Meet My Brothers an Ending: All Good Things Must End - AmeraWolf80 (2024)

Chapter 1: Part 1

Chapter Text

Shelly turned to look at Timothy. “Tim, can you believe it? Mia said she is the real owner of Aide Castle.”

Timothy gazed at Mia in surprise, wondering if she really was the owner of Aide Castle.

~*******~

Mia sighed and swirled the wine in her glass before finishing it in one long gulp. One thing she had wanted more than anything was to never have to worry about the obscene antics of the Barrett women in Norde City and now they were here, terrorizing common decency with every breath they uttered.

Mia rose with grace, finally leaning forward with both palms flat on the table and stared Shelly down. “You’re pathetic,” Mia said quietly. “With the exception of Grandma Laura, the women in your family are classless and no longer worth my time or energy.” Mia swiveled her head to Sharon, “Time is up, you have twelve hours, or I will have you removed by force. Finally turning her attention to Timothy, Mia turned her displeasure on him, “You should really bring your bitches to heel before they destroy your reputation here like they have been doing for years in Bern City.” With that Mia turned and walked away.

“How dare you?” Shelly screamed as Sharon screeched with rage.

“How dare I? How are you not embarrassed?” Mia shook her head, not even bothering to pause.

“Tim, you can’t let her get away with this.” Sharon screamed.

He was stunned, Tim had never heard Mia talk like that and he could not help the chill that ran down his spine. Something terrible had just happened here and he felt like everything he had been carefully working toward was unraveling at this very moment.

Tim stood and tossed his napkin on the table intending to stride after Mia but was stopped by his mother as she tried to rise as well and follow him. “You will stay here,” he barked. “Do not follow me or you will not like what happens.” Timothy hurried after Mia praying, she wasn’t already gone.

Timothy walked through the entrance doors and out into the courtyard, finally spotting Mia. He knew the instant that she detected his presence. Mia crossed her arms tight across her chest. She looked like she was trying to ward off an attack. Mia looked around like she was hoping a sinkhole would open beneath her and stop this moment from happening.

When Timothy came to a stop in front of her everything in him wanted to reach for her and pull her into his arms, but he couldn’t bring himself to try. Mia was just too unapproachable right now. The air felt heavy, electric like right before a thunderstorm.

“I will take care of this,” Tim started carefully.

Mia scoffed derisively. “No, you won’t, do you have any idea how many times you have said those words to me, Tim? Nothing ever changes. You can’t change your family, who they are as people. Do you really think I would collaborate with Barrett Group when Sharon and Shelly would be the spokespeople for my success or failure? Honestly, do you believe I would ever allow my children to be subjected to that kind of trash for the rest of their lives? All other issues that we have aside, your family and mine are not a good match.”

“You mean that the Barrett name is not good enough to be associated with yours,” Timothy said bluntly.

“Yes, that is what I mean, but don’t twist this. My stance has nothing to do with the things that you conveyed to me recently and everything to do with keeping my children from living a life filled with scandal and ridicule. You are great at business but have never been able to manage your household.” Mia sighed, “I should go.”

“Wait. What do you mean exactly?” Tim asked, emphasizing the last word.

“Fine. Let’s tick them off then,” Mia raised her hand and started ticking off the items on her fingers. “Me, the divorce, Maya, Luna, attempted murder of a toddler, jail, probation, Ralph, and now your mother being associated with those people on yellow island. The never-ending base behavior of the women that surround you is appalling and somehow it always seems to blow back on me. I will not allow it to touch Ginger and Sage, I can’t. This is the line that I must draw. Tonight's events have gone well past it.” Mia sucked in a lungful of air; she had not known how heavily those words had been weighing on her.

Mia glanced at the hurt expression on Tim’s face that he was trying and failing to hide. She knew she was being harsh, but she did not know how else to make him see that they would never work. Timothy needed to stay out of Norde City and get back to his life. He needed to take those shrews far away from her children. Her car pulled up to the curb and she signaled for Peyton to wait a minute dropping her arms in the process.

“We can get past this, Mia. Why can’t we at least try?” Tim tried to catch Mia’s hand, but she stepped back.

“Don’t you see, there will always be too many things to get past,” Mia sighed sadly. “This is never going to happen; you need to accept that.” Tim looked like she had struck him.

Mia was surprised that she felt no joy when confronted with his pain. Didn’t he deserve to be hurt as badly as she had been? What she really wanted was for him to stop looking at her the way he was at that moment. On impulse she stepped forward placing her hand on his cheek before leaning up and kissing him softly on the mouth. “I’m sorry...” Mia whispered, her breath brushing across his lips.

Too afraid to see the look on his face she turned and climbed into her car. As they pulled away from the curb, Mia realized she was crying. It occurred to her in that moment that for all the times she had told Timothy and herself that they would never work things out, some part of her had been holding out hope that she was wrong.

~********~

Tim stared out into the night in the direction that Mia had gone not really seeing anything. He felt like he had been kicked in the chest. He could still feel Mia’s soft lips on his and somehow that made it worse because how was he supposed to accept that he would never feel it again? Tim’s eyes felt glassy and burned pricking in a way he didn’t recognize until he felt the wetness on his cheek. He reached his hand up and touched the spot marveling at the liquid on his finger. He had not even known he could produce tears.

“Tim, are you out here?” Caleb’s voice was followed by his fast-approaching footsteps.

Tim turned away from him sharply, trying to pull himself back together, but he was struggling to regain the stoicism he was known for. “I’m here,” he started but the words got caught in his throat making him sound like he was choking. Tim cleared his throat and tried again. “What is it, Caleb?” He finally managed. Caleb watched him intently for a moment, his expression betraying his concern.

“Are you all right? What happened?” Caleb asked slowly.

“I’m fine, what did you need?” Tim’s voice was gruff but steadier.

“You have been gone awhile. People have started to notice and are whispering some lewd things about you being gone together.” Caleb cringed at the hostile expression that crossed his friend’s face. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I just thought you would want to know.”

“What was said and by whom?” Tim barked.

“Well, uhm,” Caleb hedged.

“Tonight is not a good night to mess with me,” Tim growled out. He knew what was coming was bad as his friend was not generally one to mince words.

“Fine. One person implied that Mia could not hack it as your wife and now has had to settle for being your mistress just to hold onto you and you both disappeared so she could work off the cost of her dress.” Caleb cringed internally watching as Timothy’s posture went ramrod straight. He knew him well enough that this was an indicator of how close his friend was to black out rage.

“Tell me who said this so I can kill him,” Tim seethed. He watched his friend sigh.

“Your mother,” Caleb answered flatly.

“What? Where?” Tim questioned looking around.

“It was your mother that said this about Mia, Tim.”

An eerie calm seemed to settle over the two men for a few moments before finally shattering when Tim turned on his heel and marched back into Aide Castle with purposeful strides.

Timothy stopped in the entrance hall snagging a glass of deep amber whiskey from a server as they went to pass. He held the server up as he tried to continue his rounds. Tim downed the drink, placed the glass back on the tray and took another waving the man off. He took a slow drink from the second glass before pulling out his phone.

A moment later Heath’s voice came from the phone. Tim snapped off a few quick instructions and hung up. Finishing his second drink he managed to still his shaking hands. He was not sure if he had ever been this furious with anyone before. Absently he noted that Caleb was waiting close by.

Straightening his tie, Tim walked into the banquet hall with an unhurried pace. While he was anxious to deal with this matter, he wanted a chance to overhear what was being said. Shelly’s nasal voice carried across the few tables that separated them.

“Look, Aunt Sharon, no Mia. Maybe she ruined her dress with all the time she spent on the floor.” Shelly said her tone dripping acid. Luna cackled from her seat beside Raymond.

“Shut your mouth Ms. Barrett, have you no shame?” Jasmine retorted appalled. “You are not even fit to clean Ms. Lane’s shoes and if they remarry, I hope she tosses you out in the street to live as a beggar. You are beneath my father and I, do not open your vulgar mouth near us again.” Jasmine turned away from her as much as her chair would allow. She was determined not to acknowledge her in any way ever again. Shelly spluttered and looked on the verge of responding but Mrs. Barrett grabbed her arm to silence her.

“Quiet, he’ll hear,” Sharon hissed. Shelly’s face took on a petulant expression. She was irritated that she was being held back from her favorite pastime, slandering Mia.

Timothy’s face took on a predatory expression. Caleb had seen that look many times usually right before he bankrupted the corporation of someone, he truly despised. “It’s too late for that, you both need to come with me right now.” Timothy’s voice sounded like he was chewing gravel.

“What, why,” Sharon huffed. “The banquet isn’t over, and we still haven’t met the owner yet. Why would we leave just because of a couple of harmless disagreements and a joke? We will lose the collaboration if we leave. Don’t let Mia get in the way of a good deal for Barrett Group.” Sharon looked at her son imperiously knowing he would have to concede to her logic. “Sit down, Timothy.”

Tim laughed humorlessly, “the owner just left. I spoke to them. This party is over for you, it is over for Barrett group so let’s go.”

“Shelly flipped her hair. “I’m not ready yet. I’ll get a car later. It was just a joke Tim.”

“A joke? All right then, since you both love making jokes at my wife’s expense, we will do this here. Let us see how funny words are when they are all heaping shame and ridicule on you.” Sharon started to speak but Tim held up his hand. He waved to a half dozen bodyguards that had been waiting in the entrance hall. The squad headed toward them. Tim knew every eye was on them now. The squad stopped behind him waiting patiently.

“You are both cut off and I mean not a single penny. You will both return home, and you are not to leave that house. If you try to step outside of it, I will toss you out in the streets. Neither of you can be trusted to behave befitting the Barrett name so you will no longer be part of polite society. The housekeepers will be dismissed. If you want to eat you will keep Barrett Residence clean. Your life of luxury is over.” The room swirled with hissed conversations and shocked looks.

Shelly jumped from her seat and charged toward Timothy. “How can you do this? You can’t, not for that wh...” she screeched.

Tim clapped his hand over her mouth before she could get the word out but her intended sentiment was clear to all present. “Be incredibly careful cousin with your words right now. You will find a husband within the next thirty days and leave my household, or I will find one for you based on my perception of your worth. Do you understand me?” Tim asked looking into her eyes menacingly. Shelly finally nodded jerkily, and Timothy released her face from his grip.

“But Tim,” Shelly started shakily.

“Be silent. You will learn to hold your viper tongue. You should be extremely glad that I do not hit women.” Jasmine stepped up beside Tim and gave him a questioning glance toward Shelly. “Please do.” and before Shelly pieced together the meaning of Jasmine’s query a resounding smack resounded through the hall. Shelly’s face reddened instantly.

“That’s for Mia.” Jasmine hissed and gracefully returned to her seat. Shelly’s face went apoplectic with rage, but she wisely chose to stay silent.

Timothy signaled for one of the guards to take Shelly in hand before turning to his mother. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Sharon shook her head mutely.

She knew it would do no good to say anything to her son now. Sharon had not seen him like this since before his divorce was final. Whatever had happened with Mia tonight had spelled disaster for the new peaceful Tim they had been experiencing. The ruthless head of Barrett Group was here in full force. Sharon moved past Timothy toward the bodyguards trying to ignore the hushed conversations all around her.

Tim turned toward the two women. “I’m warning you both, do not embarrass me or Barrett Group any further.” Tim turned to the squad of guards. "You have your instructions.”

“Yes, Mr. Barrett,” the head guard affirmed as they propelled the two women out of Aide Castle.

With a sigh, Tim turned to Jasmine. “Thank you for standing up for Ms. Lane. I owe you.” To Raymond he continued, “You raised a fine daughter, keep this one close to you.” Tim strode out of the venue to the sound of Luna’s disgusted scoff. He didn’t care and was glad that he no longer had to put up with her. Tim headed toward his car while removing his jacket and loosening his tie.

Caleb caught up to Tim as he reached the car. “What now?”

“I need a drink. A lot of drinks,” Tim grumbled.

“Well then to getting drunk it is,” Caleb murmured as they both climbed into the black sedan.

*************

“Tim, get up!”

Caleb’s voice was loud as he barged into Timothy’s room in their hotel suite. Tim cursed grouchily as Caleb opened the blinds. Blinding light pierced his skull causing his head to pound painfully. He threw the cover over his head and tried to sink back into unconsciousness. His drinking binge had gone past way too much less than an hour after leaving the banquet and by the time his guards poured him into bed, he had been a sloppy, near-sobbing mess. He tried to feel embarrassed about dumping everything on Caleb last night, but he just couldn’t. He felt drained and nauseous.

“What plausible reason could you have for waking me. Just let me die, man.” Timothy’s muffled voice came from beneath the covers.

Caleb chortled merrily. “You brought this on yourself. I have information about Sage. Don’t you want to meet your son?”

The blanket came away from Timothy’s face abruptly and he stared toward Caleb. “What are you talking about? “

“Sage is being released from the hospital in a few hours. He finally gets to be a real boy. So, if you want to see him you had better get up. You know as well as I do that once they hide him in that Lane compound you may never get another chance.” Caleb watched as Tim tried to rise, failed, and then bolted toward the bathroom. “I have set pain reliever on the counter. Take a shower, you smell like you slept in a whiskey barrel. I’ll be back with clothes. You can’t wear one of your power suites.” Caleb checked to make sure Timothy was alive when he got no answer. His friend just waved him off which made Caleb snicker quietly.

Serves him right. Caleb hadn’t been sure last night if Timothy had been trying to commit suicide by drowning! Now Caleb just needed to find something for Tim to wear that made him look like the hacker legend and less like the ruthless CEO.

When Timothy felt like he had expelled enough of the poison from his body to get off the floor. He set to brushing his teeth, and finally felt his stomach begin to settle. Tim downed the pain reliever for his pounding head and climbed slowly into the shower. He had never been this hungover in his life.

When Caleb returned, he found Tim in a bathrobe typing furiously on his laptop. His friend hit one last key and a bar showed on the screen as a file transferred to a flash drive.

“Is that the training game that you built for Sage? Did you finish it?” Timothy had been using every spare moment to build a hacker training simulation game for the boy. The game would force him to chase a goal then back him up. It would constantly deceive and then change tactics walking the kid into traps that he would have to carefully work his way out of before making it to the next level which would be harder than the last.

“Yes, just finished. Though, I don’t think he will accept it.” Tim sighed.

“Of course he will. You just need to offer it to him in the right way,” Caleb supplied.

Tim scowled at his friend, “and what is the right way?”

Caleb laughed, “that boy is as arrogant as you are, use that Barrett arrogance against him!” Tim grinned.

“How do you know about any of this,” Tim asked taking the clothes that Caleb handed him. “I have not had any notifications all day. No one has called.”

“That is because I have your phone. Do you not remember?” Caleb was smirking with great humor. After a moment he handed the phone back to Tim.

At first it was a blank for Tim but slowly with dawning horror the hidden memory returned to him. He had drunk-texted Mia. He had told her that he needed her, that she was his life and that he had no purpose without her and the twins. Where had those words even come from? Tim rubbed his hand over his face violently trying to scrub the memory away.

“It’s not that bad,” Caleb sighed.

“It’s bad. I sounded weak,” Tim scoffed.

“That is why I took your phone from you, you’re welcome. Now get dressed.”

“Did she reply?” Tim asked with great hesitation.

“I don’t know, it’s your phone. I’ll be in the sitting room. Get dressed.” Caleb turned to leave but hesitated. “Timothy, I think everything that happened yesterday was a good thing for you.” A violent look crossed his friend's face. “Hey, hear me out. I like Mia. I like you better when she is around. You two have been stuck in anger over the past, constant miscommunication, and outside interference getting between the two of you, but now she has finally laid it all out. She has given you terms Timothy. You are a businessman, a closer. Show her that you can close this deal on her terms, and you will get your family back. I honestly believe you have a real chance for the first time since we started this crusade. Mia gave you that when she told you what to fix.” Caleb watched as Tim absorbed his words before leaving the room.

Tim understood what Caleb was saying but Mia had sounded so final the day before. He had dealt with his family because she was right about them not because he thought it would sway her. Timothy wanted to punish them because they took her away from him again and destroyed his life. Could it be possible that there was still some small chance if he could manage to lay his cards out perfectly?

Tim picked up his phone noticing that he did indeed have a notification from Mia. He was scared to look. He had woken with no hope but after what Caleb said, the hope was there. Timothy was terrified to face the loss of it again.

Tim told himself to stop being a coward and opened his text. There was only one line, a single sentence, but it made his breath hitch in his lungs. The text read ‘You don’t know how much I wish that mattered.’ Mia wished her answer were different? Then he just needed to make sure that he changed the circ*mstances enough that she could change her answer. It was a small hope at least.

With that thought he got dressed in the clothes Caleb had provided him with. The clothes were very casual. He was wearing light blue jeans and a long sleeve beige tee with some basic sneakers. Timothy had not dressed this casually since college. He stared into the mirror wondering how this was supposed to make Sage like him more. He called Caleb worry evident in his tone.

“Are you sure this is what I should wear? How is this supposed to help?” Tim watched his friend walk into the room through the mirror.

“Actually, I think what you are wearing is perfect. You don’t look like such an asshole.” Caleb responded and Tim’s scowl deepened. “Let the kid meet Mr. Barrett some other day. Be the hacker that fights terrorists today. You are trying to get him to like you not intimidate him.” Tim acknowledged his words with a slow nod.

“Is the gift I ordered for Ginger here yet,” Tim asked. Caleb nodded in the affirmative producing a small package. Tim took it from his friend. Inside was a small, beaded charm bracelet with a silver heart charm inscribed with the initials ‘GL.’ Timothy took the bracelet and slid it into his pocket where he had the flash drive already.

“Why does the heart only represent the Lane’s? Shouldn’t you be represented as well,” Caleb frowned at his friend.

Timothy sighed, “That would be ideal, yes, but I did not want to give them a reason to not let her wear it. This is better for now.” Changing the subject, Tim asked Caleb if he knew who was going to be present to pick up Sage?

“That is the one thing I cannot help you with. You do have your affairs in order, right?”

Timothy chuckled at the question but realized that the answer was that he did not have his affairs in order. Tim rumpled his hair absently. He had been so busy between working remotely and trying to keep up with Mia that he had not even considered what it meant to be a father in relation to who he was.

“Actually, that is something I need to focus on soon. I want Mia and the twins protected in case something happens to me.” Tim said seriously. He knew they were protected by the Lane family but that was not the point. The twins were his responsibility; his heirs and they were too young to protect themselves from the vultures that would come calling if he were not around.

“Something such as the Lane brothers killing you for daring to intrude,” Caleb retorted with a smirk. Tim just scowled. “It is time to get going anyway. We don’t have an exact timeline, but our source says that he is supposed to be released in the next couple of hours. We are going to have to wait around and hope for the best.”

Timothy nodded in acknowledgement. “Then let’s go.”

***********

Dominic sat behind the ornate wooden desk in his study at Lane residence. His brothers Connor and Nathan sat across from him while his beloved wife Eva leaned against the edge of the desk near him. They had been discussing last night’s banquet and the stories that were already trickling in. Dominic was trying to breathe through his rage.

Finally, an alert sounded from his laptop. He had an email notification which he promptly opened. The email included a series of videos from his insider at the party.

“Put it on the big screen, honey so we can all see,” Eva urged her husband. Dominic blue toothed his laptop to the large screen on the wall and hit play on the first video. The classless debacle between those women played before their eyes. A short clip followed in which Mia told off the Barrett’s.

The next video played and focused on Mia and Tim outside. The camera was too far to pick up many of the words that had been spoken but it was clear that neither party had been happy at the end of their conversation. Mia had kissed Barrett but even Dominic could see that it made them both look more miserable if anything.

Dominic could not help but watch as Barrett stared down the drive for a solid five minutes. It made him uncomfortable, but he could not turn it off. He was grateful when Caleb joined Barrett and the video ended. Barrett had looked like he might just remain a statue in that place for the rest of time and the thought caused an echo of something nearly forgotten to linger in his mind, an old pain.

Dominic was glad as the next clip started but that sentiment ended immediately as the vulgarities being unleashed about his baby sister were heard. Dominic willed himself to breathe as hot rage bubbled in him. Eva placed a hand on her husband’s shoulder trying to urge him to be calm.

“They are awful,” Eva hissed as the video ended. “There’s one more.” They hit play and it was clear that their insider was close to the scene. They could read expressions and hear every word. Timothy had been ruthless as he defended Mia; everything about him had projected his desire for violence. Eva was shocked, she had thought he did not care about Mia or the twins but none of his actions in these videos implied that. It looked like he cared a great deal about Mia. Eva looked at Dominic watching him rub his temples like he had a migraine.

Dominic finally looked up at them. “This changes nothing, Barrett needs to leave.” Conner had a thoughtful expression on his face while Nathan simply lifted an eyebrow at his brother.

“Honey, you can’t be serious, of course it changes things,” Eva started. Dominic tried to interject but she silenced him with a look. “Hear me out. Our contention with Barrett was that he was a selfish man that did not care about Mia or her twins but that is not what his actions just said. He gave bone marrow with no hesitation, he has taken your beatings and abuse and still refused to leave. Can you honestly say when you watched those videos that Timothy looked like he didn’t care?”

Eva sighed, “our way did not work. It was never going to work with Sage’s illness, there is no way to wish the situation away anymore. They have children together. We need to back off and trust that Mia knows her own mind and her own heart. I think we should take a hands-off approach. Let Mia set her own boundaries.”

“I agree,” Conner said reluctantly.

“Well, I don’t,” Dominic roared. “I want him to stay away from her.”

“Dom, I am sorry, but I agree too. We are only pushing them together by trying to keep them apart. We should back off but encourage Nicholas to step up. What is his problem anyway? Now that Sage will be home, he will have more time for Mia,” Nathan finished with a frown.

“I don’t want to push so hard that Mia ever decides it is us she needs to run from.” Eva said. She thought about the text conversation she had accidentally seen this morning on Mia’s phone when Mia had gotten up to help Ginger at the breakfast table. The sentiments were clear. Her family would need to adjust to the possibility that things were not necessarily over between Mia and her ex-husband.

“Fine,” Dominic growled, “hands off unless that bastard crosses the line.”

Eva sighed inwardly. “Connor, Nathan, and I will go with Mia to pick up Sage.” She loved her husband, but she had a suspicion that Timothy would show up today and her husband was still too angry. Dominic nodded, not needing to have her reasoning spelled out to him.

“We will keep a sharp eye on him, brother. If he shows up as the arrogant Mr. Barrett, I will take him outside and beat him to death,” Nathan assured Dominic.

“Besides, Sage has been in that hospital for his whole life. Do we really want his first real world experience to be one of us killing his father?” Conner scowled at the thought.

“He might not mind,” Dominic snarked. “Sage has a deep dislike of the man.”

“He would mind,” Eva challenged, before adding a quiet “eventually.”

***********

Timothy was worried that they had already missed Sage. Caleb forced him to stop for coffee and a bagel sandwich. He had called it hangover food. Truthfully, the food had helped and after coffee life was almost bearable again. The problem was that Timothy had never felt more nervous. How hard could it be to say hello to a four-year-old? He wanted Sage to like him but knew that it was not going to happen, at least not today.

“Would you stop fidgeting?” Caleb fixed his friend with a stare, “why are you so jumpy?” They had been sitting in the lobby of the research center for about twenty minutes and Tim could not sit still. Caleb wanted to slap him. “Who are you anyway?”

The lobby was simple, just a few seating areas in a bright sterile environment. Caleb could not imagine spending his whole life in this place. Poor kid, he thought. He was curious though, who was this furious four-year-old that was a pint-size version of Timothy. From the laptop conversations it was plain that their personalities were remarkably similar. Caleb chuckled aloud.

“What, what is it?” Tim asked distractedly.

“I was thinking of how much fun you are going to have with a teenager that is just like you,” Caleb laughed again. Tim looked at him for a moment and then chuckled softly. The thought of that helped settle Timothy a bit. It could always get worse.

Tim was about to say something when the entrance doors slid open and Connor, Nathan, and Eva Lane entered the building lobby. A few seconds after Mia and the most adorable little girl in the world came bouncing in.

“Daddy!” Ginger yelled happily before running up to Timothy and tossing herself at him. Luckily, he managed to catch her.

“Hey there, princess. You are fearless. How did you know I would catch you?” Tim grinned at his tiny daughter trying to ignore the varying shocked and bemused expressions worn by the Lanes.

“Because you would not let me get hurt. You saved me on the island, so I know,” Ginger answered seriously, her hair bouncing around her face.

“I never would.” Tim said seriously but quickly switched gears. “I have a present for you, do you want it?” Tim asked, setting Ginger on the floor, and crouching down to her.

“Of course!” Ginger replied, her little face reminding him so much of Mia that it was physically painful. Tim reached in his hand in his pocket and pulled out the small bracelet.

“Pick an arm,” Tim told her quietly. Once she had held out an arm he settled the stretchy band onto her wrist. Ginger traced her little fingers over the stone beads. Tim thought she liked it but started getting nervous when she was quiet.

“It’s so pretty,” Ginger finally breathed out. “Thank you,” she exclaimed nearly knocking Timothy over with the force of her hug.

“You are very welcome,” Tim replied softly. Then she was off to show her present to each of the Lanes in turn before finally coming full circle to stop in front of Caleb who she promptly demanded to pick her up and look at her bracelet. After Ginger was fully convinced that Caleb had sufficiently appreciated her present she climbed down and stopped in front of Tim.

“So, what are you most excited about now that Sage will be home?” Tim asked his daughter.

“We get to go to school together! I made presents for Sage to give to all our teachers and everything.” Ginger was nearly vibrating with excitement. “Hey, did you bring Sage a present?” Ginger loud whispered conspiratorially. “He doesn’t like you much but maybe that would help.” Both Caleb and Nathan barked out laughs.

Tim watched his daughter bemusedly, “I got it covered and you are right, presents never hurt.” He was momentarily distracted when Mia told the Lanes she was going to finish the discharge instructions and she headed into the interior of the Research Center. He picked up Ginger and sat down with her on his lap letting her ramble excitedly about school, her friends, and how great it was going to be to have Sage at school with her.

“I have to say, Barrett,” Conner mused walking over to him and Ginger. “I don’t recognize you.”

“Join the club,” Tim chuckled.

“Take it as a compliment. Whatever you are doing now is a vast improvement over who you were before.” Connor finished and walked back to his brother.

Tim watched the doctor walk away, his expression contemplative. He had little hope that he and the Lanes could find common ground but just maybe that was changing. Only time would tell. No one had attacked him yet today and that was an improvement over their past encounters. Tim turned his attention back to Ginger who was emphatically describing the school bully. A little girl with red pigtails and big front teeth.

“Then I said, Meredith, you are a prim-oh-donna.” Ginger drew out the word exceptionally far and it caused Timothy and the Lanes to laugh.

“Well, what happened after you said that” Tim asked, prodding his daughter to continue his story.

“My goodness, she was such a drama queen. Meredith flopped on the ground like a fish and started screaming.” Ginger huffed throwing her hands in the air. “So embarrassing,” she finished with an eye roll.

Tim could not keep his absolute delight in this tiny person from his face. “Don’t ever change, bug.” Tim said to his daughter with a laugh. From a few seats over he noticed Eva smiling at the two of them softly. She gave him a gentle nod before turning toward Nathan.

Tim watched Caleb pace back and forth at the other end of the lobby. He had been on a conference call for the last ten minutes. Barrett Group had a huge merger that was set to be signed today. Timothy heard Caleb reaffirm that ‘Mr. Barrett was busy and not available at this time.’

“Fine, I’ll ask,” Caleb huffed. Under his breath he muttered, “It’s your funeral.”

“Tim, Mr. Murdoch requests a two-minute conference call before he signs the merger. Everything is ready. He just won’t sign until he talks to you personally.” Caleb relayed the caller’s request to his friend. Tim’s hostile glare stopped Caleb from saying anything else.

Tim motioned for Ginger to plug her ears. “I have already told you that I am out of the office today. Tell Mr. Murdoch to take a dive off the balcony.” Tim hissed before continuing, “I will not work on my children’s time. I get damn little of it as it is there is no way I am going to sell any more of it. Either get off the phone or take it outside. Do not ask me again.” Finished speaking, Timothy stuck his fingers in his ears and waved at his daughter with both hands.

Ginger immediately dissolved into a fit of giggles. “Daddy, you’re silly.”

Tim watched Caleb leave through the entrance. He felt sorry for Caleb having to deal with this situation so that he got time to see the twins, but it could not be helped. He had told Caleb to try to push the signing to another day. Mr. Murdoch of Murdoch Oil refused to allow it. They were at an impasse. The merger had taken two years to come to fruition and was worth millions for Barrett Group, but Timothy did not care. If it had to happen today or never, it was going to be never. No amount of money could be worth giving up any more time with this amazing little girl in front of him. A few minutes later Caleb came back in and flopped in the seat beside Tim looking frazzled. Timothy simply looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I think you are crazy, but I respect it.” Caleb sighed before continuing, “Murdoch walked.”

“Fair enough.” Tim supplied not looking the least bit concerned as Ginger chatted happily about all the types of puppies she would like to have.

“Is that Mr. Murdoch of Murdoch Oil you are talking about?” Nathan asked Caleb with interest.

“The very same.” Caleb answered glumly, “he’s notoriously difficult to work with which is why it took two years to get him to the table, Tim.” Caleb griped at his friend.

“I don’t care, and I do not want to hear about it right now." Tim replied. The only thing Tim wanted to think about was his children. Not even Mia held more priority to him today.

After another sigh, Caleb dropped the matter turning to something on his phone.

“Can I come to your house to visit tomorrow, Daddy?” Ginger asked sweetly craning her head to look at her father through her lashes.

“I do not have a house in Norde City, bug. We stay in a hotel.” Timothy answered honestly wondering where she was going with this.

“What hotel?” Ginger asked, trying, and not looking innocent. Tim barked out a laugh.

“Nice try. There is no chance that I am going to tell you that and get murdered by your mother when you show up at my door. I know how your brilliant, sneaky mind works. Not a chance, bug.” Tim chuckled shaking his head at her audacity.

“But I want to come see you.” Ginger pouted.

“Then ask your mom to bring you and Sage to see me. You are welcome anytime but only if you promise not to try to get to me on your own. Do you pinky-promise?” Tim asked holding up his pinky.

After a few moments and seeing no way to get out of it, Ginger grabbed her father’s pinky and shook saying imperiously, “I promise, Daddy.”

Then the doors to the internal part of the hospital opened and Mia walked out holding the hand of a little boy followed by the fair-haired Dr. Merches. It was the same little boy that Timothy had called a brat on his first visit to the Research Center he realized with dismay. Good going Tim, he chastised himself internally.

Sage looked around inquisitively watching as everyone rose from their seats, his eyes finally resting on Tim and Ginger with a frown. Timothy stood setting Ginger on the floor and steadying her.

Ginger took off for her brother with energy. “Sage, I missed you. I can’t wait to get out of here with you. I have so much to show you!” Ginger gulped down air preparing to continue but then went perfectly still. “Right,” she murmured.

“Daddy has a present for you, I’m sure it’s great. Mine is.” Ginger waived her bracelet in from of her brother’s face for a few seconds.

Sage turned his cautious gaze on Timothy. “What is it,” he asked with more attitude than should be possible for such a tiny boy?

“Just come see.” Ginger said and then pulled Sage fifteen feet to stand in front of their father and then she backed off a couple of feet. Tim sent a quick smile her way. That girl was going to be hell-on-wheels when she got older but in the best way.

Father and son perused each other for a while either unwilling or unable to speak. Timothy realized why he had thought the boy at the Research Center before seemed familiar. He was looking in a mirror at his younger self. Sage resembled him just as much as Ginger resembled Mia. Timothy was trying to hold it together, but he felt like he was being strangled.

“Well, what is my present then,” Sage huffed.

Tim pulled the flash drive from his pocket and crouched down to be level with Sage. After a second he held the drive up to the boy in the palm of his hand and simply said, “Hello Sage, I am happy to finally meet you.”

“Hello, Mr. Barrett,” Sage replied, his expression stormy, but his eyes were glued to the flash drive. It was clear that he wanted the gift, but he was extremely cautious. After a minute of careful deliberation, Sage reached out to take it only to pull his hand back at the last second.

“It’s alright,” Tim began regretfully, “you are probably not up to the challenge right now maybe next time.” Tim started to pull his hand away acting like he was going to stand. He was rewarded when Sage snatched the flash drive from him and stuffed it in his pocket. It took everything in Tim not to smirk and give the game away.

“Yeah, right.” Sage scoffed. Then his face transformed into what could only be described as an evil grin. Without another word to Timothy, Sage turned and walked back to Mia and Dr. Merches.

“Uncle Nick?” Sage walked up to the other man who immediately turned to look at his godson and raised an eyebrow in inquiry. “Now that you don’t have to take care of me all the time, I give you my permission to take mom on a date. How about tomorrow?” Mia went completely still, her cheeks taking on a slight pink hue. Timothy’s mouth opened in shock, the Lane brothers snickered, and Eva looked uncomfortable.

“I think,” Nicholas replied first turning his icy eyes toward Tim with a smirk then giving his full attention to Sage, “that little boys should leave adult matters to adults.” He graced Sage with a rare smile and grazed the soft new hair on Sage’s head with his hand before resting that hand on the boy’s back.

“No problem, I just wanted everyone to know where I stood.” Sage announced arrogantly.

“That boy is ruthless exactly like someone else I know.” Caleb whispered.

“I noticed.” Tim replied through his clenched jaw that he was struggling to relax. Sage was very clearly rooting for the other team but what was really killing him was that hand on Sage’s back, and the way Nicholas was able to so casually touch the boy when he could not. Timothy was out-of-his-mind jealous, and he knew he better not show it. He realized Nathan was watching him with an eyebrow raised. Tim managed to take a deep breath and rolled his shoulders before shrugging at Nathan. What could he say? That sucked.

Ginger bounced up to Tim with a small frown on her perfect face. She sighed heavily as Tim crouched down to her. “I’ll work on him,” she whispered very quietly.

Timothy smiled at his daughter softly and he felt so lucky that she was his, “wear your bracelet all the time so you can always think of me, all right?” he whispered back just as quietly before placing a kiss on her forehead and hugging her tightly for a moment. Ginger nodded that she would.

“Bye, Mr. Caleb.” Ginger chirped. “Bye, Daddy. I’ll call you later.” Tim grinned at her with a nod.

Everyone was getting ready to leave. Dr. Merches gave the last instructions to Mia and turned without another word and went back into the hospital. Mia walked over to Timothy.

“I will call you tomorrow and set up a visit with the twins. I am sorry I haven’t spoken to you before now I have had a lot on my mind.” Mia looked uncomfortable as she spoke to Timothy. She was acting even more awkward around him than usual. Maybe she was embarrassed because of the texts or maybe it was because she was dating Nicholas, Tim thought unhappily. He was simply happy that she was not avoiding him and wanted to let him see the twins.

“That sounds great, and I get it.” Tim responded. Mia turned and quickly rejoined her family. Eva offered Tim and Caleb a small smile before leaving with Ginger who had grinned at him just before she went through the door. The Lane brothers followed close behind.

“Bye, Sage.” Timothy said before Sage walked through the sliding door.

“Goodbye, Mr. Barrett.” Sage replied in monotone without turning around. Mia waved at the two of them over her shoulder and they were gone.

“Wow,” Caleb said loudly clapping his friend on the back, “you have a son. Congratulations! He is a baby tyrant, but he is your son.” Caleb chuckled, “both Barrett children are baby tyrants can’t say I’m surprised.”

Timothy was in shock. It had not hit him until now. He was a father with two beautiful children. He had the most beautiful, precious, and precocious daughter. Tim also now had a son that was brilliant and far too much like himself. He had heirs. Terror struck him instantly. Timothy Barrett, head of Barrett Group had something to lose, something he would die to protect, and he was rattled. There were now three people he couldn’t live without.

“Tim, you alright?” Caleb asked concern clouding his features. “I thought you would be happy about this?”

“I’ve just never been this scared in my whole life.” Tim finally responded with a snort. “Let’s go because part of me still wants to murder the good doctor. I am fighting it because he saved my son’s life, but he is my son, not his, mine. Yes, we should go.” Timothy shook his hands out like he was trying to release the tension from all the day’s stress.

Caleb shoved his friend good-naturedly with a chuckle. He could not imagine what Timothy was going through but thought that it must be profound. For a moment he felt saddened and wondered, not for the first time, when it would be his turn. Seeing the change that had come over his friend was starting to make him long for a family of his own.

The two men climbed into a black sedan and Timothy told his driver to take them to a restaurant where they could grab a late lunch and recap the day’s events. Timothy felt like there were a lot of things he needed to get done to make his dreams of having Mia and the twins in his life a reality.

Chapter 2: Part 2

Chapter Text

Mia leaned back in her seat and watched the twins interact with each other as they headed toward their home. It was so good seeing them together outside of a hospital setting. She had waited for this day for so long, too scared to hope that they would ever get the chance to live a normal life. Ginger was speaking so fast and with such enthusiasm that it seemed like she barely had time to breathe between sentences. Sage took it in stride though smiling indulgently at his twin. They were complete opposites but loved and protected each other fiercely.

After four long painful years Sage was finally healthy enough to try to live a real-life thanks in large part to his father’s bone marrow donation. Mia was exceptionally grateful to Timothy for stepping up and saving their son. Was the gratitude she felt the reason she was so unsettled? Mia felt like something was changing inside her.

Watching Tim with Ginger also had a role to play in her mixed emotions. She never would have dreamed that he would be so caring and generous with their daughter. Then there was the fact that Mia could not help but notice that Tim had changed or was changing into the kind of man she had always wished he were. It didn’t seem fair that she had only ever known Mr. Barrett and now he was just Timothy, and she would never have the better version of him for herself.

Mia sighed softly thinking about that damn text message. She could not believe how stupid she had been. Mia had responded in the way she had on impulse and realized that his sentiments had to have come from a drunk text about a second after she hit send. She was so embarrassed and felt so vulnerable that her mind had gone into lockout mode when she saw that he was at the Research Center.

Mia could not face speaking to Tim and seeing the censure in his eyes toward her foolish feelings. So, she had ignored him completely but was unable to miss the way he doted on Ginger. Surprisingly, Timothy Barrett was shaping up to be a good father. How could she have ever expected that?

Sage was not Ginger, though and Mia knew he would not take to Tim so easily. Timothy had surprised her again with the way he had adjusted to Sage's hostility. He had effortlessly cajoled her cranky child into taking his gift. When Sage had used Nicholas to try and wound him, Timothy hadn’t gotten upset. Mia knew it had not been easy for Timothy to not react, but he had done admirably, not playing into their son’s trap.

If Tim had gotten upset Sage would have taken it as confirmation that his father was a bad man. Considering their conversation the day before at the banquet, Mia knew that the restraint her ex-husband had shown had cost him more than she knew. It was one thing for her to reject Tim but for Sage to reject his father in favor of another had to have hurt him deeply. Mia knew that her son was only acting out because he felt he had been abandoned by his father, but it was still a painful situation for all involved.

Then there was the incident at the banquet hall. Mia had seen the video of Timothy ousting the Barrett women first thing this morning. While she knew that Tim was protecting his own image and that the events had little to do with her. Mia could not help wondering if he had been standing up for her as well. Would that even be a priority for him? Regardless, Tim had finally tried to fix the situation and that mattered to Mia more than she wanted to admit.

Mia’s phone buzzed and she picked it up noticing a text notification from Nicholas. He was asking her to join him for dinner the next evening. Mia was torn, she still didn’t feel like she had any romantic feelings toward her friend but maybe those would come with time. Nick had been her rock for so long tirelessly caring for her son that Mia felt like she should at least give him a chance. Maybe the endless medical drama was getting in the way of romance.

Still part of Mia did not want to go because of what Timothy might read into the situation which made her feel frustrated and ridiculous. Mia sent a text back to Nick agreeing to go before she could change her mind. What was one date? It was completely harmless plus she needed to know if there was anything between Nicolas and herself. There would be no reason to waste either of their time if she didn’t feel some kind of spark with him. Her mind tried to bring up a vague memory of an incident long ago, but Mia dismissed it. That was different. That had been desperation, loneliness, and a lot of alcohol and could not be counted as a true test of compatibility.

The car pulled up the long driveway to the Lane family residence and stopped. Mia helped the twins out of the car and headed up the walkway to the house. The family was all there to welcome Sage home. Even Liam had taken a break from his filming schedule to spend time with the little boy that would get to experience real life for the first time. The living room was decorated in green and black balloons, streamers, and even a big sign that said welcome home.

