Cleaning Out

Jimi ran his hand over the photo, brushing off the dust. He let out a deep sigh and placed the photo into the box. As he was about to seal the box closed, his son JJ tugged on his pant leg.
"Daddy, what you doing?"
Jimi smiled at him and picked him up. He had his mother's eyes. "I'm just packing some stuff up."
JJ looked at the photo and reached for it. "Mommy?"
"Yeah, that sure is your Mom. Now come on buddy, let's go home."

Keira walked into the room and noticed Professor Kanst. "Oh, uh hello." she said quietly. His wife was the previous History of Magic professor and Head of Ravenclaw house, Keira had just filled in those two positions.

Jimi managed a polite smile. "You must be the new professor. Sorry, I was just packing some stuff up." He felt a empty pang of sorrow at those words.

Keira nodded slowly. "Yes, I'm sorry to hear about your wife, from what I heard she was a great woman."

A fresh wave of memories hit and Jimi could only nod. He held back his tears. JJ leaned against Jimi's shoulder and gave Keira a small wave. "She was a great woman. This is my son JJ."

Keira smiled and waved back at JJ. "Hello JJ, i'm Keira." She looked between the two boys and saw a great resemblance, the only difference were the eyes. "How old is he?"

"He's only a couple months old. But he already takes after his mother." Jimi grinned at JJ. He looked back at Keira and swallowed hard. She reminded him of Alice.

Keira smiled at JJ. "He's adorable." She smiled and remembered her niece. "I have a niece around his age, only half vampire though."

"This one's full blown vamp. Got my hands full with him." Jimi smiled softly. JJ squirmed around so Jimi gently placed him back on the ground. JJ walked over to Keira.
"Can you be my mommy?" He asked curiously.

Keira laughed. "You probably do, she's a hand full and only half." she watched as Jimi put JJ down and looked at him when he came over to her. She would have blushed if she could have. She got down to JJ's eye level. "I don't think so JJ, but I can be your friend." she said trying not to hurt the young child's feelings.

Jimi cleared his throat nervously. He walked over to JJ and Keira, bending down to eye level with JJ. "Sorry about that. He likes to speak his mind."
JJ looked at Jimi confused. "I wanna friend."
Jimi smiled and ruffled his hair. "I know you do." He turned to Keira. "You're good with kids."

Keira smiled. "It's alright, no harm done." she smiled and watched Jimi talk to JJ. "Thank you, I love kids."

Jimi realized it was the first time he was smiling in a long time. He was still jarred by the uncanny resemblance Keira had to Alice. God he missed her. "Just like her." Jimi muttered under his breath. He didn't realize he said it until he did. "She loved kids too...."Jimi trailed off. He sat down on the floor and watched JJ examine Keira. It hurt to see the same curiousity reflected in his son eyes.

Keira watched Jimi and wondered if he was alright. She heard what he said and looked away. JJ examined her, played with her hands, and then he hugged her. She looked down at him and didn't know what to do.
"You're pretty lady." he said smiling up at her.
Keira smiled. "Thank you JJ. Why don't you go help your dad finish packing up?"

Jimi wiped away a stray tear and gave Keira a thin smile. JJ shook his head, refusing to let go. "But I don't wanna gooo."
Jimi couldn't help but chuckle. "Good luck trying to convince him otherwise. He's stubborn. I think he likes you though."

Keira looked down at JJ and picked him up with ease. "So JJ, tell me about yourself." She smiled and laughed. She sat down on a desk and decided to teach the kid some games.

JJ thought for a second and grinned. "I'm a full vampire and I like to color. Daddy's guitar is fun to play with and...I get bored easily."
Jimi leaned against the wall, laughing. "He could tell you about himself all day, right JJ?"
"OH! And I'm faster than Daddy." JJ beamed.

Keira smiled. "Are you now?" she asked and tickled his sides. "Oh, believe me. My niece Kenya could go on and on about herself. She never stops talking."

JJ giggled. "Of course I am. Daddy's slow." He grinned at his own insult.
"Neither does this one. And that hurts JJ." Jimi shook his head.

Keira laughed and smiled and looked between the father and son. "Do you have any favorite games JJ?"

"Hide and seek!" JJ practically screamed,
Jimi winced. "That and pretty much any game that involves beating me."

Keira laughed. "That's my nieces favorite game, she loves anything that involves running." Keira smiled and watched JJ climb on her lap and look at her locket.
"What's this?" He asked her trying to open it.
"Can I?" she asked and opened the locket, and it folded out to four hearts in the shape of a fourth leaf clover. There were four different moving people all smiling. "There's my parents, my twin brother, and my niece Kenya." She said pointing to the four different people.

JJ seemed facinated with the moving people. He skimmed his tiny hands over the picture. "Daddy always gets sad when he sees Mommy's pictures. JJ pointed to Kenya. "Is she like me?"

Jimi ran his hands through his hair and watched the two of them. He'd never seen JJ get along with anyone that fast.

Keira nodded her head and looked at JJ. "I'm sure daddy does get sad, he loved your mommy very much." she looked at the picture of Kenya. "A little, she's only half vampire. Her mommy was human until Kenya after Kenya was born."

Jimi pulled his legs to his body and rested his head on his knees. If only Alice was here to raise her child like this.
JJ continued to examine the locket. "I don't 'member Mommy. Can Kenya be my friend too?"

Keira looked at JJ with a smile. "Sure she can, you can see her anytime you want to. I'm sure she'd love to be your friend." She looked down at her locket and sighed. "I don't really remember my mum either."

"That would be fun! There aren't many kids like me. I'm special." JJ beamed. "What happened to your Mommy?"

"She died when I was young, my father when I was a old enough to take care of myself." She sighed and looked down at the picture of her mother. She felt bad for JJ since he never met his mother. "But she's always right here." She said pointing to her heart.

JJ nodded firmly. "That's what Daddy says. But why can't Mommy be here with us?"
Jimi stood up suddenly. "Can you watch him for a second?" He ran a hand across the light stubble on his face. "I'll be right back." He walked over to the adjoining bathroom and shut the door. Jimi looked at himself in the mirror. A worn, and tired man glance back at him. He splashed some water on his face, backed up and slid down the wall.

"Is daddy okay?" JJ asked Keira.

Elizabeth wanted to say good bye to Jimi, an old friend even worse, a friend to Alice who died giving birth to Jimi junior. She didn't want to upset him but she had to say good bye. She knocked on the door, she waited for an answer.