A week later

Caden had been taken out of heavy sedation earlier in the morning. It was a relieving feeling to see him open his eyes up and blink at us. A week of him lying still on a hospital bed was a bit too much for my wolf and I. Lace's anxiety had beat at us just as heavy through our bond and I knew I couldn't do anything to stop it completely.

I tried my hardest to distract her attention, to let her forget it for a brief moment. I had brought the rest of the children to her and gave them little things to do. Colouring, drawing, playing with toys. I pulled Lace in, attempting to engage her but even when she did, Caden's state was always in the back of her mind. It was hard to truly forget that your child was lying in a hospital bed, severely wounded. It wasn't something you could push away.

I had even taken her to our little house and brought up the thought that had been weighing me down since the battle. I asked her if it was truly best that she and the children stayed so far from the compound. She had balked at that. Change was not something she enjoyed but as I explained my reasoning, kept things rational and easy for her to take in and file. The glimpses I had into her mind were very telling of her personality. She had everything sorted out into specific categories and filed very clinically. Her mind looked like the house did, overly organized.

She had hesitantly agreed before heading to the bedroom. I hadn't truly wanted to force her to give up her space, her little den she had created for her and our children but for her safety and the safety of the children, it was for the best. She had agreed with it, she didn't like it but had agreed. I had followed her into the bedroom only to be yanked onto the bed rather forcefully as she took out her aggression on me the only way she could.

We had lay in the bed afterwards, our legs tangled together and our hearts pounding in tandem, and she had told me she would miss the little house. I had agreed which lead to her drawing her teeth over my chest and another round of sex that left me and her so marked up Mason had worriedly asked if we had gotten into a fight when he and everyone had arrived to help us pack. I had simply smiled to myself, my gaze darting to Lace's for a brief moment before we looked away, smug satisfaction radiating out of both of us.

I hadn't expected that strong of an aggressive passion from her. She had been so cold towards me and everyone else that I hadn't expected anything else and I had been delightfully wrong in my assumption of her needs. Just because she hadn't shown the world she had that type of passion it didn't mean that is wasn't there. There was a lot she kept hidden underneath that mask of her.

However if I had thought that the mark she had on her neck would change her behaviour I was more than wrong. She still had issues and they wouldn't simply go away with sex and a mark on her neck, as much as I would have liked them too. She was very conflicted. Half the time she skittered away from me, overwhelmed by what her body was telling her and the other half she was baring her teeth in frustration, worrying about Caden, or dragging me somewhere private to work out emotions through touch because they were things she couldn't actually say.

However she was trying. She would force herself to reach out and touch me, trying to get over that hurdle she had, the one that Damascus had placed in front of her. I scowled deeply at the name as I stared at the fireplace, taking another sip of brandy. The harsh liquid leaving a welcome burn in my throat.

I had thought him to be cruel before but what Lace had told me was enough to want me to dig up his corpse to tear it apart. He had given her away because she miscarried their child. I thought that having a mate betray her like that was bad enough but she had lost a child, wasn't given a chance to grieve or say goodbye before Damascus had tossed her away like she was a piece of trash. He had blamed her for the death of Timothy and had punished her for it. It was more than sickening and it explained everything that I had seen in her from the beginning. I berated myself for not seeing it sooner.

However I was glad I had been there to help her place his stone on the wall. I had never seen anyone struggle with it like she had. People struggled with it, of course, letting go of those you loved was always hard but the weight of her stone had been immense. Years of grief had been pulled into it.

Eleven years of it into one tiny stone that represented her lost son. She was strong though and she had done it, filling me with pride. I wondered if Mene had brought her to me, given us a connection so that she could finally be free of that weight. Even if that was the only reason, I appreciated it greatly. Whatever the reason I had been given a family and a mate and it was all I wanted in life.

"Dada." Eli ran around the chair and grabbed my leg. I smiled at him, setting my brandy down on the side table.

