Matt Hardy lay prone on the couch utterly exhausted. His body was sore and aching from weeks of being on the road wrestling with little to no breaks in between. He had caught the red-eye flight last night and had gotten home close to dawn. He rubbed the lingering tender spot just on his ribs and shifted trying to get more comfortable. Just a short nap then he'd get up. The list of things that he had to take care over his two days home seemed endless but he tried to push it out of his mind and relax.

"Daddy… get up. I want to play Candyland." Matt felt the board game drop on his chest digging into his bruise and bit his lip to keep from swearing. "Aidan not now. I'm tired." Matt groaned pushing the game away. "I'll play with you later."

"That's what you always say!" Aidan stormed.

Matt sighed opening his eyes and looking at his five-year old son's mutinous face. "Come on little buddy give me a break here."

Tears welled in his hazel eyes. "That's it I quit!" He declared turning to stomp out of the room.

Matt raised an eyebrow not quite sure what to make of that statement. "What are you quitting?"

"I quit you!" Came the answer.

"Aidan!" Matt called half-sitting up from the couch. "Come back here." There was no answer from the hall. He swore and swung his legs to the floor getting up gingerly. He scooped the discarded game off of the floor setting it on the end table and went looking for his son. He finally found him in his favorite hiding spot far back in a little nook under the stairs where no one could get to him.

"Come on little buddy. Come out so we can talk."

"I'm not your little buddy anymore."

That hurt, more than he cared to admit but he knew that staying here and arguing with him would just make it worse. Aidan wouldn't come out until he was good and ready too. He scooted his way back out of the storage area. "Daddy loves you."

There wasn't an answer not that he was really expecting one but he felt that he needed to say it anyway. Matt sighed getting up and heading to the kitchen. Renee looked briefly at him before returning her attention back to the pot she was stirring. Matt poured himself a cup of fresh brewed coffee and sat at the table with a disconsolate expression on his face. "Why'd he have to have your temper?" He grumbled under his breath.

Renee smiled slightly turning her face so that Matt wouldn't see. "Think of it this way. He'll be over it quickly." She set the spoon down and put the lid on the pot turning down the heat and went over to the table kissing the top of his head. "Want to talk about it?"

"He quit me." Matt complained not sure how to explain why it bothered him so much.

Renee hesitated she didn't want to make him feel more guilty but she felt that he deserved to know what was going through his son's head. "He's just frustrated Matt. He never gets to see you and when he does you're too busy or tired to spend any real time with him. He's got a calendar in his room so he can check off the days till you come home again." She stopped seeing how much this was twisting inside Matt.

"I'm not trying to make you feel like you're a bad father Matt cuz you're not. You love Aidan and he knows that. I knew what I was signing up for when I married you. He's young he doesn't understand."

"I read to him every night when it's time for bed." Matt said defensively latching unto one of their favorite rituals. Wherever he was whatever he was doing he would stop find a quiet corner and call Aidan. He looked forward to that moment all day.

Renee chuckled, "stop being so defensive. I'm not doubting you. You don't have to do everything you know. Why don't you stay at home with Aidan tomorrow? Let it be a father/son day."

Matt sighed torn, "I've got to…"

"Let me handle your errands, control freak," her tone was one of exasperated affection. "It'll give me a chance to get out of the house." She grinned, "I can get my nails done. You can relax and spend time with Aidan. Well maybe not relax," she amended.

Matt grinned, "will you bring home a big pizza too?"

"Only if it's all veggie."

He made a face, "that's a girl's pizza."

"Yeah well I can hear arteries hardening with the kind you like."

Matt rose and came up behind her kissing the side of her neck. "You don't feel neglected do you?"

"Not when you wake me up like you did this morning."

He grinned against the sensitive skin and nibbled lightly. "What are you doing later on?"

"Oh I don't know. I think I might need to wash my hair," she replied feigning disinterest as her pulse quickened.

He growled then began tickling her as she tried to escape twisting and shrieking with laughter. Matt looked up and saw Aidan in the doorway watching with guarded curiosity. Renee jumped up out of his reach. "Aidan help me, she's getting away."

Aidan grinned and pounced on his mother's legs. "GOTCHA!"

A breathless, tumbling wrestling match ensued that left all the participants panting for breath on the floor with grins plastered on their faces. The pot hissed as the contents boiled over onto the burner. "Damn," Renee muttered jumping to her feet and dashing over to the stove.

Aidan looked at her his eyes wide. "Momma said a danger word."

"Yes she did," Matt agreed. "I think that calls for a spanking."

Aidan nodded in solemn agreement as Renee shot Matt a quelling look. "What was it?" Matt asked.

"Cream of Mushroom soup." Matt and Aidan gave each other identical looks of distaste. "How does Outback sound?"

Aidan grinned hopping up. "Can Uncle Jeff come too?"

"I don't see why not."

Renee gave them both a look of exasperation. "Don't even think about it."

