Disclaimer: I do not own American Dragon: Jake Long

As all stories must, this one has finally come to an end. I want to sincerely thank all of you for reading my fic and sticking with it and me throughout the years. I started this when I was a wee young writer in 2012 and now I am finishing it now in 2018. What a ride! This was my first multi-chaptered long fic, so I consider it my baby, and I really enjoyed exploring the characterization of Jonathan Long (and the other Longs as well). Thank you to each person who has left a review—I read each and every single one of them on the new and old chapters, and I even go back to re-read some of the older comments for inspiration.

Enjoy the chapter

Chapter: 10—Family

With the fire disaster averted, Susan had suggested—in an almost frighteningly calm voice—that they should do something outside and away from their home for the rest of the weekend. Now, Jonathan had never wished to be smothered by smoke to escape the fallout of anything, but he had the greatest desire for it right now. Fear of her adding more chores to the imminent extra-chores-list that would be in his future, Jonathan was quick to blurt out a suggestion that, in retrospect, was pretty out there.

Hence, their impromptu camping trip.

It would be perfect! Plenty of room for cooking, exploring, and the kids to do whatever they wanted—fly, firebreathe, drop each other into the lake from twenty feet in the air, whatever. Be the rambunctious lizard children they couldn't be cooped up at home. The best addition was that the Cranberry Lake Campground was right in the middle of a magic-friendly pocket of New York. Having two dragons zip and weave through the trees and over the lake would not be something to call Area 51 about.

After cleaning up what the talismans had not protected and reassuring worried neighbors, the Longs had practically collapsed into their beds for several hours of sleep. In the small hours of the early morning—an ungodly hour, the kids had claimed—they had packed up the car and embarked to the Cranberry Lake Campground.

The five-hour drive could be put down as a speedy record.

So here they were, pitching their tents and unpacking everything they had brought. It was just a bit before noon, the sun shining right above them, and the sounds of insects temporarily gone due to the family's disturbance. They'd be back soon. Jonathan paused for a moment to take it the area around him. It was familiar as he had brought his wife and children here numerous times in the past, but it was also changed in more ways than one. Ever since their last outing here a couple years ago, he could see that the trees were just a bit taller (especially the birch one that Haley was propping her bags against), there were much more berry bushes clustered around where Jake was placing their stuff they didn't need at the moment, and just past where Susan was finishing pitching her tent, he could a unicorn or two in the distance by the lake.

Changed, but the same. Just like his family.

"Aw maaan!" Jake sprung up from his crouch as he popped his back and stretched. "I got waaay too much energy from being smushed in the car for so long. We should do something."

After throwing her sleeping bag in her own pink little tent, Haley sniffed. "I do not like that I've been agreeing so much with Jake lately—" here Jake rolled his eyes "—but I feel the same. I want to do something fun." She turned to Susan, flying at her without the actual use of her abilities. "Mommy, can we go exploring please? I want to see the flower patches again!"

Susan laughed, hugging Haley closer to her. "Sure thing, sweetie Maybe your father and brother want to come along as well?" She smiled up towards Jonathan.

Before he could give a yes or now, Haley interjected, "Nuh-uh! Nothing against Daddy, but Jake will probably be super klutzy and step on the flowers." Here, she stuck at her tongue at the aforementioned boy.

"Pfff, I didn't even want to go, yo," Jake made a show of crossing his arms and walking over trekking towards the top of the hill. He pointed towards the lake. "Me and Dad can go find something better to do!"

"Like what?"

There was a pause. "…Fishing?"

Haley didn't quite snort, but the noise she made was close to it. "And that's better? No thanks, I think I will stick to the flowers," she said as she started pushing at the small of Susan's back. Although she was the adult, Jonathan could tell that Susan was taking her amusement in letting Haley 'guide' her to the flower fields like she was in charge. "They smell much better than those fish."

A humph, and Jake sped towards Jonathan using the angle of the hill to get him there faster. If this were a baseball diamond, it could have been called a safe slide with all dirt he was kicking up. "At least we're getting some food out of it," he proclaimed. The man swallowed a laugh as his son practically frog-marched him towards the direction of the lake.

As the family split to go on their own adventures, he heard Susan's, "Meet back in about an hour! We can have a small lunch."

Hm, maybe he and Jake would get some fish by then.

