Desmond groaned at the feel of Alex's tongue in his mouth, mapping out everything all the way to his tonsils, it seemed, and geez, that man's hands were doing wonderful and wicked things on his torso and to his nipples. He couldn't help but moan again when that hand, that wonderful, wicked hand attached to his hip, and he could feel the tentacles form, wrapping all up his stomach and just the feel of the virus against his skin was enough to turn him into a pile of moaning goo.

And when the door opened, he didn't even hear because he was more concerned about keeping that kiss going as he grabbed Alex's head to keep him from pulling back. Especially because he was human, and Alex was not, and Alex didn't need oxygen like he did, so he had no reason to stop kissing him and yet—he couldn't stop the pitiful whimper that left his lips when that tongue left his mouth. He stared, dazed, at his lover, trying to get him to look back at him and bring back those wonderful tentacles that were retreating.

"Do you never knock before entering?"

He blinked, trying to figure out who Alex was speaking to as he ran his hands down his lover's chest, resting his head against the wall.

"Desmond, get your ass out here."

He blinked, the cursed wholeheartedly and smashed his head against the wall. The last thing he needed right now was Altair cockblocking him. He grunted, looking toward his brother and scowling.

"What do you need me for?"

"Dinner."

"Dinner?"

"To cook."

"You can cook!"

"We all prefer your cooking."

He groaned in frustration, the hard-on he had was almost painful. His brothers had always interfered in his relationship, and he was getting sick of it. At this point, he was willing to take a dig at himself.

"Can't it wait just a few more seconds? That's all I'll need."

He could feel Altair raise an eyebrow, and he shook his head. "Not unless you want Connor to start crying."

"At this point, I'm gonna say—"

"No, you will not let Connor start crying, and you know he prefers you to me since he is, after all, your son."

"Oh, shove it. All I want to do is get laid, you damn bastard. Do you have to cockblock me three years straight now?"

"Desmond, I'm simply looking out for the family. Now get your ass in gear and go make us dinner."

Desmond bristled. His balls were already beginning to get sore. "What am I, a woman?"

"By the whorish behavior I just saw? Yes."

Desmond hissed, stepping out of the room when Alex stepped back. He paced out, adjusting his pants and growling as he felt his lover practically glued to his back. He was so incredibly turned on and just Alex's mere presence was enough to make his balls hurt even worse because he could smell the man behind him, and he'd be damned if that wasn't intoxicating.

"Pfffffft, you look a little wound up, brother!" Ezio said, grinning cheekily as he bent over stiffly to scoop up Connor.

They had been playing with his son's wind up, jumping squirrel. How ironic. He sent Ezio a withering glare, reaching down to adjust his pants again as the ache in his balls made itself even more well known. The littlest one, three years of age, tucked his head under Desmond's chin, sucking on his thumb and holding the hand-stitched blanket with a wolf running through the forest on it. Desmond had made it for him when he took a sewing course at the request of his best friend, Lucy, who didn't want to be alone.

"You know, I bet you must be really hungry," Ezio said, walking along behind him, grinning.

"Hungry, please," Connor murmured, nestling further into his arms as he walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, yes, Connor," Ezio said cheekily. "Hungry just like your daddy, right?"

"Hungry Desmond," Connor said quietly, and Desmond was just about ready to punch his younger brother.

Desmond kissed his kid on the head and set him down on the counter as he reached around his crotch carefully to adjust his pants, groaning in frustration when he brushed his dick and felt that painful jolt through his blood and balls. Alex looks royally pissed, sitting at the table. Altair came in, sitting across from his lover and starting up a glaring match. By the time he was done fixing dinner, his balls were still ghosted with serious pain, but at least his erection was gone, and he was going to murder Altair for stopping him from release earlier. He'd have to have a serious session with his hand in the shower tonight.

As the others began to eat, Alex reclining in the seat and watching Desmond, he helped Connor with his dinner as he cleaned and ate standing up. He could feel Alex's eyes on him, and he was still so wound up that he had to fight himself to keep from getting it up again. He ate quickly, and as he was getting ready to rendezvous with Alex back upstairs in the bathroom, he was dismayed to see Connor reaching at him.

"Bath, please."

He sighed. "Can Ezio give you one?"