"Hey buddy!" I lifted him onto my lap, my eyes being drawn to the white bandage on his throat. He would need to have the stitches taken out soon. He would be left with a few scars that I hoped would fade over time. I didn't want to have to tell him that it had been my brother, his uncle, who had done it to him when he started to question them as he grew. "Do you like your new room?" We had finally gotten everything in place in the west wing of the fort and he nodded happily.

"They don't smell right." Lace's voice was sharp as she came around the chair and picked up my brandy glass.

"I know." Smells had seeped into the stone over the years. I had gotten them cleaned extensively for her but nothing could truly take out the lingering scents. I watched as she swirled the glass before taking a drink. Her eyes caught mine as she let her tongue peak out to catch a drop of brandy that lingered on the rim. I had to stifle a groan at the need that caused my gut to clench heavily. She was a needful little thing and I loved being at her beck and call to sate it.

"Dada, Ca'en come home?" Eli patted my face and I quickly kissed his cheek, causing him to giggle.

"Yes, buddy. Caden is coming home today. We have to remember we can't play with him though. He still needs to stay in bed." We were moving him into more comfortable room. He was safe enough to no longer need to be in the infirmary and having him close and around family would make his healing much faster for him.

"I draw wit him?" He looked at me, his blue eyes wide with hope and I nodded. Light play such as drawing or colouring he could do but nothing other than that.

"We can certainly draw with him." I ruffled his blond hair as he giggled happily. He turned his head to Lace.

"Mama, where c'ayons?" He looked excited. Caden was being moved soon so it was clear he wanted to prepare and she took another drink of the brandy before setting it down beside me once more.

"I put them in your room. Do you remember how to get there?" Her tone was light and Eli looked a bit unsure. "If you don't that's alright. I can take you." She held out her hand and he nodded.

"Its big house." He gave me a sombre look and I gave him an equally sombre nod as he climbed off my lap and took Lace's hand. They walked passed and Lace bent down, giving me a quick kiss that had the taste of brandy lingering on my lips before she and Eli left completely. I smiled at the fire, my hand coming up and tracing the mark she had given me.

Despite everything that we still had left to go through, despite the fact I knew she didn't love me or showed me open affection in front of others, the mark still meant something. It meant love for me but Lace was right, love between mates didn't mean the same for her as it did for me. We could work through it because she was still trying to get better.

"Azrael?" At Caeda's trembling voice I lifted my hand, showing her where I was. My heart ached for her and her loss. The wall had taken most of her grief but it had left the heartbreak and that was crushing in its own right. She shuffled around the chair and I grabbed her hand, pulling her onto my lap as I did when I had been younger and she had been much smaller. She curled into my chest and cried as I held her. Tears burned my eyes as she clutched at my shirt, wetting the fabric of it.

"We-we ha-had decided we were go-going to mark each other that night. W-we were g-going to tell everyone and then- and then-" Her words were choked out with sobs and I held her almost frail feeling form. It had been only a week but sadness and heartbreak have a way of making a person look smaller than themselves, frailer and more delicate. I had nothing I could tell her, nothing I could say that would lessen the feelings she was experiencing.

"I am sorry." She made a choking sound as she tried to get the sobs to stop and I shushed her gently, running my hand over her head, stroking it down her back and then repeating the action. "I-I got mad at you. Defended him." I could feel the revulsion she held for herself and I made a noise of protest.

"I defended him too, Caeda. I gave him every excuse, too blinded by the fact he was family to see how twisted he had become." We all had our faults and family was mine. The blind loyalty that I had to them. In the end it had nearly killed my youngest boys. A lesson harshly learned.

"G-Gabriel didn't even do anything to him." She choked on his name as if it hurt her to say it, as if her mouth had been unwilling to give it up. Pain did curious things to us. I rubbed her back and she shuddered under the stark sadness she felt.

"I know. Mene will punish him for what he has done." I hoped she punished him for an eternity for what he did to his own family, his pack. The newest leader of Mollitiam, Nikalus, had issued a formal apology and sent a portion of their spring harvest to us for reparations. His only request had been that they be allowed to retrieve their dead. I almost hadn't want to out of anger but our alliance had been a long one and I had accepted. I met with the new Alpha for a brief moment as I gave him my own apology, embracing him as I would a brother. I needed to foster a good relationship if we were to build the alliance back up to its previous strength. One poor Alpha could not change our histories.

