All characters that are from the TWILIGHT saga by Stephanie Meyer belong to Stephanie Meyer. All others belong to me. I do not receive profit for these stories except for the joyous enjoyment of reviews.

This story follows right after When I'm Gone: Third Installment to GONE Saga, so if you haven't read that one or the two before, please do.

The timeline of the story will coincide with Gabriel Michael Laskaris' growing up years, starting at Seth and Rosa's wedding day, April 12th and will progress from there.

AN: Claire, 18yrs, freshman at UCLA/Vivi, 11yrs, 7thgrd/Marc, 13yrs, 8thgrd/Tyra, 4yrs, Kinder/Xavier, 9mths and as always, Gabe's age is next to the chapter and he's currently a seventh grader at Forks Middle School

Chapter Forty-Nine (11yrs old)
First Week of August

Quil James Ateara Sr.
Born March 3rd, 1905
Died May 10
th, 2003

Hold on to what is Good
Even if it's a handful of Earth
Hold on to what you Believe
Even if it's a tree that Stands by itself
Hold on to what you must Do
Even if it's a long way from Here
Hold on to your Life
Even if it's easier to let Go
Hold on to my Hand
Even if someday I'll be Gone away from you

The breeze moved through the quiet, picking up the first fallen leaves of autumn, tumbling and dancing across the headstone studded grounds, a soft mourning song carried along with it.

Letting out a sigh, Quil slipped a hand into the pocket of his jeans, swallowing with difficulty pass the knot in his throat as the memories of his grandfather washed over him, his heart beating a heavy aching rhythm behind the cage of his ribs. It had been expected what with his grandfather being so old yet, the slamming pain that had overwhelmed him had been unexpected and he realized no matter how prepared one tried to be, death was never easy to handle.

He fought back the tears that always threatened when he thought of his grandfather –it had been hard for him because to Quil, he had been the last living link to his family.

"Do you think he'd be mad," a soft voice broke into his reminiscing, a soft hand sliding into his as her presence blanketed him with quiet comfort, "If he knew you weren't taking his place in the council?"

"He knew," Quil looked down to smile into her beautiful eyes, a soft velvet brown that wrapped around the hurt and soothed it, "The night before he…before he went to sleep, he hugged me –told me I was a great man no matter what I did or where I went because I was filled of all good things."

"Good things, uh," Claire smiled as her eyes danced, wrapping her arms around his as she rested her head on his bicep, "I can attest to that."

Quil's smile was sincere despite its brevity, his eyes turning back to his grandfather's resting place, "He hugged me…whispered that blessing in my ear before going to bed. It's why I had it carved into his stone."

Claire rubbed her cheek against his arm, letting out a soft sigh as she watched the young grass glimmer with dew as the sun continued to climb its way up the pale blue sky, "He was a great grandfather to you."

"He was a great father," Quil pulled out the hand in his pocket, reaching across his wide chest to softly stroke his fingers across her jaw, pressing a kiss against the top of her head, "The only father I ever knew. I never really knew what happened to my own father except he left when I was very young but grandpa stepped in, gave me what I needed. Then, my mom died in a car crash when I was five…he was there –he was mother and father to me."

"He gave you the best of what truly matters," Claire's chin length dark hair danced around her face, the silky strands sliding over the back of his hand in a soft caress, "He was very proud of you, Quil. You are his legacy and he knew there was no better way to become immortal than to raise a wonderful man like you."

Finally looking away from the pewter gray stone, he gazed into her beautiful eyes, turning to face her as he cupped his hands over her soft cheeks, "You make me that way, Claire. Without you…I'd have no purpose or destiny to fulfill. Grandpa knew that…he loved you for it. He once told me how lucky I was to be able to see myself grow, mature, improve…all of it by watching time touch you."

Claire swallowed back the urge to cry, her eyes bright with unshed tears as she wrapped her fingers around his wrists, tilting her head back to press her lips against his.

It was a soft kiss, like many of their kisses, but it still packed a hard punch in the solar plexus, Quil fighting to breathe past the sensation of spinning out into space.

Touching the tip of his tongue against her bottom lip, he tilted his head to the side, fusing their mouths together for a deeper exploration, neither rushing the other but simply enjoying this new phase to their lifelong relationship. Seconds slowly turned into minutes, the breeze wrapping around them to hold the two together, the sun shining down to spotlight the ending of one era and the beginning of the next.

Breaking apart, the tip of their noses brushed as they drowned in each other's eyes, their breathing slowly returning to regular as the hard beating of their hearts settled into a slow rhythm heavy with promises of more.

"We should go," Claire whispered, her breath warm against the moistness of his lips, her face flushed as she steeped in newfound emotions and sensations awakened by the man before her, "We've got a long drive ahead of us."

Quil nodded, dropping a playful kiss on the tip of her nose, "Give me a couple of minutes alone, okay?"

Claire nodded, reaching up to place her small hand against the side of his face, her thumb tracing his eyebrow, "I'll wait in the car."

"Thank you."