Before they were completely out of sight of one another, Jonathan turned his head slightly just to check on his family before they left. There was nothing to worry about, but he was a father and a husband after all. Habits like that would never leave him. He could see Susan trying to peek at Haley as she was giggling at her daughter, but the younger girl was not letting her slow her pace, not when she had beautiful flowers in mind.

Just a pace behind him, Jake, looking over his shoulder towards his sister, hadn't noticed Jonathan's inspection. In the almost quiet of the forest, the human Long could just make out the slightest of a whisper coming from his son. He could make out a few words from Jake as he was close to him, but all he could get from Haley was the sight of her mouth moving a bit. He was sure with their advanced hearing that they could hear one another just fine from the twenty feet—and growing—that were separating them. They just didn't want anyone else—Susan was probably ignoring it—to hear. From the mutters and the lip-reading, he could gather up this much:

'Be safe—Rocks over there—don't fall—not help.'

'You too—Okay—holes—Pretty deep.'

Jonathan his smile in his hand, fake coughing. Despite often goading one another, they really did care for each other. Jake, now next to him, gave him a questioning look. "You alright, Dad? Allergies not getting to you, are they?"

"Oh no, son, I'm doing just A-okay, thanks."

His kids were some good kids.

His kids were also susceptible to forgetting things when they had a destination in mind. Pink-cheeked, Haley and Jake had to go back for baskets and fishing equipment, respectfully.

When Jake had proclaimed that fishing would help burn off some energy, Jonathan had been a bit skeptical even though he went along with it. He had the memory of a much younger, much more fidgety boy squirming in their canoe, claiming that he was bored. Restlessness had been abundant in their past fishing excursions. Now, however, he should have expected something different what with his current knowledge about his son.

To say that he had expected Jake to be circling around the canoe in the air like a bird of prey while Jonathan himself was still in the canoe would be a lie.

Since they both knew that fishing would take much longer than an hour, Jake had come up with a plan to scan the murky lake from above to spot fish for Jonathan to catch. It was working fairly well; they had already caught ten fish!

"How's it looking, Jake-a-roo?" Jonathan directed his shout upward through cupped hands.

He could just barely make out the clawed thumbs-up that Jake sent to him, but could hear, "Great! I actually see a big one just over to the left. I think that'll be a good one to wrap up the fishing."

He followed Jake as he banked more left and began circling a part of the lake where a large boulder broke through the mottled surface. Moss and cattails grew aplenty. Jonathan grinned as he drummed his fingers on his fishing pole, the canoe now at a standstill. This fish must be pretty big if Jake thinks it can feed all of us! Casting his line, he looked up, one hand cast over his eyes to fight the glare of the warm sun. As he opened his mouth, a startled yelp came from him rather than a remark due to the canoe rocking violently.

Something had hit the side of the canoe.

Something huge.

"Uhhh, Jaaake," he swallowed, holding his fishing rod tighter, "just how large did you say this fish was again?"

Jake did a lazy swoop before he arced down back to the lake, sitting on the mossy rock. His tail and the bottom tips of his wings dipped in the water. "Big enough," he smiled with a mouth full of fangs. "Don't worry, Dad. It's totally fine. If I thought it was too much, this super talented dragon would come and help you with his mad crazy strength," here he flexed his arms in order to show off his muscles.

Jonathan heard himself laugh, although the vestiges of apprehension were settling in. "Hmm, I guess your right. It probably got startled by your old man's amazing fishing skills." He reoriented himself in the canoe, determination set. He was overthinking it—it was just a fish.

About ten more minutes passed with no tug on his line. He had switched spots once where he saw more bubbles in the surface, yet that had not seemed to be of much assistance. From his spot on the rock, Jake said, "Maaaybe we should call it quits. I haven't seen anything that would make me think the fish is still here, and it's almost time to meet back with Mom and Haley. Plus, all that flying made me hungry," he huffed as he got up and stretched. To Jonathan, it was like watching a scaly cat stretch out after a cat nap in the sun.

As much as he hated to admit defeat, it did not seem like he was catching that monster fish anytime soon. He pouted, reeling in his bare line. "Guess this fish made it known who's the boss. Hmph! And just as I wanted to see it—Whoah!" A hard collision with the other side of the canoe sent him sprawling.

"Dad, careful!"

