"Nat?" Jo asked as she passed through the kitchen doorway, a basket of rolls in hand along with the dish of butter. She found the young boy in the dining room, helping to set the table. "Have you seen Dan and Ben? Dinner is almost ready."

"I think they went out to the barn," Nat replied, placing napkins on top of plates that lined the long table. "Dan said something about fixing those loose boards on the chicken coop."

Jo shook her head and sighed. It was Thanksgiving Day; a day to spend with family and loved ones, not worrying about silly repairs. She understood Dan's devotion to his responsibilities, but he didn't need to push himself so hard. Nick wouldn't have wanted him to.

The thought got the best of her as tears stung Jo's eyes, so grabbing her shawl from off the coat rack she made her way out the front door. The incessant sound of hammering could be heard coming from the coop and Jo rushed down the stairs, clutching her arms against the cold wind. She knew the day was going to be hard, especially on Dan; he would do anything to avoid dealing with his grief. That's why she had insisted on the usual Thanksgiving gathering. Something familiar to help with their tremendous loss.

"Dan?" she called out as she marched across the lawn. "Dan… it's almost time for dinner. The chicken coop can wait. Tell Ben to come inside too…" She rounded the bushes, towards the sound, expecting to find Ben and Dan in the midst of their work.

Instead she heard a voice.

"You should think 'bout hirin' a new caretaker," a deep, familiar drawl spoke. "The one you got now has been slackin' off,"

Jo stopped short, her breath catching in her throat as the owner of the voice stood up by the coop. He looked a little worse for wear, skinnier, his hair longer and his face scruffy with the obvious neglect. But his blue eyes sparkled as he set down his hammer and smiled at Jo.

"Nick?" she whispered, blinking a few times, thinking her mind was playing tricks on her again.

He nodded, stepping towards her. "I told ya I'd be home for Thanksgivin'."

She stood there, motionless, stunned at the sight before her. The nights she had spent wishing for this moment, hoping that everything had been just a bad dream. She waited for the vision in front of her to fade as it normally did, for the sight to be taken away with the cool breeze. But after several moments, he remained, a gentle grin on his face and she couldn't contain herself any longer. Letting her shawl fall to the ground, she rushed into his awaiting arms. He held her with the strength that she had longed for over the last few months and she reveled in the warmth of his body - it was real. "We got a letter…" she stammered, pulling back to look at him. "The shipping company said you were…"

"Yeah… I know. They gave up on us too quick," he said, his gaze locked on her face. "A hurricane and two months stranded on some island ain't gonna keep me away." He sighed deeply and ran his thumb softly across her cheek. "Gawd… I missed you."

Tears filled her eyes and she let them fall down her cheeks. "I missed you too… so very much." She framed his face with her hands, her heart beating so fast, she thought it might burst. "I thought I had lost you," she murmured, bringing her lips to his, wanting to feel him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She savored the taste of his mouth and shivered with a desire as she felt his hands run along her waist, pulling her into him; the emotions from the last several months expressed as best they could.

After a few moments, Jo reluctantly pulled away, wanting to make sure the man before her wasn't just an illusion. He stared back at her, a gentle smile lighting up his face. "Am I dreaming?" she asked, her hands running down his muscled arms. She wanted to feel every part of him, hold onto him and keep him from disappearing from her grasp.

"Nah… but if ya are, I ain't gonna let it end," he whispered, his embrace tightening around her. "I thought of you everyday, wantin' to be here wi' ya." His eyes searched hers, a tremble to his lips. "When things got real bad, I would just think of your smile..." He drew her in again, kissing her softly, the sensation making her knees grow weak. He gently broke away, reaching up to wipe away the tears that still raced down her face. "I could barely wait to make it home to ya."

"Nick?" a voice came from behind them. Jo turned around, keeping a tight hold on him but thankful someone else saw the same thing she did. Dan stood there in confusion, looking between Jo and Nick as Ben followed from the barn.

"Brother!" he called out, dropping the tools from his hand, and running over to the couple. Jo let go of Nick with hesitation, allowing him to embrace his younger brother. "You stubborn fool! I guess the ocean didn't want ya either."

"It tried…" Nick said offhandedly, as he was released from Ben's hug. "But I wasn't ready to go yet."

