*disclaimer

AGES at this point

Michael & SJ - 4

Leanne - 3 3/4

Rhea - 6 mo

Leah - 26

Sam - 27

Paul - 27

Sam

He woke up with a pounding headache and a phone blaring in his ear. Paul's name flashed on his screen. He picked up the phone and answered it. He heard the sobbing in the background as Paul told him Leah wasn't coming in today. What was he going to do? He hadn't needed to take care of the kids, not really, since Emily died. He got out of his bed and noticed that the bottles were gone. When he walked outside he was surprised to see the kids up and watching TV.

"Is Auntie Leah coming today, daddy?" SJ asked him.

"Um, no, she - something came up and she can't make it. So, I guess it's just going to be you guys and your old dad." SJ and Michael looked at him with blank stared before turning back to the TV and watching Spongebob. Leanne gave him a big smile before jumping in his arms.

"I missed you Daddy," She practically yelled in his ear. He smiled at her before placing a kiss on her cheek. "I missed you too honey cup. What do you guys want for breakfast?"

"Can we have eggs and bacon?" the kids ask, forgetting that Sam couldn't cook anything on the stove that couldn't go on the grill. Which limited his cooking skills to just cuts of meat.

"How about some cereal?" they shrugged their shoulders and Leanne kept smiling at him. Happy to have her daddy back out again, she gave him a kiss on the cheek every five minutes.

While the kids ate their breakfast, Sam tried to remember what happened the day before. All he could remember was that he was lying in his bed and he got up to go get more alcohol. He stopped at the beach and, that's when everything goes blank. Did he hang out with the kids? No, because then the side of his face wouldn't be hurting and he wouldn't have woken up with a splitting headache. He watched the kids eat and smiled at them. SJ and Michael were still wary of him. Although they were four, it was hard for them to reconcile with the fact that for months their daddy wasn't there to tuck them in at night, and they resorted to memorizing Leah's number and typing it in the number pad so that she could calm them down when they had nightmares. Sam excused himself from the dining table when he heard Rhea's whimpers. It must be time for her breakfast.

"How was your day at the beach?" He asked after settling back in his chair with Rhea in one hand and a bottle in the other. He couldn't believe that his daughter was getting so big when the last time he saw her, the last time he actually held her, her head was just the size of his palm.

"Leah and Paul took us to the beach and then we wents in the water and Auntie Leah had to go out of the water and she was gone forever, but then she came back and she gaved us a pretty shell that we'd could hear the ocean in and then Paul blew the horn and it made this loud noise. We stayed there all night, daddy, until the moon was high in the sky. And we had a bonfire, but all by ourselves. But we all falled asleep before we got home and I thinks Paul and Auntie Leah carried us back." Leanna answered with excitement in her voice.

Sam wondered why Leah was gone and saw her angry face coming towards him. He replayed the scene in his head, he called her Emily? She punched him in the face after he kissed her. What the fuck is wrong with me? Sam had no words for what he did. Wasn't even sure he could face Leah, but knew he had to.

"Guys, why don't we go to Auntie Leah's place, huh. Let's see how she is." It took an hour and a half, but the five of them eventually made it out of the Uley's house and started walking to Leah's house. He could hear the quiet whispers of Leah and Paul and could tell when they recognized that he was on Leah's porch.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" Paul asked. He heard movement and then the door opened revealing an angry, shirtless Paul, until he saw the kids and his face melted into a smile. "Hello?"

"We came to see if Auntie Leah needs help," SJ said bouncing in the house and sitting on Leah's couch. Leah walked out then. Sam noticed the circles under her eyes and her red eyes, her face was ashen and her hair was pulled back in a bun. She nodded at Paul and touched his back as she passed him and gave the kids each a hug.

"Paul's going to watch you kids while I talk to your dad, alright." Leah told them, while handing Rhea to Paul. Leanne went to Paul as well, and demanded to be picked up. Paul laughed while picking her up. Sam wondered what she wanted to talk about, his drinking? the kiss? the kids? He wasn't sure, but he nodded numbly and followed her out the door.

"Say one word wrong and I'll kick your ass Uley." Paul whispered low enough for him to hear. Sam gave a short, stiff nod and continued to follow Leah.