A/N: Okay I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry that this fic lost some momentum. I promise to get back to my weekly or more updating schedule! Also, my 21st birthday was yesterday and this Rum and Coke ive been sipping on has inspired me to write, so you can thank Captain Morgan for this update :D

When we put down ideas of what life should be like, we are free to wholeheartedly say yes to our life as it is.

- Tara Brach

3 months later…..

Emily sighed sitting down on the front porch swing. She had a glass of Crystal Light in one hand and an old worn copy of The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, that she'd found at a garage sale. The twins were next door with Misty and Declan was up in his room. She sighed again. Once her and Ian had returned home from the bar that day, Misty had told her Declan had refused to talk. She'd brushed him off as shy and had chattered on and on until Emily got home. This struck Emily as odd. Declan had never been shy, he'd always been outgoing, easy at making friends.

Later that evening Declan was up in his room all alone and she'd gone in to ask him about that afternoon. Needless to say it was a disaster. She could still picture it playing out like a weird movie.

"Declan, why were you so shy with Misty? I know you didn't know her, but she seemed really nice. Why wouldn't you talk to her."

Silence.

"Dec?"

"Im not going to make friends here Emily! I won't!" He yelled. Startling Emily almost out of her skin. This was the last reaction she'd expected, he'd never been one to throw tantrums, or even yell period.

"Whoa, Declan, hang on! What's going on? Why are you so upset?" She asked gently, a very concerned look she was becoming too used to wearing. She'd always wondered what this whole Ian situation slash moving away to a desert island to moving back to Virginia, then suddenly moving away again would do to him. But she'd not worried too much, he was a survivor, he was so resilient. But she'd taken all of that for granted she felt, and she hurt for him. Immensely. They had taken him away from everything he knew, all of his friends, the little extended family they'd formed back home. No, back in Virginia… This was their home now.

"Aww Declan, I'm so sorry. I know how you must be feeling. But, I promise, we aren't going anywhere this time. This is the end of the road, I swear." She said pulling him close to her. "Declan, I am so sorry we up and left. We had no choice-"

"Was it because of him?" Declan asked sullenly.

Emily pursed her lips together, not quite knowing how to answer that. Yes, it was because of Ian, because staying would have meant losing him as a partner, a lover, and as a father. She'd thought about what if things would have been different. What if they'd stayed? Ian would have been in prison for sure by now. Her team would have made it their life's mission. She would be all alone. Raising three kids on her own, no income, no real future. That's what made her so sure that they'd made the right decision, that SHE'D made the right decision. From that fateful day he'd shown up in her car and she'd agreed to leave with him; because, no matter who he was or what he'd done… she couldn't picture her life now without him…

Emily took a sip of the Raspberry Ice in her hand. Ever since that night, Declan had been very withdrawn, spending as much time as he could in his room. She'd voiced her concerns to Ian, who had dismissed it casually, saying Declan was a strong kid. He'd get over it, and things would return to the way they were. She'd not brought it up again, but she'd kept a close eye on Declan since.

She looked up from her book as a car pulled up. It was Misty's older sister Izzy, who happened to own the bar that Ian now worked at. They were all neighbors. Misty, as it turned out, had been a godsend. She babysat all the time, and refused to let Emily pay her, except for the occasional use of the swimming pool, she'd bargained. She was a sharp kid. She was a senior at the local high school and her wit was unmatchable. Izzy and her husband Matt were a really cute couple. Izzy had practically raised Misty since she was a teen and her and Matt had been high school sweethearts. Every night Matt or Izzy would come back and pick Ian up and bring him back to the bar, when the night crowd started to pick up.

Ian seemed to thoroughly enjoy being a bouncer. He was obviously very good at it, and he and Izzy were constantly giving each other a hard time. Izzy and Ian as it turned out shared a culture. Izzy's grandmother was straight off the boat, from Ireland back in New York.

Ian and her had finally started to get along better now, that things were settling down. They'd finally achieved a sort of rhythm. Every night at about 7 Ian went to work, he came home at 4 am, crawled into bed with her, then in the morning she would wake up with the twins and Declan and make breakfast for them all. She'd do some stuff around the house, play with the kids, then around noon or one, she'd make lunch and Ian would wake up. She'd take a nap in the afternoon when the kids did or do some laundry.

Emily snorted a little. All her life she'd barely pictured herself as a mother, let alone a housewife of 3 kids, who did laundry on regular basis, and ate more than stale poptarts for breakfast and 3 day old Chinese for dinner. She had to say that she missed the action of the FBI, but she was so much less stressed, a burden had kind of been lifted. She was free to live her life any way she wanted. She could do anything, and for once she felt like doing nothing. Her life was beginning to finally be in a good place. Her kids were growing up, Ian and her were slowly beginning to keep their altercations to a minimum, Ian was working a real job, nothing illegal. She was open to admitting she had a good life now.

She'd only spoken to Garcia once from a prepaid cell for about 5 minutes in the dead of night. She'd wanted to make sure Garcia, was home, away from the team, and she'd also not told Ian. She was certain that would bring about an argument of outrageous proportions and he was sure to overreact. So she'd said nothing, blocked the number, erased the call afterwards. She just wanted Garcia to rest easy, to know they were okay. She'd been miserable at the thought of all the pressure Garcia was under by the team to find her and Ian, and how much Garcia had done for them, she had to let her know they were all safe and sound. She'd had to say… goodbye.

She took another sip of her drink and looked at her watch, she had about 45 minutes left before she needed to collect the twins from next door and get them ready for dinner. Ian was out back grilling something that smelled divine. She smiled and opened her book. Life was finally starting to get good…

A/N 2: HOT!STEAMY! Emily/Ian sex scene next chapter!