Colby grinned, "You just like to kick them around, don't you?" Taylor had tried to get away and Megan had kicked him where it hurt.
She smiled sweetly at him. "Want to find out?"
"Hannah and I don't want anymore children, but I think I'll pass," was Colby's dry rejoinder.
Megan laughed, "So you bringing the whole clan to the picnic?"
"Yeah, they love going," Colby said wryly, "Not." But he grinned, "They all have a reason to go now, not just for dear old dad. I think Brandon's the only one who doesn't have any kind of tie to the FBI other than being my son."
"There's all manner of single, female agents," Megan teased.
"Don't start, please," Colby groaned, "You're beginning to sound like Hannah!"
-----
Hannah was amused at the pride on Cameron's face as Erin made a short speech about the Darren Martin Scholarship fund. Then she chuckled softly at the look in Rafe's eyes when Verity announced the first recipient of the scholarship. "Why hasn't he swept her off her feet yet, Colby? He wants to."
"I don't think that's exactly what he has in mind," Colby said dryly. Hannah giggled in agreement. "Cam said he was going to wait till she's ready to move on. Kind of hard to compete with a dead man. Especially one who died in the line of duty."
Her eyes lit up when she saw Brandon making his way towards them. His siblings had already been there for the last hour or so. He was the last of her brood to arrive.
"Mama, sorry I'm late," Brandon hugged and kissed her. "Dad." He grinned unrepentently at the look his father gave him.
"You missed all the fun," Cam murmured as he rolled his eyes.
Brandon laughed as his father leveled the same look at Cam. "Yes, but you have a reason to be here. Oh, hey! Who's that?"
"Pia Bellini," Keeley supplied. "What, Dad?" She was surprised at the look she got.
"No matchmaking." Colby said sternly.
Hannah dissolved into a fit of giggles, "She's not matchmaking, Colby. She's just answering a question." She laughed even harder when he didn't look convinced.
Brandon grinned, "Did you already pick her out for me, Mama? I guess I'll have to give it a shot. At the right time." He looked on with interest when Rafe joined them.
"I'm sorry to interrupt," Rafe said, almost shyly, "I brought you a drink, Mrs. G." He looked startled when Hannah smiled and kissed him on his cheek. Colby looked amused.
"This is my brother Brandon, the only one of the siblings you haven't met," Cam introduced them. "Brandon, Rafe Kenyon."
Rafe raised his eyebrows in surprise when Brandon's eyes raked him over. Hannah patted him gently on the arm. "He's just memorizing you so he can draw and paint you later."
That startled him. His eyes widened, "THAT Brandon Granger."
Brandon grinned, "Pleased to meet you." He looked around, "Where's Tyler? I have the painting of Giselle he asked me for."
"In his car with Giselle, making out," Cam said with a straight face. He saw the evil grin spread across Brandon's face and snickered evilly in response. "Let's go."
Justin laughed, he couldn't help it. The Granger brothers never ceased to amuse him. He glanced over at Keeley, who rolled her eyes. He sighed, he was going to be stuck with imagining Tyler's expression. Unless they took a picture. He brightened up, knowing Brandon and Cam, that was a distinct possibility.
"Aren't you going to stop them?" Hannah demanded, looking at Colby.
He grinned, "Why didn't you? Tyler's getting a little stuffy, takes himself too seriously. He needs to chill out." He laughed at the smile she tried to suppress. "You agree too!"
"There's Olivia! And Robin! Come on, Colby!"
He laughed as she yanked on his arm. Then she squealed with laughter as he picked her up and ran over to where Olivia and Robin were settling down with their spouses.
Keeley laughed at the bemused look on Rafe's face. "They do that all the time."
"Why don't you join us, Rafe?" Justin said gently, "The Grangers are very welcoming sort."
----
"Well, they look like they're getting along just fine," Hannah said quietly to Robin.
