Elizabeth headed straight to Abigail's after taking Jack and the kids to the airport. Lee had called her to tell her he was sending Rosemary over so they could have a girls afternoon together, which meant he would be navigating his own two kids as well as the twins. She appreciated and was grateful for her village. Lee was protective of Elizabeth as the best of times, but she guessed with Jack gone the intensity just went up a notch. As much as she missed the other half of her family she was looking forward to taking it easy in the coming weeks with only corralling only two babies instead wrangling a very active little girl and her beloved teenager.

"How are you feeling Bea?" Rosemary asked as she handed Elizabeth her coffee,

"Yeah, not too bad. But it is early hours yet. They have barely been up in the air. That and I haven't been home and heard the silence of not having a teenager tormenting his favourite little sister by chasing her around threatening to tickle her." She answered wistfully suddenly feeling a small pang in her heart,

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lead the witness." Rosemary said apologetically, making Elizabeth laugh.

"Don't apologise, just don't be surprised if I end up at your door step with two infants."

"I'm always up for a slumber party,"

"As are we," Abigail piped in as she and Faith joined them at the table.

"Thank you friends. Good to know, just in case I may have to take you up on it."

Elizabeth spent the afternoon with her girlfriends before she and Rosemary headed back to the Coulter's so Elizabeth can pick up her boys. Lee insisted she stay for dinner and accompanying her to take the boys home. Elizabeth just chuckled and let him be knowing it could be so much worse.

"Thank you Leland, for the afternoon, dinner, helping me with get the boys in, for being you."

"Of course Ladybug. Call if you need anything." He replied giving her a hug goodbye before she closed the door behind him.

Elizabeth picked up the boys, one in each arm and headed upstairs to get them in the bath and bed. She was thankful that they were both still light otherwise carrying them both at the same time would be harder. She gave them a bath one at a time. Whilst she was giving Teddy a bath Liam played in the makeshift play pen in the bathroom. When she was done with Teddy, it was Liam's turn in the bath and Teddy's turn to play. When both boys were in their crib and asleep she picked up the monitor and headed to her bathroom to take a much needed shower. After getting dressed she looked at the time and did the calculations in her head. They would be landing shortly. Jack had promised to call her. She went into the twins room to check in on them and noticed a note on the day bed in their room.

"Sweetheart, do not even think about sleeping on this day bed. Go to your real bed. You can hear and see them from the monitor in our room. Love you. I'll call you when we land, Jack" Elizabeth chuckled he wasn't far off. It was tempting to sleep in the room with the boys. She laughed when her phone vibrated in her hand and saw his face on her screen. She slipped out of the boys room to answer his FaceTime.

"I will have you know that Day Bed is very comfortable," she greeted without missing a beat.

"Oh I know, hence don't even." He replied.

"Hi Baby, how was your flight? How are my other babies?" She asked noting that they were still on the plane.

"Hi Mommy," Annabelle greeted taking her phone from her Dad. Logan waved beside his sister. They said a quick hello before they had to disembark.

"Call me when you're settled in. I don't mind if you wake me." She assured Jack knowing he would want to talk to her.

The first few days with her family went by rather quickly. Without the extra hands of Jack, Logan and Annabelle the twins kept her extremely busy. Jack called throughout the day, as did Annabelle and Logan. Between the three of them there was not a moment that they missed in her day. She longed for them but glad that they seemingly were having fun.

"Hey Mom," Elizabeth grinned at the sound of her not so little boy,

"Why is it that every time you call me you sound older and older. I told you that you are not to grow a day older in your absence,

"Mom you have been trying to stunt my growth since the moment we met," he teased

"Because time flies so quickly and I don't want to miss a day," she replied

"Mom, apparently you can get soppier." Logan pointed out in amusement,

"What's on the agenda today?" She said changing the subject chuckling,

"The grandparents are taking the grandchildren camping overnight,"

"Ahhh the traditions live on," Emily's parents have been taking their grandchildren camping since that first year Logan had come home to visit.

"Yeah they're trying to stretch it out as for as long as they can. They figure once we start reaching the high teens that our protests to part with our technology would become louder and more obnoxious than they could bare,"

"That sounds like your grandparents,"

"Totally, speaking of grandparents they send their love,"

"Thanks Bud. Grandma called me a few days ago, she asked if Annabelle would like to join you guys camping and if I would be okay if she joined you."

"She did?" He asked, though not altogether surprised. Annabelle Thornton charmed one, charmed all. Everyone who has met her, loved her. His grandparents were not at all immune.

"Yeah, I'm okay with it but it's Annabelle's decision. I'd say your Dad would want to weigh in on it, but it's her choice. She loves your grandparents and your cousins, I appreciate how they include her and genuinely love on her."

"It's not like she's exactly hard to love her,"

"Says her biggest fan," Elizabeth retorted.

"Mom,"

"Yeah kid,"

"Thank you,"

"For what," she asked confused. Logan took a breath,

"I know why it was so important to you, for me to be here this Christmas. I get it. This is where I feel her the most. This was our place. Where my memories of her fit. Sydney was the life after her so it's always so hard to conjure up memories. It's different here. I remember. I didn't forget. You knew that. Thank you."

"You're welcome