LondonChiic asked me to write about this trip to California and at first I was a bit hesitant because I already did a similar kind of story in Half a world away. But... ever since LondonChiic mentioned this to me my mind just comes up with these scenes. So here you go... thanks for the idea! I hope you all like it! I look forward to your reviews!

Will's POV

I slowly open my eyes, it is still dark, and Sonny's even breathing tells me he is still sound asleep. I grab my phone from the night stand and see it is only just past 6 am. I snuggle close to my sleeping boyfriend and close my eyes, hoping to sleep for another hour. But suddenly my eyes are wide open and my arms pull him a little closer: I'm leaving today. For a whole week I will be in California, writing and meeting people I don't know. It is an unknown, unsafe world to me and seems alien to me now while I am curled around my safety anchor. I am going to miss him so much... and then little Ari. I know Gabi and Sonny will do great, but I love holding her in my arms, talk to her as though she understand everything I am saying, and sing softly until she falls asleep. This is my home, Sonny and Ari are my home. They are the beating heart of my life, the centre around which everything else comes together. I push my face to his chest as I enjoy his familiar smell, his soft olive skin, and the sound of his steady heartbeat. He stirs, but doesn't wake up. In his unconsciousness he wraps his arms tightly around me, as though he never wants to let go. I smile and close my eyes, not because I still want to sleep for another hour, but because I want to lie awake in his arms for as long as I can so I think back to this moment when California gets to me.

(...)

I just sit on the couch, holding Ari who has transformed in the cutest pumpkin ever, while Sonny and Gabi are getting stuff ready for today. Every time Sonny passes behind me I feel his fingers softly brushing my neck, and I enjoy the familiarity of our unconventional family life. My suitcases are packed and waiting for us to leave at the front door. I sigh while my eyes wander from the suitcases to my sweet daughter and for the umpteenth time I wonder whether I should go. The bathroom door opens and Gabi says:

"OK boys, ready to go..."

She leans over me to help Ari in her stroller, and then they are out the door. Sonny is standing next to my suitcases, ready to take them to the car, and when our eyes meet I know he has noticed my hesitation.

"Will honey, let's go..."

"Yeah..."

"Will?"

I look at him and raise my eyebrows instead of giving him a vocal answer. He puts the suitcase he was already holding on the floor and wraps his strong arms around me. I lean into his body and take a deep breath, happy that he knows exactly what it is I need. His hands draw circles on my back and my arms are locked around his waist. I hide my face in his neck and say softly:

"It's not that I am not happy I can go to this writing thing... it's just that I wish it was here in Salem..."

"I know honey... but you are going to do great... and before you know it you will have to come back..."

"Don't make it sound like I wouldn't want to come back..."

"Well, you might not... you might find writing so engaging and all consuming that you forget all about us..."

"Shut up Sonny... don't even think that... I am going to miss you and Ari like crazy..."

We finally let go and before I can reach to get one of the two suitcases his hand cups my chin so I have to look at him. His voice is sweet and intimate when he says:

"Honey, I am so proud of you... and I am so going to miss you... but we can do this because it is a great opportunity... and I just want you to remember that I love you so much..."

I lean over and kiss him softly, but with a certain desperation to show him how important he is to me. I don't look at him when I let go. Instead I grab a suitcase and avoid his eyes:

"I could never do this without you..."

I walk out and hear how he follows me and closes the door behind him. We meet again at his car, where we find Gabi and Ari patiently waiting, and he just smiles while catching my eyes. His smile is the one that is just for me, the smile that says I-love-you-so-freakin'-much, the smile that tells me there is nothing and no-one between us. And then we are on our way to the Halloween party, the last stop before I have to go to the airport.

(...)

"Here we are..."

Sonny hops out of the car to get Ari's stroller set up, and I slowly follow to grab my suitcases. An airplane lowers above us and I hear Sonny talk to Ari:

"That's a plane, pumpkin... and Daddy is going to go on one and we are going to wave until he can't see us anymore. And then we are going to have a lot of Sonny-baby quality time... and then we are going to pick daddy up... and that will be amazing."