He just managed to catch himself from taking a nosedive in the lake, hands clutching to the lip of the canoe. Opening his eyes that he had reflexively closed when he almost fell in the lake, he froze when he saw what was in front of him just a scant six inches away from his face.

It was a blue-tinged face staring right at him, slivery hair afloat like a hallow around it and purplish freckles glittering on its grinning cheeks. "I take it that you are Mr. Long, correct?"

He may or may not have screamed.

.

.

As it had turned out, the 'big fish' that Jake had told him he had 'spotted' was actually his mermaid friend, Lila. The two mischievous teenagers had thought it would have been good to stage a prank for Jonathan to meet Lila for the first time. It had worked—he never suspected a thing. A little too well! He thought as he clutched his chest.

He had needed to get his heartrate back to normal before having any conversation first.

"Sorry about the scare," Lila smiled as she swam lazy circles around the canoe, silver hair looking like swirling paint in the lake water. "I was just super excited to meet you! Well, in person, I mean."

Jonathan blinked. "What do you mean 'in person'? You've seen me before?"

Here, Jake offered an explanation. "Yeah, that would be kinda on me, Dad. You see, there's always been magical folk that have lived here, buuut you weren't quite caught up with all the magic stuff whenever we came here before. We would always steer it away from you, or, in Lila's case," he tapped her on a freckled shoulder with the end of his tail, which made her snigger, "have her swim away when you were near. Sorry, Dad."

Instead of feeling reassured, an uncomfortable cold settled in his body, making him want to squirm. He fiddled with his glasses. "So you're telling me that I made you all hide just because I was here? You all had to change the way you go about your day just because…because of me?" It was just like what his family had to do at home before he knew: had to hide their true selves away from him, had to lie and fake things so he wouldn't find out, had to change the way they lived because he was just a regular old human.

They must have seen the look on his face because they started waving placating hands at him. "Oh no, no, Mr. Long! That's not it at all!"

"Whoa, Dad, don't think like that! You're not to blame for anything!

Before Jonathan could protest, Lila tapped his knee and pointed to the forest all around the lake. "Mr. Long, you aren't the only human that visits here. We have regular human families that come here, so it isn't strange for us to alter our routines slightly in order to stay secret. That's normal of the magical world. Plus, we even have magical families with human relatives that come with them. Heck, the McClouds come here even more frequently than you all do, and they've told their human grandmother about the magical world and she loves it!"

"Yo, have you seen them recently? How's Martie? I know last time she had a really sucky shedding problem going on."

"Oh, she's great! After some medicated potions, she's got her full mane back and everything—just saw her and her parents, like, last month."

So he wasn't the only human within a magical family after all…huh. He some of the nausea and tension released from his body.

With that in mind, he listened to his son and his son's friend chatter and catch up, offering head nods and noises of attention where they would be appropriate. It was almost like having an out of body experience, listening to the conversation change and shift from how a friendly gorgon came just last week with thirty mini pairs of sunglasses for her snakes (which had made Lila and her little brother, Jori, laugh themselves silly along with the gorgon), to how their nonbinary werelion friend named Martie solved her shedding crisis, and then to how Jori had taken an interest in weaving, courtesy of an arachnid couple who had visited the year before. If Jonathan were to hear this kind of conversation over a year ago, he would have thought he had gone coo-coo crazy. All of these people sounded so interesting just from the bits and pieces he was picking up, and he had a bubble of excitement well in him—he wanted to know even more about magic and magical people.

The conversation came to a rambling end when Lila said, "Oh my gosh, speaking of Jori—Mr. Long," she swished in a mid-turn to look at Jonathan, "would you like to meet the rest of my family? I'm sure they'd love to finally speak to you in person!"

They'd love to meet me? Regular ol' me? Gosh, he felt flattered. "That sounds like a nifty-o idea, Lila! I most certainly would."

Excited, the girl splashed her great tail on the surface of the water. Jonathan didn't want to ruin her mood by telling her she soaked his pants. "Great! Do you want me to go get them, or should we come to the shore?"

Jake stood up from his spot on the boulder. "How about I go get Mom and Haley? We could meet you all here and eat lunch! I missed talking to your family and I know Mom and Haley have, too."

