Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten

-Lilo and Stitch-

"Hey David?" Erin called from the living room sofa, Mudgie's head rested on her foot and she was pretty sure that there was dog drool on the carpet.

"Yeah, " He peeked around the doorway from the kitchen.
"Mark just called."

"I heard. That's why I left the room,"
They had been lounging comfortably on the sofa, in their pajamas just enjoying each other when her phone rang and broke the spell.

"Is everything okay?" He reclaimed the seat next to her. His arm automatically went around her shoulders.

"That depends." She shrugged offhandedly, "The kids are ready to come home."

"So?" His brow lifted, "what's the problem?"

"I'm not exactly sure where home

is," she admitted.

He laughed, his head tipping back in good humor. "Come on, Crazy. Let's go get the kids and ask them."

"You aren't supposed to drive, " she argued.

"Honey, I have two fully functional arms and two legs, keys and a valid license; I'm driving."

Erin pulled her jacket closer to her throat as the chilly September wind blew through the open window of the car. She watched her children file out of Mark's house. Paige sprinted off the porch with Paul on her heels.
Oh hell.

Street lights flickered, reflecting off the concrete driveway. Paige reached for the door handle and ducked inside the car.

"What's the matter, Baby?" Erin asked, watching her daughter' s reflection in the visor mirror.

Paige shook her head, blonde curls bounced against her shoulders. "I'm so done here, Mom."
Tears burned in her throat, "Can we just leave and not come back."

"What happened?" Erin reached for the door handle, "you're better off to just tell me because I'm going to handle it one way or another."

"I don't want to talk about it." Paige deflected and swiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.

Erin watched from the mirror as Dave unlocked the trunk and Paul dropped their bags inside.

Everything happened all at once, Mark stepped off his porch as Dave slammed the trunk closed he turned around and came face to face with the other man. The air surrounding Mark reeked of liquor and Dave was sure that a struck match in the man's general direction would set him aflame.

"Mark?" Dave approached with caution. "What's going on?"

"Stay away from me!" Mark roared, stumbling backwards. His arms flailed as he fought to keep his balance.

Instinctively, Dave reached out to steady him and Mark jerked his arm away, as if he'd been burned. "You stay the hell away from me! You and your whore!" His eyes gleamed with malice and his next words dripped with hatred.

"I'll bet she didn't tell you, that wife of mine refused to give me another kid. 'Kenzie was five and wanted a playmate. Erin refused and put McKenzie in daycare, she chose her career over what was best for our family and now, five fucking years later, she finally gave in!"

"So?" Dave challenged the other man. His vision swept over the house, searching for Mackenzie. His eyes locked with the ten year old's as she closed the front door with her duffel bag in hand and he knew she understood his silent command. Stay put.

"People change, " his tone stayed neutral.

Jesus, for a situation that wasn't a hostage situation, it certainly felt like one and true to form, Erin was going to come flying out of the car at anytime.
Three.

"Not that bitch!" Mark sneered, "not for me."
Two.

"We can talk about this tomorrow," Dave said and tried to make eye contact with Erin through the car window. Stay put, I got this.

One.

The warning came too late and Erin bailed out of the car with Paul by her side.

"Just shut up, Dad, you're the one who had the affair!" Paul bellowed and lunged for his father.

Dave's hand caught his shoulder a minute too late and the boy's fist connected with his father's nose. Blood spattered like a broken fountain, raining down on the driveway. Erin grabbed her son by the back of his collar. "David Paul!" Erin cried, equal parts shocked and angry. That's your father," she hissed and pushed him towards the car.

"But, Mom!" He protested and struggled weakly against her grip.

"Get your ass in the car and let me handle this." Her tone brokered no further argument.

"You spoiled little prick!" Mark cried and wiped his streaming nose with the back of his hand. "Do whatever the fuck you want with him." His eyes locked with Erin's, "you ungrateful bitch. "

"I'm sorry, Mark. " That was the best she could offer him. Just two words and she couldn't make herself mean it. All the fight seemed to fall out of him and he started to sag. His words had no effect on her, but he regretted them all the same. " Don't worry about it, I know how I get." To her, he looked decades older than 55.

"Will you let me help you into the house?" Dave offered.

Mark nodded and Dave put his arm around his shoulder. "I'll stay away from the vodka," he slurred and gave a hiccup as Dave led him up the driveway. "I know how I get and you all deserve better. "

McKenzie brushed past them and rushed right to her mother. "Come here, Sweetheart." Erin wrapped her baby in a hug and ensconced her in the backseat.

"How's that hand?" Dave asked as he ducked inside the car and buckled his seatbelt. He watched Paul for a second through the rear view mirror then put the car in reverse.

"Hurts." Paul's face was locked on the floor.

"Violence is never the answer," Erin cut in sharply. "You know that," she added gently.

"Neither is being a dick," Paul growled still staring at the floor.

"Don't talk to your mother like that. " Dave barked.

"Yes, Sir. Sorry, Mom."

Erin gave Dave a look of approval in the darkness of the car.
Her son would sooner shove his own fist down his throat before he called his father 'sir.'

