I am SOOOOOOOOO SORRY it's taken me so long to update! First my motivation to write gets eaten away by depression then I have a bombshell dropped on my head.

It may not matter to some of you, but I feel the need to get this off my chest.

Last Friday I learned that my "undiagnosed learning difficulty" (that I've told very few people about) is actually a form of high functioning autism. It came as a shock and honestly, I don't think I'm over it just yet. My friends and the family I've told have all been supportive during this…turbulent time. If I hadn't gone to see that work psychologist, I probably never would've found out.

Anywho, with that said, here's chapter five. Bit of a filler chapter I guess with a milestone or two thrown in.

Five

June slowly started coming to a close and life for the Blitzkrieg Boys had never been better. With Bryan and Tala in stable employment the overall mood in the house had lifted. Max upheld his promise to keep in touch, calling every weekend and on occasion phoned on Wednesdays. If all went well he'd visit again before Christmas. Alkanet and Yasha kept Spencer on his toes with how mobile they'd gotten. The girls were so active Mariam had suggested getting them a walker each.

Yasha hated hers, preferring to be on all fours, tripping up anyone foolish enough not to watch the floor. Alkanet on the other hand gave Bryan hell, chasing him through the living room and she'd caught his toes a few times. Spencer simply didn't understand why Alkanet hated Bryan so much. He could only hope she grew out of it in the future.

Kai came back for a visit without Mariam in the second week of July, worried when he couldn't see either of the babies in immediate sight. Spencer came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of drinks, handing a steaming mug to Kai.

"So, how's work?"

Kai grumbled into the gifted drink about having too much paperwork to sign making Spencer laugh. Alkanet's whereabouts became known when she started to chew on Kai's shoe laces the second Ian came jogging down the stairs. As expected Kai was not amused to have his feet chewed on.

"Get off you little rat."

Spencer moved Alkanet from Kai's feet and she happily wandered off. Ian, ever the jester, decided to tease Kai.

"Aw she likes you. Give Allie a break Kai, she doesn't see you that often."

Kai glared at Ian, who was now trying to get his own teethed on shoes from Alkanet who thought they were a teething toy. Not much else happened afterward. Kai stayed for a few hours, long enough to watch Alkanet racing after Bryan in her walker when he came home from work. The second tallest Blitzkrieg Boy didn't come downstairs until he knew for certain that Alkanet was in her bouncy chair taking a nap from terrorizing Kai by attacking his feet with a teething ring that thankfully wasn't frozen, reluctantly taking Yasha so Spencer could put the kettle on.

At 9, almost 10 months of age the girls were becoming a handful. Bryan was hardly ever seen outside of meal times when home. While Alkanet's loathing of Bryan was concerning it was funny to watch a grown man run from a baby. Spencer made something of a mistake buying some pots of baby safe paint to keep the girls entertained. The result, Ian looking like a drunken clown had tried to put their face on because like a moron he fell asleep in the living room when the paints were out.

Alkanet and Yasha were punished by mass tickling when Ian came to and found out what they'd done. He then took both girls to do the same to Bryan who had the day off. Spencer hadn't envied Ian when their brother chased him around the house just as Tala returned from work. Seeing Yasha covered from head to toe in paint told the redhead what had transpired, resisting the urge to howl with laughter when Spencer showed him what the sisters had done to both Ian and Bryan.

As luck would have it, Kai and Mariam dropped by for a visit. Kai rarely laughed at anything but seeing the pictures of Bryan and Ian with badly painted faces almost had him sprawling on the floor cackling hysterically. Mariam warned Spencer he had two budding young artists on his hands and that the walls would be next if they were left unsupervised. Bryan received a call from Max later that evening, teasing him about his makeup. Of course Spencer had sent the photo to Max.

The placid giant got his comeuppance the following morning but Bryan didn't use baby safe paint. He'd found an old pot of Kai's blue face paint lying around in the bathroom. And unfortunately for Spencer, there was no makeup remover at hand so he was forced to walk around with blue marks on his face until Mariam came to rescue him.