"It won't be enough. It will never be enough." She spat the words out, anger thrumming her body at the reminder. I nodded. I could also notice the power she had take from Brice. She was still getting used to controlling it but it was hard to see my sister and have my wolf look at her differently. She hated the power, she felt it was a reminder of Brice and she was doing everything she could to forget him.

"Never. The moon's justice is fickle but it can be cruel. She will make him suffer." Mene hated those who denied their family love and comfort, who harmed them. I didn't doubt Brice would spend and eternity at the whims of the Goddess's rage or perhaps sent to her brothers.

There was no coming back from that and it would be unending torture. Mene's brothers loved nothing but their sister, their wife, and their children. They were not good gods, exceedingly cruel and there was a savage moment of happiness at the thought that Brice would be given to them. He deserved nothing less.

Her fingers touched my mark and she made a small sound of longing. "I wanted to bear his mark, to have his children. We wanted eight." The longing and pain in her voice was nearly more than I could bear. I wanted her to smile again.

"Only eight?" I put a bit of teasing into my voice before I turned my head to look at her.

"A small family." She lifted hers off of my shoulder, her eyes crinkling with that smile I wanted. It had sad edges and didn't light up her eyes but it was still a smile.

"That is a very small family. Mother demands at least ten." I chuckled and she gave a very faint echo of the sound before her eyes landed on my mark again.

"Is that how many you are going to have with Lace?" She looked at me and I wiped at her cheeks, taking the tears away. She leaned into my touch, seeking the comfort I was providing. I would want as many children as Lace was willing to give me. Now it was a possibility that she could actually have my children. I hadn't thought that would have been a current reality over a week ago. I was simply focusing on getting across the chasm between us. Then Lace had yanked me the rest of the way across, claiming she owned me now. I saw nothing wrong with that because I knew that I owned her as well. We belonged to one another, as mates normally did.

"We are half way there already. Ten doesn't seem so far away." Five children already, another five would work for me. I wanted a big family like the one I had grown up in.

"Says the person who won't be giving birth." Caeda shoved lightly at my chin before she looked at her hands in her lap. "Sometimes when someone calls my name all I hear is him calling for me." I covered her hands with one of my own.

"He loved you deeply and you loved him just as much. His death will always leave a mark on your soul, a slight ache but its okay." Feeling that pain would always be okay. It was natural and honest. We had to listen to what our emotions and our bodies told us.

"I know." She sniffled and wiped her nose with her arm.

"Caeda?" Aiden's voice entered the room and I could hear him give a sigh of relief. "There you are. I was looking for you." He moved over and kissed her cheek, wrapping her arms around her from behind, giving her a hug.

"We are moving Caden today. You want to help? He's been asking for his aunty." At the softly spoken words she nodded before bursting into tears. I kissed her cheek and gave her one more hug before I helped Aiden lift her off of my lap. She leaned against her twin heavily as he lead her from the room. I finished off my drink and got out of the chair, following them.

Lace was going to stay and help get Caden's part of the room finished and ready for him with the help of the other kids. They were excited that he was coming home. After spending so many years together, being separated was hard for them. Caden especially. He was my sensitive little boy and the entire situation was very hard on him. He was in a strange room, dealing with strange people, and he was in pain. It was best that he came into a more comfortable situation, it would help him heal faster and keep his mood more positive.

I walked through the halls towards the door. I was joined by almost the rest of the family. We always rallied around one of our own. Caden was their family, blood or not. My mother moved to be beside Caeda, grasping her hand and kissing the back of it softly. Mason wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He poked at a red mark on my collarbone.

"She's a little vicious." His tone was teasing and I smirked.

"She's Lace." I liked her marks, I could feel the affection she had when she gave me one. I would take her affection because it was all that I could currently get and I was more content with that.

"You like being a chew toy?" He poked my cheek and I grinned.

"You don't?"

"Gross. I don't want to hear about that." He made a sound of disgust as he pulled his arm away and I chuckled. He had brought that upon himself.