Mia watched Sage take in the sight with a sort of cautious happiness that made her both happy and sad. It killed her to think about how much her son had missed and gave her so much joy that he was finally a regular little boy. The family walked into the party space together and Ginger pulled Sage around the tables of banquet of food and presents that were meant to celebrate the happy occasion.

“Mommy, can we please show Sage his room now?” Ginger asked. “We all helped decorate it for you and I especially helped with putting toys away,” the vibrant girl continued.

“Sure, baby,” Mia told her daughter.

Mia told Peyton, her assistant, to put Sage’s computer bag on the sofa and Claude grabbed the other bag to bring to his room. Mia felt like she had been waiting her whole life to bring Sage home. For a moment she was overwhelmed with gratitude for Timothy because this never would have happened without him. She could think it was his responsibility to help as much as she wanted but if he were really the bastard that she remembered nothing would have made him help their child. When they reached Sage’s bedroom, Mia opened his door with a flourish.

“Here you are sir, home sweet home.” Mia said in an old-world theater voice.

“Mom, stop, you are so embarrassing,” Sage complained though he was smiling. He walked into his room and turned around his eyes flitting from one item to the next. Then Sage began to walk around occasionally touching a toy or a book, really discovering his small world for the first time. He finally stopped in front of the wall of computer monitors and several computers with a big grin.

“Top of the line set up from Technosphere,” Nathan told his nephew. “You should really be able to have some fun now.”

“Yes,” Mia interjected, “but for now let us go eat and enjoy the party.” She knew if Sage got started with the computers now, she would not be able to pull him away from them.

“Do you like your room, Sage?” Ginger questioned a little timidly. He nodded at her with a small smile. “Phew, I was worried.” The little girl breathed out dramatically causing everyone to chuckle.

Several hours later after everyone had eaten everything that they could stomach the adults of the Lane household began to head into Dominics study to have a more grown-up conversation about the day’s events. Ginger was playing with her dollhouse. Sage was sitting on the sofa with his laptop open in his lap and was turning the flash drive his father had given him over and over in his hand. Mia and Eva were on the loveseat across the room talking quietly and Nathan was standing unobtrusively behind Sage waiting to see what his nephew would do. He wanted to know what was on that flash drive.

Finally, the boy huffed and popped the drive into a slot on the laptop. Instantly the computer screen went black, and a deep menacing computerized voice started to laugh. A white digital face appeared on screen, the mouth moving in time with the audio. “doomBringer presents a game of courage and skill if you are daring enough,” a small white rabbit began to hop around the screen until the face turned toward it and swallowed it whole. “Catch me if you can little rabbit before I catch you!” The face then exploded and tinkled to the bottom of the screen with a sound like glass. This was followed by text that read ‘Level 1, to begin press start.’

“Cool!” both Nathan and Sage exclaimed at the same time. Nathan watched as his nephew immediately became engrossed in his hacker game thinking that wonders never cease. Could Barrett really be doomBringer and then he realized that the only letter capitalized in the hacker alias was Barrett’s initial. Well damn, he hadn’t seen that coming. As the Norde City equivalent to doomBringer Nathan had been The Duke and together along with a few other talented people had hunted a group of elite terrorists.

Nathan was sure he was right, but he had to know. He crouched down next to Sage. “I need you to answer a question for me. Did doomBringer tell you the story about hunting terrorists?”

“Yep.” Sage responded, typing quickly.

“Can you tell me who the terrorists really were?” Nathan prodded.

“No, I’m not supposed to talk about it.” Sage replied still not looking up from his screen.

“Do you know who I am?” Nathan questioned skeptically.

“You are The Duke.” His nephew replied.

“Did Barrett tell you that?” Nathan asked concerned.

“No, I don’t think he knows but I already knew from your training materials, Uncle Nathan.” Sage glanced at his uncle before looking back at the screen.

“Well then I need you to tell me who the terrorists really were so that I can confirm if he really is doomBringer.” Nathan reaffirmed.

“Oh, okay. Barrett said that they were rich kids from powerful families, and it got covered up because that is how crappy high society works.” Sage recited from memory before yelling “I got you.” The laptop screen read level two.

“Thanks kid, that helps me out a lot.” Nathan told his nephew with a pat on the shoulder. Barrett absolutely was the famous hacker that saved the day all those years ago. What in the hell happened to him to make him into Mr. Barrett, CEO, and winner of the worst person of the year award?

Nathan barged into Dominic’s office bringing the conversation to a sudden halt. “You are never going to believe what I just discovered?” He paused for effect, “Timothy Barrett was, well still is, doomBringer.” The whole room erupted with exclamations of disbelief. Only Connor and surprisingly Dominic were quiet.

“What makes you say that?” Dominic asked Nathan.

“Well, the hacker game that Barrett gave to Sage is presented by that name.” Nathan went to continue but was interrupted.

“Barrett probably just used the name to try to get the boy to like him.” Liam scoffed.

Nathan continued before anyone else could interrupt. “So, I asked Sage a question only the real hacker would have known, and he gave me a perfect answer. Barrett is the Legendary hacker. Just thought you should know.” Everyone was silent.

“What the hell happened to Barrett to take him from hero level good guy to the ultimate asshole we found in Bern City?” Jason wondered aloud.

“My thoughts exactly,” Nathan said shaking his head. “It doesn’t compute in my head. What did I miss while I was uncovering the great mysteries of the universe?”

“We were talking about Barrett blowing the merger with Murdoch Oil.” Connor said.

“I know, he said he refused to sell any of his daughter’s time.” Nathan affirmed.

“I’m beginning to think Barrett may be a more complicated man than we have given him credit for.” Jason sighed.

***********

Mia was exhausted, it had been such an emotional day. Now that both her children were in her home ensconced in their own activities, she was happy to sit with Eva discussing random things.

“I have a date tomorrow,” Mia said finally.

“Oh, with who?” Eva asked carefully.

“Nicholas, who else?” Mia replied.

Eva sighed, “It’s just that I saw your text conversation with Timothy this morning. Accidentally, of course. I didn’t want to pry and I’m not judging but that doesn’t really sound completely over. The new Timothy has been a surprisingly good guy so far. I just want to make sure you are making decisions for you and not what you think we want you to do.”

“It was a drunk text; it doesn’t mean anything.” Mia couldn’t look at Eva.

“Are you kidding? Drunk texts are great because alcohol makes a person more likely to say the things they normally wouldn’t have said sober. Drunks are generally more honest.” Eva shrugged, “sad but true.”

“I don’t know.” Mia shook her head, “it’s not like a nice sentiment will override the mountain of regrets sitting between the two of us.”

“Look, I want to be frank with you because I’m the only person in this house who will admit this. I would bet a million dollars right now that Timothy has feelings for you, strong ones. No man can change so completely without a monumental alteration in their heart, soul, whatever you want to call it. Sure, Ginger and Sage account for some of it but if he just wanted your children he would hire a lawyer. Tim hasn’t hired one which means he’s more concerned about your feelings toward him than taking custody of your children from you.”

“Men don’t inconvenience themselves the way he is doing for a woman unless they have a damn good reason and he told you what that reason is. He can’t live without you. That is what he said, right? Hon, all I want is you happy; I don’t care how that happens.” Eva sat back and fixed her little sister with a stare.

“Tell me about your date with the doctor.” Eva changed the subject seamlessly.

“I feel like I need to go on a date with him to find out if there is anything between us. I don’t feel any romantic interest toward him but maybe that is just because we have been stuck in that medical drama for so long that it has overshadowed other feelings.” Mia fidgeted with a loose string in the hem of her skirt.

“You don’t feel any spark or think that you want something more when you are around him?” Eva asked skeptically.

“Nick isn’t an emotional guy. He is rather cold to be around. Sure, there are some exceptions but generally he starts at glacial and ends in the vicinity of a hard frost. This doesn’t make him very loveable or even likeable for most people. We have a good friendship and I trust him. There is also the fact that he is never around. Nick works so many hours that he barely stops to sleep, and he is always on call. Planning a single date is a nightmare. How would we plan a life together? I would always be alone.” Mia laid out the concerns that popped up whenever she considered whether she liked Nick as anything more than a friend. It felt good to get them off her chest. “Nicholas doesn’t seem like he has much interest in me either. As a friend sure but as a man? Not so much.”

“Well, I can see where the problem starts. It’s no wonder that you are not attracted to Nicholas. What you just described about Nick is the same thing you already lived through when you were married to Barrett. It is no wonder that you don’t want a repeat performance. How have I never noticed this before?” Eva was appalled that they had all been pushing Mia toward a situation that was like the one she had barely escaped.

“If that is true, what is with my confusion about Timothy now? Why would I feel anything at all toward him? Mia questioned even more confused.

“I think it’s because your physical reactions and instincts and even your emotions don’t recognize him as the same person.” Eva mused. “He has changed so much it is like he is a completely new person.”

“What if Nick is just hiding how he feels and who he would be if he were with me? After everything he has done for me, I owe him one date to at the very least test whether we have any chemistry.” Mia was almost convinced that she did not see Nicholas that way, but she could give him one evening to be sure.

“I will help you get ready for your date. I’ll make sure that you are able to tell in one date if there is anything between you two.” Eva vowed helpfully.

“Thanks Eva, you are the most understanding person I know. And for understanding the situation with Timothy. I did not expect him to be a good father or stick around, or even act like he cared about us at all. It is very confusing. I need to get these kids to bed then I am going to turn in too.” Mia finished before getting up from the sofa.

“You are welcome sweety, in a house with this many men us ladies need to stick up for one another.” Eva replied to Mia and aided in her endeavor to pick up after the twins and get them headed off to bed.

***********

The Lane family was gathered in the dining room sharing a cheerful breakfast before they headed off to various activities. They cherished the time that they were able to share as a family. Today was made even more special because of Sage’s presence at the table. It was the Saturday before the twins would start school together. The brothers were clowning around with the children and taking advantage of the free morning.

Sage had played along with his sister and uncle’s antics for a while but had been on his computer for the last twenty minutes or so.

“Darn it!” Sage huffed, hitting his little hands against the table. He was stuck on a level in his game. He kept getting boxed into a corner and no matter what he tried he could not escape the level boss and move forward. Sage picked up his phone, added a scowling picture of himself to his contact information and unblocked Barrett from his phone. Then with a baby growl he sent a video call request to his father.

Timothy was in a conference meeting when the request came in from his son. He was dealing with the fallout about his decision to not make signing the Murdoch deal his priority. Tim was now convinced that the signing had been suspicious. After two years Murdoch suddenly wanted to sign but only for one day. Something was off there.

Seeing the request Tim dropped out of the conference without a word or backward glance, a small smile on his face.

“Good morning, Sage.” Timothy said as he opened the video call with his son.

Sage scowled, “your game cheats, Mr. Barrett.”

“The game does not cheat.” Tim responded simply. “What level are you on?”

Sage harumphed, “level six.”

“Already? Not bad. Well done, son!” Timothy watched as a slight smile crossed Sage’s face when he praised him before the boy quickly hid it behind a scowl again. Tim continued, “level six is designed to teach you about how structures are fluid in a digital world. Let me guess, you are trapped by the boss in a corner, and you can’t move?”

“I can’t move forward or sideways and I am so annoyed.” Sage vented.

Tim chuckled, earning a scowl. “The first step is to be calm, second is to be logical. What does it mean when I say structures are fluid within a network?

“Umm, that things like barricades and walls aren’t solid but just code that can be moved around as needed.” Sage replied automatically.

“So, if you cannot move forward where do you need to go?” Tim prompted and watched as Sage worked through the problem, his little face scrunched in concentration. Then the boy smiled brilliantly.

“I need to go back through the wall.” Sage exclaimed.

“Very good,” Tim encouraged. “Enjoy your game. Let me talk to your mom, please.”

“Thanks.” Sage responded quietly before handing over the phone.

“Hey Tim,” Mia’s face was suddenly in view, and he couldn’t help but smile at how happy and peaceful she looked.

“Hi, have you decided about the visit with the twins?” Tim asked cautiously.

“Yeah, how about tomorrow evening at Aide Castle? The paparazzi are blocked from entering and there is a nice park to take the kids to.” Mia offered.

Dominic’s voice came from the background. “I thought your date was tomorrow. Be careful not to double book.”

“It’s tonight Dominic but thanks.” Mia replied sarcastically “Sorry,” she apologized to Tim noticing his smile was now a frown.

“Tomorrow is fine, Mia. Text me the time and I’ll be there. Hug Ginger for me. I need to get back to my meeting.” Tim said flatly. The line disconnected and Mia gave Sage his phone back. She felt conflicted now that her harmless date didn’t seem so harmless.

“Was that really necessary?” Mia asked her brother.

“What did I do?” Dominic asked her. Mia just shook her head. Truthfully, he had done it because he didn’t like how easily his family accepted Tim as part of their everyday life. Why was he the only one that was upset that he had to hear Barrett’s voice at the breakfast table? He could not allow that to be a regular occurrence.

***********

When early evening rolled around Mia took a quick shower and started getting ready for her date with Nick. She was indifferent to the idea and that bothered her. Nick was a great guy. He had saved the lives of her children. Why couldn’t she have the same reaction to him that she had with Timothy? Life truly wasn’t fair.

Mia had just finished blow drying and curling her hair when Eva came in with a dress bag. She laid the bag on Mia’s bed. Eva walked up to her sister and began piling her hair on top of her head. Eva arranged the curls into an artful updo that allowed a few curls to fall and hang down. Mia added a deep red lipstick before donning her black stilettos.

Eva pulled the designer dress from the bag and brought it to Mia to step into. The dress was black satin that hugged her curves. It was cut low in the front showing an enticing amount of cleavage and the back sat low on her waist. It was a spaghetti strap design that ended gracefully just above her knees. It was the most provocative dress she had ever worn.

Mia looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She was slightly embarrassed from how revealing the dress was but at the same time she felt beautiful and sexy.

“If you don’t get a reaction from Nick in this it means he’s dead and someone should call a code.” Eva smirked. Mia nodded in agreement, grabbing her evening bag.

Mia and Eva entered the family area of the large home where the Lanes were engaged in various activities. As Mia entered the room those activities ceased.

“Where the hell do you think you are going dressed like that?” Liam questioned sitting up straight in his chair.

“I have a date tonight.” Mia rolled her eyes at the ridiculous concerned looks on her brother's faces.

“Are you going out with Daddy?” Ginger asked running up to her mother.

“No honey, not tonight. We will see Tim tomorrow.” Mia said.

“Then can you stay home? I don’t want you to go.” Ginger exclaimed looking like she might cry.

“Ginger, baby, don’t do this. It is one date. Everything will be fine.” Mia tried to sooth the unhappy child.

“I don’t want you to go out with Uncle Nick.” Ginger fumed stomping away from her mother.

“Don’t be dumb Ginger. Mom’s going to marry Uncle Nicholas.” Sage told his sister arrogantly.

Ginger burst into tears at his words. “Mom if you go, I will never speak to you again.” Ginger’s words were delivered through sobs that made her breath hitch and she ran from the room.

Mia wasn’t quite sure what to do. She was in shock. Ginger had never acted like this before. Mia knew that it must be because of Timothy but she wasn’t sure what to do about it.

“I’ll take care of her.” Eva said, heading down the hall to check on her niece. When she got to Ginger’s room, Eva realized the girl was on the phone with Timothy. His voice was low and soothing trying to comfort his emotional daughter.

************

Tim was getting ready to go to a dinner meeting with Mayor Shelbert when his phone lit up with his daughter’s face. He smiled and wondered what she was up to.

“Hey there bug, what’s up?” Timothy answered his phone then at once realized something was wrong as his daughter was sobbing so hard she could barely speak.

“Baby, what is wrong?” Tim asked in a worried tone.

“Mom, hiccup, date, hiccup. I don’t, sob, want her, hiccup, to go.” Ginger struggled to speak.

Tim sighed. “Breath with me bug. You need to calm down. Everything will be ok.” Tim kept soothing the little girl until she finally started to sound a little calmer.

“Daddy, I told her not to go but mommy wouldn’t listen. I'm never speaking to her again.” Ginger vowed. “She is dressed too fancy. I’m so angry at her.” The little girl fumed, still making small sobbing sounds.

“Do you know where she is going on her date?” Tim finally asked.

“La Bella,” Ginger spat. She was mad.

“Well, we are in luck then because I am on my way there. I can keep an eye on her and make sure nothing bad happens, all right?” Tim told Ginger.

“Oh goodness, yes that would be good. Can you take a sweater for her Daddy? She will need it.” Ginger enthused her mood improving significantly.

“Why does mommy need a sweater, bug?” Tim asked not liking where this was headed.

Ginger sighed dramatically. “Because she’s not wearing very many clothes and she will get cold.” Tim’s daughter explained sagely. Tim groaned internally letting his head bang against the wall he had been leaning on. He spent a couple minutes saying goodbye to Ginger and after he promised to take care of Mia, they hung up the phone.

The last thing Timothy wanted to do was see Mia on a date with another man. The thought alone made his chest burn. His hands balled into fists at his sides. He took three calming breaths and forced himself to stretch his fingers out and relax. Tim turned to the mirror, straightened his tie and donned his dinner jacket. Grabbing his wallet, he headed out of the hotel to his waiting car.

When Timothy arrived at the restaurant, he saw Nicholas Merches leaning against a pillar near the entrance. Climbing out of his car he noticed the mayor by the entrance as well. The mayor was in conversation with two men that Tim didn’t recognize. He headed in the direction of Mayor Shelbert but didn’t rush. Thirty seconds later a car belonging to the Lanes arrived and he saw Nicholas straighten up and head to meet Mia.

Dr. Merches helped Mia out of the car with a light hand. When she was in full view Timothy swallowed with difficulty. Nicholas didn’t seem to be faring any better. He looked dumbstruck. Finally, after a long moment he swallowed and smiled at Mia.

“Why Ms. Lane, you look absolutely delicious.” Nick grinned.

“What am I, food?” Mia laughed and stepped closer to the doctor.

“Umm,” Nick swallowed hard. “Can I answer that later?”

“You are such a flirt.” Mia said slapping his arm with her hand which he caught and tucked into the crook of his arm.

“Guilty as charged,” Nicholas smirked, “Shall we, my dear?” At her nod they headed for the entrance.

That smarmy bastard Timothy thought, catching up to the mayor as he headed inside. The look in Nick’s eyes as he looked at Mia told Tim all he needed to know about the severity of this current situation. Nicholas wanted Mia badly and planned to take her for himself. While he didn’t blame him on the one hand, Tim could not allow it to happen. His life was on the line here and he would not lose everything to Dr. Merches.

Tim and the mayor greeted each other quickly and went into queue for a table and they just happened to be directly behind Mia and Nicholas in line. Tim used that moment to get a good look at her and then wished that he hadn’t.

Timothy’s eyes skated along the column of her throat, across her bare shoulders, down the line of her mostly bare back and across the swell of her breasts where the satin of her dress drooped in the middle. Tim saw how the thin satin clung to her every curve. He felt his pants and his collar growing uncomfortably tight and was glad his jacket was closed.

Mia dressed this way for Nicholas? Why was she trying to kill him? Tim wanted to grab her and cover her up. No, that wasn’t honest, he wanted to drag her out of here cave man style and take her repeatedly until she was unable to even think of being with another man. Tim knew he was going to lose it. If Nick touched her, he would go crazy.

“Oi, Barrett, the mayor called, the line is moving.” Mayor Shelbert hailed Tim who seemed to have physically shut down. Mia spun fully around to see Timothy for the first time and a light rosy blush started on her chest and ran to her cheeks. Tim stepped up to the mayor smoothly.

“Good evening, Mia, Doctor.” Tim said plainly. Nicholas scowled at him. Tim was trying not to notice the hand Nick had on Mia’s back or his fingers tracing along her spine against her bare skin. Nope, he didn’t want to notice any of that.

“What brings you here tonight, Tim?” Mia asked, this was exactly what she didn’t want to happen. Tim was here, what must he think of her in this dress? His children’s mother the wanton mistress.

“Just a simple dinner meeting with the mayor.” Tim replied smoothly. “You know Ginger called me, right? She asked me to bring you a sweater. You look beautiful, stunning, enjoy your evening Ms. Lane” Tim smiled softly at Mia and turned away toward the mayor. Mia swallowed hard as she watched him go.

Nicholas was furious that Barrett had come here tonight when he was finally going to try to win Mia over. He was going to make Tim pay and he knew just how to cut him down. If he could just time it correctly maybe he could still come out on top.

Nick could not believe Mia had dressed like this for him, it was like she was screaming that she wanted him. He wanted her; indeed, he desired her more than he had realized possible. Walking was unbearable.

Mia and Nick were seated at a nice table for two near the balcony and private alcoves. It just happened that Barrett and the mayor were in one of the alcoves. Only Mia was unaware of the rather awkward situation. She couldn’t see Timothy from where she was sitting but he could see her and Nick. The pair ordered wine and dinner and fell into an easy conversation since they had been friends for years. Unfortunately, Nicholas’s phone kept buzzing. He would pick it up, check that it wasn’t an emergency and set it back down.

“Are you expecting an emergency?” Mia asked after the seventh buzz.

“Well, no.” Nick smiled sheepishly, “but it tends to happen anytime I leave the hospital.”

“No one can cover you for a couple hours?” Mia was annoyed. This was not how she wanted to live. Buzz number eight. Nick checked his phone and then stopped as Mia sat back.

“You are annoyed with me, aren’t you?” Nick asked.

“It is a turn-off for me when someone can’t manage to give me a single hour of their time.” Mia admitted.

“What remedy would you suggest for this situation?” Nick frowned trying to think.

Mia held out her hand to Nick. “Give me your phone,” after a pause he handed the phone over and she put it in her evening bag and set it on the floor.

“What if there is an emergency?” Nick asked, a little worried.

“Nicholas, darling, you are not the only doctor in the world.” Mia purred. Dinner arrived and their wine was refilled. Their easy friendly comradery returned.

*****

“Well, Mr. Barrett, I am sure that you are wondering why I asked you here tonight?” Raymond said after they had ordered their food and drinks. Wine for Raymond and whiskey on the rocks, a double for Timothy.

“Mildly,” Tim replied in a neutral tone.

“I would like to propose a collaboration with you, more specifically between you and my daughter Jasmine.” Raymond finished dryly. Tim looked up at the mayor sharply.

“Raymond, I have made no secret as to where my attentions lie. I would never do such a disservice to your daughter. Jasmine is a good girl and deserves better than to be bartered away to someone that can only see someone else.” Timothy finished speaking and downed his drink.

Raymond pointed toward Mia’s table. Mia had just snatched the phone her date kept looking at from him and put it away. Tim smirked, good for her. How dare her date not give her all his attention. If Timothy was in Nicholas’s place, air wouldn’t be able to get between him and Mia right now.

“Surely you can see that things may not go in your favor in that regard.” The mayor asserted gently, as the drinks were refilled. Timothy motioned for the server to make his double a triple. He didn’t like talking about this especially not with anyone else but Caleb. Caleb wasn’t here though; he had needed to return to Bern City and wouldn’t be back for another two days.

“Then I will never marry and will focus on raising my daughter. As it turns out, I am a one-woman type of guy and if I can’t have her then I would rather be alone in case she ever changes her mind.” Tim replied draining half his drink. The fire was good, it reminded him that the world had not ended yet.

“Then I hope things work out for you the way you wish.” Raymond said sadly seeing the toll it was taking on Barrett in the way he was drinking.

“I’m sure it will.” Timothy laughed, “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.” Tim and Raymond toasted to the sentiment. Tim was watching for Mia to come back from the restroom while Nick looked at his phone. Mia had given it back to him when she left for the restroom. Nick answered an incoming call as Mia strolled back from the restroom. He looked frazzled, running a hand through his hair roughly.

Nick turned to Mia, touching her upper arm in a familiar way. He said something in a serious tone which made her reach up and touch his cheek and nod her head. When he turned away from her, she let out a big breath of air and her shoulders visibly drooped. When Nick turned back and placed his hand on her back to guide her away, she straightened up again. Somebody was pretending and from where he sat it didn’t look like this date was going very well.

Raymond looked at Barrett and smirked, “you better run if you are going to catch her.” Tim grinned at the older man, finished his drink and followed Mia.

*****

Nick got called into the hospital. Of course, he did. They hadn’t even made it to the hour mark and his phone had never stopped. Mia was fed up. She wanted to be understanding but what kind of life would she be getting herself and the children into if they couldn’t even get through a one hour-long dinner?

When they reached the lobby Nicholas pulled her into an alcove to the side of the main area, Nick knew their position would be visible from the staircase that Barrett would be coming down. Nicholas knew that Barrett would follow them.

“Mia, I want to kiss you, can we make a test of it and see how we feel about it afterwards? Can we try that?” Nick asked Mia as sweetly as he could, he wanted to kiss her, but he also wanted to mess with Barrett.

“Sure, that is a good idea.” Mia said trying to convince herself.

Nicholas’s hand wound around her waist pulling her closer to him. The other hand ran along her cheek into her hair behind her head and noticing that his timing was perfect he lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was nice and sweet right up until her hand wound into the hair at the back of his neck.

Desire gripped Nicholas, hot and heavy. He pulled Mia flush with his body and when her lips parted slightly, he deepened the kiss with his tongue. He didn’t give two sh*ts about Barrett right now because he was a man on fire. If a light hadn’t flashed next to them, he would have gotten himself into trouble by pushing her into the wall, The Lanes would have heard about it and murdered him. When he pulled away, they were both breathing rough. Nick tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that he had knocked loose with his hand.

Nick’s voice was deep and rough when he spoke. “Sorry about that, I think I got a little carried away.” He smiled at her warmly which surprised Mia slightly. “Let’s get you headed home.” Nick wound an arm around her waist and walked her outside.

Tim stood about ten feet away breathing raggedly. That bastard had known he was there. Nick had looked at him and done that on purpose. Tim would’ve never wanted to see anyone kiss Mia and certainly not like that. Not when she was half naked in Nick’s arms and he was ready to devour her. They had looked like a couple that were ready to be intimate with each other. It was killing Timothy that it wasn’t him.

Tim stormed outside and was frustrated to see Nicholas still there. Looking down the line it became clear that there was some kind of delay. Now the men stood less than three feet apart and Tim did not think that was far enough to stop a murder.

“Are you having a nice night, Mr. Barrett?” Nicholas asked coldly.

“Shut up.” Tim ground out; he was not in the mood to play games.

“Well, I am having a wonderful night. I mean that dress. If that is first-date worthy, by the third we should be eloping. Then I can be your kid's new dad and most importantly make love to my beautiful wife every night, so she never thinks of you again.” Nick smiled wistfully watching Tim for a response, but Tim was holding himself rigidly in control.

“I mean it’s been a while, but I remember how good she is, but that’s probably not your business.” Nicholas walked toward his forward as his car got closer. “Ask me where her birth marks are Tim, I dare you.”

Tim knew that one was on her right butt cheek, he had been annoyed when he had seen it on accident. “Where?” Tim couldn’t help it. He had to know how well the two of them knew each other.

Nick smirked, “One is on her right butt-cheek, kind of cute actually. The other is right about here.” Nick tapped a spot on his right side halfway between his pelvic bone and hip bone. “Mia is ticklish there, but you already know that right Mr. Barrett?” The doctor’s tone was glacial.

Nick climbed into his car and rolled down the window, “I hope you have sweet dreams, Barrett, I sure will!” Then the car pulled away.

Timothy’s car pulled to the curb next, and Tim climbed into the car slamming the door with alarming force. Then he tried to beat the hell out of every surface in the car, kicking and punching until he was too exhausted to move.

A while later Timothy sat with a cigarette in one hand and a decanter of bourbon in the other. He dialed Caleb with the hand holding the cigarette. When his best friend answered Tim recounted the day’s event in a monotone voice.

Caleb reminded Tim that Nicholas was a gynecologist and all-around doctor so he could know the things he claimed due to medical reasons. He also pointed out to Timothy that the doctor had said it happened a long time ago which meant even if they had been together, they hadn’t stayed together for whatever reason. That line of reasoning helped calm Tim slightly. Caleb reminded him that it had seemed like Mia hadn’t really enjoyed the date up until that kiss at least.

“Well maybe what they had between them is just physical and it will fizzle out again.” Caleb remarked without thinking.

“How is that supposed to make me feel better? Are you telling me it’s better because she might just like having sex with the bastard? Are you out of your mind?” Timothy seethed.

“That’s not what I meant. We know at this point currently they have shared one kiss. We are not in crisis mode yet.” Caleb sighed. “Man, I know this hurts but you must remember that you are in it for the long game. Unless, her having had sex with the doctor at some point in the past changes what you want with her then I say it doesn’t matter. It sucks but it doesn’t have any bearing on your future. Right?” Caleb remarked sagely. Tim considered seriously for a moment what Caleb was telling him.

“It doesn’t change me wanting her it’s way too late for anything to change that.” Timothy sighed.

“So, the most important thing now is that she doesn’t keep kissing him. If they have been intimate to that level in the past it won’t take long for them to end up back in bed together if allowed to continue as they are.” Caleb said forgetting how touchy Tim was right now. Tim growled out a curse and Caleb heard a glass shatter into a wall.

“How in the hell am I supposed to stop them from getting together?” Tim asked.

“You said that Ginger told you about the date and where it was, just ask her.” Caleb supplied.

“I am not involving my four-year-old daughter in this. She was upset enough when she realized her mom was going out with someone other than me. She doesn’t need the stress.” Timothy said emphatically.

“Yeah, you're probably right. That was thoughtless of me. Sorry. Hey, I will be back in two days, and we will come up with a plan to get rid of the doctor.” Caleb said. “So tomorrow you have visitation and Monday you are going to find the twin’s school, correct?”

“That is my plan.” Timothy sighed. He hated hewed it felt like he was now in a life-or-death battle with the doctor.

“I think I have the answer to your problem,” Caleb said carefully as a possibility occurred to him.

“Really?” Tim questioned.

“Yes, but you are going to have to change a little bit more for it to work. Tim, I know that you are a bit of a prude...” Caleb started but got cut off.

“I am not a prude,” Tim scoffed.

“You are a prude my friend; trust me you are. That would be alright except it seems like Mia might like something more than that. All you need to do is make her want you more than him which is a good idea in general to be honest.”

“Mia is too nice of a girl to mess with more than one man at the same time. Make sure that one man is you.” Caleb grinned imaging the look of terror on his friend’s face. He had no idea how any man had the level of control Barrett had always had. The line was silent for a full minute.

“This is embarrassing but I don’t really know how.” Tim said quietly.

“Physical intimacy is primarily based on instinct. Loosen that control you are so famous for, and let your instincts guide you. Someone is trying to steal your woman and your children and make them theirs. If that doesn’t make you want to do anything it takes, I don’t know what more I can do for you.” Caleb said exasperation seeping into his tone.

“I got it.” Tim snapped. “By the way, there is a girl I think you should meet.”

Chapter 3: Part 3

Chapter Text

All Good Things Must End an Ending for Meet My Brother’s

I am generally a MA (for mature) writer, but I keep it fairly clean on fanfiction.net to keep to community guidelines. If you want more heat, find me elsewhere.

I never intend copyright infringement and am very careful to make my stories my own but since I am using other's characters, please send all love and adoration to the original author. I make no money from my stories and am simply happy to tell them.

Every story deserves a happy ending and I love writing them, though there is often a great deal of turmoil before I get there. I always say that I like to write the last book in a long series that way I always get the ending I think the characters I love deserve. Plus, I'm impatient and don't like to wait.

My stories generally run about 70k-100k. I write between 2000-8,000 words per day.

My current story All Good Things Must End which is my ending to the story Meet My Brothers, is about to be posted. I have 61K words written so far. I will post every three days (roughly) until finished. I expect the story to take no more than 30 days to be finished.

My final book in the series starts at chapter 1090, if you haven't read it until there you will need to go read that book first. I stopped reading at that chapter so there would not be any overlapping themes. I will likely finish it at some point but not until I finish with my ending. If you have any questions send me a message and I will try to get back to you.

Credit for Meet My Brothers should go to Red Thirteen. You can find this story on Webnovel & Goodreads

Part 3

When Mia got home from her date she had only been gone for two hours and that included an hour of traveling. Mia had checked her lipstick and hair in the car just to make sure nothing was out of place. She walked into the house then the family room to looks of surprise all around. Her children weren’t even in bed yet. Ginger started to smile then scowled and crossed her arms.

“Mia why are you home already?” Eva asked.

“I need to get changed. I’ll be back.” Mia said quietly, heading to her room where she changed into some soft yoga pants and a sweater. She felt frustrated and in need of a glass of wine. Mia walked to the kitchen and opened a bottle of Chardonnay and filled a glass bringing the bottle with her to the family room where she flopped on the couch between Eva and Sage.

“Hi, mom.” Sage said distractedly. He was busy playing on his computer. Mia checked on Ginger who was pointedly ignoring her mother and playing with her dolls.

“Did your date go badly, sis?” Conner asked worried that something had happened.

“It went exactly like I thought it would go. When I agreed to a date with a work-aholic doctor, I knew I would just end up annoyed. I won’t be doing that again.” Mia said acerbically.

Dominic scowled, “Maybe it was just a bad night. I’m not sure you should give up so soon.”

“Dom, after more than twenty checking of messages and leaving for an emergency in under an hour I am quite sure I can call it a life I don’t want to live. If the man can’t set aside an hour of his time for a first date, then I am not interested. If I had to live like that for a lifetime, I would kill myself. Tonight wasn’t even worth the time it took to get dressed.” Mia spoke heatedly before draining her glass and refilling it.

“What has gotten into you?” Claude asked his little sister.

“Nothing, I am just done with men.” Having said this Mia got up and went over to where Ginger was playing and pretending not to hear the adults.

“Baby girl, can you please stop being mad at mommy now?” Mia asked Ginger.

“Are you going to go on more dates?” Ginger asked anger clear in her tone.

“I don’t think so honey.” Mia said sadly. Ginger looked at her mother sideways and then seeing the sadness Mia was trying to hide, hugged her mother’s legs.

“Don’t worry mommy, you have me and Sage to keep you company.” The tiny girl exclaimed. Mia hugged her sweet girl and tried to tell herself it would be enough. After a few moments Mia convinced the twins that it was time for bed. She let the nanny get them both into bed before going into their rooms to tuck them in. Mia went to Ginger’s room first.

After a hug and a kiss Mia said, “Goodnight, Bug.”

“That’s what daddy calls me,” her daughter told her very sleepily.

“I know and I like it so I’m going to use it too.” Mia smiled softly, shut the door most of the way and went to her son’s room. Mia sat down on the edge of his bed and ran a hand over his soft new hair.

“Mommy, did Uncle Nick do something wrong?” Sage asked worry clear in his tone.

“No honey. It’s just that sometimes the way one person lives can affect another person in a negative way which can make everyone unhappy. You know how Nick is always working?” Sage nodded his head quickly. “I want the person that is in our life to spend time with us and make us a priority, that’s all. Nothing is going to change, don’t worry. Now get some sleep.” Mia finished tucking in her son and returned to the family room.

Mia noticed that Eva had moved to the loveseat including moving their wine. The space was separate enough from the rest of the room that it felt okay to talk there. Sometimes finding a spot to talk without her brother's hearing could be a bit difficult. Mia sat down next to Eva with a sigh and refilled her wine glass.

Eva watched her sister contemplatively; something more had happened than Mia simply being ignored. Mia sipped her wine slowly staring at nothing.

Mia sighed, “Timothy was at the restaurant. He had some kind of meeting with Mayor Shelbert.”

“Oh no, did he say something mean?” Eva asked worriedly.

“Nothing like that. He was polite and complimentary. Tim said Ginger asked him to bring me a sweater. He said I looked beautiful. I didn’t see him again until I was leaving.” Mia replied pensively. There was the issue that weighed heavily on her heart. The devastation on Tim’s face when she saw him as she was leaving the restaurant cut her. There could be no doubt that he had seen every bit of her kiss with Nicholas. Why had she let Nick get so carried away? Mia knew she was starved for romantic attention but still.

“Nick kissed me. To be honest, the kiss got a little heated. It has been so long since I’ve had any human contact, I just went with it. That was so dumb.” Mia chastised herself bluntly. “Of course, I didn’t know that Timothy was standing right behind us until right before I left. Eva, the look on his face was...” Mia shook her head and swallowed a lump in her throat.

Eva blew out a hard breath. “So did you want to kiss Nicholas, or did you force yourself to do it because you thought you should?” Eva asked carefully.

“I didn’t want to, but I thought that if I didn’t then I wouldn’t know if I really like him that way. It wasn’t until after we started that I realized how badly I wanted someone to be with like that. Now, I’ve managed to lead Nicholas on and hurt Timothy at the same time. Eva, my life is a train wreck.” Mia cried before pouring herself a fourth glass of wine.

“No, it isn’t,” Eva soothed her sister.

“Mia, do you want to be with Nicholas?” Eva asked bluntly.

“Absolutely not, we are just friends. Our lifestyle needs are not compatible.” Mia scoffed.

Eva nodded in understanding, “do you want to be with Timothy?” The question drew Mia up short; she hadn’t expected Eva to ask her that. Mia pondered the question for a while swirling the wine in her glass then taking a sip. Could she want that?

Finally, Mia gave the only answer she could. “Sometimes it feels like I do. I just don’t know.” Mia said quietly. Neither woman saw where Dominic was standing or knew that he had heard their conversation.

*******

Timothy woke with a start realizing that it was his phone ringing that had woken him. The display read quarter after three in the morning. The caller proved to be Caleb. Tim ran a hand over his face roughly and answered the phone.

“Is the world on fire? It better be on fire Caleb.” Timothy’s voice was gruff from sleep and alcohol.

“It actually is Tim. I just sent you a file. Check it but be warned. It’s bad... Our insider sent this over and I need you to tell me how to proceed” Caleb spoke agitation clear in his voice.

That woke Timothy up and he found the file Caleb referred to in his email. It was a front-page news edition for the Norde City Society Gazette. Right in the middle of the front page was a large photo of Mia and Nicholas locked in a tight embrace. The headline read ‘Sources confirm: Our Darling Ms. Lane was with Long-time Beau Dr. Nicholas Merches, sources say that the couple were hot and heavy, we can expect an Engagement announcement in the next few days.’

The article went into the history of the Lane and Merches family and the close friendship that had blossomed between the pair. The article even went as far as to imply Mia and Nick were in love.

Timothy cursed violently jumping from his bed and beginning to pace. “I want this squashed now. I don’t care what it costs or who we must kill. This needs to disappear forever. This could ruin everything.” Tim was officially frantic. There had to be a way to kill this story.

Across town, Dominic was awake and pacing as well. He was staring at an identical file. Normally, he would have immediately squashed such a private story about one of his family members. However, in this case he knew that this story going public could help propel his sister into a marriage with the man he had chosen for her. More importantly it could help keep her away from Timothy Barrett.

Sometimes young women simply didn’t know what was good for them. His mind was made up; Dominic told the insider to run the story. Dominic hoped his sister wouldn’t find out and if she did wouldn’t hate him forever.

Dominic called Nicholas to figure out if the man intended to propose and when he replied that he would within days, Dominic told Nick to confirm the upcoming engagement announcement with the paper. Nicholas had in fact brought a jeweler to the Research Center so he with his sister Rachel could pick a ring for Mia after he had taken care of his emergency delivery that evening. Rachel was ecstatic and Nicholas was pleased.

In the end the article ran. Timothy didn’t know for sure who was pushing the story, but he had faced strong opposition against having it removed. He had managed to negotiate a deal to change the picture to one of the pair simply standing together at the restaurant. The words ‘hot and heavy’ were removed from the headline making the article more informative and less provocative. It was better than nothing.

When Peyton called Mia the next morning and told her to check her trending feed, Mia got nervous. Seeing the article about herself and Nick, Mia was dismayed. She was sitting at the breakfast table with Eva, Dominic, Connor and the twins.

“Oh no,” Mia cried, “I’m all over the front page. I thought we had people for this.”

Dominic tried to act surprised, but he didn’t fool Eva. Eva looked through the article before lancing her husband with a ferocious glare. What did you do, she wondered? There is no way this story ran without his support.

Dominic had done damage control early this morning with Nicholas explaining to the doctor that Mia felt their first date had been a disaster. Dominic told Nick that Mia

said she had no intention of seeking a relationship with him due in large part to his inattentiveness towards her.

To keep Dominic’s support for his effort to win Mia’s hand, Nicholas agreed to some lifestyle changes. He agreed to reduce his workload by a third for the immediate future and work to show Mia that he had time to be with her and the twins. Nick knew this change would be worth it if he ended up with Mia. Dominic promised to invite the doctor to the Lane residence soon to encourage the friends to spend time together.

