A/N: Many appologies for any spelling or grammar mistakes; I'll try to get them sorted ASAP.

"It was a dark and stormy night... Well of course it was!" Greg exclaimed in his normal voice. "What kind of storm takes place in broad daylight?! I defies what a storm is if it does, storms requires clouds and you know what that means... goodbye sunshine, hello darkness. When it's night it's dark. When it's stormy it's dark and therefore, as we've already extensively established that it must be dark to have a storm, some stupid people would instantly assume it's night. I mean for all we know it could be 5pm for crying out loud."

A boy giggled loudly.

"What kind of shit story is this anyway?" Greg said turning the book in his hand. "Who the hell is this Michelle O'Donnell anyway?! Some failled Irish author who's now resorted to stupid cliches to push the book past the editor and the publisher? She was probably drunk when she wrote this you know. Michelle... what a hookers name, a desperate attempt by her parents to give her a cool name so she didn't get teased for her red hair at school. You know she's probably some backstreet dominatrix now, being paid by de-suited businessmen so they can call her Mistress and be spanked by the only other sold copy of this book that she pathetically bought herself to boost sales." He said tossing the book across the room.

The boy a his side was now curled against him in uncontrollable fits of laughter.

"Greg!" Allison called in a gentle yet slightly annoyed tone.

Jon giggled as his laughter subsided a little. "You're in for it now, Dad."

"Shh, don't tell your mother!" He whispered tightening his arm around his son. "... so the locals gave them a ride up to the spooky house on the hill. And I don't want to ever hear about you getting into a car with stangers..." Greg said in an overly parental tone.

"Everything okay boys?" Allison asked appearing at the doorway.

"Dad ditched the book claiming the author's real profession was a dominatrix."

Allison rolled her eyes. "Greg." She said in an annoyed tone.

"Now you're in for it boy." Greg said turning on his son and tickling his little sides wickedly. "I'm going to show you a scary picture of your mom naked for that treachery!"

"NOOOOO! I wanted a scary story not to be scarred for life." Jon protested.

"Traitor!" Greg cried, not relenting on his tickling torture.

"Mom's scarier than you." He gasped between laughter.

"And she's even scarier naked!"

"Noooooo!" Jon wailed. "Mom!"

"No one is seeing me naked."

"Awwww!" Greg protested stopping his torture and pouting and shooting bedroom eyes in Allison's direction.

Allison winked at her husband who grinned back.

Jon covered his eyes, "Do you have to do that in my room?!"

"Jon, we've already done it in your room." Greg said matter of factly.

"Ewwwwe!" Jon screamed, his eyes still screwed shut beneath his palms.

"We changed the sheets afterwards... we're not that cruel." Greg teased with a grin.

"Ahhh!" the boy wailed.

"And that's enough." Allison said stepping further into the room and sitting at her son's hip. "Bedtime." She said taking her sons wrists gently in her hands and looking into eyes that matched his fathers.

"But mom!" Greg and Jon wailed in protesting chorus with identical grins as was tradition in the House household when she proclaimed bedtime.

"I mean it. It's a schoolnight and I think you've heard enough scary stories that we'll have a fortune to pay in psychiatrists bills."

"I wouldn't see a shrink even if you paid me." Jon proclaimed. "I'm complicated and I like it."

"That's my boy!" Greg proclaimed proudly and kissed his hair. "Chicks totally dig the complicated thing. Look at me and I managed to score your mom."

Allison rolled her eyes.

"You." she said looking at Greg. "Bed. Now."

"Yes mam." He said with a grin before turning to embrace his son quickly and place a whiskery kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight." He whispered with untold affection in his voice.

"Night, Dad." Jon responded happily.

Greg hobbled slowly from the room smiling one last gentle smile in the direction of his family.

Allison smiled back and turned back to her son.

"Are you all ready for tomorrow?"

"Yeah." he said softly, though slightly nervously as a tinge of red crept over his cheeks.

"You have nothing to be scared of."

"Me scared? You've gotta be kidding everyone's going to be scared of me! Thanks for making the blood look all real and sticky." Jon said happily.

Allison smirked. "I was talking about Angel."

Jon blushed further and shifted nervously.

"Just take your time and enjoy yourself."

"But it's a date... A DATE!" Jon exclaimed. "We've been friends for ages but this is like... I don't know but it's so much more."

"Enough of that talk, you've heard what your father was like on our first date and look at us now. Don't worry about it. You like her and she likes you. Everything should work out just fine as long as you don't get blood on her costume." She said with a chuckle.

"She's so pretty." He whispered.

"And you are very handsom." She said kissing his forehead and wrapping her arms around him. "It'll all work out, sweetheart."

"Thanks mom." he mumbled into her shoulder and hugging her back tightly.

"Now go to sleep... you don't want to pass out in front of her from lack of sleep do you?"

He chuckled slightly. "No. Night mom."

"Goodnight, sweetheart." She said kissing his forehead once more.

"How is he?" Greg asked softly as Allison climbed into bed naked beside him.

"Nervous, but I think he'll be okay." she said sliding her arms around him.

"Do you remember our first date?"

"I try not to." She said with a grin and kissed him softly.

"Thanks... thanks for not giving up on me." He whispered as he brushed his lips against hers.

"Never."

"I'm so happy I have my very own wife. My very own son and my very own family. I never thought such a thing could mean so much to me."

She kissed him slowly and deeply, taking his hand in hers and resting it over her stomach. "And it's only going to get better."

Greg smirked. "My baby girl."

"Our baby girl."

"Even better."