I am not sure whether he realises I am listening in on his cute one-sided conversation, and I can't help but smile when I see Ari's big blue eyes transfixed on Sonny's face. She always does that, she is crazy about him and as soon as he is in her range her attention is zooming in on him. And I could not be happier when I look at the both of them. When Ari is ready he stands up straight and when he meets my smiling gaze, a slight red covers his cheeks:

"I was just explaining to her..."

"I know sweety..."

"So stop smiling... I was having a very serious conversation with her..."

This time it is my turn to smile my I-love-you-so-freakin'-much smile and then I tease him:

"You know... Sonny-baby time sounds good... but I am going to miss Sonny-Will quality time"

"You better... but when you come back we will make up for everything you have missed while you were away..."

I blush but have to say it:

"Everything?"

He is laughing now and shakes his head:

"Not in front of the baby..."

I reach out and pull him towards me tugging on the front of his coat. I kiss him softly and enjoy the feeling of his soft, warm lips against mine. And then it is time to get going. They take me as far as they are allowed to go and way too soon for my liking we have to say goodbye. I lean over little Ari and pepper her little face with sweet kisses, whispering over and over:

"Daddy loves you so much..."

And then I turn around and look at Sonny. My eyes slowly take in the view, his gorgeous dark hair, his blinding smile, and his strong perfect body. I bite my bottom lip and take in a deep breath. Then he pulls me close and wraps me up like he did just before we left the apartment:

"Bye you..."

"Bye... you..."

I softly but quickly kiss him and then I force myself to just walk away. One last time I turn around and wave and then I am on my way to California.

(...)

"Son... is that Ari... is she crying..."

"Yeah... but Gabi is taking care of her... don't worry..."

"I'm not worried, but since she is awake anyway, maybe you can put her in front of the camera... maybe she'll stop crying if I sing to her..."

He smiles and shakes his head:

"Lame excuse Horton, you just want to see her because you cannot spent a day without seeing her..."

"Sue me... I miss her..."

"I know... I'll get her..."

I wait patiently for Sonny to return and when he does he is holding a crying bundle of unhappiness in his arms. She is curled up against his chest and my heart beats a bit faster when I see how she seems to fit perfectly into that little spot. I hear Sonny whisper softly:

"That's daddy, pumpkin... he want to see you... give him a smile honey..."

Although she stopped crying she is still sniffing and when Sonny looks at me through the camera I give him my crooked smile:

"You two are so cute together..."

He smiles and says:

"You said you were going to sing..."

"But she stopped crying..."

"You better start singing Horton, or I will make sure she starts again..."

"Why do I have a feeling I am not really singing for her..."

"I have no idea... now get cracking."

I softly sing three lullabies, and my heart swells when I see how she relaxes against Sonny's chest, and how her little hand curls into a ball while crumpling his white shirt in her grip. His hand softly strokes her back and his smile is all kinds of soft and tender while he looks down on her. His dark eyelashes seem to touch his cheek and everything inside of me wished I could hold his face between my hands and softly stroke his skin with my thumbs. When I stop singing after three songs he looks shyly into the camera and whispers:

"Thank you..."

"Anytime baby..."

"Let me just put her into her crib..."

Again, I wait patiently for my boyfriend to reappear and when he does we talk about my experiences and my writing progress. His enthusiasm for me makes me feel proud and loved, and before I know it an hour has passed. We reluctantly decide to wrap up and I smile when he says:

"I support you 100%, but I am kind of relieved it is only two more days..."

"I hope you have the weekend off..."

"I definitely do... nothing will keep me away from you for the whole weekend, you might get sick of me and want to go back."

"Sonny... I told you not to say stuff like that..."

"I know... I was just teasing..."

"Don't... I have no sense of humour when it comes to that..."

"Ok baby... in that case... I do have the weekend off and I will be by your side for every minute of it..."

"Good... I can't wait."

"See you tomorrow, same time?"

"Definitely."

(...)

