The alarm clock went off at promptly 5AM, causing them both to wake up quickly at the loud beeping. Nora began to sit up but Miles grumbled something into her shoulder, tightened his arm around her, and pinned her to the mattress.

"Was this your idea?"

"I need to get up."

"Craziest thing I've ever heard. Still dark out."

"Will you let me up?"

"Nope. Too early."

"Will you at least let me up so I can turn it off?"

There was a long pause, then he pushed her forward and made sure to keep her in his hold, saying, "You have long arms. Reach."

She rolled her eyes but stretched until her fingers grazed the button on the side of the clock. The new silence seemed almost deafening as she settled back against him. He made a content noise, then pressed his face into the curve of her neck. She waited a few minutes but as she heard his breathing quickly turn deeper, she knew she needed to move before he fell completely asleep. Her fingers found his tucked under her side and slowly began to peel one back. Immediately, his hand clamped down on hers and he sighed heavily against her.

"Stop it."

"I need to get up."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Well, that's ridiculous and you should think of my needs first."

"What needs do you have?"

"Won't have nothing to hold." he mumbled sleepily, nuzzling her shoulder. It made her laugh loudly but it was true and one of her favorite things about him was that he liked to cuddle- no one would expect it. "Stay here."

"I could go grab Ollie. Alex has been adamant about not using him."

"No."

"He's cuddly."

"Doesn't smell nice... or feel good." as if to prove his point, his hand slipped under her tank top, grazing her toned stomach softly.

"Mm, no. Nuhuh. If you manage to persuade me to stay, I am sleeping. No sex for you."

"Good, cause I don't think I'd be able to. Go back to sleep baby."

"I can't. I'm serious. I need to get up. I have a lot to do today."

"What could possibly be so important?"

"First day of school."

There was a pause on his part and she knew that her statement had woken him up just enough to be more coherent. She waited for the endearing reply that would come because when it came to Alex, he was always serious.

"Well, still, school isn't until eight-thirty. The latest you can wait is seven."

"I'm making breakfast."

"Are you hatching the eggs and slaughtering the pigs yourself?"

"Are you really going to be like this?"

"Do you really need three and a half hours to cook a breakfast that takes maybe thirty minutes tops and get a kid ready who really only needs to get pants and a shirt thrown on him? He's not a girl Nora. You don't need to primp him."

"I know that." she squirmed, rolling over so she was facing him. He huffed quietly and met her gaze with a slightly irritated one of his own. "I know that but... it's the first first day of school we get and soon, there won't be any first days of school. And it's his first first day of school too."

"That was a lot of firsts." he deadpanned, causing her to sigh softly.

"Why do I put up with you?"

"Charming and cute."

"Sure, okay. Could you just- this is important to me. I just want it to be..."

"...perfect?" he cocked an eyebrow at her teasingly. Her scowl deepened and he sighed, sobering up immediately. His fingers ran over her spine gently as he added, "And I suppose your clear anxiety, the fact you didn't fall asleep until four hours ago, and tossed and turned since then has nothing to do with it?"

"I'm not anxious." she protested weakly. His eyebrow rose skeptically, pulling another sigh out of her. "It's going to be a disaster."

"No, it's not."

"It is." she wiggled closer to him, hands playing with the collar of his t-shirt. "He's so... so..."

"...me?"

"Yes! And quiet, and scared, and I'm not ready to have him be away for six hours a day where anything could happen. He doesn't want to go. He said so last night."

"Mm, last night, he seemed pretty indifferent to the entire idea."

"Exactly! He doesn't open up right away. It's going to be at the last second, when we're trying to pry him off of us, that he's going to have a meltdown in front of everyone."

"Is that what he's going to do or what you're going to do?"

"It's a new situation, in a new place, with new people. He had a personal tutor back in Philly."

"Nora,"

"We could home school him."

"And he'd be proficient in sword fighting and bomb making and not know how to multiply by fives. Baby, he's fine. He settled in a little more, has Josh-"

"Jake."

"What?"

"His friend's name is Jake."

"Whatever. The point is, he's adjusting and yeah, today will be nerve wracking but it's new and he'll deal. You being a crazy person isn't going to help soothe him at all."

