I don't want to wake up, and be alone again.

Chapter Text

Jake is woken up by Pete “Maverick” Mitchell talking on the phone.  Jake guesses that it is the next day because it is light outside the window.

He feels way more like himself than he did the day before.

His brain seems to be working normally, or at least normaler. He hopes that his memories of his behavior in front of the Admiral yesterday were mostly just hallucinations from the medication, like that fucked dream he had, but he is almost certain that at least one of these panic attacks actually happened.

He hopes he didn’t actually screamed "You're a fucking baby yourself.” at Admiral Kazansky.  

He doesn't think even Bradshaw could save him from the consequences of this.

Maverick speaks practically in a whisper, but he paces briskly around the room. He makes way more sounds from walking than talking, and Jake wonders if he's even aware of it. He seems to move like an animal in a cage.

Jake tries to figure out what he's talking about, but he's mostly just saying: no or yes. Annoyed Jake decides he probably won't guess what this conversation is about, on top of that, Mav moves so quickly from one end of the room to the other that Jake starts to feel dizzy trying to follow him with his eyes. 

He is feeling dizzy and thirsty. He doesn't want to interrupt the conversation to ask for water, so he looks around the room. Jake won't bother guy whose son he almost killed.

And isn't it unfair that of all the people in the world he almost had to kill the son of someone he seriously admires.?

Bradshaw seems to sleep without any worries, snoring loudly.

Admiral Kazansky is gone. Jake tries not to focus on it. Of course, Bradshaw's uncle, who is an admiral, has more important things to do than be in this hospital room.

Especially  since it's probably Monday and Bradshaw’s father showed up.

Jake didn't expect him to stay for him. Maybe he hoped he'd at least say goodbye or something. Whatever, not like he cares or something.

Actually, it's probably better, because he would probably die of shame if he had to look the admiral in the eye after his yesterday's antics. Bradshaw the one with official head injury™ and he acted more normal then Jake.

Jakie notices that there is an army of different types of water bottles on his bedside table. His phone is also connected to the charger. (He's not sure what to think about it. Did Ice did it before he left? He will counts that as goodbye.)

There are only two bottles of water on Bradley's table, but both are identical. For a moment, Jake thinks he's winning. (Winning in what? Having more water bottles? Jake probably went crazy from that accident too after all.) Then Jakes recall seeing Bradshaw with this exactly brand of water before. Actually, when he thinks about it harder, he probably has never seen him with any other bottle of water.

Mister “I have no one” has a father who even remembers what kind of water he drinks.

Jake wants to reach for the first random bottle of water from the edge of the table, but there are so many of them and he still feels some kind of loopy from drugs, so he accidentally ends up knocking all of from bedside table.

This is new low, even for him. He can't even pick up a bottle of water without making a mess.

“Sorry, I have to finish.” Maverick ends his conversation abruptly. Suddenly Jake realizes that Mav's full attention is now on him. He can't be in trouble for water bottles, right?

But he was in trouble for less before.

“Sorry sir, I shouldn't have touched it.” He closes his eyes, not because he's afraid, but the sun suddenly starts bothering him.

He is not afraid.

“No kid, please. I'm sorry, I probably woke you up, right?” Maverick voice seems to come out suddenly from under the bed? Jake opens his eyes and realizes Mav is picking up the bottles he dropped.

Jake is suddenly incredibly embarrassed. “Sir, please don't. I'll do it.” Which is stupid because he's not sure he can get out of bed without falling on his face.

“Relax with sir. You're making me feel old.”

(I'm way too old for you to keep calling me doll face.)

“Sorry sir.” Jake tries not to panic. Even if the guy doesn't kill him for almost killing his son, he'll kill him for that fucked up dream he had about him for sure. ”I mean, just sorry.”

“If you really prefer, you can call me sir.” Maverick picks up last water bottle. “I won't be mad either way.”

“Yes sir.”

Maverick smiles at him sadly, but he doesn’t comment on that “Which water do you want?”  He points to the water bottles.

“No, it's ok. I don't need anything.”  He replies like an idiot, it's not like he just fucked up the bottles because he wanted to drink.

“Kid, you're killing me here.” Maverick put his hand on his face like he had a headache. “I didn't want to start it heavy like that, but Jake, please look me in eyes.”

Jake is afraid but he does it. It's not like he has any choice.

“Jake, I promise I'm not angry with you. I don't blame you for the accident. I don't want to hurt you." Maverick almost certainly is lying. "Can you believe me?”

“Yes sir.” He lies too. Maverick know he's lying.

“I think you're probably the only person in the whole world who's more afraid of me than Ice.” Maverick tries different approach, but that’s just freaks Jake more. Maybe that would offend Kazansky even more then than his yesterday's behavior.

Fuck, Jake hopes Maverick won't pass this feedback on to the Admiral.

Jake doesn't know if he can save this situation, but he tries. He tries to imagine that this is martial court . “My behavior yesterday towards Admiral Kazansky was inappropriate and was caused by my poor condition after the accident, which I would never have done under normal circumstances. I hope…”

Maverick starts laughing. He literally doubled over from laughter. “Kid where is this energy coming from? You're scaring me right now. I would much prefer cheeky brat from yesterday, then whatever this is.” Jake can see where Bradshaw impertinence came from. It's definitely hereditary, because Jake is dying of nerves here, while trying to remind being professional and Maverick dismisses him like a little child.

But somehow despite himself, only this completely honest reaction from Maverick calms him down in some almost profound way.

Maybe he was overreacting, if the guy wanted to do something for what happened to Bradley's, he probably would have done it while Jake was sleeping.

Suddenly Maverick gets hit by pillow. “Some people are trying to sleep here.”  Jake is even more reassured that Bradshaw has woken up. Who would have thought how life could change in a few days? Jake is getting reassured by Bradshaw presence.

“You sleeping beauties have already slept through breakfast, so enough is enough.” Maverick throws back pillow gently, then he picks up one of water bottles, opens it and gives it to Jake.

"Thank you" He even stops himself from adding sir. Maverick noticed it too, because he smiles at him brightly.

“Since both of you are awake, I'll see if I can get your royal majesties late breakfast.”

“I don't want hospital breakfast, I want McDonald's.”  Bradley says that in such princessy way, that it is probably sole reason why Mav is jokingly calling them royalties.

Maverick just gives a surprisingly firm no in response as he's leaving.

“Dad please.” Bradley whines after him.

“Have some dignity man.” Jakes mocks him, but only when he hears door close and is sure Maverick won't catch it.

“I don’t want dignity, I want Mcflurry.” Jake thinks he kind of likes amnesia Bradley way more than normal one. He is almost funny.

“I never actually had Mcflurry.” Jake has been to McDonald's like three times in his life.

“Are you for real?” Bradley looks at him with more pity then yesterday when Jake almost slipped just how abusive his current foster “father” was.  His priorities are so messed up.

“Yes.” Jake cackles at the absurdity of the situation.

“That's great. I mean it sucks for you. Sorry, but don’t worry, we can use that to get pity Mcdonald's.” Bradley is acting as if he's conspiring evil genius. ”Even his health freak ways will be broken by this pitiful admission.” Jake just laughs harder.

Maverick returns with “Sorry darlings, no breakfast for you, but got you early lunch.”

(Jake tries not to think about getting called darling. Obviously it's easier to say darlings, then “darling and the random kid that is also here”.)

Jake rotten luck is that, lunch it's some fancy quiche. What happened to shitty hospitals meal that don't require cutting. Is it because the holidays are approaching that they raised their budget or what? Jake doesn't need such Christmas miracles.

But Maverick unlike cultured Ice is audacious, and he doesn't even ask Jake if he needs help, he just starts cutting his quiche as if it was his own. Jake is a bit grateful, it's easier than asking for help.

“You not going to cut mine too?” Someone's jealous.

Jake almost bursts into laughter again. Like, you idiot, you saw how he looks at you practically all the time? Even a layman in the family topic like Jake, can identify easy love bleeding out of Maverick towards his son at every turn. One of main reasons he felt terribly threatened when he realized he had been alone with this man earlier (because a sleeping Bradley doesn't count as any backup, a conscious Bradley is barely any backup.)

“Now Gosling, don't be jealous brat. You got two working hands. Jakey needs a little help.”  Jake pretty sure his face start burning at that, is Maverick trying to humiliate him? He didn't have to rub it in like that.

“I'm not jealous.” Gosling huffs, obviously a little jealous.

“Chill Bradshaw, I'm not trying to steal your pops.” Jake snorts, because Bradshaw evidently lost not only his memory but all his marbles.

Bradley makes an unconvinced sound in response between bites of his quiche.

Jake wants to say more, but the impudent man that is Maverick suddenly offers a small piece of quiche on a fork in front of Jake's face. Jake is so flabbergasted by that that he just opens his mouth and accepts the food.

You’re not helping clean up this misunderstanding. Jake wants to say, but he is not rude enough to speak with his mouth full.

“All cut, kiddo.” Maverick hands him his fork with warm smile, like he didn’t just feed Jake like a toddler. Jake can barely manage to say thank you, after he swallows.

Suddenly Maverick’s cell phone starts ringing.

"It's Ice," He says after looking at the screen. "Do you kids want him to bring you anything before he gets back?" He ask quickly.

Jake perks up. Ice will be back?

"Anything except McDonald’s, Bradley." Mav adds.

“That's the only thing I want.” Bradshaw huffs again. His father ignores him. “Jakey?”

Jake shakes his head "No" surprised, at being seriously included. He thought "kids" in question WAS courtesy. Then Jake thinks that was stupid, Mav definitely doesn't seem like a guy who says things from courtesy.

Mav picks his phone, and he doesn't even get to say hello, before he starts laughing. “Everything is fine, Ice. I can handle two kids for three hours on my own.” Mav is saying to his phone as he leaves room to take his conversation outside. Two kids?

“Chill Bradshaw, I'm not trying to steal your pops.” Bradshaw is mocking him, as soon as door closes and they get left alone.

Jake doesn't know what to respond, so he focus on his food. Mav cut quiche into very tiny baby pieces, just like Ice did with yesterday's omelette.

It's sort of nice.

He feels Bradley's glare on him whole time he eats dumb quiche.

Chapter Text

Jake didn't think he could consider Bradshaw even more mollycoddled than he already thought he was.

Then Iceman returns, and Bradley is whining that he went to work, while he's in hospital.

“I'm sorry, baby goose.“ Ice actually apologizes to him, as if he wasn't navy admiral, who definitely have more important shit to do, then cuddle Bradley. “I got rid of everything I could, but I really couldn't get out of that meeting at the White House.” Bradley just huffs unimpressed, like little spoiled princess he fucking is. “I’m really sorry.” Ice apologizes with kiss to Bradley’s forehead, as if he considered Bradley’s whims more important than meeting with fucking president.

Jake.exe stopped working.

“What Am I? Chopped liver?” Maverick jokes, while he’s cutting apple for Jake.  Jake doesn't understand what it is about this hospital that makes everyone suddenly need to cut up his food (and like ok, he got only one working hand, but he could just eat apple without cutting. He isn’t that hopeless!) but he doesn't complain. In general Jake feels like this hospital room is some kind of alternative reality, so he will enjoy this while it last. “But seriously Brad, stop trying to guilt Ice into getting you McDonald’s.”

"I'm not. " Bradley whines, but he looks guilty as sin. He turns to Ice. “Where you at least meeting with president?” He ask shamelessly. "I won't forgive you ditching me, for anything less than vice president." Bradshaw adds after a moment like a benevolent ruler or rather little pampered princess.

“Sorry, it was a little less than vice president.” Bradley had the audacity to look genuinely hurt a little at that.

Bradley is beyond rotten spoiled. (Jake wants to kill him out of jealousy.)

Jake also wishes he had a camera or something. He's sure that without evidence Natasha and Javy will never believe him. Then he tries to forget about their existence, because he still hasn't turned on his phone to inform them about Bradley's memory loss.

“But I promise you, precious, that if Mav hadn't gotten here yet, I would ditch every meeting for you. I would never leave you alone in hospital, not even to meet the president.”  Bradley just nods contented, as if it wasn't the most lovely declaration of love Jake ever heard.

Jake has to look away trying to not to start crying from envy.

“Pu-Jakey.” Maverick distracts him by starting hand feeding him pieces of apple.

He doesn't even mention tears that he most definitely can see in Jake's eyes.

When one of those tears finally escapes, Maverick gently wiped it away, after giving Jake another piece of fruit with sad smile.

And Jake must have truly looked pathetic, because when the doctor comes to make hospital rounds, Maverick is acting as if he is Jake guardian, when it’s his turn to be checked over.

Jake knows he's being kind to him out of pity, but he will take it.

When the doctor left (This time whole ordeal happened without anyone crying, Jake wanted to cry but he didn’t so he guess that's improvement.) Maverick and Ice switch by whose bedside they are.

Bradley makes Maverick gets into bed with him with one whiny look.

They both fall asleep literally the moment they find the most comfortable position to cuddle, and Jake is practically alone with Ice.

“I'm sorry for yesterday, sir.” He starts, but Ice stops by raising his hands.

“You have nothing to apologize for. You’re a kid in hospital after a traumatic event. I  have seen grown men act worse, after less.” He sounds very sincere. Jake almost believes him.

“Okay.”

There is silence (not counting the snores from the next bed), but it is quite relaxed.

 When Jake reaches for random water bottle, Ice helps him.

“This is the one you prefer?” He asks as he opens bottle cap.

“Water is water. I don't have preference.” Jake answers before drinking. He's trying to imagine James Smith's reaction if he told him, "Don't buy me that brand of water. I prefer this one." He would laugh, and not kindly. In fact, he think any foster parent he had would have laughed at him. If he didn't get slapped in the face by half of them for saying something like that.

“Water is water.” Ice repeats after him, but Jake doesn’t think he’s mocking him. Ice looks at Maverick, who strokes Bradley's hair even in his sleep. And If Jake wasn’t green with envy he would admit that they were making very cute picture. ”He’s always saying the same thing, you know?”

“Because that's the truth, huh?” Suddenly Jake realizes something.” Did you buy me seven different types of water bottles because you didn't know what I liked?”

“Yes.” Ice replies as if it were obvious.

“That's dumb.” Jake says without thinking as his face starts burning from that admission instead of thank you because he's an idiot. “I mean, thank you.”

Ice starts laughing quietly.

“Ice you stupid bitch, you have corrupted baby goose into making him water snob like you.” Ice says suddenly in very good impression of Maverick’s voice. “He had threw biggest temper tantrum today, because I bought him wrong one. They didn't even have that stupid sparkling shit you drink here. He said he would rather “forthirst” then drink what I bought him! Water is water! He used to be normal about it!” He ends on rather whiny note.

Jake doesn't know how to answer that, because he suddenly feels that this is a very personal confession.

“A child's tendency to pick a parent's habit is a normal part of development.” He remembers reading in some psychological book, and thinking that, that was stupid. He is almost sure, he never picked up any of his foster parents habits. He probably never really stayed in most places long enough for that, not to mention they weren't even really his parents. Not in the way Ice, Bradley’s uncle, was his parent.

He thinks Bradshaw wouldn't want Jake to know why he only drinks a certain type of water.

“I’m not really friends with Bradley.” He confesses guilty. He closes his eyes not wanting to see disappointed Ice. “I was mostly picking him up as a favor for his real friend Natasha. She was supposed to pick him up but she couldn’t last minute. Me and non-amnesia Bradley don’t really get along.”

“Jakey.” Ice says as if he’s being silly. “We could figure out that. I know you also figured out there was a fight between us. You’re so much like Maverick, you probably triggered him on sight just for existing.”

“You think I’m like Maverick?” Jake focuses on this because it's the easiest part of this statement.

“Very much so.”

“Thank you.” Jake says this because he thinks it's the greatest praise he's ever received in his life. Ice chuckles in response like he gets it.

“Jake.” Ice starts after few more moments of silence “I don't want you to think of us as some kind of monsters that are going behind his back, while he's sick.“ Ice suddenly sounds like he's about to start crying, and Jake is probably the most afraid he's been since he woke up in this damn hospital room.

”We would have told him, that he had cut us off, but the doctors said absolutely not to push his memory, especially in these first days, especially if he doesn't ask himself.” Ice hides his face in his hands, and Jake is pretty sure he started crying. Jake wants to start sobbing too.

Jake wants to say, that he thinks that pre-amnesia Bradley is the only monster in this room, but he’s not stupid enough to think this would make Ice feel any better.

Jake wants to wake up Maverick, because he would definitely know what do about weeping Ice, but he’s also not asshole enough to do that. Waking up Maverick, would wake up Bradley and the whole things would become even bigger mess. Bradley with amnesia would start bawling from seeing crying Ice.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t -” Ice starts apologizing for sobbing, and Jake can’t stand that. He has to do something.

“Can you lay with me?” He repeats question that Bradley asked Maverick before, because he’s panicking and it’s the only thing that came to him mind.

“Huh?”

“Can you lay with me?” He repeats again because it seemed to somehow have shock Ice into stopping crying, and crying Ice freaked up Jake.

“Jake, you don’t-“ Ice obviously was going to reject him, because Jake wasn’t Bradley. He was stupid for asking. And that's unfair, because he didn't even want Ice to lie down with him!

(or at least he wouldn't admit it, not even under oath)

He just wanted to calm him down somehow!

“You don't have do it, if you don't want to. I don’t care.” He feels tears gathering in his eyes. “Forget I fucking asked.” Jake squeezes shut his eyes and fist that isn't in cast.

Ice doesn't say anything in replay, but after few beats Jake suddenly feels something.

Ice actually gets into his bed. He even manhandles Jake into laying on his chest. “Buddy, I didn’t say I didn’t want to.”

One of Ice’s hands starts petting Jake hair, while the other one grabs his clenched fist, and starts trying to unclench it. Jake is trying to keep his fist closed on principle!

They have this kind of ridiculous fully pretend power struggle, because Jake knows that Ice could easy pry open his hand if he used real force.

“Can you open it for me, babydoll?” Ice finally ask, just when Jake started to be having fun in this hand fight. (Rude!)

He opens his hand from shock of being called babydoll alone.

(What do you want me to say, doll face?)

Ice uses this as opportunity to interlock their fingers together.

Ice keeps petting his hair, while holding his hand.

It’s nice.

Jake wishes it wasn't just pity, but he will take what he can get.

 “Sorry about calling you babydoll.” Ice suddenly squeezes Jake’s hand in something like apology. “I wasn’t trying to be mean. I swear, I actually forgot for a second you don't like to be called a baby.”

(Damn, he really did scream "You're a fucking baby yourself." at Ice.)

Jake can’t even begin to explain what was his problem with being called baby, not right now.

“Babydoll is okay.” He mumbles instead embarrassed, so quiet he's not sure Ice could even hear him, although Jake is literally lying on his chest.

“Okay.” Ice croons in response. “Let’s try to get some sleep, babydoll."

Nestling with Ice in this too-small hospital bed for two is the best sleep Jake has had in a long time.

Chapter Text

When Jake woke up that Tuesday, at some ungodly hour, he didn’t expected it would end up being biggest emotional rollercoaster of his whole hospital stay. (Or Jake’s whole year to be honest, maybe even his life. )

He woke up pleasantly surprised to find Ice actually didn’t left him sometime during the night. Ice was still in bed with him, holding him, as if he was Bradley or something.

He wished he could stay like this, until someone else woke up, but he had mortifying problem.

Jake realized he woke up so early (it’s wasn’t even four am according to clock on the wall) because he had to go to the bathroom.

Since both he and Brad got catheters (he tried to ignore the fact that there was still blood in Bradley’s, that probably wasn’t good), Jake hadn’t actually have to deal with going to lavatory for pissing.

He remembers nurse telling him to call for help if he would need to go to the bathroom for other thing, not to try it on his own, since he shouldn't be getting out of bed by himself yet. But c'mon man, has his pride! Jake will deal with this on his own, as soon as he untangles himself from Ice's hug.

He is mad at his own body for betraying him like that. He wish he could enjoy those cuddles while they lasted, but no, his own body was against him.

Maybe if he’s lucky he’ll be able to sneak back into bed without Ice waking up, for some more cuddles.

“Babydoll, what are you doing?” Sleepy Ice ask.

Right, Jake can’t even sneak out bed without Ice waking up.

“Nothing.” Jake feels himself turns red at getting called such pet name. He likes it, but it’s still embarrassing. And he was already feeling embarrassed anyway.

“Do you need to go to bathroom?” Fuck, Ice is truly mind reader.

“Maybe.” He closes his eyes even more uncomfortable.

“Okay, let me help you.” Ice starts to get up. Then seeing Jake uneasiness he adds. “Unless you would rather I call nurse to help you?” As if it was any better option!

“I would rather be able to go bathroom on my own.” Jake gives annoyed response.

“I’m sorry buddy, you know that’s not really an option right now.”

“Whatever.” Jake wishes earth would swallow him or something. “I’ll just hold it in.”

“Jake, be reasonable. Me or nurse? Or I can wake up Maverick if you would prefer him?”

“You.” He mumbles in response, and Ice does help him.

The whole thing end up being slightly less embarrassing then Jake thought it would be, but only slightly.

Well maybe, expect for the fact that afterwards, Ice looks at him with such sad eyes as he’s washing his hands, while Jake sits on closed toilet set.

“Did James Smith gave you those scars?” Jake closes his eyes at that question.

Fuck, of course he saw scars. Since Jake’s one hand is in cast and the other still has bandage on, Ice literally ended having to wipe Jake's ass. Of course Ice saw those belt scars on said ass.

“Can we not talk about it?” He begs.

“Jakey, I think we should.”

“I don’t.” Jake feel caged, so he attacks instead. “Why don’t you focus on your fucking kid, while he doesn’t remember he fucking hates your guts.” Jake fights dirty, because that’s the only way he knows how, and Jake not sure what’s going on exactly between three of them, but Ice definitely is considering Bradley his kid.

“Jake please, let’s-”

 “You know, he goes around telling everyone he doesn’t have any fucking living family? You guys, must have really fucked him up somehow. He probably would never speak to you for the rest of his life, if he didn’t get so fucked up in his head right now, he can barely remember his own name!”

Ice takes sharp breath, and Jake feels like he won. A pyrrhic victory, but a victory nonetheless. He won’t have to speak about James Smith with Ice, because Ice will probably never speak with him again.

“Told you puppy would bite.” Jake almost fell down from toilet seat, when Maverick suddenly sneaks into bathroom.

“Did Bradley heard that?” Jake suddenly gets terrified. Bradley was truly fucked up in head right now, and just yesterday Ice told him that doctors said not to push his memories, and Jake might have fucked everything up, because he was too scared to talk about getting belted.

“No Jake, he's on that good hospital drugs right now, and I'm rather light sleeper.” Maverick says as he closes door behind him. Suddenly it’s three of them in closed bathroom.

“Okay.” He probably should apologize or something, but he can’t.

“It was a nice diversionary attack, couldn't have done it better myself.” Maverick gets in space between Jake and Ice. “Using someone's amnesiac kid against them, while they are trying to help you, it's a bit below belt, but all is fair in love and war. And I know-”

“Maverick, you’re scaring him.” Jake can’t believe Ice is actually trying to defend him after all he just said to him.

“I’m not scared.” Jake lies.

“You’re terrified, kid.” Maverick can see right through him. “But you don't have to be, not anymore.” He hold his hand in surrender. “The point I was trying to make before I was so rudely interrupted, is that I know what are you doing Jake, so does he.” He points to Ice.

“It’s not going to work, because we already made up our minds that we’re going to keep you.”

Huh? Jake must have heard something wrong.

“That's not how we agreed we were going to do it.” Ice suddenly sounds annoyed.

Maverick replied something, that Jake is too confused to hear.

Huh? 

“What’s going on?” Jake ask, because he doesn’t understand...

“We’ll take you in, if you want.” Ice says. “I have papers ready to sign that would make officially ours. You would have to choose one of us, to be your official guardian, but you would be ours.”

“This isn’t funny. You guys are being mean.” Jake wants to cry. He knows he had JUST said some fucked up things to Ice himself, but making fun of him like that was so cruel. Even Jake didn’t deserve that!

“We are not making fun of you sweetheart, I swear. ” Maverick is also mind reader. “Ice bring those papers. I think he won't believe it until he sees them.” Ice leaves, and Maverick is kneeling in front Jake. “We’ll take you in, even if you don’t want to.“ Maverick says because he is also foster kid, and he gets it. “I’m not letting you go back to that Smith asshole.”

“You just meet me literally three days ago.”

“Well, haven’t you heard of love at first sight?” It's so corny but Maverick says it so seriously without ounce of shame that Jake starts crying.

“But I just said those fucked up things to Ice, and I’ll probably do it again. I don't always control what cames out my mouth.” He would rather they change their mind now then later.

"You'll have to apologize for that, but it won't change our mind. Nothing will change our mind." Mav hugs Jake.

“Every rose has it’s thorn, babydoll.” Says Ice as brings those papers and Jake starts bawling.

Jake spends next few hours on such cloud nine, he really didn’t expect the other shoe to drop.

Like it even turned out they somehow told Bradley before, Jake wonders when but he doesn’t care, because this Bradley somehow doesn't mind sharing his parents with Jake!

“Dude, they were so obvious at what they were doing.” Amnesia Bradley looks at Jake like he’s dumbest person on earth for not realizing, but Jake also really doesn’t care about it. “You’re so dumb, you were clearly a charity friend” He teases Jake when they are left alone for a bit, but Jake doesn’t care.

Nothing matter expect for the fact that someone actually wanted Jake. And not even one, two people want Jake.

“You’re going have to choose one of us for official papers, because of DADT. It won’t matter here” Ice points his heart. “But it sadly matter outside. Like officially I can only be Bradley’s uncle.” He sounds so heart-broken about it.

“Papa, you know official things never matter to me.” Amnesia Bradley is trying to reassure Ice, but he doesn’t get, that he probably is only making things worse, because Bradshaw didn’t even let Ice be his uncle anymore officially. Or what’s worse unofficially. Jake wants to fight Bradshaw once again, but that Bradshaw doesn’t exist at the moment.

“DADT is fucking dumb.” Bradley adds, and both Mav and Ice just nod in agreement.

In general Jake gets it that this whole DADT thing is very sad and tragic, but he’s selfish asshole, because right now he is just so happy that he actually have two papers to chose from.

Two people want Jake, and he gets to choose!

This is great at least until the point where he seriously have to choose, and starts to worry that he might offend Maverick.

“It’s ok, darling.” Mav laughs. “I know you want to choose Ice. I’m not going to be jealous.” Jake will worry about the fact that everyone here is reading his mind later, right now nothing matters expect for the fact someone actually wants him.

Even Amnesia Bradley seem to wants Jake in his family. That’s like three people wanting Jake!

He tries not to think that Bradshaw definitely wouldn’t want Jake in his family.

But since Bradshaw didn’t want his family, Jake figures it will be ok, if he’s going to steal it.

Worst case scenario, Bradshaw remembers everything and he can't stand Jake for stealing his family.

Jake can even quit Naval Academy.

Jake doesn’t care as long as he actually gets a family.

Jake truly thinks it’s the best day of his life, then doctor show up for checkup.

Even the checkup goes fine, both he and Bradley are improving (not counting the obvious elephant in the room(It's fucked up, but funny metaphor because elephants have excellent memories)).

But just as she is leaving she accidentally lets slip that the drunk guy that hit them, died.

The guy they collided with died that Tuesday due to injuries he gotten in crash.

It's no longer the best day of his life.

This is the day he became a killer.

Jake Seresin is a murderer.

He remembers Maverick swearing at doctor, and Ice turning to him lying ”Jake, it wasn’t your fault.”.

He doesn't remember anything else from that day.

Chapter Text

On Wednesday, Jake wakes up with a strange feeling of déjà vu.

It’s also early morning, and he’s the first one awake. Only this time, Mav is in his bed holding him, and Ice is lying with Bradley.

He tries not to give himself too much hope over that. It not like he could blame them, for changing their minds about taking in a murderer.

And okay, Jake isn’t that stupid, he knows legally he isn’t responsible for that guy's death. Guy not only run red light, but also was speeding and drunk driving, he remembers being told that on first day in hospital by nurse. She also just told him the other guy was in worse condition, and that they were lucky to be wearing seat belts unlike the other driver, but she didn’t say it like it was that serious. Like he would die next week serious.

Jake think she said his name was Peter and that he was 23.

That’s only one year older then Bradley. That’s the same name as Maverick, and same as Bradley’s middle name as he found out this week (he's a little jealous, he wonder if he could ask to have his middle name changed to Thomas, but he's worried it would make him look even more desperate and pathetic).

Jake thinks of the principle of limited trust on the road, and remembers that he was just generally tried from studying and annoyed with Bradshaw when he was driving.

Jake definitely wasn’t drunk driving, but he definitely could have paid more attention to the road.

Maybe if he just paid just a little more attention, somehow the other driver wouldn’t be dead right now.

Jake finally turns on his phone, because now Bradley's condition doesn’t seem that serious.

Yes, there’s a chance he might never get his memories back, but he will live.

(If Jake wanted to be snarky he could say there was probably nothing important in those years lost, since he had fight with world greatest parents in them. So was that really that great of lost? Guy lost memory of losing his parents and getting degree and 9/11.)

Bradley Pete Bradshaw will live, unlike that Peter Something (Jake doesn't even know his last name) who died.

Peter who was only one year older then Bradley.

It’s almost five in the morning, but Jake knows Javy would be awake by now. There’s chance that Natasha would be too. So he writes text that he send both of them.

“Hey, Im sorry for not getting back to you sooner, but my phone died on Sunday. Just turned it on.” (That’s not a lie, he just doesn’t mention that he could have turned it on, on Monday already, but he was being a coward. Beside that, if Bradshaw didn’t have secret parents, there’s chance he still might not have any phone charger. Ice bought him new phone charger just after meeting him for one day. Jake can’t believe he thought guy was serial killer. Ice was like teddy bear!) “I think Bradshaw phone was destroyed in car, just like his brain I don’t know how to say this, but Bradshaw has amnesia. Last year he remembers is 2001. But please don’t call, I can’t talk, he's in bed next to me and he's sleeping.” (and so are his secret parents that Jake kind of stolen but that beside the point.)

He adds last part because he remembers last text ended up with Javy calling him right away.

He hits send.

Almost right away Javy responds. “what the 2001???????????/////”

JS: “Yeah, I know fucked up.”

JM: “Does he remember 9/11?” Man after Jake's own heart.

JS: “No, he doesn’t!!!!!!!!!!”

JM: “WTF.”

JS: “I know!!!!!”

JM: “So much for never forget.” Jake has to stops himself from laughing at that.

JS: ”He’s so fucking weird and nice. I think im starting to like him. Do something!”

