Stardate 12105.29- Pacific Heights, San Francisco

Jack slowly opened his eyes. For the first time since he and Gracie got married, he had been able to get a good night's sleep. He contributed that to two things. 1. Having Gracie in his arms again. 2. Not having the dark cloud of secrecy hanging overhead anymore. He snuggled deeper into the bed and held Grace closer. He just wanted to stay where he was for as long as he could. He closed his eyes again. He didn't care what the world thought. He and Gracie were married, and Mr. Kit-kit could glare all he wanted. It was none of his business.

Mr. Kit-kit could stuff it! As far as Jack was concerned.

That was when his brain engaged. Mr. Kit-kit, Mr. Kit-kit always sat on Gracie's nightstand ….at her parent's house.

Letting out a curse, Jack quickly jumped out of bed, waking Grace in the process.

"Jack… what's wrong?" Grace asked groggily.

"Uh…" he looked around, "Uh…." He heard a knock on the room's door.

"I know you two newlyweds want to spend all day in bed, but you promised to visit Ravenwood's cottage this morning," Alan called from the hallway.

"Oh… Right, we are married…." Jack looked to his wife.

Gracie was having a hard time stifling her laughter.

"How did you sleep last night?" Inga asked as she poured warm tea in a mug for Grace and smiled at the couple.

"Better than I have in a week," Jack said with a stretch.

"Morning, Inga." Gracie hugged Inga in a manner that was far too chipper for Jack and Sam's opinion. Sam had been up for an hour. Inga had started filling him with coffee.

"Alright, Missy." Inga handed Gracie a bowl and small bottle, "Here is your fruit and granola bowl. The bottle is your extra vitamins and whatever else your doctor wants you to take. Now sit and eat." Chuckling, Grace sat down at the breakfast table.

"What can I get you for breakfast, boys?" Inga asked, "Minus the poultry item that we shall not name." Inga winked at Grace.

"How about your ground oats with honey?" Jack asked as he slid into the seat next to Grace.

"More coffee…" Sam gestured to his cup.

"You will get more coffee once you eat something." Inga walked over to the replicator to get two bowls of oats. Sam made a rude gesture behind Inga's back and received a kick in the shin from his sister in response.

"Oy! Get off." Sam grumbled.

"Serves you right staying up so late last night." Jack glared at him.

"I got an idea and had to run with it." Sam shrugged as Inga placed the food before him. "I didn't plan to be in the lab that long."

"He fell asleep at the workbench," Alan said as he entered the kitchen. "Thankfully, the data pads are drool-proof." He smirked. Sam narrowed his eyes at his dad.

"It has happened to me too, Sam." Jack patted him on the back. "But I'm sure your dad didn't wake you up as creatively as… OW!" Jack rubbed his leg and glared at Grace.

"Anywho…" Alan continued, "Robin got called into the office this morning to deal with an issue with the Klingon representative on the oversight board and that weasel Captain Archibald McTavish." Alan said the name in great distaste.

"I was hoping she would be able to come with us," Grace grumbled. "McTavish causing trouble is never good."

"You know your mom would be here if it weren't important." Alan sighed, "McTavish just likes sticking his nose where it doesn't belong."

"And Mom usually ends up rubbing his nose in it." Sam grinned.

"True." Alan went over and refilled his coffee. "We have about 20 minutes before we need to leave for Ravenwood. Finish your breakfast and get into clothing that you don't mind getting dirty." Alan nodded to the three kids and then headed off to his office to finish a few things.

"Grace, I am sending something to your room's replicator. I took some of your favorite old clothes and had the replicator make them fit you a little better." Inga said from the other side of the bar. "Jack, there are some old clothing of Alan and Sam's that would work for you in the system as well."

"Thank you…" both called from the table.

After a moment of silence, Jack spoke, "This is weird."

"How so?" Gracie asked behind her tea.

"Sitting at this table eating breakfast with you." He stirred his oats. "It is different."

"You are eating with your wife and brother-in-law for one," Sam smirked.

Jack shook himself, "Still difficult to wrap my head around that."

Inga quickly walked into the room, "Gracie, Christine just called."