Connor looked thoroughly confused as if that wasn't even an option. Reluctantly, he said farewell to Alex, bathed the little boy, and put him to bed before he took a shower of his own and beat off, still feeling those hands and tentacles on him and smelling that utterly enticing scent. He felt so much more relaxed as he watched his sperm go down the drain and then got out. He wrapped a towel around his waist and exited into the hallway, only to be met by Ezio.

"You look much more relaxed," he said with a charming smile.

Desmond shoved him out of his way, rolling his eyes. "The last thing I need is your commentary about my sex life. It's already bad enough Altair is there to ruin it all the time."

"Oh, come on, Desmond. You know that I love you, right?"

"Then keep Altair away when Alex has his hand down my pants, and we'll all be good."

Ezio snorted. "But brother, it's so much more fun this way."

"Maybe for you."

And as he fell asleep, he could only dream of Alex. So he woke up with the biggest morning wood he'd ever had, he exhaled dreamily, still feeling those hands on him, and he slipped a hand into his pajama bottoms, gripping his dick firmly and exhaling softly as his hips jerked up into the touch. He then pulled his hand back out, pulling out the lubricant tucked neatly behind his bedstand, wedged between the stand, the bed, and the wall. Squirting some of the lubricant into his hand, he groaned when he re-wrapped his hand around his dick and began to move it slowly, trying to keep his groaning quiet. His hips jerked into his grip as he squeezed lightly, running his thumb against the head and swallowing his moan. It didn't take long before he was dancing on the edge of orgasm, and with a low groan and an arch of his back, he came over his fingers, feeling the shiver of release down his spine as he exhaled, his body relaxed despite the mess in his pajama bottoms. He was satisfied to just let his body hum with contentment as he wiped his hand off with his clothes.

And then he heard the quiet knock followed by the, "Hungry, please."

He sighed, running a hand through his shaggy hair that he needed to cut. "Come on in, baby."

He heard a brief scrabble, then the door clicked open, and he looked to see Connor come in with his blanket and a wolf plushie they had gotten at the zoo. He smiled and lifted his boy onto the bed. The boy's hair looked like a hockey player's and was several inches longer than his own and looked the most Native American of them all. Altair and he were full-blooded Arabs, and Ezio was half Italian, and Connor had Mohawk blood in him. Truth be told, he didn't even remember when he slept with a young Native American woman, but the DNA testing has pointed to the truth when the baby appeared on their doorstep almost three years ago with a note saying, "Uh, hey, he's your problem now. Thanks for the good time, but keep the kid. It's a pity we didn't work out. Thanks." Connor yawned, settling beside him and curling in close as he cuddled with his animal and blanket.

"Hungry, please."

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around him and kissing his head. The boy looked up at him with a smile, and he slowly got up to go fix the kid breakfast (after briefly telling him that he needed to use the bathroom and get dressed). He held Connor on his hip as he walked down into the kitchen. Altair was sitting there, still waking up, and Desmond rolled his eyes as he made him some coffee and sunny-side up eggs. He made Connor some bacon, handing several pieces to Altair as he left for his job. It wasn't fair, he mused, that Altair had both a fiancée and a boyfriend (who was also married to another young lady), and he couldn't even enjoy some alone time with his lover. He felt almost as if Altair was afraid of him moving out and losing the help he needed to take care of their younger brother (he never helped with his kid) while he finished arranging his marriage. He drove Ezio to school, and then returned to take care of Connor for the day, enjoying his one day off from the bar. Nevertheless, he was pleasantly surprised when Alex showed up at his doorstep and greeted him with a hungry kiss.

"Is the youngest rugrat around?" he murmured.

"Yeah," he said with a chuckle as he turned around. "No fun today. But maybe tonight."

He shook his head at the disheartened look he knew he was getting as he felt those arms wrap around his waist and that incredibly warm body press against his back. He exhaled softly, bring his arms up to wrap them around Alex's neck as the virus pressed kisses against his skin. It was nice that Alex was willing to indulge him in a fantasy occasionally. His eyes slid closed as he relaxed into Alex's hold, not really noticing when he felt him move him forward and heard him close the door. Those fingers split into tentacles, and he moaned quietly at the feel of them against his skin. He felt him kiss up to his earlobe, and it felt so nice after having to use his hand to have his lover nibble at his ear and touch him. He heard Alex chuckle at his contented hum, and he opens his eyes to see Connor standing there, his head cocked to the side as his blanket was held up by the arm with the thumb in his mouth, and the wolf in his other hand. He blushed, dropping his arms from Alex's neck.