He watched her walk through the rows of the cemetery, every step she took leading him to his future with her –after all, wherever she went, he would follow.

Turning back to his grandfather's headstone, he stepped close enough to crouch down and touch his fingers to the cold marble, tracing the letters of his name, "I'll miss you, old man. You have been the best example of what a real man is about…thank you for giving me a home and a place to belong, for giving me unconditional love no matter what I did."

A low mournful note spun along with the swirling leaves, Quil looking up to see a dove push off the branch of a nearby tree, its trilling call sad yet hopeful as it flew into the horizon. Patting the stone twice, he pushed himself up to his full height of six foot three, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans, "I promise I'll come back…I don't know when but I will come back."

Giving the headstone one last look, he turned on his heel and followed the path Claire had walked earlier, his heart light within him as the future unfurled before him.


First Day of Seventh Grade, August

Taking a deep breath, she surveyed the middle school building, hugging her binder tight against her chest, nerves fluttering in her stomach. Even though Forks was a small town of sorts, there were still enough kids Vivi didn't know, having been part of a class that was kept together every passing school year. Now, though, they were all going to be mixed –all three sixth grade classes from Forks Elementary.

She supposed it was a good thing because she would make new friends, get to know new people yet, she supposed, like every person to walk the earth, change made her apprehensive. Taking another deep breath, she finally moved across the front courtyard, giving shy smiles to anyone who looked at her. A redheaded boy opened the door for her, grinning when she gave him a soft thank you before following behind her.

She headed towards the lockers, unsnapping her brown leather binder to look on the inside cover where she had her schedule, locker number and the combination for the school supplied lock. Once at her locker, she closed the binder before taking the lock in her hand, long fingers with pale pink polish on rounded nails spinning the black dial, carefully stopping at each number.

Stopping at the last one, she tugged at the lock but to her surprise, it didn't open. Starting back at zero, she tried again with the same results.

"What am I doing wrong," she muttered to herself as she opened the binder again to make sure she had the right combination –yep, she did so why was the lock not opening?

Trying again, she let out a frustrated huff when it remained stubbornly locked.

"Here, let me help you."

She smiled up into blue eyes, somewhat surprised at the height of difference that hadn't been there before, "When did you get so tall?"

Gabe grinned down at her, shifting the strap of his backpack higher up his shoulder, "Over the summer. We didn't see each other much so you missed it."

Vivi chuckled, a tinge of pink touching her cheeks, "Marc said you guys were working on the ultimate bike track."

"And he told me you were putting in extra hours at the dance studio," his smile dimmed slightly as he lifted the lock, "What's the combination?"

Vivi opened her binder, pulling out the piece of paper where she had written it down, "When did Marc tell you that?"

Gabe spun the face of the lock, stopping at each number before pulling it, the mechanism giving a snick then releasing, "The couple of times I came over to see if you wanted to get some ice cream with me."

"What," Vivi stared up at him in shock, his words going a long way to smooth out the hurt she had been feeling throughout the summer at his absence, "He didn't tell me that."

Gabe frowned, pulling the lock out and opening the metal door for her, "I didn't think he wouldn't –I mean, I know he doesn't like me being around you but…"

"I'll talk to him," Vivi stuffed her beige messenger bag into the locker, being they would be receiving their books in class so she didn't have anything in the canvas bag at the moment, "He won't do it again."

"Nope," Gabe leaned his shoulder against the metal lockers, giving her a one-side smile, "Next time, I'll just tell Uncle Seth. So what classes do you have?"

Vivi smiled as she opened her binder again, pulling out the half-sheet that contained her schedule and handing it to him before closing the locker, taking the lock he held out to her while he looked over the six classes she would be taking for the next year.

"We have history before lunch and biology after. Three hours together –pretty cool, uh," Gabe returned her schedule back as she nodded, crossing his arms over his chest, the black t-shirt he wore stretching over shoulders Vivi didn't remember being that wide, "My math class is near your English class. I can walk you there after biology."

"That would be nice," Vivi grinned up at him as she spun the face to her lock, wanting to make sure she could open it but when she pulled, it stayed locked, "Why can't I open this thing?"

"You're doing it wrong," Gabe took the lock from her, stepping close enough for their shoulders to touch as he showed her, "Its three turns to the right, two to the left then one to the right."

Vivi fought back the fluttering butterflies in her stomach, her face heating up despite her attempts at not showing how much he affected her, "Let me try it again."

He watched as she carefully spun the dial, lining up each number with exact precision before moving to the next one, her smile worth the wait when the lock snapped open, "There you go."

Vivi laughed, locking it again before turning to face him, hugging her binder to her chest, "Thanks."

"No problem," Gabe grinned as he pointed over her shoulder, "My locker is right across that way so if you need help with the lock again, I'll be nearby."

"Good to know."

"So I have football try-outs after school today," Gabe gave her a big grin, his eyes looking into hers because he couldn't look away, "You should come…cheer me on. There's cheerleading try-outs too, if you're interested."

Vivi shook her head before tilting it to the side, "I'm a dancer, not a cheerleader but I'll go cheer for you at your try-outs."