"Something wrong?" Grace asked, concerned.

"She won't be at the farm today. One of her colleagues caught something and could not be near the children. Christine was the only one they could call in on such short notice. She sends her apologies and will talk to you as soon as she can."

"It should be right around this bend if memory serves me right." Stated Jack as he led the way down the overgrown dirt path towards the back of the property.

"It's going to need some weed abatement and some tree trimming," stated Sam matter of factly.

"Over the meadow and through the woods..." hummed Katie, who got met with a "Will you stop?" from Jack. She chuckled a moment and then took a few steps back when she noticed that Grace was getting a bit winded and falling behind.

"Are you okay, Gracie?" she asked and was greeted with a nod.

"Just need a second to catch up. I'm glad that I was able to complete my pre-assignment physical fitness test BEFORE all of this happened." Grace glared at Jack.

As the group crested the top of the rolling hill, the group was greeted by the sight of the older generation standing out front of the cottage, obviously discussing plans for the place. Jack and Sam walked up to Richard and Alan, and Sam asked: "Well, how does it look?"

"It needs a bit of prettying up. But the roof, exterior cladding, and the windows seem to be in decent shape, and overall, the bones seem solid." Stated Alan.

"A little bit of trim work and some paint and replace a few boards on the veranda, and she'll be good as new." Stated Richard.

"That's a relief," said Grace as she finally caught up to the group with Katie by her side. Lynn nodded in agreement.

"Let's see what the inside is like, shall we?" Jack motioned to the front door.

"I wonder if it's just like we remember from when we were little?" queried Katie.

"Looks like we are about to find out," stated Jack as he and Richard opened the front door. The group found the same pale-yellow walls and dated tan carpeting in the main living area accented by a thick layer of dust as it creaked open. Beside the living area was a small dining room with a maple breakfast nook and flooring, leading to a galley-style kitchen with matching maple cabinetry. Above the infrared stovetop hung a set of cast-iron cookware if anyone wanted to cook a meal the old-fashioned way. The kitchen was adjacent to a simple stairway leading to the upstairs.

"Whoa...this IS like walking into my childhood. We used to have sleepovers here with Grandma Lilly when she would stay over because our parents were out of town." She pointed up the stairs. "I lost my first tooth in the bathroom at the top of those very stairs," she stated as Grace walked up behind her.

"It's nice. I think that once we put our touches on it, we can use this little "nest" when we are in town." Jack nodded in agreement, but before he could say anything, Sam jumped in;

"And I can take care of it while you are on your assignment!"

Lynn rolled her eyes at that statement while Alan and Richard just smiled and shook their heads.

"You have a LOT of growing up to do before your mom, and I even think about letting you out of the nest," said Alan, arms crossed.

"I may be leaving one nest, but this can be another nest. A Raven's Nest!" He exclaimed. "And seeing as Richard said that I can set up a forge in the old Blacksmith shop next to the workshop, I can have a Raven's Fire as well!" he said.

Katie reached over and popped his dream bubble. "Ground Control to Major Sam!" she sassed, "Did you forget that we are doing this for Grace and Jack?"

"No, I didn't. I just figured that I could. Lend my services while they were away AND work on my craft while doing it."

"Well, you're not going to be working on ANYTHING except your studies until they are finished. And living on your own is a big responsibility, and the Skylers don't have time to be babysitting you." stated Alan."

"Anyway..." Interjected Jack. "I agree with Grace that it does have some potential, but let's go upstairs and check the bathroom and the bedrooms before we make any decisions." as he led the way upstairs, the girls held back.

"So, what do you REALLY think, Grace?" Asked Lynn.

"It's quaint, cute, and sweet. So simple yet elegant," replied Grace.

"And with some basic landscaping and some ambient lighting, you can have a very nice outdoor space as well. I mean, these fingernails may look delicate, but while I inherited my grandfather's love of acting if you look closely, I also have my grandmother's green thumbs," stated Katie. "We could have a garden all set up by the time you get back in a couple of years. She beamed.

"One step at a time." countered Grace.

