Saving Ma

Summary: After Frank proposed to Natalia, Rafe Ave and Emma team up to help their moms.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters and I do not make any profit from this.

A/N: Two updates in one day! Yep, I know I'm awesome, LOL. Here is the last installment of this story. Enjoy.

Epilogue
December 25 2033 7:00am

It has been almost a year and a half since he'd been home. As the scenery flew by he thought of his life at the farmhouse which really wasn't a farmhouse anymore and the grounds had turned into the family compound. Growing up there was an adventure he had loved and being the youngest had its perks.

He smiled thinking of Ava. She had been happily married since before he turned one. Ava was special to him. They had a bond the others didn't. She helped influence him as much as Ma and Mom did. She and Ashley lived in the first addition to the right of the main house. They had three children of their own and were still running the Beacon Hotel chain.

Natalie was three years younger than him and at 22 she is currently in college working on her business management degree to take over for her mothers someday. Michel is 17 and a star basketball player at his high school and will be attending college next year on a full athletic scholarship. Mia is 10 and every bit the book worm and will probably follow in her aunt and uncles footsteps and take over the world.

He thought of Rafe. He adored Rafe for helping him become the man he is today. Rafe was that male role model that never let you down, never missed a baseball game, was always there to talk to and always let you know that he would be there for you.

Rafe lived in the second addition to the compound with his wife Whitney. They married the year after Ash and Ava and ran the Beacon Franchise alongside of them. As Olivia and Natalia predicted they made an amazing team and the Beacon Brand now had 25 hotels and 4 resorts scattered around the world. They were pure luxury and according to Olivia's plan was to never have one on every corner and be common but to be well known and sought after. They succeeded.

Rafe and Whitney had two children of their own. Oliver was 20 and like his dad a wiz with business. He opted out of going to university and was taking online classes at home so he can work side by side with his dad. He and Natalie would take over one day and had plans to add a new chain called Landmark. It would be geared more toward small business travel and families that didn't have the money to stay in a hotel like the Beacon. Savana was 17 and was to be graduating with Michael and taking culinary and business classes. Her goal is to take her mother's spot within the company.

Mateo and Emma he could lump together. They were now and had always been inseparable. They were amazing to him as big brother and sister. They were always there to play with him and help him no matter what. Around 14 Mateo caught up to where he was supposed to be developmentally and surpassed it in the next few years. Emma had skipped a grade and they actually graduated together when she was 16. By then they were both on a college level and ended up at Harvard Medical School.

Emma had always kept a journal in her last two years of high school and would only ever show it to Mateo. Every now and again they would see him writing in it as well. They graduated with Emma 1st and Mateo 2nd in their class only separated by 2 points 2 years before they were supposed to. They laughed that it was only because Mateo helped her with one of her papers and she scored higher than him on it.

After Graduation they did their internship and residency at Mayo clinic and eventually moved on to their own practice in Springfield. The whole time they were working on a product that would change medicine forever. They currently lived in the fourth addition of the compound together.

The third addition to the compound was actually Doris and Blake. They were married the spring after Ash and Ava. Doris had been re-elected as Mayor and held the office for as long as was legally allowed. She was voted in every term without fail until she retired. That was when Olivia and Natalia offered them a private corner of the property to build their own home. They took them up on the offer and moved in a year after Emma and Mateo graduated high school.

Marisol became a true part of the family over the years. It took Natalia a long time to trust her fully around her babies. But eventually they became close again had a wonderful relationship. Mateo gradually warmed up to her and loved to spend time with her. She was his grandmother and he loved her. All the kids did and when she passed away from cancer the year Mateo and Emma graduated college they all mourned her passing and a void was left in the family.

His mind changed to happier things and he smiled widely as he now thought of his mom and his ma. The two most wonderful women he would ever have the honor of knowing. They worked at the Beacon for a few more years until Olivia decided to retire. Natalia wanted her to be less stresses, always worried about her heart. So the summer after Emma and Mateo graduated both of them retired and turned it all over to the Fab Four as Forbes Magazine calls them.