Dominic finally answered his sister, “I am sorry, the story did not seem unreasonable when I heard about it.” Truthfully, it would have been far worse in its original form. Dominic had a feeling he knew exactly who had managed to water down the story before it went live.

Dominic was a little happier with the current version. He knew the original version would have embarrassed Mia greatly. But surely if she was kissing Nick as he’d seen in the photo there were strong feelings between the two. They simply needed to work through a few issues.

“Not that bad? This has me practically married off. I don’t even like him romantically.” Mia cried throwing her hands in the air.

“What do you mean by that?” Dominic asked worriedly.

“I don’t feel anything toward him. He is my friend but that is all.” Mia said bluntly. Dominic frowned thinking about the picture of Mia kissing Nick. Was it only physical? He didn’t want to think that possible. All Dominic wanted was to keep his sister away from Barrett and the damage he would do to her.

Eva placed a hand on Mia’s shoulder to comfort her. “This will blow over in a couple of days. Nobody will remember the article in a week. It is not like anyone is going to force you to marry Nicholas. Right, Dominic?” Eva shot a dark look at her husband.

“No one will force you to do anything you don’t want to.” Dominic confirmed looking at Mia. He sighed inwardly, aggressively encouraging was ok though right?

*******

Timothy watched as the news article gained traction and became a trending topic. People were eating it up. It had long been rumored that Mia Lane was intended for Nicholas Merches. At least Timothy had managed to get the provocative connotation removed from the story and people weren’t whispering about impropriety. Tim didn’t know if he could have handled people talking about Mia that way. He didn’t want her mentioned in that way even if it related to him.

In a few hours it would be time for his visit with the twins and he would put his plan into action. He would make Mia want him physically. Timothy was nervous. He had never acted out any of his fantasies with Mia. He had always held himself in tight control, acting cautiously and respectfully.

The twin's existence was proof that even at his worst he had wanted her. Tim had always wanted Mia and it used to drive him crazy that he couldn’t forget her. His desire for her had been the bane of his existence for three long years until that night when his control had snapped. His wife hadn’t denied him even though he had not earned her attention.

Timothy remembered the feel of Mia in his arms, kissing her, being one with her. That night had been hurried, the act of being one with her brief, but still it had haunted him. He told himself that he would have her again and soon. This time he would savor Mia and treat her the way she deserved. Tim groaned feeling his desire for Mia flare to life. Today would be the start of making her his but first a cold shower.

After his shower Tim dressed in dark blue jeans and a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows. He wanted to appear casual and welcoming to both his children and their mother. Timothy sat down at the desk in his hotel room to work on one of his priorities. He needed something to make the time move faster.

Timothy was looking for a house. He considered buying a condominium or getting an apartment but what he really wanted was a proper estate with a manor house that he could bring his family home to. Tim was happy to stay in Norde City if that was where Mia wanted to be. He had thought keeping Barrett Group running while he was abroad would be impossible but so far it had been manageable.

Looking through the properties the real estate agent had sent over he saw one estate and one condominium that might work. Tim was naturally drawn toward the estate. The house is on ten acres in an area known as Diplomat Hill, right in the heart of Norde City. It had amazing views and top of the line security with iron fencing and a massive security system. The entrance would be guarded by full-time staff.

The house itself had six bedrooms and seven baths. It had two offices, three family rooms, a theater and many other amenities. Outside there was a five-car garage, an intricate pool, tennis court, basketball court, and an impressive garden with room for the children to run. There was even enough room to add a stable if Ginger ever wanted a horse. There was a three-bedroom guest house and staff quarters above the garage.

There was one problem though. Timothy was afraid to buy it because he feared that Mia might not choose him, and it terrified him to think of being stuck in what was clearly a family home by himself. He wouldn’t survive that. Timothy really liked the property, and he imagined his family happy within its walls. What if those thoughts were nothing more than a fantasy?

*******

Mia called ahead to Aide Castle and had the staff prepare one of the large cabanas on the beach for Timothy’s visit with the kids. The staff would bring out dinner later but there would be plenty of time for swimming and goofing off first. Mia packed her beach bag including the swim trunks that she had Peyton pick up for Tim. He was going to be surprised.

The kids were in their swimwear with summer clothes over them, and she was wearing her basic black bikini under a white blouse and jean shorts. Timothy had never seen her this way and she was looking forward to his surprise. Mia didn’t understand why she felt the need to goad him, but she wanted to get a reaction out of him. She had spent so long around his indifferent stoicism that Mia needed to see the real man that he hid.

Mia gathered the children and called for the car. Dominic scowled but didn’t say anything. Eva made up for it by reminding Mia to have fun and live her life the way she wanted.

Mia looked at Sage reminded that he had never been to the beach or done any of the things that make life worth living. She wondered if he was nervous but decided against questioning him.

A moment later they all climbed into the car and headed to Aide Castle. Mia loved this version of the resort for the beach and the one in Bern City for the botanical garden. They both were incredibly special places that she had worked hard to create.

Mia had been looking through collaboration portfolios, but she hadn’t found an investment partner that fit yet. Mia had liked the collaboration offered by Barrett Group but that was off the table indefinitely.

Sage watched out the window for the forty minutes it took to reach the resort. There was so much to see, and the world was so big. Sage thought the ocean sounded terrifying and sand sounded messy, dirty, and uncomfortable. Sage would help with the sandcastle simply because Ginger had asked but he didn’t think he would have fun.

Sage didn’t want to visit his father but since he was only four, he had to do what he was told. His mom had let him bring his laptop though so at least later he would be able to do something he liked and ignore Mr. Barrett.

*******

The car pulled into the courtyard of Aide Castle and stopped in front of the entryway. Mia could see Timothy as he walked over and opened the door for them. He was dressed more casually than she expected, and Mia was pleased to see him looking so relaxed. Sage grabbed his backpack and Mia grabbed her beach bag. The three of them unloaded from the car and stood beside Timothy.

“Hi,” Tim said simply to all three of them. Ginger squealed and launched herself at her dad. He laughed picking her up. Sage was silent working to get his backpack on.

“Hi Tim,” Mia said simply, “follow me.” Mia headed into the resort and down a few long hallways before finding the exit that would lead them to the beach.

Once outside again, they walked for about ten minutes until they came to a nice sand colored cabana sitting close to the water on a secluded beach. In the cabana a young woman was just finishing setting a table for four with a white tablecloth, glasses, and small white plates and utensils. Outside the cabana facing the water were four lounge chairs. A stack of towels rested on a counter next to a mini fridge. A door in the back led to a private bathroom.

“Ms. Lane, I thought I heard someone walking in.” A staff member named Audrey said sweetly.

“Yes, we made it,” Mia said as she set her bag on the counter.

“Well, there are drinks and fruit in the refrigerator and dinner will be brought out at seven. Do you need anything else?” Audrey asked.

Mia looked around but didn’t see anything missing. “I think we are good, thank you.”

“Enjoy the beach Ms. Lane, don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.” Audrey stepped out of the cabana and headed back to the resort.

Mia grabbed a small clothing box from her bag and handed it to Timothy. “Change,” she told him mildly. He looked surprised and confused until she turned to the children and told them that they could take their outer clothes off. Ginger started stripping at once and Mia walked over and picked up all the tiny clothes before folding them and setting them on the counter. Ginger was left wearing a brightly colored swimsuit with a ruffle skirt.

Sage looked at his mom, “Do I have to?”

“Yes, I don’t want sand in your regular clothes.” Mia responded.

“Fine,” Sage grumped stripping down to trunks before wandering over to Ginger who was looking through a basket of beach toys.

Mia looked at Timothy. “Tim, you need to change unless you plan to swim in your jeans” she said pointing toward the bathroom.

“Umm, sure,” Timothy looked uncomfortable as he walked into the bathroom.

Mia walked out to a lounge chair and kicked off her sandals before stripping out of her shorts. Absently, she registered the bathroom door opening just as she pulled her blouse over her head and stood up wearing nothing but her black bikini. Mia heard Timothy curse loudly then the bathroom door slammed closed again. That was a reaction she thought with satisfaction.

“Damnit, breathe man.” Timothy told himself desperately. When he had glanced toward Mia to see her standing on the beach in nothing but a tiny black bikini he was lost. His body had reacted instantly to the sight of her beautiful near-naked body. What the hell was she doing? Was she trying to kill him? He leaned his head on his arm against the door trying to calm his overheated reaction. A minute passed.

“Timothy, are you ok in there? Mia asked with concern. Tim pulled the door open suddenly wanting to see Mia. Tim let his gaze rove over her from the top of her head to her bare feet. Mia was exquisite, perfect in every way.

Without stopping to think about what he was doing Tim pulled Mia into the bathroom with him. With a hand on her tiny waist, he pushed her into the wall beside the door. Tim’s other hand went to her neck, fingers curled into her loose hair, his thumb skating along her jawline. Tim pushed his body closer until there was less than an inch between their bodies.

“Is this the reaction you were looking for?” Tim asked Mia his voice husky and low. He ached with the need to be with her.

“I am gratified to find that you are not made of stone after all.” Mia said. Her breathing was fast.

“I assure you that I am a man. I am going to kiss you now.” Timothy whispered.

“What if I tell you to stop?” Mia questioned quietly.

“Please don’t, I need to feel you against me,” Timothy whispered. Then he tipped her head back and pulled her against his body, his lips finding hers. The kiss started light then became more demanding. Mia’s hands came up to weave into Tim’s hair and he was lost. Mia’s lips parted with a sigh and the kiss deepened. Tim ran his tongue along her bottom lip eliciting a moan from her. He groaned at the sound, moving his mouth to her jaw, he kissed a line along her jaw and left wet kisses along Mia’s throat before sucking on her collarbone lightly.

Tim brought his mouth back to Mia’s, kissing her deeply for another moment, he would have continued but he heard his daughter’s voice calling for him. Tim placed a soft kiss on Mia’s lips, her jaw, her throat then he stared into her eyes for a moment before walking out of the bathroom to go to his daughter.

Tim grabbed a stack of towels and went to sit on a lounge chair using the towels to hide his desperate need for Mia. He couldn’t believe he just did that. Caleb was right, it was instinct. Timothy felt amazing at that moment. Mia would see that he could make her happy.

Mia stood in the bathroom breathing raggedly. She had closed the door because she needed a moment alone. She had never felt like this before. It was like electricity was humming across her skin. Mia felt a powerful ache low in her stomach. It had been a long time since she had felt desire.

Where had that man been when she was married to him? If he had kissed her like that in the past, they would still be together. Her need for him at that moment was a force she did not know how to deal with. Mia felt feverish and out of control. She wished he would come soothe the ache. What was she going to do now?

Mia opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the early evening light. Her children were playing a few feet from the loungers digging a sandcastle moat. Tim was seated with a stack of towels in his lap, she chuckled, he was not unaffected then. He was busy encouraging Sage to dig the moat in a specific way.

Tim must have sensed her because he looked up at her, his eyes roving over her body, a hungry look crossing his handsome face. Then he winked at her with a smile. That’s when she knew she was in trouble. With that thought rattling in her head Mia walked straight out into the ocean and dove in. The water helped to cool her overheated skin but did nothing to shake the memory of Tim’s touch.

Why was it that Nick’s touch had never felt like more than a means to an end? But all she could think of in Tim’s embrace was that she wanted more?

After swimming for a while Mia felt ready to go back and face Timothy. She turned toward the shore and realized Tim and both of her children were splashing in the waves and laughing happily. Even little Sage was being a good sport and chasing Ginger about in knee high water.

It soothed Mia’s heart to see her little family this way. Her family? Was she including Timothy in that? Mia thought the answer might be yes. She never would have guessed that she could think of Timothy as anything other than the bastard he had been. Mia didn’t know what that meant for the future but for today everything was good. Mia swam back to shore to join the happy trio.

Tim watched the water sluice off Mia’s body as she returned from her swim. A small, strangled sound escaped from his throat. He coughed quickly to cover the sound.

“Did you have a nice swim, Mia?” Tim asked. When she responded that she did he smiled. “I wouldn’t mind a quick dip, is that alright?” Mia nodded her assent and turned her attention to her precocious children only to feel Tim’s hand graze across her back as he walked past. Despite the heat of the day a shiver worked its way down her spine. Tim walked out until the water was deep enough then dove in swimming out past the surf with powerful strokes.

Ginger was picking seashells out of the sand and would hand them to Sage who would clean them before handing them back to his sister. They would then decide if they were nice enough to keep. It was incredibly sweet and it warmed Mia’s heart to see how attentive Sage was being.

Mia was startled a second later when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She jumped but didn’t pull away. Tim rested his chin on her head.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Tim said quietly not wanting to draw the attention of the twins and have Mia pull away.

“I was just really wrapped up in watching them. Sage spent so long in isolation in that hospital and yet he still is so attentive and generous to Ginger. I am amazed by them both.” Mia told Tim.

“I feel the same way. I thought I would spend my entire life in solitude. Just me, alone with my thoughts. I thought I was content and had no need for anything else. I never thought I would have this beautiful life, but I will never let it go.” Timothy vowed. His arm tightening around Mia’s waist.

Mia didn’t know why she was staying in Timothy’s arms, but she didn’t want to move away. Standing there with Timothy simply watching their children was incredibly peaceful. Sage suddenly looked up at Mia and Tim. As he took in their closeness, he tilted his head to the side trying to understand what he was seeing. After a moment he huffed and turned stomping up the beach. Sage flopped onto his lounge chair crossing his arms over his chest and scowled.

Tim sighed, “I don’t know how to win him back to me.”

Mia turned to face Tim and his hand slid to her waist. “Sage is like you. Arrogant and stubborn, easily frustrated and quick to anger, but he is also fiercely loyal and protective of Ginger and I. Sage doesn’t trust you and thinks you will hurt us. It will take time and a lot of patience to win him over.”

“I will convince him that I will never hurt you. I will never hurt any of you.” Tim said emphatically. Then he moved his hands to either side of Mia’s face before leaning down and kissing her sweetly, he touched his forehead to hers for a moment. Straightening he ran a hand through his wet hair and walked away toward the cabana.

Mia watched him walk away, not sure what to say or think. Did he really mean the things he was saying, she didn’t know? Mia turned to check on her daughter and found her standing still a few feet away watching her with a tentative smile tinged with surprise on her face. Had Ginger been this close when Tim had kissed her? Did she see everything?

“Come on bug, let’s go get something to drink,” Mia told Ginger.

Mia took Ginger’s hand and led her up to the cabana. They passed between Tim and Sage who were stretched out on lounge chairs quietly resting in the sun.

“Do you boys want something to drink?” Mia asked Tim and Sage. Grabbing each of their drinks Mia then handed out juices to the two children and waters for Timothy and herself. They spent an hour this way until it was nearing dinner time.

Mia pulled her shorts back on over her swim bottoms enjoying the way Timothy watched her movements. It was clear in Timothy’s gaze that he wanted her. The intensity with which he watched her caused heat and electricity to race over her skin. The feeling was intoxicating.

Sage was still a little withdrawn when they sat down to dinner, but Ginger was her normal chatty self, maybe a little extra cheerful. She pulled Sage into conversation and halfway through the pasta Sage was laughing along with her antics. Timothy was enchanted by the two little people he had helped create and watched them with rapt attention, occasionally glancing at Mia with a smile. For her part Mia could not help watching Tim, he had changed so much. It was night and day.

Timothy was having an amazing day, but one thing was still driving him insane. He wanted to know where Mia stood with Nicholas. Being with her the way he had been today would be unbearable if she were pursuing the doctor.

“Mia, can I talk to you for a moment?” Timothy asked hesitantly. Mia nodded and they walked over to the lounge chairs. Tim didn’t want to ask these questions, but he couldn’t take not knowing.

“What is it, Timothy?” Mia asked.

“I saw your article in the society paper today. Is there any truth to it? Is there going to be a second date for Dr. Merches?” Tim questioned bluntly. Mia rocked from one foot to the other fidgeting.

Mia sighed, “No, there won’t be a second date.”

Not expecting that, Tim asked, “Why not?”

“Nick and I are not compatible. I do not have any romantic interest in him, and he doesn’t have time for me or my kids. We went on a date to test compatibility and it went exactly as I expected, terribly. So that is the end of it.” Mia explained. She didn’t know why she was telling Timothy all these personal details, but she could not help herself. Tim was not sure what to think so he asked about the thing that was really bothering him.

“Mia, I saw him kiss you. That kiss was... well, are you sure there is nothing there?” Tim sighed agitated. He hated how much this bothered him.

“I’m not sure this is any of your business.” Mia was embarrassed by how out of control that had gotten and in a public place too.

Timothy sighed and shifted his position. “Could you humor me please?”

Mia shook her head but spoke anyway. “It was just a kiss. It got a little out of control. Nicholas isn’t the warmest of people, but he is very physical. There was nothing there that wouldn’t be gone in a week. Happy now?”

Timothy grimaced as he absorbed her words. “Were you and Nicholas together in the past Mia?” Tim watched her trying to find the truth.

Mia kicked the sand and looked up at the darkening sky. “Together is a stretch,” Mia scoffed, “and it would never have come up again, but Dominic has decided that I am going to marry Nicholas. Now that Sage is home, he doesn’t see a reason for me to wait anymore.”

“That kiss should never have happened. I knew better... I knew Nick would take advantage... He is an everything or nothing sort of man, but I thought it was harmless. I just wanted to be able to tell Dominic that I honestly tried so he would stop pushing me to marry.” Mia explained sighing.

“The problem is it was only harmless for me. I think Nicholas took it as a promise and now my life is all over the damn papers. We have people to stop this type of story from being published but Dominic said he did not think it was important. He let them run the article and that was after I told him that I would not be seeing Nick again.” Mia vented in a frustrated tone.

“That’s who stopped me from having the story pulled.” Timothy muttered quietly.

“What, what are you talking about?” Mia asked alarmed.

“I was notified around three this morning the Society Gazette was to run an exposé on you and Dr. Merches. I fought to quash the story but there was another party fighting to have it published. The most I was able to do was alter the content and photo so that it wasn’t so sensational and provocative. Do you want to see the actual story your brother wanted the paper to run this morning?” Timothy scowled and waited for a response.

Mia wasn’t sure that she did, but on the other hand she felt like she needed to know how far Dominic would go to push her toward Nicholas. After a moment's hesitation she nodded, “yes, I would like to know.”

Tim walked to the cabana and grabbed his phone. He ruffled Ginger’s hair as he walked past seeing that both the children were still eating. He was still in awe that these two little humans belonged to him. Walking back to Mia, he signed into his phone and pulled up the file from this morning.

“Here,” he said handing the phone to Mia, “take a look.”

The first thing she saw was the photo of herself entwined with Nicholas and after reading the headline her hand came to cover her mouth in shock. A look of horror came over her features as the implications of what would have happened if this had been published rocked through her. Surely, Dominic would not try to trap her like this. Mia looked up at Timothy and saw his grim expression.

Mia shook her head handing Tim his phone, “There is no way Dominic would try to trap me like this. It would cause a huge scandal for the family if I refused to marry Nicholas.” Mia could not believe it. Her brothers loved her and wanted her to be happy. “Can you send you send me this file, please?” Mia asked. Tim nodded, hitting a few keys and a second later her phone buzzed.

“This is the story that would have run if I had not intervened, and my sources swear that it was Dr. Merches himself that confirmed the impending engagement.” Tim scoffed. “Do you think something like this would slip past Dominic?”

“No, but... he wouldn’t.” Mia murmured quietly.

“To keep you away from me, he would.” Timothy affirmed bluntly.

“So again, I ask you, does Nicholas have a reason to think that he can convince you to marry him?” Tim questioned trying to get Mia to give him a straight answer. Mia looked at Tim sharply. She crossed her arms across her chest, her demeanor slightly defensive.

“I don’t owe you an explanation. Tell me why you want to know.” Mia responded.

Tim reached for Mia pulling her a step closer to him by her crossed arms. He ran his fingers along her jaw before dropping his hand.

“You and the twins are my family. I have made it clear that I will not give up my pursuit of you. I want to know what it is that makes the doctor think he has a claim to you. I find it hard to believe he confirmed an intention to marry you because of a first date that lasted less than an hour and one kiss.” Tim didn’t want to tell Mia that Dr. Merches had implied intimacy between him and her. He wanted Mia to tell him herself.

Mia huffed clearly uncomfortable with this conversation. She turned her body so that she could look out over the surf, her gaze drifting with a defeated sigh, she began to speak.

“When the twins were about eight months old Sage’s health took a turn for the worse. He was barely clinging to life. I spent every minute I could with him just willing him to take that next breath and when I wasn’t with him, I was trying to care for Ginger.” Mia glanced at Timothy, noticing the stricken look on his face. Mia ignored it and forged ahead.

“I was at the hospital so much that Nicholas let me use his office and ready room to have a place out of the hospital wing to rest. Since I was a regular in his office, we ended up becoming close friends. Nick was not around much but he would check on me, reminded me to eat and sent me food so I wouldn’t starve. He took care of me, and he fought every day to save Sage’s life.” Mia paused the memory playing in her head.

“Sage died,” Mia glanced at Tim seeing the tightness in his jaw and the sadness in his eyes.

“Nicholas managed to revive him, but he was on life-support unable to breathe on his own. I have never felt so lost. I felt like there was no hope and I was exhausted, desperate, and alone. Nick knew how upset I was, so he brought me a bottle of bourbon. He said I needed to forget, and he was right, I did.” Mia trailed off the memory of that night clearer than it had any right to be.

Mia took a deep breath before continuing, “We started a physical relationship that night, a fling. It wasn’t serious or at least that is what I thought. I just wanted a distraction, something to take my mind off Sage’s condition. Sage started to improve a few weeks later. I was spending less time in the hospital, and it was upsetting Nicholas. I thought we were just messing around, but he wanted to make things official, so I ended it. I told him I could not think about the future until my son was well...” Mia trailed off unwilling to look at Timothy.

Tim swallowed convulsively, trying to banish the image of the doctor wrapped around Mia’s naked body. Tim was so jealous it felt like his throat was closing.

“How long were you seeing him for, in total?” Tim finally asked, his voice gruff.

“Umm, about two months, I think” Mia responded.

Tim nodded to acknowledge her, not trusting his voice to not falter. How could Mia claim there was nothing between her and Nicholas but had been intimate with him over and over for two months? It was no wonder that the doctor was fighting to win Mia’s hand, he had every reason to believe that he could.

Nicholas had been biding his time until Mia was ready. They had a history, a deep friendship born from trauma and gratitude, and a strong physical relationship with each other. This was bad. Timothy knew that he needed to control his panic and pain. So, he took a deep breath and locked it away to deal with it later. He would not lose Mia.

Tim reached for Mia and pulled her into his arms brushing her hair away from her face. “I am sorry you had to go through that. While I hate that it wasn’t me, I am incredibly grateful that you had someone to lean on and someone to look after you.” Tim told her softly. Timothy ran his thumb along Mia’s cheek seeing the unshed tears in her eyes.

“I am also going insane with jealousy right now.” Tim’s chuckle caused a smirk to appear on Mia’s face. “I really want to be alone with you. Go on a date with me, Mia?” he prodded gently. He watched as her face betrayed her uncertainty before she finally agreed. Tim wanted to kiss Mia, but not wanting to upset his son, he moved her so that she was out of the direct view of the twins.

“Timothy, what are you...?” Mia started but was interrupted by his lips on hers. His mouth was soft and insistent until she opened her mouth slightly allowing him to deepen the kiss. A soft breath escaped her with a sigh. The sound made him groan and he pulled her closer to him, his strong arms anchoring Mia to his body. Her hands rose to his neck trying to pull him closer. Then Ginger called out to Mia. Timothy pulled away slightly but did not release her to answer the small girl.

“We’ll be right there, bug.” Tim’s voice was rough. He turned back to Mia and gave her a sweet kiss on the mouth then one on the forehead, stepping away but taking her hand to lead her back to the twins.

Mia didn’t know who this man was. This Timothy who was openly affectionate and unafraid to tell her how he felt. She thought he would be furious with her about Nick, but he had just commiserated with her and told her he was jealous. Mia was so confused. She didn’t know if she should allow him to act this way, but having his attention was such a novelty that she let him continue.

Timothy’s touch set her aflame and she wanted to be wrapped up in his arms. To have him touch her and to be with her. Mia’s intense desire for him all day made her nervous about being alone with him. How would she stop herself from falling for Tim now that he wanted her so badly?

Mia had never felt like this before. With Nicholas it had been completely physical, but this was different, it was more somehow. She felt caught off guard and off-balance. Mia didn’t want this to stop but she didn’t know if Tim would revert to the often-cruel Mr. Barrett. If he did, where would she be?

Mia didn’t know if she could trust this situation? For that matter, could she ever trust Timothy Barrett enough to be with him? Could she trust him enough to love him? No, she wasn’t stupid enough to trust Timothy. No matter how good it felt to have his attention now, she knew he wasn’t trustworthy.

Mia and Tim walked back to the children hand-in-hand only to find them arguing heatedly at the table. They tried to listen in but were unable to discern what had prompted the quarrel. Mia decided to stop the bickering. Sneaking up behind Sage, she snatched him out of his chair and began to kiss and tickle him until he was squealing and laughing.

“Mom, no, squeal, please stop.” Sage cried laughing. Mia kissed all over her his face then sat him back in his chair. He gasped for air trying to calm down.

“You look funny Sage. Your face is all red,” Ginger told her brother laughing.

“Be quiet.” Sage told his sister. Crossing his arms he turned to his mother. “You are so embarrassing, Mom.” Sage said haughtily.

“I love you too, little man.” Mia responded to her son with a laugh. She watched the quick smile that adorned his little face before he quickly hid it.

“What about me, momma?” Ginger exclaimed jumping up to stand in her chair.

Mia walked over to Ginger peppering kisses all over her face. “I love you too, bug.” Mia said hugging the animated girl to her. Tim watched the whole scene with an unfathomable look on his face.

“Are you two ready for dessert?” Mia asked after a moment. The twins exclaimed excitedly that they were. Mia got the items out of the refrigerator and handed a bottle of wine to Timothy to open. She assembled the twin's dessert which was a brownie with a scoop of ice cream and caramel sauce. She handed a plated treat to both of her children and took the glass of wine that Timothy offered her and sat down in her chair.

Mia swirled the wine in her glass as the children dug into their dessert. Timothy sipped his wine but was far away.

“Are you alright, Tim?” Mia asked cautiously.

Timothy looked at Mia without seeing her for a moment. Never in his life had he been party to such openness and affection. Mia offered his children her love without any reservations. It was clear to him at once that the children were loved so well that they didn’t question her sentiments at all. They were loved. It was a fact, nothing more and nothing less.

Timothy had never had that. No doting parent to teach him the benefits of love. Tim felt grateful to Mia for teaching his children to love and for loving them. His chest burned, he suddenly wanted to be part of this love they shared.

“I’m fine.” Tim responded after a moment, “just lost in thought.”

Mia watched him a moment longer. She could see that there was something on his mind, but he didn’t seem to want to talk about it. Today had been such a strange carefree day. There was no way that she could have predicted how this day had gone. A perfect family day at the beach was not what she had pictured.

Mia had expected to spend a couple of hours being uncomfortable in a tense atmosphere so that the children would at least know who their father was. Instead, she was dreading the day ending and becoming excited about a date with Timothy. What would it be like to go on an actual date with the man? Mia had been married to him for more than three years and had never been on a date with him.

Unfortunately, it was getting late. The twins had finished their treats. Ginger was speaking animatedly with Tim about her teacher and Sage was eyeing his backpack. The fact that Sage wasn’t on his computer was a good indicator of how much fun today had been. Mia stood and walked over to the counter grabbing the children's clothes.

“Time to get dressed,” Mia said to her children handing them their clothes. Mia grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head. Realizing it was time to go, Tim excused himself and went to get changed. A few minutes passed while she waited for Timothy.

“Mia, could you come here please.” Tim called from the bathroom. Mia told the children to play quietly, and she would be back in a moment. She went to the bathroom door which was open a crack. Mia could see that the now dressed Timothy was pacing in the small space. She tapped on the door softly.

Timothy opened the door quickly and grabbing Mia’s wrist he pulled her into his arms. He closed the door partially and buried his face in her hair. Tim breathed her in several times to calm himself.

“I don’t want to go.” Tim spoke quietly, “Today has been the happiest I have ever experienced, and I don’t want to let the three of you go.” He moved his hand to Mia’s cheek and gazed into her eyes.

“We’ll see you in a few days.” Mia said smiling at him. “I thought you were going to take me on a date?”

“Are you sure you won’t disappear?” Tim asked, clearly worried.

“I promise, Tim. I will not disappear with the twins.” Mia told Timothy plainly. She didn’t know if her promise would hold forever, but it was true for today. He gazed into her eyes searching for a lie and when he didn’t find one, he smiled at her softly.

Tim captured Mia’s lips with his own, quickly deepening the kiss and pulling her body fully against his. He kissed her until desire ran like tongues of flame through both of their bodies and their hearts raced. When Tim pulled back to look at Mia, they both breathed raggedly.

“I want to pick you up on Wednesday. Dress for a day on the water,” Tim told Mia with a grin.

“Really? Okay.” Mia gave Tim a sideways glance with a tentative smile. “We really do need to go. It’s already the children’s bedtime.”

“I know,” Tim groaned reluctantly stepping away from Mia. “Let’s get our children home to their beds.”

*******

Ginger was perched happily on Timothy’s shoulders while Sage held his mother's hand as they retraced the path they had taken though Aide Castle earlier that day. The last corridor was in sight and Mia made a quick call to her driver to have the car brought to the resort’s entrance.

Tim heard the voice a second too late as he stepped into the main resort area. When the woman called out to him, he ducked quickly back into the side hallway. Tim pulled Ginger from his shoulders and handed her to Mia.

“Hide in the alcove over there.” Tim told Mia pointing to a small area a little further down the hallway. No one knew of Sage’s existence and there were protective measures that still needed to be in place before they could openly be in the public eye. She nodded in agreement.

“I’ll lead her away and then you can take the children and leave.” Tim said, feeling upset that their last few minutes together were being stolen from them.

“Timothy,” the woman called, “where did you go?” With a parting smile for Mia and his children, he stepped into the main resort area.

“Luna,” he addressed the woman with calm detachment.

“There you are, Tim.” Luna purred. “My goodness, I swear you were taller a second ago,” she breathed sidling up to the man.

“I am exactly as tall as I have ever been.” Tim replied with disdain walking further into the resort in the opposite direction to the entrance. Luna huffed trying to reach for Tim’s arm but was ignored.

“What brings you to Aide Castle today?” Luna pried as she followed Timothy around a corner into a reception area.

“Research for a business collaboration for Barrett Group.” Tim told her coolly while sidestepping Luna’s wandering hand. “Why are you here, Ms. Maynard?”

“I am working with the design team on the final preparations for Asher’s birthday party. It’s only a week away you know, and I want everything to be perfect for his day.” Luna exclaimed.

“You did get your invitation, didn’t you Tim? You will come, won’t you? It would mean so much to Asher.” Luna was determined to convince Timothy to attend the party. If she could just get him alone perhaps, she could convince him that she was the right woman for him. Tim grunted non-commitally.

“I sent an invitation to the Lane residence. I thought it might be good for Mia to bring that girl Ginger. She is the right age for a playmate for Asher.” Luna hinted. Timothy would likely come if he thought Mia would be there. Too bad Mia’s invitation had the wrong date printed on it. Luna didn’t understand what Tim saw in Mia anyway. Couldn’t he see how much better Luna was for him?

“That girl, Ginger, is my daughter. Be respectful!” Timothy snapped sharply.

“I didn’t mean any offense, Tim.” Luna lied. He was protective of the brat, she noted.

Timothy glanced toward Luna, “I will see if I am free and either way I will send a gift for my nephew.” Luna smiled tightly, that was likely as good of an answer as she could expect from him.

Timothy’s phone buzzed and he checked the message, ‘All clear, thanks for today.’ Timothy nodded at Luna dismissively and turned on his heel to head to the entrance. He texted his driver to bring the car around at once.

***********

Chapter 4: Part 4

Chapter Text

All Good Things Must End an Ending for Meet My Brother’s

I am generally an MA (for mature) writer, but I keep it fairly clean on fanfiction.net to keep to community guidelines. If you want more heat, find me elsewhere.

I never intend copyright infringement and am careful to make my stories my own but since I am using other's characters, please send all love and adoration to the original author. I make no money from my stories and am simply happy to tell them.

Every story deserves a happy ending and I love writing them, though there is often a great deal of turmoil before I get there. I always say that I like to write the last book in a long series that way I always get the ending I think the characters I love deserve. Plus, I am impatient and don't like to wait.

My stories generally run about 70k-100k. I write between 2000-8,000 words per day.

My current story All Good Things Must End which is my ending to the story Meet My Brothers, is about to be posted. I have 61K words written so far. I will post every three days (roughly) until I'm finished. I expect the story to take no more than 30 days to be finished.

My final book in the series starts at chapter 1090, if you haven't read it until there you will need to go read that book first. I stopped reading at that chapter so there would not be any overlapping themes. I will finish it at some point but not until I finish with my ending. If you have any questions send me a message and I will try to get back to you.

Credit for Meet My Brothers should go to Red Thirteen. You can find this story on Webnovel & Goodreads

PART 4

Mia entered the Lane residence to the quiet stares of her family. She knew they were quite late getting in, especially for a school night. Mia propelled the twins toward their rooms calling for the nanny, Angela. With help Mia quickly got the twins showered and tucked into bed. Mia hadn’t wanted the children to drag salt water and sand into their beds. She took a few moments to shower and change into comfortable clothes before heading out to the family room.

Quiet conversation greeted her, and Eva rose handing her a glass of wine. Mia thanked her taking a sip before sitting down with Eva and her brothers. Only Dominic, Jason, Nathan, and Eva were present this evening.

“How did the visitation go?” Eva asked, causing the quiet murmurs in the room to cease.

“Much better than I expected, to be honest,” Mia replied before recounting a heavily edited version of the day’s events to her family. She noted Dominic’s darkening mood as she spoke of Timothy playing with the twins in the surf and helping them with their sandcastle.

“Sage never even opened his laptop,” Mia said with an awed expression before explaining that they were later than expected partly because Timothy had helped her hide herself and the twins when they had run into someone, they wouldn’t want to know about Sage’s existence yet. “Tim drew the person away so we could get out of there without being seen,” Mia explained. She hadn’t expected anyone they knew to be at Aide Castle. It had just been rotten luck!

“Don’t tell me you’re being taken in by Barrett’s good guy act, Mia!” Dominic snapped at his sister. That made Mia angry.

“How about your good guy act, brother? Should I share with the family how you tried to force me into marriage with Nicholas today and how it is only because of Barrett’s assistance that we are not embroiled in scandal right now?” Mia seethed; she hadn’t realized she was this angry with Dominic.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” her brother growled, “more of Barrett’s lies, no doubt.” Dominic’s jaw was tight, a tick forming, he knew he was about to be called out.

“Fine...” Mia pulled out her phone and pulled up the file, “this is the article that Dominic told the Societal Gazette to run and had Nicholas confirm this morning. Timothy spent a lot of money and several favors to get the provocative implications removed and keep me from being scandalized so my choices weren’t taken away.”

“Dominic do you really expect me to believe that they would run that story without your approval?” Mia questioned then handed her phone to Jason whose eyes went first wide and then dark as he finished reading the article. He passed the phone to Nathan who cursed angrily as he read. Nathen passed the phone to Eva who looked both furious and hurt at the same time.

“Dominic, how could you?” Eva exclaimed. Dominic faltered for a moment in the face of his wife’s hurt but then scowled.

“I am trying to protect this family, to protect Mia. You saw the picture; does it really look like Mia is not interested in Nicholas? A push would help them get past whatever issues they are facing and remove Barrett from the picture. How is that wrong?” Dominic reasoned.

“So, forcing me into an engagement to stop a scandal is acceptable as long as it gets rid of Timothy, do I have that right?” Mia assessed her brother’s motives with scorn.

“If that is what it takes.” Dominic told her coolly.

“Then you are no better than he was, actually you are worse, at least he never pretended to care for me.” Mia rose and left the room, her heart heavy. She missed the look of hurt on Dominic’s face. Shaking her head at her husband Eva followed her sister out of the room.

Mia slumped down on her bed feeling exhausted. Her heart hurt. She hadn’t wanted to believe that Dominic would try to take her choices away like that but then again it wasn’t the first time. Hadn’t Dominic been the main supporter behind her hypnosis?

Mia knew his actions came from a need to protect her but that didn’t excuse him for trying to force his will on her. He didn’t trust her to know what was best for her and the twins and was willing to force her to do things his way. She couldn’t let this stand but what should she do? Mia thought that it might be time for her and the children to move out of the family home and get some separation from her brothers.

Eva stopped by a few minutes later to check on Mia. She quickly told her sister goodnight claiming exhaustion. Eva looked like she wanted to speak with her but acquiesced and left. Mia had really wanted to talk to Eva about the things that had happened with Timothy but found that she feared her words would get back to her brothers. She just didn’t trust any of them to accept her right to choose her own life anymore. As Mia tried to fall asleep, she fervently wished that life would get easier soon.

*******

Timothy dressed for his board meeting. The act of donning the persona of Mr. Barrett got harder with each passing day. Not that long ago his business personality had felt like who he was but now felt more like playing pretend until he could be who he really was again. The person he was becoming with Mia and his children was the real Timothy Barrett.

Last night Timothy had been high with the joy he felt while he was with his children and while he held Mia in his arms. There was nothing like it on earth to compare. Loneliness set in as he sat alone in his hotel room. Tim realized that he should be at home with Mia and his children. He should be tucking them into bed with bedtime stories before holding Mia in his arms throughout the night. This current separation had to be rectified, it was intolerable.

Timothy signed on to his video conference greeting Heath as the board prepared to give the monthly accounting for their overseas expenditures. The meeting took a full two hours due to the acquisition of three companies based in the security sector. Tim believed they would be very profitable in the future but currently they were costing him millions of dollars.

As the meeting started to wrap up the board questioned Tim about his return to Bern City and the reasons behind his absence. He encouraged the members of the meeting to mind their collective business or find new employment.

Tim gave Heath instructions on a couple of matters before closing the meeting tab on his laptop screen. Tim then pulled his suit jacket off and discarded his tie. He had really started to hate those things. Caleb’s face appeared on his phone screen and Tim answered his friend’s call. They spoke for a few minutes and Caleb told him that he would arrive late in the evening.

Tim wanted to call Mia but didn’t want to push too hard. Instead, he sent a simple text that read, ‘I miss the three of you.’ A few minutes passed before a response came but when it did, he smiled. The text from Mia read, ‘Good.’

Opening an application on his phone Timothy checked the GPS coordinates of a small red dot. Tim called for his car to be brought around and headed downstairs to meet it. Fifteen minutes later he was pulling up under a grouping of oak trees, across the street from a stately red brick, white columned school. The sign read Cranson Primary School for Exceptional Youths established 1607.

It was nearing lunch hour and Tim intended to drive off now that he knew where his children were but then youngsters came pouring out of the schoolhouse onto the playground. Near the back of the group, Tim spotted Ginger first and a few steps behind her carrying his backpack was Sage.

Ginger clearly wanted to run out and play with the other children but held herself back beside her brother. Sage said something to Ginger and motioned to a table with a bench off to one side which caused Ginger to sigh dramatically and throw her hands in the air with a pouty frown. Sage motioned for her to go toward the jungle gym, and he marched stoically toward the bench. Ginger watched him for a moment before noticing the children motioning for her to join them. With a glance at her brother, she finally went to play.

Tim moved closer to the window and watched as Ginger quickly climbed to the very top of the play equipment. It made him nervous to see her up so high, but she was fearless. Timothy could tell that his daughter was immensely popular with the other children. He wasn’t surprised by this at all. His Ginger was a force of nature just like her mother.

Glancing toward Sage Tim frowned. He wondered if his son had been locked away for too long to ever be able to integrate easily with his peers. Sage pulled out his laptop and turned it on, beginning to type. His son was introverted for sure and appeared antisocial to anyone but Ginger. Only time would tell if his son’s antisocial tendencies were too hard set to overcome. All he and Mia could do now was give him the support to feel capable of integrating as a well-adjusted boy. Tim knew that Ginger's influence was sure to help his son, that girl was tenacious.