"The last time we left him somewhere and weren't with him, Bass got to him." she whispered, closing her eyes tightly. They were both quiet for a moment, then she felt his hand on her face, stroking back her hair.

"That's not going to happen. This is totally different and you know it."

"He hasn't been out of my sight in three months."

"I know. He hasn't been out of mine either. But this is school. It's safe, structured, plenty of adults around. Bass doesn't know where we are. He doesn't have anyone to work for him. I know you worry and you have every right to. So, why don't you let me take lead on this for a while? Trust me. I would not put him in a situation I was not one hundred percent comfortable with. I will even hang around there today, standing guard, just to prove nothing will happen."

"We were comfortable leaving him with Leah."

"Again, different scenario and if it wasn't for Jim, I'm positive no one would have found out he had been there. We're not abandoning him or leaving for weeks on end. He's going to school. Until two thirty. Six hours. That's it. I'm sure I can keep you occupied for six hours so you don't drive yourself crazy thinking of all the improbable possibilities that will occur."

"I've gotten so used to having him around and knowing what was happening every minute of the day with him. I don't like the idea of sending him out into the world and not being able to help him. Can't we just keep him here forever?"

"He'd be a maladjusted weirdo then and he's capable of so much more." he moved his hand around to the back of her neck and started to rub the area lightly. "I'm not judging you. Our parenting days haven't been easy. But, if none of it happened the way it had, would you be acting like this?"

"Yes."

"A general, overall worry, yes, but this whole, "we're going to lock him away" idea, no."

"No, probably not." she hesitated a moment, then said quietly, "I'm not crazy."

"Never said you were."

"Most days, I'm handling this okay, I think. Maybe- maybe I baby him more than I need to but overall, I've been good, tried being rational as much as possible. This is just..."

"...a big step. I get it. I know. You don't have to explain it to me."

"I have this- this ridiculous fear that things aren't going to stay this way. It's never been simple with us. Why would it start now? I don't want to bury my head in the sand."

"You don't have to bury your head but you also don't have to be on guard 24/7."

"I know that and I'm not. It's just... things will be going so good for a few days, and then I'll wake up one morning and I'll check in on him and I'm so shocked to find him there. I get so comfortable and it feels like this is how it's always been. Then, I get this jolt, as if to remind me that he wasn't here. You weren't here. I've woken up a few times, thinking I was still dreaming, and this would all be gone when I really woke up."

"That'll go away. It's already going away. You were on edge those few weeks after the Tower, then you started to let up a bit." he leaned in and kissed her softly. "Try and get another hour of sleep, okay? You need it. You'll still have time to make breakfast and I'll help get him ready while you cook, that way we're not behind schedule."

She moved closer to him, pressed her forehead into his shoulder, and shut her eyes. He gave an inward sigh of relief, and continued to skim his hand over her back to lull her into relaxation. He felt himself falling back asleep but forced himself to stay awake until he knew she was asleep.

The schoolyard was loud and buzzing with excitement that seemed to radiate from everyone except Nora. She stood quietly at Miles's side, arm wrapped around his, and eyed the others carefully. Even Alex, much to her dismay, had slipped towards the other children. Jake was busy introducing him to new friends that had been gone all summer and she watched anxiously as Alex's posture relaxed and a small smile formed on his face.

She glanced up at Miles, was glad to see his attention was on their son as well. Despite all his eye-rolling, teasing, supposed detachment, and insistence he was fine so she didn't have to be, she could still feel his own tension and worries.

"Stop." he huffed in annoyance as he tugged at Stitch's leash, pulling the dog gently back to his side. Alex had pleaded for him to be able to come, Stitch had sat morosely at the window, staring out at them, until Miles had given in and went back into the house for their pet. "This is the worst place for a dog by the way."

"Probably." she turned her face into his bicep to hide her smile. Stitch was easily worked up and dozens of kids, many excited to see him and dole out attention, only made it worse. She turned her attention back to Alex, felt her heart skip a beat when she didn't see him, and pulled away quickly from Miles. A group of parents stepped to the side a few feet ahead of her and she immediately calmed as she saw him, still with his little friends, giggling about something. A low sigh escaped her mouth and she felt Miles's hand wrap around hers.

"You want to go get something to eat after we're done?"

