Just a reminder that I use Google for information about stuff, so if it's wrong, blame Google.


Lee

"Shit," Lee muttered, pulling out the broken fragments of his phone. Barney gave him an amused look from his seat. They were on their way back to New Orleans, and Lee had just discovered that his phone had gotten smashed in his pocket during one of his fights.

"Why didn't you leave it in the plane?" Barney asked as Lee set the pieces down in the cup holder in front of him.

"I dunno," Lee answered, his tone indicating how annoyed he was at himself right now. Now he couldn't reach Norah. He had to wait until they were back and he had a new phone. Unless...

"No," Barney said as he looked at him. "You're not borrowing my phone to send lovey dovey texts to my niece. Forget it. Just wait until you're back home."

"I need her to know I'm okay," Lee insisted. He knew she'd be worrying.

"We'll be there in a few hours, and you can tell her then."

Lee growled and sat back in his seat, crossing his arms. He jiggled his leg anxiously. He wanted to be with Norah now. The wait was killing him. He heard Toll and Caesar talking behind him, and he wondered how they were doing with the knowledge that this was their last plane ride home as a team. It felt a bit weird to Lee, but he also couldn't help but feel excited that he was starting a new chapter in his life after this.

"I have to say," Barney said after a moment, "I'm really gonna miss this."

"Miss what? The smell of dirty, sweaty men trapped in a coffin with wings?" Lee asked sarcastically. Barney burst out laughing, which made Lee join in shortly after.

"Yea," Barney agreed after he calmed down a little. "That's exactly what I'm gonna miss, Christmas."

"I'll miss it too," Lee advised, and he reached to bump his fist against Barney's when his friend extended it towards him.

But he was looking forward to never having to miss Norah so much it hurt ever again.

Norah

She felt terrible. She wished she had paid better attention to Oscar's social life. How had she not known he didn't have a friend named Grant? How stupid was she? She growled and cursed under her breath as she tried Lee again and got no answer. Her anxiety about his safety was through the roof, and it was tripled at the idea that Oscar was out there hurt somewhere or kidnapped or worse.

Rose had contacted the police and given Oscar's description. They were reaching out to other districts and getting the word out as quickly as they could. Joe and Winston were out looking, insisting that Rose stay in case Oscar came back. Norah was sitting on her bed and thumbing through some photographs she meant to get a small album for. Looking at the Expendable team from her time there soothed her for some reason.

"I can't believe this," Rose said, coming in and crying.

"I'm so sorry," Norah said for the hundredth time.

"I should have known that putting him off all the time would make him take things into his own hands," Rose muttered, wiping at her eyes now. "I'm just glad Mac is no longer here to be a part of this. That would be so embarrassing."

"Mac's not his father?" Norah asked. She'd suspected but didn't know for sure.

"No," Rose answered, sniffing hard. "He's not."

"Oh."

Norah watched as her sister caught sight of her photos and stiffened. She reached for one, pulling it out and staring at it.

"What's wrong?" Norah asked. Rose covered her mouth with a hand for a moment before lowering it and the photo, staring at Norah now. "What, Rose?"

"I know where he is," she whispered. Norah frowned until Rose turned the photo around and tapped her finger on the person in it. Then she was staring at her sister in awe.

"Come on," she urged, getting up and dialing her phone. "Dad? Dad! We know where he is!"

Tool

He was humming to himself as he drew. He felt soothed in this moment. The boys were heading back to town safe and sound. Gunner was in the hospital on the mend and going to be discharged that afternoon. Barney was retiring to finally live a life. Lee was finally going to get the girl. Yang and Toll were going to work with Trench. Caesar was going to be normal family man. All was good.

He heard someone come into the shop, and he cleared his throat before turning around.

"How can I he-?" He trailed off, not seeing anyone standing there. He frowned. What the hell?

"Hi," a voice said, and Tool looked down a few inches and saw a boy standing there. He blinked. How had he missed that?

"Hello," Tool said, tilting his head. "What can I do for you?" The boy stepped closer, pulling something out of his pocket. He handed it to Tool, who took it gingerly and examined it. His breath caught in his throat.

"My name is Oscar Lorkowski, and I think you know my dad," the boy said. Tool looked back up at him, still feeling shocked.

"Yes, Oscar, you're right," he confirmed. "I do know your dad."

"Is he here?" Oscar asked excitedly. "Can I see him?"

"He's not here right now, but he will be soon," Tool replied. The boy deflated slightly, but he was still beaming.