JM: ”I don’t believe it for a sec!!!! Don’t lieee bitch”

He still doesn’t mention secret parents that he might or might not stole.

That doesn’t feel like texting conversation, beside they still might take it back since….

JS: “The other driver,,, he actually died yesterday.”

JM: “The drunk guy who hit you guys>?”

JS: “Yeahh, He was like Bradshaw age”

JM: “Fucked up.”

JS: ”yeaa”

JM: “Not ur fault.”

Jake doesn’t know what to respond to that, and he notices Natasha did text him back too, somewhere in middle of his texting with Javy.

NT: “I’m so sorry Jay, are you ok?”

Why is she apologizing to him?

JS: “I wreck your car and your Bradshaw, why are you apologizing to me?????”

NT: “Who cares about the car???? And Not your fault Jay!!?! That’s that fucking drunk driver fault! Are you ok???”

JS: “He died yesterday.”

JS: “Drunk driver.” He adds, when she doesn’t respond right away.

NT: “Not your fault! Are you ok???”

JS: “His name was Peter and he was 23”

NT: ”How much not ok, are you???”

JS: “I don’t know.”

NT: “I’m sorry”

JS: ”at least I remember you” He adds even though it’s probably not that appropriate, but he figures out she wants to ask about Bradshaw probably way more than talk about him, so he will give her opening.

NT: “How terrible to you he is now?” He’s surprised she doesn’t really take that opening to ask any real questions. 

JS: “He’s very nice. That’s worse! I wish he would just be his normal bitch self.”

NT: ”I really have to get to hospital to see that.”

NT: “I’m sorry, they wouldn’t let us come on Sunday, You must have been freaking out alone.”

JS: “Don't worry about it. No longer a bitch Bradshaw actually makes fine company.” He doesn’t mention that  Bradshaw’s secret parents got here on Sunday. I guess maybe now they were also Jake’s secret parents?

He almost ask her, does she knows anything about Ice and Mav, but he feel a little too fragile on that front yet.

Jake suddenly realized that while he was texting, Mav had started stroking his hair. He turns to look at him in surprise, he didn't even noticed when he woke up. Mav is clearly looking at him and his phone.

“Hey.” Because what do you say to someone who offered to adopt you yesterday, but you chose their partner for official guardian (and they said it doesn’t matter who you would chose but it does a little), then it turned out that you indirectly but still killed someone, and you had another breakdown and now he probably saw you calling his true son a female dog in text, and oh you’re guys are cuddling at the same time?

“Hey.“ Maverick respond with chuckle. “I’m glad you’re stopped being so terribly afraid of your own phone at last.”

And before Jake can say something bitchy in response, Mav kisses his forehead. “I’m sorry love, I really shouldn’t be teasing you, even if you're so fun to tease.” Then he kisses his cheek. ”I’m actually really glad about it.” He kisses his other check. Jake blushes at this freely given affection. Maybe the adoption thing wasn’t off the table despise Jake having kind of killed a guy.

“Did you saw?” Did you saw me call Bradley a bitch, he doesn’t add.

“I wasn’t reading your private conversations if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“You were looking.” Jake know he was.

“I was just looking at your pretty face sweetheart, and thinking how beautiful you look when you smile, sweet cheeks.” Jake feels his face heating up, but Mav doesn’t have any mercy on him. “Maybe Ice is right and you do look more like babydoll then puppy, you have such cute little baby face." Now Jake knows his face is burning, he could probably fry an egg on it if he wanted. "You are truly the loveliest dolly, babydoll.” Mav says it without a trace of sarcasm, and Jake wants to die (but maybe he secretly likes it a little, okay, maybe even a lot). “Please don’t tell him I said that. That man ego is big enough as it is.” As if Jake could ever be able to repeat those tactless complements to anyone. He buries himself into Maverick’s neck to hide his embarrassment.

“You're so lame and corny.” Jake mumbles, but he is kind enough not to say and you’re the one who has big ego. Mav did just gave him bunch of complements, mortifying, make you want to die complements, but complements, and Jake loves complements. He's so starved on that front, he will gladly take anything.

“Hey, you’re just thought I was the coolest person ever like two days ago.” Mav jokes. “Let me enjoy at least two weeks of being considered cool dad.”

“You’re not going to take it back?” Jake ask eagerly, but he doesn't dare to look up from his hiding.

"Even though I kind of killed a guy indirectly?" He whispers this part so quietly that he almost doesn't hear it himself.

"I told you nothing will make us change our minds." Mac suddenly sounds very serious. "Look me in the eyes, Jacob." Jake let's his face be pried from Mav's neck by his gentle hand.

"Nothing." He says it like an oath when their eyes meet. "You're our child now. Even if you change your mind, We won't. You will always have a home to come back now. Even if you ever directly kill someone. We'll visit you in prison. You're our baby now." Mav says that last part as if he somehow knew what Jake's problem was with Ice calling him a baby the first time around.

Jake is not ashamed to admit he started wailing loudly like a little baby.

He ended up waking up Bradley and Ice, and even concerted nurse showed up. 

None of that really mattered.

Because after almost a decade, Jake really was someone's baby again.

JS: "hypothetically, purely hypothetically. how fuck up do you think it would be if you got into car crash with your potential nemesis, like you are both orphans, and maybe you should bond over that but you don't(SPOILERS BECAUSE ONE OF U ISN’T REAL ORPHAN), and you guys are clearly on a way to become this epic rivals or something, but you don't know each other that long so you're not there yet. Then when you guys get into this car crash, your potential nemesis get amnesia, and as soon as he loses memories he's crying to you to call his daddy. and you're like that's gonna be so awkward he probably forgot his daddy is dead, and you ACTUALLY feel sorry for him, and tthen turns out HE wAs lying bitch about being orphan, because his parents show up and they are loveliest people on earth, and you want to kill your nemesis but you can't because he has amnesia, and he's so clueless. ANYWAYS somehow this situation ends up with you getting adopted by his parents, because U WEREN'T LYING BITCH ABOUT BEING opRAH ACTUALLY. but still you kinda end up stealing your future nemesis parents while he has amnesia, so how fucked up is it, on scale 1 to 10?"

JM: "damn like 99"

JS: "umm scale was 1 to 10"

JM: "They are his parents and he has amnesia still 99"

JS: "but he doesn't even wanted them!! I'll be better son then he ever was! I ony made them cry like once since they adopteed me"

JM: "just when did they adopted you?"

JS: "Yyesterday."

JM: "It's Wednesday, you had an accident on Sunday. how the fuck you managed to do that?"

JS: "Technically the accident was on Saturday."

JM: "Jake, please tell me you also get head injury, and you didn't seriously stolen Bradshaw’s secret parents while he has amnesia?!?!?!"

JS:"I CAN say that, but it would be lying."

JM: "ok, I think he's going to kill you, once he remembers."

JS: "So not even 98?"

JM: "nooo you're fucked."

JS: "maybe 98,5?"

JM: "no, Wait so you're like Jake Bradshaw now?"

JS:" Please I would never, they have diffrent last names, and im sticking to mine for secret reasons"

JM: "can i meet them?"

JS: "i'm not sure i should be even telling you this.i don't want to get in trouble. Don’t tell anyone abut them yet."

JM: "what are they in mob or something?"

JS: "or something."

JM: "Are you sure you’re okay?"

JS:"I think I would even consider myself happy if not for a fact that I kinda killed a guy."

JM: "Jake... not your fault!"

After texting Javy, Jake thinks maybe he should try to make up to Bradshaw at least a little, for fact that he ended stealing his parents while he does have amnesia.

And Jake knows only one thing that Bradley wants right now.

“I never actually had Mcflurry before.” He said after another hospital meal that left Bradley complaining.

(Jake felt like complaining too honestly, ever since he got officially adopted, they stopped getting meals that requited cutting. And maybe Jake wanted to be babied a little and maybe he wanted to be hand feed now when could shamelessly enjoy, as if it wasn’t embarrassing when it’s parent doing it to a child. It was embarrassing, when it was done out of pity for a friend (that’s not even really a friend)of your child, since he was such looser nobody showed up for him. Now that he could freely enjoy it, they started getting shit like oatmeal that even he could eat with his barely working one hand.)

Bradley lighted up like Christmas tree when he realized what Jake was doing.

Jake thinks maybe if he will keep buying Bradshaw McDonald’s he will forgive him for stealing his parents even when he ends up getting him memory back.

Jake tried to ignore voice in his head that is wishing Bradshaw would just not get him memory back.

He knows it’s fucked up.

Even if he is sure even Bradshaw would be better off not getting his memory back.

They’re are in hospital and it’s not that fun really, and it only been few days, yet he seen Bradley smile and laugh more in those few days then he had in all those months between start of academic year and accident.

“Brad, did you bully Jake into doing this?” Mav is lightly tugging his cheek, and while Bradley is faking hurt, his eyes are sparking so happily.

(Jake just doesn’t understand how Bradshaw could have thrown this away.

Jake knows he’s fucked up but he really wishes Bradley won’t get back his memory, because he’s worried he’s going to kill him, if he ends up breaking Mav’s and Ice’s hearts once again. )

Jake and Ice are doing this pretend hand fight again, where Ice is trying to pry open Jake’s closed fist.

Jake doesn’t know how Ice realized, Jake liked it so much the first time around, but he’s not complaining.

“Slider is coming tomorrow.” Ice take Jake’s hand and kisses his closed fist and Jake opens it from shook alone. “So you two brats, can stop your McDonald’s schemes, your drug dealer is coming to town.” When Ice intertwines their fingers together, Jake makes happy noise despite himself.

He thinks the way Ice ends winning their hand fight it’s like cheating, but he won’t complain since Ice cheats by giving Jake tender attention.

(He's not sure he'll ever get used to this free attention. Maybe it should cheapen it's value since it's was so free, but somehow it just made it so much more precious.

Jake wants to cry, because he’s still worried this hospital room is just some alternative reality.

And once he leaves he will be alone again.

And Bradshaw will hate him again.)

“Uncle Slider is coming? You said he was in Japan.” Bradley gave surprised smile, and he has such sunshine smile it almost blinds Jake. He almost gotten used to it, but every time he remembers how Bradshaw used to smile, he get taken back by stark contrast. Bradley and Bradshaw are really like two different persons. Maybe it’s not fair, but Jake prefers Bradley so strongly.

“What? I don’t get pass for white house, but suddenly Japan is where you draw a line? He doesn’t get any complains he wasn’t here earlier?” Ice mocks.

“He kind of is my best drug dealer. Our relationship is strictly professional.” The way Bradley is saying this even Jake can tell whatever relationship they have it didn't even stand next to the word professional.

“Wait but he’s real uncle? You guys aren’t like throuple?” Jake suddenly ask, and Maverick makes such funny noise of outrage, it’s answer enough.

“Jakey, I love you so much for this!” Bradley is laughing so hard, he doesn’t even realize the effect those words have on Jake. Ice realizes and hugs him, he helps Jake hide his crying from Bradley with that.

Jake’s kind of brother just told him he loves him for first time.

It doesn’t matter because it’s a joke and he has amnesia, but….

Jake suddenly wishes he could somehow not only steal Bradshaw’s parents but also Bradley from Bradshaw.  

He wishes he could have parents and brother who loves him.

Chapter Text

By Thursday morning Jake is freaking out over the fact that “Uncle Slider” is coming. Apparently everyone likes Slider, so Jake feels pressure to make good impression.

(“Slider is like brother I never had.”

“Ice, you do have a brother. Stop shit talking about Jerry from now on, you’re giving Bradley bad example, on how to treat younger siblings.”

(Secretly Jake is relieved Jerry is stuck somewhere in Antarctica doing some research, that neither Ice or Mav remember what exactly is about, because only thing he talks about, apparently when talking about his work are penguins. He’s not sure he could handle meeting Ice’s biological brother so soon. Even if it’s kind of hilarious that guy called Ice has brother who lives in Antarctica. Not even mentioning that they are called Tom and Jerry.)

“Wait, you have brother named Jerry? You guys are named Tom and Jerry?” Jake can’t help but ask.

“Yes, and yes before you ask, we were named after that stupid cartoon.” Ice suddenly is embarrassed.

“Now Tommy, don’t lie to our new child, that’s also bad example.” Mav looks like cat that got canary right now, and Bradley is laughing in background. “We were named” Mav repeats Ice’s words mockingly. “Tommy here, was named after his father.” Mav is tugging Ice’s cheek while Ice looks like he wants to bite him. ”Then Junior whined his way into getting his little brother called Jerry, because it was his favorite cartoon at the time. Tommy thought it would be the coolest thing ever.” Jake starts to wonder if teasingly embarrassing people can be considered love language, because he’s pretty sure that’s Mav’s love language.

“I was five! They shouldn’t have let me make that kind of decision!” And Jake is trying so hard not to laugh at Ice, he does. “It’s okay, Jake you can laugh. I’m used to that thing haunting me my whole life.”)

Anyway if Jake was being very honest with himself he would admit that he’s terrified, that Slider is going to show up and try to talk some sense into Ice and Mav.

His new parents are insane. Jake doesn’t mind that, because he knows that sane people don’t offer to adopt someone they just meet.

Maybe Slider is some kind of sane friend that they have, and he will show up, and be like “Guys, you can’t adopt some random child just because he gotten into accident with your son.”

So Jake is already very worried about him showing up, and then he has realization.

“Wait, is Slider, admiral Kerner?!”

“Yes Jake, but don’t worry about it.” Mav says while stretching his arms. Ice is doing some work on his laptop on tiny table in corner of the room. Jake and Bradley are in their respective beds, because there’s isn’t anywhere else they could at the moment. “Really don’t worry about it, puppy.”

How could Jake not worry about it?! What are odds of two navy admirals being insane?!

Since Ice is insane, Slider is for sure, sane friend! Sane friend that is going to try to talk his parents into changing their mind about Jake! Because that’s sane thing to do, when your friends go insane after their prodigal son has car accident!

“Jake, do I need to remind you, that I’m also admiral?” Ice ask half seriously, as he looks away from computer.

“But you’re my dad now, so it doesn’t count anymore.” Jake replies, and Mav laughs at this, while doing some standing quad stretch by hospital’s wall.

“Jake, if you don’t feel up to it, I’ll tell him no to come.” Ice says seriously. “Zip it up.” He says to Bradley, as he looks ready to whine.

“He can come. I don’t mind.” Jake lies, because he’s pretty sure, Bradley wouldn’t forgive him for depraving him of his fast food dealer. He already knows Bradshaw won’t forgive him for stealing his parents once he remember everything, no need to add that on top off.

“Jakey really, you don’t need to force yourself. It’s not a big deal, sweetheart.” Slider was coming from Japan just for this. He probably haven’t seen Bradshaw since whatever happened with their parents and Bradshaw happened. It was a big deal.

“He can come.” Jake’s not going to deprive admiral Kerner from getting to meet sunshine Bradley, for all they know he might get his memory back tomorrow and not want to talk to anyone from his family again. “ It’s just did you guys told him about me?”

“Yes, honey. We told him about you.” Mav stops stretching to look Jake in the eyes.

“Everything?”

Did you told him you went insane and adopted some random kid you just meet?

“He knows he is visiting two nephews in the hospital, instead of one.”

"And he doesn't mind?" He doesn't mind that you guys insane and adopted some random kid you just meet?

"The moment I start making my life decision according to what that man thinks, someone shot me please." Mav starts to rant at the same time as Ice says "No, honey, of course he doesn't mind."

“Ok.” Jake feels a little reassured, but only a little because c’mon.  Usually nothing goods last in his life.

Slider probably lied to Ice on phone, that he doesn't mind Jake, when he realized Ice went insane. He probably decided it's better to try to reason with crazy people in person. 

They get some disgusting tomato soup for lunch.

“I’m not eating that. This tastes like piss.” Bradley whines after first spoon. Jake doesn’t blame him, there’s something just wrong with this one, but he had worse, so he doesn't complain.

“Gosling, please don’t be a spoiled brat.” Ice doesn’t even look up from his computer to say that. Mav is gone, since he went to get lunch for himself and Ice. “It can’t be that bad, and we both know you’re getting McDonald’s later, so please just eat this. Your dad will give me shit if don’t eat something nutritious before that.”

Bradley just huffs in response. “I’ll spoon feed you if I have to.” Ice threatens, when he notices Bradley doesn’t pick up eating.

Jake thinks Bradley wanted to respond something, but he didn’t get to because somehow Jake ended up spilling his tomato soup all over himself before that.

“Told you it was shitty.” Bradley laughs at Jake’s misery. “Jake would rather spill it all over himself then eat it.”

“I didn’t do that on purpose, asshole.” Then he gets scared because not only he made this huge mess, but he also called Bradley asshole in front of Ice. “I’m sorry.” He thinks he’s going to start crying, he gotten in trouble for making smaller messes before.

“Hey, it’s ok.” Suddenly Ice is in front of him. “Jake, you’re not in trouble.”

“I really didn’t do that on purpose. I swear.” Jake says as Ice starts to clean up his mess.

“Jake, nobody thinks that, I was just teasing you.” Bradley says from next bed surprisingly seriously.

“It’s ok, Jake really. Bradley’s probably right that there’s something wrong with it. It smells weird. Don’t eat it, Bradley.” Ice says and Jake knows it’s only for his benefit.

As Ice bends over to pick up Jake’s spoon, he can see Bradley blowing him a kiss with “Thank you” happy to get away from eating soup. Spoiled little shit, it wasn’t that bad.

“Jake don’t worry. Really, you’re long overdue for bath anyway.” Huh?

“Excuse me, I got forced three sponge baths already, and the new kid gotten a pass? How is this fair?”

And Jake is even more confused because when did that happened? Then he thinks he’s stupid, because how he didn’t notice that Bradley wasn’t wearing that same cheap ass hospital gown, as Jake anymore. In his defense color was kind of familiar, but Bradley’s gown was clearly way higher quality now. Jake tries to no be jealous, that they bought hospital gown for Bradshaw and not for Jake. Jake knows he’s charity case, he will take what he can get.

“Jake wasn’t sweating like crazy from fever like you, and beside that we didn’t want to overwhelm him.”

“But you could have overwhelm me? Rude!”

“Bradley, we knew you would not get overwhelmed by getting sponge bath from parent you know your whole life.”

“But I could have? I have amnesia!” This the moments Mav gets back, and he gets such weird pissed off look as soon as he notices mess Jake made.

Jake thinks fuck he messed it up after all.

He made mess and now Maverick is mad at him.

“Dad, calm down. This isn’t blood, it’s stupid tomato soup.” Bradley actually notices Mav before Ice, since Ice was still cleaning up after Jake’s mess, and he switched from whining to serious right away. Oh, Jake didn’t even considered that red stain on him, could be taken for blood.

Maverick visually calms down on Bradley’s words and Jake wants to cry. Mav got mad because he thought Jake was hurt? He didn’t get mad at him, he got mad because of him potentially getting hurt?

“I’ll go tell nurse, we going to need new bed sheets.” Mav says as he puts lunch on table next to Ice’s abandoned laptop.

“Ask if Jake can have normal bath already instead of sponge one by the way.” Ice calls after him.

Turns out Jake can have semi-normal bath already.

“Buddy, who do you want to give you bath, me or Mav?”

“I don’t get nurse option this time? Maybe I would like for hot nurse to give me a bath instead of one you old guys?” Jake can’t help to ask, because it’s embarrassing and he wants to embarrass someone too, but this of course doesn’t work on them.

“Let’s leave nurses to people who don’t have two parents willing to help them on site.” And now he wants to cry again, because now he does have two parents willing to help him on site.

 “Fine, Mav.” They both get kind of surprised looks by that choice, but they don’t comment on it. He is not that biased towards Ice!

It doesn’t matter that he would have chosen Ice, if not for the fact that he suddenly keep hearing those fucked up things he said to Ice last time Ice was helping him in that bathroom. He apologized for that already, but those word felt heavy on his mind.

“Ok, just carry him for me there.” Mav takes command.

“I can walk!” Ok, it was a bit of struggle when Ice was helping him walk to bathroom, and it ended up way easier when Ice just carried him back to bed afterwards, but he let himself be carried back due to overwhelming emotions at being asked to be adopted. Now he wasn’t emotional and he will walk like a man.

“So you don’t want your papa to carry you?” Mav is little shit.

“I didn’t say that.”

Maybe he will walk like a man next time, getting carried is nice after all.

“Relax, Jakey I won’t ask, no matter how bad it is. Not now.” Mav said when he noticed that Jake started to get really nervous when Mav took of his tomato-stained gown.

“Not ever.”

“Not now.” He says it firmly, and Jake knows it’s the best he’s going to get.

Maverick is truly child of system, because he almost doesn’t react at all to Jake scars.

He just takes this sharp breath when he get chance to look at them better, but he keeps his promise and he doesn’t ask.

(Jake tries to forget that it’s only for now.)

Whole bath ordeal is very embarrassing, but also almost nice, because Mav is so gentle with him. Jake’s first foster mother wasn’t half as gentle with him while giving him baths, and he was like eight.

Mav leaves hair washing for last. “Close your eyes, sunshine, I don’t want to get shampoo into your eyes, okay?”

“Okay, daddy.” Slips out of Jake’s mouth without him realizing. Mav stops washing his hair in surprise.

Fuck, now Mav is going to think Jake is weird.

Bradley gave Mav few, mostly sarcastic daddy’s those last days, but Bradley was Mavs real kid. Not charity case taken by temporary insanity.

“I’m sorry, it’s just slipped out.” Jake gets scared, because suddenly he remembers getting slapped by his second foster father for calling him daddy, guy said Jake wasn’t his kid, and that he was too old to be saying daddy anyway. He was like eight! If eight was too old, then what about seventeen?!

“It won’t-“ Jake gets interrupted by getting hugged.

“I’m your daddy now, Jake. I was just surprised you would acknowledge it so fast. Don’t you dare to apologize to me for that.“

“Okay.” Jake chokes out, but he doesn’t cry and he’s proud of himself, maybe he will make this bathroom trip without crying.

And Jake thinks he could have probably managed it, expect for the fact that after Mav finishes drying him off (with towel that was way too soft and too high quality to be hospital one, Jake wonder when they brought them in), he presents Jake with hospital gown with such embarrassing dog print, that Jake is impressed he managed to find it somewhere.

“For me?” Jake ask almost sell shocked.

“Yes, but Jakey, you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want. I got you plain one too, just like the one Bradley has, since they didn’t have anything with cute print in his size anyway.” Mav starts to take away doggy print gown, and Jake almost rips it with how much force he takes it back even if he can only do it with one hand.

“No! Mine! No take backs!” He doesn’t want stupid plain one like Bradley, he wants this embarrassingly cute one that his daddy picked up for him.

He starts to cry as he hold this hospital gown.

Because now everyone who will look at him, will be able to tell right away, it’s definitely not something they give patients at hospital.

Someone clearly bought him this hospital gown.

Someone cared about him enough to go out of his way to buy him embarrassingly cute hospital gown.

Now Jake can wear this neon sign that screams “I have someone who cares!”

Chapter Text

Jake was no longer afraid of Slider coming, his stupidly cute doggy gown was like his shield.

Bradley didn’t get that.

He actually got offended on Jake's behalf, like this lovely amnesiac idiot who didn’t get things he was.

“Geez, Jake! Did he bully you into wearing that? That’s got to count as child abuse. Mav, that’s too much! Ice do something!”

Because, he was idiot who didn’t get things, but he is Jake’s idiot. For now at least.

Almost every nurse and doctor in this hospital, from now on when they first saw Jake, they would get this some kind amused pity reaction, that would be something like oh, this kid’s parents are clearly still babying him. Poor thing, must be so embarrassed.

And that was so much better then Oh sad, pathetic foster child nobody showed up for, I would rather look away.

Not to mention mixing this gown with his baby face and his height (Jake right now was like Mav’s height, and Bradley started teasing him, that Jake now would probably get stick with it forever since he got adopted by him, not knowing that Jake wouldn’t mind staying short if It meant he could keep hearing he’s just like his new father.) everybody now assumed he was way younger, so it was easier to not be embarrassed about acting needy and childlike when people assume you’re like twelve anyway.

So yeah, his Bradley didn’t get shit, but his Bradley get’s a pass for being so clueless since he had amnesia. Bradshaw doesn’t get any passes, and Bradshaw also wouldn’t get it.

Slider finally showed up with very suspicious duffel bag, like drug dealer he was.

“There better be some drugs and money in that bag, because if that whole thing is just full of McDonalds,  even Ice won’t help you.” Mav is glaring into that duffel bag with hate, while Bradley was staring at it like his lost love was hiding inside or something.

Slider is just laughing as he’s holding Ice, and he says to him. “You never did learn how to control your fucking bitch wife.”

Afterwards Jake will admit there was definitely no heat behind that, and nobody but him really reacted to that, Ice gave head shake while eye rolling, Mav flipped lazy bird, and Bradley gave quiet snort.

But Mav was just been so kind and gently with Jake, and not to mention this stupid sweet gown with puppies, Jake felt very offended on Mav’s behalf.

Not to mention  “controlling fucking bitch wife.” definitely gave him flashbacks to one of the worst foster houses he ever had, but that beside the point.

Jake reacted by yelling and cursing guy out.

So much for making good first impression.

“Honestly, I’m just a little impressed.” Slider laughed afterwards, when everything was calmed down and explained. “I can see why Ice wanted you right away, you’re just like that one.” He pointed to Mav, and while Jake couldn’t see Mav reaction because Mav was holding him, Jake was almost sure he was glaring at Slider.

Jake ended up feeling terrible for cursing out Slider, because it turned out his bag was full of fast food.  Only every paper bag was different kind, because he didn’t know what Jake would like. This was way more extreme then Ice’s water bottles. Guy went through six different fast food chains, not just picked up variety of options from one shop. He did it for Jake, and Jake ended up cursing him out for bantering with an old friend. Bit awkward.

Anyways Jake picked up Taco Bell, since he never had it before, but he thinks this won’t be his drug of choice.

Slider ended up kicking out Mav and Ice from room for a while.

“Both of you, go change, take a shower or something in that overpriced hotel room you got close by, I don’t know what for, since it appeared you started to be living in this hospital. Just get out, and let me hold front for a while.”  

Only then really Jake realized that he and Bradley haven’t really been really left alone for more since few minutes Ice got here. At least one of them was always there. He’s turning into spoiled brat like Bradley. Ice and Mav are respectively Admiral and Captain, and Jake, before he even realized himself also stopped considering that they have better and more important things to do then to live in this hospital room, because he and Bradley were a bit injured.

“Jakey, is this ok with you? “ Ice asked him sincerely.

“We won’t go if you don’t want to.” Mav added.

“Hey, you’re not even going to pretend to ask me?” Bradley whined.

“We know, you’re okay with that.” Mav rolled his eyes.

“I could have not been okay with that! I have amnesia!” Bradley jokes, not realizing he made mood drop. Everyone but him, knew he wouldn’t be okay with that if he hasn’t gotten amnesia.

Amnesia that didn't seem to subside at any level. During today's hospital rounds, the doctor was definitely less promising about improving memory. They probably expect Bradley to at least start remembering anything at all, by now.

Jake worries about Bradley getting his memories back and becoming Bradshaw again, but he also worried that if he won’t get those memories that somehow would be on Jake’s conscious. He couldn’t help, but wish for guy to just remind clueless few times, and he knew it was not fair.

After some reassurance form Jake, Ice and Mav leave promising they will be back soon.

Jakes almost takes a nap while listening to gentle testing between Slider and Bradey, expect….

“What’s with them?” Bradley suddenly ask Slider, unexpectedly seriously.  Jake is sure Bradley thinks he’s sleeping now, so does his best not to move while keeping his eyes closed. “They are acting weird.” Oh, Jake thinks he’s not as clueless as he’s pretending to be.

“I don’t think there’s manual on how to act when your child gets amnesia. I’m sure if it was, both of them would have already read that by now.”

“I think it’s more weird then just that.” Oh, Bradley really isn’t clueless.

“Well they have always been weird and insane. They just basically kidnaped a child and I’m not even that surprised. Maybe this amnesia thing finally pushed them over edge.” Slider tries to joke. Jake gets offended, he was in process of very legal and official adoption! Thank you very much!

“Slider.” Bradley suddenly sounds like Bradshaw again, and Jake think there’s chance that somehow he had gotten his memories back, in that second.

“Now, baby goose, is this about you, not being able to handle stopping being only child?” Slider changes approach. “With how fast it happened, I can’t even blame you.”

“This isn’t about Jake. They are acting more normal with Jake, then they are acting with me.”

“Bradley, I heard you’re not supposed to be pushing your memories those first days. “ Slider tries, but Bradley doesn’t seem to care about it.

“Slider.” There’s something that passes between them that Jake doesn’t get, because he’s bit clueless too, only in some different way, about relationship between those people.

“I want my money back, they told me you were this scary cute version of yourself, that worried them by not asking almost any questions, and I get ambushed?” Slider's voice was weird, Jake didn’t know how to describe it.

“I’m not sure I want to ask questions, this whole thing is so weird, you have no idea. It feels like I time traveled, or something. Only I can’t go back home like in Back to the future.” Jake feels like an asshole that he was kind of dismissive of Bradley’s amnesia. It is very fucked from his point of view.

”Not to mention I feel like they might cry if I ask them wrong questions. I know something happened, but I don’t want to make them cry. You know I love you, Uncle Sli, but I can handle your crying. I don’t think I could handle their crying right now. I rather play up my whiny side, and make new kid I’m spoiled rotten, them make them cry.” Oh, Jake thinks they all kind of got played by amnesia Bradley a little, it’s almost impressive.

“You’re absolutely spoiled rotten.” Slider makes one last ditched effort at distraction.

“Uncle Sli, please. Just tell me what’s wrong with them right now.”

Slider sighs like he gives in to Bradley, and Jake thinks he’s going have to intervene, but he doesn’t manage to do that because words that came out Slider are so fast.

“Ice literally just had very serious cancer scare. He potentially could only had a few months to live." Jake realizes Slider started crying. "Not to mentions the unfortunate date of accident on top, you know it’s literally middle of December? Mav that idiot, he blames himself a little because of that.” It’s sounds like the truth? Wait, Ice had cancer scare, what?

Bradley takes sharp breath. “But he’s ok?”

“Yes.”

“You promise?”

“Yes, it was false alarm thankfully.  Don’t worry about it.“ Jake can breathe again.

Beside that Jake thinks that Slider is evil genius, because that was the truth. Yet there was no risk of that pushing Bradley’s memories, because he wouldn’t know anything about it anyway. There was no memories of that to be pushed because he pushed away his family long before this happened.

 “-wait unfortunate date of accident? Literally middle of December? Blame? Wait don’t tell me accident, it was on the tenth!?”

“Sorry kid, I thought you realized that.”

“I’m the worst son ever.”Yeah you are, but wait, why over the day of accident?