Robin nodded in some relief, "Yes, Maggie's been making the effort and Pierre's also working hard at it. She's also forgiven Don. I was worried about that." Robin smiled when Maggie and Pierre looked up from their conversation and waved to her. "She said she'd talked to Cam about it."
"My Cam?" Hannah was surprised.
Robin was laughing when she replied, "That was my reaction too. It was apparently the right choice. He told her he regretted every minute he'd wasted fighting with the family."
"It was probably better coming from him than anyone else," Olivia murmured. "When's that one going to make a move?" She indicated Rafe.
"Don't know," Hannah was amused. "I wonder if he realizes how obvious he is?"
"I don't think so," Robin was grinning, "All the agents on protective detail had a bet going on how long it'll take."
Hannah shook her head in sympathy, "Poor Rafe."
"I hear he had a rough time of it, with an abusive father," Olivia added thoughtfully. "He has that bemused look when he looks at you and Colby."
"Everyone has a bemused look when they look at Hannah and Colby," Robin said dryly.
Hannah only laughed, she was used to their ribbing.
-----
"Uncle Larry!" Verity exclaimed happily when they arrived. She grinned at the look on Darla's face and gave her an affectionate hug.
"I don't know how you do it," Darla murmured with a sigh. "Teach me, please. I love him to death, but I can't seem to deal with it."
Larry smiled at Verity as she dragged him away to introduce him to the recipient of the scholarship. Megan hugged her daughter as they headed towards Hannah, Robin and Olivia.
Darla snickered, "Look at Rafe watching her go. We might have to protect Dad from him."
Megan only laughed. She asked as she joined the other ladies, "Olivia, who's that Jonathan's with?"
Olivia rolled her eyes and said tartly, "Some supermodel. Not a brain cell in that pretty head of hers."
Both Robin and Hannah grinned, they'd heard all about it the last few times they got together with Olivia for lunch.
Maggie, Darla, and Keeley listened in with great interest. Hannah thought with a laugh that Jonathan was going to have a time of it when they went back to work.
-----
"You're going to have to ease up, Rafe, or make your move." Cameron laughed as Rafe looked at him in astonishment. "Everyone's got money on when you're going to make your move on my sister."
Rafe groaned, "Am I that obvious?"
"Not to her, apparently, but to everyone else. Even Tyler."
Tyler threw him a disgruntled look. Giselle had laughed when Brandon and Cam had surprised them, but he was still put out about it.
They looked up when Hannah burst into peals of laughter.
"Oh, Colby look! Olivia brought pictures from previous picnics!"
There were groans from everyone, especially the younger generation.
"Let's see," Colby said as he settled Hannah in his lap.
There was general laughter as everyone went through the photos. Water pistol fights, food fights, chocolate and ice cream on the children's faces when they were much younger. Lots of blackmail material, as Olivia put it.
Cam noticed the odd expression on Rafe's face. He glanced at the picture in Rafe's hand. His own expression softened. Colby and Hannah were laughing to each other. Evidently he and his brothers were about two, there was no sign of Verity. Keeley was leaning against Hannah's left, apparently asleep. Tyler was settled in her lap, half asleep, sucking his thumb. He and Brandon were similarly comatose, but they were settled against Colby's chest, his strong arms wrapped protectively around both of them. Colby had one cheek resting on the top of Cam's head. "What is it?"
"I see why you're so protective of them. Of him." Rafe said quietly.
Cam smiled but didn't say anything.
"Are they always like this?" Rafe indicated Colby and Hannah.
Cam grinned, "No, they're usually worse."
Rafe snorted a laugh, "I didn't think that was possible."
"She explained once that it's because she feels safer with his arms around her."
Rafe smiled as Erin settled into Cam's arms. "Like father, like son?" He sobered as he met Cam's eyes.
"You're not your father," Cam said firmly.
"Thanks to you and your father," Rafe murmured fervently. He smiled as he looked at the picture in his hands again. "Maybe someday, I'll have a picture like this."
-----
The End
A/N:
A Colby and Hannah next, I think, then Rafe and Verity's story. Thanks for reading!