"Can I wait?"

"Sure," Tool said, wondering if Oscar's mother knew where he was. He made a note to call Norah as soon as he had a second. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you get here?"

"I took the bus," Oscar said proudly.

"And how did you figure out your dad was here?"

"I looked into my mom's box of memories, and I found that," Oscar said, nodding to the photo strip Tool was still holding. "And I'd seen him before in Aunt Norah's photos, so I knew where to find him."

"Well," Tool said. "Aren't you resourceful." Oscar puffed out his chest proudly.

"I am," he agreed.

"Well, let's get you settled somewhere more comfortable," Tool said, getting off his chair now. He handed the picture back to Oscar and put a hand on the boy's shoulder as he ushered him to the common room. "Can I get you some water or something to eat?"

"I'm starving," Oscar admitted. "I ate all my snacks already."

"Let me get you something," Tool said, going to the kitchen now. "I'll be right back."

"Okay!"

Tool pulled out his phone quickly, looking for Norah's contact information. He hadn't talked to her much since she'd left. He'd respected that she had wanted to cut ties with this life, even though that had hurt a bit. Now, though, she needed to know where her nephew was because there was no doubt she was sick with worry by now.

"Hello?!" Norah's voice answered, frantic. "Who is this?"

Tool tried not to feel offended that she hadn't saved his contact information. Maybe she'd deleted it to stop herself from reaching out and staying connected when she didn't want to be.

"It's Tool," he said.

"Tool! Oh my God," Norah gasped. "Is Oscar there?!"

"Ah, so you figured it out then?" Tool asked.

"Yes! We're just getting on a plane now," Norah answered. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Alright. He's not going anywhere," Tool advised. "I've got him."

"Thank you. Thank you so much," Norah said. Tool could hear a woman's voice asking if Oscar was safe, and then he heard crying when Norah answered that he was. Tool gathered the woman was Oscar's mother, Rose.

"See you soon, darlin'," Tool said before hanging up. He went back to Oscar with a ham sandwich and a glass of orange juice. Oscar ate and drank eagerly, wiping at his mouth with the back of his arm.

"I like your drawings," Oscar said, and Tool smiled.

"Thank you," he said. "If you like these, then let me show you some of my others."

"Okay!"

Tool smiled as he walked with the boy to his bench. He couldn't help but think that this boy was going to be the answer to his father's question about whether or not life was going to be worth it.

Barney

He landed the plane and shut everything down. The boys were getting ready to step out. Lee was cracking his back and neck after standing up. Barney reached to grab his bag from under his seat before following them out single file.

"Fresh air," Caesar commented, breathing in deep after getting out onto the tarmac. Toll was slightly smirking as he slung his bag over his shoulder and walked towards his waiting car.

"It was nice fighting with you," Yang said to Barney, reaching to shake his hand. "I hope you are at peace now."

"I will be," Barney promised. He already felt lighter, and he hadn't thought that would be possible. He wondered when he'd start second guessing his decision and begin changing his mind.

"Hey, Lee," Caesar said, frowning now. "Char just texted me to say that Norah has been trying to reach you? Something about Oscar missing?"

"What?!" Lee exclaimed. He grabbed Caesar's phone to read the message. "Oh my God. See, this is why I needed to use your phone, Barney!"

"Here," Barney said, tossing it to him now. Lee snapped it open hard and turned it on. He glared at Barney a moment later, showing him all of Norah's texts. Barney made an apologetic face. He'd forgotten to turn it back on after everything apparently.

"Who's Oscar?" Toll asked.

"Norah's nephew," Lee answered as he called her. "Norah! I just got back. What's going on?!" He moved away, plugging his free ear with a finger to hear her better. Barney stood and watched along with the others. After a moment, Lee relaxed and wasn't panicking anymore. When he came back after hanging up, he handed the phone back to Barney.

"Well?" Barney prompted.

"It's alright," Lee stated. "He's been found."

"Oh, good."

"Where was he?" Caesar asked.

"Here," Lee answered.

Gunner

He walked into Tool's, feeling the strong urge to drink but doing his best to fight it off. He needed to get a grip on himself, and he would. He needed to do it for Victoria. Maybe she'd given up, but he wouldn't. He'd be strong. For her. For himself.

"Oh, hello," he said, stumbling upon a young boy spinning on one of the stools. Tool was out of sight. The boy stopped spinning instantly, and he gaped at Gunner, which made Gunner want to chuckle. He knew his presence was surprising to some, especially kids.

