"Daddy, daddy! Guess what?! Ungle Sig let me'n Andy drive the boat! And Ungle Eggar let me help him make brefkist! Ungle Matt showed me to make knots and Ungle Nick let me help him put the groceries away. When's Ungle Jake gonna get here?" Norman laughed as his four and half year old adopted son came running across the deck babbling with excitement. Stepping aboard, he slid his rough hands under Norman Joseph's armpits and hefted the little boy high; squealing with delight, he collapsed into giggles as his father caught him and hugged him close while tickling his ribs.

"You did? Wow, I'm proud of you Little Man! Did you guys leave any 'brefkist' for me? You didn't…well; I'll just have to fix myself up something. C'mon, Joey, I'll let you help me too."

"I'm not a baby kangaroo, daddy! I'm a Joseph!" Setting the giggling boy back down, he shooed him back through the hatch with a laughed "So you are" and following the boy, closed it behind him. Although the boy's first name was technically the same as his adoptive father's, the use of his middle name had been found easier. Norman rounded the counter separating the galley kitchen from the table and poured himself a thermos full of fresh coffee before going to stand in front of the table; watching Joseph drawing a picture on an over-sized doodle pad, a proud smile lingered on his face. He jerked and blinked as a marker smacked him in the face, brows furrowing as he looked between the deckhand struggling to maintain an innocent look and the boy with his mouth hanging open in mock disbelief. Joseph drew in a slow gasp, a mischievous smile revealing a missing tooth.

"Ooh, Ungle Matt…mommy's not gonna be happy you throwed markers!" Joseph squealed with laughter as Norman scowled and repeated his words while folding is arms across his chest and stepping closer to the table.

"Mommy's not gonna be happy, mommy's not gonna be happy'? What about daddy? I'm the one who got brained by the silly marker! Hmmm?" Pressing against Matt for protection, the boy beamed with laughter as Norman advanced; seeing his father slide towards him with a playful grin, he tried crawling over Matt in an attempt to escape certain tickles. Matt's fingers squirmed over Joseph's belly and he writhed in glee at the unexpected attack. Norman collapsed on the bench, doubled over in laughter as the marker clutched in his hand kept accidentally touching Matt's face. By the time Matt finally let Joseph flop on the bench, his face was dotted with blue ink.

Hearing the commotion in the galley below, Sig exchanged a confused look with his nephew Andrew. The skipper was at his chair, once again updating his computerized charts while Andrew knelt on the bench and leaned on his forearms as he studied the charts his uncle had rolled out for him. As the noise seemingly subsided, Sig went to stand before the charts with pencil in hand. Sighing, he studied the well-used charts with narrowed eyes before glancing at the boy next to him. He laughed as he noticed Andrew mimicking his posture and glare perfectly.

The sounds of screeching brakes and slamming doors caught Sig's attention and he turned to look down at the docks. An icy sensation trickled down his spine as he recognized the man confronting Renée. He could hear their raised voices, but the words were carried in the opposite direction by the breeze. Shushing Andrew's confused questions, the skipper beckoned the boy to follow him and they descended to first flight of stairs to the landing. Sig lifted the stairs and told Andrew to crawl into the storage space. The boy did as bidden and scooted back in the furthest corner.

"Stay quiet and out of sight until me, your dad, or Uncle Ed come to get you. Do NOT move until one of us comes to get you. Do you understand me, Andrew? Good, I'm going to lower the ladder now, but one of us will come to get you when it's safe to come out." Satisfied that his nephew was well hidden, Sig descended into the galley and informed Norman of his fiancé's and soon to be father-in-law's sudden appearance. Smiles and laughter disappearing in an instant, Norman and Matt were standing nearly as quickly.

Taking Joseph by the hand, Norman led the boy to the dry storage pantry and knelt down as he moved aside some partially emptied boxes. He motioned his son to crawl into the little crawlspace Joseph had claimed as his own two years ago; helping him get settled, Norman repeated Sig's words to the frightened boy. With a gentle hand cupping Joseph's cheek, he tried to quell his son's fear with a reassuring smile.

"I'll be back for you soon, Little Man. I just have to help your uncles with something…" Raised voices followed by the muffled thump of a body hitting the deck outside brought both heads swiveling in the hatch's direction. Standing with a growing knot in his stomach, he quickly flipped out the stateroom light and closed both doors to a crack. Norman caught a sudden movement from the corner of his eye and stopped, catching Renée as she stumbled in through the hatch.

A shrill sob died in her throat as she found herself in someone's arms. In her panic, she lashed out against Norman, not realizing it was the man she loved. After backing him into a corner in the kitchen, his gentle voice broke through the fear clouding her mind. She stepped back, tears welling up in her pale eyes as she stared at him leaning against the counter with blood trickling from a split in his lip and cut along his cheekbone. A bruise was beginning to darken the flesh beneath the cut on his cheek, yet he was oblivious to any pain but hers.

"What happened, Renée? What did he do-" Norman's question was cut off by raised voices and the sounds of another scuffle and he pulled Renée into a protective embrace. Her voice trembled with fear as she whispered into his chest.

"Norm, are my boys safe? I don't want Daddy to find them…." Norman's tender affirmations of her children's safety did little to ease the fear gripping the mother's heart. Her good friend's next words brought a faint smile of appreciation to her lips.

"Your father will not only have to go through me, my brothers, and our crew to get to you and our sons, but he'll have to rip this boat to pieces before he could even find them. Joey and Andy were pretty much raised on this boat…they know it stem to stern nearly better than me, Ed and Sig put together! And we've lived on her through three extensions!"