Mark never pushed it on him, he said he didn't want the kids growing up in a military environment, treating their parents like commanding officers instead of people, the way he had to.

"Don't be too mad at Paul, " Paige piped in. "Jamie said she was going to take our house, that's why we were fighting."

Erin's blood ran cold, "there's not enough money in the world for me to sell our house to her, " she said through clenched teeth.

"She said you would have to, " McKenzie said softly, as if their fight was already lost.

"She can't contest the divorce decree anymore than Dave can."

Dave shot her an unsure glance, "We'll work it out." He said, putting an end to the discussion. "You guys try not to worry about it." He tried to assure them and steered the car towards home. He would call in a favor if necessary, no matter how much he wanted Erin and the kids to move in with him, he didn't want to force them.

He knew Mark and there was no way in Hell that slimeball and his new family were going to hole up in Erin's house. Not after all the work she put into it after he left her. Fuck that.
On instinct, he curled his fingers around her casted hand; trying to give reassurance as well as take it. He watched through the windshield as the streetlights grew further apart and trees began to dominate the land between houses. A sure sign that they were closer to home. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel as a wave of anxiety crashed over him. Please God let them be happy here.

"Whoa!" McKenzie breathed, pressing her palm to the window. Tall oaks stood sentinel against fences that outlined the streets. As Dave guided the car into his neighborhood. Mammoth homes, with picture windows and smoke billowing from chimneys, came into view.

"Are you sure people live here?" McKenzie asked as the homes in her scope of vision became grander, the yards became bigger and neighbors lessened.

Dave chuckled, "I'm sure,

Princess," her wide-eyed curiosity was adorable and he hoped she never lost it.

"Mom?" Paige asked quietly, a nervous edge in her voice.

"What?"

" Do you think we should get a guard dog?"

Dave chuckled and gave Erin a secretive look.

"No, I don't think we need a guard dog," she answered crisply. If anything, it was the dog who was going to need guarding, between Paul's temper and Dave's overprotectiveness. Erin thought snidely and wisely kept that opinion to herself.

Jesus Christ, wasn't one slug-fest with the Police Commissioner's son, enough in one year? "Paul," She said sternly, "we're having a sit-down when we get to Dave's, no arguing."

Paul just nodded as Dave pulled the car smoothly into the driveway.

"Yes, Ma'am," he grumbled and pulled the latch on the car door. Dave opened the trunk and helped the kids reach their bags.

"You're the code breaker, " he said and handed over the house key.

"David-I don't know the code, " she stammered in surprise; she could do a lot of things for that man, but she couldn't read his mind.

"Just try it," he said and handed Paul his backpack.

"You've officially lost your mind." She marched up the porch steps and slid the key into the lock, the alarm beeped quietly in warning and in exactly 60 seconds that faint beep was going to turn into full scale security panic. "Don't I at least get a hint?" She called out, as Dave closed the trunk and locked the car.

She could almost hear the grin in his voice. "Four numbers, one name."

What the fuck kind of hint was that?

"Come on, Dave just put in the damn code before your security system calls police and then we have to explain why you were making me answer riddles instead of just unlocking the damn house!"

"Who knows me, better than me?"

"Your dog?" She bit out snidely. She flipped the keypad open, okay,

M-U-D-G-I-E. Six letters, that's too long.

"Wrong, " his hand snaked around her waist.

"Yeah? No shit?"

"Listen, Babe, you have all of 25 seconds to figure this out and if you seriously think that H-O-T-C-H is going to disarm my security system, then I'm going to have to rethink the status of this relationship."

She blew out a breath, he wasn't going to give in she didn't have a choice but to play along. The only option she could come up with, was absolutely absurd. But the indicator lights blinked red and any moment police sirens were going to wake the entire neighborhood. Closing her eyes for half a second, please be right,she begged and punched in her own name. The LED lights flashed green.

"See?" He teased, "that wasn't so hard."

"Bite me, " She growled. "That was stupid! Your bottom line of defense is my name? No, change it to something impossible to guess so the next crazy person who marches onto your doorstep, has a shot in Hell of not breaking in."

"Since you couldn't guess it, I'd say it makes a good code, but now that you live here," he shrugged. " I think you should set the new one."

"Are you sure about that?" She eyed him skeptically, this was a big step for him, for them.

"Of course, now can I give the kids a tour?"

She nodded once, "make it quick and Paul's grounded." She flashed a glare at her son, "sit down and wait for me," she demanded.

"I'll show him the kitchen where you can have some privacy," Dave said and led the way towards the living room, across rich hardwood floors and soft, expensive rugs. The girls were in awe. Paul just hung back and stared at his sisters, their mouths gaped open so far he thought they would catch flies, as if a fly could survive in a place this clean. He thought snidely, did one person really need this much leather? He gazed at the sofa that lined the wall in the living room, his dad had leather furniture but somehow he knew that the cracked and worn leather at his dad's house, could have been plastic compared to Dave's.

"Well, Bud, this is where the tour bus stops, for you." Dave's voice cut through Paul's thoughts and he clapped him on the shoulder.