“Bradley, nobody’s blaming you, for getting into car accident on your dad’s birthday. If it comforts you, in Japan it was already after his birthday when you had that car crash.”

Oh, Jake suddenly thinks there was no date. Bradshaw lied to Natasha to go drinking alone on his estranged dad’s birthday. He is sure of it. That’s why he gotten so fucking drunk and called Jake “Mav”. And he dared to say to Jake that he had unhealthy coping mechanisms that one time!?! The audacity of this bitch!

“Hey, wait.” Bradley seems too came to realization. “Since it’s 2005… That mean, Mav is forty years old? That’s weird.”

“No Bradley, this is hilarious. Remember the shit he gave me for turning forty? And now he's been in crisis for like half a year, when it’s finally his time. This is my payback. This is justice.”

Bradley laughs a little, but then says. “You’re a little weird too. You know?”

“Have you considered that maybe, you’re the one who’s weird since you kind of do have amnesia? “

“Wow, way to blame a victim.”

“Hey, but seriously speaking of victims. This is Jake kid, you sure they didn’t pressure  him into this whole adoption thing or something?”

Jake is outraged at suggestion, but he also doesn’t want to get in trouble for eavesdropping. And at this point it definitely counts as eavesdropping, so keeps his outrage quiet.

“You said you weren’t surprised, about Jake.”

“Not surprised doesn’t mean, not worried.”

“Have you seen what he’s wearing, he done it willingly, just cause Mav bought it for him. I think he’s the one who’s kidnapped them.”

"Are you okay with that? With no longer being your daddies only spoiled baby?" Jake suddenly gets scared, because Bradley was acting like he was okay with all that, but maybe he played everyone on that front too. Jake could handle getting rejected by Bradshaw, but he's not sure he could handle getting rejected by Bradley. 

"Yes. I like the new baby." Stupid Bradley, he's the one acting like baby most of time. Jake thinks, but he's so relifed. Bradley wasn't rejecting him.

"Moreover, Slider, I'm not that spoiled!" Bradley adds.

"You kind of are, baby goose."

"I see how it is, you're no longer my favorite uncle. Now it's Wolfe."

"Wolfe? You wouldn't dare. At least pick Merlin or something."

"Too late, I already decided."

"You little shit, see if I even brings you Mcdonald's again with this attitude."  

Chapter Text

"Do I have to see them?" 

On Friday it turned out Bradley didn't want to see Natasha and Javy, who were supposed to show up next day.

Ice went to get lunch with Slider, so there was just three of them in hospital room right now. Bradley, Jake and Maverick.

"No honey, you don't have to force yourself to do anything." Mav said as he was feeding Jake chicken soup.

(Only good thing that came from “The great tomato soup accident” was that now, Jake was banned from eating any liquid meals by himself. He complained on principle, but he was pretty sure everyone could see through that. He did enjoy being taken care of, even if It was in such embarrassing way.)

"But Jake wants to see them." Bradley seemed conflicted and it made Jake feel so weird. Bradley didn't want to see Natasha and Javy, but he was trying to force himself for Jake's sake?

"It's okay, I don't-" Jake started saying, but Mav stopped him by shutting him up with spoon full of soup. Rude!

"Jakey can see them in hospital cafeteria." Mav said. "One of us can take him there in wheelchair, and other will stay with you."

"Oh, okay." Bradley relaxed at that.

Jake texted Natasha that news, low-key expecting she wouldn't want to show up, if it was just to meet him. In return she called him stupid, and said that of course she wanted to see him too.

That's how Jake ended up in wheelchair on Saturday.

That he didn't feel like he needed! He could probably walk, or crawl at least!

Only getting pushed in wheelchair by Ice was also nice in some weird way.

Some lady in elevator said to Ice that he had such cute son, and that she had eleven years old daughter herself.

Jake ignored implications that she thought he was like eleven, and focused on the fact instead that she knew right away that Jake was Ice's! That was all that really mattered!

That and the fact that Ice answered her with "Yes, he's very cute, he's our younger baby. His older brother is sadly all grown up already and isn't as cute anymore, as our little babydoll over here".

Jake gave whiny "Papa, please stop embarrassing me.", because that woman though they were like real father and son, so he didn't want to complicate this for her by calling Ice something else.

His whining just made both adults laugh.

When she left elevator, Ice apologized to Jake with kiss to his hair. "I'm sorry but it's parental duty to embarrass kid a little, and I have a lot of years to made up for."

When they showed up to cafeteria turned out that Javy and Natasha already were there.

They both looked like there were going to cry from seeing Jake in wheelchair.

Ice introduced himself simply as "Tom" Jake's new guardian, since his old one got arrested on drug charges, and that he would be on the other end of cafeteria working, and they could just come and get him when they were done.

Then he just left with kiss to Jake's forehead like what he said wasn't just brand new information to Jake too?! 

James Smith got arrested on drug charges?! Ice got him arrested?! 

Like Jake knew that Smith did drugs so those clearly weren't fake charges, but with timing Jake just knew Ice had something to do with that.

Just when did that happened?!

Between Bradley and Slider conversation he "overhead" and this Jake was beging to feel like he was the most obvious person in his new family, not amnesia Bradley.

Javy and Natasha were looking at him kind of shocked, clearly expecting explanation as if he had any idea what was going on, any better?!

"I could use something to drink." He said instead, because really he didn't know shit neither.

Natasha went to buy him a juice, and as soon as she was out of hearing range Javy started talking.

"Jake you really did got adopted by people from mob?! You ever thought that maybe Bradshaw had good reasons for cutting them off, since they are in mob?!"

"What no? What are you talking about Javy?"

"This Tom guy over here is giving serial killer vibes, and I'm pretty sure he gotten that Smith asshole arrested? Not that the guy didn't deserve that, but like did he plant the evidence on him or something?"

"Don't be ridiculous Javy, Tom is like teddy bear." Jake said as if he hasn't had the same first impression of Ice. "And I swear they are not in mob, quite opposite actually. I know I didn't say that to you before, but trust me, Smith was definitely using illegal stuff."

At this moment Natasha came back with juice, and "Nice PJ, Jakey. I didn't even noticed until I was looking at you guys from queue. Very cute puppies." 

"Thank you, I realize it might seem a bit tacky, but it's a gift, so I like it." Jake said with shameless smile, if she thought she could embarrass him with mentioning his doggy gown, she was mistaken!

"Fuck I didn't noticed it at first too." Javy only now looked at his gown. "You're look like you're ten year old or something in it, Jake." Javy started laughing at him. "I think this is child abuse."

"Fuck you, Javy. You guys are just jealous." 

They started talking about random stupid shit for a while.

"I'm sorry, Bradley didn't want to see you Natasha. It's not personal, he's really confused right now, you can't blame him for that." Jake finally decided to tackle elephant in the room. "I think he was a bit scared of meeting people he didn't know, that knew him."

"Jake you don't have to apologize to that. I'm kind of worried he's all alone right now, but at least he got you in this hospital." She smiles as him. "I always thought you guys could get along fine if you get to know each other really."

Jake wants to tell her truth about Tom, being actually Bradley's dad that Jake stolen, so she wouldn't have to worry about Bradley being alone. Only that feels like some kind of invasion of privacy since Natasha was way more Bradshaw's friend then Jake's.

He tells them instead a little about how different Bradley is from Bradshaw, and in general about this weird hospital stay.

They start talking about Peter drunk driver that died, at some point even, and both Natasha and Javy are trying to convince Jake it's wasn't his fault at all. (Since they don't get it.)

Jake's not sure how much they are end up talking, but it's few hours, and they would probably end up talking even more if Ice didn't interrupted them.

"I'm sorry to cut this short, but Jake have to head back. It'll be time for his meds soon."

They say goodbye, and Jake ended getting wheelchaired back with bag of gifts for him and Bradley's. 

It's very nice. 

Chapter Text

On Sunday while he was texting about some stupid unimportant shit with Javy, Natasha texted him something serious.

NT: Ummm, I know you clearly don’t want to talk about what happened with your ex guardian.  But is your new guardian, that Tom guy, really ok to you? He seemed a bit overbearing to me?

How dare she call Ice overbearing!  Jake got so offended by that, he almost didn’t care that it came from place of concern.

JS: You’re overbearing yourself!!!!

NT: Jake, I’m serious. The guy said he was going to work on his laptop, but he spend whole time staring at us, like some kind of control freak. When Javy swatted you CLEARY gently and playfully, the guy actually started to get up, looking like he was ready to kill him, before you started laughing.

Oh, Jake didn’t noticed that.

JS: I swear to you, Tom is great! only i guess he doesn't tend to make the best first impressions.

He thinks it’s best not to tell her, he thought Tom was serial killer at first.

NT: He didn’t even introduced himself properly, even though both me and Javy gave him our last names. What’s his last name?

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Think Seresin, think of something.

JS: I don’t remember.

Great, that's the best you can do?

NT: You don’t remember? Why are you lying about this? I don’t believe for a second you don’t remember last name of guy who is your legal guardian….

Fuck.

JS:  The whole thing is very very recent, and he has this rather weird polish last name. so yeah I don’t remember how you spell it’s exactly. You KNOW I’m dyslexic bitch!

NT: weird polish last name?

NT: Wait a minute, I thought the guy looked kind of familiar….

Shit, shit, shit.

JS: Natasha stop thinking please.

He texted her that, but he knew it was too late.

NT: JAKE WTF?! THAT WAS ADMIRAL KAZANSKY?!?!?!

JS:… maybe

NT: MAYBE?>! You little shit! How this happened?!

JS: Honestly I still don’t know. It just happened.

NT: Does Javy knows?

JS: He knowss I had a change of legal guardians, but he doesn’t realize just who Tom is yet I think.

NT: Wow

JS: Don’t tell anyone, pleases. Nobody’s knows.

NT: Except amnesia Bradley.

JS: Yeahh, obviously.

NT: I know you and amnesia Bradley are getting along fine, but he’s going to give you so much shit for becoming this huge nepo baby once, he gets back his memories, and YOU WILL DESERVE THAT!

And that just made Jake laugh out loud. She had no idea how ridiculous was what she just said.

Off all things Bradley will for sure gives him shit, once he’s Bradshaw again, being Navy Nepo baby, that was one thing he couldn’t held against Jake. Even Bradshaw wasn’t that big of hypocrite.

“What’s going on?” Mav’s sleepy voice suddenly made Jake remember he wasn’t alone. Mav and Bradley were sleeping together, and Ice was working on his laptop while Jake was on his phone.

“It’s ok, doll face. Jake just laughing, go back to sleep.” Ice says as he’s walking past bed where Bradley and Mav were taking afternoon siesta. Mav takes that soft command seriously and just falls back into sleep right away.

“Sorry, I didn’t meant to wake him.” Jake says to Ice, as Ice made his way next to Jake's bed.

“It’s okay, babydoll.” Tom touches his face. “Please don’t apologize for that. You didn’t wake them up, and it would be no big deal even if you did wake them up. They’re being lazy anyway.” Tom jokes and playfully pinches his cheek. “I’m just curious what made you laugh so hard.”

“This is kind of your fault.”

“Oh?”

Jake shows Tom his last text messages, then as Tom is reading them, he thinks that maybe he shouldn’t have. Maybe Tom will get mad that Natasha figured out who he is. “I tried to stop her from figuring it out.” He says just in case.

“Please, Jakey. I know I didn’t gave them my last name, but that was just for your sake. I didn’t wanted you to get even more overwhelmed. I knew they would figure it probably sooner or later, my face is public.”  Then he seemed to finish reading, and chuckled. “It is pretty funny.”

But Jake was focused on something else he said. “You didn’t want to overwhelmed me? I felt a little overwhelmed with information that you got Smith arrested. Why didn't you tell me before you got him arrested? And how did you do this so fast?” Jake wanted to ask about it, but he honestly forgot right after meeting with Natasha and Javy, while he had chance to ask Ice alone about it. He was a bit overwhelmed by that meeting after all.  By the time he remember about it, he was back in hospital room, and he didn’t want to ask about it in front of Bradley. Amnesia Bradley had enough of shit of his own to deal with, he didn’t need to be thinking about that too. He wanted to ask when Bradley would go to sleep yesterday, but he ended up falling asleep first. He figured he would ask today, when it became clear Bradley and Mav would end up napping, but then Javy distracted him by texting.

“I’m sorry about it baby, we and Mav were trying to figure out how to tell you about it. We didn’t think you needed to know about it that urgently with everything else going on. Only yesterday when I was meeting your friends I figured out I should say something, so they wouldn’t be thinking I was the guy who hurt you, in case you told them anything. That probably didn't turn out so well, honey. I’m sorry about it.”

“Oh, that’s okay. That’s actually makes sense, I guess.”

“But for the record, I didn’t get him arrested, baby.”

“Please, even Javy thought you got him arrested. He even suspected planting evidence.”

Tom started laughing at this into his fist. “Oh, really?”

“Maybe, forget I said that. I don’t want to get him in trouble.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. That won’t get him in trouble. I just think it’s a little funny.”

“So how did you do it?”

“I'm navy admiral, not a cop Jake. Cops arrest people.”

“Please, I’m not that drugged to believe that. Wait! That probably was Slider’s wife right? He said she’s a cop from some kind of cop legacy family, that makes me and Bradley look barely like Navy royalty in comparison?!”

“Now, baby, using personal connection to get someone arrested would be a bit unethical, even if person did deserve that. Do you think we’re the kind of people who would do something like this?”  Then he adds as he see Jake open his mouth. “This is a rhetorical question, please don't answer.”

Jake knows he did it somehow, but also figures out when you do stuff like that, the less people know officially the better, so he decides not to push.

“So since he got arrested on something else, does it means we won’t have to talk about any potential child abuse charges?” Jake isn’t stupid, he also knows Ice wanted to get Smith arrested on that, but he can’t image talking about those stuff with Mav or Ice, let alone talk about it to the police or in court?

Ice gets sad, and Jake regrets asking, but also he had to know.

“Those are two separate things, Jacob. He can be charged with one thing on top another. Just because guy got arrested on drug charges, doesn’t mean he should get away with child abuse.” Jake wants to cry, Ice doesn’t get it.

“You-“ Jake would probably end up saying something he would regret, if Ice didn't stop him with gentle finger shushing on his mouth.

“But, Mav convinced me, that we shouldn’t pressure you into pressing charges if you don’t want.” Jake feels so relieved, as he looks at sleeping Mav. Ice doesn’t get it, but Mav does get it! Mav is foster kid himself and he gets it! “We hope you’ll change your mind about this later, but if you don’t, we won’t force you.” Jake wanted to get out of bed and kiss sleeping Mav.

“Thank you.” Jake could cry.

“Second but, that doesn’t mean we don’t have to talk about it.” Tom took away Jake’s relief as fast as he gave it. “I mean, you don’t have to talk about it with us, but you’ll at least have to talk about it with therapist.”

“Therapist?” Great now they are thinking Jake is some kind of loser who needs therapy.

“Yes, babydoll. You’re definitely are going to therapy.” Jake must have shown his distaste for that idea on his face because Ice added firmly. “I’m sorry, but that’s not up for discussion.”

“If I talk to you guys, about Smith, then can I not go to therapy?” Jake was begging, he didn’t want to go to stupid therapy.

“No, honey. These things don't connect.”

“You guys think there’s something wrong with me.” Jake doesn’t even know when he started crying, but Ice wiped his tears as Jake said this. ”I don’t need therapy. Please papa, don't punish me like that.”

“No please, baby, don’t cry about this. This isn’t some kind of punishment. We want to help you.” Ice was holding him and gently rocking. “I swear we want to help you, not punish you with that.”

“You didn’t send Bradshaw to therapy.” Jake’s last resort. He was almost certain that Bradshaw had not been to therapy.

“Yes, and that clearly was a mistake.“ Ice voice was thick with emotions. “A mistake we will not repeat.” And with that Jake knew he had lost this fight.

 “Fine, I’ll go to stupid fucking therapy, but only because you’re making me, and I’m not happy about it. I’m fucking mad at you right now.” Jake choked out between tears.

“That's my boy.” Ice said that with a kiss to Jake’s hair as he continued rocking Jake. “I’m so proud of you, babydoll.” Jake gotten another kiss this time on his ear. "So very proud."

And that just made Jake cry harder.  “It's not fair! I can't stay angry with you, when you say things like that to me.”

“Sorry about it.” Ice didn’t sound sorry at all, but he keep holding Jake close, and giving him gentle kisses, so Jake didn’t call him out on that.

Chapter Text

On Monday two things happened.

First thing was the fact that apparently Natasha and Javy talked with each other and exchanged infos. Jake get some interesting texts from both of them, or rather from Javy first, then he ended up texting Natasha himself.

JM: DUDE what wrong with u?! how could u not tell me, BRADSHAW’S SECRET DAD WAS ADMIRAL KAZANSY?!

Thanks, Natasha. You didn’t even last one day!!!!

JS: umm it’s Kazansky actually! the man is an admiral, have some respect!!!

Jake knew he didn't have leg to stand on this topic, since he was dyslexic. But his new dad last name was very know and important! Javy was in naval academy he should know how to spell his dad’s last name!

JM: Don't even try to correct me, you dyslexic bitch!!!!

Touché.

JM: And don’t change subject!!!!

JS: I mean, yu did meet him on Saturday, not my fault you didn’t recognized him?

JM: Don’t you ever dare!?!?! BITVH?! He introduced himself as tom?! And he was wearing this fugly cardigan, not to mention his hair was kinda wavy, not gelled to the back like in every possible photo of him that exist!!!! 

Fugly cardigan? Jake knew that Mav bought him this cardigan. Jake would wish everyone would stop criticizing Mav’s taste. Maybe his new dad liked buying people kind of tacky clothes, so what?! It was clearly his strange way of showing affection! Everyone needed to leave him alone and mind their business!!!

JM: BITHVJ!! Because of you I accused the admiral of being in the mafia!?

JS: Heyyy! I told you he wasn’t in mob before! I told you it was “or something!!!”

JM: DO not give me that excuse!!! I’m done for in Navy!!!

JS: Hey, you did not say that to his face

JM: So you telling me you didn’t repeat to him, that I thought he was in mob????

JS: I’m not saying that

JM: JAKE HOW COULD U BETRAY ME LIKE THIS?! I DIDN’t became crazy nepo baby overnight! I don’t have anyone to protect me! JAKEEE DON’T TELL HIM I MISSPELLED HIS LAST NAME!!!!

JS: Calm down, I won’t tell him, and he thought the mob thing was funny actually,

JM: really?

JS: Yeah, And I can protect you with my new nepo baby’s powers, so chill

JS: Really Javy I won’t let him do shit to you ok?

JS: so u better be nice to me!!

JM: Shit, you’re already talking like spoiled Navy princess

JS: Fuck you!

JM: I would say this back, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed, your Navy highness

JS: Double fuck you!!!!

JM: your wish is my command Princess

JS: Hey, but seriously, are we good? This whole thing is so crazy I didn’t know how to tell you everything.

JM: Yeah, but I’m changing your name in my phone to Princess, that’s not up to negotiation!!!!

JS: you’re being veryyy bad serf right now, but I’ll allow it

JM: and we’re good, the whole things is so crazy, I get why you didn’t tell me everything right away.

JM: Princess <3 <3<3

Jake still wasn’t telling him everything, but Mav and Ice relationship wasn’t actually his secret to tell. Not to mention whole DADT thing. Suddenly he realized something.

“Hey, Mav?” Jake asked, and Mav turned away from laptop. There were just the two of them, since they took Bradley for some tests, and Ice went with him.

“Yes, sweetheart?” Mav answered, and Jake still was trying not to blush at being called pet names so casually.

“I don’t know how to start this. But my two friends, Natasha and Javy, I guess Natasha is more Bradley’s friend. But anyways, they figured it out about Ice The Admiral, being my new guardian, and they made assumption that, he was Bradley’s too? They don’t know about you, but-“

“It’s okay, I don’t mind them thinking that. I don’t think Bradley will mind neither, once he gets back his memories. Documents about our guardianships are not that public, and I doubt it makes any difference to him which one of us is the father he officially hates, and no matter how angry he is with us, I know he would not betray us on this front. I like to think your friends have enough sense not to talk about your secrets left and right.”

Next Mav said wishfully. “Not to mention there are talks about DADT being repelled. Ice don’t think it will happen, but I always try to be a little more optimistic than him.”

Jake felt relieved by this, except for one last question. “But I did mentioned to Javy: parents, plural. I’m sorry, I didn’t think about it, but now they going to assume you’re some sort Ice’s secret wife.”

Mav just laughed at that. “I’m already Ice’s bitch wife according to Slider. So what if two more people are thinking this?”

JS: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR NOT TELLING ANYONE!!!

NT: Okay, first of all, I actually didn’t promised you that!

Shit, she got him there.

Fuck, he should have insisted on that!

NT: and second, have you ever seen Friends?

What’s that got to do with anything?!

JS: I know I’m foster child, but I didn’t live under the rock.

JS: YES, I HAVE SEEN FRIENDS!

Maybe like half of episodes at best, because sometimes it’s felt like he was living under the rock, but she didn’t need to know that.

JS: WHAt’s does that got to do with anything?

NT: Do you remember that episode where both Rachel and Joey, find out each other know about Chandler and Monica?

He did seen that episode. Oh, he can already see where this is going.

JS: yes

NT: So me and Javy ended up having very oddly similar conversation as “Do you know something?” from Friends. Except both of us turned out knew something a little different about this situation. I wasn’t walking around telling people about that

JS: ok, but don’t go around having those FRirends conversation with anyone else!

NT: Relax I won’t

JS: promise me this time!!!

NT: Ok, I promise!

JS: So, you’re not mad at me? For stealing Bradshaw dad?

NT: JAKE what? You didn’t steal his dad! You can’t steal dads! You can’t steal people! His dad taking you in, is not you stealing him. Please tell me you’re not seriously thinking that?!

Jake didn't expect such an answer. It was surprisingly reasonable, but Bradshaw wasn’t reasonable. If he was reasonable he wouldn’t have throw away Ice and Mav like piece of garbage. No matter what they have done. Jake knows they would never hurt Bradley, not in a way that counts.

JS: That’s not the way Bradshaw will see it.

NT: Bradshaw can suck me dick

Oh.

Oh, she was mad at Bradshaw!! She was mad at Bradshaw for lying to her about not having any living family! She wasn’t mad at Jake.

JS: You shouldn’t be mad at people, who have amnesia.

Jake almost didn’t even realized that he wrote that, before he hit send. Why was he defending Bradshaw? What was wrong with him?!

NT: Wow, barely a week passes and you’re already defending your new older brother. That’s almost sweet.

JS: Shut up! I’m not defending himm, I’m defending amnesia version of him! Amnesua Bradley is like a brother to me! Once he get’s his memory back he’s going to hate me, so whatever about him!

NT: Jake he’s not going to hate you, he will be shocked and maybe pissed a little, but he’s not going to hate you. You didn’t do anything wrong!

JS: He will hate me

NT: If he will, I’ll kill him for that!!!!

Jake was so touched, by this he didn’t know what to text back. So he settled on something stupid.

JS: I don’t think you should be threatening Admiral’s son

NT: But Bradshaw “doesn’t have any living family” so he can’t be Admiral’s son

JS: So he really didn’t told you anything, anyhting at all?

NT: No.

JS: Well, we don’t know each other that long too, be honest.

NT: STOP defending him! I think that even if I had known him for over ten years, I would have known just as much about his family.

JS: You don’t kno that.

NT: but I'm almost sure of it.

Jake couldn’t really argue with that, especially since he thought she was probably right.

The second thing that happened on Monday is something he wish he could forget.

It’s was just so mortifying.

He and Bradley ended up needing some stupid shots, he doesn’t even remember what for.

The worst thing is since their hands were still mostly bandaged, the nurse said it had to be the buttocks as place for injections. She said this as it was no big deal.

Jake thinks it was just so fucking rude, because it would be embarrassing, even if his ass wasn’t more scar tissue then skin.

And what’s worse she was some young pretty nurse. And as she chipperly said, she just returned from vacation or something, so she definitely haven’t seen his scars before, unlike some of others one, he was sure. He did wake up here, with change of clothes so to say, after all.

He briefly wondered what happened to clothes he was wearing on accident. He liked that blue jumper, but whatever. Mav will probably buy him an uglier one, that he will like even more (because his dad will buy it for him).

At any rate Bradley took his shots with minimal whining. Mav was holding his hand and whispered encouragingly to him.

Jake didn’t mean to stare, but he kind of did, since he noticed there didn’t seem to be even one scar on his ass or thighs. (Not counting some small cut from accident on his left tight.)

He knew obviously that Bradley wouldn’t have any scars from physical abuse.

Ok, maybe he was a little worried, that Ice and Mav played him somehow.

Maybe he was worried a little they weren’t that great as they seemed.

Or maybe he was worried, that maybe they used to beat up Bradley, but Bradshaw was one of this mysterious lucky people, that even if he got abusive parents in the lottery of life, he got the unicorn ones, that actually changed for better.

Logically he knew that even if Bradley had some old abuse scars. They probably would have been from his mother (Jake found out Bradley’s biological father died when he was barely out of diapers), since Bradley didn’t always belong to Ice and Mav.  In this case, however, he would still lose some of his respect for Mav, since he still spoke so fondly of that mysterious Carole. Not to Ice, since Ice didn't say anything about her when Bradley and Mav were talking about her.

Maybe Jaka was over-interpreting, but it seemed to him that Ice had some kind of hidden problem with this Carole. So he thought that maybe there was possibly that she was abusive to Bradley, and Mav was able to overlook that since she was clearly his beloved friend (and Bradley was her child, and children forgive their mothers everything).

Jake was both relived and jealous, that there seemed to be absolutely no evidence of any physical abuse on Bradley’s body.

Like he knew that Bradley didn’t act like abused child, but sometimes you really can’t tell.

And Bradley did have those anger issues, that he tried to conceal in Academy, but Jake could see them shining through sometimes, since he was a bit oversensitive about the subject. Those anger issues came from somewhere.

So maybe he was worried that he was wrong about Ice and Mav somehow, even though his instincts made him feel he could trust them.

But now, he had concrete proof, that Bradley wasn't abused, at least not on the level that would leave physical scars.

Because only naïve people would say “all violence is the same “.

There are levels to physical violence.

Jake knew level of violence where, they don’t care that made you bleed and permanently scarred, as long it’s in places not easy seen.

So you could at least hide your shame easily from people.

He wasn’t complain that much, after all he knew it could be worse, he seen kids with scars in very visible places.

Not to mention he personally didn't actually knew sexual violence, so he knew it could always be worse.

Now he had proof, that Bradley even at worst case scenario (if Mav and Ice did played Jake somehow) didn’t know that level of violence.

So Jake felt a little relief, to have more evidence that he was probably right this time, and he could trust them.

Then it was his turn and all his relief was gone.  

Suddenly he was panicking, and he started to cry.

Nurse, and Bradley were rather surprised by his reaction. Ice and Mav not really.

He knew he was acting like toddler, but he couldn’t help it.

He didn't want to deal with any kind of new reaction to evidence of violence that were on his body, especially not from some strange pretty nurse.

“Please don’t make me do take that. I don’t want to.” He was almost wailing. “Please, papa.” He was begging Ice who was trying to gently convince him that it's not that big deal and he can do it.

Suddenly Jake realized that Mav was trying to convince nurse of something.

Maybe he was begging the wrong person. In middle of his crying he started thinking that Mav was probably the weaker link in this family though.

Suddenly she seemed to break. "Don't tell anyone, about this.” She seemed to tell all four of them. “I'll be in the bathroom. Call me when you’re done.” And with that she disappeared into to bathroom.

“I don’t have to take shots?” Jake was confused, and Ice seemed a little confused too. Since he was more focused on Jake’s embarrassing hysterics then Mav talking to nurse.

Bradley wasn’t saying anything, but Jake knew he was watching everything.

“She allowed me to do it. I have sufficient medical training to do it technically.” Mav said to him gently. “You'll feel better about it this way, right?”

It wasn't enough, since Bradley was still in a room, but it was definitely better. Jake just nodded.

“Can Bradley not look, please?” Jake asked mournfully. Honestly he wouldn't mind that much Bradley knowing, as much as he definitely minded Bradshaw knowing. And he couldn't have one without the other.

“Bradley please, look away.” Ice said, and Bradley did listen, but Jake knew somehow he would end up looking.

So after Ice helped him turn around, and Mav started giving him those three stupid shots, Jake wasn’t surprised, when he heard Bradley's very confused swear.

Bradley definitely saw his large pathetic collection of scars.

“Bradley.” Both their fathers scolded at the same time, but Bradley already started crying from seeing Jake’s scars.

At that moment honestly Jake wasn't that embarrassed by it, he mostly felt greatest relief.

Bradley’s curse was so astonished that Jake was certain Bradley had no real personal  knowledge of parental violence.

Jake wasn’t wrong about Ice and Mav.

He was right!

And Bradley’s crying meant, that he actually really cared about Jake.

So even when he would became Bradshaw again, and would start hating Jake, that would be something Jake could always have.

“You might hate me now, but you used to care so much, you started crying from seeing my scars.” He will be able to say.

Jake will at least have this memory of his brother left.

Chapter Text

On Tuesday Ice had to leave for White house for few hours again.

Jake like to think he was a better son, because he reassured Ice that it was fine, even if he wanted to cry about it.

Bradley, the inferior son, tried to use this as an opportunity to barter for fast food.

Ice gave him a gentle flick on the nose for that, before leaving.

Jake was clearly a superior son, because he got a forehead kiss from their pops before leaving!

In any case, because of Ice leaving and since Slider had to leave on Monday, the three of them were left alone for over half of Tuesday.

For most of that time, Mav read the book aloud to them.

From some stupid fantasy series that Bradley liked.

Jake didn't care about the content of the book that much, he just liked the fact that someone was reading to him like he was a child. Mav even did voices as if they were seriously kids.

It was unexpectedly nice.

Honestly, he didn't even remember if his own mother read books aloud to him even when he was a child.

Somewhere between chapters, he began to seriously think of Mav as his father too.

At one point during the reading, the doctor came and said he wanted to talk to Mav privately for a moment.

Which was incredibly rude, because it happened at a crucial moment in the book.

Yes, it's possible that Jake also got a little caught up in this stupid fantasy story. Maybe Bradley didn't have the worst taste in books.

“Bradley, don't you dare use this as an opportunity to bombard Jake with questions. Don’t try to force him into talking about this, do you understand?” All three of them knew what he meant by that.

 Mav (father) was surprisingly serious and firm. Jake didn't hear him this firm before.

Bradley made some sort of a noise of agreement, but Mav (dad) wasn’t satisfied with that alone.

