Creamy brown eyes were studying him fondly when Noah woke and lifted his brows in surprise. It had been a while since they both slept through the night.

"Morning." The man to whom those eyes belonged smiled warmly while lying on his side with his head sunk deeply in a pillow. He looked rested and his dreamy expression gave Noah butterflies.

"What are you doing way over there?" Noah complained groggily, reaching his arms out over the gap between them, "Scoot over sunshine!"

Luke laughed, "You know I'd love to but…"

"But?" Noah drew out.

Luke indicated to the bottom of their bed with a bob of his head and Noah chortled as he lifted up on his elbows to see the obstruction; two little boys curled together, gently sighing in contentment.

"Explains why I have pins and needles in one foot! I wonder how long they've been down there."

"Who knows?" Luke agreed, "Too excited to sleep and went on an exploration mission."

Noah chuckled and sat up to run his fingers through Nicholas's jet black hair. He smiled and kissed the boy on his warm cheek, "Happy Birthday big guy."

He closed his eyes and flopped back into the mattress, stretching his arms above his head with a satisfied groan.

"He's getting better isn't he?" Luke asked contemplatively.

"Hmm? Who? Nicky?"

"Yeah. Dr. Mishra's snack box idea seems to be working. At least it's been a while since we've found any nasty surprises lurking in cupboards or under beds…"

Noah nodded, "…now that he has a dedicated place to hide his food."

"I guess it makes sense when you think about it. I mean Ethan over here has his blankie." Luke lifted and dropped one corner of the faded and tattered blue baby blanket the sleeping Ethan had clutched between his fingers. "Nicky's tuck box is simply his version of a security blanket."

"Yip… and one I'm hoping he'll outgrow sooner rather than later…" Noah smiled.

He turned and reached over the sheets to take Luke's hand in his, smoothing his fingers over the gaps between Luke's long fingers while his thumb rubbed the rope marks around Luke's wrists. Luke's eyes closed at the touch as Noah pressed their palms together.

"Feels so good to be home." Noah mumbled; breathing in the comforting smell of clean honey scented sheets and groggy Luke. A smell made even more intoxicating by the slight saltiness on the morning breeze blowing in through their open bedroom window. "Hey, maybe we should hit the beach for a swim before breakfast?"

"Great idea! Ethan will love that!"

Their conversation was interrupted by a slight shuffling from the doorway. They looked over to find Mia standing there, red hair frizzy and mussed up as she rubbed sleepy eyes. Her hand was full of the ear of her stuffed pink bunny and it dangled lopsided by the side of her face as she yawned.

Luke rolled over toward the doorway, disturbing the boys who shifted and moaned their disapproval in their sleep.

"Come on over sweetheart." Luke said, stretching his arms out in invitation.

She smiled her one hundred watt smile; the one that always made Noah's stomach clench in love for her; and padded over to where Luke could reach her and lift her onto the bed between them.

"Pinola wants to sit here," she instructed, seating her bunny up against the headboard between the pillows, "so she can see."

"Oh?" Noah asked with mock seriousness, bending to give Mia a kiss on her temple as she laid out flat, "Pinola's not tired? She doesn't want to snooze some more?"

Luke buried his face in the pillows, stifling a laugh. Noah grinned at him.

"A-a..." she shook her head vigorously from side to side, "Pinola's too excited…"

She yawned widely with a slight squeak.

"Why's that?" Luke asked, even though he knew the answer.

With eyes already drooping back to sleep she muttered, "Nicky's par…"

She didn't even finish the sentence.

"And she's gone!" Noah smirked, already snuggling down, "Perfect."

"Yeah." Luke agreed, reaching over to run his fingers lightly through his husband's hair as he closed his eyes to drift back off himself.

...

Lily Walsh Mason Santana Grimaldi Snyder was known in the business world for her levelheadedness. During a crisis, while the rest of the office lost their nerve and ran around like headless chickens, Lily could be found at her desk, calmly surveying the landscape and coming up with quickly thought out solutions.