"Why do that, please?"

He coughed, and Alex stopped nibbling at his ear, rolling his eyes at the child as he let go. Desmond squatted down and scooped Connor up as they walked to the couch.

"Because I love him."

"Why, please?"

"Because I can."

The little boy was silent, and he watched as his kid grew deep in thought, or whatever was the equivalent of "deep in thought" for a three-year-old. He felt Alex chuckle as he leaned against him.

"I may not be human, but it's not normal for a kid to be so serious about something like this."

Desmond smiled softly as the little boy gave up thinking and leaned back, against his chest, and was content just to cuddle. He wasn't all that high-energy for a three-year-old, and he wasn't going to be surprised if Connor fell asleep against his chest. He almost wished he were a woman so that he could have something a little more comfortable for him to rest his head on, but he supposed that it was well enough that he was far from muscular. He kissed his kid's head, rubbing his back as he started singing him an Arabic lullaby his mother had used to sing to him. Connor was out within minutes, and a comfortable silence fell over the three of them as he closed his eyes, finally letting the interrupted relaxing from after the morning's jack off session catch up to him.

When he woke up again, he felt refreshed, and the power nap was an excellent decision. He hummed quietly, feeling tendrils resting on his stomach, and several on his shoulders, giving him a massage. It was heavenly, he decided as he felt Connor move in his lap. He could feel Alex looking, and he tilted his head back to kiss him gently. It was already established between them that his lover had absolutely no desire for sex, but that was fine with him because he knew what Alex ate, and he was more than eager to milk Desmond of whatever he could get. Still, the man was willing to indulge in a "relationship" of sorts, and that was fine with him because if he could ever actually get laid, things would be perfect. And he wasn't even asking for something regular, either, just once and he'd be fine because he had other worries to be concerned with—like his son. Especially with Altair's marriage coming up and his (not so subtle) panic about the marriage and at the thought of someone taking Desmond away from the house, his son getting old enough for daycare, and the tight budget they were on, he didn't need anything more. It was incredible how much his libido had changed, and if his brother wouldn't interrupt them when he was so wound up, he wouldn't even be thinking about sex.

He rested an arm on top of the tendrils on his stomach, the kiss leisurely and relatively pure. He was so happy Alex had dropped by, and when he stopped the kiss to check on what Connor was doing, he found his kid watching them, taking it all in as the crayons and the paper in his lap sat forgotten. Desmond was a little surprised when another tendril pushed his chin back toward him, and he felt their lips brushing.

The kiss was slow; it was leisurely, and it was everything Desmond remembered from his teenage-years' "relationships" and those crappy romantic movies he watched with Adha while Altair was out. He almost wished he could take it a step farther, but Connor was in his lap and still watching. With a lick of his lips and a soft sigh, he pulled back, smiling.

Connor was busy coloring. "Why—" he made smooching noises, similar to Desmond and Alex's "—please?"

"He doesn't understand the meaning of that word, does he?"

Desmond chuckled. "No, he doesn't. And Connor, we kiss because we love each other."

"Why love, please?"

He was silent for a moment before he sighed. "I can't really explain it, Connor."

The boy was silent for a minute before turning to look at him. Desmond raised an eyebrow at the look he was given before the little boy frowned. "Love me, please?"

Desmond blinked, then laughed and smiled, hugging Connor tightly. "Of course, kiddo! How could I not love you?"

He blew a raspberry on the boy's neck and laughed at the giggle he got as the youngest tried valiantly to escape. He wrapped his arms around him and tickled his sides, causing the child to struggle harder, laughing and giggling as he tried to get away. Finally, he relented, and two tiny hands were planted on his chest, and he was met with an extremely serious face.

"No, please."

He chuckled, and he could feel Alex chuckling behind him. Connor gave them both a stern look before turning back around, tidying up the mess his struggling made, and getting back to drawing. When he tried to peek over his shoulder, he was blocked by a stern look from his son. He watched him draw hunched over, and that comfortable silence came back before he felt a tendril turning his head. He blinked at Alex's serious gaze, and then there were lips covering his, and he felt as if he were going to melt. He placed one hand on Alex's thigh, pressing just a little closer but careful not to get too excited with Connor in his lap. The boy was humming softly to himself, a melody entirely his own, and he felt himself smiling into the kiss. The hand on Alex's thigh came up to run along his neck, feeling the virus squirm beneath his fingers before he cupped his cheek to keep him kissing.

