Nicholas drew another line in the sand but the picture just wouldn't come out the way he wanted it. He released a squeak of annoyance and scratched the picture out; throwing the stick at it.

"Stupid!" he screamed and stood huffing; arms folded as he looked across Snyder pond.

Nothing was going right today. He'd yelled at Mia and made her cry and now even Ethan didn't want to play with him. But he couldn't help it. He felt sore deep inside; like something wanted to burst out but couldn't.

He fisted his hands and squealed again, searching the ground until he found a large enough rock. He struggled to pick it up and when he threw it at the water it didn't go as far as he wanted, irritating him still further.

He kicked a smaller stone instead; climbed up onto an old fallen log and hugged his shins; burying his face against his knees as he fought to control these huge emotions.

Josh left and then Luke and then Noah.

He missed them. But they lied! Because they said they would never leave him. But they did. They went away and when people went away they never came back.

And now Granddad was also gone.

He loved Grandma Lily and he loved Grandma Emma too. He thought for sure they would take care of him now that Josh and Luke and Noah and Granddad left.

But he wanted to go home.

He wanted Luke and Noah to take him and Mia home. He missed his bed and his toys. He missed Betty and Jasmine even though they phoned him once a week. He even missed Dr. Mishra. She asked him lots of questions he didn't always want to answer, but still he missed her.

Without lifting his head, he shifted around so that his back faced the person he could hear coming toward him from the direction of the house.

It would be Grandma Lily coming to fetch him because he didn't return with Ethan. He didn't want to go unless it was for dinner. He wanted to be alone. He didn't want anybody to see he had been crying.

He heard the footsteps come to a stop and wait for a while and he resisted the strong urge to look back. Eventually the footsteps passed him and he knew the person was standing silently by the water.

Whoever it was didn't speak and Nicholas couldn't resist any longer. He risked a peek by lifting his head ever so slightly and was surprised to discover not Grandma Emma, but a very tall and hairy man.

Whenever the man turned to look at him, he would bury his face once more. He didn't know who this person was and that made him nervous. He didn't want to talk to anybody either.

The next time he looked, he noticed the man was carrying a small bag like the one Noah always used to carry his bathroom things in. The man had dark hair like Noah's.

Nicholas eyed this person as the man knelt by the water and splashed his face. Once sufficiently wet the man unzipped his bag and removed a small mirror which he balanced carefully against the side of a jutting rock.

The next thing to emerge from the bag was a pair of small scissors. Nicholas liked scissors. You could cut all sorts of shapes from paper and once Luke showed him how to make a strip of little men holding holds.

Thinking of Luke made him sad again and he sniffed back the threat of tears, still watching the stranger with interest.

To Nicholas's surprise the man didn't use the scissors to cut paper; instead he began to cut the hair on his face; watching himself carefully in the mirror.

Nicholas couldn't help but find this fascinating. He didn't want to give the man the satisfaction of gaining his attention, but he couldn't help it. He had to know.

"What are you doing?" he asked tentatively.

He always felt scared of strangers. He could never know for sure how they would react if he spoke. He didn't want anybody to hit him. But he'd learnt that sometimes he had to ask questions to get the information he wanted.

He liked to learn new things.

The man seemed nice though because he smiled without turning his head. But he said nothing, just continued to snip away at the beard until all that remained was short stubble.

Unable to contain his curiosity for another second, Nicholas went against his usual instinct and jumped from the log to move in closer. When he was a yard away he stopped and watched with interest.

He wondered who this person could be. He was used to strangers coming around to the farm. Grandma Emma knew a lot of people. But he had never seen anything quite like this happen at the pond before.

The man was still in profile when he replaced the scissors in his bag and removed a can that Nicholas knew contained the fluffy stuff Luke and Noah used to shave their faces.

He always loved to watch them in the mornings. Sometimes Luke would let him put the cream on his face and he would pretend to shave with a razor that didn't have a sharp side. He loved to copy them.

The man covered his face in the foam and Nicholas frowned with confusion. Something was odd.

"You know," he told the man with certainty; "you're su'posed to do that in the baf-room."

The man just winked briefly and smiled, nodding in agreement.

"Why are you shaving your face at the pond?"

Nicholas leaned forward to get a better look at the razor as it cut smooth paths up the man's neck and cheek. "Noah says that one day I will have hair on my face. Noah says I will have to shave like him and Luke."

"MmHmm…" the man hummed in response.

The man seemed interested so Nicholas continued, "I don't like hair on my face. But Noah says that having hair grow on your face is the same as having hair grow on your head. Nature decides that. That's what Noah always says."

The man didn't seem to mind that Nicholas was watching him, so the child sat down cross-legged nearby; utterly intrigued. "You su'posed to do that by the sink."

The man's face was turned away as he finished his last stroke and examined his reflection in the mirror; smoothing his face between thumb and forefinger.

Satisfied, the man turned to look back at Nicholas and winked just as the child jumped to his feet in surprise.

Now that the mask was removed the stranger was suddenly no longer so strange and Nicholas's first reaction was to smile; before he remembered he was supposed to be mad.

He crinkled his tiny nose and frowned at the realisation that Noah had tricked him. He folded his arms and turned his back even though his little heart was already beating hard with relief and joy.

"Hello Nicky."

Nicholas could feel Noah's eyes watching him intently and he wanted to turn around and fly into a hug. But he was angry because Noah had left him.

"I know you're mad at me kiddo. I'm really sorry we were gone for so long. But do you remember what I said before I left?"

Nicholas did remember but he said nothing.