"Who are you?" he asked, curious. The boy was still staring, opening and closing his mouth a few times. He was at a loss for words apparently. Gunner waited, and then the boy finally cleared his throat and slid off the stool, coming over to him.

"I'm Oscar," he said after stopping in front of Gunner. "And you...you're my dad."

The words landed in the air, and Gunner tried to process them. He was what now? What? What?!

"I'm sorry," Gunner said. "Did you say I'm your...your dad?"

"Yes," Oscar confirmed.

"I...I...I gotta sit down," Gunner said, finding a chair before he fell over. He sank down into it, still staring at this boy in front of him. How was this possible? How old was this boy? He tried to think of who he'd been with in the last few years. He was drawing a blank.

"Ah, Gunner," Tool said, coming in then. "I see you've met Oscar."

"I'm his father?!" Gunner half asked, half exclaimed.

"Yea," Tool answered nonchalantly. "It would appear that way."

"But...how?"

"Do I really need to tell you how it all works?" Tool asked, smirking.

"No." Gunner shook his head. "I'm just feeling confused is all."

"Here," Tool said, handing him a photo strip. "Maybe this will help."

Gunner took it, and his eyes almost popped out. Her. He remembered her. She'd been one of his favorite memories. She was from a time in his life before he became a mercenary, before he was so messed up he couldn't think straight. He smoothed a thumb over her laughing face. She'd only been one night, but it had felt like longer. He'd regretted not going back for her.

"See?" Oscar said now. "You're my dad."

"So I am," Gunner confirmed, lowering the photo strip and looking at his son. He didn't know what to think or feel, but he realized that his urge to drink was suddenly gone. Something about this boy was contributing to that.

The door burst open then, and she stumbled in herself, rushing over to Oscar and grabbing him into a tight embrace. Gunner stared at her, and she finally noticed him after a moment and stood up straight.

"Hi," she said, her voice sounding almost hesitant.

"Hey," he said back.

"Rick," she said next.

"Rose." He remembered. R&R they'd called themselves. Once he got into the mercenary world, he'd buried his real name and settled for Gunner.

"I...I don't really know what to say," she confessed. "If I'd known how to reach you, I would have called you."

"It's okay," Gunner said. "We're here now." He felt a lightness inside of him now. Sure, he wondered if his life would have been different if he'd known he had a son for the last nine years, but he couldn't do that. The What If game only caused unnecessary heartache.

"He's my dad, right?" Oscar asked, looking up at Rose.

"Yes, baby," Rose replied, smoothing a hand over his head. "He's your dad."

And then Oscar did something that took Gunner's breath away: He hugged him tightly.

Suddenly, nothing else mattered.

Yang

"Talk soon," he said, hanging up. He looked over at Toll, who was waiting.

"Well? Am I in?"

"You're in," Yang confirmed. "He has a job coming soon."

"Okay."

They were standing by Toll's car. The others had left about twenty minutes ago. Yang had promised Toll he'd get him on Trench's team. The man had been gleeful at getting two of Barney's men, but that wasn't something Yang would ever tell Barney. He was happy Barney was going to enjoy his life while he had it.

"Need a lift?" Toll offered.

"I'm good," Yang replied. "See you at Tool's."

"Yea."

Yang wanted to tell him about his pain and loss, but he knew there'd be a time and place for it. They were all bound by some kind of grief; that was clear to Yang the moment he joined the team. It was partly what had drawn him in. Nothing bonded people like a shared understanding.

And nothing helped heal like people who understood.

Norah

She heard his bike long before she saw him. She had the twins in their carriers with Joe holding Rosalee's while Norah had Joey's by her feet. She started to move the closer the bike got, and then he was there. She left Joey with her father and started to run as he parked, kicked the stand down, yanked his helmet off, and jumped off. He met her halfway, catching her as she launched into his arms. She cried and laughed as he spun her around before setting her onto her feet and kissing her long and slow.

"You're okay," she said when they stopped.

"I told you I was coming back to you," Lee advised, smoothing her cheek with his thumb. She smiled and pressed her face against his. He held her close against him, and she breathed him in.

"So, can you tell me why Oscar is here?" Lee asked, pulling back after a moment. "What's going on?"

"He's been trying to figure out who his father is for a while, and I guess he saw my photos and then the photo Rose had of him and put it together," Norah explained.

"Hang on," Lee said, holding up a hand. "Oscar's father is here?!"

"Yes," Norah answered, nodding.