We made it outside and into the infirmary. Most of the injured pack members had been healed and were back to their normal routines. Caden was one of the only ones that was left in the building. We made our way to his room and he turned his head, his forlorn expression brightening when he saw my mother and Caeda.

"Aunty Cay! Granny!" The happiness in his slightly slurred voice gave me a light feeling of happiness in my chest, despite the big bandage on his cheek and ear. Caeda made her way to his bed and smoothed his hair back.

"Hey, little man. How are you feeling?" She sat on the edge of the cot and he gave her a lazy smile. I could smell the pain killers they had given him. He needed them, a wound like that would pain him greatly otherwise.

"Funny." He made a face and there were numerous chuckles through us all and even Caeda gave a shallow one.

"You're feeling funny?" She tapped his nose and I moved further into the room.

"Yah." His eyes caught sight of me and he beamed, reaching out for me, his hand opening and closing. "Papa!" My smile was just as wide as his as I came over to his bedside

"Hey there big guy." I kissed his forehead and he grabbed my face, his nails lightly scratching my cheeks.

"You look funny." He giggled and I rubbed my nose against his. His scent was all wrong, he smelled more chemical than natural but I knew it was only temporary.

"Why do I look funny?"

"No hair." He pretended to pull on my now gone beard hair and I laughed loudly.

"Hey, we are going to take you to your new room. Does that sound like fun?" I smoothed his hair back but he frowned, ignoring me as his gaze searched the crowd.

"Where's mama?" He sounded distressed and I shushed him gently.

"She's getting your room ready. Eli, Lander, and Graham are very excited to see you." I didn't need him to be overly upset. We didn't like the feeling it gave us to see him distressed.

"Ninah?" His voice trembled with the tears that had filled his eyes and I nodded, stroking his forehead with my thumb.

"The most excited." Whatever made him happy and brought him comfort.

"I'm tired." He yawned as if to punctuate the statement and I kissed his forehead, ruffling his hair lightly.

"Then you sleep. When you wake up you will be in your room." I doubted he heard my words as his eyes closed. Caeda reached over and stroked his cheek.

"Such a brave boy." Her voice faltered and Aiden came over, wrapping his arms around her. She leaned her head against his chest, holding onto him. They had always been close so it was no surprise that her rock would be Aiden. Twins shared a special bond that went beyond simple words.

"Alright." The doctor came into the room with a large smile. "We all ready?" There were a chorus of yes's and I gave a small nod.

"He is in good shape, the wounds are healing nicely. His counts are all normal. He doesn't have an infection. I will assign Bettina to him, basically to do his dressings, to keep everything clean, and to give him his drugs." He read it off a chart and smiled at me. "Must feel good to have him come home." I couldn't argue with that and so I nodded.

"As for the rest of you. We have a carry stretcher and we are going to need two people to carry it. I and Alpha Azrael will move him over to the stretcher and someone needs to hold his drip." He looked at Caeda, a soft look entering his eyes. "What about you?" She gave a shaky nod and I appreciated him giving her a task to focus on.

We all moved to the assigned spots as the doctor disconnected him from the heart monitor and the various other devices. I grabbed the bottom edges of Caden's sheets as the doctor grabbed the top. We counted and on three we easily moved him onto the stretcher. Caeda held his IV bag up and stuck close to Mason, seeking out his strength and comfort as he and Markus carried the stretcher from the room. I patted the doctor on the back before squeezing his shoulder.

"Thank you. For all you did for him." There were no words great enough to describe what the man had done for us.

"He's got a fighting spirit. I just helped that along." He patted my shoulder before adjusting his stethoscope around his neck.

"He does but still, thank you. Lace really does appreciate what you did." Her feelings towards the doctor had changed drastically after what happened. He had worked tirelessly to make sure Caden would be okay. The healers helped him cling to life but the doctor made sure he would survive.

"As long as what she is feeling towards me isn't wanting to rip my face off, I am happy." He gave me a wry smile and I chuckled. He had a point. I said my goodbyes and I left the room, heading out into the courtyard.