This was one of the best years he could remember. All the others were out of the house and he was left with both the moms full time. He was 8 years old at the time and was on top of the world. 4 years later his little world broke when Olivia collapsed. After the incident with her heart outside of company before they married Natalia always had a portable defibrillator on hand. There was one in all the cars, all the hotels they owned and in each home on the compound. The one kept at home brought her back that day but just barely.

They put her in the hospital after that and it was determined that she would need to be back on the transplant list. The family was all called home dropping everything they were doing to be with them. A week later they thanked the lord when a new heart came. As soon as she was out of the woods Emma and Mateo left and were back at school with their heads together. A cryptic we have less than 10 years left is all the explanation the family got. Olivia smile indulgently and kissed them before they left.

The answer to their questions was had 6 years later when once again they all rushed to the hospital. The duo was now heart surgeons and told the rest of the family she was rejecting the heart. After the only people in the room were Olivia and Natalia they told them of a new treatment that they had been working on. They just got FDA approval for a trial of the drug and they wanted to put Olivia in it.

Natalia argued that they would wait until the trial was successful, that she didn't want to risk it on a maybe. Emma sat her down and explained that she wouldn't make it to the successful end of the trial without the new drugs. She was on her third heart and would not be qualifying for another.

Olivia and Natalia discussed this and it was decided for her to enter the trial but didn't want anyone else to know they were doing it. Emma and Mateo agreed and worked endlessly tweaking and making the drug right. Seven months later Olivia was off all her meds but the new one. She was no longer rejecting the heart and her body recognized it as her own.

The drug they created would help any transplant patient not to reject the transplanted organ or limb. 5 years later the drug was used in every transplant case around the world, working for 95% of the patients it was used on. Emma and Matao would now be in medical history books and had their pictures on every medical journal and newspaper worldwide.

They didn't care about any of it. Their mom was ok now and would be able to live the rest of her long life healthy and happy with their ma and the family. When he and his other siblings found out about what they had done and that it worked they pulled them into a group hug and just cried together in relief and gratitude that they would have her for many years to come.

After Olivia was declared whole and healthy he dropped a bomb on the family that no one was happy about. He enlisted in the Army and would be leaving for basic training in a month.

Olivia took him aside and sat him down, "why?" was the only word she spoke.

He took her hands taking a deep breath. "I have to do this mom. It's my calling, I feel a need deep inside that this is what I am meant to do. I feel like this is what god intended for me. Please try and understand mom. I need this."

Olivia looked into his eyes in a way he always felt she was looking into his very soul. After a moment she nodded. "Ok, but you have to promise me that you will be coming home to me always."

He collapsed into her lap burying his head and cried from relief. "I will always come home to you, I promise. Thank you for understanding, I love you mom."

She pulled him up and hugged him tightly. "I will support you in anything you need to do until my last breath baby."

He sobbed into her and just let her hold him. A little while later they came out of her office and she looked to the others. "You will support your brother and stop yelling. This is happening."

They all deflated but looked at her like she had lost her mind. Natalia had looked at her like she tore her heart out. She sighed and pulled her into the room to talk to her. When they came out Natalia had tears streaming down her face and pulled him into a crushing hug whispering in his ear. "You better be careful and come home to me. Our family needs you mijo."

He held tight and nodded into her neck. "I will Ma; I will always come back to you."

That was 6 years ago. He had been home as often as he could in the past but this last year he had not been able to come home. He had been in Iraq for about 6 months when his unit had been attacked and he was taken prisoner. That is where he had been until he was found 4 months ago. He spent the last 3 months in a medical facility in Germany not remembering who he was or where he belonged due to a head injury. Without his dog tags and until someone from his unit came and identified him they just treated him and helped him get better.

