"Eeyore what's the plan," Meghan asked standing on the patio holding Tyler.

"You're babysitting," Owen said.

"She needs this," Meghan said, "go be 25 with her boyfriend. What we're we doing at 25?"

"Residency," Owen said.

"She works and studies as hard as we did," Meghan said, "you had girlfriends."

"More than either of you," Owen admitted, "there was even someone between Beth and Teddy."

"What," Meghan asked, "who? How long?"

"Christina Yang," Owen said, "six month between getting home and Teddy getting here."

"Yang like the cardio god," Meghan asked.

"She was a resident then," Owen said, "mom and Nikki didn't like her. She worked with Riggs on Nikkis surgeries."

"So my fiancé and your ex girlfriend," Meghan howled.

"Richard was the chief then and he wouldn't let Teddy. Teddy was too close," Owen said.

"I had asked Teddy to take Nikki under her wing if anything happened to me," Meghan said, "I didn't expect them to be that close."

"Teddy was the one that made it possible for me to get through to Nikki," Owen said, "the summer Nikki was in the hospital I got called in early and Teddy was on overnight. It had been a quiet night for cardio and I couldn't find Teddy anywhere. I go check Nikkis room and Nikki was scared and sobbing but Teddy was there holding her. Nikki was her adult height but when she was dancing, that summer they brought her in, she was 90 pounds soaking wet, and she lost weight when she was bed bound. By that point maybe 80 pounds. Teddy was holding Nikki like a child."

"Did she have an eating disorder," Meghan asked.

"No just the way she trained," Owen said, "she was one of the healthiest in her class. She used to train 6-7 hours a day. Mom always watched what she ate and packed her lunch. We brought her grade and the one bellow in for a field trip the summer Nikki was 17. I ate with some of the boys Teddy ate with Nikki and her friends. Teddy was annoyed that none of Nikki's friends had enough food. Teddy had followed moms formula for the three lunches she had packed."

"Sandwich or wrap, fruit, veggie, snack, treat," Meghan said, "it's what we do for Farokes lunch."

"It's what our kids get," Owen said, "what I still pack myself."

"I do it," Meghan said.

"You and Riggs," Owen asked, watching the kids on the backyard swing set.

"I'm happy," Meghan beamed, "you and Teddy?"

"Excellent," Owen agreed, "your wedding is soon."

"It is. But you agreed to be Nathan's best man," Meghan said, "I wanted you to walk me down the aisle."

"Maybe I can do both," Owen said.

"Mom is going to walk me," Meghan said, "and I have my sisters as bridesmaids."

"Nikki was one for Teddy and my wedding," Owen said.

"One day hopefully I can be one for her," Meghan said.

"Maybe," Owen said.

"Brett," Meghan replied.

"Maybe," Owen said, "I like him. They were out here last night hanging out with us and pushing Tyler on the swings."

"They play with him a lot," Meghan said, "this weekend for her to not be mommy will be good. Let her just be with her boyfriend."

"She hasn't gotten to relax and just be Nikki since she found out she was pregnant," Owen said, "I felt so bad watching her go through that alone. Knowing how much Teddy leans on me. And the silly things like family movie night when Teddy would have her feet in my lap to massage them there was no one to do that for Nikki."

"She should enjoy it," Meghan said, "the four of us and all five kids tonight?"

"Yes," Owen said, "you have the hard one."

"Hard one," Meghan asked, "he's an angle for me."

"He's such a mommy's boy with Nikki," Owen said, "I can be holding him and he sees or hears her and he starts screaming. It's happened since he was an infant."

"He's fine with me unless he wants milk," Meghan said, "he's only getting cows milk in a sippy cup with me when I babysit."

"It's time," Owen said, "give her some freedom to go out more."

"What's next for you and Teddy," Meghan asked.

"I'd like to do a romantic getaway soon," Owen said, "we've hardly had time just us. I'd like to take her away for a couple nights now that Daniel doesn't rely on her as much. A weekend away just the two of us, somewhere near the water, romantic."

"Book it and I'll babysit your three," Owen said, "they can come stay with us. Where would you take her?"

"Somewhere romantic," Owen said, "we haven't had a lot of time to do stuff like that as a couple and we have three kids. I want to do the romantic things for Teddy. I should have done more of it over the years."

"Then do it now dumb dumb," Meghan said.

"What about you," Owen asked.

"We have our honeymoon coming," Meghan replied, "mom is staying with Faroke."

"Where are you going," Owen asked.

"He wont tell me," Meghan replied, "but he made sure I had a new passport."

