Stacie is Cam's sister, and Doug is her husband. Oh, and Sophie is Daniel's daughter. Just didn't want you to be confused by the brief mention. :)

Cam dropped the phone on the counter and sank into a kitchen chair just as Audry came into the kitchen.

"Cam? Who was that? Is everything okay?" she said, seeing the look on his face.

To her surprise, his eyes filled with tears, and he just stared at her, pain and shock transparent on his face. She came and stood in front of him, taking his face in her hands and looking into his eyes. "Cam, baby, what's the matter?"

He took a deep, shuddering breath. "It's Dad. He had a heart attack, Audry. He's gone."

"Oh, Cam," she said, feeling her own eyes fill with tears. Cam stood and they wrapped their arms tightly around each other, trying not to let their emotions get too out of control because they knew the kids could come upstairs any minute.

"Mommy? Daddy?" Sure enough, Maddy's little voice came from the stairway.

Audry pulled back from Cam just enough to talk to their youngest child. "It's okay, sweetheart. Something bad happened but it's going to be okay." The words were directed to Cam as well. "Cam? I'm gonna get the boys up here. Do you want to tell them or should I?" she asked gently, touching his cheek with her fingertips.

Cam swallowed hard and blinked back tears. "I'll tell them," he said, his voice gruff.

She left his embrace and walked to the top of the stairs, and took Maddie's hand to reassure the six-year-old. "Boys? Get up here, we need to talk to you!" she shouted.

Seven-year-old Austin was the first to appear. "We're busy, Mom!"

"Honey, something really bad happened and we need to tell you about it, okay?" Audry said, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice.

Austin frowned and ran back down the hall to get his older brothers. The three of them came up the stairs at less than their usual gallop, wearing identical frowns.

"Mom," ten-year-old Cody said, leading the way. " What's -" He stopped abruptly when he saw his parents' faces.

Ben, his younger brother by a year, stared at Cam. "Dad, are you crying?"

All the boys froze. They'd never seen their tough, Air Force dad cry before.

Maddy started to whimper, and Audry picked her up and nudged the boys toward the table. "C'mon, guys. Dad needs to talk to you."

The boys sat at the table apprehensively, still watching Cam who was struggling to get his emotions under control enough to tell his children what had happened. Audry sat down in the chair next to him and Maddy climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly in the silence, and then swallowed hard and looked up.

"That was Grandma on the phone, guys. Grandpa . . . Grandpa Frank died this morning," he told them, his voice cracking only a little.

The boys exchanged glances. "Grandpa?" Cody said softly.

Audry watched as her sons' faces crumpled. Austin was first, his eyes filled with tears and he bit his lip, determined not to cry, but Audry held out her arms to him and he crawled into her lap and started crying, big tears running down his face. Cody, always the big brother who wanted to take care of everyone, stood, and with tears in his eyes, put an arm around his dad. Ben shoved back his chair and ran from the kitchen downstairs to his room, which was his usual reaction when bad things happened. The rest of them sat, crying quietly in the kitchen, until tissues were desperately needed, and Audry slid Austin off her lap to go get some. The movement and act of wiping noses and eyes helped calm everyone down, at least enough to talk.

"We better get out there to be with your mom as soon as possible," Audry said, sitting back down after handing out the tissues. She drew Austin back into her lap and touched Cam's hand. "Do you know when the funeral is?"

Cam shook his head. "Mom said Stacie and Doug are already on their way there, and she wants everyone there to plan everything."

"Want me to go look up flights, Dad?" Cody asked.

Cam managed a smile as he looked up at his oldest son. "Thanks, pal. Just find the soonest one."

Cody headed down to the office to use the internet and Cam and Audry turned their attention to their two youngest children.

"You okay, Tiger?" Cam asked Austin. The seven-year-old was getting too big for his mom's lap, but the look on his face reminded Cam of when he had been small enough to fit comfortably. He would come in from getting hurt and all he needed was a good cuddle before he was ready to go again, but Cam was afraid this pain wouldn't go away so easily.

Austin looked up, his big, blue eyes still tear-filled. "Dad?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"Is Grandpa gone forever?"

Cam paused a minute before answering. "Austin, I would really love to know what happens to us after we die, but I don't. I do know that if Grandpa is out there, he's lookin' out for you."

"Grandpa's watching me too, Daddy?" Maddy piped up, lifting her head off his shoulder.

