"Did you get Lee's birthday present?" I asked Parker, as he came in from his morning run.

"Yeah," he agreed, grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "It's pretty badass if you ask me."

"Well I didn't."

"The sass is real this morning," he chuckled, taking a swig of his water.

"Well his birthday dinner is tonight and I have no idea what to get him," I complained.

"Sounds like you're in quite the predicament," he laughed, kissing my cheek before heading back towards the shower.

"Jerk," I muttered, before plopping down on the couch.

I picked up my iPad off the coffee table and began to search online for an idea, hoping for something to stick out.

But it didn't.

So I called Michelle.

"I miss you," Michelle complained, answering the phone.

"Oh yes, I'm sure that your resort in the Hamptons must be incredibly miserable," I teased.

"Jerk."

I couldn't help but laugh, propping my feet up on the coffee table. "I need a birthday present idea."

"Whose birthday?"

"Lee Adams."

"I don't even know the kid."

"But you always help me with birthdays," I complained.

"Sorry kid, but you're on your own on this one."

"You suck."

"Love you too," she sang, before hanging up.

I have the worst best friend ever.

I stood up with a sigh, grabbing my car keys and leaving the apartment.

Maybe I'll find my inspiration by roaming the mall.

~*~

"No, do not transfer me," Parker ordered, as I let myself back into the apartment.

He was sitting at the kitchen counter, paperwork spread all across the kitchen and his cell phone pressed to his ear.

"I've been transferred three times now," he informed the person on the line.

I went back to my room and dropped my shopping bag before coming back out to the kitchen, wrapping my arms around Parker.

He turned around in my arms, smiling at me.

And then the smile dropped off of his face.

"Are you kidding me?" he demanded.

I hopped up on the kitchen counter, in one of the spaces void of paperwork, as Parker began to sift through some papers next to the refrigerator.

"I go through this every month," he informed the person on the line. "And it's getting to be ridiculous."

I picked up a piece of paper next to me to try and figure out what was going on.

"I've given you my policy number four times now," Parker informed the person.

It was insurance paperwork littering the kitchen.

"Okay, as I've told you all four separate times now, I need a refill on Lithobid for Lee Adams. And when I went to pick up the prescription, it wasn't covered under insurance, again. As I've said, this happens every single month, and it's getting pretty old."

Parker listened to the response for a moment, and then set his phone down on the counter and walked out of the room.

He came back a few seconds later and picked the phone back up.

"I swear to God, if you guys transfer me again, I will find a new insurance," Parker informed the person on the line.

"Okay," Parker agreed, and then he placed the phone down on the counter, turning it on speaker.

Holding music filled the kitchen.

"You look a little tense," I said, offering him a smile.

"Just a little," he agreed.

I hopped down off the counter, wrapping my arms around him and giving him a light kiss.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"If this happens every month, why don't you get a new insurance?" I asked.

"Because they have really good coverage," he admitted, with a sigh. "I just wish they would get their fucking shit together."

"So what are you holding for?" I asked.

"They're checking up on my policy and trying to figure out what's going on, just like every month." He let out another sigh. "Did you find Lee a present?"

"I did," I agreed, with a smile.

"What is it?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"

"Because you wouldn't help me pick it out."

"Mr. Adams?" a voice asked.

Parker offered me a tight smile before picking up his phone, turning it off speaker. "Yes?"

I kissed him again before leaving him in the kitchen to sort out his insurance.

He has more patience than I could ever dream of having. Because I would've probably cursed every employee in that company out by now.

~*~

"You go ahead and get a table," Parker said, with a sigh. "Lee, I swear to fucking God, if you don't get out of the shower in the next 10 minutes, I'm leaving you!"

"Okay," I agreed. "I'll be a single girl that walks into Hooters and asks for a table."

Parker chuckled.

"Four, right?"

Parker nodded. "Table in the corner."

"In the corner?"

He nodded. "Not in the center of the room, but in the corner."

"Okay," I agreed, deciding it was easier to just go with it than to try and ask questions.