I just checked in my suitcases and am now strolling the airport, waiting for the moment boarding starts. I absentmindedly walk through the different shops, not really looking for anything specifically. Suddenly, my eyes focus on a picture frame. It is made of wooden letters spelling the word 'home', and the picture goes into the letter 'o'. I check the time on my phone and moments later I am the proud owner of the frame and am on my way to the pharmacist. They have those machines to print photographs from your phone. When I get to the machine I scroll through my pictures until I find the one I was looking for. It is a picture of Sonny stretched out on the couch, holding Ari close to his chest. It was late in the evening and while Ari was sound asleep already, Sonny was still awake but he looks sleepy, wearing my t-shirt, and his hair pointing into all directions. I print the picture and push it into the frame, and with that I have my present for Sonny covered. I get some perfume for Gabi and buy a cute stuffed animal for Ari. And then it is time to board the plane.

Two hours later I am waiting for my luggage while my eyes impatiently scan the people behind the window. I know Sonny is here to pick me up, while Ari stayed at home with Gabi, but so far I haven't found him yet. I grab my suitcases when they pass me by and I head towards the gate. I prepare myself to see him as soon as I turn the corner, but instead of seeing my dark haired boyfriend I see a lot of strangers waiting for people I don't know. I walk to a quiet corner and reach for my phone and immediately I see four missed messages and two missed calls. I open the messages and read:

'I am on my way but traffic is crazy today.'

'There has been an accident on the highway, so I am in the middle of a traffic jam... so sorry.'

'I am so sorry... can't wait to see you.'

'I hope to be there in about an hour. Sorry...'

I take a deep breath and shake my head. I don't want to wait any longer. I was planning on kissing him about ten minutes ago, and here I am, still on my own. I check the time he sent that last message and luckily that was 40 minutes ago, so he should be here in about 20 minutes. I text him back that I will be at the main entrance, where there is a special spot for people to be picked up. He doesn't reply which most likely means he is driving. I sit myself down on a little bench and cannot believe how slowly time can pass by. To kill the time I grab my phone and scroll through my pictures, realising they are either from Sonny or from Ari. Suddenly a car stops in front of me and the moment I look up he is already out of the car. He throws himself in my arms and I almost lose my balance. His arms are around my neck and his lips are soft against my ear when he says:

"Welcome home..."

I just pull him close and enjoy how safe I feel in his arms. Now that I am all wrapped up again, I cannot believe I could live without it for a whole week. He pulls back to look into my eyes and we both smile widely:

"I am so happy your home..."

"I am so happy to be home..."

"I am sorry I wasn't here when you landed."

"Hey, that's not your fault..."

"I know, but I wanted to be here."

I just pull him close again and smile:

"It's OK, I am glad you are here now though... I missed you..."

"I missed you too..."

We know we should get going as it is not a spot to park a car, but just to pick people up. So minutes later we are on our way home and I cannot help touching my boyfriend. My hand strokes his thigh and I wiggle in the chair until I am facing him.

"You are sexy when you are driving..."

He blushes and I smile, softly squeezing his thigh. When we are on the high road his hand grabs a hold of mine and in perfect harmony we find our way home. And the moment we arrive I run inside, where Gabi is waiting with a big smile on her face and Ari in her arms. I kiss Gabi hello on her cheek and then little Ari is in my arms and my heart finally feels like it falls into place again. Sonny walks in with my stuff and I smile at him while I hold Ari close to me. He walks over to me and kisses my and then Ari's cheek:

"She missed you, you know..."

"Of course she did, I'm amazing."

He smiles, but instead of following up on my breezy tone his answer is serious:

"Yes you are."

For about an hour I hold my sweet baby girl. Nothing can keep me from marvelling at how perfect she is and much I love her. But since she is then sound asleep I reluctantly put her in her crib. When I walk back into the living room I find my boyfriend holding up my coat.

"Let's go..."

"To..."

"I'm going to take you out..."

"What about Ari..."

Gabi pushes me towards the door and smiles:

"I've got this... you two deserve some time together..."

"But Ari..."

"I am going to stay over at Rafe's tonight, and we'll be back tomorrow morning. And since I have to work the rest of tomorrow, you two can look after her all day."

I look at Gabi, and then at Sonny who is smiling widely. I shake my head, unable to hide my happy grin, and ask him:

"You did this didn't you... you little organised party planner..."

"All I know is that I promised you we would make up for lost time... and I tend to keep my promises."

I nod and turn around to give Gabi a hug to show my appreciation.

"Thanks Gabi, this means a lot."

