It's past midnight when Kirsten and Sandy return home from Sandy's pre-birthday dinner, pay the babysitter and tiptoe in to the living room to find a gigantic fort sprawling from the TV to the couches. Kirsten smiles to herself and crouches down to the opening of the fort where three heads peek out from under a mound of covers. Quietly, she removes the comic from over Seth's face and gently kisses him on the forehead before turning to Ryan and repeating the process. Gently she pulls the extra blanket over Trey seeing that Seth has stolen must of the one the two had been sharing. He wakes up with a start before his wild eyes settle on Kirsten and he relaxes slightly, still fighting through the fog of sleep.
"Sorry sweetheart." Kirsten whispers, straightening the boy's covers. The surprise at her pulling an extra blanket over him is so obvious on his face. No one used to bother that he was sleeping well, that he was warm and comfortable. Kirsten seems to actually care about those things like a real mom would.
"What time is it?" He whispers softly when she finishes smoothing the covers down.
"1:30. Go back to sleep ok." Kirsten plants a soft kiss on his forehead before fondly running a hand through his hair. Trey nods drowsily and Kirsten gives him one last smile before returning to her husband.
"They asleep?" Sandy asks groggily from the bed.
"Yeah." Kirsten whispers before lying down underneath his lifted arm.
"Good. Love you." Kirsten smiles as he nudges his nose against the back of her neck.
"Love you too."
A few short hours later Trey is woke by the sounds of someone tiptoeing around the kitchen. The DVD player reads 4:25 in bright numbers and his heart is racing as he imagines the burglar in the other room. Determined to protect his new family, Trey leaves a sleeping Ryan and Trey and quietly sneaks into the kitchen using Kirsten's lamp as his weapon. Quickly Trey rounds the corner.
"Stop." He yells firmly. Kirsten turns around from the sink bashfully tears in her eyes. After recovering from his shock Trey looks around the kitchen to see burnt pieces of bacon and runny looking pancake mix.
"Kirsten? What are you doing?" Trey asks finally, placing the lamp on the counter.
"Trying to make Sandy a birthday breakfast but it's completely unsalvageable." Kirsten replies morosely dumping a running egg down the garburator.
"No, no it's not ruined." Trey says hating to see Kirsten upset. "It just needs some...tweaking." Kirsten raises her eyebrows because that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about her cooking.
"OK so the bacon is burned but if you put it in an omelette he won't be able to tell...and the pancakes..." Trey regards the mixture warily "Well you have time to start the pancakes again." Trey considers something for a moment.
"Actually you have time to start this all over again why are you making him breakfast at 4:30?" Trey asks as he discretely throws out burned French toast.
"He has to be at court by 7 so he's up by 5:15ish and I figured that if I started earlier enough one was bound to turn out ok." Kirsten says bitterly. Trey stifles a smile before looking at the disastrous kitchen.
"I could help." Kirsten looks up and Trey immediately backtracks. "I mean- - sorry that's a stupid idea. It's your thing..." Trey rambles flushing red and backing out of the kitchen entrance.
"Trey I'd love your help...but you have to promise not to laugh." Kirsten says stopping his retreat. Trey's face subconsciously lights up.
"Really?" Kirsten nods and gets out a new mixing bowl.
"Really." Trey carefully shows Kirsten how to use a measuring cup and clearly marks the difference between the salt and the sugar. When they cook the bacon he stealthily turns down the element to a normal temperature and makes sure to monitor the eggs.
"How did you learn how to cook like this?" Kirsten asks as Trey flips another golden pancake.
"My mom's not much of a cook." Trey says softly. "And Dave...he loved having breakfast just right and he has his way of making sure I learned fast." Trey explains trailing off nervously thinking he's said to much. Kirsten flips a pancake successfully but her excitement at her success is quickly levelled by the thought of Trey spending so many years in that environment. Why had it taken her and Sandy so long to get to this child? They never pushed Ryan to talk to him. Instead of taking Ryan's hesitancy as childish apprehension and uncertainty mixed with his ever present need to not trouble anyone, they had simply assumed it meant that Trey was another person Ryan wanted left in the past. That oversight had allowed years of Trey's childhood to be stripped away.
"Dave used to beat you if you screwed up breakfast?" Kirsten asks keeping her face neutral. Seth rambles and Ryan is always quiet but Trey actually is capable of a normal mode of communication.
"Sometimes...he liked to get creative though." Trey shows Kirsten his arm which is peppered with white scars. "Those are from cigerettes." Kirsten swallows back an urge to vomit at the scars and Trey's blunt honesty.
"I'm sorry we didn't get to you sooner." Kirsten whispers her guilt beginning to bubble up. Trey looks at her with a surprised laugh.
"You have nothing to apologize for you guys..." Trey trails off, his thoughts making him choke up slightly. "You guys have done more for me than anyone ever has...." Trey finishes with a whisper meeting Kirsten's eyes tentatively. Kirsten smiles and puts her arm around Trey letting her head rest on his for a brief moment.
"Want to wake up your brothers so we can wake Sandy up in style?" Trey gives and eager nod and runs in to the living room, the sound of Seth and Ryan's groans and protests following moments after.
Grudgingly, a half asleep Ryan walks out followed by a yawning Seth and a wide-awaked Trey. All three are holding childishly wrapped presents. Kirsten had driven them to the mall and given them each 20 dollars and told them that they weren't leaving until they had each bought Sandy a gift. With a smile she picks up a tray of food and follows the boys up the stairs.