A few minutes passed like this with Ginger playing with the other children and Sage on a bench typing away on his laptop. Finally with a determined stride Ginger marched up to her brother and literally dragged him to the swing set. Tim rolled his window down to hear since the swing was near the road.

Ginger teased her brother telling him that she could swing higher than him. Being arrogant as the little boy was, he could not stand it and soon they were trying to outpace each other. When the bell rang the two were laughing and each proclaiming that they had been the winner. Tim smiled as he told the driver to take him to the real estate office. It was time to look at that property.

In business they say money talks and in real estate the business mogul interested in the multimillion-dollar property gets preferential treatment. Tim had no issues getting the agent to take him on a tour of the property without an appointment. Tim spent almost two hours going over the property in depth.

He imagined Mia’s designs bringing the house to life and his children’s presence filling the house with happiness. Tim stood in the foyer under an elaborate chandelier and imagined that it was his home, his family home and the vision in his mind stole his breath. Timothy hoped with everything he had that he could make this dream come true.

Tim let the agent, Jennifer, know that he would be in touch soon and returned to his hotel room. He spent a couple of hours dealing with emails and reports but found himself bored with the daily tedium of running Barrett Group. Timothy struggled for the first time in his life with being distracted. He had things that he would rather be doing than pouring over emails and reports. He hoped this would get easier once things were settled and not so in question. How would he keep Barrett Group running if he was constantly thinking of Mia or wanting to play with the twins? Having feelings was a complicated business it seemed.

Perhaps it was time to give Caleb a larger role in Barrett Group. There were very few people that Timothy trusted implicitly, and Caleb made that short list. Their families had been business partners in their father’s time but when they ended up attending college together that had created a friendship that had lasted through the test of time. It had lasted even as Timothy had become the cold hard Mr. Barrett after his father’s death.

Yes, Caleb was vital in his life, and it was high time Timothy repaid his loyalty. Fearing corporate espionage Timothy had always run Barrett Group as an army of one with a few assistants that helped with low-level tasks, like Heath. While helpful these people were never trusted with anything too vital for the company.

Tim was CEO and President and refused to name a Vice President in charge of the company. If he was to be a good father and eventually a good husband, then he would need the time to devote to his family. Tim would need to trust someone and the only person that could live up to that scrutiny was Caleb. Caleb had worked as one of his assistants for years though he was overqualified for that role. He had turned down lucrative job offers and stayed loyal to Timothy through it all. This had been a long time coming and with his decision he felt relieved to no longer need to do this alone.

Tim ordered food to be delivered to the hotel with extra for Caleb since he would be arriving in the next couple of hours. He thought about that daughter of the mayor’s, Jasmine. He hoped to introduce her to Caleb. She was a nice young lady and Caleb seemed lately to be wanting something more than a random dalliance.

As the new Vice President of Barrett Group, Caleb would not need to worry about meeting the standards of the mayor for his daughter. Caleb was from a good but moderate-income family but with his promotion would outrank most suitors for her hand. If they liked each other, it would work out well. Since Mia and Jasmine liked each other, it might all work out perfectly. Tim made a mental note to set up dinner with the mayor and his daughter in the next few days, perhaps he could invite Mia as well.

When Caleb was due to arrive, Tim set out food and poured himself a drink. He had missed having Caleb around the last few days for both his company as a sounding board and his surprisingly on point advice. He was certain he would not be where he was with Mia and the twins if not for Caleb telling him how to be a human being time after time. On time, Caleb came through the door and seeing Tim he stopped short.

“Honey, you cooked,” Caleb said with a chortle as he tossed his bag in his room. “I’m glad because I am starving. Flying commercial is the worst thing ever.”

“You are right it is the worst. I nearly killed someone the last time I couldn’t take the jet.” Tim remembered the loud filthy passenger he had been stuck beside with a shiver.

“Is everything alright in Bern City? Did things work out at home?” Tim asked.

“Yes, for the most part. My father is weakening, and my younger brother is a lecherous bastard with three bastards of his own. After a couple rounds of the when will you make something of yourself speech, I figured the best way to escape my hell was to visit your family.”

“How did that go?” Tim snorted his friend had such a way with words.

“Well, they hate you and blame everything on Mia, as per usual.” Caleb took a sip of his bourbon and continued to eat.

“Have they been following the rules that I gave them? To not leave Barrett residence and to take care of the house.”

“Meh,” Caleb shook his head from side to side, “I don’t see any sign of them leaving but they are dreadful awful at keeping house. A person might clean better on accident.” Caleb laughed and watched as his friend’s face split into a grin. “I have never seen any of the Barrett women look so rumpled; I don’t think they know how to do laundry.” At the thought of them struggling with the wash Tim laughed hard.

“How did your visitation with the twin’s go?” Caleb asked sobering slightly.

“Better than I had any right to expect.” Tim told his friend recounting most of what had occurred yesterday. By the time Timothy was finished speaking Caleb was smiling though he looked concerned.

“I told you it was instinct,” Caleb said, “I’m so glad to hear that you have them.” Caleb snorted.

“Ass,” Tim quipped tossing a bread roll at his friend.

“Though the situation with Dr. Merches is troubling. They have extensive history, and he has been a very patient man. The doctor won’t take kindly to being thwarted at the finish line.” Caleb summarized Tim’s thoughts. “Plus, Nicholas has at the very least Dominic’s blessing and support which makes him a very dangerous enemy.”

“I know but all I can do is keep trying to do the right thing and spend time with Mia and our children.” Tim smiled brightly.

“I’ll bite, why are you so chipper?” Caleb said.

“Mia agreed to go on a date with me the day after tomorrow.” Tim told Caleb happily.

“You got a date on your own? Good job Tim.” Caleb enthused truly proud.

“Thanks,” Tim responded sarcastically, “am I that hopeless?” Caleb shrugged.

“Have you made any plans about what you are going to do on your date?” Caleb asked.

“I am planning to take her out on The Aurora.” Tim leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his bourbon.

“Umm, while I agree that this would be an enjoyable outing for a date, I have a few concerns.” Caleb started speaking with a frown on his face. “You realize that you would be completely alone if you go sailing.”

“Exactly, that’s what I want.” Tim said smiling.

“So, your intention is to make her your mistress then?” Caleb questioned carefully.

“What! You had better explain yourself at once.” Tim said with a hostile glare.

“I know you desire her and from what you have told me, she desires you as well. If you are completely alone then there will be nothing to come between the two of you. No need for caution. If you are intimate and she becomes pregnant, then she is a mistress and her child illegitimate.” Caleb spoke quickly.

“Men have girlfriend’s all the time.” Timothy scoffed.

“Those men also know that if they get the girl pregnant, they will have to marry or get the girl’s family to agree to an abortion within a couple of weeks.” Caleb continued watching the truth beginning to dawn on Tim.

“Can you tell me that you can guarantee that Mia will either marry you or agree to an abortion in the time allotted to keep her from being scandalized?” Caleb said, sitting back he finished his drink.

“Well damn,” Tim said thinking. “It’s not as if I’m planning to be intimate with Mia so soon but, I can see how it could happen. What about contraception?”

“Men in high society almost never use contraceptives, Tim. The only thing worse than having no protection is counting on something for protection that fails in the middle. Condoms break.” Caleb explained, trying to see this issue from all angles. “Perhaps the morning after pill is a possibility, but do you think Mia would take it? Considering the length that she went to for the twins. How would you demand such a thing?”

“How are we to be together if we cannot act like we are together. How can I make her want me most if I am not able to be intimate her.” Timothy griped with confusion.

“I don’t mean forever just maybe not on Wednesday. Let things move a little closer to her being willing to accept you. You know, just because you don’t have sex doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do that would bring you closer together and not risk getting her pregnant.”

“What things, Caleb?” Tim asked, feeling upset and embarrassed again. Caleb coughed the word ‘prude’ at his friend but then explained several things Tim might do to get close to Mia without putting them in a precarious position.

“I am very glad that you have been such a playboy.” Timothy finally told Caleb with a smile. “But that is soon to be in the past, if I have my say. I think I have found a proper upstanding lady for you. She will make a fine wife.”

“Oh yeah, who is this paragon of virtue,” Caleb snorted.

“Jasmine Shelbert, the Norde City Mayor’s daughter.” Tim grinned.

Caleb furrowed his eyebrows trying to understand his friend’s joke, “Timothy, she outranks me. It’s not even close.”

“No, she doesn’t. Not anymore.” Timothy stood and held out his hand to his friend to shake, “I believe congratulations are in-order for the new Vice President of Barrett Group.” Tim said seriously. Caleb stood contemplating Tim’s face.

“Do you mean it?” Caleb asked cautiously.

“I do. I want to spend less time working and more time with my family which means once again, I need your help.”

Caleb’s face split into a grin, “then you will have it, my friend.” Caleb shook Tim’s hand with determined strength.

*******

The following morning Timothy tried to dress semi-casually. He had an important meeting today and he didn’t want to be the asshole Mr. Barrett. However, he felt too uncomfortable going into the lion's den in casual dress and changed into a full suite before leaving for his appointment. Tim had a meeting with Jason Lane, attorney at law and head of Lane Law Group, Mia’s brother.

Timothy needed a lawyer. While he felt certain that Lane Law could not represent him as it would be a conflict of interest, he believed that Jason could give him the name of someone that could. Someone discreet and trustworthy, those were his requirements. This need had Tim sitting in the attorney’s waiting room feeling decidedly uncomfortable and adjusting his tie for the tenth time.

“Stephanie, you can send Mr. Barrett in now.” The cultured voice came through the intercom on the assistant’s desk.

“Right this way, Mr. Barrett,” The woman showed Tim into Jason’s office promising to be back promptly with refreshments. Jason himself sat in a large leather chair behind an impressive desk. Floor to ceiling windows rose behind him with expansive views of Norde City and the harbor.

“Have a seat Mr. Barrett,” Jason motioned to either one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

“Just Tim is fine,” Timothy asserted before taking a seat.

“I must say, I was surprised to find you on my calendar this morning. You had to have gone to some lengths to get this appointment. My staff isn’t easily bribed.” Jason acknowledged it jovially.

“Yes, it was a bit of a challenge, but important things often are.” Tim said carefully, a smile showing momentarily.

“Well, we are here so let me first say thank you for protecting Mia a few days ago. Dominic was misguided when he allowed that article to be published. Rest assured Tim that Mia will not be forced into anything she doesn’t want to happen.” Tim watched Jason as he spoke and could tell that the man was not happy with his brother Dominic. Trouble in paradise, perhaps.

“I will always try to protect Mia and my children,” Timothy told the Lane brother plainly. “Which leads me to why I am here.”

“I need a lawyer; a discreet lawyer and I don’t know who to trust.” Timothy said looking pensive. “I need an attorney that can quickly draw up the Heir Apparent Documents to protect Mia and the twins.” Tim finished feeling nervous.

“Surely, you know that they don’t need your money, Mr. Barrett?” Jason remarked coolly.

“No, they don’t need money, but they might enjoy their lives more if it is not spent running from Barrett Group, my family, vultures, the paparazzi, and any number of unsavory people that would come for them if they were not protected by Heir Law. Sure, the Lane family can protect them, but it would be one battle after another.” Timothy sighed, taking a breath before continuing.

“My children should not have to fight for what is theirs already. If Dominic kills me tomorrow,” Tim smirked at Jason’s snort, “I need the documents in place so Mia can run the company until the twins reach their majority and can inherit. Plus, having to hide my son is not a situation I care to repeat. With everything that he has been through, Sage deserves to live a normal life.” Timothy took a breath, finished with his rant.

“Hmm...” Jason’s steepled his fingers in front of himself clearly thinking on Timothy’s words.

“Why not have your attorneys draw up the papers?” Jason questioned, squinting his eyes at Tim.

“Several reasons, I don’t trust the information to stay private or the paparazzi not to descend like rabid dogs. My attorneys will balk at the contents of the documents that I intend to draw and fight me which will take longer. The stock fluctuations will be reduced if the documents are already in place when the existence of heirs becomes known. I’m sure you can agree that not everyone will be thrilled that I intend to put a Lane in control of Barrett Group.” Timothy explained.

“The last reason I have is a safety concern for the twins. My father in his infinite wisdom had an illegitimate child, my late half-brother Hector. Hector is survived by my nephew Asher whom my father gave five percent of Barrett Group to in his will. His mother is a conniving and dangerous woman that hopes to have her son inherit the whole pie. She already tried to harm Ginger in the bone marrow theft.” Timothy growled scowling deeply

“Luna Maynard should be locked up in Bern City for what she did but instead she is here in Norde City as Mayor Shelbert’s daughter and so untouchable. Luna is the one that very nearly caught us at Aide Castle two days ago. Can you imagine if she were to find out I have a son with no protections in place.” Timothy shivered involuntarily. These were the thoughts that kept him up at night.

“Let’s think about this for a few minutes,” Jason hit the intercom asking Stephanie to bring them in drinks before motioning for Tim to join him at the conference table by the large window. “Who do we have that can work with us to avoid conflict of interest?” Jason questioned aloud.

Stephanie came setting a tray with coffee and croissants on the table.

“Help yourself,” Jason said deep in thought. Everything that Barrett said rang true to him. He was a lawyer he could smell lies and half-truths easily. If the man wanted to protect his children, it would be foolish of the Lane’s to try to stop him. No use in fighting unnecessary wars. Especially if it costs them their sister to do it. It was then that a commotion was heard in the waiting room.

“Is Timothy Barrett in there?” Dominic’s voice was loud in the quiet atmosphere.

“Brother, calm down...” Nathan’s voice was quieter than his brother’s. Then both men were standing in Jason’s office. Timothy turned to face Dominic, not bothering to get up.

“This is what I meant when I referenced Dominic killing me.” Tim deadpanned to Jason.

“Indeed,” Jason acknowledged his lips a thin line.

“Dominic, Nathan either sit down and shut up or leave, I don’t care which.” Jason said. “Tim?” Jason was clearly asking if he cared. Tim shook his head leaning back in his chair.

“Why does Barrett get a vote?” Dominic snarled.

“I mean it Dom, cut it out or leave. This is my company not yours. We are working.” Jason snapped at his brother fed up with his antics.

“Stephanie. Bring me the files on all the attorneys that have petitioned for affiliation with Lane Law for the last six months or so.” Jason spoke into the intercom.

“Right away, sir.” The assistant replied over the intercom.

Timothy made himself a cup of coffee and took a sip. Good coffee Tim thought trying to ignore Dominic glare that was heating his face. He set the cup down before turning his attention to the eldest Lane. Raising an eyebrow, he spoke simply “What?”

“Why are you here, Barrett?” Dominic snarled.

Jason stepped in and summarized all the key points of his and Tim’s conversation in that way that only a brilliant lawyer could. Dominic’s scowl only deepened. Tim couldn’t help but feel sorry for the man’s wife. He had never seen Dominic Lane look anything but unpleasant.

“Mia and the twins do not want or need your protection. We can protect them just fine without your type of help.” Dominic seethed; the words were spoken through his teeth.

“Don’t be obtuse, Dom.” Jason interjected, “The Heir Document would provide a buffer between the twins and Barrett Group, Tim’s wishes would put someone we trust in charge of the twin's inheritance. Tim is offering, it would be madness to refuse him simply because you don’t like him. Sage would not have to hide any more. Think about your nephew. Why should he have to be a secret? Imagine what that must be doing to the boy’s mental health and self-esteem. You can’t hate Barrett so much that you would allow Sage to suffer when he doesn’t have to.”

“We already have a document with his signature on it claiming Mia’s children as his heirs.” Dominic said quietly.

“Mia still has that? Good for her but unfortunately it would prove to be useless.” Tim admitted with a frown. “There were other people in that hospital room that would swear I signed it under duress as my dying grandmother refused to have surgery unless it was signed. Even Mia refused to sign it in front of witnesses. Without myself or my grandmother around to back it up a judge would throw it out.” Timothy took a breath before continuing.

“Which would lead to the courts ordering paternity testing, Overseers from Barrett Group being called in to assess the twins. If Sage’s health issues were discovered, the overseer would try to have him declared unfit.” Timothy sighed, “We must continue the way I have requested to protect all three of them. Surely, even you can see that Mr. Lane.” Tim turned his gaze on Dominic who looked unhappy but trumped for now.

“It seems you have done your research to determine how to proceed.” Jason said approvingly.

“What, you think I wanted to step into the lion’s den and get my head bitten off?” Timothy chuckled with a shake of his head. Nathan snorted. “It’s the right thing to do and I would like to be able to sleep at night again sometime soon.” Timothy admitted.

Stephanie walked in then with a file box and set it on the table before promising to bring extra refreshments and leaving. There were easily two hundred files in the box.

“We must whittle this down there are too many applicants. Tim any thoughts on how to proceed?” Jason was mainly curious about how Barrett would think about the issue when he asked the question.

“I would remove any males under say forty years of age. Ambition is the death of discretion. Likewise for women since they might act on the opportunity to seek favor with one of us. I would reject anyone with even a hint of financial distress. Ideally, I would choose a middle-aged woman with children that looks to prove herself valuable in her profession but not in any other way.” Tim finished speaking then took another sip of his coffee.

“I agree,” Nathan quipped, “do you have one of those in this box, Jason?”

“Let us find out. Tim is right, set aside anyone within the criteria he just laid out.” Jason told the group. “How much time did you bribe out of my staff?” Jason asked Tim.

“Three hours,” Tim chuckled. “Though I need to leave a little before noon.” he admitted.

“Something important?” Nathan asked. Nathan knew that Timothy had spent the twins lunch hour outside the school the day before. He had told the teachers not to interfere unless Timothy tried to remove the children from the property or harassed the children or teachers.

“It is important to me.” Tim said it simply and returned to categorizing folders.

“If we don’t find someone this morning, I will set up another block of time later this week.” Jason. Timothy thanked Jason and continued searching through files.

“What if Mia marries?” Dominic asked suddenly.

“Timothy swallowed looking up at the man, “Mia is a woman of integrity. I don’t believe she would allow her marriage to impede our children’s future.” With that said he went back to reading files.

When Timothy excused himself to use the restroom, Jason hissed at Dominic in an angry tone, “Stop fighting common sense. Barrett clearly wants to do the right thing. Let him. You should be happy we don’t have to go to war with him over this but instead you are acting like a tyrant. Don’t you care about Mia’s happiness anymore? Or is satiating your ego at Barrett’s expense more important than anything else now?”

“Barrett is getting too close to our family. This must stop.” Dominic growled in a low tone.

“Dom, you are acting crazy.” Nathan told his brother. They stopped talking as Tim walked back to the table.

A little before noon Tim left Lane Law and headed to the school. He was excited to see the twins. Tim hoped that today Sage would try to interact with the other children but knew that it might take more time for him to open up to his peers. Timothy’s driver parked in the same spot as yesterday, and he settled himself in to wait for the children to come out.

A few minutes later children poured out onto the playground. Ginger was with Sage and pulled him to the monkey bars. Ginger climbed up and made it five of the eight rungs before she dropped. She motioned for Sage to try. Begrudgingly. He tried to copy her but dropped after only two rungs. Tim realized that Sage’s illness was likely affecting the small boy’s strength. Sage looked around at the other children, embarrassed, but they were all busy with their own activities.

Sage tried the short balance beam with his sister but was unable to balance for very long. Tim assumed that was also a muscle strength issue. Finally, the pair turned to the swings and were soon laughing. Recess ended with his children in good spirits. It was clear that Sage was still struggling with the aftermath of his illness. Hopefully, with time those issues would start to fade.

Timothy stopped at a restaurant and grabbed a take-out lunch on his way back to the hotel. Him and Caleb were going to spend the afternoon drawing documents that would make Caleb Winters his new Vice President of Operations for Barrett Group. They needed to work out many things such as Caleb’s official job description, pay benefits and pension plan, and the exact command structure and authority for his position.

The duo started working as soon as Timothy returned. They ordered dinner when they became hungry and finally finished the documents a couple of hours after sunset. Timothy was happy that Caleb was so enthusiastic about starting his new position and decided that he would send the documents in on Friday to human resources within Barrett Group. That way, Monday would be Caleb’s first day on the job.

Timothy checked his email one last time for the day and found an email from Jason that said that he thought he had found a suitable candidate for their situation. Jason asked him to come on Friday afternoon for a couple of hours to meet with the attorney. Tim hoped the process would go smoothly. He didn’t think the process would take all that long if everyone agreed and the attorney was competent.

Before jumping into the shower Timothy sent Mia a text telling her that he couldn’t wait to see her the next day. He climbed into bed with no response from her but just before he fell asleep his phone buzzed. Tim looked at the message nervously and then it bolstered his spirit. The words were plain, a simple ‘I’ll be there,’ but knowing that she hadn’t changed her mind helped him to get a decent sleep for the first time in a while.

Chapter 5: Part 5 M/E

Chapter Text

All Good Things Must End an Ending for Meet My Brother’s

I am generally an MA (for mature) writer, but I keep it fairly clean on fanfiction.net to keep to community guidelines. If you want more heat, find me elsewhere.

I never intend copyright infringement and am careful to make my stories my own but since I am using other's characters, please send all love and adoration to the original author. I make no money from my stories and am simply happy to tell them.

Every story deserves a happy ending and I love writing them, though there is often a great deal of turmoil before I get there. I always say that I like to write the last book in a long series that way I always get the ending I think the characters I love deserve. Plus, I am impatient and don't like to wait.

My stories run about 70k-100k. I write between 2000-8,000 words per day.

My current story All Good Things Must End which is my ending to the story Meet My Brothers, is about to be posted. I have 61K words written so far. I will post every three days (roughly) until I am finished. I expect the story to take no more than 30 days to be finished.

My final book in the series starts at chapter 1090, if you haven't read it until there you will need to go read that book first. I stopped reading at that chapter so there would not be any overlapping themes. I will finish it at some point but not until I finish with my ending. If you have any questions send me a message and I will try to get back to you.

Credit for Meet My Brothers should go to Red Thirteen. You can find this story on Webnovel & Goodreads

PART 5

“You look nice, Mia.” Eva told her sister as she walked into the breakfast room late the next morning. Mia was dressed simply in a white tank dress that flattered her figure and a pair of white canvas deck shoes. She was carrying a smaller beach bag.

“Thank you, sister.” Mia replied taking a blueberry muffin and a glass of orange juice from the center of the table. Mia looked around noting the faces at the table. Eva sat near Dominic who was reading the paper, Connor sat on his other side drinking coffee, while Jason and Nathan sat farther away talking quietly as they ate.

“I have a date today and I thought I should let you know since a car will be picking me up soon.” Mia said before tearing a chunk out her muffin and popping it in her mouth.

“Really?” Dominic exclaimed smiling, “that is great, I knew you would come to your senses and give Nicholas another chance.” The rest of the family was paying attention now. Mia heard the word trouble whispered near Jason.

Mia laughed aloud. “That is not going to happen. One because Nick would never have time for me in the middle of the day. He’s more of a quickie at two in the morning sort and two because I don’t have any feelings for him.” She was goading her brother.

“What is that comment supposed to mean, Mia?” Dominic questioned angrily.

“It means that Nicholas and I have tried extensively to form a bond. It didn't work. Let it go.” Mia snapped.

“I thought you said you had a date?” Dominic asked cautiously.

“What? Is Nicholas Merches the only man I might expect to like me?” Mia couldn’t believe this.

“He is the only one that has been given permission to date you.” Dominic said calmly.

“Wow, you know what? Go to hell, brother. I mean that really.” Mia shook her head at her brother scornfully. “Me and the twins are moving out tomorrow. My car is here.” Mia got up and walked away.

Her family’s surprised and horrified expressions followed her as she left. Nathan got up and followed a few seconds behind in time to see her climb into a large black sedan. He knew that car, that was Barrett’s car.

Inside the sedan Mia found a blue rose and tied to it was a small handwritten card that read ‘perfect in every way and still not as beautiful as you.’ Mia smiled, who knew that Tim was a romantic.

*******

Tim had been dropped off at the marina and sent his car to pick up Mia. He was a little bummed at missing today’s lunchtime antics but consoled himself that having Mia to himself for the day would soon improve his mood. Truthfully, he was nervous. He had to walk a line of being affectionate but not getting carried away. Being new to feeling so much he knew he was more than capable of messing up.

This was a critical juncture. Mia had finally decided to give him a chance with her and to mess it up now would destroy him and any happiness he hoped to have. Tim told himself to just stay relaxed and all would be well. He remembered Caleb’s terrible pep talk this morning.

“What’s the worst that could happen, Tim?” Caleb asked with a sigh.

“I could say or do the wrong thing and Mia would flee the country with my children leaving me at square one all over again.” Tim replied grimly.

“That’s heavy.” Caleb admitted. “We have gone over all the reasons to hold back but you can always take the other road.”

“What do you mean?” Tim questioned his friend.

“You can always take her to bed and let the chips fall where they may. She is giving you a chance and Mia never does anything without a good reason. There are good arguments for the thinking that you should close this one as soon as possible.” Caleb smiled, patted Tim on the shoulder and announced, “Good luck.” before going back to his room and shutting the door.

Now Tim was here setting up for a trip on his boat and waiting for Mia to arrive. He was suddenly terrified she would stand him up. Maybe she would change her mind, or her brothers would stop her from coming. Timothy thought maybe he should have had her meet him here, but he had wanted an excuse to see her home and get a few extra precious moments with her. He hoped it wouldn’t be like this for too long. Tim didn’t want to steal minutes; he wanted all the minutes to be his.

It was nearly ten minutes later when the car arrived. Tim was standing on the dock when the driver opened the door for Mia and helped her out of the car. She looked down the dock and, seeing him, smiled brightly. Timothy swallowed convulsively and took in a quick breath. She was a vision, and he was a lucky man.

Mia walked unhurriedly down the dock toward him. Tim couldn’t help but notice the way her hips swayed enticingly as she walked. Had they always done that? When she reached him, Tim couldn’t help himself as his hands moved to her waist and his thumbs brushed soft circles along her stomach.

“Look how beautiful you are,” Tim said with quiet intensity, “I’ve been struck speechless.” Then she did something he did not expect. Mia threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth to hers kissing him hungrily. In that moment, Timothy knew, if she continued kissing him like that, he would not be able to deny her or himself. Already he ached for her.

A while later Mia sat on a plush seat sipping a glass of champagne while Timothy expertly steered the sailboat out of the Marina and then the bay. Once they had cleared the mouth of the bay and were in open ocean Tim turned them north and brought up the sail. He adjusted their heading a few times and motioned for Mia to join him at the wheel.

Walking on the boat was interesting with the waves but she caught on quickly, learning to move with them. Tim smiled at her pleased then reached a hand to her and pulled her up beside him. Once he had her positioned between him and the wheel, he went about teaching her to steer the boat. Timothy used the opportunity to wrap an arm around her and hold her close.

“I think the twins would love this.” Mia told Tim happily. “I know Ginger would. Our little adventurer.”

“I have satellite wireless on this boat so I think Sage would be fine.” Tim laughed. Mia nodded agreeably.

“Where are we going?” Mia asked curiously.

“Someplace special that I can’t wait for you to see.” Tim replied placing a couple soft kisses on Mia’s neck and exposed collarbone.

“Is it far?” Mia wondered aloud before turning around to face Timothy.

“Not that far, thirty minutes more maybe.” Timothy looked down into Mia’s eyes, his free hand rising to touch her jaw, her face, and finally winding through her hair. He pulled her mouth to his in a searing kiss, desire like liquid fire pooled inside him. He gasped against her mouth his need pushing at him urgently to take more.

Tim pulled back placing his forehead against hers his breaths a pant. Mia smiled and went to pull him back to her, but he stopped her. Tim didn’t miss the look of hurt that crossed her face or the way Mia went to pull away.

“Baby, please...” Tim groaned, “if we continue, I will crash this boat. Let’s get at anchor then we can see if you can make me lose my mind.”

Mia laughed, startled. She thought she was being rejected again just like in Bern City. Mia would try to remember not to jump to conclusions in the future. Mia turned around and went back to pretending to help steer but mainly just enjoyed the feeling of leaning back against Timothy’s strong body.

They had been quietly sailing for a bit when a landmass began to take shape in the distance. Mia tried to make out where they were but realized she had no clue.

“Is that an inhabited island?” Mia asked Tim, perplexed.

“In a way, I’ll explain when we get closer.” Tim replied. Twenty minutes later the sailboat was going around the side of the island and ten minutes after that Timothy dropped anchor in a wide cove.

The cove was a wide short horseshoe shape with beaches lining the entire length except the large rocks that jutted out like caps at each side. Beyond the beach was lush jungle teaming with life. Pink flamingos rested in the shallow waters of the cove; pelicans flew down to scoop up water with morsels of food. Great macaws and parrots flew from branch to branch in the green canopy where many other birds nested that Mia couldn’t name. Mia saw a group of monkeys hanging from branches a bit farther back in the trees.

“Come look.” Tim motioned for Mia to come look over the rail into the crystal-clear water. A pair of large sea turtles swam lazily under the boat and Mia ran to the other side to watch them swim away only to notice a massive manta ray swim lazily into the cove. The water was filled with all types of colorful fish. Mia watched in awe. This place was teeming with all kinds of enchanting creatures.

“What is this place?” Mia asked in amazement watching the island for signs of any other animals.

“This is a wildlife sanctuary known affectionately as The Ark. People are not allowed to step foot on the island but because this is a place that Barrett Group proudly sponsors, we are allowed to visit this cove.” Tim explained. “I thought you might enjoy it as much as I do.”

“This is breathtakingly beautiful and so interesting. Thank you so much for bringing me here.” Mia smiled at Timothy in a way that made him feel like he had done something good and important. Tim reached out and brushed Mia’s hair back from her face.

“Come let’s have some lunch.” Tim showed Mia around the cabin of the sailboat before grabbing a container from the refrigerator and leading Mia back on deck. They snacked on a tray of deli meat, cheeses, fruit, and nuts while drinking champagne and watching over the side of the boat at the sea life and toward the island and the very raucous birds.

Eventually they were both full and Mia moved over so she could lean against Tim’s side. He put his arm over her shoulder, and they stayed that way for several minutes just relaxing peacefully.

“This is nice.” Mia finally said, “so very peaceful. Who would have thought that I would be sitting here with you simply existing.” Mia laughed lightly. “How is it that you were hiding inside Mr. Barrett?” Mia questioned absently.

Timothy tipped her face toward his with a finger under Mia’s chin and kissed her softly, “The man sitting with you now is the one you brought out of the bastard I was before. I’m sorry it took so long for me to change.” Tim said apologetically.

“The final catalyst was the day of my grandmother’s party. I offered you the priceless heirloom which of course you turned down.” Grandmother told me you would, but I couldn't fathom why you would have stayed with me if not for money.” Tim frowned at the memory of his stupidity.

“Then I knew that I was wrong all along, and I had destroyed the only good thing in my life because I was too proud to tell you that you were the person I wanted and beg you to stay with me. Then they told me that you died, and I became a broken man. I searched every day for you. I could not accept that you died only to find you accidentally through our precocious daughter.” Tim smiled at the memory of finding the tiny girl that looked like her mother.

“Mia, I am yours if you want me, you must know that by now.” Timothy said emphatically.

Mia sat up, turning to look at Timothy, very slowly as if she might spook him, she climbed over him to straddle his lap. Mia traced her fingers along his cheek, his jaw before winding arms around his neck.

“Then make me yours... show me you’re not afraid to be with me.” Mia said plainly.

Timothy sucked in a breath. His arm wrapped around Mia’s hips anchoring her to him while the other went to the back of her neck. Timothy leaned in kissing her slowly with intent. There was no need to rush. He pushed his concerns aside and vowed that for today he would do as she asked. There would be no waiting.

Their kisses became insistent quickly and soon they were both breathing heavily. Mia’s hands came to the buttons on his shirt, and he let her unbutton and push it open. When her mouth hit the feverish skin of Tim’s neck then his chest, he couldn’t help the moan that came from him. The sound only spurred Mia on. Soon he was teetering between heaven and hell. Knowing he was beginning to lose control he wrapped his arms tightly around Mia and stood.

Tim walked them into the cabin of the sailboat and then into the captain’s cabin. Trying to control the molten desire coursing through him he set Mia on the bed, touching her face softly before turning away for a moment and taking several deep breaths. Timothy stripped his shirt off and turned back to Mia.

Mia was sitting up on the bed with her back to him. She had moved her hair out of the way.

“Unzip me, please.” Mia’s voice was calm, no sign of nervousness. Timothy didn’t understand how but then again, she had more experience than he did. He shook the thought away. It had no place in this moment with them. “Tim,” Mia prodded when he hadn’t made any move.

Tim moved forward and undid the zipper on her dress, running the back of his hand along her perfect back. Once the zipper was undone Mia turned around and stepped onto the floor in front of him holding the front of her dress in place with her arms. Timothy felt unable to breathe. He swallowed and then swallowed again.

Finally, Mia dropped her arms allowing the dress to fall. It caught at her hips, so she pushed the fabric to the floor. Damn, but she was beautiful. Every line of her body catered to his preferences. Mia had been made for him and he had been a fool for far too long. Desire consumed him then and he pulled Mia to him no longer nervous or worried about control. This was where instinct thrived.

Timothy had one hand buried in Mia’s hair holding her where he would have access to her neck, his mouth trailing fire along her throat. The other slid to her ass. He took note of the white lace thong with a growl. She had planned this. He pulled her hard against him where he throbbed for her. Tim needed relief and her body pressed against him helped a little. Soon it wasn’t enough though.

“Baby, climb into bed.” Timothy instructed. He didn’t know where the endearment came from but that was twice today that it just slipped out. Mia did as he asked, pushing the covers out the way. She sat in the middle of the bed watching him expectantly.

Suddenly Tim was nervous again, but he forced himself to shake it off. Then he looked at Mia, really looked at her and he could see the nervousness she was valiantly trying to hide. He smiled at her softly and she smiled back. They would be fine, and this would turn out fine.

Refusing to second guess himself. Tim stripped his pants off leaving only his boxers and her tiny thong between them. Before he could feel self-conscious, he crawled into the bed and stretched out on his side pulling Mia to him. The second her chest touched his need began to take over his mind.

As Timothy kissed Mia his hands began to caress her skin. Following his instincts he ran kisses along her throat and down to her breast. Taking note of her response he first ran his tongue around her nipple, when Mia moaned, he smiled taking her nipple into his mouth he sucked which caused her to arch into him. This was just following the cues, Tim thought with a grin. He was good at reading cues. He trailed his kisses further down her body suddenly curious about her birthmark.

It was clearly visible above her panty line. This mark is mine Timothy thought running his tongue over it. When Mia jumped violently, he laughed looking up at where she was looking at him.

“Ticklish?” Timothy questioned, with grim satisfaction. She nodded her face slightly flushed.

“I like these.” Tim told her as he looked at her panties. “Can I take them off?”

It took Mia a second to answer but finally she replied that he could. Timothy sat up and pulled the panties down over her legs and tossed them over the side of the bed. They had time and weren’t in a rush, but the truth was he was starting to ache. With every beat of his heart the pain became more intense. Tim needed to be inside her and soon.

Timothy kissed along Mia’s body until he was able to take her mouth with his. He kissed her hungrily while letting his fingers graze her overheated sex. She jumped but didn’t try to stop him, so he slid a finger against her pleasure point and began to stroke in slow circles. Mia gasped against his mouth letting out a low moan and arched her hips into his hand. Timothy’s lips curved into a pleased smile.

Tim continued this for a few more moments while they kissed passionately before moving his mouth over Mia’s neck until he reached her breast. He pulled her nipple into his mouth rubbing the flat of his tongue against the soft nub. Tim enjoyed the way Mia arched against him and pulled at his hair with her hands.

Mia’s soft cries took on a desperate edge as he slid his finger to her core before finally pushing inside her and stroking with the movement of her hips. Tim groaned against Mia’s chest, she was so hot and wet. He couldn’t wait any longer.

Timothy moved away from Mia just long enough to rid himself of his boxers then positioned himself between her legs. He breathed slowly trying to rid himself of the tremor that had started internally. He moved to look Mia in the eye, one hand caressing her face and tangling in her hair. He kissed her desperately before placing his forehead against hers. Mia’s arms wrapped around him.

“Mia, are you sure? If you want to stop it has to be now.” Tim’s voice was low like gravel.

“I don’t want to stop. I want to feel you inside me.” Mia answered quietly.

Timothy kissed Mia letting his need for her take control. His hands moved instinctively along her body as he positioned himself and felt her wet heat against his straining member. Tim gritted his teeth as pleasure hit him hard. He pushed into Mia slowly watching her for signs of distress. Timothy was overwhelmed by the sensations that were wracking his body. Finally, seating himself fully in Mia’s heat, Tim let out a shuddering breath and captured her mouth with his own.

Mia had one hand at the back of Tim’s neck curled in his hair and with the other she caressed his cheek as he kissed her. He seemed to need a minute. So tried to sooth him, to tell him without words that this was alright. When half a minute had passed, she pushed her hips against his to let him know that he could move. Tim’s body shuddered against her, and he caught her eye with his own. Mia nodded and gave him a small smile once again, moving her hips.

Tim moaned at the movement and set a slow pace for their lovemaking. Mia decided it was torture, beautiful torture and couldn’t help her moans of pleasure each time Timothy pushed into her. She felt so full, and the sensation was overwhelming her senses. Tim’s hands were everywhere pushing, pulling, caressing. His kisses became frantic as their pace began to increase. Mia felt like she was on the edge of an abyss as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her.

Mia wrapped her arms around Timothy pulling him as close as possible. Her body was searching for something that only he could provide and as his thrusts became more erratic Mia suddenly fell off the edge. Pleasure hit her like blinding lights, and she cried out in surprise. She had never felt this before, the feeling was everything. Her skin burned with electricity, and she convulsed feeling her muscles curling with pleasure. Mia’s breathing was ragged as she felt Timothy shudder against her.

Timothy wrapped Mia tightly in his arms as he emptied his seed into her. He was shellshocked. Tim hadn’t known it would be like this. He was overcome by pleasure and listening to Mia’s pleasure. Feeling her body convulsing around him had been too much and he couldn’t hold back any longer.

Their one time together in the past was pleasant but fast. He hadn’t known it could be like this. Tim hadn’t known that feeling like this was possible. Being with Mia would be all-consuming. Feeling his body relax he pulled himself from her. Then realizing that intimacy was a messy endeavor he jumped up and grabbed a towel and climbed back into bed with Mia. Laying down next to her he gave her the towel and then kissed her sweetly.

“Are you all right? I didn’t hurt you, right? Tim asked worriedly.

“I am fine. I feel rather good. I’m just sleepy.” Mia laughed running her hand along Tim’s chest before curling into him.

“Then nap, we have time. A nap sounds nice.” Tim pulled Mia fully into his arms and locked his arms around her. It wasn’t long before they had drifted off to sleep.

Timothy had slept so peacefully that he was confused when he woke. He felt Mia next to him and it reminded him of everything that had just occurred. He ran his fingers over her naked back in astonishment. They had made love and it had been blissful.

Tim would never understand why he had denied himself her touch for so long. Now, Timothy had finally made Mia his and that was the way it would be for the rest of forever.

Tim turned to his side taking in the beauty that lay sleeping next to him. Mia was on her side facing away from him. He ran his fingertips along her shoulder, across her back, and over the swell of her hips. He was a lucky man. Tim stroked his fingers over her hair and sighed. He wished they could stay like this forever but knew that wasn’t an option. Tim glanced at a clock on the wall and was surprised to find that they had slept for nearly three hours.

They would need to head back soon and as much as he didn’t want to do it, Tim also understood that Mia would need to go home. They had children to see to after all. Tim was only sad because he couldn’t go with her. Tim would give anything, pay any price to be able to be with her and their children.

Timothy leaned over Mia kissing gently along her shoulders to the back of her neck slowly rousing Mia from her slumber. His hand brushed her hair from her face, and he placed a soft kiss behind her ear.

“Baby,” he called softly, “it is time to wake up.” Mia stretched like a cat yawning.

“How long have we been asleep?” Mia asked looking around and out the porthole trying to figure out the time from the slowly darkening sky.

“A few hours,” Tim replied as he wrapped an arm around Mia as she turned over to face him. “I hate to wake you, but I hoped you might watch the sunset with me before we must head back.”

“That sounds nice. Let me us the bathroom and get dressed then I will join you.” Mia said sweetly. She went to move away but Timothy caught her and pulled her into a deep kiss before letting her go.

Mia gathered up her dress and underwear and walked into the bathroom shutting the door. Tim stared after her for a moment before pulling himself out of the bed and redressing. On his way on deck, he stopped and gathered a few things from the kitchen that he had brought for their date and took them above with him. Tim looked around and the skyline. Sunset wouldn’t be long.