"We just ate."

"Want to go on the beach?"

"Feels kind of cold today."

"Take advantage of an empty house and have sex all day?"

"Charlie and Jason are still home."

"Shit. We're going to have to kick them out soon. They ruin all our plans."

She tilted her head up to look at him and found him gazing down at her with a small grin. He didn't say anything else but gave her a gentle squeeze as Alex came darting over.

"Mom, can I go to Jake's after school?"

The question caught her off guard. She stared down at him for a moment, trying to reconcile this bright-eyed, excited boy with her nervous, quiet son. The son she expected to run to her at the end of his day and beg her not to make him go back.

"Mom?"

"What?"

"Jake's mom is letting our class come over after school. Can I go, please?"

She didn't respond for a moment, prompting an exasperated 'MOM!'- so very unlike Alex- and before she had a chance to say anything, Miles said, "Yeah. It's fine."

Alex's head whipped up to meet his father's gaze, needing confirmation. He gave a slight nod and their son let out some kind of whooping noise.

"Thanks!" he tried to dart away but Nora managed to quickly hook a finger in the back of his collar.

"Wait!" she sounded desperate. She could hear it herself. She sounded like a crazy, hovering parent. "Just- wait. Okay? Hang out here for a minute."

Before he could protest, she wrapped her arm around him, holding him tightly so his back was pressed against her front.

"But-"

"They're going to start in a minute. Stay here please." in an effort to be... she wasn't sure- reassuring? loving?- she ran her fingers over his shoulder gently. She could tell just from his slumped posture that he was annoyed with her but she didn't care. In a few minutes, teachers would be standing out side, calling out various names to come join their class. She knew she looked crazy, cradling him like he was some precious, fragile cargo that needed to be cared for just right. These were the last few minutes she was going to have with him and she wanted to savor them. He's been away before for the day. This is nothing different. But with Charlie or Miles. People I know and completely trust.

At one point, he tested his boundaries and attempted to squirm away, which only made her tighten her grip. Who was this child? Reluctantly, she had to admit he wasn't as quiet and reserved as when they had first settled into the town. There had been small moments leading up to this one big moment for weeks now. Small moments she had brushed off, saying they were no big deal and she had plenty of time. Being more adventurous, wandering over to Jake's without her, interacting more at the park.

Before she was aware of what was happening, his name had been called and he ran away with a quick goodbye but barely glanced over his shoulder at them. She felt a lump form in her throat. She had so many things she had planned to say to him, had been prepared to comfort him, and none of it had been needed.

"Come on, let's go."

"No, let's just wait."

"Baby,"

"I want to make sure he gets inside. What if he-"

"We're leaving. Everyone else is. Let's go." Miles wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulders and forced her to turn away. "Six hours. We can handle six hours."

"He didn't even care."

"I'm sorry."

She didn't know how to react to this. It's your own fault. You ignored all the signs, tried to insist he was someone he wasn't. Miles knew it. He just needed to settle in and find his own niche.

"Do you think he was like this in- is this him?"

"No. I think though, at certain times, he does have your excitement for things. The little girl he was eyeballing may have also had something to do with it."

"There was no girl."

"Yup. Red hair, pigtails, white t-shirt, blue jeans. Missing a couple of teeth. You didn't see her?"

"No!"

"Oh yeah. I've seen her at the park a couple times. They play together. I think he likes her. Boys act differently when they like girls."

"You acted like I had the plague."

"Well, obviously he inherited your tenacity and go-getter abilities Miss 'It Doesn't Mean Anything. Just Kiss Me.'"

She rolled her eyes, then dared to take a glance back at the school. Alex and the rest of his class had already disappeared into the building.

"Come on," Miles urged her again, tugging a little to prompt her. She sighed deeply but continued to walk with him. After a few minutes of silence, she couldn't stand it anymore and said,

"There was no girl."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Mom. Mom. Mommy."

Nora frowned as she heard Alex's faint whisper and his small hand on her cheek. Slowly, she opened her eyes and realized she had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Mm, what time is it?"

"Almost three." Miles's voice caught her attention and she looked over to find him leaning in the doorway with Alex's backpack slung over his shoulder. She turned back to her son and gave him a small smile.

"How was school?"

