Family isn't always blood. It's the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what.

Uriah thinks about this saying as he sits among the people in the Philadelphia home. They have been nursing him back to health, treating him as though he belongs with them, and they never bring up the things he's done against the Union army. He's been beginning to wonder if it would be okay to make a place for himself and Marlene in the north. To become a new man with new priorities and a new family that cares for him more than his parents ever did. A smile finds his face as he thinks about starting anew. The thought sends a thrill through him that he never knew. A new life where he could make a real difference in something, to use his skills, and even start a family with his wife. A new life where his children could grow up with his brother's children like they had always planned.

Zeke smiles at his brother from across the table when he notices the look of happiness and contentment on his brother's face. The fact that Uriah's still here astounds Zeke more than he wants to admit. He thought for sure that the moment Uriah could act on his own accord, he would have been on the first stage coach back to the Carolinas. It thrills him that Uriah is still here but more than anything the fact that Uriah seems content and happy makes Zeke ecstatic.

The conversation around the table is light and congenial, even when Beatrice and Tobias enter the room, the mood does not change. Zeke worried that when Uriah found out about Beatrice that he would immediately call them all traitors and attempt to kill her. Instead he decided that James never existed and there was no way he could ever harm a woman, even if she's the infamous ghost rider.

Zeke is pulled out of his thoughts when Shauna stands and clicks her fork on her water glass. They still haven't told anyone about the baby yet, it just never seemed like the right time. But apparently now Shauna's decided that this is the time to make the announcement. Zeke smiles at her as everyone else silences and looks at Shauna expectantly.

"I just wanted to say that I am so happy that all of the people that I care so deeply for are here with us right now," Shauna begins. "You see, I never had many friends growing up because of the way we moved around. I was always happiest visiting with Tris' and Will's family because I felt closest to them. But now, I have extended that family to all of you." Shauna smiles at all of the people in front of her. Her heart begins to flutter a little, this has been something that has only belonged to her for a while now, she of course shared it with Zeke, but now it's time to share with everyone else.

"Zeke and I have an announcement to make," she pauses for a moment, then smiles. "We are going to have a baby."

Tris, Marlene, and Christina all squeal in delight, happy for their friend. All three women envelop Shauna in a hug. Tobias, Will, and Uriah all shake Zeke's hand and offer him congratulations.

Uriah looks at the scene in front of him. How happy is wife looks among these people and how happy is brother is both with his life and having Uriah near. Uriah suddenly realizes that he does not necessarily agree with everything that these people say or do. His political views are still that of a plantation owner, but fundamentally, he believes in family, love, and happiness, three things that have eluded him for most of his life. He feels more fulfilled here, than he ever has on the plantation with his family or as a soldier.

Marlene breaks away from the rest of the women and returns to Uriah's side. He smiles at the beaming woman next to him and realizes that she's never seemed happier or more beautiful to him than she does in this moment. Marlene has always had a carefree, upbeat attitude about her. She never seems to see the negatives around her, she always makes the best out of whatever situation she's in and she makes fast friends almost everywhere she goes. But even through that, she's never seemed more carefree or upbeat than she has recently.

Uriah leans in and whispers into her ear, for only her to hear, "Can we go talk somewhere?"

She looks at him and he can see the nervousness in her eyes, so he gives her a huge smile. One of those smiles that he reserves only for her. She smiles back and nods.

"I think we are going to turn in," Marlene announces.

Uriah nods toward everyone while they all give him their goodnights. He takes his wife's hand and leads her away to their room.

Once inside, Marlene looks over at him expectantly. Uriah just smiles at her, a smile that makes her heart flutter every time.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"Where do you want to live?" he whispers simply. His voice is coming back a little more, but the doctors now believe that the damage to his voice may be more permanent than they originally believed. "I'm healing quickly you know. I may not be able to return to South Carolina, but we could head back south if you wanted to."

