"Hey! Is anyone home around here?" Austin hollered, walking in the front door and slamming it behind her.

"We're upstairs!" Lindsay shouted back. "Putting on tons of eyeliner and perfecting the Rachel hairdo."

"As much as you want to be 14 again Linds, it's not 1994 anymore."

"Don't speak such blasphemy!"

Austin chuckled as she and her niece Dallas made their way up the stairs. With Hannah and Tessa both in town for a week, and Dallas visiting for a long weekend, Lindsay and Austin had decided to take the girls out shopping. It wouldn't be all that thrilling, but the girls were excited.

"Oh my word, are you listening to Ace of Base?"

"I wanted the girls to know what life was like for us when we were their age."

"You want to emotionally scar them?" Austin asked, half horrified as she teasingly pulled her niece close.

"Hey, it's better than the flashback to the 80's I used to subject Tessa to."

"Yeah, believe me, anything is better than that. She used to Rick Roll me before Rick Rolling had even been invented."

"Never gonna give you up, never gonna-"

"Shut up!"

Lindsay giggled as Austin introduced all the girls to each other.

"So I thought we could take the girls to Juliannes after we shop," Austin suggested, grabbing Lindsay's curling iron.

"That's a good idea. Wanna know what's not a good idea? You holding a hot object."

"Watch out, I'll poke you with a hot object."

"Austin you're gonna-"

"I burned myself!"

"You're three."

"No Linds, this really hurts. Holy crap you stick your hair in that?"

"Let me see."

"No, you'll hurt it more!"

"Austin Messer if I am allowed to bandage your children, I am allowed to bandage you. Now let me see it."

Austin relinquished her hand and Lindsay examined it carefully with a sigh.

"How do you always manage to hurt yourself?"

"I don't know, I'm an idiot. Lemme put water on it."

"That's not going to help. Come with me."

"Where are you taking me?" Austin whined, following Lindsay out of the room while the girls giggled and continued to play with the make up that was sitting on the counter.

"I'm going to make sure you don't scar. Now come in here."

Austin followed her into the kitchen with a frown, jumping up to sit on the counter when Lindsay pointed at it.

"Isn't this where you put the kids when they scrape their knees?"

"Yes. And that should tell you just what I think about your mishap."

Austin stuck her tongue out at her friend but couldn't help grinning afterwards.

"What are you doing with that honey? Are you going to bury me up to my neck and let ants crawl all over me?"

"Honey is a natural antiseptic and it pulls the burn out too. Give me your hand."

"I don't like where you're going with this young lady."

"Oh my word," Lindsay sighed, shaking her head and grabbing Austin's injured hand, squeezing some honey onto it and spreading it over the burn with a spoon.

"Can I lick it?"

"What, your hand?"

"No, the spoon. Also my hand."

"You can have the spoon little girl, but you can't lick your hand unless you want people to think you're a cat."

"Meow."

"You're lucky I love you so much you freak."

Austin grinned and slid off the counter wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"Yep, I am pretty lucky."

"Don't get honey in my hair."

"Hey, I'm hugging you elusively dude, honey in your hair is secondary. And just think of it this way, you're stuck with me."

"I guess I can live with that. But don't tell no one, m'kay?"

"You've been listening to Reba this morning, haven't you?" Austin asked, backing away.

"How did you know?"

"You twanged."

"You know me better than I know myself."

"Are we leaving?" Tessa asked as the girls came down the stairs. "You can't tease me with New York shopping and then not come through on it Aunt Linds."

"Okay, we're going."

"Are we taking the tiniest munchkin with us?" Austin asked, giggling as Tessa and Lindsay both slipped into cowboy boots.

"Nah, Adam took her with them to the park. She wasn't happy about it."

"I thought she was a daddy's girl."

"She is but she was having issues with the fact that her mama wasn't going too."

"She wants to have her cake and eat it too?"

"Yes."

"She is so your daughter."

"Shuddup, she learned it from you."

"Oh my word," Dallas said, rolling her eyes. "You two are like the Golden Girls."

"As long as I'm not Blanche," Lindsay shrugged.

"You're more like a Rose if you want me to be honest."

"And you are a Dorothy."

"I am going to punch you so hard."

Lindsay giggled and grabbed her keys off the hook by the door.

"Alright, let's go. Hannah, no calling the boyfriend, this is girls day."

"I can't help that he's addicted to me," Hannah shrugged.

"Think you've been hanging around Lindsay too much," Dallas deadpanned. Lindsay gave her an amused grin as the five of them left the house.

"Linked arm walking has never proved successful for us," Lindsay sighed as Austin hopped on one foot, putting her flip-flop back on.

