Author Note:
Thanks again to k5vreed for his constant rereading of this chapter every time I would make a correction or addition. I truly appreciate your help and direction and for keeping me focused, :) you are finding out how hard that is to do. :)
I hope that I have all the, I AM's changed to I'm for the edit police. I am (did that because I use I am in normal speak) sure there is things I have missed but, again as I said on my Dave and Leroy chapter, this is a free story you don't have to read it.
Again I do appreciate all the comments public or private. Thank you.
***********
After hearing Adam and Steve in the kitchen that morning Ben went back to the bedroom he was sleeping in and sat on the bed. He didn't know how he was going to do it, but he needed to get his things from Jack's house but was fearful that he would run into Jack. "I'm going to be alone." He kept repeating and he started to cry again. He didn't hear Adam walk back in and was startled when Adam put his arms around him.
"You aren't going to be alone Ben. I will be here whenever you need me, I just can't be in a relationship with you. I told you, I will always love you." Adam held Ben tighter to him because Ben was sobbing. Steve heard him, looked in from the doorway and Adam motioned for him to leave them, which Steve nodded his head and walked away.
When Adam finally calmed Ben down, he talked with him about turning over his apartment to him, and even said he would stay there with him for a few weeks to get him settled. Ben asked how he was going to get his belongings from Jack's and Adam stated that Jack is now in London that whenever he would like to go and collect his things that all he has to do is say the word and Steve will have everything of Ben's moved to Adam's apartment. Ben asked if they could go and collect a few things that evening.
Over the next few days, Adam helped Ben pack his things and sat all the boxes in the living room of Jack's. Steve was true to his word, when everything was pack, he had a moving company move all of it to Adams, and Adam over the few weeks after getting Ben settled, packed his things up to move back his house.
Adam had to keep reassuring Ben that he will always be there for him, because Ben seemed to have started to fall into a depression. Adam finally told Ben he needed to see someone because Jack had messed with his head too much. Ben went back to work two weeks after he was beaten. Most of the bruises were gone, but he still had his cast on and his ribs were still healing. The higher ups knew what had happened to Ben and until he was physically able to go back out on patrol he was desk bound.
The last night that Adam stayed in the guest room of his apartment Ben came in the middle of the night and crawled into bed with him. Ben didn't do anything inappropriate, he knew Adam would get mad at him if he did, he just snuggle up to him and slept. Adam woke sometime later and realized that he was there and just spooned him and went back to sleep.
Over the next month, Adam try to stop in and see Ben as much as he could but between spring training starting up and going out at night with Steve it was becoming less often that he could stop. Ben was healing and seeing a counselor, so Adam hoped that he was on the mend. He hated splitting his time between Steve and Ben.
*******
Teddy was riding with Adam to school, since Adam had moved back into his house, he has been taking the responsibility from Steve. Steve told him it was ok, that he would do anything for his nephew, but Adam insisted that it was stupid that he was heading that way anyways. Adam knew it always took Steve twice as long to get to where he needed to go in the opposite direction after dropping Teddy off. He also didn't tell Steve but he liked giving him a hug and kiss every morning before he took Teddy with him to work.
Teddy was sitting in the seat debating if he should ask the question that has been on his mind, he knew it is none of his business but he wanted to know. "Do you like my Uncle?" He decided to ask while Adam was sitting at a red light, just in case it threw him a little.
Adam looked over to Teddy with his coffee mug stopped halfway to his mouth and smiled, he took a drink and started up again from the traffic light before he answered. "Yes, I do a lot."
"Good, because he seems to like you a lot too." Teddy stated with a smile. They were quiet for a long time before Teddy spoke again. "Thank you, Coach."
"What for Teddy?"
"For staying at Steve's these past few days, while he has been out of town. I prefer to stay there than at my grandparents, I love my grandparents but I never quite feel comfortable there."
"It is no problem, if I had an extra room at my place I would prefer you there, but since it was just easier for me to move in while Steve was gone." He thought for a second. "Plus this way you have all your things available to you. I don't think you would have been able to get your gaming system back from Matt if you had come to my place." Adam chuckled.
"Is he into gaming?"
"Yeah, a little too much, his girlfriend has to take his controllers away, just to get him to leave the house." Adam laughed, then it was Adams turn to get a little nosy. "Teddy, it is none of my business but why don't you feel comfortable at your grandparents?"
"Honestly, you have been there. The place is huge, I don't like being served by staff, I think that is so weird. When I do approach my Grandfather or Grandmother, it is like I'm taking valuable time from them, my Mother is the same way. It's like I don't fit or belong there, I feel comfortable with Steve, I know he is my Uncle but he is more like my Father than anyone else. I know he is from that environment but he doesn't act like it." Teddy chuckled. "He can though, when he needs to, it is like a switch with him, he can go from down to earth guy to richly snob in a second flat."
"I have never seen that part of him, but I'm sure when he has to be with the family he has a persona that he needs to project. We all have that in some ways."
"Yeah I know, I just wish sometimes we didn't have to associate with the family, that it could just be Steve and me and no one else. Anyways that is my feelings."
"I can understand that Teddy, your Uncle is a good man, and sometimes I can't believe he is from the Ames family. When I first met Steve and I heard Ames, I didn't associate the family with Steve, because he didn't act like a rich snob. Thanks Teddy for answering me."
When they arrived at the school, they both walked into the sports complex. Adam walked to his office and Teddy went to the weight room after throwing his things in his locker. It didn't bother Adam to step up and be a guardian for Teddy while Steve had to fly to London to conduct some business with his family's company. Steve's sister was also out of town, and Steve asked Teddy if he would like to stay with his grandparents or if he wanted him to ask Adam to watch over him, Teddy begged for Adam.
When Steve first asked Adam, Adam just looked at him and stayed quiet for a bit. Adam was having an internal battle with himself, he didn't mind taking Teddy to school, but should he step into the role of temporary guardian? He knows it is none of the schools business what he does when he isn't at work, but to be responsible for one of his own players. Adam took a bit to figure out if he should take the responsibility on, then he finally looked over at Steve and responded yes.
Steve sat there and waited he didn't want to push for an answer, he knew when Adam went silent that he was processing things, he had seen it before when he had asked other things of Adam. When Adam agreed, Steve thanked and kissed him. A poor reward for responding correctly to his request, but he thought to himself that he will make it up to him later.
*******
In February baseball practice began with the season starting in March. Because of this Adam started showing up at the school again at six-thirty in the morning, of course with Teddy in tow. He likes to be around if any of his players need anything. Of course he would never tell them that, he growls about being there early staying the kids don't appreciate it. He has to keep up the persona of being a hard ass to the player, even though Teddy has started to see through the mask.
The more that Adam hangs out with Steve, the more Teddy gets to know Adam and that he is just a big teddy bear, instead of the grizzly bear that he tried to project. But Teddy knows that he can't tell anyone what Adam is like outside of school or off the field. A few of the players know because they come over and see Adam and Steve together but Adam is careful not to touch Steve too much in front of them. When they do want to be intimate they will go to Adam's, to do so.