He eventually pulled back when he felt Connor tug at his sleeve. He looked and saw the picture that he had drawn. It was of three poorly-drawn people, hardly classifiable as stick-figures but beautiful nonetheless, and the smallest one was in the middle of the other two, who were banging heads with the tiny thing. Desmond blinked, then smiled as he realized it was of him and Alex kissing him.

"Is this all three of us?"

Connor nodded, pointing to one with thick, black semi-arms. "Alex."

He smiled and kissed the boy's head, unable to resist kissing his nose when he smiled at him. "Does this go on the refrigerator? Or does it get hung up on the walls?"

"Daddy room."

He chuckled. "Of course it would be."

He kissed Connor's cheek, loving the smile he got.

"Are you hungry? It's lunchtime."

"Hungry, please."

He had Alex fetch him a frame from the stash he kept upstairs for masterpieces Connor would create. The house was slowly going to be filled with his artwork, Desmond would make sure of it. He had no idea who gave birth to him, or if the DNA charts were actually correct, but Connor was his, and he was going to cherish him and everything he did—especially since the boy had no mother, and he didn't remember his. He simply hoped that when his boy got older, he would forgive him for messing around with his mother and not getting married to her. He had checked around for the birth certificate, and when he found it, he didn't even recognize the woman's name. Hopefully, he could have his son's forgiveness.

He pulled out some pepperoni, cheese slices, and crackers. He fetched the picture as Alex came back down with a frame, and he thanked him before walking into the kitchen with his lover. He pulled out the back of the frame and set about adjusting the picture. Alex started making sandwich towers with Connor, who was trying to teach him that there were two pepperonis on every cracker with one slice of cheese per cracker. He didn't say it out loud, but the soft, amused look on his lover's face as he formed his fingers into tentacles to continually "accidentally" mess up the sandwiches was just one of many reasons he hadn't given up on Alex and found someone else.

Still, his little boy was patient, and when he finally got fed up, he made Alex a cracker sandwich and tried to feed it to him. Alex accepted it, making it look as if he was chewing, and he blinked when he felt a tendril under the table prodding at his leg. He looked to see the sandwich being offered out, and as Alex distracted his son with how he didn't know if he liked it, Desmond popped the cracker in his mouth. He finished with the picture, and he held it up.

"There. I'll put it up in my room tonight."

He watched as Connor forewent trying to get Alex to eat another and examined the picture in its frame slowly. Desmond smiled, waiting for his son's approval before he set it down on the table. The rest of the day was passed with Connor and Alex, and he couldn't help but feel right at home as he ended up watching a Nature special on public television about wolves in Chernobyl. He hardly blinked when Altair got home, his fiancée walking in with him. Good. He'd be off cooking duty tonight since she usually cooked when she was over to save him the pain. He loved her—probably more than Altair. Adha was a blessing. He watched as his baby turned just briefly to watch her enter and hid from her greeting, just to get distracted by the wolves howling.

"Is he still that shy around me?"

"What can I say, Adha? He knows a gorgeous woman when he sees one."

Adha laughed, walking into the kitchen with her soon-to-be husband.

"Has Alex been here all day?" Altair asked.

"Yup," Desmond responded, not even bothering to look up from the show.

Connor was nestled in his arms contentedly, his wolf in his arms and his blanket across his lap. He sighed. He just wanted to stay at home with his boy for the evening, but his shift started at six, and he had to work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. With a kiss to his boy's head, he transferred the little man over to Alex's lap and walked upstairs, changing into the bartending uniform and walking down stairs.

"No work, please."

He winced at the bottom of the stairs. Every time, it was always the same.

"Kiddo, I have to go to work. We need money."

"Altair money."

"Altair's getting married, baby," he murmured, walking over and kissing his head.

He shouldn't have gotten that woman pregnant. He wanted to give up everything and just stay home with his little boy (that was how he knew, deep down, that Connor was his—the connection there that he had heard formed between a child and the parent). He used to work all the hours he could get, but now he was considering looking into a job at McDonald's or something just so that he could have normal hours. It was looking more and more appealing by the day. Connor gave him a kiss on the cheek and had Alex hold him as he walked off to the bar. He promised himself to decide where to work soon.