A few minutes later Mia joined him and gave Tim a quick kiss when she saw the chocolate-covered strawberries. How had he known that she loved them? A bottle of pink sparkling wine, Petalo Moscato Spumante Il Vino Dell’ Amore, complimented the treat. Had she ever told him her favorite wine? Mia couldn’t imagine Timothy buying a twenty-dollar bottle of wine. Tim was a wine snob but here it was, for her.

“Thank you,” Mia whispered reverently, “how did you know about the wine?”

“I called Eva and asked her.” Tim told her calmly.

“Really?” Mia’s face grew pensive. “She didn’t say a word. Even when I told all of them that I had a date today, she didn’t say anything.”

“I asked her not to, she was extremely sweet. Eva told me that if I hurt you, she would have me hung from Barrett Group Tower and set on fire.” Tim responded with a snicker.

Mia snorted a laugh, “Eva is quite ferocious. You should heed her warning.”

“You do not need to worry about that.” Tim told Mia, wrapping his arms around her, “I cannot harm you without harming myself.” Tim kissed her, reveling in the way she leaned into him with no reservation.

After a moment he said, “Let’s try your wine and watch the sky.”

The pair got themselves comfortable on the sunbathing bed and Tim poured them a glass of sparkling wine each. Mia took a sip and watched as Tim did the same.

“This isn’t bad actually,” Timothy remarked astonished. Mia smirked but said nothing. Taking a strawberry, Mia bit into the fruit then grabbed a napkin as juice tried to run down her chin. Tim chuckled at her and wiped a tiny dot of strawberry juice from her cheek.

“These are so good but really messy.” Mia laughed. Tim was watching her intently like she was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

“What?” Mia asked self-consciously.

“I just like looking at you. You are so beautiful sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe.” Tim’s face unreadable for a moment before evening out into a content expression.

Mia leaned over and gave Tim a quick kiss. She looked up at the sky and realized the sky was changing color. There was yellow, red, pink, and even some purple streaking the sky.

“Wow,” Mia breathed in awe of the sky. She was looking in every direction and at the water’s surface as it reflected the colors of the sky. Mia had never seen a sunset like this. It was beautiful. She ended up standing there with Tim’s arms wrapped around her until the colors had mostly faded from the sky.

“We need to leave soon Mia.” Tim told her unhappily.

Mia sighed regretfully, “I know. I have a lot to do tonight when I get back.”

“What do you mean?” Tim asked curiously something about the way she had spoken which caused him concern.

“Dominic and I got in a fight this morning and I told him off. I told him that the twins and I are moving out tomorrow. So, I need to go home and get us packed. This has been coming a while, he has become very controlling, and I won’t stand for it. It’s where I’m at.” Mia shrugged uncomfortably. Tim could tell it hurt her to be at odds with her brother.

Timothy frowned, “Where are you going to go? Do you have a house?”

“We’ll have to stay at a hotel until I find a place but that will be fun it will be like we are getting a vacation.” Mia smiled unconvincingly.

Tim pulled Mia into his arms. "I don’t like the idea of you and our children out in the world alone right now. Book a suite at my hotel so we can be closer, or we can change to whatever hotel you want. Then I could spend time with the children and you, and I will know you’re safe.” Tim looked at Mia’s face watching her emotions play out in her eyes.

“I don’t know, Tim. As much as I like the idea of being close to you... If someone found out there would be a scandal and I would be labeled as your mistress.” Mia said nervously.

“You are not a mistress if I intend to marry you.” Tim replied succinctly.

Mia sucked in a breath. She hadn’t considered that; it was too soon to consider marriage.

Tim pulled her face up with a finger under her chin, “Mia, you know I only date to marry,” he reminded her gently. “I don’t need distraction and we are not messing around; do you understand me?” Timothy asked her seriously.

Mia nodded nervously, “I understand, but I’m still not sure it’s a good idea for us to stay at your hotel. It could get messy if someone found out.” It would certainly make life easier though.

“Sage wouldn’t have to hide. We’ll rent the top two floors. I’ll take one floor and you and the kids will have the other. Who else is in the party? I just have Caleb and my driver.” Tim suggested.

“I have Peyton, my assistant and Angela, the nanny. There is also Bruce, he is mine and the children's driver.” Mia explained.

“We can book rooms for the staff on the third top floor giving us a buffer between us and any other hotel guests.” Tim felt a little excited at the prospect.

Mia sighed, “I guess we can try it, but we need to be cautious. This is only until I find a house for the twins and I.”

“I have already found a house and it is perfect for us, but I haven’t bought it yet because I wanted to see if you would give me a chance first.” Tim told her with a cautious smile. Before Mia could say anything, Tim pulled her mouth to his kissing her passionately until she fell against him and let out a soft moan. Tim smiled kissing her again but this time it was him that groaned as he felt his body begin to respond. Apparently, he didn’t need long to be able to be intimate again. By the response Mia was giving him as she clung to him making small breathy sounds while his mouth traveled across her throat, neither did she.

A short time later they were sailing back to the marina as twilight came over the water. Mia stood with him leaning comfortably against his body sipping her wine. Timothy kept thinking about the fact that he only had to spend one more night alone then Mia and his children would be within reaching distance of him. He would never let them go. Tim would give her a little time to get used to the idea and then they would get married and move into the house that he had chosen for them.

Maybe they would even add to their little family. Could Mia even now have life being created inside her? One time is all it had taken with the twins, could the same be true again? Tim knew he would want their child, but he was also terrified because they were not married, and he refused to have an illegitimate child. Tim could not do that to another human being. To subject his own child to a lifetime of ridicule, scandal, and shame... He could not do it. Tim could not stand the thought of Mia and their children being degraded like they would be if she were discovered to be pregnant outside the marriage bed.

It had been reckless to be with Mia intimately without a plan for marriage. If she were carrying his child even now, they would need to marry at once. Even if she wasn’t, every time they were together was reckless. Tim wondered if he could keep himself from her now and he honestly didn’t know.

Tim docked the Sailboat in his spot at the Marina before helping Mia down onto the dock. They walked hand in hand to his waiting car and climbed inside. Tim didn’t want to let her go even for one night but knew he had to be reasonable. Tim sat with Mia in his arms as the car drove to Lane residence.

“Mia,” Tim whispered his mouth brushing the hair at the side of her head. “Today was amazing, you have made me very happy.”

Mia smiled at him, “That was pretty good, Tim. Worth waiting for,” she murmured.

“Yeah?” Tim questioned his ego on the line.

“Yes,” Mia laughed. “I had an org*sm. I had never had one before. Which means you did an excellent job.” She bounced her shoulder into his side. Tim was ecstatic. He had given Mia true pleasure, and she was happy. That’s all that mattered.

“I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. When should I expect you to arrive at the hotel?” Tim asked.

“I don’t know yet.” Mia replied, “I still have some things to work out.” He nodded understandingly.

When the car pulled up in front of the entrance door to the Lane house the place was quiet. Mia climbed out of the car but stopped since Tim had caught her wrist. She turned back questioningly to see Timothy lean out. He pulled her into a deep lingering kiss that made Mia want to get back in the car. Tim finally let her go telling her that he would see her the next day.

***********

The pair never noticed Dominic watching from the study window with daggers for eyes. As Mia entered the house and Barrett’s car drove away Dominic resolved to put a stop to this situation at once. He didn’t know what Mia was thinking. Barrett must have something over her to force her to be with him. Dominic was resolved to find out what so his sister could be free from that man. Now he just needed to separate them.

It was late but Dominic didn’t care. He dialed the number on his phone impatiently. The phone rang three times and then the caller picked up.

“Hello Dominic,” A man’s cool voice came through.

“We have a problem. I know who the date was with.” Dominic muttered angrily.

“Who?” the response was clipped.

“Timothy Barrett, I know because they were kissing when he dropped her off.” Dominic cursed.

“That is not what I wanted to hear but...” The voice sounded regretful.

“What? You are giving up, my sister not worth a little effort to you?” Dominic asked angrily.

“That’s not what I meant. She clearly doesn’t want me.” The voice was irritated.

“Mia doesn’t know what she wants. You spent too long in the friend zone. She just needs time to come around to the idea.” Dominic responded in clipped sentences,

“If you say so,” the voice sighed.

“I have a plan. This is what we are going to do...” Dominic said decisively. The man on the line listened hoping Dominic’s plan would work. He cared for Mia. He had for a long time, but he had never been great with emotions. How could he get her to fall for him?

***********

Mia walked into the house and bypassed the family room. She could hear several of the Lane’s in there and was not ready to deal with anything. She walked straight to her room knowing the twins were already in bed asleep. Mia grabbed pajamas and walked into her bathroom and started the shower, let it warm, then climbed in. Once she was clean and dressed, Mia walked back into her bedroom towel drying her hair.

Eva was sat cross-legged in the middle of Mia’s bed waiting patiently for her sister. Mia stopped momentarily before she continued over to the bed and sat beside her, facing Eva. Eva pointed out the glass of wine she had brought and sipped her own.

“I know you were on a date with Barrett,” at Mia’s look Eva restated, “I mean Timothy. Spill, where did you go?”

“He took me sailing,” Mia responded quietly, “we went to The Ark,” she told Eva about the island that was touched by no one and how magical the place had been.

“So, how was the date?” Eva asked carefully.

“It was amazing. I’ve never felt so cherished. It felt real, Eva.” Mia whispered.

“This is a serious thing then.” Her sister said. “Did you sleep with him?” Eva questioned, seeing the look on Mia’s face, she knew the answer before Mia even responded.

“Yes, I did.” Mia smiled, “I think he was more nervous than I was and yes this is serious.”

“Was it enjoyable or awkward. If he was nervous, it was probably awkward.” Eva rambled.

“It was very enjoyable.” Mia whispered, “I had my first ever org*sm.” Mia blushed hard as she got the words out.

Eva laughed. “Good, at least he did his job right.”

“Mia, you know you can’t just have intimate relations. You could get pregnant. It is not right for him to ask you to be intimate when you are not married. Don’t let him turn you into a mistress. You deserve better.” Eva warned.

“That’s not what he’s trying to do, Eva. Timothy is not using me.” Mia said emphatically.

“How do you know that?” Eva asked.

“Tim said he only dates to marry.” Mia said plainly.

Eva looked startled, “Tim wants to remarry you? Are you sure?”

“That is what he said. He even said he found a marital home here in Norde City but has been waiting for a sign that I would give him another chance before he bought it.” Mia finished speaking feeling tired.

Eva contemplated this for a little while, finally she said, “I will support you no matter what because you are my sister but if something happens then come to me and we will fix it together.”

Mia nodded, telling Eva thank you and that she loved her. Eva walked to the door but stopped before stepping out.

“Did you mean what you said about moving out this morning?” Eva asked quietly.

“Yes, I did.” Mia answered.

“Where are you going to go?” Eva was concerned for her sister, niece, and nephew.

“A hotel for a few weeks until I find a place. Dominic has overstepped repeatedly, and it has been time for us to go for a while.” Mia said plainly. Eva simply nodded before saying goodnight and leaving. Mia crawled into bed and hoped she could get a good night's sleep so she could face what came next.

Chapter 6: Part 6

Chapter Text

All Good Things Must End an Ending for Meet My Brother’s

I am generally an MA (for mature) writer, but I keep it fairly clean on fanfiction.net to keep to community guidelines. If you want more heat, find me elsewhere.

I never intend copyright infringement and am careful to make my stories my own but since I am using other's characters, please send all love and adoration to the original author. I make no money from my stories and am simply happy to tell them.

Every story deserves a happy ending and I love writing them, though there is often a great deal of turmoil before I get there. I always say that I like to write the last book in a long series that way I always get the ending I think the characters I love deserve. Plus, I am impatient and don't like to wait.

My stories run about 70k-100k. I write between 6000-8,000 words per day.

My current story All Good Things Must End which is my ending to the story Meet My Brothers, is about to be posted. I have 90K words written so far. I will post every three days (roughly) until I am finished. I expect the story to take no more than 30 days to be finished.

My final book in the series starts at chapter 1090, if you haven't read it until there you will need to go read that book first. I stopped reading at that chapter so there would not be any overlapping themes. I will finish it at some point but not until I finish with my ending. If you have any questions send me a message and I will try to get back to you.

Credit for Meet My Brothers should go to Red Thirteen. You can find this story on Webnovel & Goodreads

PART 6

When Timothy arrived back at the hotel, he walked in to find Caleb diligently working through some pending files on his laptop and drinking a glass of bourbon. Tim poured himself a glass and flopped into a chair. He was tired tonight. He figured it was from the stress of trying to make everything go perfectly today. Caleb raised an eyebrow at him.

“That bad?” Caleb asked cautiously.

“It has been an exceptionally good day. I’m tired and I even took a nap.” Tim chuckled.

“How did you manage to take a nap on a date,” Caleb paused thinking, “scratch that. I know how.” He shook his head, “Did you just throw caution to the wind and jump right into bed with Mia?”

“I did what she asked me to do. Sue me.” Tim smirked. Then he sighed, “I am worried though about her being pregnant. It only took once with the twins.”

“So, what’s the play?” Caleb wondered aloud.

“Mia and the twins are moving into the penthouse of this hotel tomorrow. I am going to give it two weeks then drag her to the courthouse.” Tim said assuredly.

“Do you think it will happen like that?” Caleb asked.

“It’s going to have to. I know I can’t touch her again until we are married and if I must wait any longer than that I will probably die.” Tim replied with a snort.

“That good, damn.” Caleb joked.

“Better.” Tim said seriously. “You can help me make the offer on my marital home here in Norde City, tomorrow. It is an exceptionally large expensive property and I want it closed within two weeks.” Tim said, grabbing a file from his stack and handing it to Caleb.

Caleb flipped through the pages, “Nice.”

“There is plenty of space for our children.” Tim said.

“How many children are you planning on having?” Caleb snorted. Tim merely raised an eyebrow.

“Wait did you say they are moving here in the morning?” Caleb questioned his friend.

“To the top floor, yes. Mia had a falling out with Dominic over the doctor and decided to leave with the children. I told her to come here. We will occupy the top three floors for safety and privacy.” Tim spoke informationally.

“Timothy, if someone found out there would be scandal.” Caleb reminded his friend gently.

Tim nodded, he knew, “Another reason we need to marry, soon.”

“Well then, I will help you and Mia in any way that I can.” Caleb said. It seemed like his friend was breaking all the rules now. Timothy had spent a lifetime as the man in control and now that he had a taste of freedom he was existing on the fringe. For Mia, Tim would do anything.

***********

The morning dawned bright and clear in the Lane household. As soon as the children were off to school Mia rallied Angela and Peyton and they started packing what they needed to survive at the hotel. Timothy texted to let her know that everything was arranged in her name with the hotel and that she and the children had the Penthouse suite which consisted of three bedrooms, a kitchen, living area, and dining room. There was even a private study where she could work.

When everything was packed, their bags were taken down to the foyer to be loaded in the car. Peyton and Angela followed Mia into the breakfast area as she gave them lists of things to be picked up at the store to make living in the hotel easier. They left to deal with these things and Mia grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the table.

“Are you actually moving out, Mia?” Connor asked. “Where are you going?”

“Yes, and to a hotel.” Mia answered eating a grape.

“You don’t need to do that. Dominic can behave.” Jason sighed.

“I’ve seen no sign of it.” Mia replied, “but I want to do this, and the hotel is temporary until we find our own place. It’s past time for us to live on our own.”

“An unmarried woman should live with her family.” Claude interjected.

“Well then it is a good thing that I am a divorced woman with two kids. No one will care.” Mia snarked.

“We will miss you.” Nathan said gently

“I want to miss you overbearing oafs too. That is why I need to leave. Be nice to Eva, it will be hard for her to be here all alone again.” Mia said sadly.

Dominic walked into the room and sat in his normal seat. He looked past Mia to the bags in the foyer. “You are really leaving then?” Mia nodded.

“Family dinner tonight, I will text you the details later. Since you have decided not to marry Nicholas, I have invited him and his sister to dinner to thank them for the years they have spent attending to your son. I expect that you will be there.” Dominic said imperiously. “Try to behave out in the world Mia. You are a Lane, act like it.” Then he opened his paper and ignored her.

Mia felt like she had been slapped. From the looks on her brother’s faces they were equally shocked. Eva had her hand over her mouth and looked like she might cry. Mia looked back at the foyer and seeing her bags gone, stood. She walked out the front door and her family trailed behind her. Each brother and sister gave her hugs and told her to send for them soon so they could visit. As she got into her car she sighed, Dominic had never come out to say goodbye to her.

Mia arrived at the hotel and went to check in. The process was seamless, and the hotel manager let her know that if she needed anything that the staff was there to help her day or night. She let him know that privacy and security were her main concerns. Having two small children to care for after all. He assured her that they would do everything in their power to ease those concerns.

Mia finally got to the suite and found it to be more than adequate but unremarkable except for the floor to ceiling windows in every room. No one could see in, however, since they were on the forty-sixth floor. Mia told Angela to ensure that all the balcony doors were locked and then unpack the children. Peyton was already squaring her things away. She had him set aside a knee length, royal blue, one shoulder dress for dinner this evening.

Mia just sat down in the sitting area preparing to send Tim a text and let him know that she was there when there was a knock at the door. Peyton answered it and allowed Timothy and Caleb to enter.

Caleb flopped into a chair without being asked, “You are not going to accuse me of knocking you up or anything are you?” he said smirking.

“You know I am sorry about that. I couldn’t remember.” Mia cried.

“Yeah sure. That’s what all the girls say.” Caleb said with a grin.

“Wow, really? Are you that forgettable?” Mia joked.

Tim snorted, “You walked into that.” he turned to Mia, “He’s extra jovial because I just made him Vice President of Operations.”

“Congratulations, Caleb! That’s huge. We will have to celebrate.” Mia told him.

“One of the reasons why we are here. We are going out to dinner tonight with the mayor and his daughter, Jasmine. I’m hoping they hit it off. I was wondering if you would like to go as my date?” Timothy asked.

“She’s quite funny so she might be able to tolerate him. I can’t tonight though, Dominic pulled the family dinner card right before he told me to start behaving like a Lane. It was a fun morning.” Mia said sarcastically.

Tim reached out and brushed his hand across her cheek but then dropped his hand. He had seen Peyton in the bedroom and didn’t know what the deal with her staff would be.

“Your staff?” he asked quietly stepping closer to her.

“They are loyal to me. I pay them, not my family.” Mia answered knowing what he was asking.

Tim sighed, pulling Mia into his arms and kissing her slowly before pulling her to sit next to him on the sofa.

“So where is your dinner tonight?” Caleb asked.

“Umm,” Mia picked up her phone and scanned for a notification from Dominic. It said, 'The Country Club, 7pm sharp, don’t be late.’ Mia showed them both the text.

Caleb looked at Tim who nodded silently. Timothy smelled a rat and he had just decided that their party would have dinner there as well to keep an eye on things.

“Who all is going to be at this dinner, Mia?” Tim questioned.

“Well, it will be all of us except Liam. He is filming a movie in Niveo. Dominic and Eva, Connor, Nathan, Jason, Claude, and myself. Then Dominic said it is a thank you dinner for Nicholas and Rachel to thank them for caring for Sage for so many years. Quite the group.” Mia explained.

Mia looked up at the looks on the two men’s faces “Dominic said, and I quote since you are not going to marry him, we should at least take them to a proper dinner and say thank you for devoting years of their lives to Sage.”

Tim sighed, “I don’t think you should go. This smells bad. I think they are going to try something.”

“Timothy, I can’t not go. It’s my family and Nicholas who saved our son’s life a dozen times over. Rachel helped raise him. I can’t disrespect them like that. I don’t want to marry him, but I owe him more than you can understand.” Mia looked near tears, so Tim relented pulling her against him. Something bad was going to happen, it was too convenient that this was happening today.

Peyton left to get moved into his room a short while later and Angela followed not needed until the twins returned. Mia secretly thought they were an item but hadn’t confirmed it yet. Once they were gone Timothy pulled Mia with him into the master bedroom and shut the door behind them. He paced around the room for a moment then noticed a dress bag hanging on the closet door.

“Is this what you are wearing to dinner?” Timothy asked. Mia nodded. Tim opened the bag and looked over the dress carefully. Conservative, classy, and nothing flashy. It was clear Mia wasn’t dressing up for anyone. “Who dressed you the night you went out with Nick,” he was suddenly sure that it hadn’t been Mia’s choice.

“That was Eva,” Mia laughed. “She said we needed to see if Nicholas could be thawed out. I was terrified to wear it. I thought I was going to fall out.” Mia laughed again at the memory. “My brothers were yelling it was a whole debacle.”

Tim smiled, moving away from Mia’s dress to stand in front of her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and wound the other in her hair pulling her lips to his. The kiss started slowly but quickly deepened and soon Mia was lying on the bed with Tim pressing into her length from above. Timothy ran his hand under her shirt and around her side and Mia’s hand ran under his shirt that she untucked. Both needed to be closer, and their movements were nearly frantic.

Tim broke away for a second trying to cool his mind only to feel Mia’s tongue and mouth move along his collarbone and onto his neck. He moaned, his breath hitching and pulled her mouth back to his. His hand was traveling to where he wanted it most when there was a knock on the door.

“Tim, can you come out for a second?” Caleb’s voice questioned seriously. Tim looked in the mirror and tried to smooth himself out. He felt rumpled. Looking back at the bed where Mia lay, he held up a finger to her and she nodded. Tim walked through the door noticing that Caleb looked sheepish and embarrassed.

“What? Is the hotel on fire?” Tim ground out.

“Timothy, man. Right before we came here you said not to let you be alone with her too long, it’s been fifteen or so minutes. I am doing what you asked. If you tell me right now that you were not about to break your own rule, then next time I won’t bother you.” Caleb explained. Tim sat down on the sofa and tried to slow his heart rate.

“Thank you for risking being murdered for me, that was close.” Tim exhaled noisily.

“My murder or you and her?” Caleb frowned squinting at Tim.

“Both, to be honest.” Tim responded realizing that a low ache had started below, and he was less than thrilled about it.

The door to the bedroom opened and Mia stepped out. He was afraid to go back to her. Timothy held his hand out to her which she took, and he pulled her into his lap tucking her head beneath his chin and wrapping his arms around her.

“Was it something important?” Mia asked the two men.

“Just HR needed to have a question about my promotion answered in order to get the paperwork processed before Monday.” Caleb lied flawlessly.

Mia smiled, she hoped that he and Jasmine would take to each other because they were both good people and deserved to be with someone good. She was sad that she would not be there as a date for Timothy but also to see if there was chemistry between the two. There was chemistry between herself and Tim. She had been an inferno a few minutes ago. Even now the fire burned though it had been tamped back for the moment.

At eleven Mia got up and went into her bedroom shutting the door. She came back out five minutes later to the men still discussing a business deal and going through a group of emails on Tim’s phone. Tim looked up at Mia noticing she had changed. She was now wearing capri athletic pants and a sports bra. He scowled, telling Caleb to avert his eyes which he did. Mia snorted and someone knocked on the door.

Mia skipped off to answer the door earning a growl from Tim because of her current lack of clothes. Mia opened the door and greeted the person before drawing them into the sitting room.

“Rick, this is Mr. Winters and Mr. Barrett. Guy’s this is Rick my personal trainer.” Mia smiled before leading Rick into the master bedroom where there was the most floor space to work out.

Rick was a specimen of beauty, tall and lean with a hard body and perfect abs. He had long brownish red hair that he kept half tied back and out of his face. His eyes were blue green, he had a perpetual five-o-clock shadow and a blinding white smile. He was funny and attentive. No one would have blamed her if she had kept him for herself, but she could never bring herself to try him out. Plus, she thought he might have different preferences. Either way, he was a good trainer and she had never regretted hiring him.

Tim had followed her and the Trainer to the bedroom door and was now watching as Rick moved her body into various stretches with a scowl. They followed with strength training, then weight training before finishing with some yoga. Finally, at the hour mark Rick stopped and smiled. Telling her she had done well. They confirmed they would meet on Monday and Rick turned to leave. She watched as Rick glanced at Timothy three times on his way to the door.

Mia jumped in the shower then got dressed in the casual clothes that she had on before changing for her work out this morning. When Mia entered the living area, she noticed Tim sitting with his arms crossed over his chest, a scowl on his handsome face. Mia walked over to him causing him to look up at her.

“Did you enjoy yourself Mia?” Tim asked defensively.

“I had a great workout, yes.” Mia answered cheerfully with a small smile.

“Does that man need to be your trainer?” Tim ground out between clenched teeth.

“Well, he has always given me what I needed.” Mia baited Timothy with a grin, trying hard not to laugh. Tim jumped to his feet. Mia watched Tim pace with agitation.

Caleb chuckled quietly which caused Tim to look at him with outrage. “Mia, please let me tell him. This is too good.” Mia relaxed back on the sofa and nodded for him to go ahead. She was busy smirking at Tim’s hostile expression.

“What don’t you like about Mia’s trainer Tim? Caleb asked his friend. Tim glared menacingly for a second.

“You saw him.” Tim grumbled, “should Mia really be spending time alone with him?” Mia laughed aloud which caused Tim to turn that scowl on her.

“I saw him Tim. In fact, I was very entertained as I watched him check out your ass.” Caleb smirked at his boss waiting for Timothy to catch up.

Tim stopped pacing. “Wait, what?” he asked, confused with a horrified look on his face.

“You are more his type than I am.” Mia told Tim. She walked up to him and ran her hands along his chest before she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You don’t need to be jealous of anyone.”

Tim’s arms snaked around her waist. “Really?” he asked quietly.

“I promise...” Mia answered then she stood on her toes and kissed him.

***********

Caleb and Timothy went back down to their hotel room when it was nearly time for the children to return from school. Tim had missed lunch again but was determined to return to his schedule the next day. Tim also had his appointment at Lane Law the next day.

They decided to have visitation on Saturday but didn’t want the twins seeing the men around all the time at least while they all found their routines. Tim was worried that they would slip up if he was with them all the time. He and Mia were not ready for their relationship to be common knowledge or rather she wasn’t ready.

Caleb helped Timothy decide on a reasonable bid for the estate he wanted to buy, and they sent the paperwork early in the afternoon. Now they just needed to wait for the seller to respond.

Timothy knew that it wasn’t a good idea for them to stay at this hotel like this, especially with the Heir Apparent Documents starting tomorrow. If the paparazzi got wind of the situation Tim would have a hell of a time keeping all their names from the papers. He needed things to go right for the next couple of weeks without any extra drama. Then Timothy would finally have everything that he had wanted for so long.

***********

Mia sat in the sitting room with the twins. She explained to them that they were going to live at the hotel for a little while until she found them a house of their own. Mia explained that while she loved their uncles and aunt very much it was time for them to go out and create their own lives.

Ginger looked upset at first and she asked about Timothy and when Mia let her know that she would see her father in a couple of days, Ginger calmed down. Sage was his normal reserved self. It was always hard to tell what the small boy was thinking.

Mia told the twins she had to go out that evening for dinner, but she should be back in time to tuck them into bed. Angela took the twins to the table to work on homework and then language lessons. The twins were studying a second language since learning languages early was always easiest. The twins went to their rooms to play afterward, and Mia went to get ready.

Mia donned the dress that she had set aside and a pair of conservative black heels. She pulled her hair up into a loose bun and let a few strands fall around her face. Deciding that she looked a little plain she added a pair of diamond stud earrings and some lightly tinted lip gloss. Smoothing the dress across her slim waist she acknowledged that she looked nice, classy and very much a Lane.

Mia walked to where the twins were sitting at the dining table and kissed them each on the cheek. She watched as Sage tried to run the lip gloss from his skin and laughed. They were about to eat their dinner.

“You look pretty, mommy.” Ginger told her mother.

“Thank you, bug,” Mia told her daughter. Angela brought in their plates.

“Are you going on a date with Timothy?” Sage asked suddenly, his little face scrunched up.

“No, honey. Just a grown-up dinner with your uncles.” Mia clarified. Sage seemed to relax at her words.

“I shouldn’t be too late but if I am not back before bedtime. "I love you both," she told them picking up her bag and heading to the door. They both returned the sentiment and Ginger blew her a kiss. Mia took the elevator down to the lobby and then got into her car which was waiting for her. Peyton was in the passenger seat in case she needed him. It was a forty-minute drive to the Country Club.

As they pulled into the lit tree-lined driveway of the restaurant Mia noticed two other cars depositing passengers. A limousine was first and the Lane’s stepped from its interior dressed fashionably. The next car held Nicholas and his sister Rachel. Finally, it was her turn and she stepped from the car and greeted her family quickly. Mia turned next to Rachel who was on her brother’s left arm.

“You look lovely Rachel; it is so good to see you outside the Research Center.” Mia gushed. Truthfully, Rachel was quite beautiful but always looked frail. Her fair coloring made her look like a porcelain doll.

“Thank you, Mia. You look nice. It feels good to be out today.” The woman said giving her brother a blinding smile and squeezing his arm.

“Beautiful as always, Ms. Lane,” Nicholas said offering his right arm. Mia hesitated for just a moment but then took it. They were friends so it shouldn’t be awkward to walk together, right?

“Look at you with two lovely women to escort,” Dominic said as he walked past with Eva. Mia smiled at her sister to let her know she was alright.”

“Let’s not stand out here all night. Not all our dates were able to make it on such short notice, Dominic.” Connor said mildly.

Nathan and Jason walked in first, Connor and Claude behind them. Dominic and Eva followed and then the three of them brought up the rear. The server led them to a table to the rear of the restaurant near the two balconies that overlooked the sprawling grounds of the golf course.

Mia was momentarily distracted when she saw a table fifteen feet from theirs that held The Mayor, his daughter Jasmine, Luna, Caleb, and Tim. Tim had a wine glass to his smiling lips, but the smile vanished, and he lowered the glass as he took in Mia on the arm of Dr. Merches. Nicholas held out the seat first for his sister then did the same for Mia.

“Thank you, Nicholas.” Mia said quietly. He nodded at her with a small smile. Mia turned to her other side where Eva sat. Eva gave her a questioning look and Mia merely shook her head. This turn of events was not expected. She was so distracted that she didn’t see the server until Nicholas placed his hand on hers and leaned in.

“What do you want to drink, Mia?” Nick asked, motioning toward the drink server. Mia gave her order and waited thirty seconds, but Nicholas didn’t move his hand, so she pretended to fuss with her hair before placing her hands in her lap discreetly. Tim was openly staring at Nicholas, his eyes stormy. A few minutes later their meals were ordered, and Mia used her left hand to drink her wine.

Things seemed to settle down with easy conversations springing up around them. Mia and Rachel ended up speaking at length about The Ark with Nicholas smiling indulgently at their ping pong banter, occasionally adding something himself. When the meal came everyone was enjoying the meal.

“Try this Mia,” Nicholas said holding up a bite on his fork.

“What is it?” She asked him hesitantly.

“Some kind of sweet and spicy chicken. I know how you like spice.” This was true and they had done this dozens of times before so without thinking she took the bite. She heard a loud noise from the table next to them and looked up to see Timothy’s livid face.

“What do you think?” Nicholas asked with a pleased expression.

“It was good.” It had been but now it was stuck in her throat. Mia picked up her wine glass trying to swallow that small, tricky, bite of food.

Dinner was winding down and everyone was beginning to discuss dessert options. Dominic had a large smile on his face as Nicholas picked up his knife and tapped his wine glass. Every eye in the restaurant was on him now.

“I have something to say.” Nicholas said with a smile. He pushed his chair back and rose to stand. When Mia turned to look at him it made it easy to pull her up with him, her napkin falling to the floor unnoticed. Before she could ask him what he was doing Nicholas bent to one knee in front of her and produced a ring box. Mia’s mouth fell open in shock and horror and she slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.

“We have known each other for a long time, Ms. Lane,” Nicholas started, “Due to circ*mstance we have faced many trials together. You are my best friend and I have admired you for as long as I have known you. Would you honor me by becoming my wife?” Nicholas smiled at her warmly.

Mia’s thoughts were going a million miles an hour. This couldn’t be happening. Everyone was seeing this. She glanced at Eva and her sister was looking at her in horror, Dominic was grinning like the cheshire cat. Her other brothers looked confused. Rachel was nearly bouncing in happy excitement.

Then she saw Timothy who looked murderous and was being held in place by Caleb who had one hand on his arm and another on his shoulder. The look on Caleb’s face was grim. Then there was Luna who looked like someone had given her a priceless birthday present. Mia looked back to Nicholas then turned on her heel and marched out to the balcony.

Nicholas rose with a chuckle, “She’s shy,” he said before following Mia. When he stepped onto the balcony, he was immediately confronted by her.

“Are you crazy?” Could be heard from the balcony.

“About you, yes.” Nicholas chuckled good-naturedly, then shut the door and cut off the sound.

***********

Tim had changed the location of their dinner with the mayor because he felt something was off with the Lane’s impromptu family dinner with the Merches. Tim wanted to be close to Mia so he could mitigate any disaster that might occur. He thought that Dominic might try to push Mia and Nicholas together.

When they arrived, he had grabbed the only table next to one large enough to accommodate the Lane’s party. Timothy had been dismayed by the presence of Luna. He did not want anything to do with the woman who had tried to kill his child plus she was mouthy, and irritatingly materialistic.

Mia had arrived on the arm of Nicholas Merches and his mood had turned black instantly. Listening to Luna talk about the adorable couple they made has grated against his nerves and he spent most of the time not eating with his fists clenched under the table. Caleb and Jasmine had initially seemed to hit it off but now the pair of them were mostly trying to keep him from losing his mind.

Mia and Miss Merches were obviously close and easily talked with each other but since Nicholas was in the middle it made the three of them appear to be especially close. When Mia took the food off the man’s fork it showed the entire restaurant that they were intimately close. The shock of it had caused Tim to drop his fork causing a clatter.

Caleb had to talk him out of being foolish and making a scene. It wasn’t until Nicholas rose pulling Mia to her feet that he knew what Dominic’s game was though and it was too late to stop it. This was confirmed when Timothy looked over at the man and Dominic was grinning viciously right at him. That was when Tim went full murderous intent and only Caleb literally holding him in his chair kept him seated.

“Timothy if you move now you are going to make this worse.” Caleb whispered urgently against his ear. “You need to calm down, this can be fixed but not if you assault someone in front of all these witnesses.” Timothy heard the words but was finding it hard to care. Mia was his and that bastard doctor would not take her from him, and Dominic would pay for this.

“Barrett, seriously breathe man.” Dominic was smirking just waiting for him to act. This helped because it meant Dominic was counting on a reaction to carry out his plan. Tim forced himself to relax, pulled at his jacket roughly and adjusted his tie. Tim’s mouth was set in a grim line; he would have to endure this show for a while yet. Caleb felt relieved and took a shaky sip of his wine. Tim signaled the server requesting a change to bourbon. Dominic sat back with a scowl. No dice, buddy Tim thought.

***********

“Are you crazy?” Mia’s voice was loud, upset.

“About you, yes.” Nicholas chuckled closing the balcony door.

“What were you thinking.” Mia snapped.

Nicholas sighed; he wasn’t a fool, but he cared about her. “I was thinking that I would like to marry you. I think we could have a good life together.”

“Nick, I have already told you that we are not compatible.” Mia said carefully.

“We could be. I can work less and spend more time with you and the children. We have been good together before Mia.” Nick reasoned, running the back of his hand down her arm.

“We had a fling and it ended because we didn’t have feelings for each other.” Mia reminded him.

“Wrong, it ended because you wouldn’t let yourself have feelings for me.” Nicholas said bluntly. “You have never tried. You have always been hung up on Barrett. I am better for you and your children than him. He will hurt you. You can’t trust him, Mia.” Nicholas placed his hand on her cheek, “let me prove to you that we can be good together.”

“I can’t it’s already too late for that.” Mia sighed.

“Then can you at least be my fiancé for a little while until I can let Rachel down gently?” Nicholas asked desperately trying to find a way to make this work out.

“Did Dominic put you up to this and tell you to bring Rachel?” Mia asked quietly. Nicholas confirmed with a quick nod.

“I will give you two weeks and then you must call our engagement off.” Mia told him feeling pressure not to let Rachel be embarrassed publicly. Nicholas pulled the ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. It was a large marquise diamond set in a plain white-gold band.

“Thank you for being a good friend Mia.” Nicholas said softly. Mia took several deep breaths before placing her hand on Nicks arm so they could walk back in together. When they reentered the room, every face turned their way. They reached their table quickly.

Nick spoke in a clear voice, “I told you she was shy. She said yes.” Mia gave a small smile as the restaurant erupted into voice offering congratulations and well wishes.

Mia’s family each hugged her in turn and clapped Nicholas on the back. Though Jason and Nathan were more reserved. Eva gave her a hug but looked at her with confused worry. Rachel was a ball of energy exclaiming it was well past time that Mia was her sister. Mia glanced over at the other table seeing that Caleb looked grim as he spoke quietly to Tim. Tim downed an entire glass of brown liquor before standing up and striding out to the lobby.

Dominic came up to Mia and hugged her tightly. “Finally, you are doing the sensible thing. Will you need help moving home tomorrow? It doesn’t look right for you to be away from Lane residence before the wedding.” Mia simply stared at her brother. How could their relationship have fallen this far?

Nicholas helped Mia regain her seat and she drank her glass of wine then ordered another. After a few minutes Mia excused herself to the restroom, she needed breathing room for a moment. She didn’t notice when Nathan followed a few seconds later. He wanted to keep an eye on this situation because something didn’t add up.

***********

Timothy paced in the lobby unable to force himself to reenter the dining room and see any more of this train wreck. He was clinging to Caleb’s words telling him that there had to be a good reason that Mia had accepted Nicholas’s proposal. It had to be a fake, there had to be a reason. Tim was losing his mind. He had expected them both to be embarrassed not for Mia to be engaged to that bastard. How could this have happened?

Tim spotted Mia get up from the table headed toward the restroom. He took the long way through a side door and caught Mia just as she entered the lady's room.

“Keep walking,” Timothy told her quietly pushing her into the room. He bolted the door behind him going to each stall in turn and making sure they were alone in the room. Neither of them noticed Nathan as he spotted Tim push Mia into the room and then leaned on the thin door to listen.

Timothy finally turned to Mia, his face a mask of pain. “What the hell, Mia?” Mia opened her mouth to speak but didn’t know what to say.

“You can’t tell me that you can be with me like you were yesterday and be engaged to another man today? You can’t tell me that! Tell me what is going on?” Tim demanded.

“It’s a fake. Just for show.” Mia finally managed to get out.

“Why?” Tim growled.

“Nicholas’s sister Rachel is extremely sick, and she’s always been good to me and the twins. I just want to save her public embarrassment.” Mia explained.

Tim sighed, walking up to the counter that Mia leaned against and placing his hands on either side of her. “How long is this supposed to go on?”

“Two weeks, I gave him two weeks to tell his sister and call it off.” Mia said, looking at Tim’s angry face. He picked up her hand and examined the ring.

“This ring isn’t even your style. Does he know you at all? I mean with your clothes on?” Timothy said angrily.

“Ouch, I know you are mad but that was mean.” Mia said quietly.

“Mia we should be getting married in two weeks and moving into our house not dealing with your engagement. What if you’re pregnant already? Huh? Two weeks is a long time. I can’t even be seen with you while the engagement exists. Damnit...” Timothy cursed.

“Who made this happen? Was it Dominic?” Tim growled.

“Yes, it was Dominic who set this up.” Mia admitted.

Timothy cursed, “Didn’t I tell you about this this morning at the hotel, that this whole thing smelled bad?” Mia nodded. Tim cupped Mia’s cheek and kissed her softly.

“I know a judge at the courthouse. Let’s just get married tomorrow before your brothers find another way to keep us apart. They won’t stop. It’s the only way, once we are married, they can’t come between us.” Tim implored Mia.

“It’s not supposed to be this way.” Mia couldn’t help the tears that fell.

“Baby don’t cry. I will fix this.” Tim wrapped his arms around Mia but was startled at the knock on the door.

“Friendly, I just want to talk to you both.” It was Nathan’s voice. Tim reached over and unbolted the door but didn’t move away from the door. Tim figured he must have heard their conversation. Not knowing what to expect he eyed Nathan warily.

Nathan stepped into the bathroom and leaned against the door to keep it from opening.

“Really, I’m friendly.” Nathan told Tim, “We were even allies once upon a time. At Technosphere my security team know me as The Duke.” Tim’s eyes went wide with recognition then he nodded in acknowledgement.