She looks at him and a feeling of nervousness and sadness overwhelm her. She likes it here among these people. But she believes that he wants to return to the south.

"My place is with you, Uriah. I go where you go. If you want to return to the south, then that is where I'll be, right by your side."

Uriah shakes his head. Sometimes he hates the submissiveness of southern women. He thinks that's why he decided that pursuing Tris as James and making her pay for doing her job was a bad idea. He respects her for her abilities and her quick thinking. He also respects her for confessing to him, for being brave enough to leave the social norms behind and following her own path.

"Mar, you don't understand. I want to know what you want. I'm asking if you like it here, if you prefer it here or if you would prefer to return to be closer to your family."

She looks at him skeptically. No man has ever really asked her what she wanted before. She was always expected to follow her father's and brothers' directions. Her marriage to Uriah was the first thing she ever did just because she wanted to. Even joining the Confederate army as a nurse was an order from her father. She has never actually considered what she wanted, she just assumed that at some point they would move south of the Mason-Dixon again.

"I really like it here, Uriah. I've never had real friends before or a real family. I only had my father and brothers who ordered me around like I was their personal servant. I like being around these people. They accept me for who I am and don't look down on me just because I'm a woman."

Uriah nods, he suspected this. He smiles hugely at her. "Then I believe it is time for us to start finding a home of our own. Do we want to live here in Philadelphia or do we want to move near Zeke and Shauna in Bethesda?"

Marlene launches herself into her husband's arms, excited to actually be able to be somewhere that she wants to be and not where she's told she has to be.

"I don't know. I love it here, but it would probably be nice to be near Shauna during her pregnancy," she pauses for a moment then smiles. "Well, they did offer to allow us to stay in their guest house on the grounds. You can't get any closer than that."

"I don't know Mar, that might not be the best idea."

She looks at him sadly, a face that he can't handle looking at. He sighs, knowing that she is going to get what he wants because no matter what others think of his cruelty and ruthlessness in battle, his ultimate goal in life is to make this woman if front of him happy. If she's not happy then neither is he.

"Fine," Uriah says. "We will take them up on their offer, but it's going to be temporary. After the birth of the baby, we move to our own home."

Marlene smiles hugely and hugs her husband tighter. "Maybe we could even consider a baby of our own?"

Uriah looks at her, a bit of shock and nervousness flashing through him. A baby? He's thought about this as something that would be sometime down the line in the future, not something that they would consider now. "I guess we could consider that," he says with some trepidation.

Marlene picks up on his nervousness, but she doesn't back down. She would love nothing more than to have a baby with this man in front of her. The thought sends a thrill through her. Someday soon, she could be a mother.

:::

Tobias and Tris move to the stables hand in hand in the dark of the waning moon. Since they returned, they have had very little time alone together with so many people in the house so Tobias has decided to take her somewhere special to him. They mount Abraxas and Bronte and immediately thunder through the streets of Philadelphia, hooves echoing down the uninhabited cobblestone streets.

Tobias takes the lead and guides them down a dirt road on the other side of town. The sound of the hoof-falls of the two mammoth beasts, absorbed into the soft earth.

Everything between the two of them has been a whirlwind. Their short courtship, their engagement, and their marriage all happening within two months of meeting. Tobias looks at the beautiful creature riding alongside him and wonders what he ever did in his life to deserve such a passionate woman in his life. All he ever did was accept her for who she is and love her for that reason. She had no reason to trust him or love him, but she clearly does love him. She was devastated at the thought of his injury and being separated from him. She did everything she could to find him so that she could be with him. And even now, when he and Zeke return she is returning as James once more so that she can be with him.

He slows in front of a large weeping willow tree in the middle of the vast field of wild flowers and grass. The branches of the willow in full bloom and most of the tendrils reaching the ground, creating a secret, private space within the braches. He found this place as a young man, before he became a soldier, in the days of living in one room with multiple bunkmates and working several odd jobs to get through the day. He needed a place where he could have silence so that he could think, and this place provided him with that sanctuary.

