Thanks so much to everyone who has left reviews for the previous chapter. A little note (I promise it's little): For the purpose of this fic, I'm taking out the conflict that was happening between Dorian and Vicki at the time. And while I know it probably wouldn't happen this way, I'm dealing with Lindsey and Bo's court appointedness situation with convenience for the sake of my sanity. That is all.

~~PHOENIX~~

Clint entered the house a man on a mission. The first man he saw was the first he needed to see; like it was ordained.

"Nigel, just the man I needed."

"Glad to be of service, sir."

Clint smiled at him, the sadness in Nigel's eyes spoke of the longness and heartache of the day. In many ways, Nigel was just as much a part of the Buchanan family as anyone else still at the mansion. "Nigel, do you happen to know where Matthew and Nora are?"

"Yes, sir. Mrs. Buchanan retired upstairs...she looked rather-" he hesitated, searnching for the right word.

"I know. Matthew?" Clint asked gently, once again admiring Nigel's care and discretion.

"Also retired for the night. Mr. Kevin took him upstairs after he fell asleep in the library, sir."

"Excellent! Nigel, I need to ask you for one more favor."

"Anything, sir."

"I need you to be a lookout."

"A lookout, Mr. Buchanan?" Nigel asked, his facial expression eliciting a smile from Clint.

"For Matthew, Nora or Bo." He explained further. "I need to have a family meeting and it would be...beneficial for them not to be a part of this right now."

"I see. I'll keep my eyes peeled as they say, sir. Should any of them make an appearence shall I head them off at the pass or give a hearty Ca Caw?"

Clint smirked. "I trust your judgement, Nigel."

"Thank you, sir. I am equal to the task."

"I knew you would be."

~~PHOENIX~~

Clint entered the library and swiftly shut the door behind him. "Family meeting."

Max, who'd been sitting by Renee', smiled and leaned to give her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll stop by tomorroow before I head out."

"Actually, Max," Clint spoke up, "if you wouldn't mind staying?"

Surprise colored his eyes, but Max nodded and settled back into the couch.

"What's going on, dad?" Natalie asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"I have a plan and I need all of your help." he answered.

"What's the matter, Clint?" Vicki asked when he didn't immediately follow up his statement with any further explanantion.

"It's time to right something that's been wrong for far too long and its going to take the whole family to pull it off. Can I count on all of you?" He knew that once he revealed his mission, that he would be met with reluctance so he was hoping to get some committed answers before he went into a full explanantion.

Joey, Jessica and Kevin exchanged looks. Kevin, being the eldest was the first to speak up. "Want to share a little more detail with us, because this feels a little...blind."

"It is blind, Kevin." Clint responded simply. "Blind faith and loyalty to family. Now, there are a few members of our family in trouble, and like true Buchanans, they're too stubborn to see it let alone fo anything to fix it. So, I'm asking again...can I count on my family to help me or not?"

Silence permeated the room as they looked at one another. Cord, closest to Clint, stood up and laid his hand on his father's shoulder. "Whatever it is, I'm with you." He looked at his brothers and sisters, no question in his eyes as to what he was conveying to them. When it came to family, we stick together.

Kevin shrugged, "Alright. Whatever it is, I'll help." He nudged Jess.

"Ah...me too." She was quickly, if not hesitantly followed by Natalie and Joey in agreement.

Clint's eyes roamed the remaining holdouts and figured this was as good as he was going to get for the time being. So he gave up the ghost, so to speak. "Nora and Bo...we're getting them back together."

Groans chorused throughout the room, several from his children who'd already agreed. Sarah was his angel in that moment as she declared, "I'm so in!"

"Clint-" Vicki began, halting when Clint held up his hand.

"They belong together and if all of you think about it, deep down you know it too!" He grumbled heatedly.

"Meddling never ends well, Clint. You know that." Vicki stated.

"When it's wrong, yes, I agree. This isn't, but they need a push." He argued. When everyone, save Sarah and Max, looked less than convinced, he went on speaking to everyone in the room. "When have you ever seen Bo or Nora as happy as when they were together?"

Even if most of them thought this was a bad idea, no one could find an answer for a time they could remember that would prove him wrong. The simple truth was that Bo and Nora had been blissfully happy together...until it all fell apart.