To Mia Nathan said, “Did Dominic really do this to force you into marriage with Nicholas?”

“Yes, he knew I would protect Rachel and he thinks that will give Nick time to convince me and keep me away from Timothy,” Mia said sadly.

“You and Timothy are together then?” Nathan questioned. Mia nodded.

“Jason will be on your side once I tell him about this. Does Eva know? She seemed upset.” Nathan asked his sister.

“She knows.” Mia took a deep breath. “I need to go back before they come looking.” She looked at Tim and he gave her a soft kiss on the lips and then one on her forehead. Mia walked out of the bathroom followed by Timothy and Nathan. Mia headed back to the dining room.

None of them saw two people standing in the archway scowling at the trio. Luna looked at Dr. Merches.

“I assume if I were to contact you with a way to keep them apart, you would be interested in helping?” Nicholas asked the unpleasant woman.

“I would love to help get Mia away from Timothy.” Luna smirked.

Nicholas walked away from the woman quickly. She seemed the dangerous type. He wanted to keep Mia, but he didn’t want her hurt to do it. Timothy returned to the table feeling calmer. Mia hadn’t said no about marrying him tomorrow so he would ask her later.

Nathan returned to the table and sat down with a stony look on his face. Jason tried to ask him about it, but he just shook his head. Nicholas sat back down beside Mia and turned toward her brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Tim’s face turned to the predatory smirk that Mr. Barrett was known for.

The family ate their dessert in near silence. Mia picked at hers but drank two glasses of wine. Finally, they were done, and Nicholas rose taking Mia’s hand and placed it on his arm. Her ring flashed in the light where her hand rested on him.

“Claude please walk Miss Merches to the cars. We should let the new couple walk together alone.” Dominic declared. Mia rolled her eyes as she was buzzed and no longer cared who saw. Mia went along since there was no use fighting it. When they stepped out into the night, she realized her mistake. Paparazzi were everywhere, snapping pictures, the flashes blinding her. Questions were being yelled at her.

Dominic stepped up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I can confirm that my only sister Mia Lane is engaged to Dr. Nicholas Merches. It happened this very evening.”

Then he stepped back. It was bedlam. Nicholas gave her a sheepish expression holding her hand as he helped her into her car.

“Get us out of here,” Mia told the driver, and he did.

***********

Timothy was fuming. Leaving the restaurant should have been simple and he could have Mia in his arms right now but instead his car couldn’t get to them because of the paparazzi. Where had they all come from? Then he thought about the way Dominic had made sure Nicholas walked out alone with Mia and he knew the answer. Dominic then personally confirmed the engagement, ensuring that this situation would not stay quiet.

The only redeeming moment this evening had been seeing Caleb swap contact details with Jasmine. Despite the train wreck of an evening, maybe some good came of it. Raymond and Jasmine of course gave the no comment response to the reporters they had too much class to talk about Mia’s personal affairs. Once the lights turned on Luna, however, she lost all decorum and recounted every detail of the proposal to the press.

By the time she was done speaking, and the paparazzi finally moved enough to get his car he was once again ready to commit murder. This story would be everywhere in the morning and paparazzi would be hounding Mia. Right when they needed to be invisible. This was shaping up to be a disaster.

Tim and Caleb climbed into their car a full forty minutes after they had stepped outside. Tim poured himself another drink thinking it would be wonderful to be drunk right now but knowing he still had issues that needed to be resolved tonight. Caleb copied him his thoughts running along the same lines.

“Well, that was more fun than I ever want to have again.” Caleb remarked taking a sip of his drink.

“I don’t know, I saw you get her number. What do you think of Jasmine?” Tim asked, trying to distract himself from his problems.

“She’s funny, smart, accomplished, and beautiful. What’s not to like?” Caleb replied, “I am also taking her to dinner next week.”

“You are quick. Good for you.” Tim smiled a true smile at his friend.

“Not all of us need everything to be so difficult.” Caleb said smirking.

“Don’t remind me. That was hellish.” Tim sighed looking at the ceiling for a minute before downing his drink and pouring another.

“You were gone a long time; did you talk to Mia?” Caleb asked cautiously.

“Yes, the engagement isn’t real. Mia’s just nice enough to allow the Merches to save face. Nice enough to give me a heart attack too.” Tim groaned and rubbed his eyes.

“This was set up by Dominic and the Lane’s?” Caleb asked.

“It was set up by Dominic, yes, but not all the Lanes are on board. Nathan and Eva for sure are not, Nathan said that Jason will side with Mia too. The others don’t know but who knows what they will think.” Tim explained. “Nathan knows we are together and didn’t have a problem with it. Eva too from the sound of it.” Maybe there was some hope that their lives could intertwine without all the animosity.

“So, what are you going to do, Tim?” Caleb asked plainly.

That was the million-dollar question. Timothy only had one play guaranteed to work. That was to get Mia to marry him then it wouldn’t matter what anyone else did because she would already be his. There would be no way to keep them apart but first he would have to get Mia to agree to marry him.

Tim drank his second bourbon and set the glass down. He could already feel the liquor swirling through him. Tim couldn’t be drunk when he got to Mia. He sat in silence for the rest of the car ride and Caleb let him be.

Chapter 7: Part 7

Chapter Text

All Good Things Must End an Ending for Meet My Brother’s

I am generally an MA (for mature) writer, but I keep it fairly clean on fanfiction.net to keep to community guidelines. If you want more heat, find me elsewhere.

I never intend copyright infringement and am careful to make my stories my own but since I am using other's characters, please send all love and adoration to the original author. I make no money from my stories and am simply happy to tell them.

Every story deserves a happy ending and I love writing them, though there is often a great deal of turmoil before I get there. I always say that I like to write the last book in a long series that way I always get the ending I think the characters I love deserve. Plus, I am impatient and don't like to wait.

My stories run about 70k-100k. I write between 6000-8,000 words per day.

My current story All Good Things Must End which is my ending to the story Meet My Brothers, is about to be posted. I have 90K words written so far. I will post every three days (roughly) until I am finished. I expect the story to take no more than 30 days to be finished.

My final book in the series starts at chapter 1090, if you haven't read it until there you will need to go read that book first. I stopped reading at that chapter so there would not be any overlapping themes. I will finish it at some point but not until I finish with my ending. If you have any questions send me a message and I will try to get back to you.

Credit for Meet My Brothers should go to Red Thirteen. You can find this story on Webnovel & Goodreads

PART 7

When Mia got back to the hotel room the children were already fast asleep. Angela was in the kitchen making the twins lunches for school the next day. When she finished, Angela asked Mia if she needed anything further before retiring to her room two floors down.

Mia went into her room and got changed out of her dress. She pulled on a satin nightgown with spaghetti straps and the silk kimono robe that Eva had picked her up last year while traveling. Mia grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass before curling up on the sofa with her feet tucked under her to wait. Realizing it had been over an hour since she had gotten in, she considered texting Tim but decided against it. Maybe he was too angry to see her.

Mia poured her second glass of wine and drank greedily. She would love to forget this entire day, she thought. Realizing she was still wearing Nicholas’s ring she looked at it. It was not something she would have ever chosen for herself. The pointy edges of the marquise diamond looked hard and cold to her, like the man. Mia took it off and set it on her vanity table.

Mia finished her second glass of wine and considered a third when she heard a light tapping at her door. She walked to the door and looked through the peephole. It was Timothy. Mia opened the door and let him in.

Tim stopped just inside the door looking at her up and down as the door swung closed. He put his arms on either side of her trapping her and pushed her against the wall with his body as his mouth captured hers. She could taste the bourbon on his tongue as he kissed her and wondered if he was drunk. Not that she cared, Mia was buzzed herself.

After several moments he pulled back and allowed her to pass by him. She started toward the living room, but he pulled her with him to the bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Tim kicked off his shoes and started unbuttoning his shirt. She wondered what he was doing but didn’t feel the need to stop him.

“Let’s go to bed. If we must talk about the fiasco that just happened, I want to do it in bed with you against me.” Timothy told her. He kicked out of his pants and removed his socks.

Mia unbelted her robe and laid it over the vanity chair. She was now standing before him in lingerie, and she saw his reaction as he took in her nightgown that barely covered her ass. Tim sucked in a hard breath before reaching out and taking her hand. He pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair. After a long minute he moved to the bed and pulled down the covers, he climbed into the bed and pulled her in beside him.

For a while they just lay there wrapped up in each other not speaking or moving beside Tim’s hand that ran soothingly through her hair.

“Mia, baby, we need to get married. That is how we stop this issue. How we stop them from trying to keep us apart? This is how we stop your brother from interfering.” Tim said quietly with a desperate tone to his voice.

Mia considered his words. Did she want to marry Timothy again? Mia knew the answer was yes or why would she have gone on the date with him and been with him so intimately. Sure, she wanted to wait awhile but did that really matter now. All that really mattered was that she wanted him too.

“All right...” Mia said calmly. It took a second then she was flat on her back with Timothy above her.

“Could you repeat that. I’m not sure I heard you right.” Tim questioned her with intensity.

“I said all right, yes, I will marry you!” Mia laughed. Tim’s lips crashed into hers as he crushed her into him. His mouth was everywhere, her lips, her face, her throat. After a minute he pulled back to look at her with a big smile on his face.

“Maybe you’ll be conscious this time.” Mia said smirking. Timothy kissed her again before he climbed out of the bed.

“Hey where are you going?” Mia asked as he walked over to rummage through his pants.

Timothy came back and sat down beside her. Picking up her hand he slid a ring on her finger. She looked at it. It was a large oval cut diamond sitting in a yellow gold band that looked like vines with tiny little diamond leaves near the large stone. It was beautiful.

“I trust this one fits you better?” Timothy asked nervously. Mia got to her knees and threw her arms around his neck.

“It’s perfect.” She whispered against his neck trying not to cry. Mia couldn’t believe that everything they had gone through had led her back to him after all.

“You know, most girls don’t get to be engaged to two men at the same time. How does it feel?” Tim was baiting her.

Mia smacked him with her hand. “You’re an ass.”

“They definitely don’t get to be married and engaged so this should be interesting.” He laughed.

“I am glad you find this funny now.” Mia pouted.

“I don’t, trust me I don’t find it funny at all. I find it terrifying. People are trying to steal you and my children from me and that is not the least bit funny. Tim said seriously, “but I am relieved because we are going to rectify the situation immediately.”

“Now I want you to get some sleep. I will see you in the morning with a plan. We don’t want the children to find me here tonight, do we? Plus, I will be up most of the night anyway.” Tim told her grinning. Mia shook her head as Timothy got dressed. He leaned in and kissed her sweetly and then he walked out the door. Mia checked that the main door shut all the way then climbed into bed. She was out quickly despite her racing thoughts.

***********

Timothy took the elevator back to his floor. He was a jittery mess. He couldn’t believe she had agreed so easily. Tim had taken forever going to see her because they had gone over every argument they could think of. She had simply said yes. Mia wanted to be with him. He was so happy that he became even more terrified of something going wrong.

Tim unlocked the suite and walked inside. Caleb was on the couch on his phone and when Tim walked in, he looked up at him confused.

“Why are you back already. Are you all right?” Caleb asked his friend concerned.

“Mia said yes.” Tim grinned, “No argument, she just said yes.”

“That’s awesome man, congratulations!” Caleb smiled getting up and clapping Tim on the back.

“I am a little shocked. I thought she would fight me on this.” Tim told him honestly.

“Mia is a reasonable woman. She knows what makes the most sense. Plus, she has feelings for you so that pretty much nails it down.” Caleb smirked.

“Do you think so?” Tim asked hopefully.

“I would have to be blind not to think so.” Caleb said seriously.

“We have a lot to do to put a wedding together in the next couple of hours. We will need to put a prenup together. I don’t need her brothers hounding me.” Tim was busy thinking of things that needed to be done to make this possible.

“Nothing like a prenup to ruin a wedding.” Caleb snarked sarcastically.

Timothy looked at him raising a brow. “I need it to say that anything that belongs to Mia Lane at the time of the marriage is to be retained by her regardless of whether we separate.”

“Mia will need a dress.” Tim remarked absently.

“Shouldn’t we let Mia worry about her dress.” Caleb asked.

“I don’t want her to change her mind, Caleb. I’m worried. If all she must do is show up maybe, we’ll get through it, and everything will be all right.” Tim said walking over and grabbing his laptop.

“Have a little faith in Mia, she won’t change her mind easily.” Caleb said trying to understand his friend.

“She might change her mind on when and if we are going to stop this plan that the doctor and Dominic are running it needs to be sooner. I don’t know what they have concocted for the next round so the only way to win...” Tim paused.

“Is to close the deal and end the game.” Caleb finished. It was Barrett strategy 101. If you couldn’t predict the plays, you finished the game before the opponent could outplay you.

“Let's get to work on this and see how much we can get accomplished before we need to pass out. I can’t call the judge until morning so that will have to be an unknown for now.” Timothy turned to his laptop dress shopping. Caleb grabbed his laptop and began working on wording the prenuptial agreement.

***********

The next morning early, Peyton knocked on Mia’s bedroom door. Mia put on her robe and joined Peyton at the dining room table. Her children ate cereal while she sipped coffee. She told Peyton to wait as she kissed Ginger and Sage goodbye and sent them off with Angela to school. Once the children headed to school, Peyton plopped a stack of newspapers in front of her.

Each paper had one of various photos taken of her and Nicholas the night before. They had headlines like ‘Lane Heiress to Wed Famous Doctor,’ and ‘Lane Family to Unite with Merches,’ and even ‘True Love at Country Club, Lane Heiress to Marry Dr. Merches of Merches Group.’

Mia rolled her eyes at the last one. What shouldn’t have surprised her was that several of the papers had the full scoop on the proposal. Someone had talked. One paper even said Mia had a flair for the dramatic since she had gotten shy and kept everyone in suspense while she was on the balcony. Mia shook her head. This was ridiculous.

“Dominic has been calling nonstop demanding to know when you will be home or to be told where you are so he can talk some sense into you.” Peyton told her.

“You didn’t tell him anything, did you?” Mia asked worriedly.

“Of course not,” Peyton replied.

“I will deal with him...later.” Mia said slowly.

Thirty minutes later there was a knock on the door and Peyton went to answer it. Timothy walked in carrying a dress bag, a shoe box, and a piece of paper in his teeth.

“Take the paper,” Tim said through clenched teeth. Mia did. “Look that over and tell me if there is anything that needs to be changed,” he said as he walked into the bedroom and deposited the parcels on the bed.

Mia looked over the paper, reading quickly that it was a prenuptial agreement. Her eyebrows rose wondering what kind of terms were on this one. She finished reading confused. It protected her assets against Timothy but didn’t stipulate any terms for his safety.

Mia rose and followed Tim into the bedroom where he was going through her jewelry. He set out a pair of diamond halo earrings that would look good with her ring. Timothy looked up and smiled. He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, Mia felt protected when he held her like this.

“Timothy, why are there no protections for you on that agreement?” Mia asked, confused.

Tim leaned down and kissed her softly, “Mia, I don’t need to be protected. I will never let you go. There is nothing you could ever do that would make me want to be without you. There is nothing that I wouldn’t give you if you asked.”

“That is wide open Tim, how do you know I won’t take advantage of you?” Mia questioned.

“Take advantage, please, let me do something for you. I know you won’t because you didn’t when I was still an asshole and deserved it. I signed my entire company over to you who I left pregnant and penniless, and you ripped up the document. I am not worried about money with you.” Tim laughed.

“What about your family? I still don’t want them around my children, ever.” Mia said with agitation.

“Mia, listen to me, once Shelly is married, we never have to see them again if that is your preference. We can live our lives here in Norde City. If I have you and our children, I will be a happy man. I have been so happy to not have the constant turmoil and stress since I put them on house arrest.” Tim told Mia emphatically.

“What if you go back to the way, you were? I don’t think I could handle that.” Mia asked quietly.

“Baby... the person I was doesn’t exist anymore because of you.” Tim replied.

“Timothy, have you developed feelings for me then?” Mia questioned him succinctly.

Timothy felt his chest seize up, his body tried to go on the defensive, but he also knew that this was the question that would make or break the rest of his life.

“Yes Mia, I have strong feelings for you.” Timothy whispered only a few inches from her mouth. The moment the words left his mouth he felt such relief. Tim could just be with Mia now with no need to keep things hidden from each other.

“Then let’s get married.” She said simply before she raised herself up and kissed him. Tim wrapped Mia tightly in his arms and continued the kiss for a minute before he pulled away with a sigh.

“As much as I would like to keep kissing you. You need to get ready for our day. We have an appointment in about three hours so get moving.” Timothy told her as he walked out of the room. Tim walked over to the pile of newspapers and scoffed after reading several of them. Peyton handed him the prenuptial agreement silently. Tim wasn’t sure how much was too much information for Peyton to have so he simply thanked the man and walked out of the suite.

Mia climbed into the shower where she washed and rinsed herself enjoying the feel of the water on her skin. When she climbed out, she donned the terrycloth robe and went to work blow drying her hair. Once her hair was dry Mia went to see what was in the dress bag that Tim had left on her bed.

Mia opened the bag and was surprised by what she found. Inside was a sundress in the softest blue with a fitted bodice, a wide intricately embroidered waistband and a skirt that fell just past the knees in a flowy material. The straps on the dress were about an inch wide and tied in small bows at the shoulders. The shoebox held a pair of four-inch nude heels. The man had exquisite taste.

Mia closed her bedroom door and got dressed. Fastening the ankle straps on the heels, Mia walked to the vanity and put the earrings Tim had picked out on. Mia selected a simple nude bag and put a couple of necessities into it. Mia put a small amount of ChapStick on her lips and checked her reflection. She started to head out but stopped, turning around she put the ring from Nicholas in a zippered pocket in her bag.

Mia walked out of the room and noticed Peyton as he worked on his laptop at the dining room table. The newspaper articles still sat beside him.

“Can you make sure those articles go into the garbage somewhere else? I don’t want to risk the twins seeing them.” Mia said.

“Of course, Mia.” Peyton responded.

“I will be out most of the day and I don’t expect to need you much if at all today, Peyton.” Mia told her assistant.

“Is there something I should know about?” Peyton inquired concerned, “I saw the prenuptial agreement.”

“That is something we are ironing out in case I decide to accept his proposal in the future.” Mia explained hoping to calm Peyton’s anxiety.

“I off to run some errands. Enjoy the day off.” Mia said cheerfully.

***********

Mia knocked on Tim’s hotel suite door. Caleb answered a moment later and let her in.

“You look lovely, as always Mia,” Caleb told her kindly as they walked into the sitting room. Tim came out a few moments later dressed in a full suit. He looked handsome but a little too serious considering her sundress.

Mia walked up to Timothy thinking he looked uncomfortable. She reached him and unbuttoned his jacket before pulling his tie off completely. She unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt as he watched her. Mia stepped back a pace and looked him over.

“Now you’ll do,” Mia told him with a smile. Tim took her hand and pulled her in front of a mirror with him. They were semi-formal which was perfect.

“You’re right this is better than before. I just didn’t want to be underdressed at my own wedding.” Tim laughed. Mia turned to him and gave him a quick kiss.

“As long as you are conscious, we will be in better shape than last time.” Mia said cheekily. Caleb snorted loudly. Timothy just shook his head in mock ruefulness.

“You look beautiful, Mia.” Tim said, turning her slowly in a circle.

Turning to Caleb, Tim asked, “Do you have the paperwork and everything else that is needed?”

“Yes, I have everything.” Caleb patted his pockets and leafed through a couple of files inside a slim briefcase.

“The plan is that when we get to the courthouse, you and Caleb will go in and wait in the waiting room. I will come in about ten minutes to join you so that no one sees us together. When we leave, we will do the same thing, only you will get into my car and wait for me, and Caleb will be heading off to do other things. Caleb don’t forget to fax your promotional documents to HR so you will be on the books in your position by Monday. Use my fax number so they know it is from me.” Timothy explained.

“I am very frustrated that I cannot take you out after we are married Mia, but I did arrange for Caleb to set something up so that we can have a private meal and evening together.” Tim said irritation plain in his tone.

“It will be done by the time you are ready.” Caleb replied.

“You confirmed who will be at Lane Law today? I am loath to miss that appointment.” Timothy told his friend.

“Only Jason and Nathan will be there, and they know to expect both of you.” Caleb supplied.

“Why are we going to Jason’s law firm. Is it about the prenup?” Mia asked, confused.

“No, we have been working on something else. I am meeting with my new attorney Margaret Rommel. She isn’t affiliated with Lane Law so she can help me with the Heir Apparent Documents so that Sage doesn’t have to be a secret anymore.” Timothy told Mia hoping she wouldn’t get upset.

“Why didn’t you talk to me about this?” Mia asked.

“I only just spoke to Jason about finding a trustworthy attorney. I planned to speak to you but not until I had something concrete to say. I wasn’t hiding anything I promise.” Tim implored Mia; he was suddenly afraid he had done something to make her change her mind.

Deciding to trust Timothy, “Alright, but in the future please discuss things about the children with me first.” Mia requested seriously.

“I will.” Tim vowed. Timothy checked his watch and, seeing the time, told Mia and Caleb they needed to go.

When they got to the lobby, Mia and Caleb went out and got into the car which had been hired for Caleb as part of his position in Barrett Group. The car pulled out and headed for the courthouse. Once the duo was on their way Timothy got into his own car and followed a few minutes behind them.

Mia and Caleb were already in the courthouse when he got there but Tim still had his driver go to the side entrance and wait five minutes before he went in. Tim didn’t want anything to get in the way of their marriage now. Tim walked into the courthouse and made his way to the anteroom on level two of the building.

Mia was seated prettily in a chair while Caleb leaned against a wall. Timothy was trading a fine piece of art to Judge Morrel for his help in making this marriage happen today. The judge was an art collector and Timothy had outbid him for a specific piece of art which was now coming in very handy.

The judge was waving the marriage stipulations, and the fourteen days hold that was required in Norde City. The paperwork would be predated, and everyone could leave happy. Tim texted the judge and let him know they had arrived. Timothy moved to Mia’s side and sat next to her, taking her hand. He could tell she was a little nervous.

The door opened to the judge’s private office a moment later and the three of them were ushered inside.

“Do you have the paperwork Mr. Barrett?” The judge asked from behind his desk looking at them through wire rim glasses.

“Of course, and we have an extra that needs three signatures.” Tim said as Caleb handed over all the paperwork. The judge looked the documents over. “You didn’t tell me that your bride was Ms. Lane, though.” The judge typed something into his phone when Tim buzzed, he turned around and checked the text. ‘What we agreed on isn’t enough to tangle with the Lane’s.’ Tim simply told the judge to name his price.

“We are ready to move forward now.” Judge Morrel said.

Timothy smirked; this was going to be expensive but worth it. They each signed the prenuptial agreement and then the judge signed it after remarking that Barrett might get the shaft if things didn’t work out.

Next it was time to say their vows. They promised to honor and cherish, to be faithful and obey, for richer or poorer, through sickness and health for as long as they both lived. They each said I do, and they slid beautiful gold bands on each other's hands. Their rings were yellow gold and diamond eternity bands with a line of weaving vines over the top.

“I now pronounce you man and wife; you may kiss your bride.” The judge said. Timothy’s smile was radiant as he pulled Mia into his arms and kissed her feverishly for a few moments. Mia was laughing as he pulled away. Looking at his wife Timothy vowed that as soon as he could, Tim would give her the wedding she deserved.

“Congratulations Mr. And Mrs. Barrett may you have a long and happy life together. Please come sign your marriage certificate.” The judge called to them. They went and signed the required forms and Barrett said he would get the documents they needed and meet Mia in the car. Tim knew he needed to pay up with the Judge.

“Well Mrs. Barrett,” Caleb said cheekily holding his arm out for her, “shall we take a walk?”

“Absolutely, Mr. Winters.” Together they walked out of the courthouse to a few curious onlookers but one that was more sinister.

Chuck Nolan stared after Mia thinking he wouldn’t even be at the courthouse today if it wasn’t for her. He would show her though, when he married into the Barrett family, he would make her pay. It had taken half his inheritance to finally make that woman that pressed charges against him walk away but he had made her pay in the end. Just as Mia Lane would pay too.

Caleb held the door for Mia and helped her into the car before walking away to his own car and leaving promptly. Mia sat in the car for about fifteen minutes before the door opened and Timothy slid in, sliding his thin briefcase onto the seat beside him and moving over to pull Mia against him.

“We are right on time for school yard antics if you want to see what I do at lunchtime every day.” Tim told Mia happily. She nodded her ascent, so the driver took them to the spot under the oaks across from the school playground.

“I have been watching to see how Ginger cajoles Sage into interacting on the playground most days. Sage seems to be a bit antisocial, but Ginger is incredibly determined.” Tim explained. “We still have about five minutes before the children come out.” Mia nodded and leaned back against her husband. That caught her off guard. Timothy was her husband, Mia looked at him.

“You’re my husband.” Mia said.

“And you’re my wife.” Tim confirmed.

“Wow.” Mia remarked in an awed voice.

“I know.” Timothy said reverently.

The children came running out of the building to various pursuits. Ginger and Sage were in the middle of the group today walking side by side. Sage didn’t have his backpack which was a promising sign. Ginger headed to the merry go round followed by Sage and two other children. Ginger had Sage climb on and sit down and she and the other two children started pushing and then hopped on.

When the merry go round started to slow, one would hop off and push for a minute. Sage finally laid down flat on his back and Ginger laid down beside him. They stayed like this until the end of recess when they got up somewhat wobbly and went back inside. If they could have heard the twin's conversation, they would have worried about how to deal with the situation. It seemed everyone at school knew that the twin’s mom was going to marry a doctor.

“Do you think Sage was feeling alright?” Mia asked Tim, “He was lying down for a long time.”

“Maybe we should check on that later.” Tim offered. “He could have simply liked the way it felt. I used to do that all the time.”

“I know. It’s hard not to helicopter him when he has been sick his whole life.” Mia explained sadly. “It is most likely nothing. He has a checkup next week. I don’t want to make him self-conscious.” Tim nodded.

“It was nice sitting here just watching them play though. They have always had such a strange life that it makes me so happy to watch them be normal children. Mia smiled thinking about Sage playing like a regular child.

“What time is your appointment at Lane Law Offices?” Mia asked.

“In about thirty minutes, we should go.” Timothy spoke to the driver, and they got on the road.

Timothy took Mia’s hand in his and kissed her hand above the rings. He couldn’t believe they were married. He couldn’t believe she was his forever. It had been a long hard road getting back here but now they could heal and build a life together. Sure, they couldn’t announce their marriage for a couple of weeks but that was all right. Nothing could keep them apart now no matter who tried or how hard they tried. It was too late. Timothy had won the game.

Tim turned to his wife and turned her face toward his then leaned in and kissed her passionately. By the time he pulled back she was clinging to him ready for anything. But Tim would not take his wife for the first time in the back seat of his car. She deserved better than that though he really wanted to. Tim stroked his thumb across Mia’s cheek, and she turned her head enough to kiss it. He wanted her badly, but he could wait. Tim had a plan.

Tim texted Nathan to make sure that there was only Jason and Nathan at the office. A minute later a text came in, ‘Jason told Dominic you canceled. He was pleased and was headed to his office an hour ago.’

“I want you to go up to Jason’s office and wait for me. I will be up in a few minutes. If there are paparazzi just tell them no comment and keep walking.” Tim told Mia seriously.

“I’m not new Timothy,” Mia smirked at her husband.

He sighed, “I forget because I want to protect you so badly.”

“I forgive you,” Mia said giving Tim a quick kiss and hopping out of the car. Mia was up the stone steps and into the building in a flash. Timothy told his driver to drive around the block and park in a new spot. He felt like he was becoming paranoid trying to preempt this situation.

Timothy made his way to the top floor of the building marveling slightly at how successful Jason Lane had to be for Lane Law Group to own this entire building. It was no small feat. All the Lanes were incredibly successful. Dominic owned the largest real estate company in Norde City with subsidiaries around the world, Jason had the Law Firm, Connor was a renowned heart surgeon, Nathan owned Technosphere, Liam was the A-list actor Linden Lane, Claude was a celebrated pianist, Eva was the most sought-after Fashion Merchandiser in the business, and Mia was a celebrated interior designer that now owned high-societies most touted resort chain, Aide Castle. The Lane family was impressive. No one could dispute that fact.

If their two families ever learned to get along, they would be unstoppable. Barrett Group owned Bern City the way the Lane’s owned Norde City and now they were family whether they liked it or not. Eventually they would get there because they had no choice but right now that time felt extremely far away.

Tim walked into Jason’s waiting room to find Mia typing a message on her phone. He went over and sat beside her trying not to be nosy.

Mia looked up and smiled at Tim, halfheartedly. “I’m trying to set up lunch with Eva because she is really upset and doesn’t understand what is going on. I can’t really go out though because of the risk of the paparazzi following me back to the hotel. Eva doesn’t want to come to me because she is afraid that Dominic will find me if she does. I don’t know what to do. I hate this. How did everything get so messed up?” Mia looked at Timothy despair clouding her expression.

“We will talk about it with Jason and Nathan, maybe they can pull her aside and reassure her until things settle down.” Tim answered gently.

“Yes, that might work.” Mia said quietly.

Nathan came to the door then and motioned for the pair to come into the office. He glanced at them inquisitively as they walked past. Once they were in the office, Nathan walked to the conference table where Jason sat rubbing his forehead along with a woman in her late forties.

“You are looking especially lovely today, sister.” Nathan told Mia. She smiled her thanks at him.

“Sorry about keeping you waiting. I was dealing with an irate caller. You know that Rolls Royce you favor stands out quite a bit Mr. Barrett.” Jason smirked at Tim. “It’s a nice car but people know it is yours.”

Timothy scowled; he had missed a trick. He thought of his car as a plain black sedan, but he knew it was an impressive car to most people. That meant that the caller was angry because the car had been spotted.

“How long until he gets here?” Timothy asked knowing they would have company.

“Dominic is about thirty minutes away if he floors it.” Jason said succinctly.

Timothy pulled his phone out and dialed a number. “Caleb come to the law office, swap cars with me. Go to a car dealer buy a new plain sedan, no, nothing flashy and take the rolls and have it stored for the next thirty days. Yes, at once. No, people are tracking my car. It’s only dumb luck we haven’t been caught. Good enough, Bye.” Everyone was watching the ping ponging half-conversation with interest.

“So, we need to leave here in twenty minutes?” Mia asked.

“We can’t, it will take Caleb an hour to bring his car for you to leave in. We will get some work done in the meantime.” Tim tried not to act irritated.

Mia groaned, “I don’t want to see Dominic. I am so over his nonsense.” Tim reached over and squeezed her hand telling her it would be alright.

“All right then, Mr. Barrett,” Tim raised an eyebrow at Jason’s formality. Jason continued, “This is Margaret Rommel the attorney I think could be a good fit for you going forward with the Heir Documents.” Ms. Rommel shook Tim’s hand then Mia’s.

“Before we move forward with that there are some changes that may alter how the situation needs to be handled.” Tim said, producing a stack of documents from his briefcase and handing them to Jason. “Make copies and put them away before Dominic gets here. We still need to play pretend for two weeks.” Jason was looking at the prenuptial agreement, the marriage certificate, the judge's sworn statement of compliance with ordinances.

“Mia, you got married without your family there?” Jason sounded sad and Nathan snatched the papers away from him. Margaret was watching the unfolding events with interest.

“I didn’t really have a choice. Dominic took that away from me.” Mia said frustrated.

“Tim, are you telling me you applied for this marriage two weeks ago?” Jason asked perplexed.

“What did that cost you?” Nathan laughed.

“The paperwork says I did, doesn’t it? Nathan, I have no idea what you are talking about.” Tim answered smirking.

“Timothy, did you bribe that judge?” Mia asked appalled.

“Of course not. Just because you didn’t know that we were getting married doesn’t mean that I didn’t.” Tim smiled cheekily at his wife. Ms. Rommell chuckled heartily at that, and everyone relaxed.

“How come your prenup only protects Mia?” Jason asks handing the document to Margaret when she held her hand out for it.

“I must recommend that this be retracted and rewritten. Plus, the Heir Documents you are asking for are extremely concerning. For your protection, I have some suggestions for a rewrite that while fair would be less biased in favor of your wife.” Ms. Rommell said.

“No, I want them exactly as I specified.” Timothy stated uncompromisingly.

“I really must insist.” Margaret began.

“No.” Tim shook his head at her.

“Then I can’t put my reputation on the line by drafting documents that would be disastrous for you if the worst were to happen.” The attorney said with a shake of her head.

“Has she signed the NDA’s?” Timothy asked Jason. Jason nodded in the affirmative.

“You may go. I no longer need a separate attorney from my wife anyway.” Tim told the woman who then stood and after a moment walked out the door.

“Isn’t that correct, Jason.” Tim asked.

“Technically, a gray area but we should be able to get the documents finished then add a consulting attorney, so it won’t be questioned by anyone.” Jason said, thinking quickly. “I think we can get everything ready for signatures within two weeks.”

“Good, that’s what I want to hear.” Tim answered. Nathan walked back into the office and handed the original documents back to Tim. He handed the copies to Jason who took them and locked them in a drawer in his desk.

“I have to ask, Mia, did you really get married because you wanted to?” Jason asked his sister crouching down in front of her. She gave him a lop-sided smile.

“I married Tim because I wanted to marry him. I got married now like this because Dominic is trying to force me into marriage with Nicholas and he is fighting so hard against Timothy that there is no room for compromise.” Mia said, her voice turning angry at the end.

“I’m sorry, we should have tried harder to reign him in.” Nathan said coming up beside Mia. “I can’t believe we didn’t get to be at your wedding. That just really hurts my soul” Nathan continued.

“We will have a real wedding when this all blows over.” Tim told the brothers. He could tell they both really cared for their sister. They both nodded gratefully at their new brother-in-law.

“Now all we must do is survive the next two weeks of my engagement.” Mia cheerfully remarked.

“Thirteen days.” Timothy amended stonily. Mia rolled her eyes but nodded her acknowledgement of his statement.

“So, is there any information you still need from me as far as the Heir Documents are concerned?” Tim asked, wanting to escape with his bride but not able to until Caleb sent him word.

“What about stipulations for Mrs. Barrett Senior?” Jason questioned unsure on the topic.

“I miss Grandma Laura.” Mia was saddened at the thought. “Any news, Tim?”

“There is still no major change, but brain activity continues to improve at a gradual pace.” Timothy repeated what the doctor had told him during his weekly phone call. “I only ask that Mia continue to care for Grandmother as I have done and if she were to awaken that she provides comfortable care for the rest of her days. Grandma is quite wealthy on her own so that is not an issue. I suppose you should be aware that Grandma Laura bequeathed almost all her estate to you years ago.”

“What?” Mia asked, “and where would you be in this?”

“Yes, she left you her estate a long time ago back when I first said I wanted to divorce. She gave you almost everything.” Tim paused, “I would be dead in this circ*mstance, Mia. The documents protect you and my heirs when I am not around to do it myself.” Timothy explained.

“Can we not talk about me being a widow on our wedding day?” Mia asked extra cranky about the topic now. Tim brushed his hand across her cheek. Tim’s phone buzzed with a notification.

“The car is here let’s go.” Tim said, nodding to Jason and Nathan.

“Leaving so soon, Barrett?” Dominic’s voice sounded in the room as he strode into the office. “Mia’s engagement not enough punishment for you so you came in for another round with the Lane brothers?”

Mia had her hands under the table in her purse, quickly switching out the rings. She hated to do it but if Dominic found out she was married to Tim now he would go crazy. With the ink barely dry on their marriage certificate, Dominic would try to undo the match. They needed to stay married secretly long enough that a judge wouldn’t consider an annulment. Mia finally managed the great ring swap and placed her hands back on the table. She glanced at Tim; he was looking at Nicholas’s engagement ring scowling.

“Mia, what are you doing here?” Dominic asked grumpily. “I can’t get ahold of you or find you. Not even your assistant will give me a straight answer but here you are?”

“The documents concern me, so I came in. I don’t want to talk to you or for you to know where we are.” Mia told her eldest brother.

Dominic’s face became stony, “When will you be home today? It isn’t right for you to be out in the world unchaperoned before your marriage.”

“I am a divorced mother of two children nobody cares where I am. I will not be coming back. Since you are forcing me into marriage you will have to accept that I will be doing it my way.” Mia retorted angrily.

“Why are you always around Barrett? He abandoned you for four years.” Dominic said in a sharp tone.

“Wow! You faked my death and told him the children and I died and then hypnotized me so I wouldn’t remember him, and you call that abandonment?” Mia scoffed. The three other men in the room were watching the exchange with increasingly concerned expressions.

“Why can’t you just let me live my life?” Mia asked quietly.

“As long as that bastard is in the picture you keep choosing wrong, and I must protect you from yourself. You don’t think clearly around that man.” Dominic said harshly.

“You mean I don’t think the way you have decided I should.” Mia laughed derisively. “Since we have learned that my life is all about you, I guess we are done here. Just text me what I am supposed to think next and save me some time.” Mia let the sarcasm flow unable to continue this a moment longer.

“You and Nicholas will join Eva and I for dinner on Monday to discuss wedding venues. The sooner you are married the better.” Dominic ordered his sister.

“At least we agree on one point.” Mia said quietly before turning and walking out the door.

Chapter 8: Part 8 M/E

Chapter Text

All Good Things Must End an Ending for Meet My Brother’s

I am generally an MA (for mature) writer, but I keep it fairly clean on fanfiction.net to keep to community guidelines. If you want more heat, find me elsewhere.

I never intend copyright infringement and am careful to make my stories my own but since I am using other's characters, please send all love and adoration to the original author. I make no money from my stories and am simply happy to tell them.

Every story deserves a happy ending and I love writing them, though there is often a great deal of turmoil before I get there. I always say that I like to write the last book in a long series that way I always get the ending I think the characters I love deserve. Plus, I am impatient and don't like to wait.

My stories run about 70k-100k. I write between 6000-8,000 words per day.

My current story All Good Things Must End which is my ending to the story Meet My Brothers, is about to be posted. I have 90K words written so far. I will post every three days (roughly) until I am finished. I expect the story to take no more than 30 days to be finished.

My final book in the series starts at chapter 1090, if you haven't read it until there you will need to go read that book first. I stopped reading at that chapter so there would not be any overlapping themes. I will finish it at some point but not until I finish with my ending. If you have any questions send me a message and I will try to get back to you.

Credit for Meet My Brothers should go to Red Thirteen. You can find this story on Webnovel & Goodreads

PART 8

Mia knew that Timothy couldn’t follow immediately. When she got outside, she saw Caleb pacing on the steps.

“I thought you weren’t coming, Mia” Caleb said.

“I got held up fighting with Dominic.” Mia sighed with frustration.

“I thought he wouldn’t be here.” Caleb looked at her confused.

“Dominic had someone watching for Tim’s car and because it is so unique they called him immediately.” Mia explained to Caleb who was quickly becoming a friend to her as well as Tim.

“Well damn, that explains the car issue.” Mia climbed into the car and Caleb went back to pacing.

Mia switched her rings back, becoming even more annoyed at the situation. By the time Timothy came out of the building some ten minutes later, Mia was fuming. Tim stopped to talk to Caleb before Caleb headed off toward the car park. Tim got into the car with her. Timothy took one look at her angry face, her tense posture and he reached over and pulled Mia into his lap wrapping his arms tightly around her.

“I am so sorry that this is happening to you.” Timothy whispered into her hair.

Mia asked what had happened after she left. Timothy sighed, telling her that Dominic had mainly just insulted and threatened him and that it wasn’t worth discussing at length. The situation was behind them so they should let it go. Mia wasn’t sure she agreed but chose to listen to Tim’s request.

Dominic had told Tim that he had ways to force Mia’s compliance but didn’t want to. He asked Timothy to do what was right for Mia and the twins and leave so that things could progress naturally allowing Mia to be happy. Dominic didn’t seem to notice the appalled looks on his brothers’ faces. Timothy tried to push the unpleasantness from his mind.

“The rest of the day is ours and we are going to enjoy it. Let’s go see our house. I want you to start getting a design picture in mind.” Timothy placed a kiss below her ear enjoying the way Mia shivered at the contact. He told the driver an address and then tipped her head back with a hand on her neck and brought his lips to hers.

The kiss began slowly, a spark just igniting. Mia’s hands came up to tangle in Tim’s hair pulling him against her. She wanted so much more than a kiss and soon she had moved to straddle his lap. Tim groaned as her heat met his core. He quickly stilled her rocking hips knowing that if they continued their sweet torture, he would bury himself in her right here in this car. Their kiss was feverish as their tongues moved together.

