"Boys, I really need you to be good today when we go to the dentist," Lindsay said, fastening Ben's sandal. "I need you to sit quietly in the waiting room and do everything the dentist asks you to."

"What is the dentist like?" Colton asked warily. "I don't want someone putting their fingers in my mouth."

"I know that. I should have taken you to the dentist a long time ago but I just kept forgetting. All he's going to do is look at your teeth and make sure they're clean."

"Will it hurt?"

"No, it's not a big deal. He might use a spit sucker on you too."

"What about scary drills like in that book we read?"

"No, he shouldn't need to use drills today. He's just going to make your teeth shiny and clean."

"Will you go in there with me, mama? And hold my hand if I get scared?"

"We'll see. I think you're going to be brave enough."

"Okay. What about Ben?"

"We'll see what happens. Are you ready to go, Ben?"

He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Not goin' mama. Sissy go for me."

"Sissy doesn't have any teeth for the dentist to look at. Now you wanted to be a big boy and this is part of being a big boy."

"No. I a baby now."

He took his glasses off and put them on the table then curled up on the floor and pretended to cry.

"Benjamin, that's enough."

"I are a baby! Wahhh!"

Lindsay just stared at him for a moment, not quite sure what to do in this situation. Had it been Colton acting like this she could have told him that babies didn't get ice-cream after the trip to the dentist. Ben wouldn't care. He would keep up this act as long as he could.

"Well you're a baby with teeth so you get to go to the dentist too," she said finally, taking his hand and hauling him up from the floor. "And you're a baby who is going to get a time out if he doesn't settle down."

Ben frowned at her and put his glasses back on, then took her hand without further argument as they went outside. The dentists office was in walking distance, and there was a cool breeze blowing, so they made their way leisurely there. The boys seemed to forget about the whole ordeal as they spotted things on the street, laughing about the dogs running in the park and the old man that was chasing them. Avery was asleep in the stroller, her head tipped to the side and her little legs dangling over the edge. She'd been sleeping a lot the past few weeks, probably on the verge of a growth spurt. Lindsay didn't want her to grow right now, she wanted to keep her little for as long as she could. She was already trying to crawl and pull herself up to stand. It was going too fast. She was still cuddly when she got tired, wanting to be held and loved on by anyone who had the time. And there were no shortage of arms to hold her. Colton rocked her to sleep for her afternoon nap almost every day. He told her stories and kissed her cheeks as she fell asleep and she would stare up at him as if he was the greatest thing she had ever seen. Ben loved his sister too, and doted on her constantly. He got upset when she cried and he was always the first one to know when she was going to wake up. The boys loved their sister and Lindsay knew that Avery loved them right back. The three of them would always be close.

"Okay boys, remember what I said. Best behavior."

"Yes, mama," they both agreed, nodding their heads and going inside. Lindsay checked in at the desk and the boys found chairs to sit on, each grabbing a book to look at while they waited. It was only about ten minutes before the dentist called them back, suggesting they all go together, since it was the boys first time at the dentist.

"Alright, Colton, you look like you're pretty brave. You want to hop up into that chair first?"

"Yup, I will do that. See Ben, this is cool."

Ben remained unconvinced and kept his hands tightly clasped in his lap. The dentist pulled the light over and gave Colton a pair of sunglasses to wear.

"Looks like you've already lost some teeth."

"Yup, they are just fallin' out like nobody's business. But see how my grownup tooth is comin' in that one spot? How does it look?"

"It looks pretty good. You brush your teeth three times a day?"

"Yep, I do! I like to get them clean because I don't want my breath to smell bad like the dogs."

"How about flossing?"

"I tried that one time and I am not good at it so daddy has to help me."

"That's good. Can you open your mouth so I can get a better look?"

"Are you gonna use all them utensils over there?"

"I am, but would it make you feel better if you knew what they all were?"

"Yes please. That hook looks scary."

The dentist showed him everything on the tray, explaining what it was and how he would use it and what it would feel like. Colton nodded in understanding and finally opened his mouth.

"Mama?" Ben whispered, tapping her shoulder. "It hurtin' Cole?"

"Nope, it doesn't hurt. You just have to remember not to squirm."