"Dad," Joey began tentatively. "We all remember how happy they were together, but maybe...just because people are meant to be together for a time, doesn't always mean they're meant to be together for always. Things fell apart for a reason."

"Yes, and we all know that reason...but what if..." Clint was searching for the perfect words to convince everyone.

"Didn't Asa try this, like a million times and they always fought him on it? Why do you think it would be any different now, dad?" Natalie asked.

"Yes, but he tried it on his own. We'll do this together! We're always stronger together."

"Darling, why now?" Renee' asked. "Is this about trying to give Asa his wish?"

"Partly." Clint admitted, garnering more groans. "But it's more than that! They still feel something for each other and it's not just friendship and a parents bond!" He looked around. "I've seen it, the last few months" He went on, "Little things that I dismissed, but now when I put it all together and know what I know tonight...it's still there, under the surface but they need help getting out of their own way and by heaven if I have to do this myself, if none of the rest of you see it, then I will!"

"The other week, I was at the diner and Bo was having lunch with John. Nora and one of her assistants came in, sat at the counter. I don't think they even saw Bo and John, but from the looks of it Bo sure saw them and when this young guy started hitting on Nora, he didn't seem to like it very much." Nash shrugged. He didn't have any idea what Bo and Nora had been like together, but he knew a jealous man when he saw one.

"They did have magic together." Max smiled, thinking how Luna would love this. "There's more to this than a gut feeling and some here and there moments, Clint. You said something about knowing what you know tonight. What does that mean?"

"It means..." Clint took a deep breath knowing that Bo would skin him alive for this if he found out before the plan was successful...and Nora would boil him after. "I saw them kissing earlier, in the stables. Believe me, because I know what you're all thinking; Pa just died, they're grieving and maybe it got away from them, but-"

"Bo was drinking when he walked out of here and he had a full bottle of bourbon." Joey pointed out.

"And I have no doubt that it was a contributing factor, son, but I know my little brother. That just let him get loosened up enough to do what he hasn't had the guts to do without it."

"What happened after or-"

"Well, Nora knew he'd been drinking so she stopped him before things went to far and then she hightailed it out of there like she was on fire." Clint frowned, thinking of how both of them had looked devestated. "Listen, I know how all of this sounds but if any one of you had been there; seen them...Nora looked like her heart was gettin' ripped in two when she made him stop and when she lit out of there, Bo looked like he'd lost his best friend all over again. Ya just don't look the way the two of them did if there's nothing left!" He pleaded.

Again, silence enveloped the room.

"May I assume that the invitation extends to me, since I was asked to stay?" Max inquired.

"Depends." Clint replied, a half grin on his face.

"On?"

"Whether you're helpin' or not."

Max smiled broadly. "I'm in."

"Then you're invited." Clint looked at his kids and grand-daughter. "You six gonna back out on me, or not?"

"Oh, I'm totally in!" Sarah declared happily. "Those two have serious chemistry and someone needs to do something about it."

"That's my girl!" Clint smiled.

"God help us if this blows up in our faces, but I'm in too." Cord said.

One by one, Kevin, Joey, Jess and Natalie recommitted. Clint looked to Renee'.

"Call me crazy but, I've always hated that those two couldn't hang on to what they had. And," she gave a watery smile, "It would make Asa so happy." She looked over to Vicki, "I'll help any way I can. Vicki?"

"For the record, I think this is a very risky venture...but Nora is one of my dearest friend's and I have always loved Bo-"

"Excellent!" Clint crowed.

"However!" Vicki interjected, "If it becomes clear that either Bo or Nora are suffering unnecessarily from anything we do-"

"Absolutely, Vicki." Clint stopped her, knowing exactly what she was going to say and agreeing with her.

"Very well." She conceded. "I do believe it would be ill advised for Matthew to know what is going on. That little boy has always wanted his parents to get back together and he has just lost his grandfather, I do not want to get Matthew's hopes up."

"And I totally agree with you on that as well, Vicki." Clint smiled warmly.

"So, then, what's the plan, dad?" Jessica asked.

Clint's already broad smile broadened. "A week's family retreat to the ranch...and then we just...remind them."

"From your lips to God's ears." Vicki sighed.

TBC...