The childish antics of her brothers in law never ceased to make Mariam smile. They really were just big kids at heart and she couldn't blame them. After all, the victims of Balkov Abbey never got to be kids while imprisoned there. Fun and laughter didn't exist in those cold cells. The only thing they knew was training and war.

August flew by, making way for September. Kai couldn't say he didn't enjoy his 20th birthday on August 2nd as he was treated to a fine dinner with his brothers. Alkanet and Yasha had helped Ian to make a card for him rather than buying one. Snow began to form thick blankets along the streets, painting the town a blinding white. Alkanet and Yasha would fall into a trance just watching snowflakes falling from the sky, joined by Tala when he wasn't working.

Piercing silences usually worried Spencer but the sight of Tala and their daughters hunkered down in their bedroom gazing out the window always soothed him. The trio were so engrossed watching the snow falling that Ian managed to paint a portrait of them as they sat completely still for hours at a time. Once dry the new painting was hung down in the living room with all the others. Photos and paintings lined the walls, giving the room life. Ian's favourite picture so far was one of Yasha pulling on Kai's hair when he'd been convinced to hold her a couple of months ago. Kai hadn't gone near Yasha for weeks after that.

Spencer tensed one day when Tala confronted him about putting the girls in another room. While Boris and Voltaire were no longer a threat, they had been replaced with naturally occurring dangers. One of Spencer's biggest fears was losing one of both of the girls to SIDS or suffocation from blankets. He somehow managed to convince Tala to wait until the sisters were a year old before putting them in a room of their own. If his calculations were correct, Alkanet and Yasha were born in October the previous year.

Close to the end of September Kai once again stopped by the house. Him arriving in a suit told Spencer he'd just come from work plus Tala had been with him, also dressed for office work. By the time Spencer's redheaded lover came back in more casual clothing, Kai was sat on the sofa sipping at a cup of tea. They were both distracted by the sound of something being chewed on. Looking down to his right, Kai saw Yasha trying and failing to take a chunk out of Dranzer.

"Oh hell no!" He quipped, snatching the blue blade away.

Tears quickly built up in Yasha's eyes, the tot scooped instantly into Tala's arms to calm her. "Kai, she's just a kid."

Steely crimson eyes clashed with scolding lavender, silence hanging heavily in the air. "Says the redhead who can't sleep in his room because of a little smell."

Tala's chest puffed up within seconds, his eyes narrowing dangerously with murderous intent. Kai should know better than anyone that he had a very acute sense of smell. Spencer came out of the kitchen wondering what all the commotion was in time to hear Tala biting back.

"That's not fair! I have a sensitive nose and you know it midget!"

Before Kai could rise to the insult Spencer held him firmly down. Only Ian's return could break the heavy silence and Spencer didn't like the grim look on his face. Had the former sniper been kicked out of college? Or did Ian's fearful look have something to do with Bryan? A thousand possibilities ran through Spencer's mind until Ian finally croaked to life.

"We've got trouble. Somebody, I don't know who, has revealed the girls to the media. I barely got home alive with dozens of reporters hounding me."

Another one of Spencer's concerns was their current situation. He knew his brothers wouldn't do anything to alert the press that two babies were in the house. So it had to be someone either from the wedding a few months back or they were being spied on. Spencer could only assume Bryan was also being harassed by reporters at the BBA or on his route home. The brother in question bolted into the house and locked the door securely behind him.

Heaving a sigh, Kai stood from his seat and approached the door. "I'll get rid of the bloodhounds and find out who leaked your secret. When I do they'll wish they'd never been born."

Spencer had no time to protest as Kai stormed out of the building and barked angrily at the presumed swarm of journalists. When everything fell quiet, Spencer took the risk of looking outside, finding nobody there. All curtains were pulled shut to keep prying eyes out. As expected most of the news channels on TV were buzzing with speculation. Bryan excused himself to answer his phone. Max had seen the news and wanted to know how the guys were holding up. Bryan's blonde boyfriend went on to say he'd be visiting in November and would be bringing Charlotte along at Judy's insistence. Bryan informed Spencer of Max's planned visit, grimacing as he did so.