I drove down to Hooters alone, asking for a table for four, and specifying for it to be in the corner.

"We have an available booth in the corner," the hostess said, a bit confused by my request.

"Okay," I agreed, not really seeing another option.

I took a seat, alone, in the booth, flipping through the menu.

About 10 minutes later, Parker and Lee joined me.

"Don't worry," Lee said, sliding in next to me, "I'll keep Emily company."

"I bet you will," Parker muttered, taking a seat on the opposite side of the booth.

"Why a booth?" Parker asked me, raising his eyebrows.

"It was all they had available."

"I don't mind," Lee informed me, with a smile.

"Tone it down there big boy," I said, laughing as I pat his arm.

A couple of minutes later, Emmett joined us.

Emmett took a seat next to Parker, sure to make him as uncomfortable as possible by snuggling up close to him.

Lee and I chuckled as Parker glared at him, giving Emmett a good shove.

"Hi, my name is Annie, and I'll be your server," an overly perky waitress informed us, standing next to Lee.

Lee noticeably stiffened, his grip tightening on his menu.

"And what can I get you guys to drink?" Annie asked.

Parker was watching Lee out of the corner of his eye as he flipped to the back of the menu to see the drink choices.

Lee reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, his left leg bouncing.

"Coke," Emmett ordered, the only one oblivious to the situation.

"Can I get out?" Lee blurted.

Annie nodded, clearly surprised by his outburst.

Lee climbed out of the booth and walked out of the restaurant.

Parker let out a sigh. "Can I get a Dr. Pibb?"

Annie nodded, and then Parker nudged Emmett let him out.

"He's claustrophobic," Parker said to Annie, before he stepped out of the booth. "So if you don't mind, stand next to our side of the booth next time?"

"I'm sorry," Annie said, her eyes wide.

"Don't be, you didn't know," Parker said, before sliding out of the booth and heading out of the restaurant as well.

Emmett retook his seat, opening a menu.

"Can I get a Shirley Temple?" I asked. "And the guy next to me wants a sprite."

She nodded, writing down our drink orders before leaving.

"And then there was two," I said to Emmett, with a smile.

"Actually one," Emmett said, sliding out of the booth. "Because this one has to pee."

"Way too much information," I muttered, as he left.

And we're back to one.

Annie brought back our drinks.

"I'll just wait to order," I said, with a laugh.

She laughed as well, nodding in agreement.

Emmett was the first to rejoin me at the table, followed by Parker and Lee a couple of minutes later.

"I ordered you a sprite," I informed Lee, as he sat back down next to me.

"Thanks," he said, his voice deeper and hoarser than usual.

"Has the waitress come back by yet?" Parker asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "The drinks just floated here."

Parker rolled his eyes.

Lee was uncharacteristically quiet the rest of dinner. He engaged in the conversation when he was directly spoken to, but for the rest of the time he just kept to himself.

As we left Hooters, Parker and Lee walked ahead of Emmett and me. Parker pulled his arm around Lee and gave him a good shake, saying something too low for Emmett and me to hear.

"You think he's okay?" I asked Emmett.

"Lee you mean?" Emmett asked me.

I nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Emmett agreed. "He probably just didn't really want to be out to dinner after his panic attack."

"Panic attack?" I asked.

"You couldn't tell?"

I shook my head.

Emmett flashed me a half-smile.

I looked back over to Parker and Lee. Lee was laughing at something Parker was saying, his first smile since earlier.

No matter what Parker may think, he really is good with Lee.

"So what did you get him?" I asked Emmett.

"Penny board."

"He already has one."

"So he can't have two?"

I laughed. "Okay," I agreed.

"What about you?"

"Record player."

Emmett nodded in agreement. "That's a good one."

"Thanks," I agreed. "He loves my collection, so I figured he could start one of his own."

Parker and Lee both took off running, vaulting over a trash can as they raced to Parker's Edge.

"Parker's a hell of a guy," Emmett said, looking over at me.

I nodded in agreement.

"But I still don't approve."