"Sweet," his grin widened which Vivi had thought impossible, her heart beating hard inside her chest as he reached out to put his arm around her shoulders, "I'll walk you to your math class."

"No need too. I'll walk her there."

Gabe looked over his shoulder to find Marc standing a couple of feet behind him, dark brown eyes staring pointedly at him, "I've already offered."

Vivi spoke up before the two of them started a fight in the middle of the hallway, "Gabe, I'll see you in history. I have to talk to my brother…about his habit in trying to dictate my life."

Gabe frowned, eyes still on Marc but despite the older boy's dark scowl, he gave Vivi's shoulders a squeeze before dropping his arm, walking away but not without bumping Marc's shoulder with his in a silent message that told him it wasn't over.

Vivi watched him go, noticing how the other girls coming and going through the hallway would crane their necks to get a peek at him, whispering and giggling amongst themselves and although she didn't like it, she couldn't blame them.

Gabriel Michael Laskaris was, after all, very cute.

The first bell rang, breaking into her thoughts as she turned to look at Marc, "You need to stop trying to control my life."

"What? I do no such thing."

"Really," she cocked her eyebrow at him as people moved around them, the chorus of voices and slamming lockers a welcome back to school song everyone was familiar with, "Why didn't you tell me Gabriel came over during the summer to ask me out for ice cream?"

Marc's face was impassive, no guilt showing at having been caught, "It slipped my mind."

"Sure it did," Vivi moved down the hall towards her math class, Marc walking beside her, "Don't let it happen again."

"Okay," Marc kept his hands in his jeans' pockets, Vivi noticing he was getting his equal share of looks from girls but her brother looked like he didn't notice any of them, "Is Tia Rosa picking you up?"

"No," Vivi stopped outside her classroom, turning to look up at her brother –he was at least three inches taller than her now, "I'm going to Gabriel's football try-outs. Do you have baseball practice?"

He didn't say anything about her plans but she knew he didn't like it, the muscle in his jaw ticking a couple of times before he answered her question, "No. Robyn and I are going for ice cream after school."

"Oh right," Vivi gave him a teasing smile as kids moved around them, several walking into her classroom, "Your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Marc admonished her, the flush creeping up his face letting her know he wasn't telling the truth, "We're just…friends."

"Right," Vivi looked away from him when the teacher stepped out of the classroom, giving the older man a smile before turning to look at her brother, "I'll see you at home, then."

Marc gave her a wave before walking off, his own class in the second floor.

Vivi moved between the individual desks, feeling a bit self-conscious as the other students in her class watched, being she was the last one to come in.

Finding her desk, her eyebrows lowered as she slowly sat down, setting her binder on top of the math book on the desk before picking up a tiny origami flower sitting on the upper right corner, the center yellow and the creased petals white. It clicked several seconds later what it was –a daisy.

Smiling, she tucked it into her pencil case which was inside the binder, looking up as the teacher started talking, Mr. Reese written across the top of the blackboard.

And so began the first day of seventh grade.


A Month Later

"He's a seven."

"Mhm, no, more like a six point five."

Vivi moved across the stage, dropping her bag at her feet as she asked the girls sitting on the edge of the stage, "What are you doing?"

One of them, a blond with gray eyes named Sandra who preferred being called Sandy, looked up to give her a smile as she explained, "We're rating the guys."

"What," Vivi wasn't sure exactly what she meant by that, the strawberry blond sitting next to her holding up a spiral notebook as she expounded, "We have a scale of one to ten –one being never date him and ten do anything to keep him."

"That's…" Vivi was shocked at what they were saying, wondering where the hell they had gotten the idea, "Horrible."

"No, no," Sandy shook her head, her pixie style haircut framing a heart shaped face, "It's necessary. We're in middle school now so it's important to start working on your social status and the guy you date is a very important factor."

"For example," Helen –the strawberry blond –pointed across the auditorium towards a small group of boys that were part of their drama class, "The guy with the Superman shirt –he's a one."

"You don't want to date him," Sandy lifted a shoulder in a gesture of dismissal as she pulled at the frayed edges of her denim skirt, black tights underneath keeping her legs warm, "Unless you're desperate but then, everyone will know you're desperate and that'll make you a social piranha."

"What if he's sweet and smart?"

"That doesn't matter," Helen jotted something in the notebook, swinging her jean clad legs, the sequins in her black flats sparkling under the stage lights that lit up the auditorium, "Now, the guy over there –he's a seven."

"Six point five."

Helen let out an aggravated sigh, "Maybe to you but I think he's a seven so I can smile at him so he'll know I'm available."

Vivi didn't really know what to say –every word coming out of their mouths absolutely ridiculous and she knew they were not the kind of girls to be friends with.

"He-llo," Helen's back straightened as she pulled back her shoulders, the t-shirt she wore tight across her chest, Vivi feeling a sharp twinge of envy –the girl was her age and yet, she had noticeable breasts while her owned remained stubbornly inconspicuous, "Check out the guy at the back –totally a ten."