Two weeks dragged by after the hounds of the media found a scent to follow. Kai hadn't uncovered the snitch yet and that bothered him. He made a few appearances on the news regarding Alkanet and Yasha's existence after days of dodging questions. Spencer got roped in to one with Tala and they had been convinced to bring the girls. The world would find out eventually and Kai advised them to just get it over with. Mr. Dickenson also made a statement saying he supported the Blitzkrieg Boys' decision to adopt the abandoned sisters and made it perfectly clear both infants were in no danger.

That didn't stop the authorities from trying to take Alkanet and Yasha away. It was only thanks to Kai making some very serious threats that child services backed off. Not all of them were horrible people blinded by ignorance. One agent spoke kindly of the Blitzkrieg Boys, that they were taking good care of the girls and all rumours of neglect were just blind conjecture and malicious jealousy.

Now that the world knew about Alkanet and Yasha Spencer was a bit more comfortable taking them outside but only when it couldn't be avoided. Of course there were still negative stories being told by the media that couldn't be silenced fast enough. If it wasn't for the body guards hired by Kai, Spencer likely would've been jumped by mobs, the others too.

Thankfully the media's attention was drawn away eventually by some celebrity or other doing what they did best, allowing Spencer and Tala to make the final preparations for Alkanet and Yasha's surprise birthday party in moderate peace. It wouldn't be a huge party with only family attending. Spencer sent an invite to Mr. Dickenson out of courtesy after the old man had risen to their defence regarding the girls. Said siblings would also need a bed of their own soon and Mariam advised getting one that was similar to a cot so they didn't fall out.

At 12 months Yasha had begun learning to walk, putting everyone in the house on high alert. Spencer was still nervous about the sisters being in a separate room to him at night but knew they had to learn independence at some point and better sooner rather than later. Mariam had her hands full convincing Kai to get something for his nieces when she wasn't assisting Tala and Spencer to plan the party. He gave in eventually, telling her to just go out and get something from both of them.

Tala woke earlier than usual on October 20th, surprised to see Spencer still out for the count. He reached out a hand to stroke Spencer's cheek with care not to rouse him. Slipping into his fluffy white slippers, Tala padded down into the kitchen and put the kettle on. While Tala's cooking lessons had gone well he didn't feel comfortable using the oven just yet without supervision.

Spencer had made a Russian fruit loaf the previous afternoon, half of it sat in the fridge so Tala carved a few slices for his and Spencer's breakfast, finding some Quaker porridge oats in the cupboard to accompany it. Thankfully the microwave didn't make a lot of noise, allowing the still sleepy redhead to carry out his plan. Returning to his room, Tala saw Spencer was still sleeping, creeping inside to set the tray down before going about waking the slumbering giant by kissing him tenderly on the lips. Green eyes fluttered open, meeting the seductive lavender gaze of Tala lying in front of them.

It took a moment for Spencer to realise it was morning, tugging his thinner lover boy closer to return the affection. For Tala to be up first Spencer must've been incredibly tired. Parting for air, Tala pulled his heart melting wolfish grin, a hand on Spencer's chest to stop him going on a kissing spree.

"Good morning kisses. Did you have fun last night? I know I did."

Spencer responded to Tala's teasing by nipping at his milky neck and groped his toosh.

"I'll take that as yes. Now let go so I can give you your breakfast you sexy sailor."

Heat lifted to Spencer's cheeks as he released Tala's waist and moved into a sitting position. Being treated to breakfast in bed was an extremely rare occurrence. It wasn't the fanciest morning meal in the world but Tala's heart was in the right place and that was all that mattered. He even changed and dressed the girls, a peg on his nose to save his delicate scent receptors. By the time he got back with the sisters on his hips, Spencer had cleaned the tray of every last morsel. Putting the tray to one side, Tala snuggled up to his little family, the love he felt for them growing stronger. He vowed to do whatever it took to protect them.