Jonathan took the initiative instead, waving a hand for the boy to sit down again. He'd seen just how much fun Jake and Lila had been having talking to one another. "Nah, you kids stay and chat. I can go get your mother and sister, Jakie. Won't take me but a short little bit!" Before any protest could be made, he pushed the canoe of with the oars and began rowing his way back to shore. He even offered them a little wave as they stared at his retreating figure.

However, just before he was out of earshot, he heard a bit of their exchange.

"Wow, Jake, your father is super cool."

"I know, right? He's quirky, but, man, he's the best."

There was a brief pause.

"Hey, when did your tail get so wide? I thought that smack on the water was gonna make a tidal wave!"

"Pfff, was not! I've just hit a growth spurt, that's all. And when did you get so big in your dragon form, Mr. I-Must-Have-Eaten-Like-Thirty-Hot-Dogs-Or-Something? I saw your silhouette from below the water and thought someone was invading, haha. You were, like, so puny before!"

"Blame the same—a growth spurt. And I was not puny!"

Jonathan did his best to stifle his chuckling.

They ended up having a boat lunch party smack-dab in the middle of the lake.

After Jonathan had told Susan and Haley about the invitation, he supposed he shouldn't have been surprised when they let out matches shouts of excitement. As it had turned out, Haley was incredibly good friends with Jori and Susan loved talking to Lila and Jori's parents. Jonathan felt that particular tickle of shame and guilt whenever he thought of not knowing things like this. He had always made it a point to be involved in both his wife's life—asking her about her day, listening when she talked about her time with friends—and his daughter's—giving her advice about her friends, lending an ear when she wanted to tell him all the things she liked to do. To think that he missed out in doing that with these magical friends of theirs who lived in the lake… it made him feel like less than a stellar husband and father.

But, he took a breath and squashed that feeling away, I'm here now, and my family is steadily welcoming me into aspects of their lives I didn't know before. He felt even more reassured when he saw Jake and Lila, along with three other merfolk, waving at them as he rowed closer, him in his own canoe and Haley and Susan in theirs.

"Is that Haley, is that Haley?!" The tittering voice came from a small merchild clutching onto Lila's shoulders, pale seafoam-green curls bouncing along with his animated head. That must have been Jori.

Haley perked up and she leapt to the front of the canoe. "Mommy, I see Jori! Can I go now, please?" She looked about two seconds for launching herself out of the canoe.

"Go ahead, dear," Susan smiled and waved her off.

And launch herself she did. Without another word, the adults watched as the young girl shifted in mid-jump off the canoe into her dragon form and then zipped towards her friend. The pink and purple collision—one that Lila was smart to duck out of—resounded with a wet and loud thwack as the two kids rolled with the energy and were sent crashing into the lake. The parents broke out into laughter as the dragon girl and the mer boy resurfaced in a giggling hug.

Gosh darn it, I wish I hadn't left my camera in the tent!

Susan and Jonathan stopped their canoes by the boulder, still watching in amusement at the two youngest. "Lila Murqwater," Susan mock-gasped as she set her oars down, "you're growing up so fast! It's great to see you again! And Kyra and Seho, you two are a sight for sore eyes."

The blue-tinged mermaid, who had been sitting on the boulder next to Jake, beamed at Susan, and her Jonathan could see where Lila got her purple freckles from. "Susan! My friend, you're looking splendid! I've missed you so much." Her waterfall of seafoam-green curls, much more coil-y than her son's, draped over both her and Susan as she leaned forward to embrace the woman. "I was just telling your son how proud we are of him and how much he's grown. We know the position of the American Dragon is not an easy one, but he's been doing a wonderful job. You're raising great children here, Susan."

Although dragons did not have the capability of blushing, Jonathan could see Jake's embarrassment in the way the small scales of his cheekbones fluttered. "Aw, Mrs. Murqwater, I'm just doing the best I can," he said as he ducked his head and rubbed his neck.

Lila snickered at him, but he flicked his wing in order to splash her face with water.

"You're too sweet, Kyra. I can't say I've done all the work. My husband is the only one I could raise these kids with." She gestured at Jonathan, and he felt his insides melt at the soft smile she aimed at him, the one that she gave when it was just them. "I'd like you two to meet Jonathan. Jonathan, this is Kyra," the curly-haired mermaid waved, "and her husband, Seho."

