A/N: As always, this is AU. Go read "We Weren't Crazy" before you read this. Austin Hawthorne Messer is a creation of Piper Maru Duchovny. This story takes place... well if you're one of my faithful readers (you guys are awesome) you would know... and if you don't... go become one of them faithful readers.


The plane bumped across the tarmac, slowing down and coming to a stop at the gate.

"I think I'm seasick.

"Aust, we're on a plane, not a boat."

"The turbulence was awesome, but my stomach protesteth muchly."

"Should've eaten breakfast."

"I had fruit snacks."

"Oh Austin."

"Oh Lindsay."

They giggled and grabbed their carry-ons, making their way off the small airplane and out onto the hot tarmac. They had to walk to get inside the actual airport where their luggage was coming down on the carousel.

"So is a limo coming to pick us up?"

"Montana don't got limos. Montana got packmules."

"You sound like Ben."

"You sound like Colton telling Isa she sounds like Ben. Poor Binyin."

"My son has ruined us," Austin laughed.

"It's cute though."

"Binyin and Dunner."

"Some kindergarten teacher is gonna be pretty ticked at us when they can't even say their own names."

"They'll just cute their way out of it. Besides, I doubt any school will ever let our kids be in the same class again."

"If Isa and Colton survive this year in the same room, it will be a miracle."

"They might kill each other."

Lindsay grinned as they stepped outside into the fresh air and headed for the parking lot.

"I told Adam I would call when we got here."

"Yeah, Danny wants me to call and reassure him you're not brainwashing me to be all country-fied."

"I'm braiding your hair."

They both made quick calls home before reaching the end of the parking lot where the old Chevy was waiting for them.

"My dad dropped his truck off for us this morning," Lindsay explained, opening the unlocked car and checking to make sure the keys were in the jockeybox. "He said he left us a surprise."

"Uh-oh."

They loaded the luggage into the bed of the truck and climbed into the cab.

"Oh score!"

"What?"

"He left us Cheetos and Pepsi. That's what I always got when I would go to the hardware store with him. They had a little snack bar in there and he would let me get whatever I wanted."

"Your dad is sweet."

"Yeah, he really is."

"Reminds me of Adam."

"Yeah, me too. You ready for the land of no speed limits?"

"Gun it and hope for the best."

"Our new motto?" Lindsay asked as the old truck literally roared to life.

"T-shirts?"

"Coffee mugs."

"Bumper stickers."

"An awesome franchise."

Austin's hand wrapped tightly around the crap handle as Lindsay sped out of the parking lot.

"Geez, high-ho silver, away!"

Lindsay rolled her eyes and extended her arm in a punching movement.

"Right turn, Clyde."

"If only I had a Chuck Norris quote to top that."

"I will just be calling you Walker from here on out."

"I dig, I dig. So tell me stories. What's that building?"

"That's a screen printing place, just like it says on the sign, Austin."

"Oh. What about that place, is that something exciting?"

"That is a condemned building. It used to be a snowmobile… dealership or whatever. But that over there is the drugstore where I bought my first box of pads."

"Ah, nostalgia."

"And that's the Italian restaurant where my brother choked on a meatball and I gave him the Heimlich and the meatball shot across the room and landed in the mayors wine."

"Your life is like a movie!"

"It was awesome. And there's the boot store. We're going in there later, it's like a leather smell-gasm."

"You're weird."

"And there's the high school where I had the worst hair of my life."

"Hello Tour Guide Barbie."

"Shuttie."

"So um… where's the diner?"

"Burned down. Or bombed. Or hit by a stampede of buffalo."

"Lin."

"I don't go there, alright?"

"Okay. So how far is your parents house?"

"Not far."

"Not far in Montana distance or New York distance?"

"Whichever. They live in one of those towns that's not on the map."

"Tunes?"

"You're not going to find much on the radio."

Austin scoffed and turned the radio on, spinning the dial in both directions.

"Interesting. Static actually carries a beat."

"You're on AM and FM doesn't work in this truck. Get my iPod out."

"Yes your majesty."

"I like that. Use it more."

"Oh dear," Austin chuckled, scrolling through the playlists on the iPod. "Why is there a playlist called "I love you" with songs by Chris Brown, Backstreet Boys, and The Police?"

"Adam made it for me because he loves me. Don't be jealous that Danny can't use iTunes."

"Santana?"

"What? He loves me. I don't care if he shows it with cheesy music."

"I'm unsure if I should be surprised or not."

"Let me know when the consensus is in."

"I'm gonna go with or not."

"That was quick."

"Compared to what?"

Lindsay shrugged.

"When you have to decide what you want for dinner."

"If you know that I have to consider every option and that I will always choose Chinese, then why do you give me more options?"

"Cause I like watching Danny tear menus to absolute shreds in frustration."

"Sadist."

"Correction, easily amused."

"Thorn in my side."

"Partner in crime."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

"Yes."

"Miss Manners, nice."

"Figured you would enjoy that."

"So proud."

"Do you realize you're talking over those tunes you insisted upon?"

"Are we there yet?"

"Austin!"

Austin giggled and propped her feet up on the dashboard, cracking open both Pepsis and handing one to Lindsay before taking a long swig of her own.

"Think the kids stopped crying yet?" she asked, tracing the hole in the knee of her pants.

"I hope so. I don't want them to be miserable."

"Did you see Ben and Daniel hugging when we walked away?"

"No. Ben was taking it pretty hard. I couldn't look."

"Daniel kept saying "There, there Binyin, don't be sad." It was precious."

"I love how all the kids love each other."

"Me too. They must get it from us."