Vivi looked across the seats to the three sets of double doors in the back of the 'house' –their drama teacher had given them a list of terms to memorize by Monday –to see the silhouette of someone tall with wide shoulders and when he moved deeper into the auditorium, she was able to see who it was.

Gabriel.

"Totally a ten," Sandy whispered as she leaned closer to Helen, "Do you know who he is?"

Helen shook her head, setting the notebook beside her before tugging at the hem of her t-shirt –probably to make it tighter.

Vivi picked up her gym bag –she had dance class at Port Angeles today –as Gabe ambled down the side aisle, his smile making her stomach flip.

Despite their stupid reasons, she did have to agree –he was definitely a ten.

"Hey Viv," Gabe reached the stage as Vivi moved around the other two girls, both of them staring up at her in disbelief, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Vivi was about to crouch and jump off the stage but Gabe reached up for her, his hands around her waist causing a flush to invade her entire body, her own hands shaking as she placed them on his shoulders.

Helping her hop down to stand next to him wasn't much of an effort, Gabe stuffing his hands into his jacket's pocket as soon as she was on her feet, not wanting her to see how bad they were shaking, "I was thinking we could stop for ice cream on our way home. Sound good?"

"Sure," Vivi smiled up at him, both hands holding tight to the strap over her shoulder, "Marc's hanging out with Robyn so he'll probably not be home."

Gabe gave her that heart stopping smile, Vivi hearing the two girls behind her let out not so subtle sighs, "I know –that's why I told Coach I had detention so I could skip today's practice."

They both laughed, moving together up the aisle towards the back doors, their arms occasionally brushing, their eyes looking over at each other every so often as they kept up their easy conversation.

To Vivi, it was the best ever…definitely a ten out of ten moment.


They were holding hands and although it felt nice, it made him nervous because all he could think about was the pulsing blood at her wrist under his thumb.

"So I was thinking we could go to the movies tomorrow," Robyn smiled up at him, her grey-blue eyes bright as the sun hit her face, making her long lashes look like spun gold, "Dad can drive us up to Port Angeles then pick us up afterwards."

"Your dad doesn't like me," Marc looked across the parking lot as they headed towards the front street that would lead them to her house –she lived just a couple of blocks from the middle school and as was his custom since they started 'dating' over the summer, he walked her home once school let out.

"Don't be silly," Robyn bumped her shoulder against his, reaching up to tuck a hank of blond hair behind her ear, "Dad likes you just fine."

Marc chuckled because that wasn't true. Every time he came over to her place to see if she wanted to go out on her bike or for ice cream or just to head down to First Beach for a swim, the guy would glare at him, grey-blue eyes she had inherited from him drilling right into him…then there was the one time Marc had linked up to his thoughts just out of curiosity confirming his suspicion.

Not only did Robyn's dad not like him, but the guy actually contemplated murder every time he got too close to Robyn.

He was just thirteen, what the hell did the man expect him to do to her? Yeah, he knew about sex –thanks to that god-awful book Aunt Leah had lend him –but there was no way he was going to be doing any of that anytime soon…especially when all he could think about whenever she got too close to him was the smell of her blood as it rushed through her veins, the faint color of them under her soft skin distracting him in a way that made him angry at himself.

"So are you okay with the movie idea," Robyn asked as she looked up at him, trying to keep from sighing out loud –she still couldn't believe she was holding hands with Marc de Lune…drop dead gorgeous and one of the sweetest guys ever.

He always held doors for her, let her go in first and whenever they went for ice cream or for a burger, he would pay without asking if she wanted to pay for herself. He never pushed her around, never touched her inappropriately –heck, he'd yet to give her a proper kiss on the mouth, always kissing her cheek whenever he dropped her off at home.

He was always a true gentleman –and it was driving her crazy.

Her mother had warned her about teenager hormones and all that but to Robyn, she would love nothing more than to experience them with this boy –no one else would do but him.

"I'll ask Tia Rosa," Marc stated as they turned the corner, his sharp eyesight able to see that her dad's car was missing –he wasn't home from work yet.

Awesome.

"She always goes to the gallery on Saturdays so she could drive us there…and your dad can pick us up."

Robyn fought back the urge to jump and squeal –an hour or so in a dark theater with the boy of her dreams was just what she wanted but she couldn't start acting like a stupid little girl over it, "Call me when you talk to her then I'll tell my Dad."

"You should probably ask your dad first," Marc stopped outside her house, turning to face her, his body tightening when she wrapped her arms around his middle, "I know Tia Rosa will say yes."

"Okay," Robyn stared up at him, wondering what he would think of her if she asked him to kiss her, "I'll call and let you know, then."

Placing his hands flat against the middle of her back, he could feel the heat of her skin through the thin sweater she was wearing, her sweet breath cool against his mouth as he stared into her eyes. She was beautiful…and sweet and smart and awesome at those bike tricks but if he wasn't careful, her father was going to kill him –especially right now with his body reacting the way it was.