She was cool, composed, some would say even brutal; a trait no doubt inherited from her mother, Lucinda. She used her beauty, wit and intelligence to navigate the intricate world of business boardrooms and the men who dominated them.

However, as her numerous married names attested to, when it came to her personal life Lily had the potential to descend into madness and be rendered incapable of making any kind of rational decisions. And this trait was especially magnified when it came to anything concerning her children.

When emotions inserted themselves within the thought process, the normally controlled Lily would simply 'lose it'; to coin a favourite description used by her daughter, Faith.

And so, as she spotted her husband leaning sideways and cross-heeled against the frame of the boy's open doorway, she once again thanked God for his strong presence in their lives. Through-out any crisis she could always rely on Holden to keep everybody buoyed above the stormy waves.

His arms were crossed lazily in front of him and his face was contented as he gazed inside the bedroom. It was nice to see after those days of worry while they waited for news on Luke and Noah's whereabouts in Africa.

Holden turned his head and smiled at her; forefinger coming up over his lips while he gestured her forward with his other hand.

"Come see this…" he whispered and she tiptoed down the corridor to join him.

As her husband's arm rested around her shoulder, her heart melted at the sight before them; all their boys and one little girl snoozing contently within a beam of morning sunlight. She slipped her hand into Holden's back pocket and withdrew his cell phone.

"Quick," she whispered, "take a photo and e-mail it to me."

He smiled at her, unwrapping his arm and activating the camera on his phone.

"My new wallpaper…" She whispered.

Holden's right eyebrow rose, "What do you know about wallpaper?"

She smacked his shoulder playfully, "I'm learning."

He grinned and slipped his phone away so he could pull her flush against him. She sighed happily within the warmth of his body; thoughts drifting to Luke as her eyes hovered over his sleeping face.

The very fact that her first born should arrive so unexpectedly one day on the kitchen floor should really have been warning enough that her son had no intentions of living his life quietly and without event.

From the very first moment she held him in her arms and he looked curiously up into her eyes, he'd set about finding any and every opportunity to get himself into trouble and cause her no end of worry and even fear.

But Luke never seemed to learn, because perhaps the worst thing about his exploits was his parent's inability to remain angry at him for long. Luke almost always had the best of intentions and how could you explain to a child that trying to help was wrong, when trying to help could also be so very right.

...

"Luke!" She stumbled over a tree root and landed on all fours. The forest floor seemed to flicker as her torch fell and rolled away. "Luke baby…" She cried again, softer this time and in line with her emotions. Snot and tears fell like rivers and she heaved through her growing panic.

She could hear the far off cries and shouts from the Snyder men and women all out searching. She tried not to consider all the things that could have befallen a lost six year old boy, but her mother's brain was already imagining the deep waters of the pond or the black depths of the numerous wells.

The baby inside of her kicked in protest and she huffed in pain, sitting back against a large bolder. She rubbed her expanded belly in small circles trying to calm the child as well as herself.

Her eyes scanned the pitch blackness and she sobbed with frustration, angry at herself for not keeping a closer eye on her overly adventurous son.

"Just like his damn father!" She voiced aloud and with bitterness, an image of the tall Maltesian flashing through her mind. She breathed deeply through her nose, trying to reign in her emotions so she could think clearly.

Finally able to breath again she stood on wobbly feet and retrieved her torch. She wanted to run like a crazed banshee through the trees but she knew she couldn't risk another fall, so she took her time.

"Luke? Call out to Mommy!"

A whistle blew somewhere on her left and her heart jumped. Somebody found something.

She made her way toward the sound, "Holden? Anybody?"

"Over here Lily." It was Jack.

"Jack?"

"Yes, this way."

She struggled through the darkness, feeling the scrape of sharp bushes and carefully watching her feet. The whistle blew again and then the sound of other approaching footsteps and people calling out for each other.

She felt sick with worry until she heard it, "Mommy!"

She almost fainted in relief even though there was such obvious fear in his little voice.

"Mommy I'm stuck!"

Finally she found Jack illuminated within the perfectly round glow of his flashlight. She grabbed hold of his arm and he helped to steady her.

"Jack! Jack! Where…?"