Ben smiled, a knowing look on his face. "See?" he said, turning to Jo. "Heaven and Earth…"

The group turned back to Dan, who was still standing there, bewildered. The confusion on his face turned to anger and he just shook his head before spinning around and taking off into the woods.

"Dan!" Nick called after him, the hurt apparent in his eyes.

"I'll go talk to him," Jo said, giving Nick's arm a quick squeeze. She smiled gently at the two brothers, remembering the reality of the day. "Why don't you go get cleaned up? Supper is almost ready and there are a lot of people inside who will be thrilled to see you." She started off but suddenly stopped and turned back to Nick, the tears still brimming. She leaned into him and taking his hand, placed her lips on his cheek. "Welcome home," she whispered as she pulled away. She noticed his eyes glistening as he squeezed her hand and gave her a wholehearted grin.

Jo followed Dan's sudden path and rushed towards the river where she figured he would most likely be. She knew he found solace by the waters, ironically where he sought to relieve the anger he still had with Nick. As she neared the bridge, she noticed Dan sitting on the side, his feet dangling over the edge of the wooden railing. He barely flinched as she approached, his focus on the twigs as he hurled them into the water below. Even though he was almost 17, Jo occasionally caught moments of youth in his behaviour, something she found comforting, knowing her children still had use for her. She leaned against the railing next to him, silently watching him throw over and over allowing him to open up to her.

"He's still alive," he said finally, turning his attention to the scratches along the wood railing. His voice held a hint of relief.

"Yes, he is."

Eyes filled with tears, Dan looked up. "Did you know?"

Jo smiled gently as she shook her head. "No, of course not. I am just as surprised as you are."

"How come he didn't let us know?" Dan's voice began to waver. "He shoulda known we'd be worried."

"I don't think he had a chance," Jo tried to reason. "He mentioned being stranded - perhaps he just didn't have the means to."

Dan nodded, seemingly satisfied with the explanation. He stared off across the river and took a deep breath. "I ain't mad at him." Jo simply listened as he struggled to find the words. "I was mad… when he left… but then I realized…" Tears began to fall down his cheeks. "I realized that there was a lot I didn't get to say to him…"

"What about now?" Jo carefully pried. She knew Dan was trying his best to express what was on his mind and she knew he was beating himself up over something. He just needed to say them aloud - to make them real.

"Now, I'm still mad at myself." Pain surfacing, he looked at her, trying to find some comfort. "Before he left, I said… I said some things ta him I wish I could take back." He took a wavered breath, wiping hastily at the tears on his face. "When that letter came, I thought I could never make it right and I got angry all over again. Now… how will he ever forgive me?" Dan fell apart, the emotion that he had been trying to contain for the last five months, finally finding a release.

Jo awkwardly pulled him from the railing and into her arms like a child, her heart breaking for the young man. "You don't need forgiveness, Dan," she soothed, whispering into his ear as they sunk to the ground. "You had every right to be angry, regardless of your reasons. And Nick understands that."

"But what I said to him…" Dan choked, clinging to Jo. "I saw his face… I let him down."

"You didn't let him down… he is so very proud of you… there is nothing you could say that would change that." Jo lifted his face from her shoulder to look him in the eyes. "And you should be proud of yourself. You made promises to Nick that you've upheld - and that speaks more than words."

She watched him search her face, needing to agree with her reassurance. He finally nodded and she wiped a few of his tears away, her own starting to fall down her cheeks. "Now," Jo said, taking a deep breath, "we have been given the chance to right things that we never thought possible. We don't get granted that too many times in life."

Dan gave her a small grin and sighed, his composure returning. "I guess I should get back to fixin' that chicken coop. There's some other things that I should take a look at too."

Jo stood up and offered her hand to Dan, helping him stand. "Not today," she said, brushing her skirts off and taking a deep breath, a big and honest smile on her face. She took Dan's arm as they started back towards the house. "It is Thanksgiving and we have a lot to be thankful for."

XXXXX

Nick threw his hat onto the bed with most of his belongings being swept under with the Athena. The room was still made up, everything exactly the way he had left it five months ago. An overwhelming sensation flowed through him and tears began to sting his eyes. He was home - his home and he couldn't have been happier. The months on the boat had been bad enough, then the hardships after the storm even worse. Now the familiar was working its way in, bringing a consuming calm and he had never been more relieved to be somewhere in his life. The feeling of Jo in his arms had been wonderful and his heart ached for her presence even more. He needed to hurry back to her.

