Chapter Sixty-six

As they plotted and planned, Caleb felt himself grow stronger. He was still unsure of how exactly he'd be able to fight – but he could swear he had more energy than he'd had in months.

His gaze moved towards the bed. Olivia was finally sleeping. It had taken forever to get her to rest. But she needed to, more than anyone. With his powers still in question it was clear that she would have to do most of the work to get Rachel back.

And then there was his son. "Colin…" Caleb whispered, shaking his head. Would he ever understand him? He wasn't sure, but he had certainly come farther in the last few days than they had in their entire lives.

Caleb closed his eyes and tried to picture Rachel. How scared she must be. She was so young he knew that she'd be expecting him to come and bring her home.

"I will find you, Precious." He promised her then, gazing out the window and watching the first glimmer of sunrise. "If it's the last thing I do."

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"Thanks for letting us stay." Kate said to Grant with a yawn as she placed Alex in his portable crib. As she did she knew he was getting much too big for it. She knew that if he woke up in the night she'd find he'd found his way out. "I told Colin I'd go to Mom and Dad's but you know him. Dad'll want to know everything about what's going on over there and honestly – it's not necessary for him to jump in and get involved with every Morley crisis."

He knew exactly what she was saying. It seemed their father spent the majority of his time fixing other people's problems. He'd been gone for almost a month with Kyle and Becky. He deserved a little break.

"Not a problem at all. We love having you." Grant replied with a smile as he walked with her to the hallway. "Chloe will be home soon. She went to the bookshop to meet Billie. She called to tell me they were going to dinner but she shouldn't be too long." He sighed and then muttered. "If they don't starting talking about me for hours that is."

Kate blushed a bit as she turned to him and laughed. "Oh my God. Grant, Chloe was telling me the other day how –"

Grant's complexion turned ashen. He cut his sister off sharply. "Please – please – PLEASE!" He pleaded his stomach in knots. "Please. Tell me she doesn't talk to you about that stuff."

She had no idea what he was talking about. "What stuff?"

"Don't play dumb." He replied, his voice shaking. "I can't believe it. I know what she does. She tells you just like she told Billie. You know – stuff about her and me and…" Grant was beyond embarrassed and more than a little annoyed with his wife. "Listen Katie – I know it's what you all do when you get togetherand all but I'm not going to sit by and let it happen. What happens between Chloe and I - it's personal. Do you get it? She has no right talking about it to everyone who'll listen."

"What the hell are you babbling about?" Kate looked at him like he had two heads. As realization washed over her she had to fight hysterics. "Oh my God. Grant. You can't possibly think that Chloe talks about you like that to me. For your information - that's not what I was going to say at all. I was going to say she was telling me about how you let Cindy teach a class last week, and how she first made people cleanse their auras before they began exercising. I thought it was hysterical." She shook her head and laughed softly. "Men. You will never understand women will you?"

"I understand that you all get a little too personal when you have those 'girls nights'." He snapped back at her.

"Grant." She said again, biting her bottom lip as she tried to find the words to convince him. "You can stop freaking out now. Let me let you in on a little secret." She whispered, her eyes glimmering with laughter. "There's this kinda unwritten rule. Chloe would never confide in me about you – you're my brother for God's sake. Just like Billie wouldn't dare talk to Lia and Lynnie about Quinn." She shivered as she finished. "It'd be completely weird."

"You wouldn't lie to me would you?" He looked at her skeptically, still unconvinced.

Kate laughed louder. "Trust me Grant – I think you are incredibly sweet and that you and Chloe are adorable together but that's about as much as I want to know about your marriage."

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"Daddy?" Ella murmured in her sleep.

"Shh, sweetheart. I'm just bringing you to your own room." Rafe whispered as he scooped her up in his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. When he and his mother had exhausted themselves talking, he came upstairs to find his wife and youngest child fast asleep. They looked so beautiful together it was almost a shame to ruin the picture.

"Daddy - you were gone too long." She pouted. Leave it to Ella to tell it like it was, even when she was completely exhausted. "Please. Can you tell me my story?" She yawned as he carried her into her bedroom.

Rafe smiled, his heart nearly bursting it was so filled with love. What an incredible day it had been. He was home, with his family and most incredibly of all, his mother.

He drew back the covers and gently laid Ella onto her bed as he began the story he'd first told her when she was too little to understand. Now it was rare that she'd fall asleep without it. That would change soon. Rafe knew. Soon she'd be too big for him to tuck in at night. He pushed the thought out of his mind and started to do what she asked.

"Once upon a time there was a family. A mommy, a daddy, two girls and a boy…" He watchedhis little girltry and keep her eyes open. Usually Ella wouldn't let him finish a sentence without chiming in but tonight it seemed she was too far under.

He ran a hand over her hair as he went on. "And they were very happy, but something was missing. One day, just about the time when the littlest girl was getting bigger, the daddy got an idea. And he told the mommy." Rafe bent down and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "And she said he was crazy, but she agreed he was right as always." He smiled widely. That was usually the part where, if she was in earshot, Alison would protest that he was not always right, but certainly was in this instance.

His grin got bigger as he went on. "And soon, there was a brand new baby in the house. With pretty green eyes, and golden hair and she was just what they needed…" He continued as he made his way back to the door. He took one last glance at Ella as he finished. "…to make their family complete."

Rafe tiptoed through the hallway, sighing as he heard the muffled sound of Becky talking through her bedroom door. She was no doubt gabbering away with Kyle.