Just hormones…it's just hormones, he repeated to himself inside his head, watching as she licked her bottom lip, the tip of her pink tongue enticing him without his realization, Oh God…I am so fucking dead.

He didn't realize he had been lowering his head until he touched her soft lips, a shudder going through his body as she touched the tip of her tongue against his bottom lip.

He opened his mouth over hers, being careful her lips and tongue didn't touch his teeth, the taste of her exploding on his tongue as he slid it over hers, exploring the soft skin inside her bottom lip before forging forward.

The sound of an approaching car had them breaking apart, Marc grateful he had changed from his baseball uniform –the baggy cargo pants he was wearing doing an okay job at hiding the current embarrassing situation he was in.

They watched as the car pulled up into Robyn's driveway, her older brother Stephen –he was a freshman at SU stepping out of the driver's side.

"I should go," Robyn tugged at the hem of her hip hugging sweater she was wearing, surreptitiously rubbing her sweaty palms against the faded denim of her jeans, "I'll call you and let you know about the movie."

"Alright."


Thursday, Second Week of October

The middle school nurse had called sometime after one in the afternoon, stating Vivi wasn't feeling well and if they could come pick her up.

Rose was gone on a grocery store run, taking Carlos with her to give Seth quiet time in which he could finish his current design, the deadline a month away. Despite that, he had taken his car keys soon after hanging up, arriving at the school and signing Vivi out within half an hour.

She was now sitting next to him, quietly staring out the window at the passing scenery, her arms wrapped around her middle.

"Your tummy still hurting," Seth asked, looking away from the road in time to see her nod, turning left onto their street as he asked, "You sure you don't want me to take you to the clinic?"

Vivi shook her head, unsnapping her seat belt as soon as he set the Mustang to park, grabbing her messenger bag and getting out of the car, walking fast up the driveway and into the house. Seth wasn't sure what was going on but he didn't like seeing her like that, mouth tight with pain, her eyes just shy of crying.

Walking into the kitchen, he watched her head up the stairs, Einstein hot at her heels.

Seth waited several minutes before going up after her, finding Einstein whining as he pawed the closed bathroom door, the sound of crying making his gut twist, "Come on, Ladybug –if you feel that bad, let me take you to the doctor."

"No," Vivi's muffled voice came through the door, the sound of running water filling the silence.

"Vivi," Seth leaned against the frame, softly rapping his knuckles on the bathroom door, "Just tell me what's wrong, baby. I'll fix it."

"I want Tia Rosa."

"She's at the grocery store," Seth looked down at Einstein, the bluetick hound dog looking up at him, brown eyes filled with sadness, "Let me help you, Vivi."

"No –you can't," Vivi hiccuped, turning the water off, "Call Granma Sue…please."

Letting out a sigh, he fished his phone out of the pocket of his jeans, speed dialing his mother as he walked further down the hallway so she wouldn't hear the conversation.

"Hi Seth!"

"Hey mama," Seth ran his hand through his hair, turning at the sound of Einstein pawing the door as he let out a high pitched whine, "Listen, the school nurse called to let me know Vivi wasn't feeling well but she refuses to see a doctor and is now locked in the bathroom –she won't tell me what's wrong."

A sight made its way through the line, leaving Seth wondering what he did wrong, "Tell her I'll be right there –do you have chocolate in the house?"

"I saw it on Rose's grocery list so I'm assuming no."

"Okay, then give me thirty minutes. I'll take care of it."

He stayed outside the bathroom door, occasionally pleading to help but Vivi refused to open the bathroom door.

Just as he was ready to force his way into the bathroom, Einstein bounded towards the stairs with a bark, disappearing for a few seconds before returning behind his mother, the doggy grin on his face making it clear be believed to have brought her in himself.

"Mom," Seth leaned down to kiss her cheek, running his fingers through his hair, "She won't let me in to help her."

"Because you can't," Sue patted his arm before knocking on the door, a shopping bag in one arm, "At least not right now but don't worry –I'll let you be the hero after I talk to her, okay?"

"Uh," Seth stepped back as Sue called through the door, the clicking sound of the lock allowing her entrance, "Right, okay then. I'll go make dinner."

Heading down the stairs, he walked into the kitchen, Einstein following close behind him, tail wagging as he avidly watched Seth move around the kitchen, intent on making Vivi's favorite meal for dinner. A good hour later –in which Seth heard the bathroom door open, followed by Vivi's bedroom door closing –his mom came down the stairs, giving him a smile as she folded the plastic bag before tossing it into the recycling bin Emmie insisted for everyone at the reservation to have, "All taken care of. She's tucked in bed with a heating pad and I gave her some Midol for the cramps."

"What's wrong with her?"

The look on his mother's face said exactly what she was thinking before she voiced it, "Didn't realize I raised a dummy for a son. You have a sister –a wife. Think about it."

"What does Lea –oh," Seth grimaced as he covered the pot of pasta, washing the red bell peppers before setting them on the cutting board, "Is she supposed to be getting that now? She's only eleven."

"Some girls get their period at a younger age."

