I Love You to Infinity and Beyond

"Hi daddy!"

"Hey Zack," Jack smiled."You having fun coloring with uncle Alex?"

"Yeah! Look what we drewd daddy!" The small boy squealed, waving a picture in Jack's face.

There was a line drawn down the middle of the page and on one side there was a large circle with various shapes inside and brown scribbled all over the top, Jack guessed this was Zack's portrait of Alex. On the other side was a stick figure holding a pink bass, Alex's portrait of Zack. In the corner of Alex's side of the paper was a crudely drawn penis and Jack shot him a disapproving glance before turning his attention back to his boy.

"I love it sweety."

"Weally? Uncle Alex said I made him not pretty," Zack giggled.

"Well you should have told him that's because he's not pretty."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Alex said, glancing up from his own drawing.

"That was the point," Jack smirked.

"Whatever, Barakat, I gotta go anyways." The older boy replied standing, "by zacky," he hugged the boy tightly before turning to glare at Jack."Goodbye meanypants."

At that Zack fell into a fit of giggles, making Alex smile as he left the small apartment.

"It wasn't that funny."

"S-sowwy, daddy," Zack panted, continuing to giggle.

"Anyways, it's time for you to take a nap."

Zack immediately stopped giggling, trading his smile in for a pout."But daddy m'not tiiiiiired," he whined.

"This isn't a discussion Zack, if you don't take a nap now you'll be grumpy later and what does daddy say about being grumpy?"

"Not good," Zack answered sadly.

"That's right, not good and you want to be good right?"

The small boy nodded his head, lifting up his arms.

"Use your words Zack," Jack reminded even though he knew what Zack meant.

"Carry," Zack asked, looking at Jack with big hazel eyes.

When all this had first started Jack was a little hesitant to carry or even hold Zack because A) he was clumsy and B) (though he'd never admit it) he wasn't very strong. But eventually he'd given in and now he carried Zack all the time(and was much stronger). Cradling Zack to his chest gently, he walked to the boy's room.

"Do you wanna wear your Spiderman jammies?"

"Yeah," Zack said around a yawn.

"I thought you said you weren't tired," Jack chuckled.

"M'not tired!" Zack banged his fists against Jack's chest as his bottom lip begin to tremble."Not tired! Wanna play!" He cried, the first few tears rolling down his cheeks.

"Daddy was only joking Zack, you don't need to cry," Jack spoke softly wiping the tears from Zack's face."Do you need a change before bed?"

Zack nodded his head, sniffling quietly. Carefully, Jack laid him down on his bed, reaching underneath to get a clean diaper and some wipes. Zack squirmed slightly as Jack undid his zipper and pulled down his pants. Taking off his soiled diaper he cleaned him up quickly before slipping on a new one and getting Zack's favorite jammies out of his drawer. Zack was barely awake now and he laid still as Jack finished undressing him and putting on his pjs.

"You nap too?" He asked sleepily when Jack was done.

"No, daddy's gotta go clean up you and uncle Alex's mess."

"But I want nap wif you," Zack whined, bottom lip trembling again.

Jack sighed, he really did need to clean up the living room but he could never say no to his baby boy."Okay, but you have to be a good boy and go night-night, no more crying." Jack warned.

Zack nodded, reaching his arms up again, he really should have used his words but he looked so cute that Jack let it slide, scooping him up as he pulled back the covers. Before he could even lay them down Jack heard quiet snores, so much for not being tired. He debated on leaving Zack to sleep and going to clean the living room but he had promised and a nap did sound pretty good so he snuggled close to his peaceful sleeping boy and closed his eyes.

"Daddy?" Zack whispered, lifting one of Jack's eyelids, "daaaaaaaaaddy!" He whisper screamed, watching as his daddy rolled over in his sleep. Squirming out of bed Zack rubbed at his eyes, wondering what to do. He knew he wasn't supposed to get up before his daddy but he was hungry and he had tried to wake his daddy up so he couldn't get in trouble, right? Grinning wickedly Zack tore out of the room, running down the hall as fast as he could, using the bottom of his pajamas to slide into the living room. Yes! His daddy had left his colors out, now he could draw him a picture. Daddy liked his picture of uncle Alex but he would like a picture of himself even more. He could make it ginormous, his daddy would be so happy. Quickly he grabbed all the colors he could hold and begin to work on his best-est drawing ever!