Tobias dismounts and guides Bronte toward Abraxas. He takes the blanket and small basket from the horse and smiles at his bride. Tris smiles back and his heart hammers at the sight of her wonderful smile. She dismounts and they release the horses to graze in the field around them. He takes her small hand in his and guides her between the branches of the tree to his personal private place.

It has been years since he was here, the branches and leaves have all grown and thickened over the years. He smiles at the look in her eyes when they pass into another world of their very own.

"I thought we could use some private time," he says to her smiling. He spreads the blanket on the ground and sets the basket down. He then moves to the center of the blanket and pulls her down with him.

"This place is beautiful," Tris says smiling. "It's like another world, like we've moved into another realm that belongs only to us."

Tobias smiles, "I'm glad you like it here. With so many people in our home, I thought we could use some private time, just the two of us."

He leans in and kisses her deeply, maneuvering the two of them into a lying position. When he pulls away and looks at the beautiful woman in front of him, a deep sadness passes over him. Soon she will be hidden beneath dirt and grime, and the bulk of the heavy navy blue Union uniform. She will yet again place herself in danger to fight the Rebs. Even though Uriah has decided that this situation is one not worth pursuing, the other Rebs won't back down. To them she's a man who has thwarted many of their best plans to attack the Union. He will always see the beauty underneath it all, but he will have to treat her like any other soldier as opposed to the beautiful, graceful woman that she is and he hates it.

"What's wrong?" she asks him concerned.

"I was just thinking that soon we will be back in the midst of this horrific war and we will no longer be able to have these moments. Your beauty will be hidden behind the dirt and grime of war and I will no longer be able to hold you in my arms as I do now. I wish you would reconsider bringing James back and consider becoming a field nurse for our unit or even staying home to help Shauna with her pregnancy. You know she is going to need all of the help and guidance that she can get."

Tris smiles at him. She knows he loves her and for that reason, she has given this request a lot of thought. "Shauna has Christina, Johanna, and Marlene to look after her. What more could I possibly do for her." She sees Tobias visibly deflate at her words. "However, I know how it pains you to have James return to battle once more. And although I believe that James is the best answer, for now, I will become a field nurse for your unit. I can't guarantee how long that will last. I may reach a point that James must make a return, but if that point does arise, I will surely warn you of his approach."

Tobias smiles at the small blond woman in front of him. He wraps his arms tightly around her and presses his lips to hers once more. There is not another word spoken between the two lovers as they enjoy their time together in solitude. For now, the horrors of war and death are far from their thoughts and worries. For now, it's just the two of them, enjoying one another beneath the vast night sky and the thick branches of their makeshift hideaway.

:::

Will and Christina sit on the porch of the Philadelphia home, enjoying the silence. In the south, it would have been illegal for the two of them to sit alone together like this. When they were together in the south, they were always at risk of getting caught, but that never stopped them. When Caleb died, Will blamed himself for his death. He couldn't live with the fact that he stood by and did nothing as his brother bled out from the knife wound inflicted by the crazy man that had brutally raped and beat his sister. In his rational mind, he knew that it wasn't his fault but that didn't stop the guilt that he felt. It was only in minutes like this that he allowed himself to feel something other than remorse and despair.

Christina looked over at the man that she's loved since she was a child. He was always so kind to her and her family. He never made her feel like she was a slave and he was her superior. He challenged her to learn, he taught her to read and write. He taught her math and science and about the history of their country. He always told her, 'History repeats itself. The best way to fix the mistakes of the past is to learn from them and avoid making the same mistakes again.' She truly believes those words, because he said it and because she could see it for herself. It was because of him that she learned and became a nurse.

Christina takes a deep breath, taking in the night air. She tries to steady her thoughts and her nervousness. She doesn't know why she's suddenly so nervous to be sitting here with her friend. It's nothing new for them to be seated near one another for some reason. But now, in this place there is more possibility for them than there ever has been before. The still can't marry, but they can be together in their own way, out of the view of others, which would be quite fine by her.