The sudden sound of metal crashing against metal as the hatch was thrown open brought the couple's head flinching up and the space of a single rapid heartbeat, Norman had placed himself between Renée and the men filing in. Sig's voice boomed in the silence as he screamed after the dock's security officers and the Ballard police who dragged Renée's limp father to the waiting ambulance.

"The next time that son of a bitch gets within eyesight of Renée, her boys, or my boat and crew, he'll be SWIMMING to fucking prison! And that's IF he's lucky enough to still be alive!" The hatch slammed closed behind Sig with a loud metallic clang and he slumped onto the bench, wiping spit from his chin. He studied his crew, dark glare going darker as he noted Edgar and Matt's growing bruises and Nick's bloody nose. His gaze softened as his eyes settled on Renée, who was once again taking comfort in Norman's arms. Jake scooting in next to Nick at the table and grinning at something on the stairs behind him brought the skipper back to the moment.

Both Norman and Sig followed Jake's gaze and the middle Hansen brother waved a hand to the boy peering around the corner. With the cue to join the "family", the stateroom door swung open wide as Joseph joined the others as well. Burying their pale faces into Renée's waist, they silently took comfort in her embrace. Joseph turned his brown eyes towards Norman, worry and concern looking alien in the young boy's eyes.

"Why Daddy? Why was that angry man here yelling at everyone and making Mommy scared?" Norman swallowed hard, struggling think of an answer to his son's difficult question and failing to find one. Shaking his head, he knelt before the boy and spread his hands wide.

"I don't know, Little Man. I'm sorry, I wish I knew…But I do know that he won't be back ever again. I will not allow him to hurt you or Andy or your mother. Do you boys understand?" The twins nodded in unison and Andrew looked between his brother and father before making an unexpected confession. An uncertain and almost fearful look came over the boy and he seemed to pull into himself as he answered Joseph's question, staring up at Norman with tearing eyes.

"It's because Daddy isn't our real daddy. I heard Mommy and Daddy talking about it last night…our real daddy was a bad man and hurt Mommy…but now he's gone and so is the bad man that was just here." Eight pairs of surprised eyes settled on the boy and tears started streaming down his face before he turned to bury it in Renée's waist again. Silent sobs racked his body as Renée rubbed his small back with a soothing hand; looking over to Norman, her heart went out to him as she saw his face pale with dread. She opened her mouth to reassure him as well, but Joseph wrapped his arms around his namesake's neck in a defensive hug.

"Well, I only got one daddy, and this is him. He's the only daddy I want." Glancing at Andrew, he shared a grin with his twin who sniffled and nodded his agreement with a heartfelt 'me too'. Tears spilled down Norman's cheeks as he hugged Joseph tight. In an attempt to lighten the heavy mood, Joseph squirmed to be released and grabbed the doodle pad Nick slid across the table into the boy's reaching hand.

"I almost forgotted, Daddy! I drawed it for everyone, but Ungle Matt stoled my green marker 'fore I could finish." Holding it up proudly to Norman with a shooting glare at Matt, he waited for the laughter at Matt's explanations died down to continue. "Me and Andy made it after we heard Cap'n Hillst'ands and mister Scotty and mister Mike talking about one of their new jokes. I drawed it, but Andy made the words…"

Norman took the offered doodle pad and flipped through the drawings his boys painstakingly created. What started out as a small smile turned into a grin beaming with pride and he passed the pad to Edgar, who accepted it with a knowing smile before studying the drawings himself. Joseph and Andrew exchanged an excited grin as a mischievous glint shone in Edgar's eyes when he looked up. Folding his hands on top of the closed doodle pad, he leaned forward to meet the boys' brown and blue eyes.

"You, my boys, are geniuses! I want to hear about this plan of yours. And I'd like to hear all about this new joke you heard about…" The mood was lightened some as Andrew and Joseph took turns telling the story of how they heard the Time Bandit's captains and crew discuss a season-warming joke for their Northwestern friends and the twins' own plan for thwarting and pranking the Alaskans.

****

"You have any idea what it says? Andy spends enough time with you, it's like he's becomming your clone or something." Sig took the drawing from Edgar later that night as they sat in the dimly lit wheelhouse. Twisting it every which way, the skipper finally shrugged and handed it back to Edgar. Cigarette smoke swirled around his head as he sat back in his chair.

"Not a clue. The kid's bright though...if his interest in the boat keeps up, he'll be running the boat before we know it. Joseph too. At least we wouldn't have to worry too much about the boat then....we could always let them buy her when they're old enough." He tried to ignore the frown that settled over his brother's face, knowing full well Edgar's hesitation in having his own sons learning the trade. When the silence became too heavy, Sig exhaled harshly and rolled his eyes at Edgar.

"Shit, Ed. They're only four and a half...it's not like we have to make that decision tonight! There's plenty of time for them to grow up and make they're own choices. Hell, if they want to be doctors or lawyers, then they'll be doctors and lawyers. We're not pressuring them into anything." Edgar's dark brow raised slightly, the only indication of his holding back an argument. After a moment, he shrugged wearily and shook his head.

"I dunno. They're both bright kids....Andy's got your head for finding the crab and making charts. Joseph's got a hell of an eye for design and mechanics. Who knew four year olds could be so smart?"

****

Sorry for the long delay in posting this update. I've been working in Yellowstone National Park and as it's the end of the season, my schedule is all crazy. So I'll try updating more on my one day off. The story is almost done, so thanks to all who've posted and I do apologize for the less than spectacular ending of this story. I'll do better in the next story, I promise. Sorry that this chapter is flat in it's ending, but I'm struggling in making it better and I wanted to get it up for you.