"So?" Ben's voice broke through his thoughts and Nick turned towards his brother standing behind him. Ben was very solemn with the understanding of the torments that come from what Nick had been through. "Was it bad?"

Nick took a seat on the bed, running his hands over his tired face, his head nodding in recognition. "Worst of my life."

Ben sighed, sitting down across from him. "How many?"

"Four of us were left… just Brady, O'Neill, Tyler and myself. Conners, Hayes… Captain Wallace - all gone," Nick swallowed hard, the memories of that night creeping back. "McKenzie…" He looked at Ben, shaking his head with anguish. "I had him… I had a hold of him but that water and the wind… it was just too much…"

"I'm sure you did all you could," Ben reassured although it fell on deaf ears. His mind took him back to that night… that moment as he struggled in the dark ocean, after McKenzie had thrown Brady clear of the ship, Nick's arm tightly around McKenzie.

"The foremast began to split," Nick began, needing to tell this tale to the only person he knew would understand. "You could hear it even over the howl of the wind…" He looked down at his hands which were still blistered and red from the heat of the island. "I had McKenzie and I was swimmin' for it… it all happened so fast… mast came down - the yardarm caught me square in the head. I musta blacked out for a few minutes cuz when I came to, he was gone… the mast sunk so fast… I dove under to see if I could find him… but everythin' was so black."

"Nick…" Ben shook his head. "It ain't your fault…

Nick lifted his eyes; he could feel the tears wanting to fall. "Did ya know that McKenzie was married? His wife's havin' a baby pretty soon. He was so excited…" Nick took a deep breath. "He woulda been a good father."

"Nick…" Ben started again, "This ain't your fault…. McKenzie knew the risks when he got on that ship. Just like you did."

"But then why am I still here?" Nick sighed, shaking his head. "I sat on that island, day after day, wonderin' why I was lucky enough to be still breathin' air. Why do I get to come home when someone like McKenzie doesn't?"

"I can't answer that," Ben replied, moving to sit beside Nick. "Just like I can't answer why I'm still here. We've both looked death in the face so many times - and we're just lucky enough to come out on the right end of things." Ben stood again, this time extending his hand to Nick. "But I do know that you got a lot of life to live right here and if you're gonna be dumb enough to screw it up, I might have to hit you over the head again with a yardarm."

Nick chuckled and got to his feet with the help of his brother. "It's a good thing I gotta hard head." He turned and started pulling things out from a pack under the bed, looking for a clean shirt. His stomach began growling at the thought of Asia's food.

"She was blamin' herself, ya know," Ben said suddenly, stopping Nick short. He turned to see Ben searching through his own pile of clothes. "She figured you were on that ship because she asked you to… she thought you died because of her. I hope this was all worth it… cuz you put her through hell."

Nick stared at his brother, processing his words, wanting to argue but realizing he spoke the truth. "I know…" he sighed deeply. "But I'm not sure it was worth it… not sure that company's gonna pay up…"

Ben stopped his search and returned Nick's stare. "Well, then don't be a fool again… You've got the whole world here, don't let your pride get in the way."

A knock on the door interrupted the lecture and Nick turned to see Jo's head poking through the doorway. His heart leapt at the smile on her face, the sight of her bringing excited flutters to his stomach. "You almost ready?" she asked, Dan's head hovering over hers.

Ben laughed, grabbing a shirt from the pile he had dumped on the bed. "Not even close… he's been goofin' off in here." He made his way to the door, sneaking past Jo. "I'm gonna go get changed in the house. I'm starvin'." He turned to Dan as he passed by. "You comin'?"

Nick looked at the young man, his stomach still in knots with how things were left between them. He couldn't blame Dan for still being angry – he had put a lot of people through hell and he feared the trust he had broken by leaving would be difficult to repair. He gave Dan a small smile; the response a blank stare for several moments before a slight grin finally appeared.

"I'll be right there," Dan said to Ben, stepping into the room towards Nick. The young man's gaze ran around the room and then focused on fingers that fidgeted with nervousness. "Ummm… I… uh…" he sighed loudly; his shoulders shrugged as he struggled with the words. Finally looking at Nick, Dan whispered, "I'm real glad you're home."