"Last one to the car is a rotten egg," Matt called dashing for the door. Aidan yelped and chased after him.

*****

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Someone was bouncing on his stomach and he was being pummeled in his face with something soft and furry. Matt grunted and automatically rolled over pinning his opponent to the mattress.

"Daddy!" Aidan squealed squirming. "You're squishing me!"

"Sorry," he said sleepily releasing him and sitting up trying to orient himself.

"I tried to wait till you woke up but I'm really hungry. Where'd Momma go?"

Matt scrubbed a hand over his face. "She went shopping and said something about getting her nails done."

A look of disgust crossed Aidan's face. "Mom's such a girl."

Matt laughed and got up throwing on a pair of jeans. "Come on I'll make you some breakfast. Then you can help me fix the shed door and after that maybe we could play a game."

"Candyland?"

"Why not."

They went down into the kitchen and Matt looked in the fridge. "What do you want?"

An expectant gleam came into Aidan's eyes that Matt missed. "Oreo cookie cereal with chocolate milk."

Matt's head popped up. "I don't think your mother would approve of that choice."

Aidan gave him a look of artful innocence. "She wouldn't mind or else why would it be in the closet." He walked over to the pantry and pulled out the box of coveted cereal. "See here it is."

Matt gave him a dubious look but poured some into a bowl. "Are you sure you want it with chocolate milk?" He asked making a face.

Aidan nodded his head grinning. "It's a special day."

Matt shook his head but handed him his breakfast and poured himself a cup of coffee. The phone rang and Matt picked it up.

"How are my boys doing?"

"Hey babe, we're having breakfast." Aidan looked up milk dripping off his chin and a look of clear guilt on his face.

Matt groaned realizing he'd been had. "Ummmm sorry to cut this short but I've gotta go. This is guy time."

"Yeah," Aidan hollered. "Just me and Daddy!"

Renee laughed, "okay I'll stop checking up on you then."

Matt hung up and fixed his son a look. "You owe me big time."

Aidan squirmed in his chair. "I forgot, Uncle Hugh might have left it behind."

"Hmmmmm."

He bounced down off the chair wiping his chin on his shirtsleeve. "How about that shed door."

Matt shook his head. "You're just trying to get me into trouble with your Momma." He took his son hand and they walked out to the shed and grabbed his tool box.

"Whatcha doing?"

"See how it's sagging. It needs new hinges."

"Can I hand you the tools."

"Sure ya can sport. I need the Phillips Head screwdriver first. It has the end that looks like a star."

Aidan rummaged through the box. "The big one or the little one."

"The big one."

Aidan handed the tool over and watched his father quietly for a bit as he unscrewed the broken hinge. "Daddy?"

"Yeah Aidan."

"Can I be your little buddy again?"

Matt looked over his eyes soft. "I'd really like that." He put on the new hinge and started screwing it back into the wood. "I'm sorry I was so cranky yesterday."

Aidan looked down scuffing his foot in the dirt. "I miss you," he mumbled. "Why do you have to be gone all the time."

Matt sighed putting the tool down. "Come here," he said catching Aidan and setting him on his knee. "I miss you too but my job takes me all over the country."

"Don't you wish you could be home like other dads?"

"Sometimes," Matt admitted. "But I still love you even though I'm not always here."

Aidan laid his head on Matt's shoulder. "I love you too."

Matt held him for a bit enjoying the moment of closeness until Aidan began twisting in his lap wanting to be let down. "Tug on that door for me little buddy and tell me if you think it'll work."

"Sure," Aidan ran to the door wrapping his hands around the handle and letting his weight drop. Matt winced and shook his head. "It's fixed." Aidan announced jumping up. "Now can we play Candyland?"

"Yep but first we have to put away the toolbox."

Aidan darted over to it and picked it up straining to get it off the ground. "Here let me help." Matt said. "We can carry it together."

They put it away and went inside. Matt made them a quick snack as Aidan set the game up on the table. "I'll be red, you can be blue," he said putting the gingerbread men on the board.

Matt sat down and they began to play. Aidan chattered on about his kindergarten class and peppered him with questions about his favorite wrestlers. Matt quickly lost the first and second games and was coming to the conclusion that he was going to lose a third. He was stuck in Molasses Marsh and Aidan was quickly coming up behind him. How could he lose to a five-year old?

Aidan chortled as his next card put him one move away from winning. He looked up at Matt and stuck his tongue out at him with an impish grin. This called for drastic measures Matt realized. He stuck his finger in his mouth. "Wet Willy," he cried poking it into Aidan's ear.

"Ewwww," Aidan shrieked jumping up and trying to wipe his ear.

Matt grinned and grabbed for him, knocking the game onto the floor. "Ooops."

Aidan looked up an astonished expression on his face. "You cheated!"

"Uh oh," Matt jumped up and dashed from the kitchen his son racing after him.