Groaning slightly Jack rolled over, frowning at the empty space where Zack should have been. Zack knew he wasn't supposed to get up before him. Jack groaned again as he went to find his baby boy.

"Zack?"

"Daddy!" Zack shrieked as he rounded the corner running full force at his daddy and jumping into his arms.

"Oh Zack, what did you do?"

"I color daddy! I drewd you!" Zack said, smiling from ear to ear.

Jack ran a hand over his face and took a deep breath. Zack had stripped down to only his diaper and was covered head to toe in markers. Purple, yellows, and blacks engulfed the boy, making him look like a victim of incredibly thorough child abuse. And yet Jack knew the situation would be much worse when he got to the living room.

"Zack....." Jack's mouth hung open as he stared at what used to be his white living room wall.

"Its good daddy?" Zack squirmed out of Jack's grasp to point at his picture, as if Jack could miss it. "I made you pretty, uncle Awlex will be so grumpy."

Jack was still in shock as Zack giggled at his own joke. How long had he been asleep? The room was completely wrecked, markers and caps scattered across the floor. Every pillow and all the couch cushions were missing and there were m+ms everywhere. What really scared Jack though were the scissors that were lying open on the ground.

"Zachary Steven Merrick why are those scissors out?" Jack barked, scaring Zack who had started drawing on the wall, again.

Zack's eyes went wide with fear as he saw the scissors his daddy was pointing at."I-I dunno," he whimpered.

"Zack, you have been very bad today, you got up without daddy, you colored on the wall, you got into the candy drawer without permission, now is not a good time to lie to daddy. What did you do with those scissors?" Jack spoke firmly, ignoring the guilt he felt at seeing how scared Zack looked. He'd rather have him scared about getting in trouble than hurting himself because he was playing with something sharp.

"I wanted big boy jammies," Zack murmured, pulling something out from under a couch cushion. "See, like you, I wook like big boy," he said, holding up his Spiderman bottoms that were cut into poorly made shorts, one leg hanging to knee length while the other was barely there at all.

Boxers. That's what he was trying to make, Jack realized, and if he wasn't so mad it would have been funny, cute even. But he was mad. He was furious with both Zack and himself. He shouldn't taken a nap, he should have cleaned up the living room then none of this would have happened.

"You are not a big boy, Zack. You're a bad little boy who doesn't listen to his daddy. You've made me very angry. I think you should just go to your room and lay down until I call you for dinner, no toys either, just lay down and think about how bad you've been." Jack spoke calmly and Zack seemed to understand him so he was surprised at what happened next.

"You're meanypants!" Zack screamed, hurling markers and caps at Jack as he continued to yell."You're mean daddy! Mean to Zack!" He screeched as a cap hit jack square in the head. "I wish uncle Awlex was daddy!"

That hurt a lot more than any of the various objects he was throwing at Jack, which now included pillows and m+ms.

"I wish uncle Alex was daddy too!" Jack screamed back without thinking."Then I wouldn't have to deal with bad little boys who mess up everything!" And as soon as the words left his mouth he wished he could take them back but it was too late.

Zack stopped throwing things and stared at Jack with big broken eyes. "I hate you," he didn't even yell the words, just stated them the same way someone might tell you it was raining.

Distantly Jack heard a door slam but he couldn't be bothered to care. "I hate you." Zack hated him. He hated him. His perfect beautiful baby boy hated him. With tears in his eyes he called Alex, the person Zack really wanted for a dad.

"Wutsup, meanypants?"

"A-Alex, he hates me," Jack blurted, sobbing loudly now."He doesn't want me anymore. What do I do Alex? What do I do?"

"Hang on Jack, I'm coming over."

Jack nodded, hanging up his phone and falling to the floor while he cried. He laid on the floor sobbing for what felt like hours but was probably less than ten minutes before he heard a knock at the door. Using all his strength he got up to let Alex in.