Seth's grimace deepened as he threw the sliced bell peppers into the salad bowl, "No need to say the p-word. So what now? Do I have to go…buy her stuff?"

"No," she rolled her eyes at him, laughing at his scowl before she took the chocolate bar she had placed on the counter before going upstairs and handed it to him, "I already got her what she needs except for this."

"Chocolate?"

"The cure to menstrual blues," she laughed at his shudder, leaning down to rub Einstein's ears, "Give her that and you'll be her hero."

"Okay," Seth nodded, checking to make sure the pasta was on simmer, the ingredients for the Alfredo sauce on the sideboard but he didn't need to worry about that until the end, "Can you keep an eye on the pasta?"

Sue nodded, moving across the kitchen as she took stock of everything he had out, "Are you making grilled chicken Alfredo?"

"Yep," Seth gestured to Einstein for him to stay put, the bluetick hound going into the living room to lie down under the coffee table, "Its Vivi's favorite."

"Look at you," Sue grinned over her shoulder at him, the pride in her eyes making him pull his shoulders back just like when he had been a kid seeking her approval, "Making Vivi's favorite dinner…you just might survive the incoming teenage angst that comes with having a girl in the house."

Seth didn't say anything, especially because what he really wanted to do was bemoan his misfortune –he sure hoped he would never have to go through this again. Once outside her bedroom door, he gently rapped his knuckles against the white wood, waiting until she called out for her to come in.

The room was dim, the only light her bedside lamp, a pale pink chenille blanket over her as she lay curled up on her side in the middle of the bed, "Hey Ladybug…is the heating pad working?"

Vivi nodded, her long hair draped over the pillow as she gave him a sweet smile, "I'm sorry I didn't let you help –"

"Hey, it's alright. You needed a woman's help, no hard feelings about that," he carefully sat on the side of the bed, not wanting to jostle her as he held up the chocolate bar, "Look what I brought you. I'm told chocolate makes everything better."

She let out a soft giggle, his chest loosening as she took the chocolate bar from him with a small smile. Seth caught sight of Emmett's ear –she had him tucked in between her chest and drawn up legs, "It does make everything better. Thank you tio."

"No problem, Ladybug," he leaned over, pressing a kiss against her temple, "You know I'd do anything for you, right?"

Vivi smiled at him, reaching out to give his hand a squeeze, "I know, it's just…I was embarrassed to tell you what was wrong."

"Why? I share a room and bathroom with your aunt and believe me…this has come up before…several times before, as a matter of fact. Mostly when I do or say something stupid and she bites my head off when she normally wouldn't and then, she cries and I have no idea what the hell to do to make it stop."

Vivi giggled as she tore the foil off the chocolate, breaking a small piece and putting it in her mouth, "Now you'll have two of us doing that."

"Didn't think of that," Seth gave her a teasing frown, his brown-green eyes dancing as he tapped a finger against her nose, "At least there's three guys –four if you count Einstein. That should balance out the crazy."

He watched with horror as her gold-brown eyes filled with tears, a sniff accompanying her words, "I'm not crazy."

"I'm sorry –I didn't mean it that way. I shouldn't have –"

He stopped mid-apology as she started laughing at him, "Gotcha!"

"Not cool, Vivi –totally not cool."


First Sunday of November

3:23AM

The lack of a moon had the stars shining bright against the velvet darkness of the sky, the Milky Way cutting a swath from the horizon up to the pinnacle of the sky before it melted into a field of stars. The soft breeze moved through the pine trees, bringing with it the comforting smells of moist forest ground and the ocean, the lightweight curtains over the opened window gently dancing to a silent song heard by nature alone.

Humming her own song under her breath, she gently rocked her baby to sleep, the beautiful rocking chair silent as it cradled them both. Leah watched her baby's blue eyes hid behind fluttering eyelids, his little mouth relaxed as he drifted off to sleep. The hot spurt of love spreading thought her was something she felt every time she looked at one of her children but it didn't make it any less surprising…any less breathtaking whenever it erupted into her conscious.

Letting out a sweet smelling burp, Xavier settled deeper into her chest, his head on her shoulder as tiny fingers kneaded the side of her neck, a self-soothing thing he did right before falling into a deep sleep.

He was turning out to be a quiet one, just like Zak, hardly ever crying for attention yet pleased whenever he got it, especially from his sister Tyra, who never strayed far from wherever he may be.

Every time she called out for him –she had nicknamed him Avy –his little face would brighten and he couldn't keep still, wiggling as he waved his arms with exuberance. She loved entertaining him or simply watching him as he slept, just as enthralled with him as Zak had been with her.

The first day of kindergarten had been hell, Tyra throwing a tantrum, screaming she didn't want to go to school without her baby, her brown-green eyes overflowing with tears even after Rick took her into the room she shared with Emmie to explain how things were going to be.

It wasn't until after Leah promised to bring Xavier along when school let out –every day –when Tyra finally agreed to let her mother wash her face and brush her hair before placing her in the van along with the others going to school.