"But she does have a good point." Said Lynn. "And if it takes a village to raise a child, then it looks like this little niece or nephew of mine is in good hands." she grinned. The sounds of the men upstairs echoed down the stairwell. It shortly followed by the sounds of footsteps descending the stairs.

"I think we have a deal," exclaimed Jack.

"I think so too," said Grace. "And they were right when they said that this place does have its seclusion and that we will be close enough to home and far enough away to have a place of our own."

"So, it's settled then?" asked Richard.

"It is!" Jack and Grace exclaimed in unison.

"The 'little' Ravens have picked their nest. And like my annoying little brother has said, a 'Raven's Nest." beamed Grace.

"So there is only one more thing to do then." beamed Richard; much to the bemusement of everyone else in the room, he tapped his communicator badge. "Skyler to Losco."

"Losco here, Admiral, go ahead."

"Does your offer still stand, Colonel?" he grinned. Lynn raised her arms in the air as if to say, "What are you doing?"

"It does, Admiral." came the voice on the other end of the channel.

"Then 'Operation Raven' is a go!" he stated as 48 Starfleet Marines beamed onto the cleared space of the road.

In an angry, whisperer tone, Lynn tore into him, "What the hell, Richard?!

"Calm down." Richard gestured to the Marines. "These are the Marines I spent the last three weeks supervising on exercise. The good Colonel lost a bet and owed me a favor. I'm cashing it in to help Jack and Sam get a leg up on the house." Lynn glared at him, then went over with the rest of the girls.

"Richard!" Jack called from where he was getting introduced to the enlisted marines helping him.

Deciding that retreat was the best case of action, Richard went to the Marines. "I'm here. What do you need?"

"The guys tell me they are here to be my crew for the next couple of days." Jack indicated the marines around him.

"This is your show. Sam is here to be your second in command. The Colonel is here to help you. First, you tell him what you want to be done. Then, these guys will help you do it." Richard chuckled.

"Well then..." Jack turned to Losco, "Break your troops into small teams. We need to know what we have to work without here. Is there anything we can salvage, and what will need to be removed?"

"Yes, sir," Losco smirked, "1st Platoon, take the east side of the house. 2nd Platoon, take the north. 3rd Platoon, west side, the Lieutenant and I will work with 4th Platoon on the south side."

Nodding, the troops went to work.

Jack leaned over to the Colonel when the troops were away, "I appreciate you doing this."

"No problem. Your brother is a good officer, and we help a brother in arms out. Can't let you ship out without making sure your family is taken care of."

"Sir, from what I can tell, we will need to clear out the undergrowth and the overgrown limbs before we can do much. But, first, we need to make a staging area for supplies and to do basic construction." So the sergeant of the 1st Platoon reported.

A specialist was tugging at some of the overgrown grass, "There appear to be remnants of a cobblestone path. I suggest that you use local stones to refurbish it. I'd like to start digging this out to do a better inspection."

"Have at it." Jack laughed.

"There are remnants of a picket fence over here. My squad could clear this out." Another grunt called from the road/path.

"Please, that will give us an idea of what we can do for fencing and find out what is under all this," Jack shouted to them.

A few minutes later, the sergeant of 1st Platoon jogged up to them. "There is a cut-off 50 meters up the road. There appears to be a carriage house or garage of some sort at the end of the cut-off. We assume you want us to clear out the junk and foliage so you can inspect it."

"Foliage clear out and dispose of it. Any junk, create a pile on the other side of the road, and we will go through it later today." Jack indicated. With a nod, the Marine reported back to their team.

Sighing, Jack turned around to look at his new home. "When finished, this cottage will be amazing."

"Some cottage that's bigger than my TAU." Losco laughed.

Jack rolled his eyes, and with the Colonel, they headed to the east side of the house to see what else might be there. "Su, find anything?" Losco asked.

"Whoever was here before knew their plants. It is badly overgrown, but I believe there was a flower garden grill area. I think there may be a nice old-fashioned grill under one of the large bushes. Oh, and the flower bushes in the front flowerbeds are overgrown and need serious pruning."

Losco nodded, "Do what you can today. This garden was once Jack's grandmother's home, and she was a botanist."

