"Chloe, we don't eat Daddy's keys." Mike told the 6 month old. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and he couldn't help but feel himself melting under her intense gaze. He sighed picked her up taking the keys from her and walking upstairs to find Ryan and Caiden. He walked in the nursery and saw Ryan was sitting in the rocker reading a book to a halfway sleeping Caiden. Mike smiled and leaned against the doorway watching Ryan stare at his son with utter devotion. "Well isn't this a picture perfect moment." Ryan jumped at Mike's voice startling Caiden who began to whimper. Mike sat Chloe down on the floor beside her brother and the whimpers topped almost immediately.
"It never ceases to amaze me how they seem to understand each other this young." Ryan said walking over and wrapping his arms around Mike. Mike smiled and relaxed against the older man's chest and watched as Chloe and Caiden gurgled and laughed together over absolutely nothing.
"They were born together Ryan, that's a pretty powerful thing." He said turning in his arms and kissing him quickly. "You might wanna put these where baby's can't get to them." He said dangling Ryan's keys in his face. The shiny object caught Chloe's attention causing her to pat Ryan's show signaling she wanted to be picked up.
"I know what you want." Ryan said pocketing the keys and picking her up. "You don't' get those for about 15 and a half more years." He said kissing the top of her head. The doorbell rang just then ruining the little family moment they had going. "I'll get it." Ryan told Mike before walking out of the nursery and to the front door. His phone started ringing at the same exact moment, Debra.
"Hello?"
"Ryan, it's about Claire." He stiffened at her name.
"What about her?" He asked going to answer the front door. He opened it and stared, words completely fleeing his mind.
"She's out of witness protection."
"Yeah, I know." He said staring at the woman in front of him.
"How did you know?" He can practically hear the frown in Deb's voice.
"She's standing right in front of me. I gotta go Deb." He said hanging up.
"Hi Ryan." Claire whispered and gave a soft smile.
"Why don't you come in?" He asked moving aside to let her in and she did so with a soft smile.
"Baby toys?" She asked picking a teething ring up. She must have been so focused on him she didn't even notice he was holding a baby.
"Yeah um, meet Chloe." He said moving his arm slightly to bring her attention to the baby sitting on his hip. Her eyes widened for a second before going back to normal size and she cleared her throat.
"Where's her mother?" She asked putting a little more distance between the two of them. Well this wasn't going very well.
"She's working, probably swing by later." He said sitting down on the couch. "What're you doing here Claire?" He said not meeting her eyes. He couldn't handle seeing the betrayal in her eyes, he hadn't betrayed her. He fell in love with someone and acted on it, she's been gone for over a year. What was he supposed to do?
"She doesn't live here?" Her voice holding a small shred of hope.
"We were never really together." Well it was true, he hadn't been with Debra. Not in the sense that they were a couple or anything.
"Ryan I didn't expect you to not find someone. I just kinda hoped it would be just you when I came back." He sighed and stood shaking his head.
"I thought you were dead Claire, there's not even any waiting for you." She laughed and looked at him with accusatory eyes.
"Don't pull that, you know damn well I was alive." Her voice was cold and icy, this wasn't like the Claire he knew a year and a half ago.
"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Point is Claire...that chapter's over and done with. I'm with someone now, and I love them a lot." He said hoping she would just take the hint and leave. Claire was a fighter though, he knew she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.
"You just told me you weren't with her mother." He bit his lip.
"I'm not." He whispered softly.
"Then who-"
"Ryan? Who was at the door?" He mentally slapped Mike in the head. He watched as Mike came downstairs with a sleeping Caiden. He stopped halfway down and stared at Claire while she stared at him. "Claire." He said and his arms tightened around Caiden absentmindedly.
"You bat for the other team now?" She asked turning towards Ryan, hurt evident in her eyes. He sighed and tried to grab her elbow to lead her to the couch but she jerked out of his grip.
"Mike and I are together Claire. Deb was a surrogate for Chloe and Caiden." He said hoping she would understand.
"...And you two are happy together." She said it as more of a statement. Ryan smiled and nodded lacing Mike's Hand through his.
"Yeah, they're my family Claire." She nodded and a smile came across her face.
"I'm happy for you Ryan, you too Mike." Claire gave a small smile and looked at Chloe and Caiden. "They're absolutely precious. Can I hold her?" She asked gesturing to Chloe. Ryan nodded and handed the sleepy little girl to Claire. "Hi sweetheart." She said just as Chloe's eyes opened. The little girl gave Claire a warm smile which she returned. She handed the baby back to Ryan and hugged him before walking on and hugging Mike. "Take care of each other." She said before opening the door and walking out.
"Ryan?" Mike tested walking closer. Ryan took a deep breath and shook his head.
"That went better than I thought it would." He confessed sitting down in the chair with Chloe who had fallen asleep again.
"She was expecting you to be alone." Mike said standing beside him.
"I loved her Mike, she thought I was still in love with her." Mike bit his lip and nodded.
"Are you?" He asked and Ryan thought for a minute.
"I guess in someway, but there's where you and Claire are different Mike. I love Claire, like I do Max or Deb. I'm in love with you Mike, and to put it in a mushy why you're my soulmate." Mike chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"Aw look at you, you're a big softie now." He said causing Ryan to punch him in the arm.
"And you're still the annoying kid I met almost 2 years ago." Ryan said giving him a pointed look.
"But you wouldn't have me any other way." Mike whispered leaning over to kiss him. Ryan laid Chloe down in the chair and stood wrapping his arms around Mike. His lips traveled down his cheekbone to his throat. "Ryan?" Mike's voice went up a few pitches and Ryan smirked to himself.
"Mhmm?" He said taking Mike's shirt off and running his hands up and down his arms.
"This probably isn't the time for this." Mike said pushing Ryan away.
"And why not?" Ryan asked hooking his fingers through Mike's belt loops and pulling him closer.
"For starters your son is watching." Ryan looked over his shoulder and sure enough Caiden's bright eyes were staring at them.
"Well damn, I really didn't think this part of children through." Mike just laughed and shook his head.
'There's a thing could nighttime Ryan." Ryan thought for a minute.
"There's also naptime." He said with a knowing grin.
"...Naptime is it then." Mike said picking both kids up and walking upstairs with them. Ryan chuckled and shook his head. Claire may be back, and he may have had thoughts about having a family with her before. But this is his family now, and he wasn't going anywhere.