Mia’s mouth pulled away from his mouth leaving a hot trail along his jaw, down his neck and across his collarbone and shoulder. Tim’s head rolled back on the headrest. He was burning alive. All he knew was that he wanted so badly to let Mia continue rolling those hips against him. He had never felt need like this before.

“Baby... we need to...” He moaned as her tongue circled his nipple. When had his shirt been unbuttoned? Tim was taking ragged breaths, she was everywhere. Tim pulled Mia tight against his body holding her still trying to slow his pounding heart,

“Baby, we need to slow down. We are far from our bed, and you deserve better than to have our wedding night in this car. I want you so badly that I need your help to keep this from happening here.” Tim told her desperately. Mia finally nodded and climbed out of Tim’s lap because if she stayed there, they wouldn’t make it.

Tim rebuttoned his shirt and tried to relax but Mia kept shifting like she was slightly uncomfortable.

“Are you ok?” Tim asked her curiously.

Mia sighed slightly embarrassed, “I’m wet.”

At her words, Tim once again flopped his head back on the headrest and groaned. But then he wanted to know, and he dropped down on the floorboard in front of her.

“Tim, what are you doing?” Mia asked.

“Baby, just let me...” Tim’s words trailed off as his hand snaked under her skirt and along her thigh. With the other arm he pulled Mia’s hips forward so he would have access. With two fingers he pushed her underwear aside and slid his fingers into her slit. She was soaking wet.

His fingers brushed against her nub and her whole body jerked as she moaned. Mia was so ready for him. His fingers brushed over her repeatedly until she was crying out with each stroke. He knew the driver could hear and began to worry they might crash. Timothy brought his mouth to Mia’s until it was only whimpers against his mouth. He slid a finger inside her and then another as he continued to stroke that nub with his thumb.

Tim was burning up, he ached but he couldn’t stop. He wanted Mia to feel pleasure. He wanted to give her an org*sm right here right now, He started moving his hand faster pressing a little bit harder. He curled his fingers inside her. He moved his mouth to suck on her neck and then her body arched against him, and she moaned low and throaty.

Mia’s whole body shuddered, her breathing ragged. After a couple of moments, she opened her eyes and grinned at him widely. Tim removed his hand and grabbed a couple tissues. He had never been so turned on or ached so badly in his life. It seemed that the bar kept being set higher with his beautiful wife.

Timothy opened the partition and asked the driver to find them a restroom. When the driver answered he could have sworn the man smirked. The driver had been with him ten years, so Timothy wasn’t worried. The driver stopped at an AllPark which was an upscale gas station with facilities. They went inside and used the restrooms to get cleaned up before they got back into the car. Timothy poured them each a glass of wine and the car got back on the road.

“Do you feel better now, sweetheart?” Tim asked the word coming automatically.

“Infinitely better but you must be miserable.” Mia said.

“I’ll manage.” Tim smirked though to be honest he was in pain. He was also blissfully happy to be able to bring Mia such pleasure. Timothy was finally understanding why people placed so much importance on physical intimacy. It bonded one person to another.

Tim could also now understand why Nicholas had not given up. He had been bonded to Mia for months and couldn’t forget. Timothy knew what it was like to be with her now and he would never forget. Nick had said that he knew how good she could be and with startling clarity those words would drive a knife into Timothy if he let them. This wasn’t sharing hour though. Mia was his, she was his wife. Nicholas would just need to accept it and move on.

“Where are we at?” Mia asked after a few more minutes.

“Just pulling into the area known as Diplomat Hill.” Timothy said looking out the window at the late afternoon sky.

“What are we doing here?” Mia asked curiously.

“We live here, sweetheart.” Tim answered. Mia turned to look at him but just then they pulled up to a driveway and iron gates opened before them. The car followed a long-manicured driveway before circling a large ornate fountain to stop in front of a mansion. This wasn’t a villa, not even a mega-villa like Lane residence. It was a mansion.

Timothy got out of the car and reached a hand back in to Mia. A woman Mia didn't know was a few feet away.

“Mr. Barrett, it is good to see you again.” The woman gushed.

“Likewise, Jennifer.” Timothy led Mia over to the woman.

“Sweetheart, this is Jennifer, she is the agent for the house.” Tim told Mia.

“Jennifer, this is my wife.” Tim didn’t give out her name in case there was gossip.

“Mrs. Barrett, I do hope you will find the house to your liking.” The agent said curious about Mr. Barrett’s young wife.

“I’m sure I will,” Mia said quietly. She let go of Tim’s hand and walked to look at the fountain. Then she wandered over to a spot that was flat and open looking at the next house several hundred yards away. Tim joined her where she was standing.

“You know who lives there right?” Mia asked Tim, giving him a bad feeling.

“I am afraid I am not that knowledgeable about the area.” Tim said tactfully.

“That is Dr. Nicholas Merches estate.” Mia said without inflection. Tim had gone stone still and silent.

“Do you know the doctor, Mrs. Barrett?” The agent asked.

“A bit, same social circle.” Mia waved the idea off.

“I hear he’s quite handsome.” Jennifer said enthusiastically.

“I wouldn’t have an opinion on that.” Mia said blandly.

“No?” Tim asked finally coming back to the conversation.

“No.” Mia said smirking at Tim.

“You are a good wife, Mrs. Barrett.” Jennifer laughed.

“Dr. Merches hardly ever comes to his estate. He prefers the hospital where he works. Everyone talks about it. Let’s look at the house. Tim?” Mia questioned walking toward the house.

Jennifer opened the door for them, and they walked into an open foyer in front of a sweeping grand staircase. Mia looked up at the elaborate crystal chandelier in awe. Timothy caught her hand and spun her into his arms. Mia leaned against him looking into his eyes.

“This place is a bit extravagant don’t you think?” Mia asked Timothy. She stood on her toes and kissed him softly before stepping away. “Show me around, Mr. Barrett.”

They went from one end of the property to the other. Inside, outside, houses. Potential outbuildings. Recreationally this was a small resort. Mia couldn’t fault it except that it was so much. An hour later they were once again under the chandelier. Jennifer watched the couple thoroughly engrossed. They were so adorable to her.

“There is plenty of room for our children.” Tim smirked at Mia.

“How many children do you think we need, Mr. Barrett?” Mia placed her hands on her hips haughtily.

Tim laughed aloud at the sight of her. “At least one more, Mrs. Barrett.” He stalked forward and scooped her up under her butt, so she was held up against him off the floor.

“Now tell me what you think of the house? I can bear it no longer.” Timothy looked at his wife adoringly.

Mia sighed and Tim started to worry, “I actually really like the property, but I don’t want to because it’s too much.”

“Nothing is too much for you,” Tim said softly letting Mia down and catching her in gentle kiss filled with emotion. In that moment, Jennifer felt like a voyeur. In her eyes, these were two people deeply in love; nothing could convince her otherwise.

“I will need you to send the full diagrams of the house over immediately, there is a lot to do, and we need to get our design team on the project at once.” Tim told Jennifer as they were getting ready to leave.

Jennifer shook Tim’s hand then hers, standing beside the cars. “Of course, Mr. Barrett. It was truly lovely to meet you Mrs. Barrett.”

“You as well Jennifer” Mia said before ducking into the car.

Tim started to duck into the car but then stopped. "Closing will be Wednesday, correct?”

“Unless something comes up, it will be Wednesday at two in the afternoon.” Jennifer smiled brilliantly. The commission for this place would pay off her house and most of her debt.

Timothy climbed into the car. “See you then.”

***********

Tim said something to the driver quietly and they headed back down the driveway. Once the massive gate opened, they were on their way. Mia expected them to head back in the direction of central Norde City but that was not the direction they took. Rather than question Tim she decided to go with the flow. Mia figured it was a surprise, why spoil it? Tim sat beside her looking pleased. He had poured them each wine and the car ride was relaxing.

Thirty minutes later found them pulling up to a tiny bistro restaurant right on the beach. They asked to be seated on the deck that overlooked the beach and ocean surf. They ordered a wonderful dinner of seafood scampi and a taster plate of fresh seafood, and it was delicious. They drank wine and really enjoyed themselves relaxing into their new reality. They were married again but this time things were going to be different.

The sun set with brilliant pink and orange light. It was a magical array of colors dancing across the surf. Mia wanted to be wholly in the moment but she worried about what happened next and how to get through the gauntlet so they could truly live their lives without all this turmoil. Mia pulled out her phone seeing several notifications. Nick, Eva. Dominic, even Connor had left her messages, and she didn’t want to look.

Tim put his hand on top of Mia’s over the phone, “Baby, for the next two days, put it away. Let’s try to enjoy the tiny honeymoon that we get. We’ll have a real one once everything is settled but for now let’s just shut it all out. We are here in this tiny, beautiful place because no one will recognize us here and we can just be ourselves.”

Mia put the phone in her bag and promised herself to try to let it all go for as long as she could. She didn’t have to be Mia Lane she could just be Mrs. Barrett. They left the restaurant and Mia expected to go to a hotel, so she was surprised when the car dropped them and a couple of suitcases off at a tiny cottage that sat right on the beach. Tim punched a code into a panel on the door and the door opened.

Timothy grabbed the suitcases while Mia held the door, and they stepped inside. Directly to the left was a small but tidy kitchen that had been stocked with more than enough supplies for two days. There was a table, two chairs and past that a small living area that sat next to a sliding glass door that led onto the beach. To the right was a master bedroom with bathroom and a small closet. The furnishings were simple, tasteful, and clean. Mia smiled widely.

Turning her gaze on her husband, Mia walked up to him putting her arms around his neck and feeling his arms snake around her waist. She kissed him quickly.

“This is perfect, Tim. However, did you find this place?” Mia wondered.

“It was on the internet. I knew we wouldn’t get much time, but I couldn’t stand to treat our marriage like it wasn’t important. It is important to me. You know that, right?” Timothy asked her worry clear in his features.

“You have made me feel important, Tim.” Mia said seriously. “I love this place, baby. You did good.”

Then she was swept off her feet. “I really liked hearing that endearment. Now I feel special too.” Tim sat down with her on the sofa. “Do you want to see the beach before it is dark?”

“Sure, but not in heels,” Mia laughed. Mia grabbed her bag and took it into the bedroom. Finding her boat shoes, she changed out of her heels.

Tim had taken off his jacket, unbuttoned another button on his shirt, and rolled up his sleeves. Mia liked watching the muscles in his arms as he moved. Timothy was strong. Thinking about his strong arms made her think about the rest of him and before she knew what had happened her breathing was fast, and she felt a little dizzy.

Timothy walked over to her and caught her by the elbow. “Mia, are you alright?”

Mia looked up at him for a moment, “yes, I’m sorry, I got lost in thought.”

“Let’s just go please?” Mia felt embarrassed that she had such a strong reaction to mere thoughts.

Timothy took her hand and led her to the glass slider. They stepped out onto the beach together. Darkness would be on them soon but for now they could walk with their hands clasped to the edge of the surf. Mia sighed, taking in the smell of the salty ocean. She had always loved the beach, Tim stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He pushed his face into Mia hair enjoying her scent and her warmth.

Tim didn’t know how he had lived before. How he had kept himself from this beautiful woman for nearly three years. It had been hard a lot of the time, but he had always held himself apart. As she cared for him in so many ways. He told himself that it was her job and how she got paid but he had never paid her. Mia had never asked for anything.

Even then he had wanted her so how had he remained unaffected? Though, maybe he hadn’t because the second he believed she might leave he had wanted her back. Timothy couldn’t understand his own thinking from back then.

Then that night when he finally caved in and was intimate with Mia. He felt so guilty because that day had been the day when his family had finally convinced him to get a divorce and marry Maya instead. He hadn’t wanted Maya, he’d wanted Mia. So, he had gone home from that disastrous decision and gone to bed with Mia knowing he would file for divorce. He really had been a bastard.

Mia turned around to face Timothy. “You seem lost in thought. You know Ginger was excited for the visit tomorrow. I don’t know what to tell her.”

“Tell her that mommy and daddy needed some alone time together. She’ll be so excited plus that girl can keep a secret.” Tim laughed.

Mia sighed again and this time Tim tucked his hand under her chin and pulled her face up to see her eyes. They were full of worry.

Tim wrapped his arms around Mia. “Talk to me. What is on your mind?”

“What are we going to tell them? Are we going to hide from them too? I don’t know what the best course of action is.” Mia was worried about her children and how to deal with this situation.

“Why don’t we just act like it is perfectly normal for us to be together, which it is, and let them adjust stepping in as needed.” Tim proposed.

“Sage might rat us out. He has spent more time with Nicholas and Rachel than me. I couldn’t be there all the time. I had Ginger...” Mia stuttered trying to explain.

Tim rubbed Mia’s back trying to soothe her. “Sweetheart, I am not judging. You dealt with a lot on your own. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it. Let’s head back. It’s almost dark.” Together they walked back to the cottage stumbling occasionally in the failing light.

Mia sat on the sofa while Tim opened a bottle of champagne. She heard the pop and smiled. She was once again Mrs. Barrett but it felt different this time. This time she had hope. Tim brought her a glass.

“To my beautiful wife, may you never figure out that you still deserve better than me.”

“To my husband, the only thing better than you is well you.” Mia laughed.

Tim shook his head. “That is a terrible toast wife.” His words and this toast triggered something buried deep inside Mia, something bitter. The echo of an old hurt and a deep self-loathing for her own foolishness.

“Alright I will try again, A long time ago when I was young and very stupid. I thought I could make a man love me by being a good wife. Now I am smart enough to know that I can’t but what’s the harm in trying it twice. Cheers! I’m going to bed.” Mia drained the glass, set it on the table and walked into the bedroom. She grabbed a nightgown from her bag and went into the bathroom turning on the shower.

What was that about? Timothy thought about what her words were exactly. Mia thinks this is all pointless? No, they were not going to fall into the trap of second guessing each other. Her words stemmed from bitterness due to their terrible past. While Mia had every right to be bitter, they had to give each other some grace to be human.

Timothy sat his glass down and walked into the bedroom finding the bathroom door open a crack. He heard the shower running. Deciding he was going into the bathroom he stripped off everything but his boxers. Then he walked into the steamy bathroom. Mia was in the shower, but she was just leaning her head against the shower wall. It looked like she was sobbing as her shoulders were shaking.

Tim pushed his boxers off and stepped into the shower and wrapped his arms around Mia. She looked up at him with such a desolate look on her face that his heart froze. Why did she look like that?

“Do you have any idea how hard it was to leave you the first time? If I had to do it again, I...” Mia trailed off. She looked at the floor. “I can’t do this again, Tim. Getting married was stupid. I will have Jason annul it tomorrow and we can forget it.” She went to step out of the shower.

“No, that doesn’t work for me. It wasn’t stupid. We are supposed to be together. I get that you’re scared but you are not going anywhere. If you need to cry, scream, punch, kick then do it, but you are my wife and you will stay my wife. There is no exit strategy here, sweetheart. We are in it until the end. Go ahead and be mad but don’t you dare give up.” Tim rinsed himself under the water to get the day’s sweat off.

“Come to bed. I want to make love to my wife.” Tim climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself and left the bathroom. He would give her five minutes then he would drag her into bed. Of course, he wouldn’t touch her unwillingly, but she could lay beside him at least. Timothy just hoped she would come to bed on her own. It was still their wedding night even if it had taken a turn for the worse.

Right at the five-minute mark Mia stepped into the bedroom in a short black nightgown. Was it Peyton who packed her clothes or Caleb? Tim considered removing both men’s eyes for a moment. Then he decided whoever had done him a favor and should be rewarded.

Tim reached an arm toward her pulling the covers back “Come here please.”

Mia climbed into the bed and lay down beside him on her back. He was surprised that her hair was mostly dry. He hadn’t heard the hair dryer, a mystery.

“I am sorry Tim. I think I freaked out a little bit there.” Mia said very quietly.

Timothy nuzzled his face into Mia’s neck and hair breathing her scent in. It calmed him. “I can understand the worry and the fear, but I will never give you a reason to run from me. This is forever Mrs. Barrett, get used to it.” Mia nodded against his cheek. He would take that for now.

The time for talking was over. Tim had wanted his wife all day. He ached to the point of pain for half the day. Tim propped himself up on an elbow above her looking at Mia in the moonlight. Her beauty called to the part of him that was male, but it was everything that made Mia amazing that made him need her with such ferocity. He had been around scores of beautiful women but only this one, only Mia had ever made him crave the physical intimacy of a husband for his wife. Timothy’s hand moved down to cup Mia’s cheek then curled into the hair at the back of her neck.

His lips came down to meet hers kissing her slowly waiting for her to open to him on her own. It was a minute longer than he had hoped but finally her lips parted, and his tongue moved against hers. Their lips moved against each other insistently trying to find that closeness they both desired as Mia’s hand curled in Timothy’s hair.

Tim’s hand moved from Mia’s neck across her chest where it cupped and kneaded her breast before moving to her waist the slippery feeling of her nightgown nice against his hand. His hand moved to her hip next pulling her closer to him before moving down to her bare thigh. Her skin was so soft. Tim groaned as his hand snaked back to her hip under her nightgown to find that she wasn’t wearing anything else. He moved his hand to the bare skin of her waist listening to her soft moans as he touched her.

Timothy pulled back for a minute aware that he was very naked and very aroused. He reached down with both hands and pulled the nightgown off Mia. Her skin glowed in the moonlight, and he was enchanted. Startled Tim felt her hand wrap around him, and his head fell back. As Mia’s fingers stroked him tentatively, he couldn’t help the moan that escaped. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him? He let her continue for a minute but quickly had to stop her exploration, the sensation was too much. She pouted and gave a mewling sound.

“Baby, if you keep that up this will be over way too soon.” Timothy told her.

“Lay on your back.” Mia told him. He didn’t understand why but he was loathe to deny her anything, so he did as she asked. He was slightly self-conscious because he had a personal Barrett tower situation going on or he would have been if Mia hadn’t immediately straddled him and placed her wet heat right on top of him.

Mia leaned down to him and kissed him, and he propped himself up on an elbow, his free hand tangled in her hair. Then he realized her breasts were directly in his face. Tim scooted them back against a mountain of pillows and pulled her nipple into his mouth. She moaned, beginning to rock against his core. He had to take several deep breaths to deal with the sensations.

Mia leaned up unable to take the unrelenting need anymore and moved so he would line up with her. She had slid down halfway when Tim’s hands caught her hips and stopped her. She growled at him for stopping her.

“Give me a second... You caught me by surprise.” Tim was breathing heavily.

“Go ahead...” he said after a minute smirking at how demanding she was.

Mia rose up and slid slowly to where she wanted to be with Timothy fully inside of her. She put her hands on his chest and rolled her hips against his. She moaned as intense pleasure shot through her. Tim’s body convulsed and he threw his head back with a groan. One hand came to her hip and the other cupped and kneaded her breast. They found a rhythm with the roll of her hips, the tempo becoming faster and faster as she got closer to her peak. Soon both of his hands held fast to her hips. Tim felt like he was just trying to stay on the ride while powerful surges of pleasure rocked through him.

Mia’s rhythm became erratic quickly, and soon she cried out Timothy’s name as she fell over the edge. Tim lifted her hips a couple inches needing something harder. He thrust into her body two times, and then a third time hard before releasing hot seed into her with a strangled curse as he held Mia tightly to him. She was slumped against his chest weak from exercise and adrenaline. Timothy kissed the top of her head as he tried to calm his breathing.

No, Timothy thought, he would never let her go. He would die first.

It was a short while before dawn when Timothy woke wrapped around Mia her soft back against his chest. It took him several moments to discern what had woken him. Tim groaned; he was still getting used to his body making physical demands but that was the cause of the disturbance to his sleep. He lay beside Mia trying to ignore the issue for at least ten minutes not wanting to wake Mia. Every tiny movement of hers made the ache at his core multiply. He thought about getting up and leaving her in peace, but he didn’t want to. He wanted his wife.

Timothy propped himself up on his elbow and slowly moved Mia’s hair away from her face and neck before lowering his mouth to her neck. He began trailing kisses along her neck, across her shoulders his hand caressing along her side, over her hip and down her thigh. He pulled her body tight against him.

Mia woke to the sensation of Tim’s hand running across her body, his mouth leaving hot kisses on her neck. She was sleepy but the fire began burning down low quickly. She could feel him hard against her clearly ready for her again. Mia’s body opened to him without conscious thought. She turned her mouth to his wanting his kiss as his fingers went to her core stoking the fire inside.

Timothy kissed Mia hard as his fingers circled her swollen nub. She was wet already. He wondered if they could be one like this in this position. He broke the kiss to move his body down a few inches and pulled her hips at an angle toward him which caused her back to arch slightly. Tim took himself in hand and guided himself inside her thrusting tentatively until he was seated inside of Mia.

As pleasure wracked through him Tim wrapped his arm Mia’s waist. Kissing her shoulders and the back of her neck he began to move. His movements were slow and deep and with each one Mia would whimper and moan. Tim rested his forehead against her shoulder as intense pleasure surged in his core. He began to circle his wife’s pleasure point again enjoying the way her muscles tightened around him inside. He felt it as she quickly came undone around him, but he didn’t stop.

Tim couldn’t stop, he needed more. His thrusts became harder, more demanding. He felt the need to claim Mia in a way that could never be undone. He was rubbing her nub fast, his hips thrust against her with near brutal force. Mia’s moans told him he wasn’t hurting her. Tim felt out of control, he just knew that he needed something more. Then Mia came around him, her internal muscles squeezing violently as she screamed out his name. His arm locked her hips to his rigidly as he thrust twice more into her with violent force, and he came undone. White light blanked his vision momentarily. Tim’s whole body tingled, and he felt too weak to move.

After a few moments he was finally able to speak.

“Baby, are you alright?” Tim whispered terrified that he had hurt her.

“Uh huh.” Mia turned around and laid her head against him and was asleep mere moments later.

“Sleep, my love.” Timothy whispered softly, as he kissed the top of her head. So, this was what it meant to have a wife. Tim was overcome with emotion, in awe of the pleasure they’d just experienced, and terrified in equal parts. He couldn’t live without her. He would be lost, never to recover. Timothy tried to manage his terror but with the entire world against them it was hard. Timothy wrapped an arm around Mia protectively slowly stroking her hair. Without meaning to he soon fell asleep.

***********

Tim woke a few hours later at a much more reasonable time. He took a quick shower and dressed in jeans, a tee, and tennis shoes. He had asked for extremely casual clothes for them and that is what had been provided. Timothy walked into the kitchen, he wanted to brew some coffee but felt unsure how to since he had not done so since college. He chuckled at how clueless and pampered he had become. Tim heard the shower turn on and decided to wait it out.

Mia came into the kitchen about fifteen minutes later, looking at him before walking to the coffee pot. She set it up to brew and turned to him.

“I couldn’t figure out the coffee maker.” Tim admitted ruefully.

Mia smirked and walked over to him. Timothy wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a quick kiss.

“I didn’t hurt you this morning, did I?” Tim asked, still concerned.

“No, you definitely didn’t hurt me.” Mia laughed. “Don’t worry so much.” Mia walked to the counter picked up a banana and started eating it.

Throwing the peel away she turned to face Timothy, “I am concerned, however.”

“Concerned, about what?” Tim asked worriedly standing up straight.

“I...” Mia paused.

Tim strode to her putting his hands on her arms. “What is it?”

Mia sighed; this was an uncomfortable topic with him because of their past. “If we keep at it like this, I’m going to get pregnant. I need to see a doctor and find out what can be done but if I do that right now. It might leak to Dominic. I can’t play it off on Nick because it is a well-known fact that he is sterile from childhood.”

“What do you mean see a doctor, Mia?” Tim asked carefully.

“To keep me from getting pregnant.” Mia replied.

Tim crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the counter for several moments before turning and striding through the sliding door leaving her in the house alone. Tim was frustrated. He didn’t know how to say what he wanted to say. He didn’t understand what Mia wanted. They were married now didn’t that mean they were supposed to welcome their children with open arms? He knew he’d been a bastard before but now he wanted it all. Mia and his children, whatever fate saw fit to bless him with he’d readily accept. Did she not want his child now?

When Tim went back to the cottage Mia sat at the table with a cup of coffee that she stared at blankly. Timothy crouched down in front of her trying to get her to look at him. When she finally did her expression was carefully neutral. Tim took her hand and kissed the back of it.

Timothy ran a hand over his hair mussing it. “Mia, would you not want my child now?”

Mia blinked at him, “I thought... I mean I get that you accept the twins because they are already here, but you never wanted children. I remember specifically, you said to have an abortion. You tried to make me have one...” she trailed off.

Tim picked Mia up and sat back down with her in his lap. “Sweetheart, I know what I said. Some parts of me even meant it back then. There was no abortion scheduled because the doctor said it could ruin your chances of becoming pregnant again. Even at that low point, at my worst, some part of me wanted us to have children, Mia. I can’t take back the hurtful things that I did then. I am sorry about that. You will never fully understand how sorry I am.”

Tim turned Mia’s face toward him, forcing eye contact. “I can tell you that when you eventually tell me you are pregnant, I will be the happiest and luckiest man in the world.” He kissed her quickly on the lips. “I did not buy that house so we could wander around an empty mausoleum. I bought it so that we would have room to build a life. To build a happy family that can continue to grow for generations. Right now, can’t we just live and let fate decide what we should have?”

Mia smiled softly brushing her fingers through his hair and kissing him gently, “all right, Tim. We can do that.”

Timothy wasn’t exactly sure what determined the odds of pregnancy, but he would have bet a great sum of money that Mia had gotten pregnant this morning. How could something so intense not have created life? Even if it hadn’t, he wasn’t going to stop trying.

Timothy very much wanted Mia to be pregnant with his child. He wanted to have another child with her and be with her through it all. He also knew that their child would bond them together more securely both within their marriage and from outside interference.

Tim got up after a minute and got a cup of coffee before sitting back at the table with Mia. Mia told him a couple anecdotal stories about Ginger as a baby. Tim was sad that he had missed so many milestones in his children's lives, but he was determined not to miss any more of them.

When the two weeks were over, and the Heir Documents were securely signed the Barrett family would do a proper press release to clear the air and set the stage for how he wanted their name and their family to be perceived going forward. The merging of the Lane and Barrett families was a perk that would serve to stabilize Barrett Group as the Heir Documents were first published alleviating much of the stock hysteria that generally followed such announcements.

All he wanted right now was to build his relationship with Mia and his children and ensure that their family unit could never be fractured by anyone. Tim was not willing to lose them and wanted them to be a united front against the world. He knew that there was a lot of work to do with Mia and misunderstandings would occur like just now on the subject of children.

They had hardships to overcome and with so much time having passed he couldn’t just tick off a list to address the issues that would confront them. They would come up over time as life brought the past to the forefront. Timothy would need to be on the lookout for problems and address them quickly so they would not fester and separate Mia from him.

After coffee, Mia and Tim decided to take a stroll around the little seaside town. Mia didn’t know who had packed for her but was grateful for the jean shorts, tank top, and light sweater. She pulled on her sunglasses and put some cash in her pocket. Her bag was too expensive and branded to go unnoticed, so she left it behind. Mia couldn’t do anything to hide the brand on her sunglasses other than cover the label with her hair.

“Are you trying to hide your wealth, Mia.” Tim asked.

“Yes, people will pay more attention if they see branded items,” she told Tim.

“I think we are safe here.” Tim responded.

“We are not that far from Norde City. It is not unreasonable to think that someone might recognize me from the papers. I am trying to lessen those odds.” Mia argued.

Timothy considered her words. Mia wasn’t wrong. “We can stay here at the cottage if you prefer.”

Mia considered, “I would like to look around.”

“Then let’s go it is still unlikely that someone will recognize you.” Timothy said, grabbing his sunglasses.

The pair began their walk hand in hand. As they strolled, they stopped frequently to look at a rack of postcards or a small souvenir shop. Mia tried to buy items for the children but every time she went to pay Timothy beat her to it. They ended up buying the children several small items.

When they stopped for a drink Timothy tried to jump ahead of Mia again. “If you don’t let me pay you will walk back alone, Timothy.”

Tim stopped and looked at Mia, “What do you mean?”

“You haven’t let me pay for a thing all day even when I decided to buy it alone.” Mia told him extremely aggravated.

“I am your husband; sweetheart paying is my job. I don’t let women pay. I don’t see why you are bothered.” Timothy explained with a smirk

“I have money. I don’t need you to do everything for me.” Mia fumed, pushing her sunglasses onto her head to keep her hair off her face.

Timothy stepped closer to his wife. “I am your husband, and you will allow me to take care of your needs.” his voice has risen significantly.

Mia slapped cash on the counter. “Enjoy your walk, husband.”

Mia darted out of the shop and down an alley. She was so angry she wasn’t paying attention to where she was going. She darted through the narrow streets and alleys lost in her thoughts. How dare Timothy still treat her like that penniless orphan she had once been. He didn’t respect her or the things she had accomplished. He acted like he owned her and could order her however he wanted. Mia came around a corner and ran straight into a group of young women in front of a fashion boutique.

“It’s Mia Lane! Mia over here, Look over here, Ms. Lane.” Phones were up snapping pictures and video of her.

“Mia Lane.”

“Ms. Lane look over here!

Mia took off at sprint across the road slapping the hood of a car as it barely stopped, and through an alley. She ran three blocks down, crossed the street again and skirted onto a path near the beach. Mia pulled the sunglasses back down over her face. And jogged through a park before finding the beach and walking the rest of the way to the cottage.

Timothy wasn’t at the cottage when she got there. Then she remembered that she didn’t know the code to go inside. Mia even needed Tim to enter their vacation house now. Beyond angry, Mia flopped into a beach lounge chair and glared at the surf. It had been nearly two hours since she had left Timothy at the bar.

Another hour passed before she heard Timothy slam open the door to the cottage. She didn’t bother to get up from the chair. Timothy flung open the sliding door and stepped outside.

“Mia!” Timothy yelled toward the beach.

“Stop yelling. I can hear you fine.” Mia told Tim.

Mia swiveled her head to look at Timothy. “Right here, it’s not like I could get inside.”

Tim took three extremely deep breaths; his jaw was clenched and his voice like gravel. “Do you have any idea how terrified I have been?” Timothy stomped over to Mia and pulled her up to stand before him.

“Yeah, I bet. You were just upset I wasn’t there for you to treat inferior.” Mia snapped.

Timothy felt like shaking her. “Are you insane, right now? You were spotted, Mia. It’s all over the internet. There are no less than four sedans searching for you right now. Dominic is here. I saw him.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would he come after me? For what purpose?” Mia felt confused.

Timothy scrubbed a hand over his face. “He must know you are with me. He’s come to take you back to Lane residence.”

“I don’t understand why you ran from me?” Tim questioned with frustration.

Mia scoffed, “I am not some penniless orphan you can simply order into submission anymore, Timothy!” Mia tried to wrench herself free from him. He did not let go. “I won’t let you turn me back into that broken, stupid girl.”

Tim sighed and shook his head. “Just because I want to care for you doesn’t mean I think you’re incapable or that my will supersedes your own. Caring for you gives me joy; it is not some master plan to subjugate you.”

“You can’t care for me by forcing me to your will. I will always run from that life. It’s no different than what Dominic is doing right now.” Mia said tiredly.

“I didn’t see it that way, but I do see your point. Mia, you must promise to never run from me again. You cannot run away because you disagree with me. Yell, scream if you must but you can’t run.” Tim sighed, his hands moving to her face.

“I will run from you if I feel threatened.” Mia snapped.

Timothy wanted to shake sense into Mia, so he dropped his hands from her. When that didn’t help, he walked away down to the beach. Mia went inside the cottage and lay down on the bed. Tim didn’t know what to do or what to say to make her see that her current course only made things worse. He was pacing on the beach when he saw one of the black sedans. It was far away so he crouched down behind a log until the car drove slowly past.

When he could not see it anymore, he jogged back to the house rushing in to find Mia asleep on the bed. Tim sighed, when she had run from him earlier, he had at first been annoyed. As time went on, he became fearful that something had happened to her. The dockside area where they were wasn’t safe for a woman especially not a woman like her. Even dressed down she stood out from the crowd.

When two hours had passed and there was no sign of her Timothy became frantic. It was then that he saw the sedans pull into the seaside town. He watched as Dominic got out of the car and showed a photo to several people asking about Mia. Tim had swiped his phone open checking for anything and there was Mia caught in a crowd.

It had taken him an hour to skirt around Dominic’s guards without being seen and get back to the cottage. Tim couldn’t even call for his car because it would stand out at the cottage and alert Dominic to their presence. Tim needed to know she wouldn’t run from him. If Dominic had picked her up, he would have had to go to war to get her back.

Tim kicked off his shoes and crawled into bed beside Mia. He needed to feel her against him and reassure himself that she was safe, they were together, and they would be fine. He moved his body against hers and was gratified when she nestled in closer to him in her sleep. Tim wrapped an arm securely around his wife and soon fell asleep.

When Mia woke, she was warm, and she felt like a steel band had been anchored to her midsection. She quickly realized Tim was tightly wrapped around her and after trying unsuccessfully, she couldn’t get free. Mia really needed to use the bathroom since she hadn’t gone since morning. When she tried to get up his arm only tightened.

Mia had no choice but to wake him. “Tim, Tim! Wake up! I need to go to the bathroom.”

Tim grumbled groggily, finally moving his arm and rolled over to watch Mia as she jumped off the bed and went through the bathroom door. With some effort he sat up and put his feet on the floor. He was stiff from several hours in the same sleeping position. When Mia came out, she looked at him hesitantly. Tim didn’t like it and caught her hand pulling her to him before wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his head against her stomach.

“Baby, I don’t want us to be at odds with each other. I was so scared today.” Timothy said thickly.

“Don’t try to force me to your will and I won’t need to escape.” Mia replied running a hand through his hair.

“I will not force you to do anything but don’t tell me I cannot take care of you. That is a ridiculous request, and I can’t honor it.” Timothy said fiercely.

Mia sighed, “then accept that sometimes I can take care of myself.”

“Fine. I can accept that for now but please don’t run from me if we disagree on this from time to time.” Timothy asked Mia looking up at her.

Mia leaned down and kissed Timothy sweetly. “All right.”

The newlyweds made turkey sandwiches with chips and drank wine in the lounge chairs on the beach. Timothy explained to Mia that they didn’t dare go out or call for the car. They had seen two sedans on the road since coming out to their secluded beach patio.

Tim told Mia about Dominic searching the crowds for her in the village, even showing a picture around. Mia brought up Dominic’s risky behavior since it would cause more of a stir if anyone knew he was searching for her. She wondered what he had found out that had him acting so impulsively.

Unable to help herself, Mia texted Nathan asking why Dominic was hunting her down. Nathan responded that Dominic had tracked her leaving town with Timothy but not coming back so he had been on the warpath. Mia asked Nathan to remind Dominic that the paparazzi would have a field day if they found out about the search.

She asked Nathan to remind Dominic that her life was hers to do with as she wished. Nathan said that probably would make him search harder and asked when they would be back. She told him the next day if they could sneak past the goon squad. She jokingly told Nathan that if not they would just send for the children and never come back. Her phone began to ring, it was Nathan.

Answering she laughed, “I was kidding Nathan. We must come back; we’ve already bought a house.”

“Thank the stars, you scared me.” Nathan chided her.

“I am the one being hunted, brother. What exactly does he plan to do if he catches me?” Mia asked. Timothy lifted an eyebrow at her question.

“I think it goes something like kill Barrett and bring you back and lock you in the dungeon.” Nathan said seriously.

“We don’t have a dungeon. How can Dominic hate Tim so much that he would treat me like this?” Mia couldn’t understand it.

“Mia,” Nathan sighed, “it has to do with you and the twins dying in that hospital when they were born. You three were there for a full day before we transferred you to Norde City. It was touch and go. Dominic was personally offended that you had been harmed at Barrett’s estate and he never checked if you were going to be alright.”

Mia glanced at Timothy who looked pained.

“I was there the next day. I came as soon as my grandmother survived her third surgery in twenty-four hours, and the nurses told me that Mia and her baby were dead. My staff was there but Connor wouldn’t tell them anything. I don’t think that situation has been painted quite fairly. Timothy’s words were clipped. “Regardless, Dominic won’t listen he blames you for Mia’s death and isn’t known to be a forgiving man.” Nathan’s voice was calm.

Timothy sighed, “I don’t want a war with the Lane’s. We are family now but I will not give up my wife. Dominic’s crusade against me will fail. Nothing will change the outcome of this situation.”

It was Nathan’s turn to sigh, “An annulment would still be possible for a small amount of time if Mia wished it. If she changed her mind, we would make it possible.”

Timothy’s throat seized but it was Mia who answered her brother. “I won’t change my mind, Nathan. If Dominic would just stop, I would be completely happy.” Timothy smiled brilliantly at his wife.

“Are you sure, sis?” Nathan asked.

“Yes, I am sure.” Mia replied seriously.

Timothy cleared his throat. “See there is no purpose to us fighting against each other, We are family, and we will stay family.”

“So, it would seem. There are worse things than a union between the Lane and Barrett families” Jason remarked cordially. “The judge says that your documents are legitimate for as long as Mrs. Barrett wishes them to be.”

Timothy barked out a laugh, “Understood, counselor.” Mia looked at Tim funny, she didn’t understand what was meant by that. Then she got it,

“Timothy, you bribed that judge, didn’t you? You’re such an ass!” Mia scolded.

Tim was laughing, “allegedly...”

Mia snickered. “You being an ass isn’t alleged. That’s a fact. I can confirm it.”

Nathan and Jason were talking to each other in the background. “She seems fine to me.” Nathan said.

“Dominic is losing his head over this. All we want is her happiness. Mia seems well.” Jason agreed.

“Did one of you tell Eva that I’m doing fine and that everything will work out.” Mia asked worried about her sister.

“I will tell her now that I am convinced that you actually want to be where you are.” Jason replied.

“Sister, you need to stay out of Dominic’s grasp for the next two weeks. When the engagement has been called off and you have been married for a few weeks then you will be in a better position to put this situation right. If Dominic finds out about this now, I fear he will stop at nothing to separate the two of you.” Jason told Mia seriously.

Mia took a deep breath, “I know.”

They said their goodbyes and Mia hung up the phone.

Chapter 9: Part 9 M/E

Chapter Text

All Good Things Must End an Ending for Meet My Brother’s

I am generally an MA (for mature) writer, but I keep it fairly clean on fanfiction.net to keep to community guidelines. If you want more heat, find me elsewhere.

I never intend copyright infringement and am careful to make my stories my own but since I am using other's characters, please send all love and adoration to the original author. I make no money from my stories and am simply happy to tell them.

Every story deserves a happy ending and I love writing them, though there is often a great deal of turmoil before I get there. I always say that I like to write the last book in a long series that way I always get the ending I think the characters I love deserve. Plus, I am impatient and don't like to wait.

My stories run about 70k-100k. I write between 6000-8,000 words per day.

My current story All Good Things Must End which is my ending to the story Meet My Brothers, is about to be posted. I have 90K words written so far. I will post every three days (roughly) until I am finished. I expect the story to take no more than 30 days to be finished.

My final book in the series starts at chapter 1090, if you haven't read it until there you will need to go read that book first. I stopped reading at that chapter so there would not be any overlapping themes. I will finish it at some point but not until I finish with my ending. If you have any questions send me a message and I will try to get back to you.

Credit for Meet My Brothers should go to Red Thirteen. You can find this story on Webnovel & Goodreads

PART 9

A short while later a text came in from Nathan, ‘Dominic is back, and he is furious. He has multiple cars watching access to Norde City and has teams to follow any chauffeured car trying to enter. Figure out another way back or he will catch you.’ Mia responded with her thanks before showing the text to Timothy.

Timothy called Caleb and began to give him instructions, but Mia stopped him and asked for the phone, changing a few key details. She thanked Caleb and said they would see him in the morning.

Mia felt exhausted from the day's stress and simply wanted to shower and climb into bed. Seeing the fatigue in his wife clearly Tim sought to care for her. He climbed into the shower with Mia and helped her wash her hair and body. Mia turned to her husband and began to return the favor running soapy hands across his chest until Tim’s hand came under her jaw turning her face to his.

Mia looked up at her husband, seeing his dark eyes as he gazed at her intensely. She could feel the evidence of his desire against her abdomen, but he was holding himself back. Mia raised her hand and ran it along Tim’s jaw before curling her hand around the nape of his neck. She pulled his lips to hers. Need causing her breathing to quicken as she parted her lips and pushed her tongue against his.