I could see everyone else heading towards the fort but my eyes were drawn to the beat up green jeep that pulled in through the gate. A smile spread across my face as it parked next to the humvees. I walked over right as Bennett got out of the driver's side and quickly moved around to the passenger side.

"Bennett, sweety, I just had a baby, I'm not dying." There was a teasing reprimand to Mari's soft voice as he held the door open and lifted her out of the seat.

"You should be at home recovering." He sounded worried and to a point I was too. Mari had Jackson five days ago and the moment she had heard what had happened she had demanded to come to the mountain. She was the first outsider to enter the territory and not be related to anyone or to be a potential mate for someone. It was a big deal and most of the pack was excited to meet the people that I had allowed into our inner territory.

"I'm a shifter. I'm fine." She sounded almost amused at the large male who was treating her like spun glass as she waved him off. I moved closer and Bennett hovered around Maricella as she smiled at me. She truly did look tired and probably should have been at least resting. Newborns were difficult at times.

"Hey. How are you holding up?" Concern radiated off of her and I gave a small nod. Bennett pulled open the back door and leaned across the seat.

"As best as I can be." There were a lot of things going on and it would take a while before everything was sorted out and I could deal with it all. She moved closer, grabbing my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"That's good." She was such a sweet shifter. I doubted there was a harsh bone in her body. "And Lace?" Her concern grew and I could see the affection she held for Lace in her eyes. She was so invested in my small mate.

"She is feeling very anxious. A lot is going on for her right now and she doesn't know how to process it." That was an understatement and I could already feel her anxiety and agitation rising. I could only imagine that they had brought Caden into the room. Too many people in her space and around her vulnerable pup. I was just happy that she wasn't feeling as heavy with her emotions. Letting go of that grief had done her much good.

"She's trying too?" So much worry but I nodded, attempting to ease her fears.

"Of course." Lace would always try and she would push and push until she succeeded. Bennett emerged from the vehicle with a small bundle wrapped in purple. Mari made a content sound in her throat as she waved him over.

"Azrael, this is little Jacky." She pulled the purple blanket away from his face and I grinned. He was down right adorable. He was small but far too cute with his upturned nose and his slightly pudgy cheeks.

"He is lovely. You two should be proud." They should have been. All new parents deserved to feel pride in what they had created. Every child was a masterpiece.

"We are terrified. I mean he is so small and precious." Her words were filled with love as she pressed a kiss to his softly rounded cheek. Bennett looked a little scared holding him and when he went to hand him over, Maricella shook her head. "You have to learn its okay to hold him and that you won't hurt him." She squeezed his forearm and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Come on, lets get you guys inside." I gestured them to follow me and lead them towards the fort. A few pack members waved at me, calling out greetings that I returned. I was happy that Maricella had decided to come. I remembered how Lace liked her presence. I hoped that it would help with some of her anxiety to have a friend close and Mari was as close to a friend as Lace had.

"So how is... Cade?" Mari sounded like she winced on the name, a bit ashamed that she had forgotten his name. I didn't mind. She hadn't really known about the kids. All of our conversations had been simply us talking about Lace and her progress and virtually nothing else.

"That's close. Its Caden." I threw a smile over my shoulder at her to reassure her. "And he is doing better. Still not healed but he was able to leave the infirmary today. Still stuck on bed rest and still pretty drugged up but he is healthy." That was all that mattered. He was alive and he was healing. I pulled open the door to the fort and held it open for them as they entered. Mari looked around with nervous interest, sticking right next to Bennett.

"That's good." She gave me a small smile and I nodded.

"All the kids are doing good." Which was a relief. Although Lace and I really had to watch Eli because he had a tendency of trying to take off his bandage and scratch at his wounds.

"You said you had four?" Her eyes brightened at the question and I shut the front door gently as Bennett stepped inside.

"Five." It was a fair amount for a lowlander family, considered large in their culture. It was small for us.