"I said that Luke and I love you and Mia more than anything in the whole world. And I said that it didn't matter how long we were gone because that would never change. Even when we're not together we think about you all the time. I missed you so much Nicky."

Nicholas braved a glance back and saw the pleading look in Noah's eyes.

"Please forgive me baby. I just want us to go home. Isn't that you want too?"

"You're a liar and I hate you!" he spat.

He saw Noah recoil under the impact of his words and thought "Good!" He wanted Noah to hurt like he did.

Noah stood and crouched down before him, grasping Nicholas by his shoulders. Nicholas shook himself free and backed away.

"We said we would never leave you and we meant that. But sometimes we have to go away and we can't always take you with. That doesn't mean we won't come back baby."

"You lied! You did!" Nicholas insisted, turning away from Noah once again.

"Look at me, Nicky." Noah requested softly.

Nicholas didn't want to look at Noah, because he still needed to feel angry. But the pull of Noah's blue gaze drew Nicholas's wet eyes to them.

"I can see why you feel that way. We left you both for too long. I know that. We never meant for that to happen. I'm sorry."

Noah reached across the space between them to cup Nicholas's cheek in the palm of his hand and it felt good.

"You're not going away again?" Tears fell down Nicholas's cheeks as he asked the one question he definitely needed an answer to.

"Not for a long while baby." Noah told him as he held his arms open to the child.

Nicholas looked up toward the house, "Is Luke here too?"

Noah nodded.

"And Granddad?"

"Yes."

Nicholas smiled before taking the two short steps to meet Noah and falling into the embrace; enjoying the moment as Noah rocked him back and forth and brushed his cheek with the back of his hand.

...

Even though he knew he should let her sleep through her afternoon nap, it seemed Luke couldn't help himself. He sat on the single bed beside Mia who slept on her tummy; hugging a stuffed elephant under her arm; and he brushed the strawberry fringe from her eyes.

"Mia?" he sang softly. "Open your eyes sweetheart. I want to see those ocean greens."

She moaned and frowned as she clung to sleep. Luke smiled down at her, and Holden could tell from his vantage point by the bedroom door that Luke was pleased at least one of their children appeared content; despite the situation.

Emma, Lily and the girls had been extremely relieved when they finally arrived back home. Ethan took a while to warm up to the boys, but eventually came around and hugged them both hello. They spent some time laughing together about Noah's beard until Ethan told them he'd left Nicholas down by the pond on his own; so Noah headed in that direction.

Holden felt confident in Noah's ability to break through to the boy.

"Wake up baby…" Luke continued to call.

She rolled right over onto her back, rubbing her eyes with both her hands.

"Humph!" she moaned.

Holden was just starting to wonder whether he should call Luke back when Mia opened her eyes and beamed her widest smile yet, becoming all coy and adorable.

"Hey my sweet!" Luke exclaimed with excitement; his throat clenching with emotion.

She shifted the sheet off her little body, stood and took the few wonky steps to reach him for a hello hug.

"Nicky said you weren't coming back…" She exclaimed sleepily, "I told him! I told him you would and he said you wouldn't!"

Holden smiled.

"Of course we would, baby!" Luke laughed pushing her back so he could see her face, "How could we ever stay away from such a cutie pie? Hmm?"

If it were possible Mia beamed even more at that and threw her arms around his neck. He winced slightly at the pain in his back but hid it well.

"Hey?" Holden said, his gaze having fallen to the open window, "Look…"

Luke turned his head and smiled as he watched Noah carrying the tiny Nicholas up the steep grassy bank.

"Noah!" Mia cried with glee already scrambling to get off Luke's lap and down the stairs.

"Wait Mia!" Luke called after her, "Your shoes!"

But she was already down the stairs and he laughed, shaking his head at Holden as they followed her down the stairs.

Holden watched from the conservatory as Mia ran barefoot down the grass, a freshly shaven Noah bending just in time to scoop her up onto his other hip. Both children were vying for his attention as they chatted away about their time on the farm; Nicholas seemed to be holding Noah's toiletry bag for him.

His son was leaning against the conservatory doorway and Holden watched him sigh with relief. He walked over and gently squeezed Luke's arm to remind him he was there. He was careful not to put a hand anywhere near Luke's back.

He winced as he remembered the reason for that. It hurt him to imagine his son being put through such agony and was eternally grateful to Noah for rescuing Luke from more of that or worse.

"He looks like he's okay." Luke said softly.

"I told you so." Holden smiled, "He just wanted you home."

"What was I thinking Dad?" Luke asked shaking his head as he watched his family reunite. "Why would I risk this?"

"Son… If I've told you once I've told you a million times… you don't think. You're always in such a rush to do… to help… to rescue… You never take that time to think about the consequences."

Luke glanced seriously at his father, "You're right. I'm going to try harder this time Dad. That is if Noah ever forgives me."

Holden looked down the hill at Noah and was just in time to catch the soft smile Noah gave to Luke and the gentle grin Luke flashed in return, "Looks like he's already well on his way to doing that."

Luke nodded, his dimples appearing briefly.

"Go on!" Holden told him, "Go spend some time together…"

"Thanks Dad."

Holden watched the excitement build on little Nicholas's face when he noticed Luke for the first time. He struggled out of Noah's arms and sprinted up the hill to meet Luke half way.

Lily appeared by Holden's side just at that moment and slipped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest.

"Well!" She said; happiness in her voice, "Isn't that a beautiful sight?"

"Sure is." Holden agreed. "I just wish I could shake the nasty feeling that this incident is far from over."