"International," Owen said, "he only travels to volunteer."

"He's promised fun and romance," Meghan laughed, "so no third world country surgeries. I've had enough of that for a lifetime."

"I know you have," Owen said, "you've been home a year."

"I know," Meghan said, "some days I feel like I never left others I feel like I missed everything."

"I get it," Owen agreed, "things will come up that happened in the last few years and I expect you to know what I'm talking about because it feels like it always did but you weren't here."

"Its actually our sister I find hardest," Meghan said, "I knew you. We lived and worked together for so long that I knew you. I think the only person out there that knew you as well as I did was Teddy. Beth never knew you."

"We've run into her a few times over the years," Owen said.

"Nikki saw her at a work thing a couple weeks ago," Meghan said.

"They hate eachother," Owen said.

"Always did. You were just blind," Meghan replied.

"The first time we brought Teddy home Beth was nasty to her," Meghan said, "we'd been home all of 24 hours and Beth was telling Teddy how annoying Nikki was and what a brat Nikki was and spoiled."

"The waterfall," Owen said, "I had told Beth not to go that day. I knew she couldn't handle it but she didn't trust Teddy. Teddy spent the whole day with Nikki."

"No four of us hiked and ignored you and Beth," Meghan said, "I prayed you had gone home and married anyone else. She wouldn't even take a bag on the hike. You had her stuff. Nikki had most of her stuff. Nate, took a few of Nikkis things so did I but she had most of it."

"You guys took her stuff. The deal was she came if she carried her own stuff," Owen said.

"She had that little day pack," Meghan remembered, "we had her extra shoes and clothes. They didn't fit in her bag."

"She got tired a couple miles from the end," Owen remembered.

"Tired and had fallen," Meghan said, "you didn't see the fall you were behind us with Princess whiny pants."

"What happened," Owen asked.

"The big rock you had to lift Nikki and Beth over on the way up," Meghan said, "we told her to wait for one of us to lift her down. But Nikki wanted to be like me and Teddy and jumped down. She landed on gravel and fell. She was crying."

"That's why you were carrying her," Owen said.

"Yes we passed her bag to Beth and the four of us took turns carrying Nikki," Meghan remembered.

"I thought she had skinned her knees earlier in the hike," Owen said.

"She had," Meghan laughed, "I debrieded her knees twice that day. The first one she sat in my lap so you could do it the second Teddy held her while I worked. She said I was nicer."

"Mom was mad when we got home," Owen chuckled.

"I let you take the fall for that," Meghan said, "I told mom I would properly clean up Nikkis knees and elbow and took Teddy as an assist."

"Devious," Owen chuckled.

"You're the oldest," Meghan replied, "your job to get your sisters home."

"I still failed that one," Owen said.

Meghan put her hands on Owens shoulders, "I'm home I'm healthy. I'm okay. Owen we couldn't have stopped that. You need to let this go. Your guilt is less than useless. The only thing this guilt is doing is hurting you."

"It was my fault you were angry with me. We had fought," Owen said.

"I was angry at everyone but Teddy," Meghan said, "but seriously how are you such a pessimist?"

"My sisters stole all the silver linings," Owen said, "Nikki can get down and pour for a while but she always comes around once she's had time to think."

"But she doesn't dwell on an eleven year old fight," Meghan said.

"No she just dances and sings about it," Owen said, "there's one from some kids movie that should be her personal theme song."

"Get Back Up again " Meghan said, "it works. She sings it very loudly."

"She's already decided tyler will have music lessons," Owen said.

"She's starting mom and me swimming with him," Meghan said.

"I know. Daniel and I are in the same class," Owen said.

"I wish I could do that with you that would be fun," Meghan said.

"More kids for you," Owen asked.

"Maybe. I'm 40," Meghan said, "Nathan and I have to talk about it seriously. Faroke is 8 and we know how hard the big age gap can be. Faroke wasn't easy physically or mentally. I know it will be different being older and having Nathan. But physically I don't know. I didn't like it. I was tired, slow, sick for half of it, big. I didn't feel like me."

"Teddy hasn't minded until the last couple weeks," Owen said, "Nikki was miserable and trying to hide it unless it was just her and mom. But she was alone."

"I would do one more," Meghan said, "this summer what if the six of us did the waterfall?"

"Six," Owen said.

"You and Teddy, Nikki and Brett, Nate and I," Meghan said.

"We could," Owen said, "Faroke and Allison could do it. Only leaves three kids with mom."