"It would be fine if you wouldn't step on my foot."

"Then stop walking like a drunk."

Austin giggled as they caught up with the girls who were standing by a store window, gazing in at the shoes.

"They're too expensive," Lindsay called out to them.

"Pish-tosh," Tessa said, pointing at the Jimmy Choos in the window. "They're orange."

"Your father would kill me if you came home with shoes like that. He'd think I was tryna sell you at the kissin' booth at the fair."

"If I got to wear those shoes, I don't think I would mind."

"Tessa Monroe."

"What? Those are nice shoes."

"Look at that price tag, grasshopper."

"Ouch. Okay, moving on."

"That's a good girl."

They made their way further down the street, the teenagers giggling over boys and music, as if they had known each other their whole lives.

"Think we would have been like that?" Lindsay asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"We are like that Lin."

"No, I mean when we were younger would we have been friends?"

"I think it depends on when we met. If we'd known each other forever we would have been. Middle school, not so much. High school could have been okay."

"I like to think that we would have always been like we are now, but I guess we couldn't have gone through the things we've gone through to get to the place we are now if we were friends back then."

"You're blowin' my mind here, Ross."

"We could have been friends in an alternate universe."

"Adam told you about alternate universes, didn't he?"

"Nah, I knew about them before I knew about him. I'm not a complete sci-fi virgin."

"Pick spot on ground and stare."

Lindsay chuckled and closed her eyes, breathing in the New York air.

"You used to choke when you did that," Austin noted. "Told me you were gonna get cancer just from tryna breathe."

"Yeah, you told me to shut my dirty rotten mouth."

"I think that was one of the first times we ever did anything not work related."

"And life hasn't been the same since."

"We were awkward when we first met."

"I was scared of you."

"You were scared of me? Really?"

"Well not scared," Lindsay clarified. "Intimidated."

"Why?"

"Because you had your life together. You had a place you fit in. You had people who worshipped the ground you walked on. I was just the country bumpkin in the big bad city. You could hold your own and I didn't even know what my own was."

"I had to work for it, Linds. You just kind of fell into it."

"I faked it. I felt completely out of place for a long time."

"Until you met Adam."

"Yeah. But even after that. You guys were all connected and together and Adam and I were the outsiders."

"That's probably part of why you two bonded so fast."

"Possibly. We talked about that a lot. Neither of us felt like we belonged for a long time."

"When did it happen?"

"Um… probably about the time you and Danny got married."

"That long huh?"

"Yeah."

Austin didn't say anything, just nodded.

"It wasn't you," Lindsay explained. "I always felt fine with you, I mean after a little while. It was just the entire dynamic I guess. Or maybe it was me. I don't know. I guess it doesn't matter now."

"If you ever felt like that again, you would tell me, right?"

"Of course I would. But why would I feel like that again?"

"I dunno. Sometimes when you get sad you go into your little emotional hidey-hole and don't come out for a while. I don't know if it's because you're avoiding or you think we don't want you."

"I don't know either. It's hard to remember how it feels when I'm not in it."

"Well let's hope you don't ever remember how it feels."

"Okay."

"I mean, I'll always be there if you do."

"I know."

They dropped the subject for now, knowing they would probably pick it up again in a few months. It wasn't something they liked to dwell on, but they knew that talking about it in the good times was just as important as talking about it in the bad times.

"I want ice-cream," Dallas said suddenly.

"It's not even noon yet," Austin replied, surprising herself. Dallas, Hannah and Tessa all gave her the same look and she turned to Lindsay, her mouth agape.

"Did I just say no to ice-cream?"

"I think you did."

"Why?"

"I am having a hard time understanding your motivations right now."

"Okay, let's have ice-cream!"

"And this, girls, is the place where New York gets all of its oxygen," Austin announced as they stepped into Central Park.

"What, are these the only trees until you get to Jersey?" Hannah asked, looking around.

"Hush you. Did Lindsay tell you to slip Jersey into every conversation just to tick me off?"

"Yeah."

"Well it's working."

"Hey, you're the one that always teases me about Manhattan, Montana," Lindsay reminded her. "Like I can control what a bunch of hicks named their city a hundred years ago."

"But it's ironic," Austin said. "Irony is funny, right?"

"You can take the girl out of Montana but you can't stick her in Manhattan… no wait. Seriously Austin, the joke gets old."

"Then you gotta quit leaving me "If this is Austin I still love you" voicemails."

"Never."

"Okay then."

"You two are really, really weird," Dallas noted with a shake of her head. "Uncle Danny wasn't exaggerating."

"Danny, exaggerate? Never!"