Later in the afternoon those attending the party had gathered at the house. Mr. Dickenson had cancelled all of his appointments just to come and see Alkanet and Yasha again! He even spoiled the sisters rotten. The Blitzkrieg Boys would never admit it aloud, but the BBA chairman was like a grandfather to them, the grandfather they never had, even for Kai whose only living grandparent had been a deranged psychopath.

Just for a laugh, Tala put on a recording of Kai's wedding. Kai, Bryan and Ian went bright red in the face at the end where Spencer had gotten them to sing Witch Doctor sounding like the munchkins from the wizard of Oz. Alkanet persisted for Spencer's attention while Mariam went to fetch the cake. Thinking something might be wrong; Spencer hefted Alkanet onto his lap and supported her back.

"What is it Princess?"

Alkanet seemed to hesitate, staring up into Spencer's eyes. Predicting a milestone might be about to happen, Ian pulled out his camcorder and hit record. Alkanet saw the camera, waving at it, earning her a wave in response from Ian. A painful silence hung in the air until…

"Papa!"

Nobody could believe their ears, Mariam running back into the room. Yasha crawled over, prompting Tala to pluck her from the floor and onto his knee in time for her sister to start babbling again.

"Papa!"

There was no room for doubt; Alkanet had said her first word! It warmed everyone to watch Spencer folding his gigantic arms around the tiny toddler fighting back tears of happiness. Yasha made the moment even more memorable by calling Tala papa though she struggled a little getting the word out. Now not one, but two grown men were blubbering like children and Ian made sure he got it all on film. It warmed Mr. Dickenson the most to see the former child soldiers had transformed into the gentle souls before him.

With no further distractions Mariam brought out the cake. Alkanet and Yasha were ecstatic and couldn't wait to blow out the candles…well they tried. Alkanet had almost everyone laughing when she shouted at the stubborn flames, waving her chunky arms wildly. The girls tried again, this time with help from Spencer. Tala didn't care if Mr.D knew about his and Spencer's relationship, wrapping an arm around the gentle giant's waist and kissed his cheek.

"Happy birthday honeybun."

The next few weeks seemed to drag by after the party. Before returning to Japan, Mr. Dickenson told the boys to call him if they ever needed anything, even if it was just to chat. It still felt strange to the Blitzkrieg Boys, having support from the older generation. Grandpa Granger had given them a similar talk after the wedding.

Kai approached Ian at the beginning of November about opening his own photography studio that his company would fund. It wouldn't be a large studio but big enough to get started. Ian went on a tour of the premises to see it was already equipped with everything he'd need to start his own little business. Ian accepted Kai's offer on the condition that once he was making enough money to keep himself afloat he didn't want anymore funding and Kai understood. But he'd be there to bail Ian out if he landed in hot water. Spencer, Bryan and Tala were pleased to hear their midget of a brother would finally be carving out his future. They weren't the only ones. Mariam was proud to have such a selfless husband who put the wellbeing of others before his own.

Like the loving brothers they were, Spencer and Tala were Ian's first clients. While it was true they already had so many pictures at home, there weren't really any of just the girls with their fathers. Getting Alkanet and Yasha to sit still had been one hell of a job until Ian held up a toy from his position by the camera, grabbing their attention. Mariam did her best to spread the word of Ian's little business as she volunteered at a local homeless shelter, getting her brother-in-law several more customers! Spencer helped out where keeping track of the money earned was concerned.

Midway through November a call came from Max. He'd be getting on a plane with Charlotte on the 22nd some time in the afternoon so they would be arriving late evening Moscow time. Bryan agreed to pick them up from the airport causing suspicion to start circling in Spencer's mind. His brother was hiding something and he'd find out what it was eventually. When told their Uncle Max was coming to visit the girls wouldn't sit still and fought against sleeping the night before his imminent arrival.

November 22nd started like any other day. Alkanet tried to knock Bryan over in her walker and almost succeeded if Ian hadn't intervened. The morning saw Spencer alone at home with the girls until Bryan returned just after midday, a few bags of groceries in hand. Hoping it might help to get him on Alkanet's good side he gave her something soft to snack on. Of course Yasha got a treat too.