"Anytime... have a good time."

(...)

After we picked up a to-go dinner he drove us down to the lake, where we picnicked on the grass. The moment he sat down and opened the picnic basket I nudged his legs apart so I could sit down between them and let him cocoon me. He didn't hesitate and moments later we were enjoying a nice meal, a soft catch-up conversation, but most of all the intimate feeling of being close.

"Son..."

"Yeah..."

"Thanks for supporting me... means a lot."

"Anytime honey... I am so proud of you."

"Son..."

"Yes sweety..."

"They said they were impressed about how I openly wrote about my feelings of becoming a dad and being a dad... they asked me to write about being gay..."

"Wow, you said yes I hope..."

"Not yet..."

"Why not..."

"I want to make sure you are OK with it because I am sure you are going to feature in it a lot..."

His lips are soft against my cheek and his voice is deep with emotion when he answers:

"I'd be honoured."

Our food is gone and although I enjoy this position all I want is one thing:

"Can you take us home?"

He laughs softly in my ear:

"Impatient, are we?"

"Impatient? It has been almost a week... since my hospital admission we never went that long without... you know."

"I know... "

We stand up and when his eyes meet mine we smile a knowing smile, telling each other we know exactly what is coming and how we can't wait. While he picks up the basket and grabs my hand he says:

"And just so you know... we will only go this long without if we absolutely have to."

"Deal..."

Half an hour later we stumble into our apartment. The quietness tells us Gabi and Ari have left and the moment Sonny puts the basket on the kitchen table I decide that I don't want to wait any longer. My hands are all over him, and my lips catch his in a hungry kiss. Finally I feel his tongue stroke mine in its familiar way, making me breathless and dizzy. He pushes us towards our bedroom and after we slowly undressed each other we fall onto the bed, never losing skin contact. Feeling his naked body against mine makes me shiver and feeling his hands roam my body without hesitation makes me feel like I am completely his. His tongue is now working magic on my nipples and before he can drive me crazy I pull his face up so I can look at him:

"Son..."

"What..."

His voice is breathy and he seems slightly worried that I am suddenly interrupting the way he adores my body. I smile tenderly and stroke his cheeks with my thumb:

"Don't worry babe... I really want you to do this... but first... I want to give you something..."

"You really want to do that now Will?"

He presses himself against my upper leg and raises his eyebrows:

"Do you really need more prove to know that I can barely contain myself here..."

I smile and give him a quick peck on his lips. Then I crawl out of bed, ignoring his pitiful whines while he turns on his back and pulls a pillow under his head. I grab my present out of my bag and hand it to him, while I stretch out next to him on our bed. He sits up and unwraps is with a shy smile on his face. I can't help my eyes wandering over his naked body, enjoying the way it shows me how happy he is for me to be home again. I have to contain myself to reach out and stroke him softly, knowing that it will draw the most beautiful sounds from him. But instead I force myself to focus on his face and I am glad I did. The emotions in his eyes are touching and when they meet mine I flash him a small, slightly insecure smile:

"You like it?"

"I love it..."

His hands softly touch the picture in the frame and then his fingers trace the letters while he softly says:

"Home."

He looks at me and I he continues:

"I hope you know that you will always have a home with me... always..."

I nod and smile:

"I know... that's why I got this."

I sit up and lean my head on his shoulder.

"This picture is my favourite. I love how you love Ari, and I love how she loves you... It makes me all mushy inside when I see you hold her, and when she curls into you as though she knows you will protect her and keep her safe. And I love this picture because you are all sleepy and cute... and because everything in this picture is mine... as much as I belong to everything that is in this picture..."

He swallows and takes a deep breath. Then he reaches over and carefully puts the frame on his night stand. Then he softly pushes me down and without saying anything he continues where I stopped him earlier. My hands go through his hair and hold on firmly while his mouth plays with my senses. I breathe deeply, knowing that that is the only thing I can do to not lose my mind entirely. We become one person, body and soul connected in ways that we could never imagine. When we are both utterly spent and satisfied he keeps covering my neck and my face with sweet soft kisses. And the moment he stops to look at me I open my eyes to meet his. My heart skips a beat when he whispers:

"We're home baby..."