It was for that reason that Leah Rick's no moon nights were no longer child-free, Xavier still not old enough to be away from his parents and Tyra refusing to be away from her Avy. So here they were on their no-moon night, Tyra asleep in her room, Rick in their bed and she had her baby asleep in her arms as the curtains fluttered around the opened window.

As for their other children –Gabriel and Emmie were staying with Seth and Rose while the twins, along with Zak, were over at their grandparents' house. What with being so many of them, it was better for them to be split between her brother and mother than foist them all off on two adults –it was hard enough with the twins alone but to add the rest of them…

Pushing off the rocking chair, she gently moved Xavier from her shoulder to the cradle of her arm, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before she laid him in his crib, taking the soft blue blanket draped over the railing to cover his legs and tummy, the soft yellow ducky footie pajamas he wore keeping the rest of him warm.

Letting out a yawn, she returned to bed, sliding under the light blue covers, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she came in contact with Rick's leg –her husband had the tendency to hog the bed, practically sleeping on her whenever he stretched out on his stomach.

At the moment, he was laying on his back, arms and legs splayed out as his chest rose and fell with each deep breath he took, his sleeping face turned towards her. Even in the darkness, she could see movement under his eyelids, the furrow between his eyebrows making her wonder if his dreams were turning a corner into a nightmare.

Settling her head on his shoulder as she slid her thigh over his to tuck her foot under his knee, she closed her eyes, her arm over his hard stomach, the beat of his heart steady under her ear. She was just starting to drift off when he jerked awake, one hand painfully gripping her waist as he pushed himself to a sitting position with the other, his breathing coming fast and shallow as he looked around the room before looking into her eyes, "Leah?"

Her name came out rough, wrought with emotion so raw Leah could practically taste the exposed vulnerability he was feeling at that moment. She knew he still had dreams of Ileana and Nicolai, knew his dreams morphed into nightmares and most of the time, it was her and their children but something in the way he had said her name made her realize, although it wasn't a good dream, it wasn't the usual kind of nightmare either.

"It was just a dream, Rick," she smiled up at him, her fingers moving over his squared jaw in a show of comfort as she looked into his eyes –his pupils were dilated so wide, all she could make out of the blue was a ring around them, "It's okay, baby –I'm right here."

Reaching up, he gripped the back of her neck, his thumb under her jaw tipping her head back as his mouth closed over hers in a blistering kiss filled with want and need and something else –something darker and so much more substantial. As his tongue moved over hers, dipping into her mouth to claim what he wanted, a glimmer of what that something was flashed in Leah's mind long enough for her to recognize it.

Possession.

Pushing her onto her back, his body heavy over hers, she hung onto his shoulders as he slid his hand down her side, grabbing a fistful of the t-shirt she was wearing –one of his –and yanking it up before moving his hand under it to smooth it over her soft stomach.

She could feel herself responding; her body arched into his for maximum contact, knowing her submission was what he needed…what he craved at this moment.

"Esý eísai dikós mou," he growled into her mouth, both of them gasping for breath, Leah still not quite catching hers as he placed open mouthed kisses down her throat, his hand moving up to cover her breast as he fisted the other in her hair, pulling her head back to arch her neck, his mouth closing over her beating pulse, "Pánta dikós mou - mi̱n xechnáme poté af̱tó." *You're mine. Always mine –never forget that*

She didn't understand his words but it didn't matter because the way he was touching her said it all. He wasn't gentle or playful, wasn't being rough or dominating –he was simply touching her body as if it belonged to him, marking her skin with biting kisses that had her fighting the desire to moan out loud.

Dragging the t-shirt off her and tossing it aside, he moved his attention from her neck down to her breasts, her bottom lip firmly tucked between her teeth to stifle herself as he sucked, licked and bit, molding her breasts with his hands, his mouth moving from one to the other as he wedged his thigh between hers.

He knew every spot in her body that made her temperature soar, knew what made her squirm, what had her breathing hard. Undulating under him, she was feeling the frantic need to relieve the pressure deep inside her grow with every suck and pull of his mouth, the cotton boy-short panties she had on soaked through.

Hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her panties, he dragged them down as she lifted her hips, his fingers stroking her bottom, the back of his thighs, her knees, his mouth moving down her stomach, teeth nipping at the soft swell of her lower abdomen, tongue exploring her bellybutton before he sucked hard at the skin stretched over her hipbone.

She knew where he was heading, knew she couldn't stop him nor did she want too. It didn't take him long to have her begging, her mind completely enslaved by the pleasure tearing through her, she couldn't think of anything else but the tightening coil inside her, his hands and mouth keeping the tension growing without breaking it.

She bit her bottom lip, the sharp pain of his teeth sinking into the muscle of her inner thigh rocketing her into space, everything blending into a kaleidoscope of colors and sensations, completely stealing her breath away.

She couldn't hold back the tears, her body molding to his as he moved over her, his touch gentler as he merged their bodies into one, their souls already entwined to form one heartbeat, one breath, and one world.

