Flashbacks

Land of Hope and Dreams

"Do you know how many kids must pee in the pools here in one day?"

This was the announcement Shawn just had to loudly make when the family entered Duke's Lagoon. Audrey visibly reacted with a grimace and Jon reached around her to pop Shawn on the back of the head.

She did not need anything to discourage her from joining them in the water activities.

Shawn's response to the smack was to charge ahead into the park as though he knew where he was going. He did not know where he was going and ended up in the baby area where he got funny looks from the kids already there.

"Mom and I wanna relive the moments we missed with you," Jon teased him as the teen tried to escape the little kids who were awed by his presence. "But this is takin' it a little too far, don't you think?"

Shawn shot him a dirty look as a toddler tried to hand him a juice box. "I've never been here before," he replied grumpily. "And I forgot the map."

"They have maps here," Jon pointed out.

Shawn scrunched his nose up as he exited the splash pad as quickly as he could. "Yeah, not walkin' back and forth between the map and wherever you guys are. It's already gettin' too hot."

Jon glanced at the pool at their feet and gave Shawn a smirk. "I'll be happy to help you cool off anytime. Just say the word."

Shawn eyed him suspiciously and inched closer to Audrey.

Jon laughed at him and headed off to where he'd seen a map. From there, Shawn quickly planned out the day, careful to get the rides that would keep them cool but allow Audrey to stay in her coverup if she wanted to.

Jon was not thrilled with any of the rides Shawn picked out as they sounded too close to the rides he'd been hurt on at Action Park.

"These rides were tested for kids," Shawn remarked as though Jon was being unreasonable.

"So were the Action Park ones."

"Yeah, but I've never heard of crash test dummies being dismembered by any of the rides here."

"I'm sure we won't have any problems like we did there," Audrey reassured him. "I've been watching, and no one's been thrown off a slide or hit anything."

"Yeah, I guess." Jon made a face and pushed his aviator sunglasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"If you don't feel comfortable, you can always ride the baby rides. And Duke's Lagoon apparently has juice boxes."

Jon moved to pop him again, but Shawn was ready and dodged him easily with a smirk on his face. Jon shook his head and laughed, "Alright fine, let's get this over with."

The rides, of course, were nothing like the ones at Action Park. They were just the right speed so that Jon enjoyed them while Shawn and Audrey were mildly entertained.

Ultimately, there was not much to do at the Lagoon as it was just a small offshoot of the main park. After an hour, the family headed to a cabana Jon had reserved for them to eat lunch and discuss the rest of the day.

Jon settled into one of the lounge chairs while Shawn sprawled out in another. Since there were only two chairs, Audrey was left sitting at the dining table alone. Jon saw her watching them and held his hand out to her.

"Shawn's talkin' names, Aud, I think you need to be over here."

Audrey walked over to them and, after a moment's hesitation, settled herself on Jon's lap. Her bare shoulders pressing against his bare chest made her shiver slightly as an electric current ran down her spine. He noticed this and kissed her neck which only heightened the sensation.