"Jack, what happened?" Alex questioned as soon as he walked through the door. "Whoa, why does your wall look like a Jackson Pollock exhibit? Shit, what happened Jack your living room's destroyed, your wall's ruined, and wherever Zack is he's being suspiciously quiet."

Jack sniffled loudly and wiped his nose on his sleeve, rolling his eyes as Alex cringed. "It's just snot Alex," he said with a weak smile.

"The fact that you don't see anything wrong with that really concerns me," Alex said seriously. "Now will you tell me what happened?"

Jack sighed, sitting on the floor, the couches still lacked cushions so it was really his only option. "I got mad at Zack and told him I wished you were his dad because he ruins everything."

"So Zack drew on the wall and you volunteered me to be his new parent? Not cool man, how am I supposed to get laid if Zack's playing hide and seek in my kitchen."

"Actually, it was Zack's idea," Jack chuckled bitterly. "Apparently I'm a "meanypants," I wonder where he got that idea."

"Oh, yeah, that ones on me but c'mon Jack-O, what's the big deal? You guys have argued before and I mean you are a meanypants sometimes but Zack loves you."

"No, he hates me. He told me hates me, after he told me I was mean to him and he'd rather have you as a dad. What am I supposed to say to that Alex?" Jack looked up at Alex desperately, fresh tears filling his eyes.

"He was just mad Jack, he didn't mean it just like you didn't mean it when you said he ruins everything. He'll understand that, I promise."

"He probably won't even talk to me," Jack replied, wiping at his eyes.

"I can fix that. I'll go talk to him, you just work on making your living room look less like a tornado hit it." And with that Alex left to go find Zack.

"Zack?" Alex knocked softly on the boy's door, "it's uncle Alex, can I come in?"

"Just you?" Alex heard Zack ask quietly.

"Yeah bud, it's just me, can I come in," Alex repeated.

Slowly the door opened revealing an incredibly sad looking Zack.

"Do I have to leave now," Zack whispered almost too quiet for Alex to hear.

"Of course not," Alex frowned, closing the door and sitting on the younger boy's bed. "Why would you have to leave?"

"I made daddy mad," Zack said, staring at his feet, "he doesn't want me no more." Zack's voice broke as tears rolled down his cheeks. His face was still covered in markers and the tears left streaks of clear skin in their wake, making the small boy look even more pitiful.

"Aw, Zack, he still wants you, he was just mad. Let's go get you cleaned up, alright?"

Zack didn't answer but Alex took his silence to mean yes and took his hand to lead him across the hall to the bathroom. Apparently he had misread Zack's silence though as he instantly pulled away from Alex, shaking his head vehemently.

"N-no, daddy will be mad." Zack shrunk back into the corner of the room slowly, obviously still scared.

"Alright, just wait here, I'll be back in a second." As soon as Alex left the room Zack shut the door again.

"Well, is he still mad?" Jack asked from the end of the hallway.

"I don't know about mad but he's definitely scared," Alex frowned. "Did you hurt him Jack?" He asked seriously.

"W-what, hurt him?" Jack sputtered, tears springing to his eyes again. "How could you think that, I'd never hurt Zack, I love him."

"I know and I'm sorry but you should have seen how scared he looked. He thinks you don't want him anymore."

"I really fucked up didn't I," Jack whispered solemnly.

Alex didn't answer instead he went to the bathroom to wet a cloth for Zack, sending Jack a sympathetic smile before walking back into Zack's room.

"Ok, bud, let's clean you up." Alex announced, shutting Zack's door and motioning him over.

Zack was hesitant at first, wincing every time Alex went to touch him but soon he relaxed, standing still as Alex cleaned him.

"So what's the story with all the black and yellow? Were you drawing Charlie Brown or maybe a bumble bee, lightning from a storm cloud, pee on black top, a banana in a top hat, what was it Zackaroony!" Alex exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

To his relief Zack giggled a little but then quickly stopped, "I drewd daddy, it was spose to be a surprise."

"Did you make him pretty?" Alex asked, continuing to wipe down the boy.