"It's okay. Lily it's okay. Calm down."

"Mommy!"

She started when his cry came from above her. She flicked her torch upward and gasped when she located his tiny face, white with fear, peeking through the gaps of leaves and branches above.

"Oh my God, Luke! How did you get up so high?"

"Mommy!" His small snivels pierced her heart.

"Don't move! Okay baby? You hold on tight!" Her voice wobbled.

Jack pulled her back and lowered his voice, "Lily… Get a hold of yourself! He's fine. We know where he is and we'll get him down safely. But you're not helping him by losing it!"

She sniffed wide eyed and nodded her agreement.

"What is it?" Holden asked arriving from out of the darkness followed by several others from the search party.

Holden automatically sought out his wife making her feel safe in his hold.

"Your son has climbed a little too high." Jack pointed skyward.

"Daddy! I'm stuck!"

Holden shone his torch skyward, just as Lily had previously done. Many of the onlookers vocalised their amazement as Luke came into view.

"Luke! What the hell are you doing up there?" Holden shouted.

"Terrance was stuck…" Luke gulped, as though this were the most rational of explanations, "He was stuck-ed in the tree…"

"Well where's Terrance now?"

"He climb-ded down..." Luke groaned with obvious frustration at having to explain his story while trapped high off the ground.

Holden put both hands on his hips and frowned angrily at him, "Well he wasn't all that stuck then, was he?"

Luke burst into tears and Jack patted Holden on his back, "Come on man. It's not helping being mad at him."

"What are you waiting for?" Lily screamed in hysterics, sure her son would slip at any moment. Luke's crying was playing on her already tattered nerves. She pushed her husband roughly forward, "Why aren't you climbing already?"

"Lily calm down." Holden pulled her to him and she sobbed into his shirt, "It's not safe. It's way too dark for that."

Holden flashed his torch over the terrain highlighting as much of the darkness as he could, "Do you think we can get the JCB up here?"

Catching on Jack smiled, "Great idea!"

It took them over an hour to drive the yellow JCB through the thick forest, having to make the occasional stop to clear a rough path along the way. During that time Lily kept Luke talking, praying he wouldn't fall asleep but only too aware of his ever drooping eyelids. Eventually they were able to lift the dipper arm; Holden in the bucket; high enough to rescue the shivering boy.

"Oh sweetheart!" Lily cried as soon as Luke was safely in her arms. She licked her thumb and rubbed a dirt patch from her son's cheek, "Why must you always try to do these things by yourself? Why didn't you call Mommy or Daddy to help you rescue the kitten?"

"But what if Terrance fall-ded down?"

Lily sighed, "Luke, I know you wanted to help, but not at the cost to your own skin. Do you understand, son?"

Luke nodded, but Lily knew for sure this wouldn't be the last time Luke put himself at risk to help another.

"Hey Dad!" he exclaimed excitedly pointed at the JCB's bucket, fear and tiredness already forgotten, "Can we go for another ride?"

Holden shook his head in total exasperation, lifting the child to his hip and heading back toward the farmhouse, "Definitely not tonight, son. You'll be lucky if I don't ground you for life after this!"

...

"What's wrong?" Holden whispered in her ear, bringing her out of her thoughts.

Lily hadn't even noticed she'd started crying.

Holden pressed his lips to the hollow between her shoulder and her throat, hugging her a little tighter than before and swaying them gently.

"They whipped him Holden. My little boy..."

"I know."

"What kind of animals are they?" She asked angrily, trying to keep her voice low.

Holden smoothed a hand over her forehead in his attempt to calm her.

"Of all the stupid situations Luke's gotten himself in over the years this…" Lily sniffed, "this is just so…"

"Shh. I know."

Slowly Holden manoeuvred them both to the kitchen and sat her down on a stool. He pulled a few tissues from a nearby box and handed them to her. It wasn't the first time she'd broken down over this and he knew it wouldn't be the last. It was a hard thought for any parent to face.

She took the tissues gratefully, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose.

"Will he be okay?" She half pleaded.

"Of course," Holden smiled knowingly, kissing the top of her head, "he has Noah."