Overcome with relief, Nick's face broke out into a grin and grabbing Dan, he enveloped the boy in a big bear hug. He could feel the embrace being returned and he knew that everything would be okay between them. "I am too," Nick said, getting a bit teary.

Letting go, Dan gave him a big smile before he spun around and raced out the door to join Ben. Nick turned to Jo who was still standing in the doorway, tears running down her cheeks. "He's okay," she reassured, stepping into the room. "He's been so good around here - wanted to make you proud."

"I am," Nick replied, closing the gap between them. He took her hands and soaked in the feeling of her fingers intertwined with his. He took a deep breath. "I feel like this is a dream," he murmured, his thumb running over her palm.

"So do I," she whispered, her emotional eyes searching his face. "But it's not."

"No, it ain't." He pulled her into his arms once again, relishing her warmth and scent. She laid her head against his chest and all he wanted to do was to stop time - stay there forever. "You know this wasn't your fault, right?" he mumbled after a few minutes. He couldn't stand the thought of her feeling responsible for his decisions or what she must have gone through, thinking he was dead. "You didn't force me to do anythin'."

"I know…" she said quietly, her voice muffled by his shirt. He could feel her arms tighten around him; she said nothing else.

Nick took a deep breath, his fingers clutching her back, wanting to draw her closer. He had come so close to losing her, losing everything for some silly shop. He would find a way to provide for Jo; if he couldn't afford the shop, there were other ways. But at that moment, it wouldn't matter what he had to do, his life was devoted to the woman in his arms and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Jo pulled away slowly, her brown eyes meeting Nick's bright blue. He brought his hand up, his fingers gently caressing her cheek before he lowered his face, his lips softly meeting hers. She let out a soft moan as the kiss lingered, the taste of her something he wanted to relish as long as possible. He wanted her so badly, the thought pained him. His fingers travelled down her arms and he took hold of her hands, gently breaking the connection. "You don't know how much I've missed you," he whispered, his eyes locked with hers.

"Probably just as much as I have you…" she replied, a sly smile on her face. "And I'm going to do all I can to keep you here from now on." Jo brought her hands up to his neck and pulled his face down to hers, returning her lips to his. Nick felt her desire and longing as she ran her fingers through his hair and he responded willfully, his arms drawing her closer.

After several minutes, she finally pulled away, a grin breaking out on her face. "I like the beard," she murmured, caressing the unkempt whiskers.

"Ya do?" Nick replied gruffly, enjoying the attention. "Glad to hear it..." He sighed. "But I think I might need to get rid of it." He rubbed a hand over his cheek. "Between the sand and the sun, it's startin' to itch."

"Well," she said, stepping away from him. "We can't have that now, can we?" Jo walked over to the wash basin that sat on a side cupboard and filled it from a nearby pitcher. Smiling the entire time, she brought the basin over to him, setting it on a table. "Sit," she instructed, placing force on his shoulders to seat him on the bed. He eyed her suspiciously as she looked around the room, in search of something. She finally gave up and turned to him. "Where is your razor?"

Nick chuckled. "I can shave my own face, Jo."

She frowned at him. "No, I want to do it." She strolled over to a set of drawers in the corner, a wooden box catching her eye. She turned to him, questioning her guess and he simply nodded. "I used to do this for Fritz all the time," she explained, opening the box and pulling out a straight razor. "Although, he had never spent two months on a deserted island…"

She grabbed a bar of soap and got right to work. After lathering up her hands with the soap, she gently massaged it against his face, her gaze locked with his. Nick could feel himself relax into her touch and he smiled as she reached for the blade. "Ya sure you know what you're doin'?" he asked, teasingly.

"You better hope so," Jo quirked and then began to expertly guide the razor against his skin. Her strokes were so light and quick that Nick could barely tell if she was cutting the hair at all. He closed his eyes, enjoying the care and her closeness. He seemed to lose all track of time and with one last stroke, she was finished, carefully wiping his face with a towel. He slowly opened his eyes and she stood there grinning, a mirror in hand. "What do you think?"

He jokingly studied his face in the mirror, trying to critique her work but he had never received a better shave, even from a barber. "You're amazin'," he said, the jest falling from his face. He stood, taking the mirror from her hands and setting it onto the bed. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. "I am so lucky…" he murmured, "and thankful to be here, wit' ya."

She sighed as he lightly kissed her forehead. "Well, we've got plenty to be thankful for this year… and let's not waste another moment."