They tiptoe into the dark room bedroom, Sandy's soft snores the only sound as the boy's walk around to the side of the bed. Seth and Ryan share a devious smirk and jump on Sandy.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They both yell immediately jolting Sandy awake. His initial shock turns into one of pleasant surprise as he shuffles over to make room for the boys.
"Hey guys." Sandy says with a tired smile planting a kiss on each other their heads. Instantly Sandy's eyes flit over the room and land on Trey who is standing beside Kirsten watching the scene uncertainly.
"Come on kiddo I want all you guys up here." Sandy encourages. Trey smiles hesitantly and sits down next to Ryan.
"This looks great." Sandy exclaims when Kirsten puts the breakfast down in front on him. After a moment of critical observation he looks back to Kirsten.
"You made this?" He asks sceptically. Kirsten is about to explain Trey's involvement when Trey jumps in quickly.
"She did it all by herself." Trey insists not wanting to ruin Kirsten's surprise. Kirsten sits on the bed and wraps an arm around Trey.
"Well the first round was all me but that's in the dumpster. Trey here was a big help." Trey flushes and looks uncertainly from Sandy to Kirsten hoping Sandy wouldn't be mad.
"That's great." Sandy says giving Kirsten a quick kiss and taking a bite of his breakfast. "Oh my god Trey this is amazing." Sandy's breakfast is immediately attacked by Seth and Ryan who want some of the good stuff too and Sandy just shares a rueful smile with Kirsten. Trey watches in amazement as Sandy nonchalantly lets Ryan and Seth pick off his bacon and eat his pancakes.
"Dad we got you presents." Ryan says ceremoniously presenting his carefully wrapped package. It still feels weird for Trey to hear Ryan call Sandy Dad. Not because it seems like it is wrong or out of place but because it fits so well. Sandy unwraps Ryan and Seth's gifts, a new Grease CD from Seth and a large picture frame from Ryan filled with pictures of the family. When Trey looks at it closer he realizes the symmetry of the photos. One is a 6 year old Ryan sitting proudly on a pony Sandy's nervous hands holding Ryan firmly as they both smile at the camera. Another is a two year old Seth asleep on a passed out Sandy's chest. The final picture is one of Sandy with his arm thrown around Trey both are holding foam fingers and laughing into the camera. The final one in the middle is the whole family including Trey, as if there had never been any other form.
"Ryan this is awesome." Sandy says looking at the pictures fondly. "That's a nice shot of the family." Sandy says not realizing the impact those simple words have on Trey. Ryan understands though, and throws a glance back to his brother with a knowing smile.
"Trey your next." Kirsten says. Hesitantly Trey passes over his present. He spent ages wandering around the mall wondering what to get Sandy when the man deserved so much more than a 20 dollar gift. Sandy unwraps a large book filled with lawyer jokes and another political book mocking conservative right wing politicians. Trey looks nervous until Sandy's face breaks out into a grin.
"This is great!" Sandy says flipping through and chuckling to himself. "C'mere kid." Sandy reaches over and hugs Trey and Sandy notices that the boy doesn't flinch under his touch. Taking a risk, Sandy presses a quick kiss on Trey's temple as the boy lets him hold him for a second longer than usual.
Sandy goes to the bathroom to shave and brush his teeth and comes back to find Ryan, Seth, Trey and Kirsten all asleep on the king sized bed. Quietly he drapes a blanket over all of them before getting changed. He drops his briefcase and urgently looks back to the bed feeling guilty when Trey blinks awake. Trey looks around the bed suddenly embarrassed and uncomfortable. He never crawled in to bed with Sandy and Kirsten like Seth and Ryan used to. Sandy briefly wonders if Dawn or his Aunt let him come snuggle in their bed when he was sick or frightened or simply wanting a warm body to cuddle up with.
"Go back to sleep kiddo" Sandy whispers slipping on his shoes. Trey looks uncomfortable and Sandy securely wraps the covers around his shoulders.
"You know you coming to live with us, becoming a part of this family, that's the best gift I could have asked for." Sandy says honestly squeezing Trey's shoulder.
"Sleep tight." Sandy says and Trey closes his eyes feigning sleep as Sandy finishes getting ready. As Sandy is about to leave Trey cracks his eyes open to observe the older man who has always been a source of wonder for him. Trey watches in amazement as Sandy leans down over Kirsten and tenderly brushes her hair from her eyes before giving her a gently kiss on the cheek. After, he moves over to Seth, removing the uncomfortable plastic hooves of Captain Oats from the boy's cheek before adjusting Ryan's covers and giving both boys a kiss on the forehead and whispering in their ear. Trey clamps his eyes shut and feels his heart beat wildly inside his chest. Sandy will probably just bypass him anyways. A moment later Trey feels a warm hand brush his bangs from his forehead and an impossibly gentle kiss being placed on his forehead.
"Love you kid." Sandy whispers and Trey feels his throat go dry as Sandy leaves the room. All of Dawn's boyfriend's said that love and emotion showed weakness. They always told Trey to toughen up and didn't hesitate to discipline with harsh words or a smarting belt. Trey didn't realize the power of love until the moment Sandy gave his love to him. Because more than getting his ass kicked, more than getting yelled at by a drunk idiot, Trey is petrified of losing the precious gift of Sandy's love.