"No! I don't need to go to counseling! Do you think I'm crazy or something?" An angry Mally Stokes crossed her arms and stood up from her bed, glaring at her dad.

"Mal, you said it yourself. The meds won't start working for another month. Until then, I think talking to someone would be a good idea." Nick was sitting on his daughter's bed on Saturday afternoon, looking up at the now pacing Mally.

"Only psychos go to counseling."

"No, sweetheart. People who are having a little trouble with life go to counseling. You're depressed and anxious. A lot of people are. There's no shame in getting a little help."

Mally kept pacing back and forth around her room as she thought about it. Usually that meant that whatever Nick was trying to convince her of was working its way in his favor.

"How long would I have to do it?" She stopped and looked at him questioningly. Nick gestured with one of his hands.

"However long you need, Mal. This is for you to start feeling better. If it's just until the meds start working, that's fine with me. But if you decide you want to keep going, that's okay too."

Nick was just trying to pawn off the idea on her. He had a feeling that once she started going, she might actually like it. As a father, he knew she didn't tell him everything, though they had a better father daughter relationship than a lot of parents he knew. This would give her a chance to tell someone everything in her mind without fear of discovery or consequences.

Mally was still silent for a few moments, and then finally sat back down next to him on the bed. Looking down at her hands, she gave him her reply.

"Okay."

"Alright?" He checked, moving to look at her face. She looked up at him and nodded her head. "Good. I think this will help a lot."

Nick pulled her into a hug and kissed her head, glad that they were taking a positive step.

"I just want you to be happy."

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"What is our daughter doing now?" Catherine asked her husband as they enjoyed a little coffee at the kitchen table. Gil was doing the crossword, just relaxing together, when they realized she'd been up in her room for a good two hours.

"Alas, I do not know, my beautiful wife." Gil ranted off poetically.

Catherine rolled her eyes and batted his newspaper, causing Gil to give her a fakely annoyed glare.

"Don't get all Shakespearian on me." Catherine warned him. "I'll go check on her." She gave in.

Gil was perfectly contented staying right there, so he didn't offer to go up instead, even though that was what she was hinting at. He knew he'd get smacked, and didn't even flinch when it was delivered to the back of his head. She hit like a girl.

Catherine climbed the stairs to her daughter's room. She knew she'd probably find her doing one of two things: sleeping or studying. Most likely the latter, knowing Natalie.

She knocked on the door and heard a 'come in', so she entered. Natalie was hard at work at her desk, predictably studying some U.S. History.

"Natalie, it's Saturday. You should be out with your friends." Catherine told her daughter as she took a seat on her bed, right next to her desk.

"I have to study when I can. I'm pacing myself." Natalie told her mother, not even taking her eyes off her work.

"I know Stanford is important to you, but your friends and family are too. After you're rested, of course."

"I know, mom." She said in an annoyed tone. Natalie was hearing this a lot from both her parents nowadays. What was wrong with wanting to work a little harder? It made her feel good, and that was all that mattered.

"Why don't you come downstairs and play a board game or something with your dad and I, or call Mally. She's hasn't been over in forever!"

"I'd really rather study right now, mom." She was trying to get her mother to leave the room, but she wasn't getting the hint.

"Do what your mother says." Came Gil's voice from the doorway. He decided to come upstairs after all, knowing Natalie was extra stubborn these days. Gil knew she was studying. That's all she did nowadays. Study and sleep, and it needed to stop.

Natalie let her pencil drop to the desk and turned around in her chair, letting out an incredulous noise at the gang-up.

"What the hell is this?" She glanced between her parents. Natalie was really sick of being disturbed when she wanted to study. Gil started walking towards Natalie and took a seat next to his wife.

"Nat, I know you're sick of hearing this, but you're studying too much." Gil told her. "And you're missing out on what's really important."

"What? Bugs?" She took a stab at him. Gil leaned back on his hands, not amused. Catherine sighed and took over.

"Your dad's right. You never hang out with your friends any more. You're up here all the time. Nat, you're seventeen years old. You need to have fun."

"I don't have time for fun right now!" She told them, getting irritated. "Stanford will look at my high school transcript up until this semester to decide whether to accept me or not. I have to get good grades now, or I'm out. With mono, all I have time for is sleeping and studying."

"What about next year when you're off at Stanford and Mally is here? When will you see her?" Gil pointed out.

Natalie hadn't thought about that. All she was thinking about was next year, and where she would be. She was forgetting about now, and the fact she and Mally would be apart for the first time in their lives next year. Gil could tell he was finally getting through, and felt a little relief.

"And what about us?" He continued. "Your mom and I will miss you a lot next year." Gil said solemnly. Letting go of Lindsey had been hard enough. With both out of the house, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. His life just may be free of female drama….almost.

"We're gonna go back downstairs." Catherine told her, getting up and pulling her husband wit her. "But think about calling Mally tonight. I know she'd love to hang out with you."

Natalie just nodded, looking a little confused at her desk chair as she heard her parents leave. Next year, she was going to be gone. No matter where she went, she wouldn't be here. And Mally would most likely not be with her. Natalie thought about this for the first time, and it scared her to pieces.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

It was a day of talking, and now Nick had Bailey on his back as she took her back to his bedroom, Sara following closely behind them. They'd asked Mally to watch Aidan for a few minutes while they had a little talk with their youngest girl. Bailey was laughing and squealing as her dad reached around to tickle her. When they got to his room, he gently threw her onto the bed and continued his tickling. Sara smiled and closed the door, and then joined the two on the bed.