And yet, he mused as he pocketed another huge tip at the bar, he wasn't sure he could give his job up. There was too much money he was pocketing, on top of what he paid Altair just to be nice and help earn his keep atop of whatever chores he could do for him to make the stress load easier. He blew a kiss at a young woman who was winking at him before sliding her drink across the table and going to serve the regular at the far corner of the bar.

"'Bout damn time."

Desmond snorted. "Don't get your panties in a knot, Heller. We all know you're here for the main attraction."

He winked at the man and sent him a sultry look before turning to serve a party of girls at the far end of the bar. He chatted them up a bit before being whisked away. He couldn't complain, he mused, as he pocketed another tip after separating the bill. Of course, that could be because the guy was already piss drunk from the bartender before him. He had never seen someone so grateful he had given up most of his hours, and still bitch about not working enough. Desmond worked the night shift three nights a week, and that was it. The guy needed to shut up. Of course, he still made a large chunk of money working the most popular nights of the week at the club.

He worked quickly and efficiently until the closing time at two in the morning, cleaning the last of the glasses as the bouncer escorted the last of the people out. Heller was leaning on the counter, given special clearance to keep him company as he cleaned. The man watched him move as he tallied everything up.

"Make a good haul tonight?" he asked after Desmond re-pocketed the tips.

"Yeah. I did," he murmured.

"You're a bit off tonight," Heller mentioned.

Desmond chuckled. "I'm thinking about quitting. I wanna be with my boy, you know?"

Heller looked upset. "Yeah, I knew that feeling before the Infection."

Desmond winced. He knew about the Infection. He had lived through it. "Lose'm in the…"

There was a heavy silence, and he shook his head. He couldn't imagine losing Connor.

"Then why are you here and not out combing the scene?" Desmond murmured, setting his towel down to dry.

"Like you said, I'm here for the main attraction."

Desmond raised an eyebrow at him. Heller was giving him a fragile grin, and he figured there was something more behind him just randomly coming to the bar every night. Heller was a good guy from what he had found out, and he might just have to introduce Connor to him.

"The main attraction, hm?" he said with a pleased smirk.

"The alcohol."

He snorted, throwing his towel at him. "Dickhead."

"Where you thinking of quitting to?"

"I dunno. A warehouse. A restaurant. Somewhere with normal hours so I can raise Connor right."

"You're a good man, Desmond. Not many guys would trade in something like this for their kids."

Desmond sighed, dusting the floor. "That's just the thing, James. I don't know if I want to quit. I like the money I get here, and since I can pay Altair unofficial rent and still spoil my boy rotten, I'm not sure I want to. I just… I don't want to leave him in Alex's hands—not because I don't trust him, but because I want to be the one in Connor's life."

"I thought you said you weren't even aware he was yours when he was dropped off."

"Doesn't matter. I've raised him for three years now. That's more than enough time to get attached to a kid."

"It is pretty good when you have a kid."

Desmond grinned at him as he swept dirt into a pile. "Course, I was always teased for being more in tune with my emotions than my buddies. Probably came from raising Ezio, too, since Altair was so serious."

"You want me to walk with you home? We can pick up some of those applications. Make it a more real expectation."

"I've already got them at home. I just need to decide what I'm gonna do."

"Warehouse or restaurant?"

"Probably a warehouse. I'd be of more use there, lifting stuff and shit."

Heller snorted. "Working the heavy machinery."

"I've got a few warehouses in mind. I'll set up a meeting tomorrow, I suppose."

"Sounds like a plan."

"I'd offer to let you meet Connor, but he should still be asleep."

"Who'd you leave him with, again?"

"My partner, Alex."

"Alex?"

Desmond looked at Heller from the corner of his eye as he continued his cleaning. "Alex Mercer."

He saw Heller tense. "You keep that germ—"

"Can it, James. I don't care what you think. He's a good guy, and he's learning. He makes Connor smile, and that's all I could ask for."

"You realize it was Mercer who was in charge of the second infection wave."

"Yeah, yeah, I do."

"How long have you known him?"

"A couple years now. It took a bit, but he's a cool guy—and those tentacles are awesome."

Heller looked deep in thought for a while before he snorted. "You're messed-up, kid."

He grinned at the man. "Shove it, James. Alex is good for Connor, and he's a good man."