Cam felt tears burn his eyes again at his children's innocence and faith. "I'm sure he is if he can."

Austin slid off Audry's lap and came to stand in front of his dad. "Doesn't Uncle Daniel know?"

Cam was a little confused by the question. "Know what, buddy?"

"About what happens when you die. Sophie says he's done it before."

Cam exchanged a glance with Audry. "Austin, when Uncle Daniel died, it was different."

Austin tilted his head. "How can you die different?"

That was one of the harder questions Cam had ever had to answer, so he didn't. "Maybe you should ask Uncle Daniel about that."

Austin wiped his nose with his sleeve and sniffed. "Can I call him right now?"

Audry caught Cam's eyes. "We do need to let everyone know."

Cam sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You can call him in a sec, Aus. I have to talk to everyone first. Maddy?" he said, looking down at his daughter. "You okay, baby?"

She sniffed and sat up in his lap. "I miss Grandpa already," she whispered.

Cam hugged her. "I know, baby. Me, too."

"C'mere, Mads," Audry said, holding out her arms for their baby girl so Cam could make phone calls.

Maddy went to her mother, and Audry took her downstairs to go check on the other boys, squeezing Cam's shoulder on the way.

Austin brought the phone over and solemnly handed it to his dad. " Thanks, Tiger." Cam hit the speed dial for Sam's cell first, and she answered after the third ring.

"Hey, Cam," she said.

"Hey," Cam replied, unable to keep a small crack from his voice.

"Cam, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

He smiled ruefully. "Do I sound that bad?"

"Yeah, what's the matter?"

He sighed. "Sam, it's my dad. He had a heart attack this morning. He . . . he didn't make it." The pain welled back up in his chest from having to repeat the news.

He heard Sam give a little gasp, and he pictured her biting her lip, trying to think of what to say. "I'm so sorry, Cam. Do you need us to come over? Help with the kids for a bit or anything?"

Her concern made his eyes well up again. "No, thanks, though. We're gonna pack up and head out as soon as possible."

"Don't worry about work. I'll make sure everything's taken care of. If you need anything at all, call me okay?" she said, sounding very much like the sister she'd become to him.

"Thanks. You'll tell Jack for me?"

"Of course. Hang in there, Cam. It'll get better, I promise."

They said their goodbyes and Cam he hit the speed-dial for Daniel. Daniel answered on the fifth ring, sounding distracted.

"'Llo?"

"Hey, Daniel. It's Cam. You busy?"

"Um . . . hang on . . . Hey, are you okay?"

Cam smiled again. He loved having friends that knew him so well . . . most of the time. "Not really. My dad . . ." he paused. He had hoped it would get easier with practice but his eyes welled up again and his throat constricted. "My dad died of a heart attack this morning."

He could Daniel didn't quite know what to say either. "Is there anything I can do? How are the kids?"

"I think we'll all be okay. Austin has a question or two for you though."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Put him on."

Austin took the phone. "Uncle Daniel?"

"Hey, Austin. You okay, buddy?"

The boy didn't answer for a moment, and by his furrowed brow, Cam could tell he was trying to collect his thoughts. "What happens when you die, Uncle Daniel?"

There was a long pause on the other end. "Austin, I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that. I do believe that people we love continue in some way, even if it's just in pictures and memories."

Austin frowned. "But . . . Sophie said you died, once. So how can you not know?"

"That was . . . different."

The little boy's frown deepened. "That's what Daddy said."

"What happened to me was ascension, not death. It means that my consciousness – do you know what that means?"

"Your brain and stuff?"

"Basically, yeah. My consciousness went somewhere else for a while, and it was like I was dead because I couldn't really talk to anyone that I'd known before. The thing is though, it's possible to come back after you're ascended. You can't really come back when you're dead," Daniel said gently.

Austin nodded, even as tears gathered in his eyes. "So my grandpa can't come back?"

"No, buddy."

Austin sniffed. "But is he still there? Somewhere?"

"That's something no one really knows, Aus. What do you think?"

"I think he's . . . he's somewhere, and he can see me, but I can't see him."

"I think that sounds pretty good, buddy."

"Thanks, Uncle Daniel."

"Anytime. Hey, Austin?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of your dad, little man. He's going to need you. All of you."

Austin nodded, and wiped at his eyes. "Okay."