"Okay."

"Well it looks like you've got one more wiggly tooth on the side there."

"Yep, I saw that this mornin' when I was brushin'! Daddy says I still have to take care of it until it falls out."

"Your daddy's right about that."

The dentist worked for a little while, checking every tooth, then cleaning and polishing them all.

"There, how does that feel?"

"I feel like the gum commercial when the people have a dirty mouth and they have to clean it up!"

"I think that's a good thing, right?"

"Yup! Ben, it can be your turn now!"

Ben shook his head and turned around in the chair, figuring if he couldn't see them, they couldn't see him.

"C'mon Ben, it's okay! The polisher tickles a lot! And you get to wear the cool shades! I will stand on the other side and hold onto your hand if you get scared, okay?"

Ben turned around and nodded, and Colton helped him into the chair, walking over to the other side where he would be out of the way.

"Alright Ben, can you show me your teeth?"

Ben shook his head and kept his mouth clamped shut.

"How about if I don't touch for right now? Would that be okay?"

"Yup."

"Can you make a scary face?"

Ben made the scariest face he could muster, showing off his teeth rather well.

"You've got some nice teeth in there kiddo! Do you know how many there are?"

"Nope."

"Do you want to know?"

"Yup!"

"Alright. If you open your mouth, I'll count your teeth."

Ben thought about it for a second, then opened his mouth and held tightly to Colton's hand. Lindsay watched with amusement and pride at the way Colton cared for his brother and how much Ben trusted him. They'd always been close, but this was the first time she'd really seen evidence of their bond.

"Do you have a sore throat today? It's kind of red."

"Just a little."

"Okay. Looks like your teeth are all there. Would you like to make them as shiny as your brother's teeth are?"

"Um… okay. Fast?"

"Yeah, I can do it pretty fast. Is grape flavor okay?"

Ben nodded and the dentist set to work, polishing all of his teeth in record time.

"There you go, all done."

"Really?"

"Really. You can hop down from the chair. Does your sister have any teeth coming in?"

"Not yet," Lindsay answered. "I think we might be on the verge though. She's been cranky."

"Can I take a look?"

"Yeah, of course."

Avery had been sitting there quietly in a daze and opened her mouth automatically when the dentist came closer.

"Yeah, it feels like there's something working its way up. Bottom front."

"We'll watch for it."

"Alright kids, everything looks good. I'll see you again in six months, okay?"

"Okay! The baby Aves will have more teeth by then."

"I'm sure she will."

He walked them out to the waiting room where Lindsay made appointments with the receptionist.

"I think next time daddy should take you," she commented as they left the building.

"Are we going to go have lunch with daddy now?"

"Yeah. Should we ride the nasty stinky icky bus or walk back home and get the car?"

"The bus!" both boys hollered. Lindsay knew she never should have given them a choice.

"Alright, let's ride the bus. But don't stick your fingers in your mouth or pick anything up off the ground or touch things if you don't know what they are."

"We know, mama. It's a rollin' germ, you always say that."

They walked to the closest bus stop and got on, the boys giggling excitedly at being allowed to ride without carseats. They were very good, sharing a seat and staring out the window as the city rolled by, remembering not to touch anything. Avery was bouncing up and down in Lindsay's lap, happy to be out of the stroller and able to see everything that was going on.

It was a long ride across town and by they time they got to the crime lab, all four of them were a little cranky.

"Hands," Lindsay said, taking out a bottle of hand sanitizer. The boys were obedient and rubbed their hands together, washing away at least some of the germs.

"I want my daddy," Ben said as they got into the elevator.

"I know you do, and we're going to see him in just a few minutes. What are the rules when we go to the lab?"

"No runnin', no yellin', but we can ask all the questions we want to."

"I have question," Ben started with a sigh. "Mac the boss?"

"Yeah, Mac is the boss."

"Mac the king?"

"Well, not really."

"He not wear no crown?"

"No, but I bet Jo would wear a crown."

"I make a crown for Jo-Jo."

"You do that," Lindsay chuckled as they rounded the corner. Adam was supposed to meet them in the break room, but they were a few minutes early, so the boys climbed up onto the chairs and waited quietly.

"Hey boys, how's life?"

