Thanks for the reviews. I did have this at the LN but I wasn't able to keep up with the posting rule. A lot members liked my story so I hope they find it here. Journey interaction will be in the fourth chapter, ifI'm not mistaken.These first couple of chapters will be setup for the story. Here it goes, please review...

Chapter Two:

Courtney came through the back door into the kitchen after taking Rocky for a run and saw the petite brunette hesitate at the door. Georgie was her new foster child. She was placed with her two months ago when her mother died of cancer. She kept to herself mostly. The only person she seems to bond with was Dillon. He was helping her get used to the animals.

Courtney thought that this was a good time to bond. Keep it casual, she told herself. From her experience you couldn't rush anybody into bonding, especially a teenager. "Great," she said as she strode to the refrigerator, "You can help me cook breakfast for the horde," she said, pulling out eggs, bacon, and cheese.

She watched Georgie out of the corner of her eye and saw the young lady hesitate again before saying attentively, "Okay."

"Good. There's a frying pan up there," she indicated to a cupboard over Georgie's head, "Start with the eggs, I think omelets ought to do it today," she said.

As Georgie cracked eggs into a sizzling frying pan, Courtney turned to start making the coffee. She knew well enough that if there was no coffee when Lucky stumbled into her kitchen everyone's day was going to be miserable. Especially with his and Elizabeth's new baby, Cameron thinking 3 am was the perfect time to have a little party.

Lucky was her brother and him and his wife, Elizabeth lived in a house on her land. He got up way before Elizabeth so he comes along to raid her kitchen for coffee and breakfast. If he tried to cook for himself she'd be minus a brother, lost to food poisoning or salmonella. He was safer here.

Lucky was in charge of her employees who worked with the animals. She doesn't really get close to the men. Not since what happened to her but a few snuck into her heart. There was Sonny who also lived on her land with his wife Carly who was now pregnant with their second child and Nikolas. He flies solo, as he so lovingly calls the life of a single man. Flying solo, she thought with a chuckle and a shake of her head. What would they do without Nikolas? She was unattached and glade of it. It was hard to get close to a man after what had happened to her.

She turned back to Georgie and stared shocked at the pile of omelets that was sitting upon a plate, ready to be eaten by the nearest greedy teenager. "Jeez, you made all that in the amount of time I make coffee."

Georgie lowered her head shyly at the astonished admiration in Courtney's voice, "My mom was a cook, she taught me," Georgie told her.

Courtney nodded knowingly and walked over to Georgie, "Talk to me sweetheart," she pushed gently.

"Well, I--I feel guilty," Georgie admitted.

"Why?"

"Well, my mom, she's not here. I'm happy here and she doesn't get to be," Georgie said, a tear rolling slowly down the girl's cheek.

"Oh, sweetheart. It's okay to be happy. Wouldn't your mother want to know that you were happy and was being taken care of even if she wasn't there?" she asked gently.

"I guess," the young lady said as she wiped away the tears.

"Its okay to be happy," Courtney said again.

"Thank you," Georgie hugged Courtney.

"Why don't me and you go shopping later? You haven't really decorated you room," Courtney said. That was another defense mechanism. If you didn't get comfortable it was a tribute to the loved one you've lost.

"Yeah. I was thinking maybe I could decorate it with oranges and pinks and reds. With flowers and peace signs and everything like that. I don't know what you call it."

"Retro," Courtney said with a laugh.

"Yeah, retro," Georgie laughed her.

There was a loud thump on the ceiling and Courtney rolled her eyes, "Boys are awake," she said to Georgie.

Courtney headed up the stairs with Georgie behind her. She turned the corner to the hall that held the boys' bedrooms and saw them.

Dillon and Trent were on the floor, wrestling. Brook Lynn and Sage were standing around them, giggling and rooting them on. Trent had the upper hand but yelped in surprise when Dillon threw his weight to the left and flipped the kid onto his back. Her boys always fought or wrestled. She was always bandaging up scrapes and cuts. It wasn't like they hated each other, it was quite the opposite. Her children loved each other, they were family. They just loved each other so much that they couldn't help badgering the other into a fistfight or a wrestling match.

Just as she suspected, Lucas came out of his room having heard the ruckus and joined in the fray. Now she had three boys on the floor, grunting from a punch and most definitely laughing like a bunch of hyenas. When Diego's door opened and the boy stepped out with his hair mussed and a gleam in his green eye, Courtney decided to stop it before anyone shed any blood...well any more blood. She raised her fingers to her mouth and whistle loudly.

They all looked up and when they saw Courtney they were perfect angels with grins on their faces. Courtney tilted her head with a smirk on her face that told the young men that she didn't believe a word of it.

After the boys stood and brushed each other off, Courtney turned and headed back downstairs, "Georgie cooked breakfast. Omelets are ready. Clean up and come downstairs."

Dillon smiled at Georgie. Diego smiled at Brook Lynn. Trent smiled at Sage and Lucas let out a groan and escaped before the gooey-eyed kids infected them with the puppy love decease.