By the time they'd gotten back, Dani and Starr had everyone assigned to bedrooms. The kids had been consolidated into the nursery, with Aunt VIcki and Tina in the west guest rooms keeping an eye everyone under five. Sam had moved in with Jack, giving his room over to Natalie and John, Jess and Bree were bunking with Dani and the east guest room had been set aside for Victor.

Starr and Michael shuffled off to her bedroom before Todd and Victor could notice, and CJ opted for the couch in the living room rather than with Sam and Jack. Blair was currently listening to him snore as she sat rigidly straight at the dining room table waiting for her past and current husbands to return.

The door beeped and then swung open. Victor stomped in ahead of Todd and John looking as broken as she expected. John was wary, she watched his eyes click around the room, taking in CJ, the dim lights, and the silence.

"Manning…" He started, but Todd shook his head.

"In the morning." He announced.

"Natalie's in Sam's room." Blair said softly. "Door on the left at the top of the stairs, then the first right."

"Thanks." McBain gave her a quick nod, before looking back at Victor, who was starring wordlessly out the window. Todd sat on the edge of the table and took one of her hands in both of his.

"The fortress is officially at max capacity." She whispered into the darkness.

"I see that." He smiled looking over at CJ's snoring form. "We can sleep ten in the Basement."

"No guarantees we can get them out in the morning though." She teased, he snorted, leaning in and touching his forehead to hers.

"So are we just not going to talk about it?" Victor's voice ground out. "Or are you to just breaking the ice?"

"There is nothing to talk about." Todd held Blair's eyes in his before pulling back and turning towards the other man.

"I-." He turned around and looked at his brother like he was insane. "You-."

"You got a little ahead of yourself." Todd sighed. "Nothing happened."

"Nothing happened?" He choked out.

"You didn't try to kill me." Todd shrugged his shoulder. "You didn't even punch McBain."

"I appreciate the low bar Bro, but I don't think I'm in any shape to take Jack in there." Victor snorted.

"No." Todd agreed, turning to look at Blair. She felt her eyes start to water and her husband winced pressing his lips together tightly before speaking. "Which is why you're going to take me."

"What?" He looked at Todd incredulously.

"You'll be Walker." He shrugged. "I'll be handcuffed."

"I hate this plan." Victor shook his head.

"Nah. Blair and Jack, hot on our heels, mounting a rescue. It's a solid plan." He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it before hopping off the table.

"Todd it took him a hot minute to have me demanding his release!" He yelled.

"And I was right there!" He shouted back. "And it took me seconds to bring you back."

"What's going on?" CJ called into the dark room.

"Sorry kid." Todd called back. "Go back to sleep."

"Is everything okay?" He asked, sitting up and padding over to them.

"Yeah, we're just talking shop." Todd assured him, grinning slightly at his nephew. The boy looked like a young Cord Roberts and it almost surprised Blair that Todd didn't seem to mind. He hadn't really cared for a young Cord Roberts.

"Okay." He started back to the couch before turning. "Look I'm sorry about today, with Sam. I should have listened to you, about security at Llanfair. John and Natalie were just really confident-."

"There are always risks." She watched him wave away CJ's words like they were gnats. "You did great."

"Natalie did all the work, she had him on the ground before I even got there." CJ snorted laying back on the couch and covering himself up.

"Of course she did." Todd smirked with a shake of his head. He looked at his twin, reaching out his hand to Blair. She took it and held on. "Let's go upstairs."

"So we can wake more people up with our argument?" Victor grumbled.

"Soundproofing." Todd grinned, Blair felt him squeeze her fingers. "Comes in very handy."

She couldn't help but smile.

…...

Jack Manning was watching his parents make doe eyes at each other over the crowded breakfast table. Typically he would have been embarrassed and irritated, today he just felt like a jerk. This was his fault.

He knew without a shadow of a doubt that this little Manning love fest was brought forth by fear. Fear that something would go terribly wrong and they'd be forced apart, like usual. It was making him crazy.

He picked up his phone hit his most used group chat and typed.

Manning family meeting Dad's office, be discreet.