"Mine," he whispered against her mouth, sliding his hands up her sides until he reached her hands, their fingers locking together, their bodies flush against each other from toes to mouth, "You're mine, Leah. Say it."

Leah nodded, kissing every part of his face she could reach, letting out a low moan when he bit her bottom lip, his demand coming out in a growl, "Say it."

"Yours," her voice was equally ragged, her nails digging into the backs of his hands as she arched her body into his, both of them moving in tandem, the heat between them increasing with every push and thrust, "I'm yours. Yours and no one else's."

"Just mine," Rick licked her bruised lip, moving his thumb across her jaw to tug at her earlobe with his teeth, "All mine."

Together, they raced towards the precipice, their hearts beating a fast rhythm as the acute pleasure swept over them in a tidal wave, lifting them up and into each other, both of them reaching their own personal paradise together.

Breathing hard, he rolled off of her, her body melting into his side as soon as he pulled her into him, her head nestled into his shoulder as she let out a sigh filled with satisfaction. It wasn't long before he heard her breathing deepen and he knew she was asleep.

Watching her sleep, he touched a finger to her bottom lip –it was swollen and it still bared faint markings of his teeth that were disappearing along with the other marks he had left on her. Moving his hand down her throat, he lightly traced the bruises and bite marks, pressing down lightly on the red spots he had sucked onto her skin.

He usually didn't get this…demanding, the desire to devour her nearly overwhelming him. Sometimes, though, he had to fight back the urge to find a way to absorb her into himself but after that dream he had, it was an impossibility to keep from laying claim on her, reminding her –and himself…mostly himself –that she belonged to him just the way he belonged to her.

Moving his hand down her side, he traced the purplish red mark on her hip, the dream flipping through his head, each scene a still frame that nearly had him lose his breathing. It had started like a memory, the day he'd come after Leah, finding her at the beach with the breeze tugging at her hair, the setting sun a background painting that made her look so achingly beautiful.

But added to that memory were his feelings for her, the love that sometimes seemed so painfully big it was almost impossible to keep it inside himself. He had stared at her, had felt his body hurt with the need to hold her, to show her how much he loved and cherished her but Seth came into the picture.

Except it wasn't Seth –and the boy in his arms wasn't Gabriel. Instead of explaining to Leah he had made a mistake, she was telling him she had made a choice just like he had –she had found someone to love and who loved her back, someone she could have a family with…she had found a way to break away from him.

When he woke up and found her next to him –the relief rushing through him had been so strong, it nearly left him weak but then came the gnawing need to claim her and mark her as his own.

Wrapping his arms around her, he turned on his side, his leg between hers as he listened to the soft breathing of their son, feeling somewhat sheepish he had completely forgotten about their seven month old sleeping just a few feet from their bed –thank Zeus he had slept through it all.

Checking the clock on Leah's bedside table, he let out a yawn, his body relaxing into post-coital bliss as his brain shut down, sleep overtaking him without delay.

It was sometime around seven in the morning when a slight noise woke him up. Making sure he didn't disturb Leah, still wrapped up in his arms, he looked towards the bedroom door, eyebrows lowering at finding it opened. Looking over at the crib, he smiled at the sight of his little girl watching her baby brother sleep, small arms threaded through the railing as she gently touched his tiny hand and soft hair.

Kissing his wife's forehead, he carefully untangled himself from her, unable to keep from smiling as she let out a protesting moan, her arms wrapping around his pillow, burying her face into it and taking a deep breath as he pulled up the sheet to her shoulders.

Dropping a kiss on her shoulder, he pulled on his pajama pants, quietly moving around the bed to crouch down behind his daughter, somewhat surprised when she didn't startle at his presence, although, in retrospect, he shouldn't be.

Nothing caught his baby girl by surprise.

"You should be asleep, agoraki," he placed his hand against her small back, blond hair a halo of curls around her oval shaped face.

Shaking her head, she looked over her shoulder at him, brown-green eyes bright and alert, "I'm done sleeping. I want to play with Avy."

"Avy's still asleep, moro," he kissed her cheek, picking her up as he stood up, "How about you and I spend some time together? We can make breakfast for mama and Avy."

"Avy likes oatmeal," Tyra curved an arm around the back of Rick's neck, big eyes still trained on her little brother, "Can we make some with blueberries and cinnamon?"

"Sounds good to me."

She gave a nod in agreement, playing with the zipper of her own footie pajamas –white stars printed on blue cotton –as he made his way down the hall towards the kitchen, "Daddy?"

"Yes Tyra."

"I'm gonna teach Avy his colors today," Tyra said in a serious tone, her little nose wrinkling when he set her down on the counter, "Teacher says it's very important to learn colors."

Rick chuckled as he began to take out what he was going to need. Aside from oatmeal, he was thinking on eggs, bacon and waffles. He'd worked up an appetite, after all, and he was certain Leah would wake up hungry as well, "It is important to learn colors."

"Daddy?"

"Yes Tyra."

"Why is it important?"

He couldn't hold back the laughter –oh, was he ever glad this was his life. There was nothing he would trade this for.