I rolled my eyes as I reached my car. "See you at the apartment."

He offered me a crooked smile. "I love you."

"Go away."

He laughed his way over to his own car.

I drove back to the apartment, where Parker was putting candles into a cookie cake.

"You bought a cake?" I asked.

"Of course," Parker agreed.

I rose up on my tip-toes and kissed him. "You're the best guardian Lee could ever ask for."

"I don't know about that," he said, with a laugh. "But it's his birthday. And he deserves a cake at the very least."

I went back to my room and grabbed my wrapped present, Emmett already in the living room by the time I came back out.

"Do not sing Happy Birthday to me," Lee was ordering to Parker.

"Dude, you can't have a birthday and not get the Happy Birthday song," Parker argued.

"I hate that song."

"It's your birthday," Emmett said, with a shrug. "But it is a birthday tradition."

"Then let me be the one to break it."

"Well then close your eyes and make a wish," Parker said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

Emmett glared at him.

Lee closed his eyes for a couple of seconds before blowing out his candles.

"Alright," Parker agreed. "So who wants a piece of cake with Lee's spit on it?"

I rolled my eyes while Lee and Emmett laughed.

"Open your presents!" Parker ordered, as he carried the cake to the kitchen counter.

"Here," Emmett said, handing Lee his present.

Lee opened up the penny board, and his eyes lit up.

He immediately looked over at Parker.

"No," Parker ordered.

But Lee had already hopped onto the board and was skating around the living room.

"Thanks a lot," Parker said to Emmett, rejoining us in the living room.

"No problem dude," Emmett said, smiling as clapped Parker on the back.

"Here's mine," I said to Lee, laughing as I gestured towards it.

Lee skated over to it, hopping off his board before opening my present.

His eyes widened and he just stared at for a few moments.

"Now you can start your own collection," I said, with a smile.

"What is it?" Parker asked, looking over Lee's shoulder. "Dude, that's fucking awesome."

"Do you think they'll let me take it to Cornerstone?"

That must be the name of his boarding school.

"We can find out," Parker promised.

"Thanks Emily," Lee said, crossing the living room and giving me a tight hug.

"Sure thing," I said, laughing as I hugged him back.

"Okay, my present is back in Emmett's room," Parker informed him. "But you have to close your eyes because I didn't wrap it."

"Of course," Lee agreed, laughing as he closed his eyes.

"Make sure he doesn't peek," Parker ordered to Emmett, before heading back to Emmett's bedroom.

"Why was it in your room?" I asked Emmett.

"Because Lee is in Parker's room," Emmett reminded me, as he held a pillow over Lee's face. "Don't suffocate kid."

"No promises," Lee answered, his voice muffled.

Parker came back out with a brand new surfboard.

I couldn't help but smile, remembering how excited Lee was last week to go to the beach with his surfboard.

"Okay," Parker agreed. "You can let him breathe now."

Emmett removed the pillow from Lee's face and Lee's eyes flew open.

Lee stared at the surfboard for a few moments in silence.

"Happy birthday?" Parker suggested.

Lee threw his arms around Parker, shocking Parker.

"Thank you!"

"Yeah," Parker agreed, hugging Lee back. "I knew you needed a new one."

"This is so fucking awesome," Lee said, pulling away from Parker to check out his new surfboard.

The smile remained on Parker's face, one that reached all the way up to his eyes.

Parker may not be able to see it, but he was not only a really good brother to Lee, but a kickass guardian too.

"So about that cake then?" Parker suggested, the smile still lingering on his face.

************************************************************************************************************

So what did you guys think about Parker's insurance issues? What about Lee's birthday dinner? Was it what you expected it to be? And then what about Lee's birthday presents?

The picture off to the right was submitted by livie111. Check it out! -->

So I know I said I'd update last week, but I had a really shitty ending to my week, which carried through my weekend. And I just needed some time to myself to deal with it.

Teaser: Beach trip & Emily finds out something about Lee she wasn't meant to

Update: Thursday-Saturday