The falcon master then snuck in a few hours of sleep in preparation for later, wisely napping up in his room and not on a sofa. Spencer meanwhile prepared the guest room for Max's arrival while the sisters took a power nap. Tala and Ian were home by the time Bryan woke up. They had both gotten something for Charlotte and Spencer busied himself baking something sweet leaving Bryan to wonder if he should buy something for Max's little sister. He left the house early enough to browse around a few shops, eventually settling for some sweet piroshki. No doubt Charlotte would be hungry from the long flight.

Arriving at the airport after dark, Bryan sat down where Max could spot him easily and waited, devouring the piroshki he'd bought for himself, musing that it didn't taste as good as the ones Spencer made. Blue eyes were threatening to close after an hour of waiting in total silence, a squeal of delight shattering the peace.

"Unca Bry!"

Bryan had certainly not expected Charlotte to be wide awake and speeding toward him, leaping onto a pillar beside the bench high out of her reach. Max wasn't far behind, his freckled face beaming. Charlotte gave up trying to reach her lavender haired uncle, retreating to grab Max's trouser leg with a big yawn. With the coast clear, Bryan put his feet back on the ground. The air became heavy as the falcon master couldn't find any words to say, a loud gargling noise granting a welcome distraction. Charlotte was trying not to make any fuss as she held her stomach. Max shook his head, telling Bryan the girl had been stubborn about eating on the flight. Charlotte looked up when a brown paper bag was held out to her, gazing into sharp blue eyes.

"Here kiddo. I anticipated you might be hungry. It's not much but should keep you going until morning."

It made Max happy to see Charlotte's face lighting up as she eagerly took the bag. "Charlie, what do you say?"

Said girl was already busy eating so Max let her off this time.

The drive home was long and silent. Charlotte had promptly fallen asleep with a full stomach about twenty minutes into the journey. By the time they arrived, Spencer and the others were already in bed so Bryan kept all noise to a minimum. He surprised Max by carrying Charlotte up to the spare bedroom and placed her down with unnatural care. Him being eager to bed the buff blonde also came as a mild surprise. While Max had waited months to put his hands all over Bryan he wanted sleep more right now, pushing the taller male away with much struggle.

"Bry, not now." He whispered in a slightly clipped tone. "You can have your fun later. Not while Charlotte's here."

Bryan fought back, reclaiming Max's lips in a fierce kiss. Sucking on his neck earned him a restrained moan from the shorter blonde. Resistance eventually proved futile as Bryan found all of Max's sensitive spots, courting him sweetly. The art of love was still a strange thing to Bryan, remembering how bliss had overwhelmed him the last time he had Max so close.

As the morning began to break Bryan laid in bed gazing blindly at the ceiling. He vividly remembered pinning Max first to a wall, then the mattress, cold lips smothering him to stifle their cries. Looking to his right, Bryan's heart sank upon finding the bed empty. Give it time, he told himself, it wouldn't be empty forever. Yet Max wouldn't be able to stay permanently unless he gained Russian citizenship. On this front Bryan felt torn. On one hand he wanted the caring blonde to be his completely but on the other, couldn't stand to rip Max from the family he already had and loved dearly. Going months without Max's touch had been difficult but if that was what it took to keep his boyfriend content, Bryan would push through it.

Yet he feared the possibility of a woman stealing Max from him. Would Max's parents force him into a normal marriage when they find out? Judy had seen Bryan at his worst and she wouldn't be in the wrong to fear for Max's safety. Normally Bryan didn't care what people thought of him but the idea of being deemed unworthy for Max had him fearful for the first time since childhood.

Bright and early next morning Spencer went about waking everyone except Max and Charlotte. Bryan was also given an extra hour given how late he would've gotten to bed. To Spencer's surprise Charlotte came plodding into the kitchen while he was preparing breakfast. Tala was half awake half asleep at the table, leaving Ian to greet the youngster.

"Hey kid. What are you doing up so early?"