"Who is he?"

"It's Gunner," she replied, and he stared at her, stunned.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes," Norah answered with a laugh. "Small world, huh?"

"Holy shit," Lee said, looking at the front door where Rose, Oscar, and Gunner were stepping out now. Norah could kind of see it, but she was still feeling a bit stunned herself.

"Norah!" Joe called as the babies started to fuss. She headed back towards them with Lee following. She bent to give Rosalee some attention before Joey.

"So," Joe said now, eyeing Gunner up and down. "You're the father."

"Yes, sir," Gunner said, sensing the "sir" was needed in this moment. Norah rolled her eyes and gave her father a nudge.

"Relax, Dad. He's a good guy."

"She's getting married," Joe blurted out now. "It's too late for you."

"Dad, he knows that," Rose said, laughing. "It's fine. He's just gonna be Oscar's dad."

Joe harrumphed but didn't say anything else. Barney arrived at this point and greeted them all. He ushered them inside, and Norah watched as Tool held little Joey and Lee cradled Rosalee against his chest as he sat on the couch, a smile on his face. She'd let him...no, scratch that...she'd made him take a shower first to get the grime and blood off of him. She hadn't wanted any of that transferring onto their daughter.

She looked over at Gunner and Oscar talking with Rose watching and smiling. Barney and Joe were conversing about something in the corner. It all just felt so comfortable. She saw Gunner go to the kitchen a moment later, and she followed.

"Hey," she said, making him turn to see her. "How are you doing?"

"I've been doing really terrible," Gunner confessed, "but I think I'm gonna be alright now."

"He's a great kid," Norah advised. "You'll love him."

"I do already," Gunner said, a smile growing on his lips. "I wish I hadn't missed so much, but I'm not gonna miss any more."

"I'm glad."

"I relapsed," he told her after a moment. "I hit it hard, but I hit rock bottom again, and now I have a really good reason to stay sober." He gestured his head towards where Oscar was talking to Rose. Norah chewed on her bottom lip before nodding and smiling again.

"You've got a lot of good reasons to stay sober, Gunner," she said softly.

"I have you to thank for being able to be honest about what happened to me in therapy," he added, referring to his past assault. "It's really helped the healing process."

"Good. You deserve to heal from all of it." She gave a small smile, and he bowed his head, and she moved to hug him gently before letting him get back to Oscar. She was making her way back to Lee when Toll arrived with Caesar and Yang not far behind him. He stopped abruptly, and she knew they hadn't seen each other since she'd broken up with him.

"Norah," he said. "I...how are you?"

"I'm okay," she replied. "Nick, I am so, so sorry about Victoria." At this, he started to cry a little, and she moved to hug him tightly. She knew his pain. It had taken her a lot of years to deal with it, but she had. All of them had helped her with that, whether they knew it or not, and she was a different person because of it.

"Thanks," he said gruffly, backing away and clearing his throat. "Congrats on being a mom."

"Thank you."

"I'm not mad," he said after a moment. "I know we wouldn't have lasted. I understand."

"Can you promise me something?" she asked.

"What's that?"

"Can you be an amazing Uncle Nick to my beautiful babies over there?" She saw him look touched and swallow his emotion. He started to nod after a moment, a single tear sliding down his cheek.

"Yea," he answered. "I sure can."

"Come on," Norah said, taking his hand and pulling him with her now. "I want you to meet them."

"Okay."

Lee looked up when they approached, and he flicked his eyes between them before looking reassured that Norah wasn't about to confess she loved Toll and not him. He stood, and Toll held out his arms for Rosalee, who went to him easily and happily. Toll looked even more emotional as he held the little girl.

"Hi," he said softly. "I'm your Uncle Nick."

Lee went to get Joey and brought him back after a moment, and Toll reached to let Joey take his finger in his hand.

"Like I said," Lee said to Toll, making him look at him. "You're not alone."

"I see that," Toll agreed. He smiled a bit more as he bounced Rosalee a little and bent to kiss her head gently. Norah put an arm around Lee and rested her head on his shoulder, reaching with her other hand to smooth over Joey's head. Then Yang and Caesar were coming over to meet them and congratulate her and Lee. A slight squabble over who was going to hold which twin occurred, ending in laughter and Caesar pouting.

As different and strange as it might be, this was her family. And she wouldn't change it for anything.

