AN: Thanks for the support, here is the next chapter.
Chapter 8: Reunited
1 Month later
In the kitchen, Lindsey and Nick were making sandwiches, and after a moment, Lindsey looked over at him and spoke. "Nick..."
But Nick cuts her off with the shake of his head. "We don't need to bring it up, we have more important matters to think about."
They hadn't really talked about that night before they had gotten that unexpected phone call, so Lindsey wanted to make sure they were going to be ok, and she nodded her head. "Yeah, it's important, but so are your feelings."
"What I was feeling was crazy, impractical, and a losing battle from the start, I don't even know what I was thinking. I mean why would this beautiful, amazing woman be interested in me when she is dating the older, better brother." He sighed before finishing. "So, just forget about it ever being mentioned, and yes, we'll be ok, I just need a little time."
He went to pick up a piece of bread when Lindsey spoke with a shy smile. "And if there were two of me, the other one would be the luckiest woman on earth to have a man like you."
He looked at her and shook his head. "Linds, you don't have to..."
She cuts him off as she placed her hand on top of his. "I mean it, and I don't ever want to hear you sell yourself short again. I see the man you are becoming, and any woman that you choose to have a life with better know how lucky she is." She then smirked. "Because if she doesn't, I will have some choice words for her."
Nick couldn't help but chuckling as he replied with sincerity. "Thank you."
"I'm only stating the truth, but you're welcome."
They smiled at each other, then after taking her hand off his arm, they continue on making lunch.
In the living room, Bryan and Nicole were sitting on the couch, while Anthony was in his lap putting an age appropriate puzzle together, and Jenny was in her older sister's arms being feed with milk through a bottle. It was silent for several minutes when Bryan looked up from Anthony and looked at Nicole before replying softly. "Yes."
Nicole looked up from her sister to look at him with a confused look on her face. "Yes what? I didn't say anything."
He smiled with his eyes sparkling, making her heart race as he replied. "A month ago you asked me a certain question, and my answer is yes they are. Of course when the timing is right and we are really ready to have them."
She knew there should have been an obvious question, but she was too happy to hear what he had said that she didn't care at the moment, so she just smiled brightly as she asked. "Yeah?"
He nodded with a smile in return. "Yeah."
Their smiling moment was interrupted when they heard Calleigh walk in the room as she was talking on the phone. "I will handsome, make sure you two have a safe trip, give him my love, I love you too, bye."
As she was pulling her phone from her ear to end the phone call with her husband, Nicole turned her head to look at her mother, who just came out of the room her parents were using as an office that they had just converted into a bedroom for Kyle, which was next to the dinning room. "Is everything ok?"
Calleigh smiled with a nod as she walked further into the living room. "Yes, they are still set to be here on Saturday."
Nicole smiled. "I'm glad, I really want to see him." Then she grew a little sad. "Mostly to make sure he's ok, or as ok as could be expected after what happened."
Going on feeling, Bryan moved his hand and placed it on her leg, surprising both her and Calleigh, but neither one said anything, and Calleigh spoke with sympathy. "I know, sweetie." Then she walked towards her daughters so she could pick up her youngest, and as she started to burp her, Anthony smiled as she looked up her mother with bright eyes. "Mommy, I did it!"
Calleigh smiled at her son, seeing the completed puzzle. "Yes you did, congratulations honey, you going to show daddy when he comes home?"
Anthony looked around excitedly, expected to see him. "Daddy?"
They chuckled a little before Calleigh spoke softly. "Very soon, honey, I promise, ok?"
Anthony nodded, feeling a little sad. He had really missed his daddy, but he believed he'll see him soon since his mother said he would.
Before things took a really sad turn, Nick and Lindsey walked into the room, carrying sandwiches and some baby food for Anthony.
"I hope you are all hungry." Nick said.
Anthony now smiling when food was being mentioned as he raised his hand. "Me!"
They chuckled, and while the food was getting situated, Calleigh, who was still standing in the middle of the living room burping her daughter, watched the interaction, feeling more proud of her family than ever before. Bryan and Lindsey may have not been hers, but as long as she's known them and their parents being her friends, she still thinks of them as that, and considering Lindsey is still dating Kyle, and whatever is going on with Nicole and Bryan these days, they might as well be.
She cleared her throat and started to speak, stopping their movements and laughter. "Thank you guys for everything you've done for me this last month, your help is greatly appreciated."
With Horatio being gone, the teenagers helped her, not only moving things around to make the office into the bedroom, but they were a big help watching and taking care of Anthony and Jenny, especially when she had to stay late at work since her duties multiplied with her being the active supervisor, which they were doing all of this while trying to be college students themselves.
Nicole spoke for all of them with a smile. "That's what families should do, be there for one another, especially when they needed one another the most, but you're welcome anyway."
Calleigh just nodded with another smile, and they nodded back before they go back to eating and talking, then as Calleigh was finishing burping her daughter, her eyes traveled to a framed picture of her husband and Kyle that was taken on Kyle's graduation day that was sitting on the end table, and she does a small sigh, continuing the hours on when she'll see them both again.
Later that evening
After leaving the Caine residence, Bryan took Nicole back to the dorm, which Lindsey would have come but she wanted to visit her mom, stepdad and sister, and when they stopped in front of her door, she took a breath and looked at him with a smile. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"You've just been amazing this last month, helping out my mom, and not to mention how you are with my siblings, they just adore you."
He smiled and waved it off like it was no big deal. "I'm glad I could help."
"I know." Then she took a breath before continue. "I'm just a little surprised that Ashley..."