The silver-haired merman waded close to Jonathan's boat and offered up a broad hand to shake. The grin on his face stretched his trimmed silver beard and mustache. "Jonathan, eh? Well, it's great to finally meet you! I've heard such wonderful things about you from your wife and children."

"Great to meet you, too," He grasped the purple-tinged hand. "It's a real joy to be meeting Susan's magical pals!"

Once pleasantries were made, they were quick to break out the food. Jonathan thanked himself for having the foresight to pack extra sandwiches and snacks because the fish and first serving of food quickly disappeared. Having two dragon children was like feeding a garbage disposal, but having two dragon children with one having gone through dragon puberty was like trying to feed a blackhole. He could tell from the fluttering of his cheek scales and the way that he fumbled with the empty Tupperware containers that Jake was embarrassed by how much he was eating. Before Jonathan could tell him that it was not big deal and that it was perfectly normal, Kyra and Seho surprised Jonathan by diving below the surface to get more fish. Growing up means being hungrier, they said.

Lila, having devoured ten fish and three cupcakes herself, agreed.

Jonathan lost track of how much time they were spending here on the lake, but he had no complaints whatsoever. Elation filled him when he looked at his family having fun with their friends—and hopefully his new friends, too. The stress lines around Susan's eyes almost completely disappeared when she conversed with Kyra and Seho, Haley seemed to have this newfound excitement and energy when she played with Jori, and the tension in Jake's neck and shoulders practically evaporated, the responsibility of holding the weight of the magical world forgotten for this short time.

"Haley, let's race! I want to see who's gotten faster!"

"Don't hold your breath, Jori!"

Yeah, his family deserved this weekend outing.

They adults spent the next five or so hours watching Jake and Haley taking turns giving Lila and Jori rides on their backs as they did laps in the air. Then they were audience to see the dragons dumping each other and then the mer kids into the lake from midair.

Susan and Jonathan's clothes were soaked through from the waves.

The end of a late dinner seemed to signal that the end of the day was drawing near. There was a comfortable and serene quiet that hung over their campsite; a lazy sort of quiet, one that made a person relaxed and think of their bed. The sounds of crickets, frogs, rippling water, and the whisper of foliage combined to create their own song of peacefulness.

A sleepy murmur came from his side, and Jonathan glanced down to see his son, head on Jonathan's leg, eyes closed and mouth corners tugging in a half-aware smile. "Dad?" A yawn broke through, revealing a peek of pointy fangs from curled back lips.

"Yeah, Jakie?"

"Mmm, thanks for bein' a great dad," he mumbled before falling back into a doze.

The smoke from the low campfire wasn't what was making his eyes damp behind his glasses. He carded his fingers through Jake's dark hair—the tint and the shade most definitely from his mother's side—and could not help but smile softly and take in his appearance. A nose like Jonathan's was pressed against his denim-clad leg, and pointy ears and mouth were now parted with the purr-like snores he'd come to associate with dragons. Jake's body, now taller and a bit broader, which was something he still had to get used to, was slumped against the older Long. A day of fun had tuckered both him and Haley, who was the mirror of Jake's position only against her mother, out.

He replied, although he knew that, despite keen hearing, the tired teenager would not hear. "Thank you for being the best son a father could ever ask for," he said as he wiped his eye with his free hand, continuing to run his fingers through Jake's hair with the other.

Jonathan and Susan continued to bask in the warmth of the fire, looking out on the lake. The sun began to slip behind the tree-covered horizon, bathing the campgrounds in a pleasant orange. A herd of unicorns could be seen on the other side of the lake, the Murqwater family was spotted relaxing on a few rocks and enjoying the waning rays of the sun, and a fairy or two could be seen getting ready for the night. Jonathan never got tired of seeing all the wonderful things of the magical world.

But here, with his wife, son, and daughter close to him, happy and safe, he could safely say one thing:

His family was the most magical and brilliant gift he could ever have.

Published: 8/26/18

A/N: For reviewing last chapter, I would like to thank 14fox, Guest, Tiny-Smaug, Eclipse130, Cowgirl1302, tbiscool35, the other Guest, the third Guest, YokaiAngel, Randomness, Luiz4200, Unknown, and PotterGirl1125.

And, again, to everyone who has reviewed other chapters, added my fic to their favorites and follows, I want to extend a magical thank you.