With a groan Timothy pushed her into the wall and lifted Mia with an arm under her hips. His other hand tangled in her hair as her legs wrapped around his waist. Timothy lifted her higher and one smooth motion sheathed himself inside his wife’s heat. He moaned at the sensation and Mia gasped, her head falling back. Tim moved his mouth to her throat.

Their movements were feverish as they sought the release, they both needed. Mia moaned each time Timothy moved the angle hitting a pleasure point deep inside her. Tim buried his face in her shoulder, the pleasure so intense that he could barely stay standing. He struggled to hold himself back as he felt his wife begin to convulse around him and then Mia cried out arching into him. With one more deep thrust he came inside her shuddering violently with a deep moan.

They were stuck like this for several minutes as the shockwaves of pleasure coursed through them. Timothy pulled Mia’s lips to his in a long kiss. He didn’t know how to deal with the intense passion that existed between them. It consumed him in ways he could never have been prepared for. It was a terrifying and solemn prospect. Tim knew that he could never again live the way he had before. He was fundamentally changed.

Tim carefully set Mia on her feet in the shower. Kissing her softly before releasing her he turned the water so she could rinse while he finished soaping up. When she was done, he rinsed quickly before stepping out of the shower and handing a towel to Mia as she climbed out. Tim dried himself with a towel as Mia began to dry her hair.

Tim walked into the bedroom lying down in bed but feeling restless. Waiting for Mia he tried to clear his mind. Mia walked into the room and climbed into the bed. When Mia curled into Timothy’s embrace naked in the sheets all she cared about was being close to her husband. Mia wasn’t going to let anyone tear them apart now. She gave Tim a gentle kiss but was so exhausted sleep found her within minutes.

When Tim felt Mia’s breathing even out, he climbed gingerly from the bed and pulled his jeans on. Tim walked into the kitchen and found the bottle of bourbon he had requested with their supplies. He poured himself three fingers and rifled through his briefcase until he found his cigarettes and a lighter. He took his glass and contraband outside and lit a cigarette. Tim stood on the beach, the moonlight washing across the surf and listened to waves crash against the shore.

Tim sighed. Mia had been worming her way into his mind for years. He had fought against it for so long unwilling to accept that some small woman could upend his perfectly controlled world. Until finally he couldn’t escape it and she became the focus of his existence. His mind, his soul, and now even his body was consumed by her. She had all the power and he had none. With just a word Mia could destroy him. Timothy would be destroyed, desolate, and devoid of the will to carry on. She had run from him and wouldn’t promise not to do it again.

How was he supposed to feel anything but hopeless in the uncertainty of their life? Timothy had her but what would make her stay? With Dominic determined to separate them how could he keep her safe and with him? Tim was not a man accustomed to hiding from his enemies, but terror seized him as he thought of being separated from Mia and his children. It would be all for nought if she ran. Tim couldn’t fight the world and his wife, too. What would make her stay with him?

Tim threw back the rest of his drink and walked inside. He put the cigarettes away, washed his glass, and washed his hands before walking into the bedroom. Perhaps the liquor would help him sleep. Tim stripped out of his jeans and sat on the edge of the bed. Mia was on her stomach and clearly dreaming. She was restless and he went to soothe her, but she started to mumble. Timothy stopped, listening, he wondered what she might say with a smirk.

“Timothy...” the word was a whisper of sound.

“I’m here.” Tim whispered gently, reaching for her again. Mia dreamt of him.

Mia’s leg moved, and her hand brushed the sheet, “love you...” The words were barely audible.

Timothy froze for a second shock evident in his features. Then he lay down in the bed pulling Mia to him and pulling the cover over them both. Could it be that this beautiful woman love him despite everything? Is that why she was here with him now? Timothy buried his face in her hair letting the sweet scent of hers soothe him until finally he slept.

***********

Timothy and Mia were drinking coffee and eating bagels when a knock sounded at the door the next morning. Tim walked to the door quietly and checked the peephole before throwing the door wide. Caleb stood on the other side in jeans, a tee, and a light jacket. Mia had never seen him so casual, but it was a good look for the man taking several years off his appearance. Tim waved the man in and closed the door before greeting him.

“Caleb, I trust you had no issues getting here?” Tim said patting his friend on the shoulder.

Caleb shook his head. “No issues other than your wife’s crazy instructions,” he laughed. “Morning Mia.”

“My instructions weren’t crazy they were brilliant.” Mia chided Caleb.

Last night when Tim had talked to Caleb his intention had been to send the driver back to Norde City where he would drop off the car in the storage car park and would pick up a new SUV and return to pick them up. Mia knew instantly that the instructions wouldn’t work. Dominic would catch on too quickly. He would likely have the driver followed back in the new car. Mia had come up with an elaborate plan to keep them all in the clear indefinitely.

First, she told the men to have the car go back to Norde City the two-hundred-mile circuit and come into town from the opposite direction where he would then put the car in the same storage park as the Rolls Royce. The driver would rent a room at the nearest hotel where they would be available as needed. She also sent her car and driver with the same stipulations. Next Mia told Caleb to buy three vehicles an extra-large SUV, a medium size SUV, and regular sedan.

The vehicles needed to be light neutral colors and could not be the same color, could not be luxury brands, and must be at least five years old. The next step would be not to change their habits. When Tim went to the twin's school, he would take one of their sneak cars to the car park and then have the driver take him to his normal routine. When they had to go out publicly, they got one of the chauffeured cars from the car park. They would switch which sneak car they would take to the car park each time.

The only problem with the plan stemmed from the fact that the twins would now be inconvenienced as well. However, it was only for a few weeks, and it made it much more likely that they would not be discovered. The last problem was that the hotel had been registered in their names. Late last night Peyton, Angela, and Caleb had relocated the twins to a new hotel with a five-bedroom penthouse suite and the floor below it registered Jasmine Shelbert.

Jasmine had been more than happy to help Mia in any way she needed and looked forward to getting together soon. They laughed as they spoke about needing some friendly female companionship. Caleb’s esteem for the woman grew as he saw what a lovely person she was.

This was the plan that would keep them safely out of Dominics clutches until enough time had passed that they would be able to come out of hiding. Mia secretly doubted it would be that easy. In her opinion, nothing short of her being pregnant would stop her brother from his crusade to separate her from Tim simply because a judge would not annul her marriage if she carried Timothy’s child, but Mia kept that thinking to herself. Even then her brother might try something. The plan was good but not fool proof since they did still have to interact with people. Mia didn’t know what Dominic would do if she disappeared completely.

Mia was pulled from her thoughts as Tim asked Caleb a question that caught her attention.

“How was the party last night at Aide Castle? Did Asher enjoy his party?” Tim had asked.

“It was pretty overdone for a party for a six-year-old.” Caleb said shaking his head.

Mia was confused, “I thought that party was on Friday.” The invitation for her and Ginger had clearly been for Friday.

Caleb frowned. “It was last night. Luna was a madwoman when Tim didn’t show. She publicly demanded to know where Tim was and what could be more important to Tim than Asher. She made it seem like you and her were quite familiar and that you are very familiar with the boy.”

Tim scoffed. “I never said I would go, and I sent him am adequate gift for a boy his age.”

“Tim she was telling anyone that would listen that Asher is your heir. Luna was basically telling people that he is your son.” Caleb told Tim with irritation.

Tim crossed his arms over his chest. “She will eat her words when I clear that situation up. Mia knows the truth as do Nathan and Jason. It will be dealt with.”

Caleb scoffed. “Make sure you clear it up with the twins too because kids talk just like adults, and this is all over the papers this morning. Also, I found out last night that Luna has enrolled Asher in school.”

Mia was startled. “Where?”

Caleb sighed heavily. “He will be at school with the twins on Monday. Apparently, the mayor paid a lot of money to get Asher enrolled in that school. The boy didn’t have the test scores to enroll on his own merits.”

“He’s a bully. He already hurt Ginger once before.” Mia exclaimed worriedly.

Tim put an arm around her. “We will figure something out. Our children will be safe. Why did you think the party was Friday?”

Mia frowned. “That is the date our invitation said.”

Timothy growled. “Luna tried to use inviting you as an incentive to get me to go to the party. Which may have worked if we had not gotten married. Are you sure your invitation said Friday?”

Mia scowled at her husband. “Who is more trustworthy, Me or Luna? It said Friday, Barrett.”

“Sweetheart don’t get angry. I am just double checking. I am not a fan of being tricked. My presence would have confirmed her insinuations to many especially if I had arrived without my own daughter.” Timothy implored Mia.

Timothy rose from the table. “Let’s finish packing and get on the road. I want to get back and spend the evening with our children.”

Timothy and Mia rose and went to the bedroom to finish packing their belongings. It didn’t take long since they hadn't brought much with them. Other than a bottle of bourbon and bottles of wine they didn’t have much else to pack. Fifteen minutes later they were ready to go. The men took the luggage out to the vehicle and loaded it.

The car was a six-year-old large silver SUV that had three rows of seating for eight total passengers and a generic make. Dominic and his guard were looking for people of affluence and wealth and this would never have been considered anything but family transport for the middle-class. It would not stand out in any way and would skate right under the radar. Tim locked up the house and the three of them climbed into their new SUV and Caleb drove them back to the city.

They only spotted one of Dominic’s lookout parties. A black luxury sedan that had men with binoculars leaning against it stood out. Mia shook her head internally; she couldn’t understand what Dominic had to gain from his actions. Was he so determined that he knew better than her what her life should be that he was willing to destroy their relationship to enforce it? She could understand him not liking Tim, there was bad blood there. However, Dominic’s choice to hunt her like a criminal was beyond comprehension.

Mia went through the messages on her phone that she had neglected. There were at least twenty from Dominic, so she sent him a message simply asking him to stop what he was doing. His response was immediate. He would stop when she was secure and no longer had anything to do with Barrett.

Once she was safely married to Nicholas, she would be able to live as she pleased. Mia told her brother that she didn’t want to marry Nick and being forced to do so would make her miserable. Dominic told her he didn’t believe her, and she was just avoiding the marriage because of the trauma she had faced in the past. Mia simply told him he was wrong about that.

Eva had sent a handful of texts asking Mia to tell her that she was all right. Mia let her sister know that she was fine and to stop worrying about her. She told her that everything would make sense in time but not to worry. Eva responded after a few moments telling her to be safe and that she missed her.

Nicholas had sent several messages. He wanted her to come back, and that Dominic was going crazy with worry. Finally, he asked her to confirm Sage’s checkup. Mia told him that she was fine, and Sage would not miss his appointment. Nicholas responded that he looked forward to seeing her then. Rachel asked if they could have lunch next week and Mia let her know that she wasn’t sure but would try to set something up.

Tim sat in the front passenger seat of their used SUV and glanced back at Mia in the backseat for the twentieth time since she had pulled out her phone. Her expression concerned him greatly. She looked very unhappy about the messages on her phone. Tim wished that he could make all this go away and they could simply start their life as a normal couple would.

Mia finally set her phone down and with a sigh leaned back to look out the window.

Tim took the opportunity to distract her from her worries. “Sweetheart, are you going to work on the designs for our estate this week?”

Mia looked at him, seeming far away, for a moment before she seemed to focus on the present. “Yes, I need to set up a priority list for the design then I can work on individual components.”

“What do you mean?” Tim asked.

“There are master design features, basic design features, and detail design features. Master features are things like paint, flooring, trim, appliances and so on. These things come first. Then basic features are the major items that are added like furniture and window coverings. Detailed features are photos and small items that make a house more than a dwelling.” Mia explained to Timothy.

Mia continued. “The house needs all three features, and they have an order of completion. It will take a bit of time to design a plan that will make that mausoleum a home. We’ll get there though.” Mia said with a chuckle, remembering Tim’s words to her when he had taken her to see the house.

Tim smiled at Mia. He wanted their house to be a home as well. Timothy thought about their wedding picture in the marital home he had shared with Mia all those years ago. When he had been told she died he had rehung the picture in the master bedroom and refused to take it down. He had needed the presence of that photo and her things to function. His marital home with her had become the mausoleum for his dead ex-wife. Mia didn’t know this, and he didn’t want her to. She would think him foolish.

They arrived at the hotel early in the afternoon and grabbed their two bags waving off the bellhop. Caleb had their room keys, and they took the elevator to the top floor. Opening the door to the suite, the three of them went inside.

As Mia stepped through the door, she saw Sage on the sofa on his laptop and Ginger at the table with a coloring book.

“Momma,” Ginger cried happily jumping down from her chair and running to her mother.

Mia picked up her tiny daughter and hugged her fiercely walking fully into the room. “Hey, bug. Did you miss me?”

“So much, momma. Where have you been?” Ginger said, placing her hands on both her mother’s cheeks.

“I had to go on a trip but I’m back now.” Mia told her daughter rubbing noses with her before placing her on the floor. Ginger looked behind Mia and noticed Timothy there.

“Daddy!” Ginger rushed to Tim holding her arms up to him. He placed the luggage on the floor and picked his daughter up.

“Hi there princess, were you coloring a picture? Show me.” Tim said walking with his daughter to the table and sitting her on her seat. Ginger started leafing through the pages showing her father her work. He made appropriate noises about each picture.

Mia walked over to Sage and crouched down. “Hey, baby, are you doing all right?”

Sage looked up at his mom. “Hi mom. I’m fine. Uncle said you ran away, and he couldn’t find you.”

“I did not run away from anything. Your uncle is mistaken.” Mia said scowling. How dare her brother tell her child such things.

“Hello Sage.” Timothy said stepping up beside Mia.

Sage looked up at his father and sighed. “Mr. Barrett, my uncle said that you are trying to hurt mom again and take us away from our family. I won’t go with you.” With that Sage got up and went into one of the bedrooms. Ginger stared after her brother with disbelief.

Timothy sighed his eyes following his son. Mia was furious. How dare Dominic speak to her son and tell him anything.

Mia grabbed her phone and stalked into the master bedroom. Timothy followed close behind her and Caleb stood at the door. Mia dialed Dominic’s number shaking with rage. The phone rang several times before Dominic finally answered.

“Look who knows how to dial a phone number.” Dominic said arrogantly.

Mia scoffed. “If I wanted to talk to you, I would have called you but listen to me right now because I won’t repeat myself.” Mia paused and took a breath. “If you ever speak to my children again without my express permission, I will take them and disappear, and you will never see any of us again in your lifetime.” Mia hung up the phone and threw it on the bed. Her hands were fists of rage, and she shook with fury.

Timothy walked up to Mia and pulled her into a tight embrace trying to soothe her. “Baby, it will be alright.” Mia began to cry, unable to process the anger any other way. Tim rocked Mia slightly trying to calm her.

***********

Dominic realized the phone had been hung up. He looked up at the faces in his study. Connor, Nathan, Jason, and his wife Eva were arranged around the room on various pieces of furniture. Dominic tried calling his sister back, but the phone just rang and eventually went to voicemail. He hung up, not bothering to leave a message.

“Can someone please tell me what our sister is thinking? Has Mia lost her mind completely? Why is she treating us like the enemy?” Dominic seethed standing up from his desk and beginning to pace.

Dominic turned toward his brothers. “This is Barrett’s doing. His influence is turning her against us. I wanted him gone but you all said back off and look what has happened now. Mia has run away from our family with her children.”

“But you didn’t back off Dominic, you doubled down.” Nathan stated.

“Whose side are you on?” Dominic roared at his brother.

Nathan sighed standing up as well. “I am on Mia’s side. You need to stop what you are doing before you lose her completely.”

“Mia is confused. She needs to guided to the right path. She has always had a weakness for that bastard. We must protect her from herself, so she doesn’t end up dead. Again!” Dominic turned to Connor. “What if we have her declared mentally unfit for a while so that we can separate her from him even for a week. An intervention.”

Connor looked at his brother worriedly. “Dominic, you know that I have no love for Barrett, but you sound like a lunatic right now. I don’t understand why you are so set on her marrying Nicholas. Mia has said repeatedly that she has no feelings for the man.”

“Nicholas is a respectable man that has done a great deal for Mia over the years, and he will keep her close to us. It’s a good match.” Dominic said imploringly.

Eva scowled. “Then why don’t you marry him. If you are so set on it, I’ll give you a divorce. I’m sure you will be very happy together.” Eva snapped tired of her husband taking Mia from all of them. “I’m not going to live without my sister because you’re a control freak.”

The room went completely silent.

“But you would live without me?” Dominic’s voice was steely and quiet.

“Keep pushing and find out.” Eva’s voice was equally serious and quiet as she stood and left the room.

Dominic looked at his brothers and then went to stare out the window. “This is Barrett’s doing. He is tearing this family apart. We need Mia and the twin’s home and Barrett gone or dead. I don’t care which. Everything will be fine when he is gone.”

Jason shook his head at Dominic. An intervention was needed but not for Mia. “What if she truly loves the man, Dominic?”

“Impossible! Barrett is a bastard. She wouldn’t be so foolish. She is a good person; she feels a duty to the twins to have them know their father. That is all this is.” Dominic ran a hand over his face. “If she spent some time with Nick, they would build a bond. This has always been our plan. Why would she dispute it now other than guilt for the children?” Dominic turned to face his brothers expecting them to agree with him.

Jason shook his head. “I’m not going to lose Mia because you can’t accept that she wants Tim around. He is the better match for her. He is the father of her children. He is the better match for our Family. Combined we would be untouchable. If she can get past their history, you have no right to get in their way.”

Jason stood up and headed for the door but then stopped, “the twins are his heirs. He’s not going anywhere. You need to decide if you want to be a part of her life because if you keep pushing the way you are she will turn her back on you and you will be the one that is gone from Mia and the twin's lives.” Jason walked out the door.

Nathan stood as well. “Mia has a right to live whatever life makes her happy. Who the hell do you think you are that you get to decide what that is. I’m disappointed in you brother. You are supposed to be our leader but what you are doing now will lead us to ruin.” Nathan followed Jason out the door.

Connor sighed. “I hate Barrett too, but this isn’t working. You need to change your approach.”

“Everyone seems to be forgetting that Mia is engaged to Nicholas.” Dominic said with finality.

Connor snorted and shook his head. “We all saw that proposal. She is allowing him to save face at best.”

“Regardless, Mia would not embarrass the Lane family name by calling off the engagement. So long as Dr. Merches does not call off the engagement she will marry him.” Dominic smirked.

“Mia will not be forced to wed Dominic. I can’t back you on that.” Connor stood to leave.

“When did Mia’s life become yours to sell.” Connor walked out the door and headed to the hospital. He didn’t want to be at Lane residence right now. He felt bad about leaving Eva alone with her husband while he was on the warpath, but Eva was tough, she had always handled their most volatile brother just fine.

***********

Mia finally calmed enough to step away from Timothy. She smiled at him tightly.

“We can’t tell the twins that we are married. You will have to stay in the other guestroom, Tim.” Mia said mildly.

Timothy cursed quietly. “I will sleep with my wife, Mia.” Mia started to say something.

“We can make it look like I am in the other room, but I want you to understand that I will not be away from you ever again. Not for any reason. Our children need to understand that we are together so their hearts can begin to heal. We need to tell them soon.” Timothy told Mia.

“If we tell them now, Sage might tell Dominic.” Mia explained her reluctance, soothing Tim’s agitation when she reached out and squeezed his hand.

Timothy nodded his head, “We won’t tell them we are married but I am not going to act like we are not together. We will tone it down, but it wouldn’t be good for us to act like strangers now. Mia we shouldn’t put unnecessary strain on our relationship. We need to be close especially because of all this stress we are under.”

“We should keep contact between us in front of our children to a minimum. They will not understand.” Mia said emphatically.

Tim ran a hand through his hair, “I will try it your way for a few days. We will see if it is an issue or not.”

“Come on. Let's go spend the evening with our children.” Mia implored Tim. After a beat he nodded.

As they started toward the living area of the suite Mia’s phone began to ring with an extremely specific ringtone that she had not heard in years. Mia picked up the phone without questioning.

“Nicholas, what is happening, why are you calling from this number?” Mia asked alarmed. Timothy stopped in his tracks before walking back to Mia so he could hear the call.

Nicholas chuckled, “This is my number, Mia.”

“Don’t be obtuse. You haven’t called me from your personal phone since...” Mia glanced at Timothy and stopped talking.

“It’s been a while.” Nick said in a bland tone. “I do have a reason for calling, don’t hang up.”

Mia shifted uncomfortably as Tim crossed his arms across his chest. “What is it?”

“You know I am not your enemy, don’t you?” Nick said with a sigh. “I don’t want to be your enemy, Mia.”

“Is that why you called? To tell me that. If you don’t want to be my enemy, then why conspire with my brother against me?” Mia asked irritated.

“Is that what you think I am doing? You infuriate me. How can such a brilliant woman be so damn clueless. Your brother is determined to keep you from Barrett at any cost. Better me than some high society tool that would treat you like a paycheck and your children like burdens. At least I give a damn. You don’t have to like that I went along with your brother’s plan, but I didn’t do it because I’m your enemy.” Nicholas was truly irritated, and Mia was shocked by it.

“Fine, why did you call?” Mia asked frostily.

Nicholas cursed, “Your brother just called to remind me that we have a dinner date tomorrow and he expects both of us at La Bella at six.”

“You could have said that in a text.” Mia told him bluntly.

Nicholas took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I called because I want to tell you not to come. If you come Dominic will try to take you back by force. While I would marry you, I would prefer not to do it by force and have you hate me for all eternity.”

Mia took a minute to think. “I need to see my brother and try to stop this. It is too far out of control.” Timothy was looking at her and shaking his head no. “This would be a public place, an environment I can control.” Mia finished her eyes on Tim.

“Mia, your brother isn’t rational right now. Eva has threatened to divorce him over how he is treating you. Even Connor has fled from his madness. I do not think you can convince him. I am not pandering when I tell you that if I refuse, he will find someone else that does not have your best interests in mind.” Nicholas told Mia sharply. “I did not save you and your children's lives to watch you be sold to the highest bidder.”

“I need to think about this. They can’t divorce. They are a real love match and that is rare.” Mia said angrily. Nick snorted at her words. “What now?” Mia said with exasperation.

“Nothing, it’s not that rare.” Nick replied coolly. “Call me back when you figure out what you want to do. I need to get back to my rounds.” The phone hung up. Mia sighed with frustration and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

“What the hell was that supposed to mean?” Mia remarked with irritation. Tim’s eyebrows drew together, and his scowl deepened.

***********

Timothy put a hand on Mia’s shoulder to steady her. “I hate to agree with Nicholas, but you shouldn’t go anywhere near Dominic right now.”

Mia stepped away from Timothy, ignoring the hurt look on his face when she did so. “Instead of trying to stop me from saving my family why don’t you tell me how you can keep me safe if I go? I can’t let my brother ruin his marriage over this.”

Tim sighed, taking Mia’s hand he led her to the office in the suite. He called for Caleb to join them. After explaining the phone call Mia had just had and the proposed dinner with Dominic. Caleb’s answer was to not go as well. Mia asked the two men to design a plan where she could go but not become Dominic’s captive. After an hour, the two men laid out a plan to keep Mia free and returning to her husband after dinner.

“One problem Mia, how will we get the restaurant to comply?” Caleb asked at the end of the discussion.

“That isn’t hard. La Bella has a small catering business that they have been trying to break into high society events with but can’t get traction. I will propose that Aide Castle endorse La Bella Catering to all its clients that want outside catering. They have been proven to be reputable already and this will just work in our favor.” Mia explained to Caleb.

“Sweetheart, I don’t want you to go. If something goes wrong, we will be separated.” Timothy said his voice was laced with anxiety.

Mia put a hand on Tim’s arm, “baby, I will do everything in my power to stay with you, but I can’t allow my family to self-destruct over it. I must at least try to get through to him.” Mia sighed tiredly. “I trust you to protect me and stop anyone from taking me against my will.”

Tim pulled Mia into his arms where he leaned against the desk. He hated everything about this plan. If they misjudged in any way Dominic would have control of Mia and in his current state of mind who knew what the man would do. Dominic had declared war on him, and the battleground was his wife. Tim hated that she was in such an unnecessary situation. Worse was that he knew Dominic wasn’t a bad man. He was a man trying to save his sister from a person he thought of as a monster when the sister didn’t want to be saved.

“Caleb, can you give us a minute?” Tim asked. Caleb rose and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

Tim looked at his wife pensively. “Mia, do you have any idea what would happen to me if I lost you now?”

Mia stared back, “you are not going to lose me.”

“You can’t guarantee that. If you go in there, it’s a risk.” Tim remarked. Tim’s hand wound through Mia’s hair. Pulling her head back he claimed her mouth aggressively. Kissing her hard for a minute. Pulling back, he whispered his words against her mouth. “Don’t ask this of me.”

Mia sighed unsure of what to do.

“Nothing terrible will occur in the next couple of weeks if you choose to stay safe. We can set up a meeting then and smooth things over.” Tim reasoned. “Baby, please I need you to see this my way.”

Mia rubbed her face with both hands. “All right, Tim, we will do this one your way. I won’t go. You know that I will have to speak to my brother at some point though, right?”

Timothy nodded, “we just need time so that we are on firmer ground and Dominic can’t separate us. The situation is tricky enough without creating opportunities for others to benefit from.”

Mia looked at her husband seeing the stress that had held him slowly start to ebb. She brushed a hand along his cheek. Timothy was a handsome man, and he was hers. Mia could give him this and keep herself from danger if it allowed him to be at peace. With any luck, in a few weeks this would all be a bad memory.

Mia called Nicholas back a few minutes later and told him not to expect her. They hadn’t found a way to guarantee her freedom and weren’t going to risk it. Mia asked Nick if he had told Rachel yet about the engagement. Nicholas told Mia that he hadn’t because Rachel hadn’t been well since the dinner. Going out in public had taken a toll on her health and he hadn’t wanted to burden her while in a treatment.

Mia let Nick know that it was fine for now but that being honest with his sister was important for more than just this situation. Nicholas had always kept Rachel in the dark about hard life issues. He could be too protective sometimes. Mia told Nicholas that it was probably better that they stay engaged for the time being for the reasons he had stated himself. This made Timothy scowl and curse. It didn’t matter because Mia didn’t need a new suitor.

Mia thanked Nicholas for looking out for her and the children in this matter and reminded him that they were friends, and she didn’t hate him. Mia simply didn’t feel they were compatible for marriage. After hanging up the phone Mia felt a little hopeful that her friendship could survive this engagement.

Mia sent Eva a text next telling her not to give up on Dominic and that in a few weeks this would seem like a bad dream. She told her sister that things would begin to right themselves soon and not to lose hope. Mia told her that she knew her brother was a good man that was only trying to protect her but, in this circ*mstance, he was misguided. Mia waited but didn’t get a text back which she thought was odd. It wasn’t like Eva to ignore her texts.

Timothy let Caleb know that Mia had decided against going to meet her brother at this time. Caleb was extremely relieved to hear this because while their plan had been good, it hadn’t been perfect. It had a lot of working parts and if a single part had failed there would have been a huge gap in Mia’s security. Caleb had not liked the idea of dealing with Timothy if Mia had been taken away from him.

Mia asked Angela and Peyton to join her. With Peyton, Mia instructed him to hire six new bodyguards. They were to be vetted and paid well to insure loyalty. Anytime someone left the hotel they were to have two guards on them. The twins were to always have two guards on them outside the hotel.

Mia didn’t put it past Dominic to try to pick up the twins from school. Mia encouraged Timothy to continue his daily lunch visits. They could look out for Dominic this way. Mia talked to Angela and walked her through the new regiment that would be for getting twins to school and picking them up every day.

Mia also rented a room at a mid-level hotel near the twins' school so that Angela would have a place to go during the day. It would not be safe for them if was Angela coming and going several times a day from the hotel and car park. The twins would have two guards at school, Angela would have two guards with her, and there would be two guards at the hotel if needed. Tim’s guards had been on standby for some time and Tim chose to keep them there but transferred them to stay at the same hotel as the drivers.

With logistical issues dealt with Mia and Tim set to turning their hectic Sunday into family night. Tim ordered food for delivery and Mia picked a movie for the family to watch. They waited for food to arrive and watched the animated antics of Ginger. Ginger currently had her dolls in the middle of the living room floor and was currently having an animated conversation between them. Apparently one of her dolls had misbehaved and Ginger was furiously reprimanding the doll for not behaving like a lady at their luncheon.

Mia snorted as the little girl carried on. Maybe Ginger could deal with the supposed ladies that she knew. Shelly and Luna could learn a thing or two from the four-year-old. Timothy watched the tiny terror, his expression changing constantly. Mia watched them both thoroughly entertained by Timothy’s captivation by the girls' antics.

“Ginger does know the dolls can’t respond to her, right?” Timothy whispered sideways to Mia.

“It is called imagination, Tim. Perfectly natural for a girl her age.” Mia responded smirking.

“But she looks truly upset about her doll's behavior.” Timothy continued to whisper concern in his voice.

“Ginger is quite the little actress.” Mia shook her head with a small smile on her lips.

Timothy looked at his wife with a frown, “I remember.” He glanced back at his daughter who was once again speaking with her three dolls sweetly. “Where is our son?”

Mia sighed, “he is hiding in his room on his computer. I will call him out when our dinner arrives.”

It was Timothy’s turn to sigh, “I wish I knew how to get through to him.”

Mia looked at Tim and took his hand. “Sage has always been incredibly intelligent. Have you considered apologizing to him and answering the questions he has for you? I am sure he has a few. Perhaps try having a real conversation with him, Timothy.”

Timothy went to rise but Mia stopped him. “After dinner Tim. If you talk to him now, he may refuse to eat, and he is supposed to be putting on weight after his illness.”

Timothy sat back down, “of course, sweetheart.”

A few minutes later there was a knock on the hotel room door. Timothy answered the door taking two large bags from the delivery person after handing the person a hefty tip.

“Thank you, sir,” they said smiling, “have a wonderful evening.”

“I shall.” Timothy answered thinking how not long ago he wouldn’t have bothered to acknowledge someone delivering food. People were a lot nicer when they were shown basic decency.

Timothy carried the bags to the dining room table where Mia and Caleb helped him set out food. Mia went into the luxurious kitchen the suite was equipped with and got plates and utensils before going back for glasses. Mia returned to the kitchen a third time to grab a couple bottles of wine, a corkscrew, and a container of juice for the children. Timothy got Ginger seated at the table.

“Sage, dinner time!” Mia called her son.

“I’m not hungry.” Sage called back.

“Right now, little man.” Mia snapped, brooking no argument. Tim and Caleb looked at each other smirking. Mia raised an unamused eyebrow at them. Sage came huffing into the dining room.

“Drop the attitude, Sage. I am not in the mood.” Mia told her son blandly, setting the boy in his seat.

Timothy sat at the head of the table with Mia and Caleb to his right and left. Ginger sat beside her mother. Mia sat Sage beside Caleb explaining to the two men that the boy couldn’t stand how messy his sister could be and it had often caused fights at the table. For meals they were better off having some separation. For the next couple of minutes Mia placed food on the twins' plates and filled their juice. The twins bickered with each other over what dishes were best and who could eat the most good-naturedly.

Tim watched as these events unfolded around him in awe. This was his life now. These people were his family. His throat felt strangely raw and his eyes suddenly full of grit.

Caleb suddenly clapped his friend on the shoulder, “breathe man, here, have some wine.”

Timothy took a deep breath thanking his friend with a quick nod and took the glass that Caleb offered to him. Caleb handed a glass to Mia, and she responded with thanks as well before glancing up at Tim.

Mia squeezed Timothy’s hand understanding that this was a major moment for him because it was for her as well. This was their first true family moment. A simple meal together on a Sunday evening. Timothy included Caleb in this as well because he knew without a doubt that if Caleb hadn’t helped him, Tim would not be sitting here tonight with his wife and children around him.

Sage ate meticulously once again reminding Mia of Timothy. Ginger was making a mess with her rice but mostly getting her meal into her mouth. Mia sometimes had a tough time believing how opposite the two children were but was thankful that their differences didn’t stop them from being close. The two children continued their snarky banter for a while, but Sage went quiet after he saw Mr. Barrett clasp and then kiss his mother’s hand.

Sage finally became too uncomfortable to stay quiet when Mr. Barrett leaned in close to his mother and said something causing her to smile at him in a nice way.

“Mom, why is Mr. Barrett in our hotel with us? Isn’t this inappropriate? Do you want him to ruin your reputation?” Sage asked, feeling truly worried for his mom.

Ginger looked at her brother with annoyance. Caleb choked on his wine. Mia’s mouth fell open in shock while Timothy turned dark unreadable eyes on his son. Mia sputtered for a second before draining the wine in her glass. Mia took the time to refill it trying to think of what to tell her son.

“Sage, honey, I know you don’t understand but you just need to trust that it is fine that Timothy is here, and my reputation won’t be damaged.” Mia finally told her son.

“But the internet says you are engaged to Uncle Nick. Uncle Nicholas won’t want to marry you if you have a man staying with us.” Sage argued. He didn’t really understand how grown-up relationships worked but he knew this much to be true.

Timothy cursed and Caleb leaned back in his seat uncomfortable.

Ginger’s fork clattered to the table. “Mom, are you going to marry Uncle Nicholas? You promised no more dates.”

“Both of you need to listen to me.” Mia said quietly, “I am not marrying Nick. That will never happen.”

“Then why does it say so everywhere?” Sage asked with true frustration.

“Sage, that is a grown-up matter and a misunderstanding. You don’t need to worry about this. There is a good reason that your father is here, and you don’t need to worry about that right now either. I appreciate you looking out for me but in this matter, you need to leave it to the adults. I promise that everything will make sense soon and nothing bad will happen to us.” Mia explained the best that she could without telling her children the truth.

Sage huffed, “fine.” He put his fork down. “May I be excused please?”

Mia sighed, taking a drink of her wine. Sage had eaten most of the food that he had been given. “Yes, you may but wait for us in the living room. We are watching a movie in a minute.”

Sage looked at his mother with a scowl, “but I don’t want...”

“Enough,” Mia told her son. “Go to the living room we will be there in a minute.”

After Sage had left the dining room Mia glanced at her daughter. “Why don’t you go join your brother. Sweetheart.”

Ginger had been worriedly staring at her empty plate. She liked the fact that her father was here with them. “Does Daddy have to leave now? She asked her mother quietly glancing at her father.

“No, bug, he is going to stay.” Mia replied.

Ginger smiled happily bouncing down from the chair. “Good.” Walking over to Timothy she patted her father on the arm. “Don’t be discouraged. Sage will get over it.” She sighed dramatically, “eventually.” Then she skipped out of the room.

Mia sat back with a sigh and finished her second glass of wine. That definitely felt like a family dinner. Uncomfortable conversations were a staple of every family. Usually they didn’t happen with four-year-olds, but it was just her luck to have produced not one but two genius children. Mia looked at Timothy, he had been noticeably quiet through the whole conversation. He was staring into his wine glass appearing lost in thought.

“Tim,” Mia asked glancing at Caleb as the man stood and began clearing the dining table of food and dishes. “Are you alright?”

Timothy pulled himself back to the present. “I am fine, Mia. Let’s go watch our movie with the twins.”

Timothy wasn’t fine at all. He was trapped in a sea of regrets. It was a terrible thing to have a son that wanted him gone. The boy had no idea how much his words cut his father. He knew that it wasn’t his son’s fault and that he had every reason to mistrust Tim, but he wanted it to stop already. He wanted his son to give him a chance to be a father to him.

Did the little boy even know he had just accused Tim of using his mother and having no regard for her reputation as a lady? How could the small boy even understand such things? Did he think his father was such a scoundrel that would willingly destroy Mia’s life?

Mia thanked Caleb for clearing the table and told him that she would clean up the kitchen after the movie. Tim still seemed distracted, but she took his hand and together they walked into the living room. They found the twins seated on the floor having what looked to be a serious conversation. The children broke apart when they entered the room.

“Ginger, is everything all right?” Tim asked his daughter. The girl nodded emphatically.

Timothy picked up his daughter and sat down on the sofa with her right beside him. Mia sat down beside Tim, and he put his arm across the sofa behind her. Mia grabbed the remote for the television and beckoned to Sage. After a moment he came to his mother climbing up beside her. Mia started the movie. It was a film about monsters that snuck into children's bedrooms at night to scare them. When a child got stuck in monster land shenanigans ensued.

Ten minutes into the movie Ginger was lying on her father’s leg watching the film and five minutes later Sage was in the same position on Mia’s side. Tim put his arm around Mia and together the family watched the cartoon. Caleb walked into the living room. Knowing that it would make Timothy happy to have a keepsake of this moment, he snapped a couple of photos and sent the best one to both Tim and Mia.

When the movie ended the children started a heated discussion about what kind of monster would come to each of their rooms. Mia laughed listening to the children talk about what their monsters would look like.

Angela walked into the suite going into the children’s rooms to run Ginger a bath. Sage preferred the shower which was convenient because they could both get clean without having to leave either alone in the water since the bathroom had both a bathtub and separate shower. She also picked out their night clothes and clothes for school the next day. After a few minutes she came and collected the children, herding them into the bathroom.

Tim had been running his fingers through Mia’s hair absentmindedly but startled when she stood. He followed Mia into the kitchen where she started rinsing the dinner dishes and loading the dishwasher.

“Sweetheart, we have housekeepers that can do this.” Tim told Mia, leaning against the counter.

“I don’t want them to sit overnight. I don’t like the feeling of mornings in a dirty kitchen.” Mia said without inflection.

Tim took a washcloth and left the kitchen for the dining room. Mia watched for a moment as Tim cleaned the table before returning to the dishes. Tim came back into the kitchen, rinsed the rag, and wiped down the counters. A couple of minutes later Mia finished the dishes and washed her hands. She thanked Timothy for helping her clean with a quick kiss since the children were unable to walk in on them right now.

When the children were done getting cleaned, Angela got them dressed and put them into their beds. Mia and Tim went to Ginger’s room first. Mia tucked her daughter into bed before kissing her cheek.

“I love you, little bug. sleep well.” Mia smiled at her daughter before leaving the room. Tim stayed behind to say goodnight to Ginger. Mia walked into Sages room and repeated the sentiments to her son. Timothy came into the room and let Mia know that he wanted to talk to Sage.

Mia frowned, “It’s right before bed are you sure it is the right time?

Timothy sighed and grasped his wife’s hand. “This needs to be done. Things can’t continue this way, Mia. We need to deal with our issues, or they will continue to fester. I want our family to heal and move forward.” Mia nodded and told Sage to give his father a chance.

Timothy walked over to his son’s bed and took a seat beside the boy. Sage had sat up and had his small arms crossed over his chest. Timothy chuckled internally. This was what he deserved. Having to reason with himself but with the maturity of a small child.

After a couple of excruciating minutes Tim decided on a course of action.

“Sage, if you could ask me any question, what would it be?” Timothy started with.

Sage huffed sitting back slightly to look at his father. “Why did you abandon us?”

This kid goes straight for the throat Tim thought. “I didn’t,” Tim tried to answer but the boy’s scoff cut him off. “Are you going to let me answer you or just make useless noises?” Sage stopped and went silent.

“I didn’t abandon your mom. I was told that Mia and her child died four years ago, but even though I was told that I never stopped looking for her and you. I had people searching every day.” Timothy explained.

“But you divorced her when she was pregnant.” Sage said angrily.

“Sage, that is an exceptionally long and complicated story, but I didn’t want the divorce. I only agreed to it because I was trying to save my grandmother’s life. Someone told me they could save her if I married them.” Timothy sighed thinking how stupid he had been. “It was a lie; it was because of your mother that my grandmother was saved.”

“You were mean to mom are you going to tell me that is not true, too?” Sage scowled angrily at Tim.

Tim stood up and began to pace by the bed. “I won’t deny it. I was horrible to her, and she was so kind to me. I didn’t deserve her then. I was a true jerk but that is not who I am now.”

Sage looked at his father unmoved. “Just because you say so doesn’t make it true. I won’t let you hurt us.”

Tim sat back down. “Sage, I will tell you the truth because you are too smart to lie to.” Tim ran a hand through his hair. “There is nothing that you can do or say that will make me leave. The three of you are my family and I will not give you up. If you need to be angry with me then go ahead but I am not going anywhere. Eventually you will figure out that I am not the bad man that I used to be.”

Sage looked uncomfortable but then rallied. “Uncle Dominic and Uncle Nicholas can get rid of you.”

Timothy laughed humorlessly. “No, they can’t. I am here to stay. Your mother wants me here and your sister wants me here. You will accept this in time.”

Timothy rose to leave but stopped short. “You can ask me anything, any time. Goodnight Sage, get some sleep.” Then he left the room shutting the door.