So, Ryan and Taylor only have five kids. Not six. I have no idea why I put six in the first Chapter. Noah is 30, Claire is 26, Amelie (Amy) is 21, Sunny and Kale are 19. This is set in March. Ryan and Taylor are about 50, so that makes Sandy and Kirsten in their 70's. Which means they are still alive. I'll be introducing more of Seth and Summer's family in the later chapters. Right now I want to focus on the Atwood's. The flashback at the end is when Claire was fifteen, there will be lots of flashbacks through this story. Oh, and thank you for the birthday wishes! On with the story;

Chapter 2

She hadn't set foot on American soil in three years. Three years she had spent away from her family, now she was back. She was the only one who knew, but she was back for good. Not just for her sisters wedding.

London was great, a little rainy, but it had been good to her.

Amelie shielded her eyes against the California sun as she stepped out of the airport. Being here was like being home again.. As much as she loved London, it was never home.

She hailed a cab before hopping in and giving the driver the directions to her parents house. She wanted to surprise everyone by just showing up.

-

Taylor had lied to her husband when she told him she was going to take a nap. She was tired but it was too early in the day to fall asleep just yet.

Instead she sat down on their bed and reached underneath. She pulled out a bright blue box that contained the pictures from their marriage, their life together. Her heart ached to know that it was possible she wouldn't be around much longer to witness more of these happy memories with her family.

The first picture of the bunch is what made her realize she had to fight this. There was no other way around it.

She had to fight this for her family.

She heard the door knob twist. She quickly shut the box and pushed it back in it's hiding place under the bed.

"I thought you were sleeping." He gave her a half smile walking into the room fully shutting the door behind him.

"I'm not tired anymore." She gave him a smile back. "Have you heard from Amelie yet?"

"No, but I'm sure she should be in soon." He sat down resting his hand on her leg.

"I miss her so much, Ry." Taylor was trying hard to fight back the tears that were starting to sting her eyes. "I was thinking, maybe we could convince her to stay."

"Maybe but Amy won't do anything she doesn't want to do." He told her taking her hand. The two of them looked up at the door when they heard a loud noise come from outside it. Taylor had a wide grin on her face when she heard screams coming from her children. "Is that her?"

"I hope so." She said excitedly almost jumping up from her spot.

Upon reaching the living room Taylor instantly saw her blonde haired daughter. The twenty-one year old made no hesitation to run and hug her mother.

"I missed you, Mom." Amelie breathed in her mother.

"I missed you too, baby." Taylor whispered. "Are you hungry? I can fix you something. Why didn't you call? We could have come get you from the airport." Taylor said hurriedly. Amelie just gave her mother a smile before turning her attention to her father.

Taylor watched as they hugged one another. She noticed her curly haired daughter hadn't changed much since she left them the summer after she finished high school.

"Mom, did I heard Amy?" Sunny rushed down the stairs. "Oh my God!" She cried practically jumping into her sisters arms.

"God, Sunny you've changed." Amelie laughed pulling away from her sister.

Taylor just laughed knowing her daughter was right. Over the years since Amelie had left Sunny had transformed from a tom boy to more of a young woman.

"You haven't a bit." Sunny laughed.

"Where are my nephews." Amelie walked away from her sister in search for the young boys.

"She's home." Taylor whispered as her husband pulled her into his body.

"She sure is." He whispered back before laying a kiss on the top of her head.

-

"You doing okay?" Summer caught up with Taylor before they were to all leave for the rehearsal dinner.

"I'm doing perfect, I have my family back together." She sighed giving her friend a genuine smile.

"Are you going to tell them?" Summer asked watching as her family plus Taylor's talked.

"Not until after the wedding."

"Just don't take too long, Taylor." Summer put a reassuring hand on Taylor's shoulder. Taylor just nodded at her before walking off to find her youngest son.

-

"Hey baby." Ryan walked up and wrapped his oldest daughter in his arms.

"I'm so scared." Claire sighed.

"Why? Brad's a good guy." Ryan shrugged pulling away from her. He had excepted his daughter's fiancé a long time ago, although he wasn't sure if he would ever like the idea of his little girl growing up.

"He is, I just hope our relationship is as strong as you and mom's." She sighed as her eyes drifted over the people she loved the most. The rehearsal of her wedding had gone fairly well and now it was just the waiting game. Barely one more day before she would no longer be a Claire Atwood but Claire Johnson. "So, you're staying at my place with the guys tonight right?"

"That's the plan." He nodded towards the dark haired girl.

"Good, great." She nodded back nervously.

Ryan searched the small crowd for his wife. He spotted her talking to their son, Kale. The youngest of all five. Who also happened to be Sunny's twin.

"She's great isn't she?" He nodded towards the woman who's hair was slightly graying.

"Mom?" Claire looked up at him.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"She is, you did a good job in picking her dad." Claire smiled patting her father on the back before walking away from him and towards her two sisters.

-

"How'd you know?" Claire questioned her mother as the woman pulled a brush through Claire's dark curls.

"Know what?"

"That you loved my Dad." The fifteen year old asked.

"Remember the day I saw you two at the cemetery?" Taylor asked and Claire nodded. "That's when I knew I could love him. When I realized I did love him…well I guess it was when all of that stuff was happening with Steve. Your dad was so amazing through all of that…and I just realized how much I cared for him. I just…fell in love with him." Taylor sighed.

"I hope I find someone that I can love like you love Daddy."

"Me too, Claire-bear." Taylor smiled.

"Do you ever wonder how things would have been if Sadie hadn't died?" Claire caught the other woman off guard with her question. Claire had always been one to never beat around the bush she always got to the point. No question was off limits to the girl.

"Sometimes, do you?"

"I just want to be able to see her when I close my eyes. I want to have memories of her, you know?" Taylor nodded at the girl. It never hurt when Claire talked about her biological mother. It wasn't her fault that she had never met her.

"That's normal."

"Then there are times when I can't imagine not having you as my mom."

"I can't imagine not having you as my daughter." Taylor smiled.

"Dad said that he loves you more than anyone in the world. Did he love Sadie like that?" Claire turned around to face Taylor.

"I think he did."

"Me too." She nodded smiling. "But, I like how my life is turning out with you here."

"Me too, baby." Taylor almost squealed pulling the brunette into a hug.