"Christina, I wanted to talk to you about something," Will begins. Will's thought are streaming quickly through his mind as he goes over all of the possibilities of this conversation and this relationship in him head. This is the woman that he always saw himself with. When he imagined his life as a child, she was always there. He denied his feelings for this woman when they were children, in the south they both would have been punished if anything happened between them. She certainly would have been put to death, probably accused of bewitching him or something ridiculous. But now, in this place he could have something with her without fear of such repercussions.

Those words frighten Christina more than she would ever have imagined. She automatically assumes that he's going to tell her about his wonderful fiancé and their perfect life together or something like that. Although she wants him to have everything he's ever dreamed of, she wishes those things were with her.

She looks over to Will expectantly, waiting for him to continue. She smiles nervously to encourage him to proceed.

"Now that you are living in Philadelphia, I was wondering what your intentions are for your future," he says to her.

She smiles to herself a little, thinking about how proper he's always been with his speech and his mannerisms. "My intentions? Like what do I intend to do with myself?"

He nods and smiles, "Yes, precisely."

"Well, now that Tris no longer seems to need me, I'm not sure actually. She and Tobias invited me to stay here and live with them, but they are newlyweds and should have some privacy at some point. I guess I never considered what I would do once the war concluded."

Will thinks about her words for a moment, "You know, I live here in Philadelphia also."

Christina nods.

"If you didn't have anywhere to go… I mean, if you would like…" he grumbles in frustration. He can't seem to get the right words to come out.

"William, are you asking if I would like to live in your home?"

He nods vigorously, "That is exactly what I'm asking."

"In what capacity? I'm not a housekeeper," Christina says.

He shakes his head, "No! It's not like that. Not at all. I meant as my friend, or maybe…"

Suddenly a warm feeling spreads through Christina, she realizes now what he's asking her. Does she want to live with the only man she's ever loved? This is the man she's compared every other man that has ever tried to court her to. They can never be married, they can't live that kind of life together, but what happens in their home behind closed doors is their business and no one else's. She asks herself if she is alright with keeping that part of her a secret, can she handle it? Then she realizes that so long as this man loves her, she would do anything to be with him, including keeping their relationship a secret from the rest of the world.

"It would make me happy to move into your home with you, Will."

Will smiles hugely at the beautiful woman. He dreams of the day that he is free to love her the way he wants to, the way she deserves. This woman has endured slavery, life as a runaway slave, a field nurse, a personal nurse, and now she will finally be able to relax a little and not have to worry about life as much. She will be with him, and he will take care of her forever.

:::

Tris and Tobias lie motionlessly within the solitude of their hideaway. Tris unable to hide the smile that continuously creeps onto her face. She loves this man, she really does. He is the one thing that this bloody war has given her. His love and devotion are things that she doesn't believe she would have ever have found if she weren't being James at the time.

She rolls to her side and looks at the handsome man next to her. He is dozing in the comfort of her embrace. "Tobias," she says. "I love you, you know that right?"

He looks to her and smiles, "I love you too."

"You must understand, this is a big deal to me. I have never loved anyone other than my brothers before. I never imagined that my life would turn out this way and I never expected to meet a man that keeps me this happy and makes me feel this safe."

He smiles at this beautiful creature next to him and realizes that she is pouring her heart out to him. He's known she loves him but hearing this and the depth of her devotion to him makes his heart swell with more love than he ever imagined.

He leans in until he is just about lying on top of her tiny frame, and looks into her eyes. "Beatrice Prior, I love you more than anything. You make me happier than I ever believed I could be." Then he kisses her firmly on her lips. He pours all of his emotion and feelings into this kiss. She deserves to know just how important she is to him and he feels that the best way for her to know is for him to show her through his kisses, his touch, and his attention to her every need and desire.