Note: I apologize for the length of time in between chapters. I've had a lot on my plate.

The moment the car pulled away, Spencer screeched and darted forward.

"No!" Haley sprang forward, scooping him up and clutching him to her chest.

Spencer howled, throwing his head back against her shoulder and kicking his legs, striking her in the stomach.

Hard.

"Oof!" Haley squeezed her eyes shut, bending over, but she didn't let go. She wouldn't let go.

She'd dealt with toddlers before.

"Spencer, it's okay!" she said. "They're going to come back!"

"Nooooo!" Spencer screamed, writhing against her hold. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Haley dropped down onto the grass, cradling him in his arms. "Shh. Shhhh." She ran a hand through his hair.

Jack hovered nearby, concerned.

"Mommy?" he whispered, uncertainly.

She eyed him from the corner of her eyes.

"It's okay, Jack," she reassured him. "Spencer just needs a moment."

Jack still looked a little unconvinced.

Spencer continued to cry and Haley glanced at the neighbors' houses.

She needed to get him inside.

She stood, still holding the squirming toddler to her chest.

Spencer's cries had faded to whimpers and she rested her cheek against the top of his head.

"Shhh," she soothed. "It's going to be alright."

"Mommy?" Jack kicked his little legs and banged his spoon against the table top. "Mommy!" he sang again.

Spencer was sulking, face buried in his arms.

"What is it, honey?" Haley asked, tiredly.

Neither boy had gotten much sleep the night before.

By default, neither had Haley.

She hadn't had a chance to do more than throw a bathrobe on over her pajamas.

"Can I have more cereal?"

He gave her a big grin and thrust his bowl and spoon forward.

Haley yawned, rubbing sleep from her eyes, and accepted the bowl. She left the spoon in his hands.

Jack began singing wordlessly, banging the spoon against the table again.

"Spencer?" Haley asked. "Do you want some milk in your cereal?"
A bowl of cereal sat untouched by Spencer's elbow.

Unwilling to let it go soggy, Haley had held off on the milk until she was certain Spencer was going to eat it.

A wordless grunt answered her question and Spencer thumped his heel against the leg of her chair.

Haley sighed and turned away. Setting Jack's bowl on the counter, she refilled it.

A startled yelp from behind her had her spinning around.

Jack sat, wide-eyed, with several frosted flakes in his hair and on his shirt.

Spencer had sat up.

Haley watched, speechless, as Spencer dug his fist into his cereal bowl and launched another handful at Jack.

Recovering, Haley ran forward. "No, no, no, no!" She grabbed Spencer's bowl, pulling it away. "We don't throw food, sweetie!"
Spencer stared at her in shock. Then his face crumpled and he hid behind his chubby hands. Tiny little sobs- no doubt exaggerated for her benefit- she'd seen that plenty of times with Jack before- met her ears.

Haley sighed.

Oh well.

Here it went.

"Okay, I'm sorry!" She quickly returned his bowl.

She was tired and it was only cereal.

What was a little food fight if it kept the boy happy?

It wasn't like it would make too much of a mess. She could just sweep it up later.

She plopped herself down in a chair and ran a hand through her hair, blowing out a breath.

There a loud clatter, then a giggle.

Haley squeezed her eyes shut, almost afraid to look.

Finally, she peeled her eyes open.

Jack's bowl lay overturned on the floor, a growing puddle of milk spreading out around it.

Her son was grinning at her from around the fingers he had stuffed in his mouth.

Spencer, she noticed, was watching her carefully too, eyes sparkling.

Then, another clatter as he shoved his own bowl over the edge.

With a groan, she dropped her head onto the table.

The bowls were cleaned. The floor was cleaned.

The boys were… not sticky.

That was about all she could say at the moment.

Haley sat in one of the living room chairs, watching the boys play.

Spencer angled his head back to look at her.

"They back yet?" he asked, voice hopeful.

Jack poked his head up. "Daddy home?"

Haley's heart sank and she shook her head.

"No, not yet," she said. "I'm sorry, sweeties. They won't be home for a while."

Curse that job.

She knew they were doing good. She knew they were saving people, taking criminals, murderers, off of the streets, but why did it have to be her husband? Her family?

It was so hard, seeing Jack like this without his father.

She sighed.

Jack's little face crumpled.

Beside him, Spencer looked like he might cry again.

"We can call them tonight, okay?" she offered.

She got off the chair and knelt, opening her arms.

Jack accepted immediately, sprinting to her as quickly as his little legs would let him and throwing himself into her arms.

Haley squeezed him tightly, before looking to the other child in the room.

Spencer hadn't moved.

"Spencer?" she said softly. "Do you want to come here?"

The boy shook his head and now she noticed that he actually had started to cry.

She shifted Jack, unwilling to let him go, and inched a little closer.

"Baby, it's going to be alright! They're going to be back!"

The same words she had used countless times to reassure Jack when he missed his daddy.

"I want them!"
"I know. Come here, honey."

She held out her other arm.

Spencer scooted away.

"No! Don't want you! Want them!"

Haley rocked back on her haunches, regarding the toddler in front of her. Her own son had started tugging on her hair and, distractedly, she reached up, trying to remove his tiny fist.

He whined and she gave it up, allowing the hand to stay.

It didn't hurt. Much.

"Spencer," she said softly, praying this would be a good idea. "I can't… I can't bring them home, but would it make you feel better to see them?"

Spencer blinked up at her, tears shining on his cheeks. "See them?"

Haley nodded.

Please, please let him understand.

Video calling was something she and Aaron did with Jack when his father's absence was too much for him to handle.

It was something she could work out with Spencer too.

She just didn't want the boy to think that she was promising he could see them in person.

"Mmhmm." She nodded and took out her phone. "Do you see this?"

She had caught his attention.

Spencer scooted closer. Then a little closer.

Finally, he crawled over till he was sitting right next to her, looking at the phone with interest.

Haley noticed that he was careful not to touch her, but still. This was better than nothing.

"We can talk to them through this," she explained. "You'll be able to see them through the screen."

"Now?" He looked up at her, eyes wide.

"No, not now, but…"

His eyes filled up again and he grabbed for his toes, face contorting. "I want now!" he whined.

Jack patted Spencer on the arm. "Busy now," he explained, looking to his mother for support.

Haley nodded. "They're busy now," she agreed. "But they're thinking of you. And tonight, when we call them, they're going to want to hear all about how their little man is doing."
She unlocked her phone, sending off a quick text to Aaron.

Video message tonight? Spencer needs to see his parents.

She turned the phone off and slid it into her pocket.