"That explains a lot." Su turned to Jack, "Would you mind if I brought my botanist friend with me tomorrow. I think they would go nuts over redoing this garden."

"The more, the merrier." Jack laughed.

Jack and Losco wound their way up onto the porch. "What do you think?" Jack asked.

He was leaning on one of the railings. "The steps were of solid stone, but a few cracks would need mending. A magnolia tree has taken root and had winded itself up the side of the house by the kitchen. Two big bay windows extended onto the porch. It would be a nice place for cool evenings." Losco indicated the column next to him. "I'll have one of our engineers look at these to make sure the 2nd-floor balcony is sound. It seems fine but doesn't hurt to double-check."

Jack bounced on his toes, "Someone should replace the rotten boards on the porch as well."

"I'll get someone on the boards." Losco indicated.

Off to the southwest of the house, Sam waved, "Hey, I found a rather mucky duck pond over here. I want help getting it cleaned."

"I'll go get my hazmat guy to help him with that before the ladies have something for him." Losco nudged Jack in the ribs.

"So far, the outside looks good," Richard came around from the back of the house. "A few minor repairs, and the structure should be fine."

Alan walked over to them, "The grounds are going to need a lot of work. I'll work with the teams to get as much of the overgrowth removed, get a plan together to relandscape the area."

"Nothing like a little hard work outdoors to do you some good," Sam strolled up onto the porch.

Katie pushed the front door open to talk to the boys on the porch, "This place is so cute! Outback, there is a path that leads up to Winchester's Hill."

"Could you check that out next," Jack asked. Losco shrugged and headed to the back of the house.

"Mom said they need you upstairs," Katelyn indicated Richard was to follow her upstairs and out onto the 2nd-floor balcony.

As he came up behind, Katie Richard warned. "Careful out there, we haven't had the engineer check the base structure, and some of the boards might be loose."

"No worries, we are fine," Lynn called back.

"It is beautiful up here." Katie gasped as she walked up to the front rail of the balcony, "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet. 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would were he not Romeo called, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee Take all myself."

From below, Sam responded, "By a name, I know not how to tell thee who I am: My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself Because it is an enemy to thee; Had I it written, I would tear the word." He purposefully overacted the part.

"Yeah, the word is…."

"Katie!" Richard snapped.

"… you," Katie laughed. In response, Sam bit his thumb at her. "How did you know that?"

"Simple," Sam laughed, "I'm a literature major out of Oxford, England. If I didn't know it, I'd be laughed off the campus."

"Come on, you two, we don't need another Romeo and Juliet in the family," Lynn commented at them. "Speaking of which, where is our Romeo?"

"I'm in here," Jack called from one of the bedrooms off the balcony. He had been behind Richard coming up the stairs but had stepped into that room instead of the balcony.

Richard went back inside and found Jack standing in the middle of an empty room, looking lost. "Are you okay, Jack?"

"Sorta..." Jack replied.

Richard leaned over and whispered in Jack's ear, "You can see it, can't you."

Jack shook himself, "Uh.. yeah." A big smile spread across his face. "The crib there. And maybe Grandma Lilly's rocking chair there. There is a wardrobe. Plenty of space to play with toys." Jack whooped with laughter.

Sam came up the main stairs to the upstairs, "There is a sitting room, small dining room, nice kitchen, an office, and a half bath downstairs."

"There are four bedrooms up here." Katelyn flashed a rude gesture at Sam, "I think Jack has picked out which one is going to be the nursery."

"The Primary Suite is just down the hallway," Grace elbowed Katie to cut it out. "That leaves two more bedrooms for guests and extra offices."

"What do you think, Jack?" Richard asked.

"I think it is wonderful." He laughed; still, a bit bowled over by everything.

"I love it." Grace beamed and went over to hug her sweaty husband but stopped. "Ugh…You are filthy,"

"That happens on hot summer days doing construction." Jack kissed his wife.

"How about the ladies go back to the main house and start planning the interior. And if you are NICE," Lynn kissed her husband's cheek. "We might even bring food and cold beverages back here for everyone." Lynn caught the eye of the other females, and they made their way out of the house.