A/N:
Granger Clan Saga. Set after "Facing the Future"----
Rafe rolled over and jerked awake when he encountered someone in his bed. Then he relaxed and smiled, when he realized it was Verity. They had come straight to his apartment after a second Thanksgiving dinner at her parents. He grinned, remembering the dark look that Colby had sent his way. His mouth softened, thinking of Hannah's laughter as she nudged Colby for that look. Gently, he brushed Verity's hair away from her forehead, tucking several stray strands behind her ear. An index finger traced the outline of her lips, as he remembered the feel of those lips on his own lips, and then elsewhere, later. He leaned over to press a kiss on them.
"Verity," he shook her gently. She had wanted to go back to her parents' for the day, to spend some time with them. He laughed as she muttered a protest and burrowed back under the covers. "Come on, honey. You do want to spend time with your parents, don't you?"
"Five more minutes, Rafe," her moan was muffled by the covers. Then she jerked up with a gasp, "Rafe!"
He looked surprised, "Yep. That's my name." His eyes narrowed when she pressed a hand to her chest, her breaths coming in short gasps. "What?"
She sighed, "I'm sorry. I thought... Well, I thought I might have called you Darren." Her eyes widened when his face went blank for a minute, the she released a soft sigh of relief when he relaxed.
"It's hard to compete with someone who died in the line of duty," his eyes were solemn, but his lips twitched with humor. He slid a hand behind her neck and pulled her close for a kiss. His lips teased hers, a feather light touch on her lips, pulling away slightly when she tried to return his kiss. He was amused to see her pout. He nibbled on her lower lip, and as her lips parted, his tongue gently caressed the inner part of her lower lip. His tongue found hers as he gently sucked on it. Then his tongue slid along hers, caressing it. He moaned as she did the same to his. Then he pulled away, gratified to hear a murmured protest. "Just so you remember who I am." He laughed at her pout, then yelped in surprise when she rolled over and straddled him. "Oh boy." And knew by her soft purr of a laugh that she was going to make him pay for teasing her. He gave her his name, rank, and serial number and surrendered.
-----
"Cameron."
The soft murmur from his bed roused Cam out of his reverie by the window. He smiled tenderly at the sight of Erin blinking owlishly, adorably mussed from sleep. "Right here, sweetheart."
"What are you doing up so early?" She groped around the night stand for her glasses.
He grinned as he moved them out of her reach. "Just thinking about my father. About the events of the last few days."
"Give them back," she was laughing as she swatted him on the arm. "Oh," she moaned softly as his hands caressed her and his mouth claimed hers for a kiss.
Tenderly, he settled her in his arms, then put her glasses on for her.
She looked up at him in amusement. "What's got into you?"
He shrugged with good humor, "Just grateful to have you."
They were quiet for a few minutes, both lost in their own thoughts. Erin slid her arms around him and hugged him. She smiled when she got his attention. "You never told your father about your CIA involvement."
Cameron nodded, a little ruefully, "It never came up. I'd never felt it was any of his business anyway."
"But you told me." Erin's voice was soft with wonder. "About that, and a lot of other things that your family don't know."
He buried his nose in her hair at the nape of her neck, pressing a kiss at the sensitive spot there. "All I have is yours, Erin."
It terrified her that he trusted her so completely. A gentle hand caressed his face. He kissed her hand as she touched his lips. "I like him a lot."
"Who, my father?" That amused Cameron. She had been terrified of his father.
She laughed, "Yes. I feel silly over it, now that I know him a little better. He's so gentle with the children. But it's mostly because of how he treats your mother. Like she's the most precious person in the world to him." Startled by the intensity of his gaze, she murmured softly in realization, "Like how you treat me."
"I guess that's where I learned it."
"It must have been wonderful growing up with parents like that."
"Not really."
Cameron's wry tone and expression made Erin laugh.
He grinned in response, "I was a bit of a rebel."
"You think?" she teased him.
"I tried to pull away, be my own man. When all the time, I could have done that and still be part of the family. It took me a long time to figure out that it strengthened me to be part of the family."
"And you'll be there for Quade when he tries to pull away."
Cameron studied her in surprise.
"He will, you know." Her solemn eyes were huge.
"I can never resist you when you look at me that way," his lips touched hers in a feather light kiss. "Yes, I'll be there for him. But right now, I'm all yours." He lowered his head to hers, intent on proving it.
-----
Justin smiled when he came out of the shower to see Keeley nursing Bethany. The sight always made him think of a Madonna and Child painting. His heart felt like it was bursting with happiness when Keeley looked up and smiled at him. Her smile turned into laughter when he scooped them both up and moved them just so he could sit behind both of them. He wrapped his arms and legs around his wife and daughter, cocooning them in the warmth of his embrace. A soft sigh of pleasure from Keeley made him smile, and he dropped a kiss at the nape of her neck. "Hungry little tyke, isn't she?"
"Mmm, yeah. Mama says that we were all like that. I feel for her."
He shook his head, he didn't think he had enough imagination to know what it must have been like for Hannah with the triplets. "Are you upset that you couldn't go?"
A pause as Keeley shifted Bethany to her other side, cooing to her daugher as she did so. "A little. But Mama wouldn't have said something if there hadn't been a good reason. I've watched her over the years, she gets this look in her eyes when she'd rather Dad not go to some raid or other. But she never says anything, just tells him to be careful. It had to be a compelling reason for her to ask me to stay. Still, he's my brother, and I would have liked to have done something."
"You're an amazingly brave woman. I love you, Keeley. I'm unbelievably lucky to have you." He nibbled on a particularly sensitive spot in her neck, and heard the hitch in her breath. He kissed her lips when she turned to him as she leaned back against him. Their tongues met and teased each other in a lazy dance. Then he dropped his head to her shoulder with a groan as Bethany started to fuss.