His face burst into a smile at her question and he began to ramble as she sat up slowly. He plopped down next to her, eyes bright with excitement.

"It was great! My teacher is really nice. She's like Charlie and she made sure everyone was nice to everyone. Jake let me meet all his friends. Cat is in my class too!"

"Who is Cat?"

"A girl." a blush formed on his face and Nora raised her gaze to Miles, who tilted his head as if to say I told you so. "She's okay. I guess. She's fine. I don't like her."

"Mhmm. Did you learn anything?"

"Nope. Today was getting to know everyone. We played games and colored and had to talk about ourselves."

"What did you say?"

"What we like, who our family is. Don't worry, I remembered Charlie is Emily and Jason is Nate." he nodded seriously, then frowned. "Are we gonna have to lie forever?"

"I don't know. It's to help us out."

"So they don't find us?"

"And other reasons." she smiled faintly as she ran her hand over his hair. "But you had a good day?"

"Yeah." his grin formed again and she looked over him for a long moment. He was happy. His whole face seemed to light up and he was relaxed. She couldn't be so selfish when he was finally reaching that place she wanted for him. It will get easier. You made it through Day 1. "Can I still go to Jake's?"

"Yes. Go change your clothes first."

"Okay." he smiled at her, which she returned. After a moment, he leaned forward and hugged her. She brought her arms around him and held on tightly, face pressed into his hair. Then he was gone, racing loudly up the stairs with Stitch barking after him, and just like that, the house was back to normal. She sagged silently back against the cushions, propped her elbow on the edge, and leaned her head into her hand.

"So," Miles flopped down next to her, tossed the backpack onto her lap. When she didn't react in anyway, he tilted his head and observed her quietly. "Hey,"

His hand snaked over and grabbed hers, finally shaking her out of her reverie.

"He's fine."

"I know. I-" she stopped, tongue darting out to lick her lips. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I did- twice. You told me to get lost. You needed to sleep. What's with that look on your face?"

"He-" she paused again, glancing towards the stairs. They could hear him banging around in his room, laughing and scolding Stitch. She swallowed thickly. "It's ridiculous. Today was ridiculous but while he was gone, I couldn't stop thinking about how quiet it was."

"And you appreciated the silence."

"No. I thought about how quiet it was when- after- I know it's not the same scenario at all but I've gotten so used to him, just like I was already tuned into those cries. Anyway," she shook her head, missing the look on her husband's face. "It's fine. I'm really glad he had a good day. I just want him to be happy."

"Do you want me to walk him over to Sandy's?"

"No, I'll do it."

"Can we go now?" Alex had reappeared, now dressed in an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Stitch was nudging his hand eagerly, needing attention- apparently Nora had not been the only one to miss the boy's company.

"Do you want a snack first?"

"Nope."

"Okay. I'll be back in a while." Nora told Miles as she leaned in to kiss him quickly. He ran his hand quickly down her back and gave a short nod. "Let's go."

"Bye Dad!" Alex was out the door before Nora had a chance to stand up.

"I'm really beginning to think he's more like you." Miles commented. She smiled faintly at the suggestion and left their home, shutting the door securely behind her. As they headed off the porch and onto the sidewalk, Charlie and Jason were coming towards them- at a very quick pace. The sight of them caused Nora's stomach to turn.

"What?"

"There's a convoy coming. They've got a US flag. People are saying it's the Patriots."

"Where? When?"

"Within the next few hours. They're still about two towns away."

"And they're coming here."

"Yeah. There's a guy on Main Street. New, dressed nice. He's with the mayor. I think he's in charge and the people coming are the reinforcements."

"What's going on?" Alex asked. "Can I still go to Jake's?"

For a moment, Nora felt like grabbing him and running back into the house. They all had witnessed Randall Flynn and she didn't doubt the rest of the Patriots would be just like him. Within the next few hours. She took a deep, calming breath, then nodded slowly. There was no need to cause her son any alarm.

"Just for a little while. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Miles is inside. Tell him." Nora looked back to Charlie, gesturing towards their house. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Do you think-" the question remained unfinished as her niece fidgeted slightly. However, Nora knew exactly what she was implying. What if someone had recognized them, sold them out?

"I don't know. Obviously, I hope not."