“I asked do you understand, young man? I expect a verbal response.” Jake didn't think their dad could sound so stern. He decided that Mav was definitely not pushover parent, after all.

“Yes, sir. I understand.”  Bradley said without looking at their father or Jake.

Jake was afraid for a moment that Mav would pressure Brad to say it again, insisting on him looking Mav’s in the eye as he said that. That was something Smith would do.

Bradley looked like he would probably start fighting Mav if he asked him to say it again only with eye contact.

Although now Jake was absolutely certain that Mav had never physically harmed Brad, so Bradley starting fight with Mav wouldn’t be dangerous, he still would prefer they didn't argue with each other.

Luckily Mav was satisfied with this answer and followed the doctor out.

“I’m sorry, about what happened to you.” Bradley said almost as soon as their dad left, and they were two of them.

“You just said you, wouldn't bombard me with questions, or force me to talk about it!” Jake wanted to cry. “You gave him “yes, sir” even!”

“I’m not asking any questions. We don’t have to talk about it!” At least Bradley sounded like he wanted to cry too. “But I have to tell this. It’s fucked up, and it wasn’t your fault, I don’t think you know that.”

“I’m not that stupid! I know it’s fucked up!” Jake already could feel tears in his eyes. “I fucking know it’s fucked up!”

“Then say you know it wasn’t your fault.” Brad's eyes were glassy too.

“I knew what asshole he was, but I still couldn’t keep my mouth shut.” Jake hide his face in his hands, even though it was pointless, Bradley already knew he was crying. “If I could just be fucking quiet, I would have at least half as many scars less. So I'm partly to blame for this.”

When Bradley didn't say anything in return, Jake just started crying harder, because Bradley probably agrees with him on this one. Jake was kind of hoping he would disagree.

Only that suddenly after a while he felt someone hugging him and saying. “It’s NOT your fault, Jake.”

Jake immediately removed his hands from his face. Bradley got out of his bed to hug him.

“Fuck, Bradley, you shouldn’t get out of your bed when there’s no one here! You could have fallen.” Bradley just hugged him harder in return.

“Calm down, it’s my head that mostly fucked up, not my body. We both know I have mostly small cuts from the glass, just a hell of a lot of them. Our elders are overdoing it with caring. This was more important, than some potential tripping.”  He was rubbing circles on Jake's back as he was saying that. “You’re important Jake, and it wasn’t your fault, not even in particular.”

Jake realized it was first time, he and Bradley hugged. Obviously he and Bradshaw also never hugged. That made him cry even harder, and he think Bradley was crying too, as he was comforting him.

“Dad is going to be back soon, and you’re going to get in trouble for this.” Jake said as he finally calmed down a bit.

He and Bradley were cuddling in his bed right now. “He will see that we both cried earlier and guess that you didn't listen to him. And that’s not even mentioning escaping from bed.”

“I know, but that was more important.” Bradley kissed his hair. “Besides, maybe I can get away with this thanks to amnesia card.” He joked, then he kissed Jake’s hair again.

That was probably the twentieth kiss Brad had given him today, and wasn't that the most absurd thing he had ever experienced in his life? Jake just received lots of comforting kisses on his hair, forehead and cheeks from Bradshaw!?

If he wants to kill Jake after he regains his memory, Jake won't even be able to defend himself.

It's one thing to steal someone's parents, but this seemed like crossing an even bigger line.

“Can you try not to hate me, once you get your memory back?”  Jake definitely didn't want to say it out loud, but he accidentally did because Bradley suddenly answered him.

“I don’t think I could ever hate you.” Jake curses his stupid mouth again. “We weren't that close before accident, right?” He added after a second.

“Yes.”  Jake wonders if that counts as pressing his memory, but then again, Bradley did asked himself. And he knows he wasn't really important to Bradshaw, so Jake thinks he can be honest about it. ”Sorry Bradley, I didn’t meant to say this out loud.”

“That’s okay, I’m sorry, we weren’t close before. You're a kid, and I'm supposedly so old, so it's definitely my fault. I’m really sorry.” This apology was so sincere.  And funny at the same time, because…

“It's not your fault, dumbass.” This time Jake kissed Bradley’s cheek in comfort, it didn't even feel weird, like he expected it would. “I’m not really a kid! And I have a talent for pissing people off.”

“Jakey, you-“ Suddenly Bradley sounded so fucking sad again.

“Calm down, I didn’t meant it like that.” At least not this time.

Bradley didn't look convinced. He seemed to be wondering what to say, but at that moment their dad returned.

“Bradley Peter Bradshaw!”

Dad was so mad, that Jake's intervention on Brad’s behalf or even amnesia card didn’t work, at least not completely.

He was both angry at Bradley for not keeping his word, and getting out of bed alone.

Dad was so mad, but it didn’t seem like he wanted to hit Bradley at any moment.

Jake wasn't scared of their dad being mad.

Even so mad Maverick wasn’t any real danger to them.

Jake knew it before, but it's one thing to know and another to see something in person.

“I had to do it! You guys were so careful about not pushing him about anything, you didn’t even made sure, he knew it wasn’t his fault!” Bradley finally blurted out during their father's angry sermon.

This changed their dad’s attitude by 180 degrees. “Jakey, please tell me you don’t think this is your fault, baby?” In the blink of an eye, he switched sides of the bed and suddenly his full attention was focused on Jake.

Thanks Brad, just throw me out to wolves, why not?!  Wolves that want to strangle me with tenderness, but wolves nonetheless.

“I’m not that stupid! I know it was that asshole fault.” Jake was trying not to start crying again, he was getting a headache.

“He is lying to right now! Before he told me he thinks it’s partially his fault, because he has smart mouth. He thinks it’s partially his fault!” Bradley said quickly and dead seriously.

“Thanks Bradshaw, you fucking snitch. I’m not fucking telling you anything ever again! You’re so fucking-“ He got interrupted by getting double hugged. 

Suddenly he was sandwiched between his new dad and his new brother, and he just started to wail.

“It's not your fault in any way. Not partially, no nothing! This is not your fault.” He wasn’t even sure who said that, Bradley or Maverick, he was crying so hard, and they sounded so similar sometimes.

When Ice came back, he found the three of them somehow squeezed together on Jake's bed sleeping.

He said later that it was the most adorable thing he saw, even if it was bit stupid considering their injures. (Mav got a little scolding for that, it was so funny.)

Jake was in the middle of that cuddly sleeping sandwich of three people.

Apparently, he was that squished and hidden between them, that Ice got worried for second because he didn't even notice him at first.

His arm hurt a little later, from sleeping on his side, so that the three of them could fit together on that hospital bed, but he never admitted that.

Chapter Text

On Wednesday morning, Jake receives "good news".

“We will probably discharge you from the hospital today.” Doctor said with warm smile. “You won’t have to spend Christmas at hospital.”

Jake doesn’t tell her he’s scared of leaving, because then everything might return to normal. He just tried to smile back, pretending he’s happy, because he knows he should be happy about it.

“Right now he walks worse than me, why is he the first to leave?” Bradley complained from next bed, and Jake doesn’t mind, because he didn’t know what to answer the doctor anyway.

“Bradley.” Mav Dad gently scolds him, while Ice Pops is keeping on holding Jake’s hand like he had whole time since doctor got here.

“If all your results are good, we will probably discharge you tomorrow.” Doctor just turns to Bradley with smile. “So, don’t worry. You most likely also won't have to spend Christmas at hospital.”

Jake was surprised by this even more. Bradley still had amnesia, and they were letting him out? Although there is no medical way to regain memory, I guess.

After doctor leaves Jake says. “it’s kind of rude, how they suddenly changed their minds. Before, it was always, We don't know, We don't know. And now suddenly today they want to let me go? Give the person a chance to prepare mentally.”

“Baby, it’s okay to be scared to leave hospital. Really it's normal, a lot of things happened in those few days.” Ice says to him seriously, and Jake is sure he’s blushing a little.

“I’m not scared.” Jake lies. “I just think it’s unprofessional.” He doesn't know why he's lying, because none of the three in the room believe him anyway. Bradley rolls his eyes at him, and dad barely hides his chuckle. Pops just squeezes his hand comfortingly, and Jake thinks, this is why you’re my favorite.

“So what happens, if they do let him out today, and me tomorrow?” Bradley ask quielty.

“If they let you out in the morning, maybe we would be able to catch a plane to California on the 22nd.”  Pops sighs. “It would be slightly better than the flight on December 23nd.”

“It's going to be a nightmare either way.” Dad looks hopefully at pops. “Can you just get us a navy plane?”

Pops just answered with eye roll.

Jake tuned out of the rest of the conversation, because he started thinking.

He knew that Christmas was coming, but suddenly it seems like they came out of nowhere . How is it 21nd December already? Those 10 days in hospital really passed in a blink of an eye, but at the same time it seemed like it had been definitely more days than 10. It felt like he had been here for 10 weeks sometimes, with how much had happened.

He really didn’t felt like he was ready to leave today.

They decided to release him on Wednesday after all.

They took out his catheter before he left the hospital.

As an experience, Jake definitely does not recommend it.

Nurse who did it said it should not be a painful experience, but Jake disagrees.

It was painful and embarrassing! He even cried a little.

Yet unlike other times, when he had uncomfortable experiences at hospital, there is actually someone to hold him, and rub his back this time.

Mav is staying in hospital with Bradley, so Jake choses him, to be one to help him dress up.

(Since that day Natasha ended up dropping some of Jake’s and Bradley’s clothes from academy, before leaving for her hometown for Christmas break. As much as Jake was happy to see her even if for few minutes, he was almost disappointed with getting his clothes back. He kind of wanted to get new clothes (from his new dad), but he won’t complain like spoiled brat, since his old clothes are still wearable.)

And just when Jake thinks he might have lost all his sense of shame in this hospital stay, because he isn’t even that embarrassed to be needing help dressing up, he realizes something.

“This definitely isn’t my underwear.” He notices suspiciously.

“Yeah, it’s special kind in case you might have any accidents, since it common after catheter removal.” Mav said like it was normal. “Didn't you listen to the nurse before?”

Jake was that much overloaded on medical info those few days, he sometimes just turned off his hearing, but he wasn’t going to admit that, beside that there was more pressing matter. “I’m not wearing diaper like a baby.”He prefers to die!

“Jakey, please. It’s just pull-up underwear.” Mav sounded tired but like he expected that. “Believe me, you will fell much more like a baby, if you have leakage in normal underwear.”

“Will Bradley get the same?”

“Yes, if tomorrow they will remove his catheter too.  Will you wear it now?”

“Fine.”

Leaving that hospital room was so weird, especially since Badley still stayed in it.

Bradley looks sad that’s Jake is leaving, but he tries to pretend he isn’t.

Jake almost wanted to ask if he could stay that extra day with him, so they could leave together tomorrow, but they don’t let people stay in hospitals because they want to.

Mav gives him lot of goodbye kisses, as if they weren’t to be going see each other tomorrow (and maybe Jake cries tiny bit from that).

Whole way to hotel, Jake is lowkey expecting to wake up suddenly.

Like everything that happened in those last days was somehow a dream.

But he doesn’t.

Ice is still next to him, in taxi and is still holding his hand.

“How are you feeling to finally be free, sweetheart?” He ask Jake.

“I don’t know.” He answers honestly. “It feels like everything changed at hospital, yet we went outside and everything is the same.”

Ice seems to understand what he can’t say, and he uses his other hand to gently move Jake’s head towards him, so he can give him forehead kiss. “Everything is going to be fine. Don’t worry, honey.” After these words he gives Jake a second kiss.

When they arrive at hotel, and Ice leaves car first to help Jake get out, Taxi driver turns to him. "You're lucky, you father is very gentle and nice with you. Wish my old man, was more like that, but that guy was in the army.” He looks thoughtful and maybe even a little jealous as he says it. “Appreciate it, kid.”

Jake doesn't know what to respond, expect for the fact that he definitely shouldn't say “Sorry, but my new dad is navy admiral actually, so your father just sucks.” He isn’t that huge asshole.

He can’t also say. “Hey, I’m not the son you should be saying that!”

But Jake get saved from having to answers by Ice opening door from the other side, so he ends up just saying. “Thank you, for the ride.”

“Jakey, what did that taxi driver say to you?”

“Nothing important, Pops.”

“Honey, you changed your expression so much. I know he said something to you. Was he mean? Do I have to call the taxi company to complain about him?”

“No, he wasn’t mean.” Jake laughed at this. “He was jealous I think, that I have such nice dad, because his one was asshole from army.”

“Oh, well. Army guys are usually assholes, so I’m not surprised.”

“Pops, I think you might be a little biased.”

“My own flesh and blood says such things, unbelievable.”

In general Jake feels very uncomfortable in expensive hotel. He’s afraid to touch anything, in case he breaks something.

He literally wishes he could stayed that extra night with Bradley at hospital.

When it’s time to sleep since they are two bed actually, for two peoples, it would be reasonable for everyone to sleep in their own bed.

So Jake decided he’s not going to ask to sleep in one of them together, because he is sure everyone already thinks he’s so pathetic, so there is no need to reassure them of this again.

Only his new parent reads his mind again, and after helping him lie down, Ice asks. ”Do you want to sleep on your own, or not?”

“It makes no difference to me. As you wish.” Jake lies. “I really don’t care.”

“We’re going to need to work on you poker face, babydoll.” Ice just replies laughing, and Jake hides in face in pillow to hide his blush.

Later when Ice does joins him in bed, Jake counts to ten before starting to cuddle. He doesn't want to come out as that desperate!

As Jake is falling asleep listening to soft polish lullabies, he thinks maybe this is really is his new reality.

He left hospital, and somehow the spell is not broken.

It's after midnight but the carriage hasn't turned into a pumpkin.

Maybe he will be luckier than Cinderella somehow.

(He tried not to think about fact, that real midnight will happen once Bradley gets his memory back.

He has no illusions that if Bradshaw gives an ultimatum, him or Jake,who would they choose.

Jake knows they'll always choose Bradshaw.)

Chapter Text

They let Bradley leave hospital on Thursday morning, so they ended up flying to California that day.

It was nightmarish, with how close to Christmas it was, and both Jake and Bradley being still fresh out of hospital and not fully functional, on weaker meds. But for Jake it was actually his best commercial flight experience probably.

He didn't really has to worry about anything, because adults were actually being responsible and taking care of that, for first time in Jake's life probably.

Only time, he got kind of worried was when Bradley asked. "Since when this whole process got so much worse? I'm not insane, it used to be much less hassle, right?"

Because right, Jake didn't have his first airport experience before 9/11, but he knew it used to be much different. Now Bradley didn't remember anything past summer of 2001, and he clearly has airport experience, so he was clearly very taken back by difference in airport security.

"Something really bad happened, and they had to tighten on security." Dad sounded kind of nervous. "We can tell you about it later at home, if you curious. But let's just maybe not do it right here, at airport. Ok, honey?"

Bradley thankfully agreed not to press on this topic at the moment, and he didn't even asked later.

So Jake really ended up not having anything to worry about this whole airport ordeal. 

On the plane he sits next to Tom, and after like half an hour, while listening to Bradley and Pete quietly arguing half-seriously about something extremely stupid from row before them, he ends up falling asleep on Tom's shoulder.

Jake never had done that before. 

Jake had never felt so comfortable on a plane before, that he would be able to fall asleep.

But that day somehow he spends most of flight asleep.

Tom only wakes him up, when it's time to land. 

"I never actually been to California before." Jake let it slip once they were at San Diego airport, waiting for baggage claim. There were three of them sitting in plastic airport chairs at the moment, since Tom left to go bathroom. Pete was just massaging his temples, looking so tired. Jake felt bad for him.

"Obviously." Bradley laughed softly at Jake in answer.

Now Jake was offended. "What do you mean 'obviously', you can't remember shit! I might have been to California for all you know!" 

"I don't think you would have such of chip on the shoulder, if you ever were to California before. It would probably heal you, at least a little bit." Bradley said it like it was matter of fact.

Jake got so taken back by Bradley Bradshaw being one of those people from California, that before he could find response to that ridiculous statement (because really Bradshaw was the one with biggest chip on his shoulder, and he lived in California for years apparently! So what was he even talking about!?) they got interrupted by Pete saying seriously "Kids no fighting at airport, please. I'm too tired." He was almost begging actually.

So Jake dropped topic, but only for his dad's sake. 

Only on way to the house, did Jake got nervous and worried. 

Mav was driving this rented car, and Brad called shotgun before car even showed up, and everyone know it doesn’t count then, but whatever, Jake let him have it. (Not because he was actually scared that sitting in front seat of car would remind him too much of accident, or something. He let Brad have front seat, because he’s nice like that actually!)

Bradley asked if Jake was getting guest room, and they confirmed it.

“It will be your room from now on.” Ice smiled at Jake, from next seat. “We don’t really used that room for it purpose since my official apartment in city is more like our glorified guest room.” He finished with gentle hand squeeze.

But Jake wasn’t fully comforted by that. Suddenly he felt like uninvited guest showing up to family Christmas.

It didn't matter that he was invited, and actually would be soon fully legally part of this weird family. (Or at least he would fully legally connected to Ice.)

In that house there would be nothing that would vouch for that.

Somehow despite his worries, Jake didn’t felt unwelcome, not even for one minute, since he got into this house.

Even amnesia Bradley seemed to make it his priority, to make Jake felt welcome. And that was a bit too much, because guy didn’t even realize, he probably hasn’t been in this house for years.

But in general three of them tried so hard to make him feel welcome, it was making Jake’s eyes sting like he was going to cry any minute. He was fighting those tears with his life. He wasn’t in hospital anymore, he wouldn’t be crying left and right anymore.

It was hard, because they were so nice to him. Jake didn’t deserve that, but he wouldn’t cry.

He decided that he didn’t even care that he was getting some basic guest room, because he actually didn’t felt like uninvited guest somehow.

Even getting stupid guest room, wouldn’t be able to change that.

Only, their guest room didn’t actually looked like guest room.  It kind of looked more like potential teenage boy bedroom. Or rather if someone who never meet teenage boy before, tried to make teenage boy bedroom. It was just weird room, not in bad way. Funny weird.

“No judgement, I swear, but you guys have rather weird taste in guest rooms.” Jake just stated when he was let to that room by Tom. And ok, he was lying. He was judging a little.

“Obviously, it didn’t look like that before.” Tom laughed and he hugged Jake for saying that, as if Jake was being silly for even thinking that. “We didn’t want you to feel unwelcome, so we called our friend Sundown, since he lives in LA.” Tom chuckled bit nervously now. “He has four daughters. I’m pretty sure he just let one of them go ham at this room, so really, you’re lucky there’s nothing pink in here.”

Oh.

Oh.

“You didn’t have to do that.”  Jake says as he tries to blink away his tears. "That was so unnecessary."

(He swore to himself, that he wouldn’t cry so much any more! Why they were making this so hard?! It almost like they wanted to make him cry! Fucking rude!)

He really didn’t expect anything. And he knew he should, just be grateful not to have spent Christmas, with Smith.

He really was grateful for that, but still, he was dreading a little feeling unwelcome in house were it would be clear three people used to live together, and Jake is a pest.

For them to call some of their friends, and ask them to go of their way, (just before Christmas!) to change this guest room into potential room for Jake, was just too much.  Jake didn’t felt that welcome in any of fosters homes he was before, and they actually had time to prepare for his arrival. This was too much, he was going to cry.

“I’m sorry, that you don’t like it.”  Tom sounded concerned. “Please don’t cry over this, you can obviously change it to your liking, Babydoll. It was just temporary solution, maybe it was stupid. I’m really sorry, honey.”

Jake just hugged Tom very hard, for being so stupid and not getting why he was crying again.

“No, I love it. It’s terrible honestly, but I loved it.” Jake managed to choke out between his tears.

“Wow, what happened to this room?”  Bradley showed up with Mav, few minutes later, they probably heard Jake crying again.  

They found Jake sitting on bed, while he was getting hugged and his back rubbed by Tom.

(Jake will never escape crybaby allegations, once Bradshaw get his memory back. But whatever, he will actually have just as much dirt on Bradshaw now too.)

“One of Sundown’s demons probably.” Mav said as he looked around formal guest room. “I told him not to go overboard. Did he listen to me? No!” He facepalmed. “I’m sorry Jakey. I knew we should have called Holly and Wolf, instead.”

Since it was pretty late, they ended up just ordering pizza for dinner, and then chilling sitting on couch while watching TV.  Jake was getting snuggled between Tom and Bradley, and it was so nice. Pete was sitting on the other side of Bradley, and his hand was stretched out and he was gently massaging Jake's head.  He was just so happy, that Jake wanted to cry for second time that day, but he managed to keep it in. He didn’t want to ruin that moment with another mental break down.

He didn’t care one bit for what was on TV. Jake felt so nice, cozy and comfortable, he actually felt like he could feel asleep.

And then he finally fell asleep, somehow, he doesn't even remember when. He knows he fell asleep because he woke up the next day in his strange new room, so he assumed Ice had carried him to bed.

And just how insane was, that Jake wasn’t even embarrassed over the fact that Navy admiral, carried him into bed like little toddler that felt asleep in a car?!

He almost wonders if maybe, he actually ended up in coma after car crash, and this whole thing was going on in his own head.  Because really once Jake start to think too hard about everything that happened, it feels so insane it can’t be real.

And if it was actually some weird dream that he was having while in coma, Jake just hopes he doesn’t have to wake up from it like ever.

Chapter Text

They decided to keep Christmas extremely low key, to take pressure of things, and Jake was very grateful for that.

He actually kind of hated Christmas since his mom, Lisa Seresin died.

Before that, like every kid he used to think it was the best time ever.

What was kind of fucked up, he can admit freely, since his biological father, Douglas Seresin, actually committed suicide on December 28 before Jake was even born. It was so close after Christmas, it basically counted as Christmas suicide. So it was probably disrespectful to his biological father in some way, to be enjoying Christmas.

In Jake's defense, his mom always did his best to make this time magical for him, despite that personal tragedy. Not to mention Jake never actually meet the guy, since he did literally killed himself, while his mom was pregnant.

Jake tried not to take offence to that or be too judgy, since there were time in his own life when he did considered same option.

He wonders did Pete and Tom knew about Douglas, and if that was why they wanted to keep it lowkey. ( He knew it was probably just because of Bradley.)

He asked them not to read his social work files for now, for different reason. They said they wouldn’t do that, but there were probably other ways they could have found about Douglas, even if personally Jake only told them his biological father died before he was born, so he didn’t remember him for obvious reasons.

He told them a bit about Lisa, since he did actually remember her and she died in accident because of tornado, she didn't chose to die. Talking about the fact that his biological father didn’t gave a damn about him so much, he killed himself before he was even born was just bit embarrassing.

Not to mention he was still hoping that, he might somehow be able to convince them he didn’t need therapy after all.

He didn’t think he was very successful on that front, but if they knew his biological dad shot himself, he  definitely wouldn't have any chance in this matter.

Despite agreeing to keep things low key, they put on Christmas tree.

While they were decorating, Jake said it wasn’t that low key with Christmas tree, and all three of them laughed like what he said was so hilarious.

“Jay, believe me. Only putting on Christmas tree is extremely low key in this house.” Bradley explained to Jake in a very pretentious tone. In response Jake threw gold tinsel at him.

When they were almost finished with tree, Jake broke one of glass baubles.

Before he could even start to panic about it, Ice hugged him gently and Bradley actually broke another one of baubles, clearly on purpose.

“You didn’t have to done that dumbass. I wasn’t going to cry about breaking glass bauble.” Jake lied, because he really was ready to start crying about it, and Bradley breaking one too, calmed him down in a way nothing else probably would.  Ice hugging him was calming, but Bradley feeling safe enough to be able to just break it on purpose, to make Jake feel better. That made Jake feel like he could truly feel safe, from accidentally destroying it. Which doesn't change the fact that it was just stupid of Bradley anyway.

“I didn’t do that on purpose.” Bradley lied too. “I dropped it from shock, after seeing how clumsy you are. Guess they really let anyone in USNA nowadays.” He was smiling so warmly at Jake as he was saying that, that Jake didn’t even got offended. “Very embarrassing for you, Dad.” He said to Mav who had just returned with a brush and dustpan. Mav just answered with eye roll, and started to clean up what was left of two beautiful baubles.

Ice reacted more to that comment, than the injured party. Jake felt Tom stiffen, because he was holding Jake in his arms practically. “Bradley.”

Both Mav and Bradley turned to them immediately, after Tom called Bradley. Mav shook his head warningly at Tom, which Bradley couldn't see. Anyway Bradley already seemed contrite, by that one word.

 “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.” Bradley said this while looking at his slippers. (Because turned out they were no shoes in house kind of people. Jake thought it was bit weird and unamerican, but it was a rule on Tom's part, because quote, "in this half-Polish house we don't wear outdoor shoes.", so Jake didn't say anything about it.)

“I know, baby. It’s okay.” Pete immediately abandoned cleaning up, and was hugging Bradley before Jake could even blink. “Really it’s no big deal, I haven’t been sensitive on that topic in long time.” Pete glared at Tom, in return Jake hugged Tom protectively, and glared back at Pete.

Because Jake didn’t know what this was about it exactly, but he was sticking to Tom’s side! Bradley was clearly at fault anyways!

“What was this whole thing about UNSA earlier?” Jake asked later when Mav was reapplying his bandages, and two of them were alone in Jake's new room.

Before the topic was dropped pretty quickly, and Jake didn't like not knowing things.

Mav signed before talking.  “I was denied admission to the Academy due to my father's reputation. It used to bit sore subject for me, so Ice can be overprotective on that. Even if at this point it's completely out of place and so fucking hypocritical.” He spoke the last sentence much more quietly, almost as if he were speaking to himself rather than to Jake.

At seeing Jake’s confusion, he added. “At this point my father reputation is cleared up, but it wasn't always that way.”

Only Jake was still confused, and he was more confused about that hypocritical part actually, but he decided to leave it for second. “But even if he did something wrong, it wouldn't be your fault. Why would they deny you-“ He stopped talking when Pete stated laughing.

“Pissing off people in high positions is also hereditary in my case.” Pete stopped talking to gently kiss the wound on his arm from which he had just taken of old bandage. “I found out much later, that guy who was superintendent when I applied, used to have some personal beef with my father, so it was probably mostly about that actually.”

“Bradley shouldn’t have said what he said.” Jake knew Tom was fully in right earlier. How Pete dared to glare at him!

“Bradley can say whatever he wants to on that subject.” Pete says seriously, as he finishes with applying last new bandage, then breathes deeply. “Jakey, I know you wonder what happened between us, but you're probably too scared to ask actually.”

Oh, Jake didn’t expect the conversation to take that turn. He wanted to say he wasn’t scared to ask questions, but that would be lie, so he just nodded.

He was scared to ask, but he wanted to know that secret. He was dying to know that secret. In hospital he barely had a moment without Bradley, so there no way to get to know what happened, and he was still kind of scared somehow some kind of abuse was involved. He needed to know that secret.

“We pulled his USNA papers when he first applied at eighteen.” Pete says it like every word hurts him. Jake is just waiting for rest of information.

Except Pete stopped, and closed his eyes. Jake is  scared of the rest.

“And?” After minute or two of silence, Jake finds courage to ask about the rest. 

Pete opens his eyes surprised. “And?” He repeats Jake question.

“And then what?” Jake is scared to know, but he isn’t patient person also.

“And then we had worst fight of our life about it, and he left?” Pete says confused.

“That whole thing between you guys, was over his USNA paper being pulled?” Jake ask even more confused. “I don’t understand?”

“You don't understand?” Pete touches his forehead as if he expected for Jake to have fever or something.

“It was just about the papers?” Jake grabs hand that is touching his forehead.

“Yes." Pete answer is firm, even if slight confusion is still on his face. "Do you understand now?”

Oh.

"Jakey?"

Oh.

“Yes. I understand."

OH.

Jake understands that he is going to have to fucking kill Bradley Bradshaw, as soon as fucker gets his memories back.

Chapter Text

Despite their plans to have extremely low-key Christmas it ended up being another roll-coaster.

Jake started day in the middle of night. 

Or rather he had nightmare he couldn't remember, but he got woken up by Bradley soft whispering. "Hey, Jay, it's just a dream, wake up."

Jake almost hit him on instinct, when Bradley started shaking his arm to wake him up. 

Considering what he just found out, he almost didn't even felt bad about it. Because really, Bradley was ungrateful bitch that deserved to be hit. Only Bradley with amnesia, didn't even remember being ungrateful bitch, so it would be unfair to hit him for something he didn't remember doing. 

So Jake did feel tiny bad about almost hitting amnesia Bradley.

"Sorry." He apologized without looking at Bradley face, because he still was so mad at him.

Because really?! Jake even gave him benefit of the doubt, thinking that Mav and Ice did fucked up massively somehow maybe. Only it was about not getting to go to USNA at first? Like c'mon that place isn't even that great, let's be honest.

"No, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I shouldn't try to wake up like this." Damn, staying mad at amnesia Bradley was impossible. He is too nice sometimes!

"Only you were whimpering, and crying. It scared me a little. I don't know how it didn't wake them up, maybe they started losing hearing in their advanced age." Jake doesn't even get offended at their behalf for that lame and rude joke, because it's clear he kind of scared Bradley. 

Not to mention he's so fucking embarrassed, he hasn't even realized he been crying until Bradley pointed it out.  And what million times worse, Bradley pointing out his crying, made him realize it wasn't the only embarrassing he done because of nightmare. 

He fucking pissed himself like child. At that moment, he literally regretted surviving this car accident.

"Ok, whatever. I'm awake now, so you can leave." He needed to get Bradley out of this room as fast as possible, before he notices, that Jake is not only crybaby from nightmare, but also because of it, he wet his bed, like a literal toddler. Fuck, he regretted so badly, that he managed to convince Ice, that he could wear normal boxers already, instead of that medical half diaper basically.

He is definitely going to get in trouble for that now, for sure.

Unless maybe he manages to fucking hide evidence somehow.

"Jake, don't be embarrassed." Bradley says and it just pisses of Jake even more. 

“I'm not embarrassed." He lies. "I just want to, to go back to sleep." Another lie, even if the bed wasn't wet, and he didn't need to clean it up somehow so nobody will notices, he wouldn't be going back to sleep after nightmare. He would end up having another one provably, if he did managed to fall asleep somehow. "So just piss off, and leave." 

"Jake you-" Bradley started in this nice caring voice, and Jake can't handle this right now. 

He hits Bradley with pillow. "Go away or I'll complain later that you're harassing me."

"Fine, I don't have to deal with your ungrateful ass." Jake wants to laugh so badly AT THAT. Bradley is biggest ungrateful ass in this room, and he doesn't even know that. "I'll just wake one of them, so they can deal with whatever this is." He says after he get up from his knees to turned to leave, and Jake panics.