Nick stopped tickling, and tried to set the mood for a serious conversation. Well, as serious as you could get with a three year old who thought farting was the funniest thing ever. Nick scooted up the bed to the headboard and opened his arms for Bailey to join him. She found her father's lap and snuggled in as her mother sat next to Nick. Bailey got a kiss from both parents.

"Bailey, sweetheart, your mom and I want to talk with you." Nick announced, not knowing how else to start. Bailey looked confused.

"Daddy means we want to ask you some questions, and then you can ask us questions too if you want." Sara tried to clear up. Bailey looked back and forth between her parents and laughed a little. They were really weird sometimes, those adults. Just talk, already! "Is that okay?"

"Yep." She said innocently.

"Okay." Sara started. "Do you remember a couple days ago when you came home with daddy after ice cream?"

She nodded. So far so good.

"Okay. And do you remember when you started throwing a tantrum? When you started screaming and then you pushed me?"

Bailey looked sorry, and nodded her head. She knew she'd crossed the line, but wasn't all that good at apologizing yet or knowing what to do about it.

"And what did daddy do when you threw a tantrum?" She asked her daughter, rubbing her arm lightly.

"He hitted me on my bottom." Bailey said, remembering.

"That's right. I know you didn't like that. Sometimes mommies and daddies do that when kids misbehave, and that's what daddy did."

"An' then you took me away an' you were scweamin' and cwyin'." Bailey remembered more vividly. It had scared her bad to see her mother that way. She didn't want to go with her mommy right then, but was too scared to say anything. She didn't want either of her parents at that moment.

"You're right. Mommy got a little upset." Nick clarified, then kissed her head. "And mommy and I talked later, and we decided that we shouldn't spank you when you misbehave. We don't want to hit you or make you feel scared."

Truthfully, Nick didn't agree with the decision, but he'd do anything for his wife. If that meant finding a different means of punishment, so be it. They were a team, and that was the way they wanted to present themselves to their children. He was purposely using the word 'we', instead of just 'mommy'.

"Do you understand, Mally?" Sara asked her daughter.

"What about Aidan?" She inquired, thinking first of her brother.

"We won't spank him either." Nick told her.

"Okay. Can I go pway now?" She asked, wanting to go back to her toys. As a three year old, she wasn't that concerned with philosophy. She just wanted to play.

"Of course." Sara said. They decided to keep it short and sweet. Bailey stood up and carefully crawled off the bed. She waddled out of the room, stepping carefully down the stairs to where her brother played.

Nick and Sara looked at each other and smiled.

"Well, that went well." Nick chuckled, smiling at his wife.

"Surprisingly." Sara commented. They nuzzled their noses together for a moment and then kissed sweetly. The moment was interrupted when the phone rang. Since they were right next to the phone, Sara picked it up.

"Hello? Oh hey, Natalie. It's good to hear from you! How's the mono going? Well, good! I'm glad you're feeling better. I'll go get Mally."
Sara put the phone and down and headed for the stairs. She yelled over the banister to her step-daughter, who quickly ran to the phone. Up in their room, Nick hung up the phone when he heard his daughter's voice take over. He was glad they were talking more, and it sounded like they were going to do something tonight.

Sara strutted back into the room, trying to put on a funny show. She wiggled her body around, with the most ridiculous look on her face, as she slowly made her way back to the bed.

Nick was rolling with laughter by the time she got there and had to look away. Sara was a piece of work. She moved enticingly on her hands and knees until she hovered over her husband, singing stripper music as she worked.

"You're a tease." Nick told her, putting his hand on his forehead and rubbing. Sara pulled on his body, causing him to lay flat on the bed. The move took Nick by surprise, causing him to screech a little. His hands rested on her sides, where her shirt was riding up a bit.

"You're so hot, Nick." She teased him, running a finger over his flat, muscular stomach. "And you're all mine." Sara finally bent down and captured his lip, quickly diving her tongue into his mouth. They were kissing when they heard someone clear her throat from the doorway.

"Seriously, guys! Ewww! All three of your children are home, and the door is open!" Mally complained from the doorway. The parents looked up, thinking they'd just see Mally, but she had Aidan on her hip, and Bailey holding her free hand.

"Mommy, what are you doing to daddy?" Bailey yelled in horror. The two parents instantly sat up, readjusting their clothing. They quickly got off the bed and went over to their children.

"What do you want, rascals?" Nick asked, picking up Bailey from the floor. He blew a raspberry on her face and started to carry her downstairs. Sara soon followed along with Mally and Aidan. Sara listened to her family talking as they walked down the stairs.

"You're gonna get to hang out with mommy and daddy alone tonight." Mally told her brother. "I'm going to Natalie's house. Do you remember Natalie?" She hard Mally tell her brother.

"Did you not wike mommy's outfit?" Bailey inquired, trying to make sense of their make out session on the bed. "Were you making her change?"

"Noooo." Nick tried to explain, becoming embarrassed. "Sometimes mommies and daddies just like to kiss."

"Ewwwww." She heard Bailey groan. Sara smiled as she reached the bottom of the stairs behind her family. This was the type of moment she dreamed about having as a child, and all up through her adulthood. A family. They were a family. Through the bad times and the good, they were there.