Rafe sighed with that knowledge and walked back into his own bedroom, a sense of peace coming over him unlike any he'd ever known. It was like all this time he'd been missing something and now he was finally whole again. He gazed at his wife from the doorway; eternally grateful for the chance he'd been given. When he reached the bedside he leaned down and brushed his lips over Alison's, smiling again as she stirred.

Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately started to explain herself. "I wanted to tell you…"

"Shhh." He silenced her with another kiss, this one a bit more passionate than the last. "I'm following my mother's orders. One of the first things she said to me after all these years is that I should stop worrying about her and kiss my pretty wife hello." He crawled into bed beside her as his mouth sought hers again. "So…hello."

"I missed you." She whispered as her fingers tangled in his hair. She pulled him closer and deepened their kiss. "I've been dying for you to get home so that you could see her. Your mother is incredible Rafe. I adore her."

"I've been dying to get home to you." Rafe sighed as he pulled back a bit and stared into her eyes. "And she adores you too." His mind was so full he couldn't help himself from adding. "Alison. I gotta tell you. These kids?" He shook his head. "They're killing me."

"Rafe…" Alison smiled at him, knowing he was talking about Becky. "You've still got Ella."

"Not for long." He replied. "I can see it now."

"Even if you can see it - it'll be a long time coming. Trust me. In the meantime..." She shifted and pressed herself closer to him. "Let me see if I can get your mind off the future hmmm?" Alison offered as she kissed him again.

Her hand reached up and swept across his cheek, keeping his lips on hers. Reluctantly, she eased back, knowing that there was still one more thing she had to ask before she continued. "Rafe? Are you sure you're OK?"

He stared down at her. "Am I OK? I'm a thousand times better than OK." Rafe's eyes sparkled as he continued. "I have four amazing children, and I have my mother back." He still couldn't believe it, even as he said the words.

He knew that there was a lot to discuss, but he was just about done with talking tonight. There were more important things on his mind. His hands moved over her, making her sigh. He kissed her again before he finished. "And I have the most incredible wife in the universe. What more could I possibly need?"

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Satisfied for the moment that his sister didn't know his deepest darkest secrets, Grant settled down with her in the kitchen. He watched Kate closely as she took a sip of her tea.

"So what's going on over there?" Grant asked.

"Rachel's missing – technically speaking." She answered with a sigh.

"Technically?"

Kate nodded. "Caleb sent her with someone he trusted for safekeeping but it seems his judgment is off. Apparently this woman is holding some sort of grudge against him and has decided to keep Rachel for her own."

Grant could only imagine such horror. If anyone ever tried to keep him from Melissa he'd be destroyed.

He shoved the nightmare of losing his own daughter out of his mind as he asked. "What are they going to do about it?"

"You'll never guess." She replied with a shake of her head. "It seems the Morley's are going to try something new. They're going to work together."

Grant raised an eyebrow, only half believing her. "Well that's a novel concept."

Kate smiled softly. "Isn't it though?" She ran a hand through her hair and yawned loudly. "As horrible as it is to have her missing, I honestly think it's really good for Colin. His whole life he's wanted his father to accept him for who he was. If they can work together to save Rachel – it'll mean the world to him."

"Speaking of your husband - you really should get some sleep." Grant cautioned her. "Colin will kick my ass if I don't take good care of you."

"It's so hard to sleep without him." Kate admitted. She took a deep breath as she ran a hand over her stomach. "Plus, I'm still so queasy. I love being pregnant but God – I hate that part."

"Do you want some crackers or something?" He offered. "Chloe lived on them when she was carrying Melly."

"No. Grant I'm fine. Thank you." Her lips curved into a smile. "You know there's something I know that Chloe didn't have to tell me."

Fear began to sneak up his spine. He held his breath until she continued. "You're an amazing father. You're so good at taking care of people."

He blushed a bit as he tried to laugh it off. "I'm only taking care of you because I have to." He shrugged. "It's just 'cause you're my sister."

She stood and moved towards him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Nice try. Face it Grant, you're a serial nice guy." She eased away and giggled as she added. "And sorry to say, most of the world is onto you."

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She lay in his arms, listening to the sound of his heart beating. As she gazed up at him she was surprised at how peaceful he looked.

She had finally found the one thing that could make him let go at last. Now that he'd been reunited with his mother, he was finally able to rest. "It's about time." Alison whispered as she ran a hand over his cheek.

The events of the last week flew through her mind, of meeting his mother, of all the stories she'd shared with about what life was like for Rafe as a young child. Alison was shocked to learn how soon he'd been thrown into his slayer training. To Katrina's grave regret, she had told her all about it. Poor Rafe. He hardly had any time to be a kid at all.

That must be why he was so good with their own children. Alison thought with a sigh. She remembered then how when Kate and Grant were little he'd play make believe with them for hours, changing from a king to a dragon to a grizzly bear at a moment's notice.

He'd sit with Becky and endure a tea party that lasted for what seemed like days, making small talk with all the dolls and stuffed animals she'd invited. When they went to the beach on vacation last year, every single afternoon he'd built sandcastles with Ella, each one more elaborate than the next. Despite the fact that his own childhood was almost nonexistent, he refuse to allow his own children to live like that.

Alison snuggled closer and inhaled the scent of his skin. How she'd missed it in the weeks she spent without him. Though she was sure he was too far under to hear she spoke to him. "You know - I loved you before you gave me all this. This house, our kids..." She laid a hand over his heart and smiled. "I can't even believe it, but every single day that I'm with you, I love you even more."