"No, Bradley! Don't you fucking dare wake them up." Jake shots up from bed to grab Bradley's wrist, to stop him from leaving. "Please!" 

"Why are you acting so weird?" Bradley sound confused. "Calm down. It's was just a nightmare, nobody is going to judge you for having one." 

Bradley says, because it's dark, and he can't see, that Jake didn't only had nightmare. He also had accident like a fucking baby, and last time it happened it ended up with him getting beaten up by his current at time foster father. He was twelve at time, so it was age where it was still almost acceptable to wet bed from time to time.  It definitely wasn't at all acceptable at seventeen.

And even if he was almost sure, he wouldn't be beaten here for that, he would like to avoid whatever punishment they would give him, if they found out. Not to mention it was just plain cringeworthy. Jake would prefer if nobody realized how pathetic be was. 

"Bradley please-" He finally starts to say, but get interrupted by light getting turned on. 

"Aren't you guys a bit much too old, to try to sneak for presents at night?" Mav jokes, before he notices how pathetic Jake looks, with his tears stained face, not to mention that both of them can probably clearly see that he wet himself with light turned on. "Oh, what happened?" 

Fuck, he's busted.

Jake starts apologizing, at the same time as Bradley says "He had nightmare."

"Hey, it's okay." Mav is hugging him almost immediately. "Honey, don't you dare to apologize for having nightmares." Jake is getting bunch of light kisses on his face, and he starts to wonder did Mav somehow didn't noticed embarrassing piss stain on his boxers.
Since he didn't seemed at all disgusted by him, so Jake thinks he really didn't noticed, but after he calmed down a little, Mav said. "Honey, let's get you cleaned up a little, and then you can sleep with us. You didn't have any nightmares when you weren't sleeping alone." He said like it was only reason for that proposition, not the fact that mattress was wet, because Jake was so fucking pathetic.

 
Jake is a coward. he doesn't ask about his punishment, whole time in bathroom. Dad only asks him if he wants to talk about his nightmare, as he is helping him get into bathtub.

"I don't want to fucking talk about something I don't even fucking remember. Fuck off." He immediately regrets his rude answer, when he sees hurt on Mav's face. 

"Okay buddy, but you need to cut on that rude attitude." Mav says before Jake can apologize, and now he's not apologizing on principle. He told them before, he had smart mouth! And he's already humiliated. Mav doesn't have to add scolding him like toddler on top of that.

"Or what?" He asks idiotically, as if he wasn't already in enough trouble.

"Or there will be consequences." Mav says firmly as he turns on the tap.

And Jake is pathetic because scared whimper escapes from him, after that answer. 

"Shit. I'm sorry, Jakey. I didn't mean it like that." That makes Jake feel even more stupid, because he knew that logically, but he couldn't help his reaction. "You never have to be scared of consequences in this house. I promise you. It's never physical, or scary even. It's usually grounding, losing privileges or extra chores. I'm sorry for scaring you." Mav was rambling with his hands hold in surrender. Jake felt like idiot and asshole, those punishment didn't even sounded like real punishment. It was something spoiled kids considered a punishment. 

"No. I'm sorry, Dad." He grabbed one of held out hands with his cast-free hand and laced their fingers together. "I'm really sorry. I don't know why I was being so mean." He said last sentence without looking Mav in the face. He got gentle squeeze in response.

"It's normal. I know you need to test boundaries." Another light hand squeeze. "I would just prefer if you didn't do it in middle of night, when I'm barely conscious, so I won't say something wrong again that would scare you." He laughed a bit nervously. 

"I wasn't scared." Jake lies and his dad is kind enough not to call out him on his lie.

"Let's just get this over quick and try to get some sleep, ok?" Jake just nods quickly in response. He really wants to get over this quickly and forgot whole bed wetting thing.

He can deal later with being punishment for that. Especially since apparently he's getting one of those fancy punishment that aren't even real punishment.

"He didn't want to be excluded." Tom says when they came into their bedroom, and it turned out half of the bed was occupied already by Tom and happily snoring Bradley, who was snuggling with Tom in his sleep. 

"He said that?" Mav chuckled softly, as he was guiding Jake to bed. 

"Obviously, he didn't said that. I know my kid enough to read between lines." Tom responded, and moved closer to the edge of the bed, dragging the amnesiac Sleeping Beauty with him.

(What was completely unnecessary as their bed was literally the biggest one Jake has ever seen. He kind of hoped his punishment wouldn't be changing sheets on that bed, because changing sheets at normal sized bed could be annoying, but on that king size(Jake wasn't even sure if it was king size or something even bigger?) bed it would be impossible. )

"Typical Brad." Mav said with a smile. He just helped Jake lie in bed, next to Bradley. "But on different hand, don't you think it's bit hypocritical? You gave me lecture for three people on bed, and now you want to have four people in one."

"Don't you even start, that hospital bed barely can fit on person comfortably. In our bed five adults could probably sleep without having to squeeze." Jake would even bet on six, that bed size was excessive. Mav responded to Ice by laughing quietly and getting into bed next to Jake. 

Jake decided he wasn't going to ask about his punishment that night, and just try to fall asleep as quickly as possible. He rolled over so that his back was to Pete. He couldn’t look him in the eyes right now. He was doubly embarrassed, by his earlier back talk, and by the fact why he needed a bath at night.

Only now by turning towards Bradley's back, he could now see Tom's face, above Bradley's hair. He was looking at Jake with concern, and that was making Jake even more embarrassed. He looked like he wanted to say something, but clearly Mav gave him some nonverbal sign to leave it for now, because he just said quiet “goodnight” with pat to Jake hair.

Jake cursed meddlesome Bradley, as he closed his eyes.

Only he couldn’t feel asleep. He wasn’t sure for how long he keep his eyes closed, but after a bit since nobody was talking, and the only noise he could hear was Bradley’s peaceful snoring, so he assumed, he was the only one who hasn’t fallen back asleep.

He open his eyes, to find it definitely wasn’t a case. There was still bit of light from bedside lamp behind Jake, that Pete apparently hasn’t turned off all the way yet, and Tom was using sign language to talk to him.  He stopped immediately when he noticed that Jake opened his eyes.

“Wow, I hear whispering in company is considered very bad manners.” He says quietly before he can help himself. “Maybe you guys need to cut on that rude attitude.” He turns his head to Pete, who looks like he’s trying not to laugh.

“You're a cheeky brat.” Pete says while shaking his head, and giving Jake's cheek the gentlest tug in the world.

“It’s almost like cheeky apple doesn’t fall far from cheeky apple tree.” Tom jokingly comes to Jake’s defense. Jake suddenly feels his eyes stinging, because he just showed himself from the most pathetic side, and they were still treating him the same.  

Suddenly he feel that he has to know his punishment right now.

“So what will be consequences for what I done?”  He asks quickly before he can loose his nerve.

“You mean for that ‘fuck off’ from earlier?” Pete ask confused. “Sweetheart, I was just warning you for future, I didn’t mean-”

“I know. I’m not stupid, I understand that.” Jake interrupts him. “I mean for the other thing.” Jake hopes they won’t make him say it.

“What other thing?” Now Tom ask confused.

“You really are going to make me say it?” Jake feels himself burning in humiliation.

Tom exchanges quick look with Pete before saying. “Yes, Babydoll, but only because we have no idea what are you talking about right now.”

Jake doesn’t know if he will be able to say it. What more now, he’s not sure if maybe, they actually hasn't somehow planned to punishing him for that, and if they didn't that would be stupid to give them idea that they should. Suddenly he doesn’t know what to say.

“I think, he expects to get punishment for bed wetting.” He got ‘saved’ from having to answer by stupid intrusive Bradley, who somehow woke up even thought they all were being very quiet, and as he learned this month, usually he could sleep through earthquake. “Earlier he got really scared when I told him I would get one of you guys.” Jake pinched Bradley for being tattletale. He got annoyed glare in return, and that was fine, because concern look from Bradley he was getting before was pissing him off.

“I’m sorry.” Suddenly, Jake is hugged tightly by Pete. “I should have realized, that you were worried about that earlier. I know that they get angry about that in some foster places. It’s wrong, but they do punish kids for accidents in some houses. You got punished for that before, didn’t you?” Pete finished his question by hugging him even tighter. It almost hurt at this point, but Jake didn’t mind, he just nodded in response.

Both Tom and Bradley started saying at the same time how screwed up it was. In Bradley case there was more cursing, but they were almost saying the same thing.

“Guys please, not at the same time.” Pete interrupted them, not stopping hugging Jake, but slightly loosening the grip he had on him.

“Can’t we just drop it?” Jake used opportunity that both Tom and Brad shut up for a second. Jake was very relieved, but he would like to just forget whole thing happened anyways. Even without threat of punishment this whole topic was beyond humiliating.

“We can drop it, for now.” Tom said after quick look exchange with Pete. Bradley looked like he wanted to disagree, but before he could say anything, Tom put hand over his mouth.

“Forever?” Jake asked even though he figured out it was pointless.

“For now.” Both Pete and Tom said at the same time, and Jake knew it was once again the best he was going to get.

For a second there was kind of awkward silence, then Bradley apparently licked Tom’s hand to get his mouth free. He was successful.

“Bradley, you are too old to be still doing that.” Tom said while looking at his licked hand in mild annoyance. Pete started laughing, and Tom in response reached over both Bradley and Jake, to wipe his hand on Pete's face. Only that just made Pete laugh even harder.

Bradley just rolled his eyes at them, before he started talking. “Can we just go open presents instead, since I’m not sure if anyone is getting anymore sleep here anyways?”

Jake realized it second time someone mentioned presents. “But we agreed we weren't buying presents, to keep it low key and since me and Bradley wouldn't be able to get anything without help.”

Bradley starts laughing at him as soon as he stops talking. “Wow, and you really believed them?”

And Jake feels stupid once again, because he already seen how spoiled was Bradley.

He really should have figured out that Princess Bradley, wouldn't have agree to that so easily, if he thought for a second he really wasn't getting any presents.

“It’s rude to lie.” Jake just huffed in response, and after he gets kiss on cheek from Pete, who was actually still holding him. Jake realizes he already forgiven them for lying, even if he feels a bit bad for not being too able to get anyone presents.

“Hey now, we didn’t lie.” Tom deadpans. “Santa is the one who brings presents after all.”

Jake would roll his eyes at that, only that seemed to trigger Bradley a little in most funny way. “I only lost like four years of memories, not more! I don’t believe in Santa anymore!” His cheek get little pink, as he was saying that.

“Just for how long did you believe in Santa?” Jake asks and Bradley gets even more pink in a face. Both dads started to slightly laugh in a way, that it is clear that they are holding back laughing harder only to spare Bradley even more embarrassment. Jake looks at Tom expecting answer.

“Do not tell him!” Bradley hits Tom with a pillow, when it looked like he was going to answer Jake question.  This causes them to playfully wrestle, where Bradley is definitely winning whole time, but only cause it’s clear that Tom is holding back, mindful of Bradley’s injuries.

“Just a bit longer than normal.” Pete whispers in Jake’s ear as he moves them away from ‘fight’ closer to other end of bed. Jake gives him a questioning look, he feels like Bradley wouldn’t have reacted the way he did if it was only ‘bit longer then normal’.  

Pete caves, and laughs some more before answering. “Ok, it was a lot longer than normal.”

“Dad!” Bradley cries embarrassed and betrayed, because apparently he was paying attention even in middle of wrestling. It looked like he was going to attack Pete now for that grand betrayal, but Tom stopped holding back.

“Okay Gosling, that is enough for now.” Tom said as he immediately ended play-fight by hugging Bradley and getting hold of his hands. “Jake won’t tell anyone, right Jakey?”

And Jake want to curse Tom for putting him on a spot, because even without knowing exact age when Bradley stopped believing in Santa, he already just knows it’s something absolutely ridiculous. If he had his phone with him, he would probably be already texting Javy and Natasha about it. But since it’s Tom asking him, he just gives mellow ‘right, papa’ in response. He can't say 'no' to Tom.

Bradley just huffed a little after hearing that, but Tom smiled so proudly at Jake and Pete kissed his hair, so Jake just knows he will have to take this secret to his grave.

(Or maybe get Bradley drunk enough he would spills beans on himself somehow, but that could be too dangerous because now he knows too much about Jake too.)

“And getting back to presents, it’s not even three am yet, I think we can try to save this night.”  Pete suddenly said seriously, and turned off the light. “You guys really need to be getting healthy amount of sleep, especially right now. Presents can wait.”

Bradley started protesting, but got hushed by Tom. “I'm not dealing with three sleepy grumpy brats today.” Tom said firmly.

“Very funny.” Pete clearly didn’t found it funny to be included in that.

“I’m not sure I can fall asleep right now.” Jake said honestly, because really he felt wild awake.

“Same, so maybe the presents-” Bradley starts again, but Tom hushes him again.

“Okay, how about this, if your papa’s few lullabies don't put you guys to sleep, we might consider getting to open presents in the middle of the night?” Pete ask in the way that, it’s clear he thinks it won’t be happening.

They agreed to that plan, and Pete was proven right.

Bradley doesn’t even last to the end of second polish lullaby, before he starts to softly snore.

Jake thinks he can remember beginning of fourth one. 

(Laleczka z saskiej porcelany
Twarz miała bladą jak pergamin
Nie miała taty ani mamy
I nie tęskniła ani ani)

Yet somehow snuggling between Bradley and Pete, and getting his hair stroked by latter, while listening to Tom's warm voice, he fell asleep pretty quickly.

Last thought he had before he felt asleep is that he really want to learn polish.

It sounds so beautiful. 

He didn’t have any more nightmares that night.

Chapter Text

JS: WTF Javy! how could you not tell me you were in secret conspiracy with my new dad?!?

JM: Merry Christmas to you too, Jake.

JS: DON'T EVEN START! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!

JM: It's wasn't secret conspiracy, it was one phone call and one text back! And I almost had heart attack when I picked up bitch!

JM: So thank you for that, you couldn't have found YOURSELF someone less scary to adopt you?

JS: fuck you, you deserve that, for not telling me immediately about him calling you!

JM: hey now! I got impression that he wanted to surprise you, and dude is Admiral, I'm not getting on his bad side! What did he ended up picking something from my list of presents suggestions that you didn't like?

JS: did you tell him it was list of suggestions? Because HE TREATED IT LIEK SHOPPING LIST, I'M PRETTY SURE!

JM: Jake there's no way, he bought you everything I texted him, it was like over forty things, some were rather expensive 

JS: WHY the fuCk WOULD you gave him such a long list!?

JM: he asked me to give him anything I could think you would like? BICTH I'M SCARED OF HIM! I WAS worried if I gave too little, he would think I didn't take him seriously!

JM: So sorry I probably ended adding some stupid shit, at the end. Did he get you accordion, and that why you so pissed? I thought maybe it was too much, but in my defense it was literally last thing on the list! Everyone knows last thing is least important! 

JS: yeah, I did get stupid expensive accordion! why would you think I wanted a accordion?!

JM: Hey! You did mentioned you wanted to learn to play it!

JS: WTF JAVY I said it one time! Literally one time!!!! AND I WAS OBVIOUSLY KIDDING, WHY WOULD I SERIOUSLY WANT TO LEARN TO PLAY ACCORDION?!

JM: I don't know, you can be weird sometimes?! And I think it was the first week we meet! How was I supposed to know that you were kidding!?!

JS: you asshole!!!! thanks to you, now I'm really going to have to learn how to play accordion -.-

JS: THANKS A LOT!!!

JM: I'm pretty sure you don't have to? 

JM: but please if you could maybe do it without throwing me under the bus, that would be great!!! Like maybe just pretend to try it, and then tell him you don't actually like it or something 

JS: too late, I'm learning to play accordion and it's final. You going to be VERY sorry about it for the next three years when I'll be practicing in our room! 

JM: Jake c'mon how I was supposed to know he would pick up something that was LITERALLY 42 POINT ON MY LIST?! Who does that?!

JS: I'm pretty sure he bought whole list!!!

JM: nooo way, you have no idea what I put on that list. Sorry, you really ended up getting short end of stick with getting accordion from that list! Trust me, I'm 100% sure you would enjoy things from first half of it! 

JS: text me that stupid list bitcht!

JM: Jake i think that will be just rubbing salt on wound

JS: GIVE ME RHE FUCKING LIST RIGHT NOW!!!!

Javy ended up sending Jake the list, and just like Jake suspected, Tom TREATED that list like shopping list. When the fuck did he even do that?!

JM: sorry, it's must be painful knowing you could have gotten laptop, Iphone or Xbox 360, and you got accordion instead.

Javy texted, when Jake hasn't responded.

Clearly Javy didn't understand instanity of his new parents. Or how crazy rich apparently they are, but Jake wasn't even aware himself of that until this morning .

JS: No I have that too. I'm pretty sure I literally got everything from that crazy excessive list.

JM: WTF? You're not kidding me right now? 

JS: I'm dead FUCKING serious, that why you should have warned me! I literally didn't get then anything!!! I feel like ducking asshole!

JM: you kind of did get them Bradley back, so I think there's that. 

JS: but it's only temporary!

JS: what am I supposed to keep hitting him on the head now, if he gets his memory back to stop him from leaving?!

JM: I would like to see that, so I'll just ignore how insane that idea is.

JM: But really Jake have you even looked at that list fully? There's no way you got everything! Navy doesn't pay that good, even to Admirals?!? 

JS: I think it's mostly family money, apparently Kazanskys have that 'fuck you' money. 

JM: WTF!?! So YOU REALLY GOT EVERYTHING?!

JS: yesss

JM: WTF IF I KNEW I WOULD PUT SOMETHING FOR MYSELF THERE TOO?!

JS: WELL MAYBE IF YOU HAD WARNED ME, I WOULD HAVE SUGGEST THAT TO YOU

JM: fuck you!!! Iceman is too scary to go behind his back!!!! And bitch I'm taking away that accordion from you at LEAST, and selling it for profit! 

JS: no fuck you it's mine, you can have Ipod or something, but now I'm learning to play accordion to punish you!

JM: Ask him to exchange it for guitar or something

JM: BECAUSE Jake c'mon who normal plays accordion!?

JS: DUCKING EXACTLY, SO onvce again WHY WOULD YOU PUT IT ON THE LIST?!

JM: YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO LEARN TO PLAY IT THAT ONE TIME!! That's on you!!! And I had VERY HARD TIME ON LAST FEW THINGS OK? I THINK I was literally grasping at straws since point 36!? I had no idea he would buy you everything!

JS: it's WHATEVER now, BUT I will be learning to play accordion for sure, and you only have yourself to blame

JM: fuck you 

JS: and Marry Christnas to you too

JM: should have included a spelling dictionary on that list.

JS: FUCK YOU 

"You feeling better already, bud?" Bradley ask Jake when he joins him on couch. 

"I was fine, whole time." Jake lies as he snuggles closer to Bradley.

"Right, and we definitely didn't have to stop opening presents like five times because you keep getting overwhelmed and crying." Bradley lies, as he puts his arm around Jake tighter.

"Fuck you, that's your fault Brad-brad! Everyone normal would react like that to that insane number of presents! You should have warned me, just how 'fuck you' rich they are. " 

"Sorry, I thought it was rather obvious." Bradley says almost confused.

"I thought it was rather obvious." Jake repeats mockingly. "You're lucky you have your looks going on for you, because there's clearly not much going on in your brain, Anastasia."

(He started calling Bradley 'Anastasia', since they all watched that movie together yesterday, and Bradley got kind of annoyed at being compared to her, because quote "it's totally different situation! She didn't have real amnesia like me!!")

Bradley snorts at that. "Fuck you, crybaby." 

They cuddle without talking for bit, while watching "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" on TV. Jake never liked that movie that much, but he cares more about snuggling with Bradley than what's on TV at the moment, so he doesn't complain.

They can hear happy voices and laughing from kitchen almost whole time. 

Jake would really like to help out Pete and Tom, but he basically got casted out from kitchen already.

And it was so rude, because it was for trying to help three times when he was supposed to be just sitting and looking. First time he got kiss on cheek from Ice with warning 'Babydoll, stop it. You can help next time when you're not injured, ok?', second time he got kiss on his hand that he was trying to help with, and 'Honey, please don't be naughty, just cause you already gotten presents.' from Pete, but last time he ended up with getting playfully hit with rag by Pete and 'Sweetheart, please just go watch TV with Bradley.' from Tom. 

And really it was kind of rude! He was trying to help!

Suddenly there's doorbell ringing.

Jake felt nervous immediately.

This day was too good to last.

(Jake wasn't counting what happened at night as this day. That could be counted as technically yesterday and so it didn't matter anymore.)

"Don't get up. I'll get that." Tom says as he leaves kitchen. He gives each of them quick kiss on top of head, as he passes them behind the couch.

"I wasn't trying to get up!" Jake called after him. It doesn't matter that he wasn't trying to get up, only because as soon as doorbell ringed Bradley tighten up his hold on Jake in a way that he wouldn't be able to get up even if he wanted. 

Jake wondered did Bradley get nervous from doorbell too, because he kind of felt like he was being Bradley's stress ball at the moment. Surpassingly he didn't even minded.

Bradley even turned down volume of TV, trying to hear who was at the door. 

It didn't help much, they couldn't hear shit.

"Mav, come here!" Suddenly Tom shouted. He didn't seemed angry or anything bad really, but Jake felt bit suspicious anyway. 

Bradley did too, because it seemed like he wanted to get up now.

"Don't get up." Mav repeated Tom's words from earlier when he appeared, and he even ended up giving them quick kisses while passing them too. (Jake thinks he got more kisses this month then in his whole life, he even stopped blushing from getting them at this point!)

Before they can get too nervous about what it is about, Tom returns to living room. 

"Don't worry, it's just neighbors having car troubles." He said like it explained everything.

Bradley seemed to relax by that information, so it probably did, but Jake was out of loop. "Pete is magic with cars. If it's easily fixable it will probably take him few minutes max." He adds seeing Jake's confusion. 

Tom then puts each of his hands on top of their heads. "But now I have important mission for you guys. Do not let that man back into kitchen without having shower. I know, he will try." Jake just nods politely, happy to actually be able to help in some way, but Bradley laughs before answering. "And you wonder why Jerry says you have OCD." 

He gets flick on the nose for that from their Pops. "Do not remind me of that menace when I'm finally having peaceful Christmas without him. We will be thanking penguins tonight at dinner for that." He jokes, but even Jake can tell that he's not really happy to be missing his brother this Christmas. 

Even Jake feels sorry for that unknown Jerry. His yet unknown uncle (and how weird that sounds?) probably doesn't know he could have been having Christmas with amnesia Bradley, because apparently the only way they can contact each other is basically through letters right now. And they take can long way to get there from Antarctica, and vice versa. So he probably didn't even get Tom's letter about situation yet. 

At one point when commercials started Bradley went to bathroom, and Jake used that as opportunity to change channels. He saw on Tv magazine, that "Die Hard" should be starting on another channel, and it's clearly superior Christmas movie, then 'Home Alone 2'. And superior movie in general! Jake hides remote just in case Bradley wouldn't agree with him.

When he hears front door slam, he doesn't even look up from TV, even once he hears Pete's footsteps coming closer, because he loves 'Die Hard' too much.

So he just says to Pete without taking his eyes from John McClane on screen. "You're not allowed into kitchen without shower. And can you please tell Anastasia that 'Die hard' is better Christmas movie, than 'Home Alone 2', so he won't try to force me to change channels back?"

"Who's Anastasia? But first of all Home Alone 2 is clearly superior Christmas movie, since 'Die hard' doesn't even counts as Christmas movie, I think." Says voice that definitely isn't Pete's or even Bradley's. Jake almost thought it was Tom's voice for a second, but he was still being rather loud in the kitchen, and voice did sounded bit different from Tom.

Jake almost jumps from couch as he looks back to find Jerry Kazansky looking at him intrigued. "Second of all, rude! I think I'm clean enough to be able to get into kitchen! And third of all, who even are you?"

Only Jake is still too offended, by that 'Die Hard' slander, to focus on anything else." You take that back! 'Die hard' is clearly the best Christmas movie ever! Or even best movie period!" 

Apparently Kazansky insanity is very genetic because Jerry, doesn't even ask again who Jake is, just starts arguing with him about whatever 'Die Hard' is or isn't Christmas movie right away. 

(So despite being stupid and WRONG about movies, Jake finds himself liking Jerry.)

Jake doesn't think they argued for more than five minutes, before Bradley appears behind Jerry. 

His brother is traitor, because as soon as he realizes what this is about he coughs ostentatiously before saying with while smile. "'Die hard' isn't a Christmas movie, and hi, uncle Jerry." 

"Thank you, Bradley." Jerry says, then he does dramatic double take, as if he was literally from some cartoon. "What the fuck!?" 

He's clearly more shocked by Bradley being here, then Jake's presence, unknown kid. 

Jake is ready to panic, because Jerry apparently doesn't know anything, so he might ended up spilling the beans. He calls for Tom, at the same time as Bradley starts saying. "Chill, it's not as bad as it looks."

Right, Jake is so used to Bradley current look, he almost forgot, he has so much more bandages then him, and in general looks so much worse, then Jake who only has visible cast on arm and few bandages mostly hidden by clothes right now.

Obviously Bradley would assume his uncle was shocked by his injuries, not by his presence alone. While Jerry was probably shocked at both.

"What the fuck, you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be in Antarctica cuddling with penguins or something still?!" Tom appears suddenly and is wearing matching shocked expression to his brother.

"I was going to surprise you sad gays!? That's not important! what is going on here?! Why is Bradley here and fucking injured?! Who the fuck is this kid and why did he just called you 'papa'?" Jerry suddenly gasp after looking between Jake and Tom, then he points finger dramatically at Tom. " What the fuck Thomas?!? How could you make a woman pregnant and not realize it? All this talking about responsibilities and shit and you're dead beat father?!" 

Bradley starts laughing so hard he literally starts to cry.

Tom only menages to make highly offended noise in response, clearly outraged at that suggestion. Normally Jake would be offended too on Tom's behalf but...

"You think we do look that much a like?" Jake is focusing on wrong thing, he knows but he can't help himself. But really, how can he not do it?!

It's one thing to strangers to assume he is Tom's son, but for his literal biological brother to assume that too?!

Jake feels so irrationally happy about this, he literally wants to cry joyful tears.

He probably would if he hasn't cried so much, from presents already. Jake thinks he's actually physically unable to cry anymore for next few hours.

"Obviously, and really what the fuck-" Before Jerry can say anything more, Tom already seemed to came out of his shock, and was manhandling his younger brother so he could cover his mouth, probably to stop him from saying something wrong about Bradley next.

Bradley, who at that moment, was literally red in a face from laughing.

Jake not sure if it's recommended for him to be laughing so damn hard, but at that moment Jake doesn't care about anything else, then the fact, that he and Tom looks so much alike that his own blood brother literally assumed Jake was his! That's almost better than any present he got today!

And he did got a lot of amazing presents!

This is truly the best day ever!

"Damn, I literally can't leave you guys alone for fifteen minutes." Mav also returned to join that scene, with specks of grease on his nose, cheek, and clothes. 

Jake tackled him with hug, he didn't care his Pops would probably insist he should get bath now too, because he couldn't hug Tom or Bradley at the moment (because one is fighting with his brother and the other one was literally having a laughing fit), and Jake needed to hug someone to ground himself or he would combust from happiness. 

In return his dad gently nuzzled Jake's clean cheek with his greasy one with soft. "You okay, puppy?"

Jake was so high on emotions from that day he was speechless at this point, so he just nodded. 

His dad hugged him back tighter. "Okay, love you, baby." He whispered into his ear and then kissed it.

And Jake found out he still had some happy tears left in him to cry that day.

Chapter Text

NT: Thanks, and Merry Christmas to you too, Jay.

NT: Sorry, for not texting you back yesterday, but it was kind of hectic here, like always to be honest but whatever

Jake used to be jealous of Nat having big crazy family, but now that he ended up getting his own crazy, even if way smaller family, he isn't anymore.

JS: Noo problem, but hey can I ask you something maybe a bit weird? You don’t have tp answer if you don’t want to.

NT: Sure?

JS: what's your car situation? I mean are you getting new one or something? i think old one was fucked beyond repair from what little i remember from that car crash.

NT: Yeah, with insurance money my parents are getting  me Ford Crown Victoria, since it’s considered one of safest cars in general.

NT: and I’m sorry, they actually were even pushing me for that car before you know? but I kind of threw fit and ended up getting that Chavy Cavalier.

NT: You guys would probably came out looking better if you crashed in stupid safe Ford.

JS: Nat, please, don’t be ridiculous. you can't feel guilty because you preferred a sports car

NT: Says guy who feels guilty over death of drunk driver, who literally hit him while running red light.

JS: That’s different!

NT: Different how?

JS: JUST DIFFERENT!!

NT: yhymmm let’s pretend I believe you for now, and we can talk about it in person later

Before Jake can argue, and he was ready to argue, she texts another thing.

NT: Why did you ask that so suddenly? Don’t tell me you got a car for Christmas, on top of that crazy list that Javy texted me about

Wow, thanks a lot Javy you little snitch.

JS: Since when did you guys got so close? Does he text you everything I tell him?

NT: idk maybe since our best friends ended up in hospital, and we were left alone in USNA.

NT: And I don’t think he texts me everything, but you have to admit that present list thing was hilarious and definitely text worthy.

Jake doesn’t think it was that hilarious, since now Bradley is calling him crybaby when no real adults are around.

JS: You think Javy is considering me his best friend?

NT: Wow, men are truly hopeless.

JS: Fuck you, and you didn’t answered my question.

NT: Neither did you. The one about getting new car? And now I’m thinking you probably got one and it’s something crazy expensive.

JS: ummmm I might have or might have not gotten promised new Volvo S80

NT: Fuck.

NT: on top of that crazy present list?

JS:  Yeah, but it is from my new uncle, so it’s not really on top of that list! that counts as different list! It’s like list with one gift!

Jake texted trying to defend himself, but he knew there was no defending this one. He is truly starting to sound like spoiled rich princess.

NT: You uncle got you Volvo s80? What model?

JS: He promised to get me one, I don't have it yet, and does it matter what model?

Jake knew it matter, but he didn’t want to admit he got promised the most expensive one.

NT: SO it’s T6 Premier Sedan, right?!!

JS: MAybe

NT: so you will be getting almost $50,000 car for Christmas from your new uncle you probably just met?

JS: MAYEBe but it's probably because he just met me, he said he had to made up for all the years of presents lost.

Jake doesn’t mention that Jerry is still probably  lowkey convinced that Jake is Tom’s some sort of secret lost biological child.

NT: Wow, like do you think that your new uncle wants a daughter? I can be persuaded into getting adopted.

He knew she was kidding, but c’mon! RUDE!