"Perish the thought."

"Why don't you two weirdos go away?" Dallas asked. "Us normal people are going to go and sit on that bench until you're not an embarrassment anymore."

"I thought you wanted to go to Strawberry Field to get a picture for your dad."

"I do, but we can wait until the two of you are appropriate for a public place."

"We're appropriate," Lindsay assured her. "I'll keep Austin in line, don't worry. Austin don't kick me."

They made their way west to the John Lennon memorial, where Austin and Lindsay sat down on a bench and watched the girls explore.

"I feel younger today," Austin sighed.

"You're acting younger. Stop kicking me."

"What, do you feel older?"

"Yeah. Not in a bad way. I guess I just feel bad because there's a lot of Tessa's growing up that I've missed. She was four when I left and I haven't been around since. She was so little, she didn't really understand, and I remember her crying when I said goodbye. I mean, she was sobbing and begging me not to leave her. I'd talk to her on the phone and she would cry when I had to go. I missed her too, but I couldn't do anything about it. I didn't want to go back to Montana. But if I had known that it was going to be like this, that I would miss so much, I would have thought about staying."

"I missed a lot with Dallas too. She's my niece, I should know everything about her, be her best friend, you know? I wasn't there for her either."

"I don't think they hold it against us."

"Probably not. Hannah probably took it hard when Adam left, huh?"

"Yeah. He was her hero. Still is. I don't think a little sister has ever idolized her brother more."

"He's pretty good to idolize."

"She's a major daddy's girl, but she would lay down and die for her big brother."

"He'd do the same for her."

"No hesitation. He told me once that he didn't really love anyone until he held her for the first time."

"Danny never says stuff like that."

"He doesn't have to, you already know."

"I guess that's true."

"You were there for all the big moments of his life. You got to see it happen. He doesn't have to tell you about it."

"Yeah but I would like to hear about it sometimes."

"Then ask him."

"Nah, he wouldn't say."

"Yeah he would."

"How do you know?"

"Because we talked a lot when you were gone. I asked him things and he answered."

"What did you guys talk about?"

"You."

"Oh."

"He just needed an ear, Aust. He missed you."

"I know."

"I don't mean to make you feel bad. I'm just saying that you should ask him stuff if you want to know."

"Yeah."

"Aust?"

"Hmm?"

"He's always gonna love you."

"Yeah, I know. I guess sometimes I just look at you and Adam and I see something different than what Danny and I have."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. I guess it's just how you talk to each other. The two of you talk about everything. I think sometimes you overtalk things. Danny and I, we just kind of let it be unspoken. We know what the other is thinking and that's that. You and Adam know what the other is thinking but you talk about it. You know what he's thinking but you also know how he's feeling. Danny and I don't have that part. The feeling part."

"You've done pretty well without it."

"I guess."

"I think you know better than you think you do, Austin. Neither of you may say the words, but you both know. And that's okay."

"Yeah. It's not bad, just different. I guess I just get a little jealous of how you and Adam have those midnight conversations. Danny and I don't really do that."

"Then start."

Austin smiled and drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them gently.

"Do you have things that bug you too?"

"You mean in marriage? Yeah."

"Like what?"

Lindsay sighed and picked at her fingernails for a moment before she answered.

"I hate that we've both been with other people. I hate that the first time isn't something we shared together. I wish it was. I really wish it was."

"Do you think it's hurt your relationship?"

"Yeah."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm. It's always going to be there. We can't get rid of it. No matter how long Adam and I are together it doesn't erase the fact that at some point in our lives we thought we were in love with other people. And sure, that happens all the time but for me… it just really hurts. It hurts to know that there's a part of me he'll never have because I gave it to someone else."

"Does it bother you that he's had others?"

"Sometimes. We've talked about it, I know all about his relationships and he knows all about mine, but sometimes it hurts that I don't know everything. I wish I would have saved it for him and that he would have saved it for me. I guess hindsight is 20/20."

"Do you think that's why you guys are so um… close in that way?"

"Prude. And yeah. I think it's like we're trying to erase all of the past or something. To me, it never meant anything until it was with him. At least it didn't mean what I thought it did. And he knows that. He knows how much I cherish him and how much more important he is to me than anyone else has ever been. I think in some ways it makes us stronger too because we don't take each other for granted."

"I don't think I've ever seen two people more in love than you are."

"Right back at you."

"Our kids are really lucky."

"Adam and I were talking about that the other night. Wondering if they would ever find this kind of love."

"I don't think any of them will settle for less."

"I like our talks."

"So do I. Let's never stop having them."