They drove on in silence for a while, until Lindsay turned down a dirt road.

"I forgot that your parents live so far out in the sticks."

"It's not that far."

"If it's not paved Linds, it's far."

"Snob."

"So?"

"We's gon' eat you alive."

"Come at me bro."

"You know what else?"

"What?"

"My family is going to be utterly confused by us."

"Only if we talk about potable vermin. Or if your mom tries to get us to plant bulbs."

"Did you just call my mom Babette?"

"So what if I did? She's my favorite."

"Oh man, our future."

"What?"

"Babette, Miss Patty."

"Aw crap. Biddy spinsters. Sort of."

"It's not a bad way to go I guess."

"Does this mean Danny is Morrie?"

"The better question is, does this mean I have to dance naked on drums?"

"In your state, I sure hope not."

Lindsay shot her best friend a physically painful glare as she turned onto the gravel driveway.

"Freedom!" Austin exclaimed with a fist pump.

"Nut job."

"This is the first time we've been child and husband-less. Savor it."

"You're free. I'm still knocked up."

"Who's fault is that?"

"You don't want to know," Lindsay answered with a happy grin.

Austin rolled her eyes as the truck came to a stop in front of the barn.

"Home?" she asked as Lindsay let out a deep sigh.

"Yeah. Feels good sometimes."

"Your mom's comin', you'd better go show her your massive girth."

"That's what someone said."

"Gross Lindsay!"

She laughed and got out of the truck, having barely a second to get her footing before her mom wrapped her in a hug.

"Honey, you're huge!"

"Thanks, mom."

"You know what I mean, Lindsay Joy."

"Yes, I do."

"Is he moving?"

"Nah, he's napping I think. He's got an arm somewhere around here, you can probably feel it."

"That never gets old."

"Just wait until she keeps telling you to feel it," Austin said, getting out of the car. "You're gonna get tired of touching that stomach."

"You're the one who always touches it before even saying hello to me," Lindsay accused.

"I said hello once. If I stop meaning it, I'll let you know."

Lindsay rolled her eyes and they gave each other the look that no one else ever noticed or understood.

"Are you girls hungry?"

"Actually, ravenous," Lindsay replied while Austin nodded vigorously.

"Well I've got lunch in there. Leave your bags, dad will get them."

"Alright. Is Taylor here?"

"She's with Josh. They're moving her stuff into his apartment."

"She'll be back for dinner?"

"Yeah. Come in, let me feed you."

They made their way inside where the girls collapsed onto dining room chairs.

"Where's daddy?"

"Out in the barn. Argentina threw a shoe. Do you girls want separate rooms?"

"Nope."

"Girls weekend."

"Gotta share."

"Gab about Jonathan Taylor Thomas."

"Stay up late."

"I'm freezing your bra."

"Bring it on, Messer."

They laughed and Anne shook her head, giving them both a plate of food.

"Are you two always like this?"

"Like what?" they asked, in true question as to what she could be talking about.

"Juvenile."

"Of course we are, mom. It's the best friend code."

"I see. So who's watching the kids while you're gone?"

"We let their dads figure that one out."

"So basically they might forget and have to take said kids to work," Austin giggled.

"Where they would ransack Mac's office."

"I hope that happens."

"Oh my."

"I think they're pretty much covered though. The guys will probably just swap kids when they need to."

"I can't imagine Adam with five kids five and under," Anne chuckled, pulling the bread out of the oven.

"He does pretty well. Isa and Colton keep each other entertained. Ben and Daniel live in their own little world and only come out for food. And Sarah… I don't know what she does but she always tells me that uncle Adam is so cool."

Lindsay snickered and shook her head.

"That's because he lets her do chores. She brings in the paper and takes out the garbage and she even did the dishes the other day."

"Wow."

"She asks to do it and says it makes her feel grown up. He helps her with it and then they read comics."

"I guess uncle Adam is pretty cool."

"Don't tell him that."


"Linds, why are you giggling?"

"I don't know. I feel like I'm a teenager again. Back in this old room, having a sleepover."

"Not shutting up," Taylor added from her spot on the floor. She'd finally come home after dinner and had been yawning for last few hours before they all decided to go to bed.

"Hey, you used to love our sleepovers!"

"I was eight and you let me have marshmallows for dinner."

"Oh my heavens marshmallows sound so good right now."

"Linds you have been eating everything that anyone has mentioned tonight."

"I didn't get the pepperoni stick."

"Yeah, but remember how awful your heartburn has been lately?"

"You take such good care of me, Aust."

"Of course I do. Someone has to."

Lindsay grinned and rubbed at her stomach, wishing Adam was there to rub it just the way she liked. He always knew just where her aches were, without her having to say it.

"Lin? You alright?"

"Hmm?"

"You haven't said a word."

"Did you ask me something?"

"Taylor just did. Three times."

"Oh. Sorry. What did you ask me?"

"I asked if your dress still fits."

"Yeah, I'd better. I put it on about two weeks ago, and it was loose but yesterday it was just fine."

"Okay."

"And I need to try on those shoes again because the last time I did my feet were swollen."

"She almost tripped down the stairs. It woulda been funny if it didn't scare me to death."

"The look on your face was awesome."

"Fine, I just won't care next time you almost fall to your death."

"Then I'll haunt you."

"Okay, deal."

Taylor snickered and shook her head.

"Are best friends really like this or are you two just weird?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm not actually sure on that one. I'll get back to you."

"Nah Lin. I think it's supposed to be like this. Everyone else is just weird."

"That's what we say about everything."

"Have we ever been wrong?"