Rose

"He's safe," she said to Winston over the phone. He hadn't come with them as something had come up at his store and he couldn't leave, and Rose had made him stay because if she was honest, she hadn't wanted him to see Oscar's father just yet, not until she'd seen him first and processed it. He'd been relieved to hear that they knew where Oscar was, though, when she called him.

"I bet he's so excited," Winston said.

"He is."

"Should I be worried?" There was a hint of teasing in his tone, but Rose could also hear the slightest bit of fear.

"No," she answered. "Rick is just Oscar's father. There's nothing there between him and I anymore."

"Okay."

"I guess he goes by Gunner now," Rose corrected. "He's had a rough go of it."

"Well, we tend to gravitate towards others who have similar experiences to us, don't we?"

"I guess we do."

"Have a great visit," Winston said. "I have to get back, but I'll be right here when you come home."

"I love you," Rose told him, feeling it so strongly in her heart as she said it.

"I love you too."

They hung up, and she went to find Gunner sitting on the curb in front of Tool's. It was getting late, and Tool had taken Oscar up to where he would spend the night. Rose had scolded him for running off alone, and he'd apologized for it. She was relieved he was safe, but she wished he had just come to her with the photos so they could have done this whole thing so much better. The almost heart attack had been too much to bear.

"You okay?" she asked Gunner as she sat down next to him.

"Yea," he answered. "I really like him. He's a good kid. You did a great job."

"Thanks."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Not your fault," she advised. "It wasn't like we thought this would happen. It was just a one night thing."

"Yea."

"I know you've had some struggles with drugs," Rose started, but he held up his hand.

"I'm done with it," he promised. "I was using because I had a void and was depressed. I felt I had no purpose here. Now I do. He's my purpose. He's the reason I'm never going to use again."

Rose believed him. He had a determination about him that was genuine.

"Okay," she said softly. "So, how are we going to work this out?"

"Well, since I no longer have a job here," Gunner said, "what if I come out to New Mexico so I'm closer to him?"

"Really?"

"Why not? I don't really have much here other than the team, and I kind of feel like my son is more of a priority now."

"Okay. Well, I can help you find a place and such," Rose offered.

"I'd appreciate it."

Laughter inside made them turn to see Lee stepping outside with a knife in his hand, twirling it. He was saying some sort of poem about Tool, and Gunner snorted in laughter.

"Watch this," he said, and Rose watched as Lee threw the knife hard, it sailing through the air all the way into where the board was. Shouts and whoops followed, and she rolled her eyes with a smile. She never thought she'd be a part of a group like this, but Norah had been right.

They were good guys.

Caesar

He found Toll nursing a beer in the back corner and sat down next to him. He rested his hands on his legs, sighing and looking at his friend. There was a bit of a lightness to him now, and Caesar gathered it had something to do with being an uncle again.

"You doing okay?" he asked.

"Actually, yea," Toll answered, nodding slowly. "It still hurts, but I can breathe a bit easier in this moment."

"One step at a time," Caesar advised. He saw his wife come into the building then. She'd gotten a babysitter because apparently no way in hell was she missing out on seeing Norah's babies. She'd even brought their old playpen for Norah to use as a makeshift crib tonight since Norah had left the house in a hurry.

"Ohhhhh gimme gimme gimme!" Char exclaimed, eyes wide and smile huge as she saw Rosalee first. She held out her hands, moving her fingers in the "gimme" gesture. Barney reluctantly handed her over, and then Char was holding Rosalee and saying cutesy things. She met Caesar's eyes across the room, and he knew what she was thinking. He shook his head, starting to laugh. Their baby days were behind them. She'd have to settle for being an honorary aunt.

"Life is precious," Toll said now, bringing Caesar back to the moment.

"Yea, man," he agreed. "It really is." He watched Toll take another sip of his beer, and he suddenly just knew that his friend was going to be alright, that he didn't need to worry about him taking his own life anymore.

He knew Toll finally understood that he wasn't alone like he thought.

Joe

He stayed with Rose and Oscar, who were sleeping in a room upstairs. It was just him and Barney now, and he looked at his brother-in-law and noticed something about him that seemed different.

"I retired," Barney said, noticing Joe examining him.

"Is that what relaxed looks like on you? It's...weird," Joe advised. Barney scoffed and took a puff of his cigar, shaking his head slowly in amusement.

"It is weird," Barney conceded after a moment. "I've never known anything other than war, and I don't know how to not be busy."

"Are you gonna pick up golf?"

"Hell no," Barney snorted. Joe really was curious about what Barney would do. He tapped his fingers against his cheek as he thought. It would be a strange concept, but perhaps it would help him get going.