"And mama, I'm not done with my story! After we were playing at the park we went to the store and daddy let me and Ben pick a candy to share. And we picked Butterfinger. And when we came home daddy cut it in half and I got the butter part and Ben got the finger!"

"Yup, got the finger," Ben added with a nod. "Tasty."

Lindsay smiled and nodded, storing that one for future reference. Isa, Sarah, and Junior were chattering to Austin about their day at home with Danny and from the squealing Lindsay guessed they were just as excited about what they had done as Ben and Colton were.

"Mama, daddy take sissy on slide! Goed zoomin' fast. Sissy laugh and laugh. Face turned red!"

"She must have really liked the slide, huh?"

"Yup. That why she so conked out," he explained, climbing up onto the couch next to her and patting his sister's back. "She cute when she sleepin'. Yucky drool gettin' on your shirt, mama."

"That's okay, I can wash it later."

"She miss you. She love you most, mama."

"You think so?"

"Yeah."

"Did you miss me today too?"

"No, I miss Hannah. She my Hannah."

"Oh, I understand."

"I go see her now?"

"Well the girls are all upstairs talking about boys. I guess you can go knock and see if you can go in but if they say no I don't want you to pitch a fit, alright?"

"Mama, if Ben goes upstairs I wanna go too and see my cousin Tessa!"

"Well…"

"I will go up there and see Dallas!" Isa added. "Why are those girls all up there in secret anyway?"

"Because that's what girls do, dear," Austin said with a grin.

"Yeah but girls is supposed to make dinner and the daddies are makin' dinner tonight!" Isa protested, her hands on her hips.

"I don't have an answer for that."

"Then we're goin' upstairs!"

Colton and Isa led the rest of the kids up the stairs and their mothers sighed, figuring they wouldn't fight it anymore. They propped their aching feet up on the coffee table and sat in silence for several minutes, both too tired for conversation.

"Where are the kids?" Adam asked as he and Danny came out of the kitchen.

"Upstairs. Where's your aprons?"

"In the trash."

Austin nodded as if this was an acceptable answer as they guys plunked down next to their wives.

"So you gave Ben the finger?" Lindsay asked with a yawn.

"I did no such thing!"

"The Butterfinger."

"Heh, oh yeah."

"I also hear he lets your kids run naked around the house," Danny commented.

"What? It was hot out!"

"No one lets me run naked around the house."

"Daniel, that's disgusting," Austin sighed. "And I'll tell you the real answer later."

"Oh gross," Lindsay protested, wrinkling her nose.

"You don't leave much to the imagination either," Austin reminded her.

"Excuse me?" Adam asked, wondering if he'd heard right.

"Don't worry about it babe. At least I'm not a liar."

"Danny, I think we need to put a no contact order between these two."

"I think you're right."

"Thou shalt not remove thy wife from her best friend for if thou doth, thou shalt feel the wrath of both merry wenches."

"You just called yourself a wench."

"It means independent woman."

"If you were independent you wouldn't need Austin."

"Don't speak of such things."

"Yeah Adam we're attached at the hip. Separation surgery will most surely kill us both. Are you willing to risk that?"

"I'm weighing pros and cons here."

Austin was too far away to smack him and Lindsay was too tired so they shot him evil looks instead.

"Hey, where's dinner? I thought you two were in there burnin' it."

"We were. It's in the oven. Don't get all womanly on us. We took care of your children all day long. What did you two hens do, shop?"

Lindsay turned to Danny and Adam backed away, knowing this was going to be bad.

"Wanna rephrase that?"

"Your uh… feet must hurt from all that walkin'. You two should just rest now. We'll bring you dinner. Don't bother gettin' up to go to the table."

"Wow Linds, I couldn't get him to take that back if I tried for the rest of my life."

"Yeah well, I've seen her backhand a suspect. She'd do it to me if she could reach me."

"I can reach you," Austin countered.

"Yeah but you'd still love me after. Linds would hold a grudge."

"Yep, I would," she confirmed as Avery woke up and let out an unhappy squawk. "See, she agrees with me."

"Nah, she's mad that you're raggin' on me."

"She doesn't care about you."

"Yeah she does. She loves her uncle Danny."

"She loves her uncle Danny's credit card."

"Spendin' too much time with you two," he said as the oven timer went off in the kitchen. "Guess that's our cue, cupcake."

They got up from the couch and Avery whined, reaching out for Adam.

"Dada!"

"You cry all day about wanting your mama, and then when you have her you want me again?"

"Dada," she repeated, giving him a frown until he picked her up and took her with him into the kitchen.

"I don't think she's a daddy's girl so much as she doesn't want to be left behind."

"Maybe she has been spending too much time with us."