Keeley laughed at his theatrics, "Maybe later." She promised him the world in her golden eyes.
-----
The sunlight caught in Giselle's hair gave her a red-gold halo. Tyler watched her work at her breakfast table, nibbling at her lower lip in concentration. It still amazed him that this beautiful woman had agreed to marry him. She looked up at him, and he caught his breath at the sultry promise in her green eyes. "Morning. Working on your next gallery show?"
"Mmm, yes," Giselle all but purred when he leaned to kiss her. "Lose your shirt, hero?"
He snorted self deprecatingly, "Some hero, I can't even keep track of my shirt."
"I found it twisted up around the coffee table." She was amused when he blushed at the reminder of their passion the night before. "It's in the dryer now." She paused to admire the view as he padded to get his shirt. All those lovely muscles. She sighed in appreciation. "Maybe you should leave some clothes here." She struggled to breathe at the desire in his green-gold eyes as he turned to face her.
"I just might." He pulled her up from her chair, pressing her close to his chest as he kissed her. "I still can't believe you said yes."
"Those green-gold eyes of yours stole my heart the very first time we met."
He stilled in stunned surprise. "That night at Cameron's apartment?"
"Yes." Tenderly, she pressed kisses along his jaw, ending on his lips.
"Oh, Giselle. I've been such a fool to wait this long."
She smiled as her eyes lit with mischief. "I know. Want to make up for it?"
----
"Attack! Attack!" Brandon was helpless with laughter, egging his sons on in attacking his father.
Hannah laughed softly to herself, watching as first Quade then Quinn jumped on Colby as he lay on the floor, laughing at the growling noises the twins made.
"You call that an attack?" Colby grabbed one squirming twin with each arm, picking them up and carrying them under his arms like they were little footballs. He swung them around, making them shriek with laughter. "Airplane!" They were still laughing when he put them down. Then with a gleam in his eye, "Here's how you attack Daddy." He shouldered Brandon over and dropped on him. "See? Now show Grandpa." Colby laughed when both twins attacked their father.
"Nana!" Quinn scrambled off his father when he saw Hannah. He ran to her and reached his arms up.
Colby shook his head in mock disgust. "Right, hide behind a woman's skirts. Good going, Quinn."
Quinn grinned at his grandfather, "Cookie."
"That's definitely your son, Brandon." Colby's tone was dry, but his eyes were lit in amusement.
"Want cookie too, Nana." Quade was tugging at Hannah now.
"What do you say, Quade?" Brandon coached from where he still lay on the floor.
"Pwease?" Quade obeyed as Colby's eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps there was hope for the next generation's rebel after all.
"Good grief, it's Rafe and Verity," Brandon was amused to see Rafe's car pull into the driveway. "Now that's the look of a well-loved woman." He cut a sly look to his father, wondering how he would react. Hannah shook her head at him.
Colby sighed, "I guess I might as well get used to it." His eyes gleamed at Brandon's disappointed look. "Is that how you thank someone who risked his life for your sons?"
Brandon was unabashed. "I can be grateful to him and still want to see you tromp all over him."
"See who tromp all over me?" Rafe demanded. He was amused at the glee in Brandon's eyes. He sighed, "I'd let him too. I owe him too much."
"Uncle Wafe! Uncle Wafe!" Both twins descended on a startled Rafe, interrupting any comments that might have been made.
He swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and struggled to hold back the tears. Verity pressed a tender kiss on his temple, touched by his response. He cleared his throat. "Um, look what I brought you! Crayons and paper. I figure an artist's sons would know what to do with them right?" He chuckled at the surprise in Brandon's face.
"And here are the others." Hannah's face softened with love as she watched the cars pull into the driveway. She turned her face into Colby's neck as he embraced her.
Colby snorted as Cameron and Tyler bickered their way into the house. "Someday," he muttered.
Hannah smiled, "But it's because they love each other, Colby. You know it."
"Damn, you're a natural!" Cameron exclaimed in surprise at the sight of the twins cuddled up against Rafe. "Want to babysit my kids?"
"You don't have kids," Rafe eyed him warily, unsure if Cameron was making fun of him. He relaxed a little when Cameron seemed to be serious.
Cameron grinned, "Not yet," he laughed when Erin elbowed him. "Look at Dad," he murmured to her, "He's a puddle of goo in Bethany's hands." He kissed her, amused at the tenderness in her face as she watched Colby play with Bethany.
"Our kids will be lucky," Giselle eyes were soft too, "To have a grandfather like that."
Rafe looked at Tyler with interest, amused when he turned red. He didn't say anything, but neither Brandon nor Cameron had any qualms about ragging their brother about starting a family already. Rafe laughed at their bickering. And so did Justin.
"Oh, look at their drawings, Colby," Hannah's surprise caught everyone's attention.
"Why are you surprised, honey?" Colby asked in amusement, as he jiggled Bethany on his knee.
"I guess I shouldn't be, but Brandon didn't really show his artistic ability till a little later. Quinn's drawings are already very good."
Brandon grinned at Rafe, "Good call, Uncle Wafe. I'll make sure Quinn's first piece is yours."
"As long as it's not an ashtray," was Rafe's quick retort. Verity giggled at the uncertain look on his face.
"What are you drawing now, Quinn?" Hannah gently brushed his hair from his eyes, and kissed him when he smiled at her.
"Drawing Mama. Remember her."
Quinn's soft answer tore at Hannah's heart. But she smiled tenderly, "That's wonderful, Quinn, I know she'll like that."