"What if you came and worked with Rose and I for a bit?" Joe offered. "That way you're busy but not doing something that's gonna kill you at any possible moment."

"Crime scene cleanup?" Barney asked. "I dunno..."

"Just think about it," Joe replied. "It really saved me. I was floundering for a while, trying to get into everything and anything, but this job got me more settled."

"I'll get back to you," Barney advised. He sipped his drink before taking another puff. He leaned back in his chair, staring at the opposite wall. Joe wondered what he was thinking, but he wasn't about to ask. He wasn't a therapist.

"It'll be hard for Oscar to leave his dad after finally meeting him," Joe said after a moment. "But he has school on Monday."

"They'll figure it out," Barney reasoned. He had overheard something about Gunner moving to New Mexico; he wondered if Joe knew that. He decided to let him find out for himself.

"Well, I think I'm gonna turn in," Joe said now, getting up. His joints cracked as he did so. "See you in the morning." He patted Barney's shoulder as he walked past, finding his way to the room he was going to be staying in. He smiled at Oscar all curled up against Rose on the double bed. He crawled into the twin bed on the other wall and closed his eyes. He thought of Marcy, and he had a feeling that she'd be happy to see her family back together again.

Lee

They were finally alone at his little house. Norah set up the portable playpen Char had loaned her in the living room and put both twins in there to sleep for the night. Lee had to stop Rupert from sticking his head in there and licking them all over. Thankfully, the babies were worn out from all the attention from everyone earlier and fell asleep easily enough. Lee put the overexcited dog in the basement, and Norah pulled him into his room, kicking the door shut behind them.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I mean, I understand you just had two children a month ago..."

"Five weeks ago now," she advised. "I'm good. I promise."

"Isn't there a waiting period?"

"A suggested one...like, six weeks, but ultimately, they said it's up to how I feel, and I'm feeling it, so just go with it," she ordered.

"Well alright then."

Lee toppled down with her onto his bed, and she kissed him ferociously as she rested on top of him. He reciprocated, expressing his desire in return. He had missed her for so long, and not just this part but all of it. It almost felt surreal to be here with her now.

The way she said his name in his ear gave him shivers. He held her waist firmly as she twisted his shirt in her fist tightly and started shoving it up. She bit his bottom lip gently as his one hand tangled in her hair and the other tugged at her clothes. He almost lost his balance when she suddenly flipped them so that he was now above her. He loved the sound of her soft giggles at this and how she managed to keep the mood sensual at the same time. He kept everything slow and intentional, cherishing this moment with her. He loved her so much it hurt, and he never wanted to lose her again.

"You know what?" she asked, her voice low and soft in the darkness a while after they'd both calmed down and spent some time talking. Lee was on his right side with her in his arms, her back against his chest and their feet tangled together, fingers intertwined.

"What?"

"I came here looking for a new beginning," she said, "and I got one, in more ways than one."

"Got more than you bargained for, huh?" he asked, teasing slightly.

"Yea, but that's okay," she replied. She played with his fingers in hers, sliding her thumb across his palm and her fingers up and down between his until their fingertips touched and then back down again.

"So what do you want to do?" Lee asked after a moment. "You want me to move to New Mexico?"

"I don't want to ask that of you," Norah replied. "I know you're set up here."

"My home is where you are," Lee insisted, tracing his fingers along her side and stomach gently, then around the outline of her lotus tattoo. "So you tell me: where are we living?"

"I like it here, but I want to be with my family," she replied.

"So," he said, kissing the back of her neck softly, "we use this as our vacation home and spend most of our time in New Mexico." He kissed the place between her shoulder blades next, and he felt her skin grow goosebumps, which made him smile.

"You can afford that?" she asked.

"Don't even question it," Lee replied.

"Okay then. If that's going to work, then let's do that."

"Sounds good," he said, moving his lips down her back slowly. It didn't take much before they were intimate again, and Lee never wanted it to end. He knew she felt self-conscious about her body post-pregnancy, but he loved her all the same. It didn't matter to him. He hoped he was making that very clear.

"Alright," Norah said, her heart beating against his chest rapidly as she lay on top of him after. "This momma needs to get some sleep because those children of ours like to get up bright and early."

"You coulda said no," he advised, smirking. She swatted him playfully before getting comfortable on her side next to him, her arm resting across his chest. He took her hand and kissed her palm lightly, hearing her sigh happily in response. He smiled in the dark.

Yes, he was definitely home.