JS: Fuck you, you have good parents already, stay away from my new family!

NT: Hey unlike you, I'm not trying to steal someone’s parents, I’m just trying to steal your uncle! And beside that my parents are good, but also they have another six kids, they literally might not notice me being gone.

And oh, that actually felt very sad and personal. Jake didn't know what to answer to that last sentence.

NT: Shit, ignore that last part, shouldn’t have texted you that.

JS: How am I supposed to ignore that?!

NT: you're crazy rich now, isn't that all you rich kids do? ignore your issues?

JS: I literally just realized yesterday how rich they are, I don’t count as rich kid yet.

NT: Read back some of texts you literally just send me and tell me that again.

JS: Fuck you!

NT: hey but seriously, didn’t Bradley  got jealous or something?

JS: no?

NT: Wait, did he also got new car?

JS: Maybe.

Bradley is getting blue Volvo, while Jake chosen white, and he won’t admit it’s because white's official name is Ice White, but he is pretty sure everyone realized that anyways.

NT: Wow, just wow.

NT: Is he even cleared for driving even yet with this whole amnesia thing?

JS: Yeah, he can’t drive yet.

NT: What kind of rich shit is this?

JS: I think it’s 'ignore issue' rich shit.

Suddenly Jake has to get something of his chest.

JS: Everybody is weird about this amnesia thing, because doctors were convinced it would probably fix itself in few days. Or at least that he would start to remember any shit from that lost years, and he doesn’t. I overheard them explain to Jerry about how with each passing day it was more and more likely that he just won't regain his memory, since even being back in his childhood home didn't seemed to trigger anything in him.

She doesn’t text back fast like before, so he add one explanation.

JS: Jerry is name of uncle, Ice’s brother.

JS: Yes, they are literally Tom and Jerry.

When she doesn't text back anything after minute or two, he kind of mirrors her earlier text.

JS: Sorry, maybe, ignore that amnesia bit, I probably shouldn’t have texted you that.

NT: No it’s okay.

JS: It’s not ok, it probably freaked you out.

NT: No really Jay, you have to have someone to talk about this, and sorry, I guess I’m weird about it too.

JS: It's ok, this whole thing is wierd. 

NT: IT’s just, I was ready to be angry at him for lying to me, but I guess now I won’t even get opportunity to hear any kind of explanation from him.

NT: He’s not coming back to USNA like that, right?

Yes.

Jake overheard, that USNA apparently definitely wasn’t taking Bradley back as long as he still has amnesia. Both dads felt irrationally guilty about it, (considering their history with pulling papers) in their talk with Jerry.

He didn’t want to admit this to Natasha.

JS: hey, it's not sure thing. Head injuries are unpredictable, after all.

It was hopeless consolation, but it was the best he could do at the moment.

NT: How are you taking all this?

JS: He’s your bext friend, how are you taking all this?

NT: But he’s your brother now, I think you take priority now.

JS: I’m being forced into therapy, so you literally doesn’t have to worry about me having someone to talk to about it.

NT: Forced? You don’t want to go?

JS: Obviously, I don’t want to go

JS: who would want to go to therapy?!

NT: I actually would probably, if I could afford to.

Damn, what a way to make Jake feel like spoiled ungrateful fuck.

Thank you Natasha.

JS: I can ask, they probably won’t mind paying for your therapy.

NT: NO JAKe!

NT: That would be so fucking weird!

JS: You literally wanted Jerry to adopt you just few minutes earlier.

NT: I was obviously kidding!

NT: Do not fucking ask admiral Kazansky to pay for my therapy!!! that would be weird as fuck.

JS: It wouldn't be weird. I literally crashed your car.

NT: Jake! I said no! Promise you won’t ask!

JS: You’re being stupid right now, but fine, I promise I won’t ask.

But even after that promise, he felt like he will have to try to help Natasha to get therapy, if she wanted one.

And maybe Jake should try to change his attitude about being forced into starting therapy.

After finding out that Natasha would go to therapy if she could afford to, Jake felt incredibly stupid about complaining so much about it, to both Tom and Pete, in attempts to change their minds about it being necessary.

If Natasha, someone so much cooler and better than Jake in every possible way, didn't think she was too good to even need therapy, than Jake definitely wasn't too good neither.

Chapter Text

"I won't be trying to help." Jake says as soon as he enters the kitchen, before Pete can say anything. "I just don't like poker." He said as he sat on one of kitchen chairs. 

Jake actually has one very bad experience with foster house where poker was involved but he definitely doesn't want to talk about it.

Pete stopped mixing something suspicious looking in a bowl to look at Jake more carefully. "Ok, but if you want, I'll tell them to play something else. It's not problem Jakey, if it's some sort of trigger for you, I'll tell them to stop." 

"No!" Jake feels kind of embarrassed, that Pete read him so easily, and feels double embarrassed by that proposition. 

Kazanskys brothers and Bradley clearly love playing poker. Jake would feel like stupid baby if he would take that away from them, because poker reminds him of bad memory. 

"I would rather hang with you now. Don't you want to hang with me?" He is playing kind of dirty to change topic, he knows, but who cares. 

"Of course, I want to hang with you, sweetheart." Pete actually moved away from kitchen countertop to gives Jake forehead kiss. "But I don't want you to felt uncomfortable in your own home." As he was saying that he gently took Jake's face with both his hands to force him to look him in the eyes.

Jake needed to change topic fast or he's going to start crying again, and he made promise to himself he wasn't going to cry today!

Enough is enough! He will make it through at least one Christmas day without crying!

"It's not that big of deal, that they would need to break some sort of sacred Polish tradition. Really I'm fine, Dad." It's actually wasn't that big of deal, he wasn't really lying this time.

"You sure, Jakey?" Pete asked without letting go of Jake's face still.

"Yes. Ask me one more time and I'll be offended, that you don't want to spend time with me, one on one." He finished saying with annoyed glare, and that made Pete laugh.

"Okay, sweetheart." Pete finally let go of Jake's face, but not before giving him one more forehead kiss. Only then he returned to mixing something weird in bowl. "But just so you know, playing poker on second day of Christmas is definitely not Polish tradition." He chuckled softly. "I'm pretty sure over half of things they say it's 'polish tradition', people in Poland never heard of before. They often just use it as excuse when they both of them want to do something." 

Jake just nodded, because he was pretty sure while that poker on Christmas might not have been a polish tradition, it's definitely became some sort of household tradition. Tradition, that trio currently playing poker in other room, clearly enjoyed greatly.

"What is this?" He decided to change topic for good, and asked about suspicious thing in bowl.

"Oh, it's kutia, actual 'polish traditional' food." Pete stretched his own chin. "At least I'm like 90% sure it's an actual polish traditional food."

"That's the dish that Jerry complained so much about being missing from table at Christmas Eve's dinner?" Jake pretty sure he didn't fully stop himself from making disappointed face, because Pete laughed at him. From the way Jerry and Bradley even talked about that food, Jake expected something way better looking at least.

"I know it's doesn't look that nice, but it does taste good." After saying that, Pete laughs even more at Jake, since Jake is pretty sure he couldn't hide on his face at all how much unconvinced he is, that it can taste good.

"Tom, Jerry and Bradley really like it, for me personally it's a bit too sweet. But anyway, the only reason why we didn't have it earlier, because I would rather play it safe with poppy seeds and meds you guys are on right now. Only Jerry is so obsessed with kutia, that he actually did researched if it would be fine, and apparently you can have it in moderation. You want to try it?"

Jake wanted to tell Jerry that he was stupid because that ugly looking dish definitely wasn't worth wasting time on doing any kind of research for it's sake, and Jake definitely didn't want to try it. 

"Do I have to?" Jake ask disgusted, and Pete looks like he bit his lips to stop more laughing from coming.

"No honey, of course you don't have to." Pete managed to say after few moments when it looked like he was fighting to calm himself down. "Seriously Jakey, you don't have to force yourself to do anything here, if you're scared of something."

Jake knows he meant that in general, and he's grateful in general, but in this context he got offended.

Jake wasn't scared to try some ugly looking dish! He's not a freaking baby!

He quickly get up from chair, and moved to grab spoon from Pete's hand.

His dad let him do it easily even if he looked a bit confused, and he started saying something, but stopped himself surprised by Jake's next move.

Because Jake put spoonful of kutia in his own mouth while closing his eyes, fully expecting to hate it, but wanting to prove a point.

He wasn't scared of stupid polish dish! Even one that looked rather disgusting and probably tasted just as bad.

Wait.

Only when he started to chew, he realized it actually didn't taste disgusting. 

It didn't taste disgusting at all.

Kutia actually tasted delicious.

Maybe he shouldn't have judged book by it's cover.

"Do you want me to put some on plate for you?" Pete asked with smile, clearly reading Jake like book. Jake was pretty sure that the only reason why Pete wasn't laughing openly at him was to spare Jake's even more embarrassment.

"Yes, please." Jake knew his answer was almost embarrassingly fast and eager considering how disgusted he was by kutia just few moments before, but he didn't care. 

"More, please." He said even more embarrassingly, when Pete put rather small amount of kutia on his plate. 

"Honey, I'm sorry but you can't have too much. It has a lot of poppy seeds, and they may interact with some of meds if you eat to much, not to mention they are also rather difficult to digest. I don't want you to have stomach ache later or anything." Pete said seriously, but he added one more spoon at least, caving a little to Jake's begging look.

"About stupid therapy-" Jake started saying once he was done eating his way too small amount of kutia. 

(Stupid pain med restricting him, and keeping him away from happiness in form of Polish food.)

"Jay, please can we not have argument about it while it's still Christmas technically." Pete's voice sounded tired, as he looked up from cutting some vegetables.

"Everybody knows that second day barely counts as real Christmas." Jake eyes rolls as he says that. "But I actually wanted to say I won't be complaining about it anymore."

"Oh, did something happened?" Pete was so surprised by that, and Jake felt like total spoiled brat even more.

"You guys keep bitching about it, but now when I changed my minded like you wanted me to, it's suddenly 'did something happened'"?! Jake might have huffed after saying that.

Pete just answered with serious look, that made Jake felt like small child that was going to be send to stand in corner for being naughty, so Jake had to look away, before saying. "Fine, maybe something did happened." Jake was thinking how to approach his therapy for Natasha mission without breaking his promise, when his dad caught him completely off guard.

"You were eavesdropping on us yesterday, right? While we were talking about Bradley's condition with Jerry?" 

Oh, that definitely happened too, but that wasn't what Jake meant.

What worst Jake wasn't sure how to read that weird tone in Pete's voice, and he got a little scared. "I'm sorry, Dad." He said quickly. "I know I shouldn't have done. I'm sorry."

"No, Jake it's okay. I'm not mad." Pete hold his hands in surrender, once again abandoning cutting veggies. "I mean you definitely shouldn't have done that, but I get it. And maybe please don't make it a habit, but I really get it, considering circumstances." He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry too, honey. We should have tried to talked to you about it directly." 

"It's okay." Jake wanted to reassure his dad, since he sounded so damn sad and tired.

"No, Jake it's really not ok. This situation is rather hard on us, but that's not valid excuse, since you're a kid. It's harder on you. We shouldn't have neglect you on that front."

Pete said it is so seriously that Jake couldn't help but snort. "Old man, maybe let's not oversell this situation with calling it neglect." Then Jake added seriously. "I don't feel neglected." 

Because REALLY last thing that Jake could image getting in this house was neglect. Jake almost felt smothered with attention.

What's more, Jake was pretty sure if he was normal teenager, he definitely would have feel like he was being smothered with attention.

But Jake being who he was, he didn't mind being mollycoddled at all at this point. 

"But you will tell me if you ever start to fell like this, ok?" 

"No." Came automatic response, before Jake's brain catch up to his mouth, that it was time to lie. "I mean yes, obviously." 

"Jacob." Pete makes weird noise after saying that. "For future reference, I always prefer honest answers."

That's what they all say, but nobody really means that.

"Sure, old man." His answer was probably too sarcastic, because he ended up getting basically a lecture.

And then after not so short lecture on how Pete definitely meant that he prefers truth over lying and so did Tom (than ended only when Jake was able to pretend better that he believed that), they came back around to Bradley's condition.

"Do you want to ask anything about it?" Pete was done with preparing food at this point, and his attention was once again fully on Jake. He was even stroking Jake's hair when he asked that question.

"Do you think he's ever going to get his memories back?" As soon as Jake said that, Pete's hand froze on his head, and Jake realized that his dad probably didn't mean ask question like that. 

Only before he could take it back, Pete recovered quickly and picked up hair stroking again.

"I don't know, baby." He closed his eyes. "I honestly just don't know." He sounded like he wanted to cry, when he started talking next. "One doc thinks he just subconsciously doesn't want to get his memories back. That maybe his brain blocks the recovery of bad memories, and we don't even know how he was really doing in all those years lost, you know? I know he got his degree, but I don't know if he was truly happy. If that time is full of mostly bad memories, so he subconsciously doesn't want to get it back, then it's like there's literally nothing that can be done if his own brain is working against getting those memories back."

Jake didn't know what to answer to that, so he just chosen to hug Pete.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Pete just hugged him back gently in return.

They didn't even were cuddling for long before Brad suddenly showed up in kitchen.

Nosy bitch probably felt subconsciously that they were talking about him.

"This is very cute and sweet and all that." He pointed Jake and Pete's embrace. "But I think you should go intervene." He moved his finger to point in general direction he came from. "Jerry is this close, to getting Pops into betting your Kawasaki in poker." Bradley's fingers were definitely touching when he was demonstrating just how close.

That worked like magic into getting Pete to move fast.

"Thomas Montgomery Kazansky! You fucking try to bet my baby in poker and I'll fucking divorce you!"

Before Jake could blink they were left alone in kitchen.

"He's kidding about the divorce." Brad unnecessary reassured Jake, as he moved closer to kutia, then he started eating it right from main bowl like fucking savage he was. 

"Obviously, I know he's kidding." Jake wasn't hundred percent sure, but he won't admit that. "Beside that, you can't get divorce if you're not married, and they're not even married." 

"Yeah, but they would be married, if they could be." Brad said it just so emotionlessly, that it made it more sad, then if he tried to go for sadness.

Jake decided he shouldn't be having any semi-serious conversation in this kitchen anymore, or at least today, because he keep getting backed into a corner where he doesn't know what to say.

"Ice's middle name is Montgomery?" He decided to change topic once again.

"Yes, grandma Kazansky was really into Anne from Green Gables, or rather anything Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote really. I think her favorite book from her was Blue Castle actually, but anyway, Jerry's middle name is literally Maud. You know, girl name? So Pops got it easier actually with Montgomery." Bradley suddenly stopped eating kutia. "Wait, his middle name was definitely in adoption papers. You didn't even read them before signing? Wow, that's kind of dumb." Stupid Bradley actually laughed at Jake. "I mean, in this case it's fine, but in general you really shouldn't sign things before reading them. Seriously Jake, you can get scammed or something." 

"Shut up, I know that!" Jake was trying not to blush over getting scolded from dumbass like Bradley. "I was in hospital! And I did skimmed through it! I just focused only on the most important parts!"

Bradley snorted at his answer. "Sure, you skimmed through it, and focused on most important parts, yet you missed middle name Montgomery." Another judgy snort. "You definitely didn't read shit past adoption in title, before signing it."

The worst thing is, Bradley wasn't exactly wrong, so Jake answered in only mature way possible he could think of at the moment. "Fuck you, Anastasia!"

He got warm laughing in return. "Fuck you too, crybaby."

Chapter Text

The first time they got left alone, Tom came back panicked after like 10 minutes.

Like he expected Bradley would remember everything the second he was left alone with Jake in his childhood home.

Nothing happened, so the second time there was no unexpected early return from shopping.

Especially since they weren't supposed to be even alone technically, but Jerry got call from his old ex-girlfriend (kind of funny story she apparently lived next door to Ice's official place downtown, and Jerry staying at that place when he was visiting was how they meet in first place) and Bradley reassured him it would be fine, to leave them alone for bit to meet up with her. And Jerry believed him like an idiot!

Nobody asked Jake what he thinks!

And Jake was against being left alone with Bradley!

He had bad feeling about it!

Of course Jake's luck would have it, that there's was 9/11 documentary on TV.

"You're little fucking rat Seresin! You know that?! Who steals someone's parents while they're having amnesia?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!"

So yeah, the first time they got left alone nothing happened, but the second one, Bradley remembered everything.

Why even was there documentary about 9/11 in television between Christmas and New year's eve? That's should be illegal or something.

"I didn't mean to!" As much Jake wants to fight Bradshaw for being worst son in world, he does have point on this one. Despite what Natasha claims when she isn't teasing him about it, Jake kind of stolen Bradley's parents while dude was having amnesia, and that's a bit fucked up.

Jake can freely admit that.

"I'm sorry, it JUST sort of happened! I really didn't mean to!"

"I didn't mean to?!" Bradshaw is mocking his voice. "You turned into this little hopeless thing as soon as they turned up at hospital! Where the fuck did you hide your bitchy personality from academy?!"

"Fuck you, Bradshaw! You don't even appreciate them! " Jake starts crying now, because it's not Jake's fault he was freaking scared to death in that hospital almost half a time, especially at the beginning. " Besides that, I'm not fucking sorry for acting different after almost dying together, and seeing what I thought was your fucking dead body! I woke up in that wrecked car and I couldn't find your pulse! I thought you died asshole!" Jake is absolutely wailing right now.

"Fuck you, Seresin." Bradshaw says in reply, but it seems like at least half fight left him, from seeing Jake cry so hard. "Fuck, I need a drink." 

"Bradley, you can't fucking drink while you're on those meds." Jake is basically blubbering, but Bradshaw doesn't care.

Jake is fucked up, because suddenly he really wishes Bradley didn't get his memories back.

Amnesia Bradley wouldn't just walk away from Jake crying.

Bradshaw getting his memory back, feels like Amnesia Bradley dying.

Amnesia Bradley liked and WANTED Jake.

Jake wants him back.

Bradshaw turned to Ice's liquor cabinet, as if Jake wasn't having full meltdown in background.

Jake isn't sure when he even had time to get stupid key to that stupid cabinet, and obviously Bradley would know were Ice was hiding it, since it's actually Bradley's home.

Jake was rat who sneaked in when everyone was vulnerable after car crash, so he didn't know were the key was hidden. 

(And he searched around a bit, not cause he wanted to drink from cabinet, he just like to knows things. He just wanted to look what was hiding in closed mystery cabinet. Ice would probably let him look inside if he asked, but he felt like it would be stupid question to ask. Hey, can I look around your liquor's cabinet? I know I'm underaged teenager but I promise I don't want to drink anything, I'm just curious. You can look as I'm looking.)

"Oh, that's new." Bradshaw just looks around as if nothing had happened, and if inside of cabinet was mostly familiar to him, even though he was definitely underage when he left. "Macallan. Macallan. Dalmore." He is talking, as it means anything, while nodding to himself browsing among the bottles as if he were in a shop.

"Damn, is it really Dalmore the Kildermorie?" Jake doesn't know why Bradshaw is so surprised.

"Wow, Ice. That's just new, expensive and bit crazy. It's almost like you don't have better shit to spend money on. Oh well, better for me." Bradshaw whistles with approval after carefully examining some bottle. "That will do." 

Jake really doesn't know why Bradshaw is so impressed with this bottle.

It looks like normal bottle, but Jake doesn't know shit about whisky. What Jake knows Bradshaw really can't be drinking right now. 

"Stop it, Bradshaw, don't be fucking stupid." He tries again, but Bradshaw just gives him a bird. "You know you can't mix alcohol with meds. Don't be an idiot!"

"Or what? You're going to tattletale to your new stolen mommy and daddy? Like little bitch?!" Bradshaw mocks as he picks up empty whisky's glass from cabinet. 

For a moment Jake wonders whom he is considering mommy. If Jake had to stick them in those social norms, he thinks he would pick Ice for mommy. Not that he would ever say that to Ice's face. 

Then it looks like Bradshaw really going to be stupid enough to pour himself that whiskey(or whisky, Jake still not sure he understands difference even after that short lecture on that topic from Ice), Jake intervenes physically. 

"Stop it, you little rat!" Bradley yells when Jake tries to take away bottle from him. "Seriously fuck off, Seresin!"

They have short tug of war for that stupid whisky, which of course ends with glass breaking.

What will be the punishment for this?

Jake tries so hard not to flitch when stupid bottle hit the floor. 

He isn't very successful.

Smell of whisky suddenly surrounds them.

Jake wants to puke immediately.

He's not sure even why, at this point.

"Great. See what have you done? There's goes most expensive whisky's in the fucking world. There's only like dozen of them I think." Fucking asshole Bradshaw points finger at Jake as if he wasn't the one who definitely shouldn't be drinking right now, and started this whole thing. "I guess it's only eleven of them now." He chuckles to himself like it isn't really big deal.

Jake starts to pick up broken glass from floor, to stop himself from freaking out, or vomiting all over that already messy floor.

"No, Jake, stop it! Don't pick up glass with your bare hands, you'll get hurt, and they will kill me for that."

Suddenly Bradshaw is almost Bradley again, because he gently grabs Jake's hands to stop him from picking up shattered glass.

He acts like Jake getting hurt would be bigger deal, then them breaking some crazy exclusive whisky.

"Fuck, Jake, you even have bare feet. Don't fucking move." Suddenly Bradley picks Jake up as if he was ragdoll, and carries him out to couch.

Jake thinks Bradley definitely shouldn't be carrying heavy things like him, but he's too freaked out by whisky to comment on that.

"Stay here, until I clean up." Bradley ordered Jake, and Jake wants to get off couch on principle alone, but he's still more focused on potential whiskey's price. How long it would take him to pay back for that whiskey? Could he sell something that he got for Christmas to pay for it, or that wouldn't be allowed?

What will be the punishment for this?

"How fucking expensive?" Jake ask scared almost as soon as Bradley turned to leave him alone on couch. He hopes Bradshaw is kidding about this thing being the most expensive whiskey's in the world.

It didn't even look impressive enough to be some kind of magic rara avis bottle of alcohol.

"It doesn't matter, forget I said anything." Bradley takes out the brush and broom from closet. 

"Bradshaw, how fucking expensive it was?"

"Jake, it's not that big of deal, but you'll freak out if I tell, so forget it. It's my fault anyways." Maybe Amnesia Bradley didn't fully died. "Really Jake, calm down. They are not going to be mad about the whisky. I promise."

"I won't calm down until you tell me how fucking expensive it was!" He throws one of couch pillows at Bradley. As the pillow bounces off him and falls into puddle of alcohol and glass, Jake thinks he shouldn't have done that. 

Everything is already mess, he shouldn't be making even bigger one.

What will be the punishment for this?

"Jake, I don't want to freak you out even more, just forget it. Please." Bradshaw is even kind enough not to mention stupidly of throwing that pillow, he just kicks it to left with his feet, and picks up cleaning.  

"Please tell me, Bradley. I'm freaking up either way." Jake almost begs suddenly. 

Bradley is sighing as he's sweeping up pieces of glass. "Okay, but promise me, you will at least try not to freak out? This is my fault really. You were right I shouldn't be trying to drink right now."

"Ok, I'll try not to freak out." 

Bradley gives Jake rather skeptical look before taking deep breath. "I think one of them got sold for something like 25 thousand pounds, but I don't remember exactly how much."

Jake freaks the fuck out. 

What will be the punishment for this?

Jake freaks out so much, he runs outside to puke, since he's almost sure he wouldn't make it to one of the bathrooms.

"Jake, I told it was my fault." Bradley runs after Jake outside.

He even ends up holding Jake in place while all the contents of his stomach come out. He probably would have fallen over if Bradley hadn't been holding him.

Then he thinks he has panic attack after or something because he's pretty sure he basically fainted as soon as he finished vomiting. 

When Jake gets more conscious, he realizes Bradley taken him to garden bench.

"I'm sorry, Jakey." He also realized he sits on Bradley's lap as he rocks him, constantly apologizing. "I really didn't mean to freak you. I promise you the whisky thing isn't a big deal." 

"Do you even realize how like fucking spoiled rich brat you sound? Acting like destroying 25 thousand pounds whisky bottle isn't a big deal?" Jake cries. "That thing was worth more than my whole damn self?!"

"Jake, no, it wasn't." He starts rocking him harder. "I promise you babydoll, that it wasn't." Bradley is trying to imitate Ice on purpose to calm Jake down, and it's working a little. "I promise you, our pops, doesn't think that you're worth less then some stupid whiskey bottle, and our dad, is uncultured swine, who thinks they're all overpriced piss anyways. They not going to get ride off you over some broken glass. Even crazy expensive one. Besides, pounds aren't even real money." Brad tried to finish with a joke, but it fallen bit flat. 

Jake hides his face in crook of Bradley's neck, at Bradshaw saying our pops and dad.

Amnesia Bradley said things like that before, but this was Bradshaw who just gotten his memories back.

That means something.

And somehow Jake turned into spoiled princess too, this December, because that suddenly matter way more then the fact they destroyed some rara avis whisky that was worth more then anything Jake ever owned (Not counting this year's presents, because Jake still didn't quite believe they were really his).

(Truly is like they say: You Either Die a Hero or Live Long Enough to See Yourself Become the Spoiled Brat You Used to Make Fun of.)

"Ours?" He has to make sure.

"Yes, obviously. They're probably are more yours then mine, now anyway." He says, as if he didn't just screamed bloody murder at Jake for daring to steal his parents before.

Parents that he practically threw away, like fucking ungrateful brat.

"Ours?" 

"Ours, dummy." Bradley teasingly pokes Jake's check. 

Jake lightly bites Bradley finger in response.

Because he doesn't know what else to do this situation.

He honestly almost kind of expected Bradley's memory recovery to be much worse even.

Because it was bad, but he hasn't actually tried to kill Jake, so that got to count for something 

"Bad puppy, don't bite." Bradley laughs in mock discipline. He even playfully smacks Jake's arm. 

"Fuck you, Bradshaw." Jake respond by hiding his face again and trying to burry himself even more into Bradley's hold. "You hurt me first." He adds seriously.

"I know. I'm sorry." Bradley gets very still, and suddenly Jake regrets that confession.

He wants to be continued getting rocked, like stupid baby. "Don't stop." He mumbles into Bradley's neck.

"Sorry." This apology is way lighter and rocking picks up, so Jake feel content again. 

He truly is whiny spoiled brat now, just like Bradley.

"And I'm really sorry, ok? I freaked out, once everything came crashing down on me. I almost felt like I was two different people suddenly turning into one. I don't know if you get what I mean. I'm not sure if I even know what I mean."

"In my head you before and after crash, are like two different separate person. I get it." Jake nodded into Bradley neck. 

"No need to ask who you prefer."

Before Jake can answer that, they heard polish cursing from house.

Jake isn't sure if it Tom or Jerry, since they sound rather similar to him and he feel himself starting to panic again.

"Jerry, in here!" Bradley shouts, and he holds Jake tighter. "We're fine, don't freak out!" He lowers his voice next. "It's going to be fine, Jake."

Jake thinks he blinked twice , and suddenly Jerry was in front of them, looking rather panicked too.

"You remember?" Jerry asked Bradley like he already knew the answer.

Bradley just nodded in response, and Jerry cursed some more.

"I left you guys alone for over a hour. Kurwa, Tom is going to fucking kill me."

Chapter Text

One of Jerry's biggest life regrets was killing Józef Piłsudski.

Not famous polish statesman obviously, but they used to own cat named after him.

Józef Piłsudski was an old black and white cat, with such a color of fur that it looked like he had a mustache. Their parents took in Piłsudski long before Tom was born.

They were having trouble conceiving a child, so this cat was their first child, in a sense.

Jerry accidentally killed him, and then he thought Tom would kill him for that, since Tom loved that cat so damn much. 

Jerry loved that cat too, but he was stupid child that actually killed him, so he felt like he didn't deserve to grieve him.

Officially in their house, nanny was blamed for Piłsudski's death, and she was fired for that. Jerry would feel bad for it, if not for the fact, that she used to slap him around rather hard, when no one was looking (and he was extremely lively and clumsy child in general, so extra bruises weren't that noticeable.)

She was being bit neglectful, since she definitely probably should have been paying way more attention to Jerry at that age, especially since Tom was going to school already so she was literally paid to pay attention to Jerry only at that time, but still. 

To this day Jerry feels like he should have knew better by then.

But he was a stupid kid, and he got bright idea to test out if cats really always land on their feet.

He tested it from the third floor, so poor old Piłsudski had no chance.

Their mom would always say, that since that cat was over twenty years old, he would probably die of natural causes soon after anyway, to make him feel better but Jerry would still feel guilty. 

Especially since right after that happened, Tom declared he would NEVER forgive Jerry for killing him, and would never speak to him again. 

And then he actually keep up silent treatment for over two months. Jerry as a kid literally though it would mean that his brother would actually never speak again to him for rest of his life.

What honestly is impressive for a kid, especially since Tom would probably keep it up for longer if it weren't for pressure from their mother. 

(She wanted to meddle earlier, but their father could be strange, and he wanted to see how long Tom could keep his silence towards his brother, plus he seemed to think this was some kind of natural consequence for Jerry's actions.)

So for all his life when it came to his relationship with his older brother, Jerry had some level comparison of how angry his brother is at him.

Or rather no matter what he done, he knew it would never truly make his brother as angry as killing Józef Piłsudski.

At least until December 27 2005.

Because fuck okey, leaving Bradley with amnesia alone with poor Jake was bad idea. 

If it weren't for his pathological weakness for redheads, he probably wouldn't have done it. Damn, why did Kate had to be fucking ginger.

The only thing that is working in his defense, is that the way they spoke of Bradley amnesia it left him with strong impression that Bradley's chances of getting his memories back were very minimal at this point!

How could Jerry know that his luck would have it, that Bradley would get his memories back immediately after he left them alone for like an hour!

So when Jerry was calling his brother, he suddenly wished he was calling him to tell him he accidentally killed another cat. 

He knows his brother would forgive him that, since he did forgive him for Józef Piłsudski after all in the end, but he's not sure he can forgive him for what just happened between Bradley, Jake and his whisky.

"What happened?" Tom picks up almost immediately.

Fuck of course, he knows something happened. Suddenly Jerry is kind of scared of his own brother in a way, because he knows he screwed up big time.

"Jerry?" Tom sounds scared too, so Jerry takes deep breath and forces himself to talk.

"So apparently Bradley is very patriotic, because 9/11 documentary made him regain him memory."

Now there's silence on the other side of line.

"Tommy?"

"How bad was it?"

And that's the worst question because, Jerry doesn't really know, because he wasn't fucking here.

"In short: The Kildermorie is gone, and Jake fainted and puked."

Tom cursed in polish. 

"So you should get back here as soon as possible. I think Bradley was supposed to go to doctor if he got his memories back right?"