"Faroke isn't ready," Meghan said, "it was three and a half adults for a ten year old when we took Nikki at ten. Mom can manage the five for a day if she comes here."

"Ask," Owen said, "Nikki would also ask Julie. I know she babysits sometimes."

Tyler began to cry.

"I've got this one," Meghan said scooping up her nephew. She was pleased the boys wouldn't remember life with out auntie Meghan. She loved being home with her family imagining them and what they could be up to had gotten her through her years away.

Nikki walked into her first conference session with Brett and was shocked to see her high school math teacher across the room.

"Mr Collins," Nikki said, "I don't know if you remember me."

"Nicole McRae," met Collins teplied, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm presenting later with a coworker," Nikki said.

"On what," mr Collins asked.

"Mathamagical adventures," Nikki said, "whole class immersive math tasks. It's my masters project."

"Where are you teaching," mr Collins asked.

"Blue Pine middle," Nikki answered, "after the accident I went to UW and majored in math. I would never have studied math if you hadn't pushed me to think and to see my self as a student as much as a dancer."

"You're the brightest mathematician I've ever taught," mr Collins praised, "personally? Married? Kids?"

"My son is one," Nikki answered.

"Do you have pictures," mr Collins asked.

"I do," Nikki said. She took her phone out and showed her favorite teacher Tyler.

"He looks like you," mr Collins said.

"Pretty sure he looks like my brother," Nikki laughed, "how are things at PAC Rim?"

"Great," mr Collins said, "we're looking for a fifth through eighth math teacher if you wanted to come back. You know what the kids are doing."

"It's something to think about," Nikki answered, "I haven't been in the school since my last class. "

"Madame is the principal now," mr Collins said, "she would be happy for you to apply. So many math and science people don't understand our dancers it's hard."

"I understand that and it intrigues me," Nikki said, "but I'm a single parent. The schedule at Pac Rim is all over the place and long days to accommodate dancing. I can't do that right now with Tyler so young and relying on my mom and sister for daycare."

"Your sister," mr Collins asked, "the whole school talked about it for months."

"Meghan was found a year ago she was missing for ten years," Nikki said, "she's alive and safe and happy."

"Your alone with your son," mr Collins asked.

"Single not alone," Nikki said, "I'm actually dating my research partner. We've been friends for years. I have my mom, siblings and their spouses. Nieces and nephews I have a family. It's just Ty's dad that's not around."

"Is your boyfriend here," mr Collins asked.

"Overs there," Nikki smiled pointing to Brett. He saw her smiling at him and walked over.

"Brett this is my high school math teacher Mr Collins," Nikki introduced, "Mr Collins this is my boyfriend, co worker and research partner."

"John," Mr Collins said, shaking Bretts hand."

"Nicole please consider applying at Pac Rim. We always want our graduates to come home," mr Collins said.

"I'll think about it," Nikki replied, " I love Pac Rim I always will. I will call madame when we get home and have a conversation."

"I'm the academic director now," Mr. Collins said, "what would help you to consider us?"

"I'm with the public schools," Nikki said, "I need it to be comparable. Pac Rim is further from home than Blue Pine, it would be double the commute, it's less time with my son."

"I understand that," Mr. Collins said, "I've missed a lot with my own boys because of the way the schedule is at Pac Rim. Nicole when did you decide on teaching?"

"I was 18 or 19 about a year after the accident," Nikki said, "honestly I love it more than I ever loved dancing."

"Are you happy Nicole," Mr. Collins asked.

"I am," Nikki answered.

"Why don't you give madame a call when you get home and hear her out," Mr. Collins suggested, "I think you would be a good edition to our math department."

"Are any of the teachers I worked with there," Nikki asked.

"Most of the dance faculty is the same," Mr. Collins said, "it's only myself, Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Parker and Ms. Ratlaff."

"My favourite teachers," Nikki smiled, "please tell everyone I say hello and would love to come visit."

"My niece is doing summer session at Pac Rim," Brett said, "maybe you could come with me to pick Alicia Rose up one day. I promised my sister I would sign her out a few times over the summer."

"I'll come," Nikki agreed, "I do want to see Madame."

"The famous madame," Brett said.

"Madame is a force to be reckoned with," Mr Collins agreed.

"Incredible though," Nikki added, "I should bring Teddy to say hello that day."

"Teddy," Brett asked.

"Teddy danced as well," Nikki said, "her mom and madame danced together. Teddy knew madame when she was little."

"Teddy was a dancer," Brett said.

"Allison and Amber are in the children's division at Pac Rim," Nikki said.