His family was not at all discrete when their phones all sounded at once. Jack rolled his eyes, watching them all fumble, eyebrows scrunched. He almost moaned as Sam reached blindly into his pockets for his glasses, drawing ever eye at the table to him as he groped, chewing loudly.

"Who's texting me?" He grumbled, pieces of eggs falling out of his mouth. "Everyone I know is here."

"Maybe it's Donovan." Bree said helpfully, reaching towards where Sam's glasses rested against his book next to his orange juice. "Let me see."

"Donovan's at school." Sam murmured, still digging through his pocket trying to reach his phone while adjusting his glasses. "Everyone is at school or here."

"Maybe they want to know why we're not at school." Bree chewed as Sam finally got his phone loose. He looked at it, then towards Jack.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Well?"

"It's Donovan." Sam mumbled. "I'm going to go text him back from upstairs."

It looked for a second like Bree might try to join him, but instead she shrugged and went back to her pancake. He watched slowly as his sisters started to excuse themselves. His parents were already gone, understanding the meaning of the word discrete in a way that a Manning child obviously couldn't. He looked around the table for a second before crossing over to his Aunt Tina and plucking his babysitter from her lap.

"Hope." He called to his niece, sticking out his hand to her. She stopped and studied him for a second before deciding it wasn't worth a fight and getting up to join him.

"I'm going to get them dressed. I'll bring them back." He decided to leave no Manning behind, clutching the youngest one to his chest and heading up the stairs to his father's office.

"What's up Jack?" Dani's wide eyes greeted him, her hands stuffed in her pockets leaning just slightly forward. Always on alert, he thought. That's what happens when they come for you in the night.

Starr had opened her arms up to her daughter, pulling her onto her hip. She was already dressed like her rock star self, ready to go out and put the next piece of the plan into motion. Hope was currently touching her mother's dangly earrings with a gentleness he hadn't seen from her in a while.

"Jack?" Blair said softly, her eyebrows raising. Even Meredith was staring at him. Her tiny fist patting his back with soft affection. Jack looked at his father.

"Are we doing the right thing?" He breathed, holding his eyes.

"Jack." Dani sighed next to him. "I thought you wanted a normal life?"

"It's not worth the risk." He shook his head, pulling Merrie in closer. "What if it's not worth the risk?"

Jack watched Blair's arm slide under his father's, Todd brought his hand up to hers and she pressed her cheek to his shoulder. Dani sat down slowly next to Sam. Starr turned her face to Hope and smiled at her little girl.

"We can't stay in the fortress forever." Todd told him calmly.

"Then let's go. We'll just.. Go." He sniffed, rubbing his face with his hands. "We all speak French. Well not Dani, but she's smart, she can learn. John can put us in witness protection or-."

"Come with me." Todd said softly, pulling away from Blair and taking Merrie from him. He handed the baby to Dani and guided Jack out of the office and to the edge of the loft railing. Below him, his aunts and cousins meandered about the living room. He looked at his Aunt Vicki, she was laughing over something that Ryder had said, her applecheeks pushing up into her half mooned eyes with delight. CJ was feeding Tina's little dog scraps of bacon while she admonished him half heartedly. Liam was working hard to make Tommy laugh. Jack blinked hard and looked at his father, his eyes settled on his twin brother who was trying, but failing, not to laugh along with his son at Liam's antics. Jess had come up beside him and nudged him with her shoulder until he chuckled. Jack exhaled in a huff, turning to his father in defeat.

"I used to dream about buying a private island or something." Todd shrugged. "Just loading everyone up in the middle of the night, willing or unwilling. Gives the whole 'Lord of the Flies' thing a new meaning huh?" He snorted at his father. "Victor's afraid somethings going to happen to Vicki. That she'll die." Manning swallowed hard. "And he'll have missed so much time."

"You missed my whole childhood." Jack's voice was a whisper, but still made Todd bristle, he turned his pained eyes towards his oldest son. "You shouldn't miss Merrie's, Dad. Not one day." He watched his dad swallow painfully. "It's not fair."

"Jack.." He dropped his hand onto his son's shoulder. "We do this right and it'll all fall down. It'll be over, and no one will miss anyones days." He turned and walked back to the office.