"Hey Dr. Hawkes!" Colton said excitedly. "What are you doing today? Is it exciting?"

"I'm headed down to talk to Dr. Hammerback about something."

"I like Old Sid," Colton said with a nod. "Can I come?"

"You know, another time I would say yes, but it's really crowded down there today."

"Oh, that's okay. Some other day maybe I will go down there and see him and the dead bodies."

"Okay buddy."

Hawkes gave them a wave and headed out, just seconds before Adam headed in.

"Daddy!" the boys chorused, tumbling out of their chairs and into his arms. They laughed loudly as Adam hugged and kissed them both, having not seen them since last night. He'd been up and out the door before they had even woken up, and he really missed not seeing them in the morning. He enjoyed their messed up hair and sleepy questions and hugs before he had to go and face the day.

"We gone to the dentist, daddy! And I was not scared. Ben was a little but he done pretty good!"

"That's what I like to hear. Are you taking good care of your teeth?"

"Yup! The doctor even said so!"

"That's good," he confirmed, lifting them both back into their chairs.

"Mama says you get to take us next time!"

"We'll see."

"Dada!"

"Hey Tink. What's up?"

She giggled and held onto him tightly, one hand petting his beard.

"Hi sweetie."

"Hey."

He wrapped his free arm around his wife and kissed the top of her head, wondering what was bugging her. They hadn't seen each other much in the last few days either, and she had suggested meeting him for lunch under the guise that he needed to see the kids, but also because she missed him a lot. Sure, he came home and curled up in bed with her, but it wasn't the same as actually spending time with him. She missed telling him about the day, hearing about the things he had done, planning for the near future together. It seemed that it happened a few times every year, where life got away from them and they were both left frazzled and lonely. It never really did permanent damage, but it did create obstacles.

"I'm going to get out of here early tonight," he whispered. "In time to put the kids to bed and then you can have me all to yourself."

Her eyes lit up and she hugged him tightly. Despite being apart, he knew just what she needed.

"Daddy, tell us all about what you done today!" Colton hollered as Lindsay handed him a sandwich. "I would really like to know if that is okay."

"Yeah, that's okay," Adam chuckled, sitting down. He started to tell them all about his day and they listened intently while Lindsay smiled. She loved having them all together, even if it was just for a little while.

"So is there a new rule about reading the kids two books before bed?" Adam asked, coming into the kitchen and joining Lindsay at the sink.

"No. Did they trick you into reading two books?"

"Yes."

She smirked and handed him a plate to dry.

"I'm glad you're home tonight. We've missed you a lot."

"I've missed you guys too. Things should be back to normal soon."

"That will be nice. I want us to get on a more permanent schedule before Colton goes back to school."

"Is he chomping at the bit to go back?"

"Yeah. He keeps asking me how many days and he's been talking about all these plans he has to sit next to Isa and he's really excited. I don't have the heart to tell him that he and Isa won't be in the same class."

"Does she know?"

"Nah. Austin and I were going to take them out school shopping and tell them then."

"It's bad enough the boundaries changed and they have to go to a totally new school. I don't like the idea of them riding the bus."

"I don't really either but I think they'll be alright. It's not that far and they school guarantees a certified driver and one teacher ride along on every trip. They'll be safe. It will be a shorter walk for us just going to the stop and back."

"I guess it will be okay, it just seems like he's so young."

"And then other days he seems so incredibly old."

"I can't look at him without remembering when he was born. How scared we were and how little he was. I can't help but think that we've only been adults since then. That our lives didn't really start until that day."

She smiled and reached into the sink to pull the plug, then dried her hands on a dishtowel before turning to look at him. He grabbed her hands and inspected them carefully, pressing his lips to her fingertips.

"We've got to get that dishwasher fixed. You need to have pretty hands again."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah."

He leaned down to kiss her but she moved away, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

"You wanna kiss me, you're gonna have to catch me first."

"I caught you a long time ago, dear."

"Yeah, but the chase is pretty fun isn't it?"

"Linds."

She smiled and took off out of the kitchen, laughing as he chased after her. He almost caught her but she took a quick turn and he missed.

"Woman, get back here."

"Run faster."