"We're watching an Allison for the full time program in 5th grade," Mr. Collins said, "they want me to speak to her parents."

"Allison Hunt," Nikki asked.

"Yes," Mr. Collins agreed.

"My niece," Nikki answered, "her dad is my older brother. Allison's mom is Teddy Altman. Tell madame to talk to Teddy, she knows Teddy."

"I will," Mr Collins said, "Allison is talented. But if her mom and aunt were dancers there's genetics."

"Her grandmother," Nikki said, "Teddy's mom taught at Blackhurst. Margaret Altman."

"Even I know that name," Mr Collins said, "we will keep Allison on our list."

The speaker called for attention and everyone took their seats. They spent the day listening to other speakers and their presentation went off without a hitch. People responded well to the ideas Nikki and Brett presented and offered suggestions and praise.

After the conference they walked back to their hotel to get ready for dinner.

"That was a good day," Nikki smiled.

"It was," Brett agreed, "you have a far away look in your eyes."

Nikki shook her head, "I miss Ty."

"I know you do," Brett said, "have you called today?"

"I want to," Nikki said, "I texted with Meg at lunch."

"Call love," Brett said, "you'll feel better."

Nikki pulled out her phone and called Meghan.

"Nikki," Meghan answered, "everything okay."

"Can you switch it to face time and grab Ty," Nikki asked.

"I will," Meghan said.

Meghan grabbed Ty from where he was playing on the floor and sat with him in her lap, "Ty whos that?"

"Mama," Tyler yelled.

"Hi baby boy," Nikki beamed, "mommy misses you."

Brett looked on and watched as Nikki interacted with her son, she was a good mom. He knew this was the longest she had been away from Tyler and it was hard on her. When she hung up he wrapped his arms around her and held her until her body relaxed.

"Dinner," Brett suggested.

"I'm enjoying this," Nikki sighed.

"What," Brett asked.

"Having you hold me," Nikki answered.

"Let's have dinner then I can hold you all night," Brett suggested, "go for a walk and see what we find for dinner."

"I'm good with anything," Nikki said, "I saw your face when Mr. Collins suggested I apply at Pac Rim. I'm not interested. I can't go back to Pac Rim. I don't want to go there. That is my past not my future. I believe in what they do and in their program but I can't go back there. I will visit and help Allison and Alicia Rose but that's it."

"I understand," Brett said, "why do you think I don't coach football at work?"

"I get it," Nikki said.

They both changed to casual clothes and walked down the street, they enjoyed their dinner together without a rush to get back to Tyler. It was nice to be a couple.

Walking back into their hotel room around 10:30 Nikki changed into the cute pajamas she had picked out on her shopping trip with Meghan and Teddy the weekend before. She had new outfits for the whole weekend, things she felt pretty in.

"Wow," Brett said as she sat on the bed beside him.

"It's just pajamas," Nikki said.

"Different from last night," Brett said.

"I brought two pairs," Nikki replied.

"You are gorgeous," Brett said, kissing her.

Nikki returned the kiss pulling him closer to her, "I love you."

"I love you too," Brett said.

They continued making out for a while before Brett slipped his hands under her top he paused watching her reaction. Nikki nodded and started unbuttoning his shirt. They kept slowly going further then they had before he checked in with her each step of the way.

"Please," Nikki whispered, grinding her hips into his, she could feel how much he wanted her.

"Is this what you want," Brett asked.

"I want this," Nikki moaned, "I want you."

"I want this," Brett said.

"Please," Nikki whispered.

Afterwards Nikki was in Brett's arms with her head on his chest.

"I had no clue it could be that loving," Nikki whispered.

"Are you okay," Brett asked.

"I'm happy," Nikki said, "how did you make that so loving? I felt safe and perfect. That was perfect."

"I love you," Brett said, "I love you. I always want you to feel safe with me."

"I do," Nikki said, "for the first time in my life that felt safe and loving. That was perfect."

"It should always be like that," Brett said, "I love you."

"I love you too," Nikki said with a yawn.

"Tired," Brett asked.

"Tired, happy, cozy," Nikki said, "I just want to stay here."

"We can stay like this all night," Brett agreed, running his hand down her arm.

"I could do this every night," Nikki breathed, so low he could barely hear her.

"So could I," Brett replied, kissing the top of her head.

Brett realized she was asleep in his arms. It was their second night they had spent together and tonight was the first time they went all the way. He wanted forever with her, he wanted forever as their family with her and Tyler. Brett would do anything to have forever with Nikki.

Thoughts? Ideas? Reviews? What should come next for our favourite siblings?