Jack looked out over the family again for a moment before following him.

"You're mom and I spent a lot of time talking last night. Jack you don't have to come if you don't-."

"Dad." He yelped.

"You can stay and help Dani with-."

"I got us into this!" Jack balked.

"No." Manning's voice was sharp. "Irene got us into this. Not you." He turned to his son and put his hand on his shoulder. "Not you."

"I'm coming." He whispered. Todd gave him a quick decisive head bob.

"John is going to meet with you and your mother today, go over the rules. How it's going to work. I need you to do what he says Jack." He narrowed his eyes at him. "Okay?"

Jack nodded wordlessly.

"I have to go." Starr looked at her watch before kissing Hope on the forehead. "It's showtime."

"I'll go down with you." Dani whispered pushing up from the desk with one arm while jostling Merrie with the other.

"Blair and I need to talk to you, Firecracker." Todd said softly. Starr pressed her lips together tightly and their father kissed her head.

"Jack, can you and Sam take the girls please." Blair whispered softly.

"Hope lets go get dressed." Jack called softly as Sam took Meredith from Dani, eyeing his parents.

Starr followed Jack into the hallway as Hope skipped off to her room.

"What's going on?" His sister looked away, running her hand under her eyes.

"You don't want to know." She smiled at him before impulsively leaning in and hugging her little brother. She turned to Sam and did the same, adding a kiss on her baby sister's head. "Love you guys."

She walked away without another word.

….

"What's wrong?" She whispered, looking from Blair to Todd.

"Sit down, Sweetheart." Blair whispered.

"You're scaring me." Dani breathed.

"Not my brave girl." Todd smiled, his hand reaching out and touching her cheek. Dani uncharacteristically grabbed it.

"Dad?" The word fell out of her mouth.

"We need to talk about what happens if we don't come back." Blair held her eyes.

"Oh." Her mouth popped open with the word and her stepmother tilted her head to the left.

"When it's deemed safe…" Todd said softly, sitting down next to his wife and taking her hand. "Michael will come for you. He and Starr will take Hope. They've worked out at plan with Michael's father that Anna Devane agrees will be safe for her. Tina has promised she'll get Tommy to your mother, but if something should make that impossible you will take him too. "

"Too?" Dani squeaked, looking between them.

"We've thought a lot about this Danielle." Her dad sighed, he looked at his wife. before leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes for a second.

"Dani.." Blair picked up his words, leaning forward and taking the young woman's face in her hands. "Honey, if we don't come back you need to take Sam and Merrie and go where Agent Devane tells you to go."

"What?"

"You heard her." Todd swallowed, leaning in just a little.

"Starr should-." She brought her hands up and locked them around Blair's wrists.

"No." Blair said softly, shaking her head.

"We talked to your sister." Todd whispered. "She understands."

"But.." She shook her head. "I'm not.. I'm."

"You are the best person for this job."

"Blair I-." She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "Starr and Michael can't-?"

"You were my first choice, Beautiful." Blair whispered.

"Your.." She felt the rush of tears in her eyes as the other woman's face blurred in her sights. "But there are so many other people.."

"Meredith has a strong personality." Todd forced out a chuckle. "She'll need someone who will be able to parent her the way we would have. Sam will need someone who's been through hard times and come out stronger. When Blair asked me-." He worked to swallow. "You were the first name out of my mouth too."

Dani tried to and failed to hold in a sob.

"I know we're asking a lot.." The pitch of Blair's voice rose, she used her thumbs to brush Dani's tears off her cheeks. "Honey, I'm so sorry we have to put this on you."

"Can you do this for us, Firecracker?" Her father was looking at her intently.

"Of course I-. Of course, I will." She choked, leaning into Blair as she started to sob.

"Starr promises she would find you, as soon as it was safe, so you all could be together." Blair whispered softly in her ear. "I know you can do this. There's no one else I would want raising my babies."

Dani felt her father's hand on her head, and Blair pulled back and she stood up and into his arms.

"We're just being cautious." He assured her. "We'll be back."

"I need you." She told him quietly. "I still.. I mean your the only one of my father's that's ever really made sense you know?"