Charlotte was quite understandably nervous of Ian, backing away from him a little. By all accounts she looked tired still. Ian offered Charlotte one of his hands with a friendly smile. She stared at the extended appendage for a good few minutes before grasping it tightly.

"There, there." Ian cooed. "No need to be afraid. We don't bite. Remember Uncle Kai's wedding?"

Charlotte's face brightened straight away at the mentioning of Kai, but then became sad upon recalling that he'd avoided her.

"Well we were there too. You knocked us over the first time we met."

Spencer glanced over his shoulder to see Charlotte getting all bashful, Ian still holding her hand as he tried to earn the tot's trust.

"You must be pretty strong to knock Spencer off his feet. He's very heavy."

Said giant sent Ian a stern glare but it lasted for no more than half a second. Tala's face emerged from behind pale arms as steaming plates of food were set out on the table. Charlotte remembered Spencer better than the others, clinging to his leg when he approached her. Their eyes met, a bond forming from the simple contact. Spencer crouched down and plucked Charlotte off the floor, resting her on his hip.

"Now how about some breakfast then we go kick Max out of bed hm?"

Charlotte certainly liked the sound of that, throwing her arms around Spencer's neck with a squeal of happiness. Sitting Charlotte at the table, Spencer cooked up some more of his "famous" pancakes and drizzled them with a homemade strawberry sauce. He sat down with his own plate and they all ate in companionable silence. By the time Charlotte finished she had sauce all over her face, a content smile stretching from ear to ear. Once their morning meal had settled, Spencer took Charlotte upstairs and into the spare bedroom, Ian following close behind with a camera. On the count of three, Max was catapulted out of bed with a shriek of surprise by Spencer and Charlotte jumping on it.

Max couldn't be mad at his baby sister for long, pulling her into a loving embrace. If Spencer didn't know any better he'd say Max hadn't gotten much sleep after getting to the house. Ian left the trio in peace to try and get Bryan out of bed only to flee from a flying boot. Max wordlessly left the room without any clothes in hand and vanished into Bryan's room, closing the door with a mad grin plastered on his face.

Spencer wasn't sure if he should be suspicious or concerned, pressing an ear to the door to try and eaves drop. All he could hear was muffled whispering and grumbles of protest probably from Bryan. Only Alkanet and Yasha kicking up a fuss could distract him from taking a sneaky peek. With Max gone, Charlotte clung to Spencer's heels, still intimidated by her new surroundings despite how nicely it was decorated. Tala had apparently snuck by while the mischievous duo launched Max out of dream land, leaving his and Spencer's room half dressed in smart black trousers, a button up ice blue shirt in hand along with an orange tie and matching black blazer. He gave the twins and Spencer a hasty kiss to the cheek before jogging down the stairs just as a car horn could be heard honking outside.

Alkanet and Yasha were changed and dressed in a matter of minutes. Ian helped get the sisters downstairs for their breakfast, fastening Yasha into the high chair just as Max walked in with Bryan hunched over beside him, smiling triumphantly. Spencer took a moment to examine Bryan. The falcon master's legs were shaking and he looked a bit pale, more so than usual.

"C'mon Bryan." Max chimed all too sweetly. "I didn't rough you up that much you sissy."

An elbow to Max's gut was Bryan's response before he seemingly limped to the table and warily sat down. Max wasn't far behind, wisely seating himself a few spaces away from his secret lover both to avoid further suspicion and abuse. For now Spencer shrugged his concerns to one side, returning to the oven once Alkanet was buckled into her chair. It wasn't long before Ian had to leave, kissing his nieces and Charlotte on the forehead.

And there it is. Working on chapter six now.

Just for clarification, Max was taken to Bryan's room for the old hanky panky so little Charlotte was not exposed to anything she shouldn't be.

I've also realised that I don't believe I paired Brooklyn with anyone (I left Ian out on purpose for the time being.) but I'm pretty much out of girls with Mariah missing and I have plans for Queen. As for Monica…I'll find someone to throw her at eventually.

Again, no promises but I'll try not to go so long without updating this time.