More silence.

"Tommy, if you're nodding I can't see you since we're on phone." 

"Fuck, right. Yes, he should."

"Okay, so let's do it like that, I'll take him, since I'm not sure if he would go with any of you right now anyway, and you guys should get-."

"Don't you fucking dare to leave Jake alone right now." Jerry normally would say that he's not stupid, and he wouldn't left him alone, but he is stupid, and he kind of did left Jake alone already before.

"Umm, Kate is here. He won't be alone."

"Why the fuck is Kate there?"

"Not important right now. What's important I'll take Bradley to doctor, and she'll stay with Jake, waiting for you to get back here, she's great with kids. And you guys meeting right now in front of him, would probably just make Jake have another panic attack. I'll try to talk some sense into Bradley in the car."

"Fine." His brother answer is so fucking angry, like he just knows already how badly Jerry screwed up somehow. 

"I don't feel great about leaving Jake alone with your booty-call." Bradley says in a car as if he wasn't the one who just caused Jake to have extreme panic attack.

But since it's mostly Jerry's fault actually, he doesn't call him out on that.

"Don't call her that, please." He signed. "And we both know you guys meeting right now would be worse for Jake."

"Not my fucking fault. They-"

"Shut up. I don't give a fuck about them pulling your USNA papers right now. That was fucked up, I know, but you holding a grudge over it for over four years is even more fucked up. Especially since-"

Jerry barely stopped himself from spilling shit about Carole right now. He was hoping that maybe Pete would stop Tom from killing him for leaving kids alone, (since they all knew he did lost on purpose in poker yesterday to spare Pete's Kawasaki, man owned him a little!), but if he spilled truth about Carole on top of that, then Pete would be even more likely to kill him then Tom. 

He really should have stayed back in Antarctica this Christmas. Penguins were way less complicated.

"Especially since what?" Bradley was onto him, obviously. 

Fuck, he definitely was doing it wrong. He nervously tightened his hands around the steering wheel.

"You know that Tom had rather big cancer scare, recently?" He decided to go for distraction which he hoped would help prioritize values for his idiotic nephew.

"Cancer scare is not a fucking cancer. He's fine, so they don't get pity points for that." 

Ok, clearly it's wasn't enough to help Bradley prioritize his values.

Jerry hasn't wanted to hit someone so hard in a long time. 

Ungrateful spoiled fuck, he would probably deck him, if not for fact that he knows this is something his brother would actually never forgive him. 

If he actually laid hand on Bradley, then even if he could somehow bring back cat Piłsudski to life, it wouldn't be enough to make Tom forgive him,  Even if little shit deserved to have some sense knocked into him.

Bradley at least looked like he regretted his words as soon as he said them, so Jerry bites back harsher response.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, kid." He just says while trying to remind calm.

He isn't very successful and he even scratched some car while parking as if he had gotten his driving license in the last month or something. Fucking embarrassing, he probably should have called taxi to get here.

"That's rich, especially coming from cat killer." Bradley says while glaring at him, and of cause that little shit had to bring up cat Józef Piłsudski. Then Bradley gets out car, and looks at Mercedes that Jerry just scratched. "Nice parking, you drive almost as well as Jake. Probably why your second wife left you." Another low blow, since she was NASCAR driver, but their divorce was so amicable that it actually hurt a little less than bringing up his murder of Piłsudski.

"Fuck off, Bradley." Jerry responds tiredly, leaving an apology and his number on a piece of paper behind the scratched car's windshield wiper. "Please, behave like a human being, at least in front of a doctor."

He gets a literal growl in response, but Bradley doesn't protest otherwise, so he takes that as confirmation.

Bradley is so fucking nice at doctor's office, that Jerry is worried he actually somehow got back his amnesia, even though the whole reason they're even here is because of his sudden memory recovery.

He almost feels reliefs once Bradley turns into bitch to him once again when they leave after like two hours of some medical tests.

"Prepare for the worst, your brother looked like he wanted to burn me at the stake, once he realized you left them alone because of me. And it's wasn't fucking fair, because you asshole haven't told me you were supposed to be babysitting."

Jerry almost wants to text back that 22 and 17 years old shouldn't need babysitting, but between Bradley's amnesia, the fact that he still couldn't believe Jake was 17 not like 12 or younger and what happened once they were left alone for like an hour, this duo definitely needed babysitting. And Kate sounds rather pissed at him too, so he doesn't text her back, like a coward.

He just texts his brother what doctor said, and tries not to think of fact that he didn’t get any response back.

Jerry stops car few streets away from Tom's house.

"Can you at least try, if only for Jake's and grandma's sake?" Bringing up his mother is low blow but Jerry doesn't know what else to say. 

She died from coronary artery disease, few short months before that whole papers thing. Sometimes Jerry thinks is for a better, because she didn't have to live through that. But sometimes he thinks it's for the worse, because he thinks Bradley wouldn't have heart to cut her out, not when she was the only grandparent he remembers. Not to mention she would probably be able to alleviate this situation in some magical way. Just like she was able to get Tom to starts talking to him again after those two long months, which to him, as a child, had felt like two years.

Not to mention in her will she left a lot to Bradey, like a lot more them most people would see working their whole life. (Jerry could be offended that Tom's side ended up getting way more then him, since she did left shit for Pete's too, but he can't have biological children (main reason his first marriage felt apart actually), and he can't see himself adopting, so he will probably end up leaving everything to that side too anyway.)

If it weren't for that, realistically there was a chance Bradley would have come back if only for the money. Although very, very minimal chance, because Bradley was so stubborn that sometimes Jerry forgot that he was not his brother's biological son.

"That's a blow below the belt, Jeremiah." Bradley finally answers him angrily, but Jerry can see tears in his eyes. 

"You started hitting below belt first. You mentioned Piłsudski and Sarah earlier." 

"Sorry for bringing up Piłsudski."  Bradley said while looking away, and Jerry chucked.

"You going to apologize for bringing up cat, but not my ex-wife?" 

"Because that fucked up you more probably." Jerry starts laughing at that.

"True, which, by the way, is probably the real reason for that divorce, not my driving, because at some point I started caring more about my childhood cat than about her."

"Well you didn't kill her at least, so she was better off than Piłsudski, even with less caring." It's rather fucked up answer, but Jerry almost laughed. Bradley is truly Pete's son. No matter how much he wants to deny it.

"You're a fucking asshole you know that?" Jerry asks but there's almost no anger behind this question. 

"So are you, you left us alone and I traumatized Jake because of that." 

Fuck, Bradley went right for his throat.

"He's probably not that traumatized by this, he had other more important trauma, that probably traumatized him more." Jerry has no idea what he's talking about at this point, he's tired. He puts his head on the steering wheel, and closed his eyes. He needs a nap. For a year preferably.

Bradley laughs in sad way. "You're terrible at this. He fucking fainted and puked, I think he probably won't touch whisky for rest of his life." Bradley sounds guilty, and he should, but it's just as much as Jerry fault as it's his. Probably more Jerry's then his even.

"That's fine. I'll turn him into vodka guy, like propel Polish man should be. None of this pretentious crap about Whisky. You two should lose your Polish citizenship for that." Jerry jokes seriously as if any of them actually had polish citizenship. 

"Fuck you, Jeremiah." Bradley signed heavy after. "And I'll try, ok? I don't guarantee anything, but I'll try."

It’s probably the best he is going to get, so he starts car again.

When they finally pull over in front of the house, Kate's car is long gone like he expected.

Tom is outside smoking like he didn't expected.

Now he wants to kill Kate, because Tom is definitely smoking her brand of cigarettes.  Even though she definitely couldn't have known about his cancer scare, so he couldn't even blame her if she gave him her cigarettes out of guilt if Tom asked for them before she left.

He's so fucking tired, so before he can say anything or even get out the car, Bradley is moving way faster then him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Bradley actually get out the car before Jerry could blink. "You just had cancer scare!" Bradley screamed before he literally snatched the cigarette out of Tom's hand, threw it on the sidewalk, and crushed it with his shoe. "You can't fucking smoke!"

Tom just let him do it while looking rather confused and shocked by his behavior.

Bradley seemed surprised by his own behavior almost a little, and suddenly two of them were just standing in front of each other in awkward silence.

Jerry is considering whether to get out of the car or go to the airport and not come back here for at least a year or two.

"Well, you can't drink now, yet you went for my whisky." Tom finally replies coldly. "Besides that, I remember very clearly you saying you wished I was dead. So I think, I deserve a 'thank you' for trying to get you your wish faster."

Bradley looks as if he was literally slapped.

Jerry knows he has to get out of this car.

He slams the car door on the way out, what is mistake because that reminded his brother of his existence.

"And you! You fucker-" Tom growls in exactly the same way Bradley did before. "Do you want to piss me off even more somehow then you already have?" He turns to Jerry probably even more angry then to Bradley. "You fucking told him about cancer? Can you be trusted with anything at all? No, because you literally can't do anything right in your fucking life." 

Jerry knows he deserves that, but damn, he's pretty sure right now he's the one who looks like he was slapped.

"Slider was the one who told me about cancer, actually." Bradley suddenly throws Slider under the bus in his defense, and Jerry wonders if it's even the truth, or it's just the fact that Bradley knows Tom would forgive Slider for that, unlike with Jerry.

"Great, so I can't fucking trust anyone." Tom looks like he was going to pull out another cigarette, but Bradley made sad and rather pathetic noise of protest at that, and he didn't.

Chapter Text

After few seconds or minutes of awkward silence, Tom is not fucking sure how long it was, since it's felt very quick and very long at the same time, Bradley said he was going inside the house.

"What are you doing Thomas? You need to calm the fuck down." Jerry actually has to audacity to say that to him almost as soon as Bradley slam front door shut, and they are left alone outside.

"You did not just say that to me, you little stupid bitch. Not while this is all your fucking fault."

And okay, Tom knows he's being a little unfair. Bradley getting his memories back, would probably end up badly no matter with whom he was at that moment, but his idiotic brother is responsible for Jake having to deal with it alone.

"First of all, I'm way taller then you, so if anything I'm big bitch now." Jerry starts like a bloody idiot he is, and the only reason Tom manages to stop himself from hitting him is probably because he just smoked few cigarettes. "Second of all, are you trying to make him leave? Because if so, I think you're doing amazing job, sweetie."

"Unlike you I know when to quit, when the case is lost. I know he's leaving anyway, so I'm not going to beg."  Tom knows he's being fucking asshole by bringing up how Jerry dealt with his first divorce, but he doesn't care at this moment.

(Not to mention despite what he just said, he is fucking considering begging.)

“Nice.” Jerry actually laughs in response. "Kid did take shot at me like this already, only about different wife. Are you going to mention Piłsudski next?"

Damn, they really raised Bradley to be fucking asshole like them.

It's like they say, children really do learn so much more from what we do than what we say.

And damn of course Bradley had to remind Tom, of only thing that actually could make him stop being so angry at Jerry.

And he really wanted to have someone he could be angry at, and now he didn't even have that.

Because the older Tom got, the worst he felt about his long silent treatment of Jerry in their childhood in aftermath of Piłsudski death. Because he keep realizing just actually young Jerry was when the whole thing happened. Not to mention it really was that abusive bitch fault. 

(He will probably always felt guilty about not realizing that nanny was aggressive towards his brother while it was happening. Especially since Jerry actually told him, he didn't like her and she was mean, but Tom just dismissed this as Jerry being spoiled, and complaining because that nanny wasn't as indulging as their grandmother, who recently died, was to them.)

Tom takes few deep breath before speaking. "I'm sorry, Jerry. He shouldn't have talked about that cat. You know it wasn't really your fault." 

"Why do both of you think, I'm more affected by that, then my failed marriages?"

"Well, I know you, and apparently even after that time apart that ungrateful brat still does too." 

Jerry just takes tired breath in response. "We should go in before Bradley and Mav kill each other or something."

"They won't, at least not today, since Mav is actually sleeping." Seeing Jerry's confused face, he added. "Only way we could convince Jake to take those sedative pills, if Mav took them too. He would never take them otherwise, but it's probably for the best, with how he worked himself up today." Tom said as if he hasn't worked himself up almost just as much. "Now they both pretty much knocked out."

"Wow, Mav is willingly taking meds for that kid?" Jerry chuckled. "Are we sure he's not your guys missing secret love child? We really should do DNA test just in case."

"You know how biology works, right? You're supposed to be smart one. I see that they just give doctorates to everyone who wants them."

As soon as he got inside the house Bradley started looking for Mav.

He wasn't looking for him to fight.

Okay, maybe he was.

(But he wanted or rather needed to fight someone easier than Tom. And Jerry wouldn't fight him, not really.)

Only he found Mav in bed together with Jake. They were both deep asleep while hugging, with an open pack of sedatives on the bedside table. 

Suddenly his anger died out, at least in that moment.

Bradley knew that Mav absolutely hates taking any kind of pills, but that probably was only possible explanation why he could be asleep so early.

Mav would literally raw-dog any kind of physical pain, until he was pretty much forced into taking medicine, but he would willingly take pill for this? Because of Bradley?
Suddenly he feels so fucking guilty, even though it's mostly literally Mav's own fault, if they were counting from the beginning!

But suddenly he wanted to cry, and just get in bed with them, join cuddling and pretend he still doesn't remember shit from those difficult years.

Suddenly he actually wished he still had amnesia.

This whole thing wasn't fucking fair.

He didn't know what he wanted.

(That a lie.

He wanted to come home.

And not in literal sense, since technically he was home right now. 

He wanted to come back home for real.

But man has to have his pride.

He won't fucking beg.

Even if he wants to.)

Since Bradley doesn't actually dare to try to go for Tom's whisky again, he goes for those stupid pills from bedside table since he's pretty sure he and Jake both got prescribed the same shit.  Same shit that he while having amnesia declared he definitely won't be needing, and it was waste of money to even buy it.

(He was so stupid while he had amnesia.

(He really wish he still was like that.))

After dry swallowing three, (he doesn't remember how many he was supposed to take but one or two don't seem to be enough), he decides to go take a leak, and go to bed.
He feels so fucking tired and pumped up at the same time. Hopefully with those stupid pills he took he will actually fall asleep somehow, (and maybe he could just not wake up, that would be preferred. He can’t survive leaving this house twice)

He decided he doesn't want to talk to anyone else today anymore.

(He doesn't want to be aware right now.)

Obviously with his luck, he runs into fucking Tom on his way out of bathroom. "You're going to bed?"

"Yes." Those pill seems to be actually working, because he's pretty sure he said it politely somehow. "Why ask? You got problem with that, old man?" Or at least at first, he answered politely.

"You didn't change your bandages. You need to do that before bed, you know they have to be changed at least once a day." Fucking asshole says as if he cares. He didn't even fucking offered to help him. Bradley wouldn't (couldn’t) accept his offer of course, but he still should have offered! Fucking asshole taking away Bradley's given right to reject him!

That's how Bradley ended up back in bathroom changing his own bandages for the first time.

They weren't really in any hard to reach places, so he could have done it by himself earlier already when he was discharged from the hospital, but while he had amnesia one of his dad Tom or Pete would always offer to help him, and he would always shamelessly take that offer.

(Since why do something by himself when he could have someone do it for him, and get a lot of extra attention on top of that?)

Now he's trying to do it by himself without crying.

(Pops didn't even fucking offered to help now! How fucking dare he!) 

He failed on that without crying part.

Fuck.

Those stupid pills didn't REALLY seemed to be doing anything expected making him dopey. He's still so fucking emotional, but now he's just more tired on top of that.

Tom tries to pretends he isn't hovering outside his own bathroom trying to eavesdrop like a fucking stalker.

Expect he kind of is.

No, he definitely is doing that.

He really should have forced Bradley to let him help, but trying that would probably end up in fight.

And really, kid probably can change his own bandages no problem, since unlike Jake, he has two fully working hands. It didn't matter that Brad seemed so terribly tired.

The fact that he hasn't done that before, that was over caring on their part.

He really shouldn't be losing his head over kid who had no problem cutting him out his life forever. Because Tom isn't under any illusion. He knows that if this car accident hasn't happened, Bradley wouldn't be back in this house unless it's was for one of them funeral.

(At least Tom hoped kid would show up for funeral at least.)

He decided he was going at least to pretend to be reasonable, and leave when he's clearly not wanted.

Expect he heard crying behind closed door. 

Damn, he really can't even pretend to be reasonable. 

"Bradley, I'm coming in." He says as fake warning, because he doesn't even gave kid any time to protest.

Apparently pills just worked into making Bradley unaware of situation, because he doesn't even realize that Tom was knocking or anything.

Because suddenly he's just there and is taking over changing bandages work.

(He doesn't even comment on Bradley's crying. Bradley doesn't know if it's for worse or for better actually.)

Somehow despite the fact that Tom literally did the same thing yesterday, now it's painfully awkward.

Tom doing it as mechanically and automatically as the nurse at that moment, unlike yesterday when throughout the entire 'operation' Bradley would get a lot of light reassuring touches and kisses on injured parts of his body.

Bradley wants to cry even harder now because of that difference. 

This is so fucking unfair.

"I can do that by myself, old man." Bradley doesn't know why he says that. He's so fucking dopey, that at this point he almost can't and he definitely doesn't want to even.

"Sure, you can." Ice is literally mocking him in that sarcastic answer.

"Po-Poopy head." Bradley panicked so much once he realized he almost let 'Pops' slip out, that he did world's worst save. (Bradley wouldn't be able to handle if Ice rejected him and said that he wasn't that anymore to him, only to Jake.) He even actually forgot what he was going to say, because of that.

"Poopy head?" Ice actually stopped working on his forearm to look at his face. He blinked few times before just saying "Okay." In weird tone and getting back to changing bandage. Bradley can't read him, and that is pissing him off, because he used to be able to read him easily.

Even when he had amnesia he seemed to be able to read Tom most of the time, but now Tom seemed put up ice walls around himself.

Fuck, he's probably angry at Bradley now, even more somehow now.

And it's stupid, because Bradley the only one who have any right to be angry here!

So he definitely shouldn't care about the fact whatever Ice is angry with him or not, yet he does care.

He cares so much, he almost starts apologizing.

Tom somehow managed not to starts laughing or crying, after Brad just called him "poopy head" to hide the fact that he almost let slip "Pops" slip out.

It's was actually mostly hilarious in some fucked up way, since it's not even pronounced similarly, but Tom was  focused almost only on fact that his kid even when clearly drugged a little didn't want to call him that now.

(He expected that, but it still fucking hurts. It’s hurts just as much as seeing his child crying, and not being able to comfort him because his comfort is unwanted.)

"Did you take Jake's pills from my bedside table?" He asks when he finally trust his voice not to crack, and he just barely managed to stop himself from automatically giving Brad's shoulder a peck once he finishes applying a new dressing there. Right now Bradley would probably bite him if he accidentally did that.

"Yeah, so what? We got prescribed the same shit, so unlike Maverick I actually took that fully legally." Bradley gives him sleepy icy glare. It's almost cute.

"No, you didn't bud-Bradley." Tom actually can't stop himself from laughing this time.

"You got described different things. So technically both of you took them illegally. But it's probably fine, since Jake got prescription for something weaker since he's younger and smaller. It could be problem the other way around."

"Oh, then no wonder they don't seem to work. I want my fucking pills."

Tom decided not to comment on fact that pills are clearly working because Brad literally looks like he's ready to fall asleep while sitting on closed toilet seat. "Yeah, that's not going to happen today. I'm not letting you mix two different kind of sedative pills together. Don't even try to fight me on that."

Bradley looks like he is considering fighting him on that, but in the end settles on both moody and sleepy 'whatever, old man'.

 Mostly sleepy actually.

Tom tries to pick up his pace a little before he is going to have carry Brad to bed. 

In the end he herds Bradley to his bedroom like a sheep. 

Then before he can ask if needs help to get into bed, he gets door slammed in his face.

Nice. 

(But honestly considering Bradley's current state this is almost impressive.)

He finally let himself start crying at this point.

Bradley uses last of his strength to slam stupid door, because he wouldn't survive Tom not offering him anything.

(Bradley wouldn't (maybe he would) take him on that, BUT fucking asshole should have given him anything.)

Once he's slammed door, he realized he's fucking pathetic because he actually can't made it to bed by himself.

He almost cries out for Ice to get here, but he did just slammed door in his face, so he couldn't even blame guy if he would ignore him.

That's why Bradley doesn't cry out, because he literally wouldn't survive if his Pops actually did ignored him.

He just let himself leans against the door, and then starts sliding down them until he's sitting on the floor.

Since he literally can't get up at this point, he decided to go to sleep on the floor.

He did sleep in worse places after all during his college years.

Tom finds Jerry downstairs drinking his second most expensive whisky, straight from the bottle like a fucking savage.

Or rather his most expensive one at this point, since his previous most expensive whiskey died a tragic death today.

"I'll pay you back for this." Jerry says to him as soon as he notices him. "And for the other one." He almost whispers this part.

Tom waves his hand at him in a dismissive manner. "You know I don't care about that, not really. But at least you could have used a glass, you weren't raised in barn."

"Yeah, I know, but still." He lifted whisky bottle dramatically. "And why bother, when I'm going to fish that."

That's probably not good idea.

Tom takes whisky bottle away from him, takes a swing, then joins Jerry in couch with heavy sigh. 

They sit like that for minute or two before Jerry suddenly speaks up. "I know I fucked up. I'm sorry about today, Tommy."

"Yeah, I know." He pull Jerry into a hug, since he knows at least he won't reject him. "I'm sorry too."

"It's going to be fine, Tommy." Jerry says, then he tries to take back stupid whisky. Tom knows he has enough for today, so he tries to keep bottle away from his brother hand.

And then Tom doesn't know how, but he loses grip on the bottle, and somehow second whisky ends up breaking on the floor that day.

Damn.

Now his third most expensive whisky is his most expensive whisky.

They just stare at each other for a second before laughing.

"I think that's a sign that it's won't be fine." He says between laughter.

"No that's a sign that you should definitely switch to vodka." Jerry points finger dramatically in his face. "And I'm not paying for that now. It's your own fault it's shattered."

Chapter Text

Pete wake up somewhere between middle of night and early morning, by sounds of whimpering, and pitiful 'I’m so sorry'.

Jake was having another nightmare, and he keep apologizing in his sleep.

"It's okay, babydoll. You have nothing to apologize for. Everything's fine, honey."  He started whisper in Jake's ear while rocking him. 

Thankfully that managed to calm Jake down, without waking him up. 

It's was a little before two in morning, and despite the fact they went to bed extremely early, kid should definitely sleep some more after the day he had before. 

And if Jake wake up and realized Tom was missing from bed he definitely would freak out a little, and wouldn't feel back asleep without pills or something.

(And Pete already felt bad about the fact that they pretty much had to force Jake to take calming pills yesterday, and Jake only did take them once Pete took them first. So while he knows he's probably unnecessary prejudiced, but at least he's not a hypocrite.)

Once he's sure Jake not having nightmare anymore, he slips out bed to look for Ice.

He feels bad about leaving Jake alone in bed after he just was having nightmare, but he is freaking out a little himself actually, by the fact, that it appeared that Tom didn't sleep here at all.

Since Jake even while asleep appears to realize someone who he was snuggling earlier with to be missing, Pete makes quick run to walk-in closet for temporary solution.
From inside the walk-in closed he retrieves giant penguin plushie, that Jerry gave him four years ago for Christmas as a joke.

But Pete actually took to sleeping with him when Tom was gone.

Only when Tom was gone, because poor life size version of emperor penguin plushie, was actually banned from their bed as long as Tom was there, after one night when Pete apparently in his sleep preferred to hug Penguin rather than Tom. (For obvious reasons he doesn't remember it, but Ice doesn't let him forget it anyway.)

Since that night Tom started to have this hilarious one sided beef with plushie, that he swears isn't one sided because according to him that thing is possessed or something.

Pete think that both of them just went crazy a little from their sad case of empty nest syndrome.

Jake starts cuddling with plushie right away, and Mav thinks he looks so tiny and young, he wants to start petition that they should stop allowing 17 years old in USNA.

Period. 

He's a coward, and he doesn't dare to check Bradley's room.
 
He knows he won't find Tom there, and he scared he won't even find Bradley there.

He really half expect that room to be empty, so he doesn't check.

Because even if Bradley shouldn't really be alone right now, it's not like they could force him to stay. Especially since he got his memories back.

Bradley is 22 years old, full adult who can even fully legally drink, and it's scares Pete.

Last four years in his mind Bradley was frozen at 18 year old. Since they had absolutely no contact from Brad's side, Pete didn't get to see him finally reach his full height, he didn't see him grown. Sometimes he could almost forgot the way he left, and just pretend his kid was on some long school trip, and his eighteen year old brat would be back soon just the same as he was.

Then this month Bradley kind of did came back just the same as he was when he left. Definitely not physically. But mentally? Mentally he almost got the same kid that left back.

And wasn't that insane?

So it was easy to pretend he was actually right earlier when he was lying to himself, and his kid was just gone on some school trip, and that he just came back injured.

(Came back injured with one extra kid.)

And it's not like he wished for Bradley to remain sick with amnesia. 

He isn't that selfish. 

He will take his kid hating him over being sick, every time.

But just maybe, he didn't fully minded that he didn't have to face truth thanks to that practical case of amnesia, at least for a little bit.

Only now Bradley got his memories back, and he had to face the truth. 

He finds Tom downstairs asleep on couch with Jerry, both of them smelling like Scottish pub.

They didn't even unfold the couch, they just fell asleep sitting up snuggling with a bottle of whiskey between them. 

Somehow it appeared they also broke another bottle of whiskey, and didn't even clean it up properly (Pete could see few pieces of glass on floor left), like real useless spoiled scions who had a cleaning lady throughout their whole childhood.

He's mostly mad at them for not cleaning up fully, because if Jake saw that and realize what happened he probably would freak out, and decide it was his fault somehow.

He almost wakes them up, and makes them clean up whole living room, because now he is pissed at both Kazansky bothers, but they actually look so sweet and peaceful, he takes pity on them. He figures out he can let them sleep, especially since at their age sleeping in sitting position, is probably going to be cost them backpain later, so that can be punishment enough.

He takes the bottle of whiskey from them and puts it back in its place, even though there seems to be so little left inside that he doesn't know why he even bothers.

And even though they definitely don't deserve it, he even covers them with a blanket.

Finally, he corrects their pathetic attempt at cleaning.

Once Pete is sure that he cleaned up the crime scene so that Jake wouldn't realize what happened in the morning, he went back upstairs.

First he checked on Jake to make sure he didn't starts having nightmares again.

Thankfully he appears to be happy snuggling penguin plushie in his sleep.

And while seeing how easy he was replaced, Pete can almost understand Tom's ridiculous jealousy over that thing.

He gives Jake's forehead quick kiss, before leaving his bedroom once again, deciding it's was finally time to face the truth.

Pete is fucking coward.

He's literally scared to open door to his kid bedroom.

He is standing frozen with his hand on door handle, because he can't handle the truth.

Pete is sure he will break down if he opens the door and the room will be empty

And how pathetic is that?

He is pretty sure he would be just standing like this, for an hour or longer if he didn't heard similar whimpering that the one that woke him up, from the other side of door.

His relief that Bradley hasn't left is quickly replaced by that fact that he is probably having nightmare too.

He opens door, or rather tries because something is blocking it from opening it all the way.

Something that is Bradley sleeping on floor.

He is going to kill Tom and Jerry. 

"I'm sorry, please don't leave me. I'll be good. I'm sorry. I’ll be better." 

Pete doesn't know what Bradley is dreaming about, that makes him say those things while crying. 

He thinks it's probably about Carole, but he used to get a lot of nightmares about Goose when he was younger too.

Anyway, whatever it's about it breaks his heart just as much.

He sits on floor and takes sleeping Bradley in his arms and he tries to calm him down with similar words he did with Jake before, but it's doesn't seem to work as well in this case.

Maybe because Pete is almost ready to start crying himself, so he isn't as convincing as before, or maybe it's cause his voice isn't comforting to Bradley, not anymore.

In the end while it's takes him longer he manages to calm down Bradley enough that he dares to leave him to get Tom. Because while he could definitely pick up Bradley with firearm carry, that would almost definitely wake him up. And he's definitely not going to drag his kid on the floor to bed. Even if it rather short distance. 

(Though not that short because Bradley's room was barley smaller than their master bedroom, and that room was excessive, not even counting walk in closet.)

Before leaving he takes off his night robe, to made at least temporary pillow for Bradley's head, because he feels like asshole leaving his kid sleeping on floor even if it's only for a short while.

He decides to wakes Tom up by throwing glass of water in his face.

"What the fuck!? Mav?!" It's very effective.  At least on Tom, who practically jumps from couch ready to fight, meanwhile Jerry's usual deep sleep is always even deeper after alcohol, so few drops of water that accidentally got on him, or even Tom's scream right next to him doesn't appear to even disrupt his snoring. (Mav worries sometimes about him, that guy could literally slept through earth quake.)

"I needed you to wake up quick. I need your help now." 

"What’s wrong?" Tom is immediately alert and awake by his serious tone probably even more then water in face.

For literal second he want to keep Tom in anxiety, but he decided to reassures him, because he isn't that big of asshole. "Calm down, nothing really bad happened."

"Then what the fuck was that?" Tom's drags his head through his now wet hair. 

Pete tries to keep his voice calm, because seriously fighting with Ice is last thing he needs. "I'm pissed at you for not making sure Bradley got to bed. I found him asleep on the floor. Help me carry him to bed."

Tom quickly blinks few times. "He called me poopy head, and then he literally slammed door in my face." He says before moving towards the stairs.

Oh. After that confession, Pete feels like at least half of his anger leaving him, as he follows Tom.

"Well, even if kid throws temper tantrum, you still should made sure he's safe." He says annoyed anyway, because he still got stuck image of Bradley crying on the floor in his sleep, and that gave him flashbacks to that foster house, where he didn't even have a bed, and was actually just sleeping on floor for few months on camping mat like a dog.

He knew it wasn't the same but still it's made him feel like even more of failure of parent.

"Mav, he's 22 year old man.  Even if he act like toddler, he's not one." Tom abruptly stops in middle of stairs, and Mav almost runs into his back. "I almost wish he was a toddler, so I could just pick him up once he starts his temper tantrums, put him in time out, and make him stay home." Tom sigh heavy before moving again. "We really should have forced him into therapy."

"I know." Pete doesn't say that Bradley would probably be more willing to give therapy a chance, if they themselves were actually going to therapy, since they definitely could have used that too.

Once they put Bradley into bed, they just stare at him for a while, before leaving.

(Asleep it's almost as he still had amnesia. It's almost as he was still theirs kid in almost every possible way that counted.)