He cuts her off. "There is no Ashley, at least in that way, and hasn't been for weeks."
She looked at him a little shocked. "Bryan I'm..."
He cuts her off again as he cupped her cheek. "There is nothing to be sorry about, and you shouldn't feel guilty. She just knew what I've known all along."
She swallowed as she whispered. "Which is?"
He ran his thumb up and down her cheek as he whispered. "That it didn't matter how long you and I are apart, my heart will always belong to you. I was never going to get over you." Nicole started to smile as Bryan finished with. "So, Nicole, can we please be girlfriend and boyfriend again? We can go as slow as you want, we can even start with just hand holding, just as long as..."
She took a hold of his shirt and tugged him closer to her while whispering. "Come here."
He started to smile, but didn't fully develop because his lips were on hers, not that he was complaining one second, he finally felt whole again after so long.
When they finally pulled back after several minutes, she closed her eyes as their foreheads touched and she sighed in content, also feeling she was finally complete again.
She spoke a few seconds later. "You were right."
He pulled back a little so their eyes could meet. "About what?"
She smiled as she finished. "I never stopped loving you, and I don't think I ever will."
He smiled back, almost smugly this time, and she just chuckled while shaking her head as he brought her to him again, whispering in a more serious tone. "I love you too."
They share a few more kisses before she stepped back, cleared her throat and asking a little shyly. "You want to come in." Before he could speak, she continued. "Just to hold me, I've missed being in your arms."
He didn't even hesitate. "I've missed having you in my arms, and I would love to just hold you."
"Thank you."
He shook his head as he cupped her cheek again. "No need to thank me, I meant what I said, we can go as slow as you want, I just want to be with you."
She nodded before she turned her attention to the door, then after it was opened, she stepped in the doorway and looked back at him while holding out her hand, he then slipped his fingers through hers without a second thought before they walked into her dorm room, shutting the door behind them, happy they were once again a couple.
Two days later
As much as the whole group wanted to be at the Caine house today, they didn't want to overwhelm Kyle on his first day back home, so they decided they'll have a get together sometime during the week or next weekend.
But while the whole group wasn't there, Lindsey and Bryan were the exceptions, so they were waiting at the house with the family when Calleigh got a text message on her phone, and after reading it, she sets it down on the coffee table and stands up, taking Anthony from Nicole's arms as she spoke. "They are outside, but I want to take Anthony out there first so I can reassure him that it's ok."
They all nodded before Calleigh walked towards the front door before opening it, and after taking a few steps outside, she turned to the right to see the driveway, and immediately Anthony's eyes lit up and smiled. "Daddy!"
Horatio smiled at his youngest son. "Hi Buddy."
Next, Anthony, not only noticed his oldest brother was home again, but he was now sitting down in a chair that had wheels, something he's never seen before, so he looked at his mom with uncertainty. "Mommy?"
Calleigh gives her youngest boy a reassuring smile. "It's ok, Anthony, things might look a little different than the last time you saw him, but he's still your brother."
Finally they hear Kyle's voice as him and Horatio were halfway on the walkway. "Yeah, little man, and I still love you very much, so how about coming to give me a hug, I could really use one right about now."
Anthony turned to look at Kyle again, still a little unsure, then when he really looked at him and saw the smile slowly come to his face, he realized that he was still in fact his brother, so the little boy smiled in return. "Ok."
Calleigh placed him down and as quickly as the little boy could go, he went right to his older brother and Kyle lifted him up, placed him in his lap and gave him the biggest hug he could as he closed his eyes with a sigh of content while holding back his tears as Calleigh and Horatio watched the scene with their own tears in their eyes, knowing there had been a chance that they would have never gotten to see them together again.
A few moments later they pulled back, but Anthony remained on his lap, as Calleigh, who was now standing in front of him, cupped his cheek with tears in her eyes. "Oh Kyle, I'm so glad you're back. I've missed you and love you so much."
Kyle looked up at his stepmom with tears in his eyes with a nod. "I've missed you and love you too, and I'm glad to be back."
She bent down and kissed his cheek before giving him a hug and whispering. "Your other siblings, Bryan, and Lindsey are inside."
He nodded, and after another kiss on the cheek, Calleigh straightened up and moved to the side so she wasn't blocking his way, then after a breath, he looked at his younger brother and asked. "You want a ride inside?" He nodded with a bright smile, making Kyle smile bigger before replying. "Ok, hold on to me, and we can go."
Anthony wrapped his arms tight around his brother's neck, making Kyle chuckle a little. "Not so tight little man, gently."
The little boy shyly smiled as he loosened his grip, then a second later, Kyle places his hands on the wheels to his wheelchair and pushed forward so he could go inside, and when he had turned the corner, Calleigh and Horatio looked at one another before they took a big step towards one another and hugged as tightly as they could while they both sobbed for many different reasons, but mostly out of relief that their boy was home.
When they calmed down a little, they pulled back and he cupped her cheek with a shaky sigh. "I've missed you so much, sweetheart."
She sniffled with a nod. "I've missed you too, handsome."
He brings her to him and they kiss, keeping it as tamed as possible with them still being outside and anybody could see, while pouring everything they felt in it, and when they pulled back, they got back into each other's arms again as they whispered their love.
After another moment, he kissed her head and whispered. "Let's go inside, I some other greetings to make."
She smiled as she pulled back before wrapping her arms around his waist before they headed toward the front door, Horatio ready to be reunited with his whole family after what felt like an eternity of being away from them.
AN: More to come if anybody is still interested in it. Thanks for reading and please review.