A few weeks ago he had a dream about being in Disneyland with a gorgeous green eyed woman and Donald duck. When he woke his memories came flooding back to him. He finally knew who he was and he was ready to come home. The military came in and spoke with him debriefing him on what had happened to him. They got with the doctors and found that he was fit enough to go home so they started the paperwork to discharge him from the hospital and the Army and send him home. He still had an arm in a sling because of a shoulder surgery he had needed and walked with a slight limp that would go away once he was totally healed from a gunshot wound.

Now here he is making that final turn before coming to the farmhouse gate. As the car rounded the curve he could see Doris and Blake's house then Ava and Ashley's. The main house was next and the car pulled into the drive. He leaned up to the soldier that was driving him and gave him the code. As they pulled in front of the house he saw Michael come out and run back in. The whole family was then coming out on the porch.

Natalia looked scared to death and Olivia just held her and whispered in to her ear. The others just flanked them looking apprehensive. The car pulled to a stop and one of the soldiers opened the door and helped him out. A sob tore out of Natalia's throat as she saw his face. "Natalio!" She, Olivia, Ava, Rafe, Mateo, and Emma rushed him and pulled him into a group hug. The others just stood on the porch in tears as they watched them finally welcome him home.

Olivia pulled back and cupped his face. "I knew you'd come home, I told them all. You promised me and you've never broke a promise to me."

Tears poured out of her eyes and he just smiled. "I told you I would."

Natalia and Olivia rained kissed on his face then ushered him into the house. Michael and Oliver got his bags from the car and took them up to his room.

Ava pulled him into her the moment she was able and hugged him tightly. "Do you have any idea how scared we were? How scared I was? You can't do that to me again. We thought that car was telling us you were gone."

Natalio pulled away slightly and wiped her tears. "I'm home for good now and I want to run your security team."

She squealed and kissed him all over while he laughed. "You can do whatever you want, you know that."

Natalia came over and kissed him again. "Not until he is healed completely he can't. Until then mom and I are going to spoil and hover."

He kissed her cheek and smiled. "That sounds good to me Ma but right now I really need to sit down."

They pulled him over and sat him on the couch next to Olivia and they proceeded to finish up with their Christmas festivities. All the nieces and nephews came and hugged him along with Whitney and Ashley who just cried while they hugged and kissed him. Doris and Blake took their turns loving on him as well then presents were passed all around.

Natalio looked up surprised at the amount of presents that were placed in front of him. Olivia kissed his cheek and rubbed his good shoulder. "They are from this year and last year too. Mia insisted we have them all under the tree because you were coming home this year. You have two years of birthday presents as well up in your room."

He just shook his head and smiled. "Of course I do."

They spent the rest of the day just being together and enjoying Christmas as a complete family. They didn't ask him what happened or where he had been this whole time. Today it didn't matter. There would be plenty of time later to find out all the details. All that mattered was he was home, it was Christmas, and they were thanking the Lord for all his blessings.

Everyone decided to sleep at the main house scattered around not wanting to separate yet. Natalio was still a little off with the time change so that night after everyone was in bed we wandered around the family room quietly looking at the pictures on the wall.

There was a picture at the beach of Natalia and Olivia's wedding with the original three kids. The next was their first Christmas as a whole family. The picture of Natalia, Olivia and Emma their first year in the farmhouse before the remodel sat with the others. Ava and Ashley's wedding, Rafe and Whitney's wedding in the yard out back and Doris and Blake's Vegas Wedding pics after it was legalized in all 50 states were all there. The picture of the family at the Beacon Chicago opening was amongst them as well. There was an album somewhere of all the opening and the family picture Olivia had wanted at every one but this one always hung on the wall.

Pictures of all the nieces and nephews when they were born and tons of pictures of every one of them as they grew up. Emma and Mateo in a tree house, him and Mateo in a mud puddle and Emma laughing at them. Michael and Oliver playing basketball out back, Savana, Mia and Natalie painting each other's nails."