"Did you at least made sure he's wearing that medical underwear for sleeping?" Pete ask quietly once they close door, but he can already tell by Tom's half annoyed half embarrassed face that he didn't.

"First of all, I thought he was going to bite me when I was just changing his bandages." Tom points finger towards door. "He would literally bite me if I asked him about it. And second of all, once again, I'm reminding you that's 22 years old man with literal porno mustache, not a toddler. If he wants to wet his bed, because he doesn't want to wear protective underwear, despite doctor's recommendations, he can."

"Yet I'll be the one washing bedsheets."

"Fine, if anything happens I'll wash them."

"Yeah, sure Kazansky. You don't even know how to use our washing machine." Since Pete took care of laundry, Tom could barely use old one. They got new one two years ago, and Pete is 99,99% sure Tom never actually used that one.

Pete doesn't even know why he's looking for fight right now. He doesn't really care about washing bedsheets more often, or the fact that Tom doesn't know how to use their washing machine. 

"It's washing machine, I'll figure it out." Tom facepalms with angsty whine. "Pete, please, I'm somewhere between drunk and hangover. Can we please not start fighting right now?" Tom ask sadly, and rather generously, because they both know Pete is the one trying to start fight. "Please, doll face."

Pete feels all his fight leaving him, so he just hugs Tom and he makes almost surprised noise at that, that Pete feels even more like an asshole then he had before. "I'm sorry, Tommy. It’s just-" He doesn’t even know what to say.

“I know.” Tom hugs him back harder. "I'm sorry too. I should have looked after our 22 year old toddler better."

Pete snorts in response. "Just go take quick shower, before getting into bed with Jake. Since I'm not sure if smell of whisky won't freak him out." 

"Fuck, I haven't thought about that. I shouldn't have-"

Pete put finger to his mouth to stop him. "Don't start beat yourself up now. It's been hard day. Just go take a shower."

While Tom showers, Pete sits on bed with Jake, stroking his hair, while kid is still happily cuddling huge penguin plushie in his sleep.

While Pete grew rather found of this ridiculous plushie himself in those last four years, he already resigned himself that he will give him away to Jake if kid will still want him, while conscious.

"Why is this demon penguin in our bed, cuddling with my kid?" Pete almost bust out laughing at Tom's whiny voice. "I banned him for our bed!"

"Well since you didn't make it to bed, and I didn't want to leave Jake alone when I woke up, and went looking for you. Penguin was close and available, so I temporary lifted the ban considering circumstances." 

"Well played, demon penguin. You used my moment of weakness." Tom said seriously as he was getting into bed, and Pete though back to his comment earlier how he's between hangover and drunk, and decides that Tom was still definitely way closer to drunk than hangover. "You win this round but not the war." He said to Penguin as he started hugging Jake from other side. Jake made cute noise of content in his sleep, maybe somehow realizing he was cuddled by someone alive again.

Mav was stuck once again by how young Jake looked, snuggled between gigantic penguin plushie and Ice.

(He didn't know how he was supposed to let such young kid go back to USNA alone.)

"You're going back to our toddler?" Tom asked him almost asleep already.

"Yeah, I'm going back to our toddler, since you're watching our baby now." Pete said, but Tom was already unconscious. 

Though Pete knew he probably would wake up if Jake started to have nightmare again.

So he felt better leaving Jake this time, especially since the way Jake was smiling in his sleep now, Pete was pretty sure he wouldn't be having any nightmares at least not tonight.

Once he returns to Bradley's room, he finds him having another nightmare.

Bradley is whining, tossing and turning in his bed while unconscious. And somehow despite the fact, that Bradley is now way taller than him, and literally has a mustache, mustache that Pete even helped to groom the past few days (or rather did all the work honestly), all Pete can see is toddler he once knew so well, having nightmare.

So Pete feels like asshole for leaving that toddler by himself even if it was just for few minutes, maybe half hour max.

He gets into bed with Bradley and tries to comfort him with snuggles, that definitely wouldn't be allowed if Bradley was conscious.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. Please gave me another chance. I'll be better." Bradley whimpers. "Please, don't leave me."

Oh, so this is nightmare about Goose, Pete thinks and he closes his eyes trying to stop his own tears.

"I'm sorry, baby Goose. I'm sorry, you don't have your daddy because of me." He whispered in Bradley's hair, his voice breaking. "If I could I would have died in his place." He's stroking his face, his hair, and giving him apologizing kisses, but it's not enough. "I swear I would switch our places if I could, and give you your real daddy back." Pete keep trying to rock Bradley to calm him down at least a little, but it's still not enough.

Pete is never enough

Bradley keep crying somehow even harder in his sleep. Pete should probably try to wake him up at this point, but he's worried that would just make things ever worse somehow.

Then Bradley makes such sad pathetic noise, that break Pete heart in half and he thinks 'But how can it be even worse?'

So with heavy sigh Pete decided he will try to wake up Bradley after all.

He can handle angry Bradley better than this unconscious sobbing mess probably.

Only before he can even begin suddenly Bradley started whine things that made Pete freeze.

"Please Papa, please. Don't let Daddy do this. I swear I'm good enough for Navy." Pete hand literally froze mid stroke on Bradley's cheek. "Please, I swear, I'm good enough for you guys." Bradley made some choking noise as if he heard some answer in that nightmare that made him cry even harder, and Pete is sure he started crying too at this point.  "Then I'll be better, Daddy. Please, I'll be better. I swear I can be better. I can be just as good as Jake. Please, don't get rid of me again. Papa please, don't make me leave. I just want to come home, please. Please, just love me again. Please-" At this point he just started wailing mostly and stopped saying anything that could be understood.

Fuck.

Pete was literally paralyzed, because while he knew that nightmares didn't always made sense, he also knew they usually came from somewhere.

And Pete suddenly had terrible feeling that he knew where this nightmare came from.

He did this.

Fuck.

Pete knew he messed up big time with how he went about pulling Bradley's application papers.

But apparently he didn't fucking even begin to realize how much he fucked everything up.

By trying to keep his promise to Carole, to protect Bradley, he apparently destroyed his kid, in totally different way.

Fuck.

Before he completely drowns in guilt, Bradley starts to choke out another apologizes, and saying how he'll try to be better.

So Pete literally slaps himself in face, hard, to force himself to get a grip.

He needs to fix this.

Chapter Text

Bradley woke up very disoriented.

He was in his childhood bedroom, but he wasn't on the floor like he should be. He was pretty sure he didn't made it to bed after all yesterday.

And not only he was in his childhood bed, somehow he also wasn't alone, because someone was hugging him from behind. (Or rather had dead grip on him.)

At first he though it could only be Jake, considering everything that happened yesterday, but the hands holding his hands were too rough to be Jake's and since that person was too small to be Tom or Jerry, that only left one possibility.

Mav was holding him in his sleep.

Bradley didn't know how he felt about it, only he didn't have time to focus on that, because he quickly realized he had way bigger problem.

He fucking pissed his bed, and he wasn't seventeen year old abused kid like Jake, so this was actually just fucking pathetic.

Especially since after Jake's accident they both got lecture on how they were supposed to wear that dumb medical underwear for at least two weeks after taking out catheters. Especially at night, but with everything that happened yesterday, that was literally last thing on his mind. 

And now he was paying the price, because this was just beyond mortifying. He, 22 year old guy, wet his bed with Maverick in it, so there a chance he got him wet him too.

He truly was such fucking looser, he couldn’t even blame Mav for not believing in him.

And he couldn't even escape bed, because somehow in his sleep Mav was holding him with strength that such tiny man definitely should not possess even when awake.

So cherry on top that embarrassing pie was that, he have to wake him up now.

Fuck, if ground could just swallow him it would be great.

Pete woke up by something gently pinching his hand.

“Mav, can you let me go?” Bradley asked in such quiet and sad voice, that it actually made Pete just hold him harder.

He wasn’t letting go of his kid, not ever again.

Especially since apparently Bradley was only honest while asleep, and he seemed awake now.

“Dad, the fuck. I said let me go. Please, I need to get out this bed." Now Bradley sounded so crestfallen and embarrassed, and Pete suddenly realized why. His 22 year old toddler had accident.

So as much as he didn't want to let go, he did it to spare Bradley’s more shame. And as soon as he let go of him, Bradley climbed out of bed, extremely fast. He was very pink in face.

“Do you need help in bathroom?” He automatically asked before he could think and Bradley let out such a funny and embarrassed squeak that Pete almost laughed. His son's pink face turned into red.

“I’m not Jake, I have two working hands.” He just said in weird sad tone before practically running out this room.

Pete just sighed and thought that maybe, he should have woke up Bradley up after all, when he was having his nightmare. Only once he realized what that nightmare really was about it was surprisingly easy to calm Bradley down, because suddenly he knew all the right words to say.

And honestly he wasn’t sure how to begin to fix this giant fail on his part, with awake Bradley.

He wanted to punch himself in face for not realizing what Bradley anger was masking the day he left.

He really should have seen that coming after all, insecure parents make insecure children. And between four of them Goose was probably only one who didn't have any issues with that, and Bradley had so little time with him. Too little to pick up his genuine confidence from him.

No, instead he picked up Pete’s own probably unhealthy ‘fake it till you make it, and if you can't fake it, get angry to hide it’ confidence.

Fuck. He really should have gone to therapy in 90s.

Pete get up, and started to strip bed sheet from bed, then he went and took it to their washing room.

Even if instead Pete kind of wanted to take them and throw them at Tom and actually force him to try to figure out their washing machine, only that could just kill Bradley from embarrassment, if he found out.

Bradley was low key considering trying to drown himself in bathtub.

Earlier he had plan.

Mostly his plan was to fight Mav, yes, but honestly?

If he was being really, really honest with himself deep down he foolishly hoped that if he would confront Mav now about papers then maybe he could get truth and maybe even some apologies.

Maybe they could put this behind them.

Only now he couldn’t fight Mav, because he is actually just fucking pathetic. And Mav was probably right in tying to stop him from going to Navy.

He was just too much of loser to actually belong to Navy. Mav just saw that, way earlier than Bradley could.

“Bradley, are you drowning in there?” Speaking of the devil.

“Yes, go away.” And because Mav always does opposite of what Bradley wants, he comes right into bathroom, as if that was a fucking invitation. He brought Brad’s change of clothes with himself as excuse probably.

“What happened to privacy? I’m fucking naked here.” Bradley says even thought he doesn’t really care about it, because he was mostly raised by two Navy guys, and military people are rather causal about nakedness usually, and Mav knows he doesn’t care, because he is one of Navy guys who raised him.

“You’re hiding in here, and we need to talk about papers now.” Mav says as he sits on closed toilet set.

Obviously the second Bradley doesn’t want to confront Mav about it, Mav confronts him instead.

And Bradley would try to drown himself if not for the fact that now Mav is here in this stupid bathroom he definitely wouldn’t let him do that.

“Really now?” Mav obviously ignores that question.

“Do you seriously think I did it because I thought you weren’t good enough?” Mav ask in weird tone, that Bradley don’t think he has ever heard him use before. This tone freaks out him, more then that question. “Or that was some way to get ride of you? To make you leave?”

Yes. Yes. YES.

Only Bradley doesn’t answers, because he can’t, because he is almost certain that if he opens his mouth he will just start crying, and that would be just beyond pathetic.

Only his dad apparently can still read him easily, because he just stares at him, before starting crying. “You actually do think that.” He says that in such heartbreaking tone, before hiding his face in his hands.

And Bradley is actually freaking out.

Because he imagined that fight/talk in his head countless times, but he never prepared for this kind of approach form Mav. And he definitely didn’t expect it to happened while he’s in fucking bath after he just had night accident like a fucking child.

“Did I say something in my sleep?” Bradley suddenly had realization, because he knows he talks in his sleep sometimes.

And in his first year at the University, he apparently was saying such pathetic things, that his roommate, that he didn’t get along at all, even asked him “Were you abused or something?” and even dared to say to him “Dude, you should consider therapy or something.”

Like really, fuck you Thomson.

Bradley catch him more than one time masturbating to some really weird anime shit. Thomson definitely needed therapy more them him!

(Damn, he really wished he could just pick and chose parts of his memories that he got back, then he could just never remember those things he saw Thomson watch on his computer, against his will like three times!)

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter Bradley. What’s matter-” Pete starts, but Bradley interrupts because he’s scared of what he might hear.

“You can’t use against guy, things he said in privacy of his own nightmare!”

“I’m not using this against you.” Pete actually gets up from that toilet, and goes to kneel in front of bathtub, like he used to do when Bradley was actual small child, taking a bath.

Bradley suddenly feels so nostalgic, he half expected his dad to whip out rubber duck or toy ship, and give it to him to play or something.

Only Pete just reached with his hand to grab Bradley’s face and force him into eye contact.

“Bradley, you mother made me promise her, I would do that. I didn’t want to do that, but I felt like I owned her that. It wasn’t for any of insane reasons you made in you head. I love you so much, I never would try to get rid of you. I swear it was only because of promise I made to my sister in all but blood, while she was on her dead bed.”

What.

The.

Fuck.

Bradley is crying now harder then Pete is, and despite the fact that Bradley is literally siting in bathtub full of water, Pete is worried he might dehydrate. He should have grabbed glass of water or anything else before starting this.

Or really waited for Bradley to get out, but he was probably not planning to came out that bathroom without getting forced. Since he was somehow way more embarrassed then Jake was about this whole bed wetting thing, but Pete really could give less fuck about one more bed accident, not while he just found out his kid spend last four years thinking he was unwanted and unloved.

“Why you didn’t tell me truth from the start?” That was good a question, and Pete answer to that question suddenly seemed so weak and stupid.

“I didn’t want you to be angry at her, or hate her. I thought it would be better if you would just hate me.” Carole definitely would rather be hated, then to have her kid think he was something to get rid of. “I would told you in heart beat if I thought for a second that you might come to such terrible conclusion.”

“So you were fine with me being gone, as long I would came to better conclusion?”

“No, baby, of course not. You know I never intended for you to find out about it.” The fact that Bradley found about out it, was mostly one badly timed voice message from Slider giving Mav kind of deserved shit after he found out, and one fishing trip cut short due to Tom’s migraine. “So I never thought I would have to worry about you being gone.”

“So you wanted to lie to me for my whole life?”

“I thought I would maybe told you once you got older.”

“How much older?” Bradley was glaring at him through his tears. “Were you planned on telling me by now?”

“I don’t know, Bradley. Honestly, I don’t remember much from what I was thinking back them, expect from the heartbreak after you left.”

“At least you knew what was really going on.” He expected another accusatory question, but instead of that, Bradley hugged his knees, and started crying even harder. “I didn’t even knew what was going on. I didn’t understand anything. I was not only heartbroken but also so fucking confused.”

Mav doesn’t know what to say to that. Not for the first time in his life, he wants a time-machine.

“I know and it’s my fault. I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t know what to think now. I think I need time to think.”

“It’s okay, take as much as time as you need.” He dares to gently squeeze Bradley arm.

“Okay, so can you like leave, so I can finish this bath? Water is cold already.”

“You sure you don’t need help?” He gets another glare for that question.

“Yes Dad, just get out.”

“Okay, I’ll leave on one condition.” Annoyed glare turns to confused blinking. “You will repeat one sentence after me.”

“What sentence?” Now confused blinking turns into suspicious look.

“I, Bradley Bradshaw, know that I'm extremely wanted and loved child by both of my gay dads.”

Pete gets slapped with water for daring to say that.

“You’re so fucking lame. I’m not saying that, get out!”

Part of him wants to argue, that he won’t leave until he hears that, but the water he got slapped with is actually quite cold, so kid really should get out of this bath.

“I’ll force you to say this by the end of today anyway.” He threatens as he leaves.

He hears happy snort as he closes the door, and he feels tiny bit lighter at least.

Bradley really doesn’t know what to think.

Expect for the fact that he is fucking dumb after all, for never ever considering possibility that his mom could have been involved in this somehow.

He considered so many possibilities, yet somehow never something that should have been so oblivious.

Hindsight is 20/20 after all.

He really doesn’t know what to think, so he just tries to focus on finishing this stupid bath and dressing up in clothes that Mav brought him.

Once he leaves bathroom, his dad is actually just outside the door leaning against the wall, with bottle of his fav water, that he handles him as soon as Bradley gets out.

“Did you were just standing outside like creepy stalker whole time?” He ask after drinking almost half of bottle in one go. He didn't even realized he was so fucking thirsty, before he started drinking.

“Yes, I won’t leave you alone until I heard that sentence.” The answer is so shameless, Bradley feels almost embarrassed.

“Now, I’m definitely not saying that.” And he’s not saying that, just because that excuse for having Mav near him, he’s not that lame and desperate! It’s about principles!

“Okay.” Mav gives him warm smile, that somehow makes Bradley feels even more embarrassed. “But it’s still early and I want to get some sleep, so you’re going to our bed with me, I guess. Unless-”

“I’m not saying that.” After he said that Mav just grabs his hand to led him into master bedroom.

Bradley was considering saying something, as they were entering bedroom only he go taken back by sight of giant penguin plush toy that Jake was hugging in his sleep.

It was rather hilarious sight because somehow Ice was almost falling of the bed, while penguin was lying in middle of it, as if he owned that bed.

“What is that, and were it came from?”

“Oh, that’s Iceman newest nemesis.” His dad answer is so serious, he had to blink twice. “He came from banishment from our walk-in closet.” Now he had to blink three times.

Someone has clearly lost their mind, in that four years that Bradley was gone.

“You guys really can't be left alone without supervision.” Bradley just said that as he lied next to penguin. “Because you go fucking insane.” He poked that thing to make sure it wasn't a real penguin because it did look suspiciously like a real thing, once he got closer to it.

“Yes, we can’t be left alone.” Mav got into bed next to him, and started to hug him. “So please, no matter what other stupid thing I might do in future, don't ever leave us alone again. We won’t survive losing you twice.” Mav almost whispered that last part and squeezed him harder.

And now Bradley had to start to hug that stupid plush too, like Jake, only from the other side. And he had to bury his face in his stupid plush fur to hide his tears.

Chapter Text

Jake woke up to sounds of crying.

He almost panicked, but then he realized it was just Bradley and Tom apologizing to each other rather dramatically, on the other side of bed, behind a large plush penguin.

Jake felt relief, maybe he won't have to kill Bradley after all. That was excellent news, because despite his own judgment, Jake grown extremely fond of his new stupid brother. 

He also realized that he was hugging that large penguin plushie? He wasn't complaining, but it was bit weird? Like where did that came from? 

And while Jake was trying to recall if he seen that plush before, he was also trying not to eavesdrop. Even it is shouldn't be called eavesdropping since they knew he was in bed, maybe on the other side but c'mon? It was just one plush penguin between them. And they weren't exactly quiet! But still it's felt like this conversation was very private, so Jake just decided to try to focus on weirdly realistic penguin plush that he didn't know were he came from.  Only he suddenly heard something that made him snort rather loudly, because he heard Bradley mumbled very embarrassed. "And I'm sorry, for calling you poopy head." 

After that snort suddenly attention of both man was on him, and he might have hidden behind penguin plush.

"Wow, eavesdropping. Very classy Jake." Bradley said, very judgy for someone who apparently was still using poopy head as insult at 22 year old.

"Bradley, it's not eavesdropping if we knew he was there." Thank you Pops, that's why you're mine favorite. "I'm sorry, did we woke you up, honey?"

"It's okay." He said and somehow his voice was the most hoarse out of three, and he was only one not crying. He felt bit embarrassed, because Bradley even snorted after hearing that. Tom flicked his ear gently for that. 

"Oh, Jakey. You should have some water." Ice handled him glass of water from bedside table, while Brad eye rolled behind him. 

Jake showed him tongue in response, the second Ice turned around.

"Oh, good you're all awake." Mav suddenly showed up. "Breakfast is ready." Then he moved to give forehead kiss to Bradley who didn't protest at all, and Jake felt even more relieved. Apparently that stupid papers drama got at least partially resolved. So he really, REALLY won't have to kill Bradley now. 

He felt so relieved by that, he didn't even have time to get jealous, before he got forehead kiss too. "Do you like penguin?" Mav asked him a smile, and Jake realized he didn't stop holding him since he woke up.

"Is it for me?" He asked probably a little too eager. He didn't want to assume, but also what could be other explanation?

Ice made kind of weird choking noise at that question, and Bradley looked at him like he was insane. Jake felt like he was missing something, but he chose to ignore that for now. Especially since Ice got up and said " I'm going to check on Jerry." Then he left rather quickly.

"It's mine, Jerry gave him to me few years ago, but I will give him to you, if you want to." Mav said after eye rolling at leaving Tom (Kind of suspicious but whatever, maybe Jake will find out what about it was later.) and then he ruffled Jake's hair. 

"What is his name?" Jake asked, because it's legit question! His dad shouldn't look so surprised at that question.

"Oh, I didn't actually named him. You-" Now that's was so disrespectful to penguin, Jake just had to interrupt his dad.

"Then I have to take him away from you. It's practically plush abuse not to name him after having him for years." Jake said and hugged penguin harder. He ALWAYS wanted to have one of those huge plush teddy bears as a kid, but his mom couldn't afford one, and then well, he had bigger problems. Now he wasn't letting opportunity to have giant plush toy pass him by. And the fact that it wasn't teddy bear, just made him more cool and unique, because Jake never saw huge penguin plush before. 

Bradley laughed, and Mav looked like he was trying not to laugh too, before speaking. "Kiddo, I was literally giving him to you anyway, you don't have to made excuses to steal him from me."

"That's not an excuse!" Maybe it was, but he won't admit that. "It's just very rude not to name him after so many years! I'm naming him Larry, so now he's officially mine." 

Mav hold his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I didn't know about it. I'm very sorry for being rude to Larry then." He then patted penguin in apology. 

Since he knew Mav was indulging him, Jake decided to be nice too. "It’s okay Dad, Larry forgives you."

“I’m glad Larry forgives me.” His dad gave Jake such warm smile that he just knew he was thinking something along lines that Jake was cute kid, and Jake was teenager, practically an adult so maybe he should be offended by that, but somehow he wasn’t.

Bradley obviously had to ruin the moment. "What kind name for penguin is Larry? Poor guy deserves something better after being nameless for so long."

And fine, it's was just first name that came to Jake mind, and he wasn't sure if he liked it completely, but now that Brad dared to judge that name, Jake was sticking to his guns!

"He's mine, so I get to chose his name!  And like you're the one to talk Brad-Brad!" 

“Kids, please-”

JS: Javy did you blabbed to Natasha already truth behind about accordion???
JS: DON'T GO TELLING HER NOW IF YOU DIDN'T 
JS: THIS IS LIFE OR DEATH 
JS: answer me
JS: JAVYYYYY
JS: please:(
JS: ILL KILL YOU 

JM: dude, chill I didn't have phone with me for like two hours max, why are you suddenly so dramatic and threatening me over this?

JS: DID YOU TELL HER OR NOT

JM: no, but now I'm really tempted, so you better explain fast

JS: DON'T YOY DARE 
JS: I'll literally kill you, and I think I have connections now to actually get away with that 

JM: you couldn't even kill spider in our room, I can't even pretend to be scared

JS: UNLIKE YOU HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG, 
JS: with you I WON'T HESITATE bitch!
JS: But seriously please don't tell her, it's beyond life and death actually 

JM: I'm not a dick, I'm not going to tell, but why are making this sound so dramatic, it's kind of funny story 

JS: Brad got his memories back, and apparently he also didn't understand my sarcasm and he thought it was kind of sweet, I wanted to learn to play accordion, so as far as everyone knows I'm going to be weird guy who wanted to play accordion, now I really don't have any other choice now

JM: WHAT THE FUCK DUFE
JM: he got his memories back and you're talking to me about accordion 

JS: I just explained to you how it's connected???

JM: DON'T FUCK WITH ME
JM: HE DIDN'T TRY TO KILL YOU?

JS: not directly, he just screamed at me a little, but we ended up breaking word most expensive whisky, and I almost had heart attack because of that 
JS: we're good now tho 

JM: YOU GUYS destroyed Dalmore The Kildermorie?!?! That was sold for £25,877.50!!!!!

JS: WTF how do you know that? Is there some kind of secret club were you learn facts about whisky? And I wasn't invited?

JM: You know my grandparents own fancy liquor store
JM: But besides that, are you alive?

JS: I'm literally texting you stupid

JM: I mean my parents would kill me if I destroyed something that expensive 

JS: Honestly it's was mostly Bradley fault, and he offered to pay it back to Ice, but he said he's giving him a pass considering circumstances with amnesia and shit 
JS: I think he was kind of more mad about Bradley screaming at me than whisky honestly.

JM: wow 
JM: You're really favorite child and you literally just got there 
JM: as a fellow oldest child I think I'm almost offended on Brad's behalf.

JS: Heyyy, you're supposed to be my friend first :((((

JM: I AM, but you deserve some shit for that blatant favoritism towards Bradshaw 

JS: huh????

JM: I don't get your sarcasm about accordion and I got called stupid multiple times. Bradley doesn't get it, and suddenly you want to be known as the weird guy who dreamed of playing the accordion!

JS: wait, are you jealous?
JS: you are!

JM: no

JS: it took you way too long to replay, you're are actually jealous over me!!! 
JS: Awww Javy 

JM: NO I'M NOT 

JS: don't worry, I actually choose you. I'm stuck with Bradley kind of against my will, because he came with Ice as package 

JM: I'M NOT JEALOUS BECAUSE OF BRADSHAW 

JS: wow I don't think I ever had anyone actually be jealous over me. 

JM: Jake, that's actually kind of sad and fucked up. You wanna walk about it? And I'm only being half sarcastic 

JS: shut up! That's why I like Bradley BETTER!!!! 

JM: you little shit, WHAT HAPPENED TO I CHOOSE YOU! 

JS: I WAS JUST TRYING TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER! 

JM: I see lying is family trait with you guys 

JS: that's the best insult you got? You're losing your touch 

JM: I'm tried, since I had to play with my baby cousins, leave me alone
JM: and seriously don't worry I won't tell Natasha about accordion, or anyone. If you really want to be weird accordion guy, go ahead.

JS: good, thank you 

JM: but can I tell her that he got his memories back? Or maybe you tell her I guess, or Bradshaw really?

JS: shit, I don't know, there was and still is some family drama getting resolved, so we didn't really talked about it but I think I should ask him first? 

Jake looks up his phone. 

He was lying on couch with his legs in Mav's lap, who was stroking his calf with one hand, and holding Bradley with other, the same way he was holding Jake earlier too, before he changed position to text Javy in privacy. (Because he kind of trusted now Mav to respect his privacy, but he wasn't sure if he could trust Bradley in that regard. Especially since Jake himself would definitely be looking at Brad's text messages if situation was reversed.)

There was something boring on TV, that nobody really was watching.

Tom and Jerry were gone, because they were send grocery shopping, since yesterday for obvious reasons trip wasn't successful.

"Can I talk to Bradley alone?" Jake finally asked. 

Both Mav and Bradley blinked few times, clearly taken back by that question. They looked so alike in that moment, it's was funny.

It was also so obvious that Mav wanted to say no.

"Dad I'm not going to get my memory back for second time. I won't do anything stupid, I promise. I won’t even look at Papa’s whisky." Bradley said kind of embarrassed, since he also realized that Mav wanted to say no.

"Okay." Mav finally said rather hesitantly. "I'll go start making dinner then."

He left so slowly, as if he was giving them chance to take that back.

"Are you trying to give him heart attack?" Bradley asked as soon as they were alone. 

Jake chose to ignore that question. "Why is dad hovering over you so much, like he literally hasn't left you alone since morning?"

Bradley blushed a little. "I mean, I just got my memories back?"

Jake narrowed his eyes at him. "I don't think that all there is to that." 

"Ok, fine. He's trying to get me to say something stupid. It's not important. Is this what you wanted to talk about, really?" Jake thought that whatever it was, it was probably important and probably very interesting, but he actually needed to ask him about Natasha so he dropped this for now at least.

"You're avoiding your phone." Jake decided to start indirectly, because he wasn't sure how to approach this subject directly.

And stupid Bradley actually had audacity to roll his eyes at him. "I don't have my phone dummy, because it got literally destroyed in car crash."

"You know what I mean, Bradley. Your brand new phone, that you just got from Santa." 

Bradley's eye twitched at that Santa comment, but he didn't actually say anything about it. (Jake is going to get out of someone sooner or later how old was Bradley when he stopped believing in Santa.) 

"I don't really have anyone's number on that phone." And wow, that excuse was so lame, Bradley wasn't even trying to sell it. Not really. 

"I could give you Natasha number, and she probably have numbers of at least half your other friends."

And bingo. Jake knew Bradley was kind of avoiding talking to Natasha, he could tell it by his face, even before his avoidant answer. "Brat, why are you suddenly so interested in my social life?"

"Javy asked me if he can tell her you got your memory back."  At Bradley's confused face he added. "Apparently they got very close since, we ended up in hospital. Trauma bonding or something." 

Bradley seemed to be digesting that information for a minute, before sighing. "I know, I should be the one to tell her, but she's going to be so pissed at me." 

Jake snorted. "Yeah, probably." 

"Little shit, you're not helping." Bradley snorted too, while flipping him lazy bird.

Despite that Jake decided to be nice, and confess something. "You know, I was scared to tell her you have amnesia, and she wasn't mad."

Bradley just looked confused. "Why would you be scared to tell her that. Dummy it's wasn't your fault."

"You really don't blame me at all?" Jake had to ask again, because Bradley reassured him of that before, but it was while he still had amnesia, so it did not count completely.

Suddenly before he could blink, he got manhandled into tight hug. "Of course not, Jakey." Bradley kissed his hair and Jake melted into that hug a little.

They were sitting like that for a while before Jake spoke. "If you want I'll talk to Natasha for you." 

Bradley burst into laughing. "Thank you for offering, but if I ever reach that level of pathetic were I need my little brother to talk for me to my friends, I'll shot myself." 

And the funniest thing is (in fucked up way), with everything that happened Jake literally forgot what day it was, so he probably wouldn't even make that connection until much later. But somehow Bradley did realize what today was almost right away after making that joke.

"Shit, Jake I didn't mean to, I’m sorry." Jake literally was confused for a second. "And I made that stupid joke, on literal day your dad killed himself. Fuck, I'm so sorry."

Suddenly a muffled sound of surprise was heard behind the kitchen door. But Jake didn't have time to focus on fact that Pete was clearly eavesdropping on them (Jake couldn't even blame him with how dramatic last time they were left alone ended, especially since it was literally yesterday.)

Because wow, Jake literally forgot today was anniversary of his biological father suicide, but somehow Bradley did remember that despite the fact that Jake mentioned that literally once in his presence. 

Between remembering that and Jake mentioning accordion that one time, Jake thought, that Bradley didn't really do things halfway. He literally remembers nothing or remembers everything.