She turned around and thought she was going to get away, but his hands clamped around her waist and they tumbled onto the couch. He pinned her down and tickled her until she was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face.

"No, stop!"

"You asked for a chase and you got it."

"Adam, please."

He flipped her over but kept her pinned down, letting her catch her breath again.

"I will catch you every time, Lindsay Ross."

"I know."

He brushed her hair back and stared down at her for a moment, trying to come up with something to say.

"Can we just stay here like this for a while?" she asked quietly. "I just want to be with you."

He smiled and settled them into a more comfortable position, holding her hands and staring deep into her eyes. She knew he had missed her too and she knew he was trying to use the little time they had to make up for the days of not talking much.

"Sorry I haven't been home much," he said after a moment.

"It's okay. It can't always be helped."

"I know but I'm still sorry."

She smiled and ran a hand through his hair.

"We know you love us, Adam, and you would be here if you could. It's just temporary."

"Still not ideal."

She nodded and changed positions so he could hold her tighter.

"It's a balance. Gotta take the good with the bad."

"We have a lot of good. If this is our bad, I won't complain."

She yawned and rested against him, wanting this moment to last forever, wanting to never let go, never be apart.

"Hey babe?"

"Yeah?"

"Mario Kart?"

She chuckled and looked up at him with a smile.

"We haven't done that in a really, really long time."

"Afraid your skills are rusty?"

"Never!"

"Do you accept my challenge?"

"Yes, I do. Let's go for it."

They got off the couch and he set up the game while she popped a bag of popcorn. It wasn't long before they were racing and shouting at each other about banana peels and lightning bolts. She laughed like she hadn't in a long time and he enjoyed her laugh like he hadn't in a long time. They played a few more rounds than normal before she showed him that her thumb had a controller print on it.

"You look tired."

"I am tired."

"Come on, I'll carry you to bed."

She smiled and let him pick her up as they started carefully up the stairs. She tried not to giggle about it as he made his way up the final steps and kicked the bedroom door open.

"You're so manly."

He plopped her onto the bed and she grinned as his hands braced against the mattress on either side of her. His eyes grew dark as he looked down at her and she grinned slightly, reaching up to tug on his shirt. They didn't say a word to each other, not about the morning, not about locking the doors, not about checking on the kids. They just stared for the longest time before she reached up and hooked her hand around the back of his neck, drawing him closer.

"Kiss me for a while."

He smiled and settled down against her, taking his time to trace over her lips before he kissed her. She wanted to pull him closer but she liked how slow he was going too, as if he was making up for lost time. He broke the kiss slowly and looked down at her again, smiling slightly at the redness of her lips and the look in her eyes. Carefully they changed positions so they were laying next to each other. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, then another, and another.

"You know how much I love you? I love everything about you. I love when you let me inside your mind. I love how you think and who you are."

She smiled as he moved in again kissing her closed eyes.

"I love the way you look at me. When our eyes meet and it's like nothing else can touch us. I love how you look at me and I know you're letting yourself be vulnerable."

She sighed as he rubbed his nose against hers.

"I love how you crinkle your nose when you're amused and how you wiggle it when you sleep."

She wanted to stop him but she was enjoying this too much, knowing that they were the only two people in the world that were having this moment, that it would be something special, that no one else would ever know.

He got as close to her lips as he could, making the most gentle contact without really touching, so even air could not slide between them.

"I love your voice. I love every word you say. I love how I can tell your mood just by the words you use rather than the tone of your voice. I love they way your lips feel on mine and how they can heal anything."

She pressed a slender finger to his lips, letting him know that he wasn't the only one living in a state of complete adoration.

"I love the way you listen. How you never interrupt me, you always pay attention to what I say and even more what I don't say. I love how you love, with everything you have in you, you love all of us so much. I love how strong you are, how you could carry this whole family, keep our heads above water, and love us through everything. I love how safe you keep me, how I never have to worry when I'm with you."

He smiled and moved in closer, his lips playing over her neck for a few moments before he looked her in the eye again.

"I love you more than anything."

"I love you more than anything too."

He dipped down and whispered in her ear, words that made her heart beat faster and her breath come in gasps. They would definitely be making up for lost time tonight.