All along the walls was his life, his family's life together. A picture of him as a baby smiling so big as Olivia held him while he pet Donald Duck's bill at Disneyland caught his eye and he just stared at it for a long time.

Olivia came up behind him and placed a hand on his good shoulder. "That's one of my favorite. You were absolutely in awe of that stupid duck."

Natalio smiled for a moment then a dark look passed over his face before he spoke. "I was in a medical facility in Germany. I had a head injury and couldn't remember who I was. I would get flashes of people. I know now that they were flashes of the family."

He paused and took a breath. Olivia stayed silent and just waited sensing he needed to talk about this right now and get it out. "I saw flashes of Ma in the kitchen. I saw Emma and Mateo with their heads stuck in that damn notebook of hers and Rafe throwing me around. I saw flashes of Ava all the time. Her smiling at me with those big eyes so full of love and occasionally sadness that I never understood until you told me about Max."

He paused again taking the picture off the wall and running his fingers over the image. "One night I dreamed about this." He held up the picture for her to see. "This very moment and when I woke I remembered. The beautiful green eyed lady was my mom. These people I kept seeing were my family and I knew everything about me again. All I wanted in that moment was to be in your arms again, yours and Ma's. I'm so happy to finally be home."

Olivia wiped his tears and pulled him into her arms not caring about her own tears. "I'm so happy you are home too baby. Did you do what you needed to do out there?"

He pulled away slightly to look into her eyes. "I think I did. The day I was taken I was able to save this 5 year old little boy. They took him into US custody. I found out later that he was out of danger and was brought to America. He's waiting for a family to adopt him. After I saved him, the whole time I was held captive, I felt that I had fulfilled the task that god had set out for me."

"Good, I'm glad you were able to accomplish what you needed." Olivia smiled and kissed his cheek. "Now, it's getting late. You need to get some rest because tomorrow you know your Ma and your siblings will bring down the inquisition wanting to know everything."

He chuckled with a nod, "I figured as much. I'm just glad they gave me today free to just enjoy being home."

They made their way upstairs and hugged goodnight at his door. Olivia moved on to her own room and smile leaning against the door frame at the sight of her wife reading waiting for her. "You are so beautiful Princess. You never fail to take my breath away."

Natalia looked up smiling as she put her book and glasses on the nightstand. "Your bias, I'm old not beautiful."

Pushing off the door frame she stocked over to her and climbed up the bed settling on top of her. "I may be bias but it doesn't change the fact that you're beautiful."

Natalia shook her head and pulled her down into a sweet loving kiss. "Is he ok? Did you find him?"

Olivia shifted to the side and pulled her into her arms. "Yes, he was just downstairs looking at pictures. I think he's just adjusting to the time difference and sorting everything in his head. You know he has to process thing. He's in bed now."

Natalia sighed into her. "Thank god he's home and ok." She rose up and looked into Olivia's eyes with tears swimming. "He's home querida, home for good. We have all our babies back where they belong."

Olivia pulled her down and kissed her with all the desire and love she held for her for over twenty years. "Yes Princess, they're all home and safe."

Natalia squealed and lay back down snuggling into her wife's neck. "I love you Olivia."

Pulling her tightly Olivia kissed her head. "I love you too Natalia."

They snuggled in with sighs of contentment and fell asleep once again, as they always would, wrapped up in each other.

The End

A/N: I want to thank each and every one of my readers for joining me on this journey with our lovely ladies. I will be starting a Sequel to Saving Ma soon but it will be a series of one shots in the Universe that explain in detail some of what Natalio was remembering in this Epilogue and some other milestones that I think would make a good read. The Sequel will be called 'Saving Us All'. I also have a new Otalia story rolling around that my fairy is playing with. I may start putting in down solid on paper soon.

Once again thank you all for your wonderful comments and you unwavering support while I wrote this story.
All My Love
Jen