James Lotusorder sat on his couch, reading a new book on the theory of the universe and contemplated his purpose in life, soft music came from a record player on the coffee table. The past few days had been confusing and difficult. His best friend had been poisoned, and his father had made him feel like a piece of Dragon poo. But, Jim was feeling the best he had in days, just relaxing and reading, something he rarely got to do.

His father had gotten him thinking about his future. He really did need to settle down, get married, maybe have a kid or two, but it terrified him to think of losing his fun loving nature so soon. Mark. Mark Hunter was getting married before him, to a French model, for that matter. Jim sometimes wished his life could be like Mark’s. Mark had a family who loved him, a father who supported him, a mother who adored him, his sister and little brother that idolized him, and the girl of his dreams.

Jim though of his cold and prickly father, his dazed and confused mother, and his little sister he had left to fend for herself under his father’s dictatorship of a household. He had made some headway in the big brother category, and he was feeling pretty good about that, he would write her a letter later, if he wasn’t too tired.

James took a sip from his juice-box, a secret addiction of his. He heard a knock on the door and looked at his watch, it was rather late, but Jim tended to sleep all day and be awake all night for work, anyways. He put his book down and got up from his sofa, heading over to his door. He didn’t bother looking through the peep-hole, and unlocked his chained door.

The wooden door swung open, and no one stood in the hall, the tan walls as tan as usual. Jim scoffed. “Kids” He went to close the door, when he saw something at the foot of his door. A medium sized wicker basket on the red carpet. Inside the basket, wrapped in a large, blue blanket, was an infant, sleeping. James crouched down and picked up a piece of paper on top of the blanket.

Dear James,
   My name is not important, but my son is. I know you are a very compassionate person, a good; gentle man, and very protective of the ones you love. I hope that you won’t be angry with me, and learn to love him as I have loved him. I simply do not have the means to take care of him. I wish I could say more, but I could not speak to your face. His name is Paul, Paul John, please love and take care of him.
Thank you James

James read the letter three times, just to be sure what he was dealing with. His eyes were large, and he stood up abruptly, and closed the door, he took a breath and opened it again, the baby still lay in his basket, sleeping soundly. It was really here. There was a real life, tiny person on his doorstep. James bent down and picked up the basket. The baby opened his eyes and cooed. “Merlin’s beard” The baby’s eyes were ice blue, and his little blond riglet curled over his forehead.

“Hi there Paul” James said, looking out to either side of the hall, no one was about this late at night. Jim was internally having a miniature panic attack. Keeping a cool face for the baby, James pulled his wand from his pocket and swung it about, aparating to the only person he knew could help him with this.

James knocked on the large door, hoping she wasn't asleep. The baby oogled at him and Jim smiled back at him, tucking the blanket tighter around the infant. "Mrs. Hunter!" He hissed, not to make too much noise, but he wanted her awake, he could see his breath mixing with the baby's and knew he should get the child out of the cold as soon as possible. "Come on Mrs. Hunter, I really need your help"

Jim looked around, seeing the yellow tape from the murder had been taken down, and he was now very, very nervous, he couldn't fight someone with a baby in his arms, and he tightened his grip on the basket, and looked around, expecting someone to pop out of a bush.

Cynthia turned over in bed, when she heard the knocking on the door, and the hissing of her son's best friend. As Franklin moved to get out of bed, Cynthia climbed out, taking the bathrobe from the back of the door, and walking down the stairs. She got to the front door, opening it, with one hand in her head, one eye squinting out to see James Lotusorder. Holding a basket.

"Is there a reason you're standing at my door with a basket, James?" She asked. "In the middle of the night, I might add?" Cynthia then saw little puffs of carbon dioxide coming from the basket. She added in the frightened look on his face, and quickly pulled him into the house, closing the door on the cold. She motioned him into the living room, where she took a look in the basket, and a smile appeared on her face. "A baby, huh?" She said, looking in. She looked over to James. "Have you held him yet?"

"Oh my gosh, I didn't know if you'd be awake-" Jim was pulled into the house and his eyes adjusted to the light of the lamp in the living room, the normal pleasant scents of the house were lost to him now, now he could only smell baby, and taste his own breath. "What? No I haven't held him! Look at the note!" James handed it to her, sitting down.

Jim jumped ahead of her. "He's not mine! At least, I don't think he's mine! I don't know what to do Mrs. Hunter!" Jim pulled at his hair."'I don't know how to take care of a baby!" He was still hissing, not wanting to wake up any of the kids. Especially Jane, he knew she had had a crush on him since as long as he could remember, what would she think?

Cynthia bent over during his rant, to pick up the baby out of the basket, she smiled kindly down at him, as she pulled back the blanket, and held him, supporting his head with her arm, and holding him in the other. She sat down on the couch, swaying her arms gently back and forth creating a steady motion. She hummed a little tune, as she watched the baby's little eyes get smaller and smaller, before they slowly closed. She looked up at James, and nodded her head towards a seat next to her.