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

"We're the same." She whispered to him. "We think the same."

"God, I hope not." He snorted.

"Dad." She whined. He pressed his lips to her forehead.

"One more thing?" He asked, pulling her back just a little. "Weather we come back or not, it's time you make up with your mother."

"We're fine."

"You're not." He shook his head. She sagged back against him. "Spend some time thinking about it while you're in lock down. Write her a letter, just in case. It's time."

"I don't know if I can let her back in." Dani admitted.

"I just want you to try." He sighed.

"You better come back." Dani's breath evened, and she turned her head and pressed it against his chest.

"I'm gonna give it all I got kid."

….

Starr waited in the common area until her sister emerged from the office.

"It should be you." She whispered into Starr's ear as she hugged her to her.

"No." Starr shook her head. "They're right." She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "You'd be a great parent to them."

"Starr.." Dani whimpered, Starr pulled her back, holding her tight.

"They're coming back. Dad always comes back." She teased. "And I promise you. I promise you Dani if they don't-." She swallowed hard. "I'll find you. This won't be all on you. I'll come find you."

"You better." She breathed, pulling back and looking at her. "Oh God your makeup." She touched the dots of smudged eyeliner at the corner of her sisters eye."

"It'll be okay. All part of the act." She gave her a thin smile. "I hate everything about this."

"You said it yourself, Dad always comes back." Dani pulled herself up to her full height. She looked so strong, Starr smiled at her. "Go.. do your thing, Hannah Montana."

"Shut up!" Starr laughed, as she jogged down the steps and met Michael at the door. "Ready?"

"I guess." He sighed.

The crowd was waiting when she stepped outside. She tried to drown out the sound of her own name being yelled at her. Michael put his arm around her like he was trying to usher her away.

"Starr do you have anything to say about your brother's disappearance?" There was Jessica's plant. She yanked her face up and tried to look offended. "From what I understand the police were called to your Aunts house yesterday due to a domestic dispute. Does this have to do with your father? Is he back?"

"My father is dead." Starr said calmly. "He's been dead for three years."

"Your mother has-."

"My mother loves my father very much." Starr's voice faltered, she looked down at the sea of microphones. "She loved him very much. She wants to believe that he's alive, simply missing as he has been in the past. That has caused some.. friction.. in our family. We're requesting privacy at this time."

"Starr can you comment on the rumor that your brother has gone to join the organization that killed your father?" She stumbled back and Michael was quick to steady her. That was not one of Jessica's planted questions. She tried to look into the flash bulbs to see where it came from.

"Who said that?" She whispered meekly.

"Is it true?" Another reporter asked gleefully.

"No. My brother is a good person he wouldn't.." Michael squeezed her arm and she stopped talking, letting her voice trail off. He leaned in and whispered to her.

"Act like your considering it." He coached. "Like you're not sure he hasn't."

She turned her face to him and he put his shoulder between him and the cameras.

"Who?" She saw spots when she tried to look into the crowd.

"I couldn't see." He shook his head, pulling back slightly. She looked at him for a moment.

"My brother is a good person. He wouldn't…" She put her hand to her mouth. "He wouldn't…"

"That's it you guys, that's all." Michael yelled as Starr's security moved forward. "Give her some space please."

"Starr when are you going back to LA?" Someone shouted.

"Starr when will your mother make a statement?" A flash bulb snapped too close, she jumped against Michael's chest, he kept pushing forward.

"Starr are you angry with your mother?" Her hands were shaking now.

"Starr look over here." Someone pleaded.

"Starr is your mother living in fear? Why is she so reclusive? Is she afraid of the people who killed your father?"

"What is she hiding?"

Michael pushed her forward and into the car. It was only then she could hear her cell phone ring. She answered it quickly.

"That wasn't my guy." Jessica's voice shot out of the phone.

"I.. I couldn't see where it came from." She sputtered. "We need to see who it came from."

"I have my people pulling footage. I'll have Mom do the same. We'll figure it out."

"Jess-." She covered her face with her hands. "Was it okay?"

"You did great Starr. I'll see you when you get back."