"I don't agree with that."

"A lot of people don't. Doesn't matter to me. I feel safer leaving Connor with Alex rather than leaving him in a daycare or with my bro."

He swept the dirt into a dustpan and emptied the dustpan into the trash before putting it away. With a sigh, he looked out at the empty club.

"I'm gonna miss the money."

"But you miss your kid more," Heller said, and Desmond nodded.

"Yeah… I mean, this would be fine if I actually stayed at home with Connor all the time, but I don't, and I put him in daycare most days just to have him interact with kids his age, you know? Get him out and used to people. He's such a quiet kid."

Heller nodded. "Makes sense."

Desmond jerked his head toward the door, and he followed Heller out to lock the bar up. He paused in the brisk night air, and the Marine looked at him. He started walking off, pleasantly surprised when Heller walked beside him.

"There's a warehouse not too far from here that I'm connected with. I could pull some strings for you if you want."

He nods, grinning. "That'd be great. I can give them a call tomorrow, if you know the number."

Heller continued to talk to him about the various warehouses as they walked to his house, and Desmond took it all in good stride. Altair wasn't going to be too happy, but he would be happy, and he would get to spend the weekends with his baby boy instead of in bed asleep. As he pulled out his key to get into the house, Alex opened the door, and Desmond swore shit was gonna go down between his partner and Heller. He stepped out of the way when he saw the hateful glares and felt the air get tense enough to snap.

"And how in Hell did you get back here?" Heller hissed, and Alex smirked, not answering as he shot out two tentacles to catch the little kid running out of the house.

"Connor?"

Desmond furrowed his brow as Alex handed him over. The little boy yawned mightily and hugged him.

"Daddy," he murmured.

Desmond looked at Alex and scowled. "Did you let him stay up?"

His partner shook his head. "No. He woke up a little bit ago saying he had a dream you were eaten by a large, black guy who turned into a monster."

He didn't miss the self-satisfied smirk Alex threw at Heller as Connor settled down in his arms, already asleep. He sighed as he rubbed his kid's back.

"You have a lot to learn, Heller," Alex growled. "You were at the top of the food chain, but you're still an inexperienced predator."

He kissed Connor's head and sighed. "I'm going to put him to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, James, after I call the companies."

He pushed past his partner and walked to his boy's room, tucking him in and kissing his head when the child stirred. He sang Conner a lullaby to calm his nerves before kissing his head and leaving to go to his own bed. He pulled off his uniform and flung it on the floor before climbing in and yawning, sprawled out under the covers and closing his eyes. He needed to wake up early enough to drop Connor off at the daycare and Ezio at school before returning home to nap. As he drifted off, he swore he could hear Heller and Alex fighting.

One more cute scene:

Desmond stood at the wedding as Altair's best man, keeping one eye on Connor, who had proven himself well-behaved enough to warrant standing by his father according to his twin. Connor looked so serious in his tiny tux, watching with a wide-eyed expression and his little pillow the rings were brought up on clutched in his arms. The wedding was gorgeous, and Adha looked so beautiful in her wedding dress. The cathedral was ornate and decorated tastefully, and Desmond was so excited that Adha would be a part of their family. Still, he was waiting for that one thing that would go wrong.

And when he heard the squeaking, he knew what it was. He caught in the corner of his eye a mouse scampering along, and he prayed it wouldn't get any closer because then Connor would notice it. Granted, he had never seen a three-year-old so gifted with animals in all his life, but he didn't need him getting bitten by a wild field mouse during his brother's wedding. He could hear Malik cough behind him, and Ezio snigger, and he knew the mouse was getting closer. The squeaking was getting louder, and he saw his kid looking at it.

He almost didn't see his son stoop over and catch the mouse in his tiny little hands. He winced and went to pry the mouse away when he saw Connor raise a finger to his lips. The mouse was squeaking and squirming, and he saw Altair and Adha, as well as the priest, look over, and his son noticed too. The boy looked as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and he shushed the mouse again. He crouched beside his son, only to see him stuff the mouse in his tux pocket. He watched the nose peek out, and the paws rest on the edge of the pocket.

"Okay. He'll be quiet. Go ahead."

Desmond straightened with a sigh, and the priest started up again.

Sure enough, the damn mouse was silent the entire time, and Connor insisted on taking the mouse, which was still in his pocket, home after the reception.