Her eyes read the note and she smiled, as she looked over to James. "Well, this is Paul John, James. Or PJ for short. I like PJ." She kept her voice calm, and her arm motion the same. "Look James, you need to figure this out now, before the baby can remember you. Do you want to keep him? It's not too late to let him grow up in an orphanage. We could drop him off, and he'll grow up fatherless." She explained, her expression no longer a smile.

"Or, you can father this child, and raise him as your own." She said, looking down at PJ, and smiling. Such an innocent life. So little in such a big big world.

"Huh, PJ, that's precious." James said sarcastically, not feeling all that chipper at the moment. "Well, his mother left him to me, I think I should keep it, no him, I think I should keep him." Jim stood up and sat down next to Mrs. Hunter, who had magically gotten the baby to fall asleep. "I don't want to leave him in an orphanage, no one is that heartless." A thought occurred to James, and he was not truly scared.

"I came right here, I didn't even check..." James reached for the sleeping infant and pulled the blanket down near his neck. A birthmark, shaped like a lotus blossom in bloom was on the baby boy's neck. "Oh my god." Jim said, pulling his hand away. "I think I'm gonna be sick." He held his stomach, feeling nausea.

"He's mine, oh my god, he's mine"

Cynthia looked over to James as he said he'd be sick. "Welcome to parenting, James. It's a whole lot of nausea." She said, rocking him slowly. "Welcome to the family PJ." She said with a smile, whispering to the infant. She turned to James and couldn't help to smile. "Jimmy, you're a father. A real father. And I know it seems like a lot, but it's going to be okay, okay?"

Cynthia scotched closer to James, getting ready to hand the baby off to him. "Now, say hello to Paul, Pauly? PJ? Say hello." She pulled the baby away from her chest, and closer to James. "One elbow nook goes at his head. You want to support it. The other goes around his legs, to tuck it into your chest." Cynthia then went to hand him off to James.

There was no time to be sick. James did as Mrs. Hunter held him his son. "How could this happen?" he said, as he cradled his child in his arms. "Your grandfather is going to kill me" Jim smiled at his baby, whom slept soundly. "What am i going to tell him?" Jim turned to Mrs. Hunter, "You must think I'm a real sleez, I don't know what my dad is going to say." James actually started crying.

"How the hell in the world am I going to do this?" He said, rivers streaming over his cold cheeks.

"You're going to tell him that you are a father, and that this is your son, and that you are going to be a caring and loving father." She said, rubbing his back kindly, like she did with Colin when he fell in the yard. "He'll understand. And if he doesn't, then I'll talk to him. And then he will understand." She smiled, looking down at the young boy who was holding the infant.

"How the hell in the world am I going to do this?"

"One step at a time. Do you have supplies? Diapers? A bed? Changing table? Milk? Food?" She asked. "I've got old stuff of Colin's that can last until you can get your feet off the ground with this thing. Step by step, okay? Step by step."

"I wasn't expecting it at all, I wasn't ready at all for this." Jim supported the baby's back with one hand and wiped his face with the other. "I don't have any of that stuff." But the supplies for the baby were of little concern to him no, it was his father that he was worried about. "I think I have enough money to get some stuff, but where do I even go from here? How is he going get along without his mother, I don't even know who she is"

Jim was rather upset that the girl didn't have enough courage to tell him to his face, he probably would have understood, maybe a little upset at first, but not as upset as he was at this moment. "Don't tell anyone, I don't want Mark to know just yet, I know how busy he is with Julie and there baby."

"A child doesn't need a mother to grow up well. As long as they have a devoted father, who's willing to fill both roles, and who will love them always, they'll be just fine." She said, rubbing his back some more. "You can do this, James. You can do this. Step by step, you can do this. He's a sweet baby, he's got a good dad, and he'll be a great guy some day. Okay?"

"Don't tell anyone, I don't want Mark to know just yet, I know how busy he is with Julie and there baby."

"Of course I won't. It'll be our little secret." She said, before realizing the end of his statement. Her son? Her Mark was having a baby? She was going to be a grandmother, and no one told her? She was shocked. Maybe she missed the call, or something like that. Why wouldn't he tell her? Maybe James was telling a joke. "Them and their baby. The silly kids." She said, trying to cover, but having a complete security breach. They weren't married yet! What would Julie's mother and father say?

Jim exhaled and adjusted the blanket around his son's little body. "PJ Lotusorder, that'll be a hit. Paul, Pauly, Paul John Lotusorder." James said,playing with the name in his mouth. "Thanks Mrs. Hunter," he said after admiring the utter perfection of his child.

"What should I do now? Take him home? What should I feed him? When do I feed him?" Jim suddenly had a million questions that he needed answered.