"Yeah."

"And did you think he would be happy?"

"Yeah bu-"

"And were you trying to be bad or good?" Alex asked, cutting him off.

"Good, I wanna be good boy," Zack said confidently.

"Well then I think you're innocent."

Zack stared up at the older boy with a confused expression.

"Oh, right, it means you shouldn't get in trouble, your daddy shouldn't be mad at you."

Slowly Zack started to smile, "you tell daddy too?"

"Yep, I'll tell your daddy too, in fact you are officially as clean as I can get you so we can both go tell him but first let's put a shirt on you before you freeze to death." Alex rummaged through Zack's drawers before giving up his search and just giving Zack a dirty one from the hamper.

"What if he's mean?" Zack asked doubtfully, lifting his arms as Alex pulled the shirt over his head.

"If he's even a little bit mean to you I'll kick him and we can both run okay?"

Zack giggled and nodded his head, reaching a hand out to Alex.

"Don't wowwy uncle Awlex, I can run like flash."

Alex laughed at that, squeezing the boys hand as he led them to the living room.

"Jack," Alex called, "can we talk to you?"

"Yeah, of course," Jack said, walking out of the kitchen with a broom and dustpan."Hi Zack," he said, looking at the small boy hidden behind Alex's legs.

Cautiously Zack poked his head out to look at Jack, quickly ducking back into hiding.

"So, Zack and I were talking and we decided he's innocent and that you shouldn't be mad at him."

"D-daddy," Zack said, looking out from behind Alex's legs.

"Yes, Zack."

"I sowwy for using the cutters," Zack said quietly.

Alex raised an eyebrow at Jack, not understanding what Zack was trying to say.

"He got out the scissors," Jack explained.

"Zack!" Alex exclaimed."You could have got hurt, why did you do that?"

"He was trying to make boxers, big boy jammies."

"Big boy jammies! I could have just bought you some, Zack! What were you thinking?"

"I said sowwy." Zack's bottom lip trembled as he stood on the verge of tears again.

Alex sighed, looking back at Jack, "you have a really tough job."

"I know," Jack replied simply. "See, Zack, even uncle Alex was scared, not mad, scared because we love you a whole bunch and don't want you to get hurt."

"Still love Zack?" Zack asked, hope clear in his voice.

"Of course I still love you Zack," Jack said with a smile.

"Don't have to leave?"

"You could leave but I think you should stay here. What do you think uncle Alex?"

"I vote Zack stays here. Your call Zack, what do you say?"

"Stay wif daddy!" Zack yelled, running and jumping onto Jack who instantly wrapped his arms around him, laughing as Zack kissed him on the cheek sloppily.

"You guys are so cute it sickens me," Alex said in mock disgust while he headed for the door. Jack mouthed a silent thank you over Zack's shoulder as he left.

"Well, somebody knocked all the cushions and pillows off the couch so I guess we have to clean them up," Jack laughed as Zack whined, "or we could go grab our blankets and make a big fort!"

"A seecet fort," Zack asked, eyes gleaming.

"Yeah, a secret fort for only daddies and Zackies!"

Zack squealed with delight, running to grab his blankets. Jack shook his head as he went to get his own blankets.

*********
"You getting tired baby boy?"

Zack shook his head sleepily, "just westing my eyes, daddy."

Jack nodded, pulling the boy closer to him under the sea of blankets, empty cereal bowls stacked next to them as they watched Toy Story 3 from their secret fort.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm"

"I wike you more than uncle Awlex"

"I know, buddy."

"You wike me more too?" Zack asked, turning to look at his daddy.

"I like you more than anybody in the whole world, Zack. I love you to infinity and beyond!" Jack said in his best Buzz Lightyear voice.

"I love you too," Zack giggled, turning back over and snuggling into Jack's chest.

It wasn't long until Jack heard Zack's soft snores fill the room. Quietly he turned off the tv, moving the cereal bowls so they wouldn't be knocked over. Finally he settled back down and wrapped his arms around Zack who sighed contently and nuzzled into him more. Pressing a soft kiss into Zack's hair, Jack smiled and drifted to sleep happily.