"Sorry. I normally don't forget these things." She looked highly embarrassed as she mumbled the words. I reached out and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Well there are five of them and I just told you about them a few days ago so its okay to forget." It was more than okay for her. "Let's get you to the study. Lace will be down shortly." I gestured down the hall before stepping in front of them to lead them to the family study. I would have taken them to the office but that seemed a bit too formal. The family study was a lived in and comfortable room. I knew Mari would feel more at ease in it.

Lace, can you come to the downstairs study? I waited for an answer but with her she had a tendency of shutting off all of the connections. She found the pack to be too noisy. I had been a bit saddened until I she had told me that with her closer connection to her wolf, she heard everyone's chatter. It was in her wolf to be able to see all the communication within a pack, except it had translated into all of it being inside Lace's mind at all times. It gave her headaches so I understood her shutting things down.

Mason, can you send Lace to the study? It was the next best thing I could do to get a hold of her.

I can do that for you. There was a faint pause and I could feel a faint opening within my mind.

Why do you need me? Caden is getting settled and I want to be here when he wakes up. There was a hard tone to her voice and I sighed, opening the door to the study for Mari and Bennett to walk through.

Caden is going to be asleep for a few hours. I just want you to come down for a bit. Relax and decompress. She needed it more than anyone I knew. She was had been high-strung before but now it was so much worse.

I don't need to relax. Her snappish tone told me how much of a lie that was. She was getting too agitated and stressed out.

Lace, please. I just needed her to get into the room and then she would understand. Mari was sitting beside Bennett, cooing at her baby.

I don't listen to begging.

I will come and get you. I would. Throw her over my shoulder and cart her to the study if I had too.

Don't flatter yourself. She sent a scoff and the image of her flipping me on the training field as I tried to grab her. I retaliated by sending her a picture of my hand landing on her ass with a loud crack as I pinned her down on the bed. The memory was a fond one for me. There was a bit of silence from her end that had my heart slowly climbing up into my throat. Is that a promise? There was a bit of intrigued interest to her voice and I fought back a groan and tried to stop my body from having an embarrassing moment in front of the two visiting shifters.

If it gets you to the study, then yes. There was a pause and then the connection shut off, her mind shutting everyone out. I moved towards the bookshelf and grabbed the gift that my mother had made when she learned that Maricella was coming. Anyone I viewed as family my mother treated as such. I moved towards the couch and held it out.

"Its from Granny." I waved the small box and Mari gave me a confused look at the name. I gave a low chuckle. "That is what my mother insists to be called by Jackson." Mari grinned broadly and opened the gift. It was a soft knitted cap with matching gloves. My mother had made them from the softest fibre she could find and they were a deep green. At the bottom I had placed my own little gift in it. It was necklace with a small bit of black tourmaline. Mari pulled it out and looked up at me, the question not needing to be asked.

"Its black tourmaline. Its a highly protective stone that cleanses energies. We don't find it often in the mines but I figured you would like it for little Jackson." I watched as her chin trembled and she gave me a watery sounding thank you. Bennett kissed her temple.

"Let's put it on his blanket." He stroked her curls and she nodded and quickly tied the necklace chain in the purple blanket, going through a small eyelet that was on the corner. She kissed Jackson's nose, stroking his face. She looked up at me and pointed to my neck with a faint look of concern as she stood up from the couch, setting the gift down.

"Did you have a rough training session?" She brushed my hair back from my neck and gave a surprised gasp. Her hands covering her mouth as her eyes widened in realization. I raised an eyebrow but smiled at her as she gave a giddy body wiggle. "She marked you! Bennett, Bennett! She marked him!" She waved her hand at him and he simply smiled at her antics.

The door opened and I glanced over. It took Lace all of half a second to place the scent and that had her eyes snapping from me to Mari who was still wiggling excitedly. She stiffened slightly. I could feel her shock and surprise before she relaxed, a smile tugging at her mouth.

"Little wolf." There was an almost clear note of affection in her voice and Mari froze, the broad grin still on her face as she bolted towards Lace, hugging her tightly. Much to Lace's surprise.

"I can't believe it! You marked him! That is awesome! Did he mark you?" She looked at Lace's neck and gave a small squeal of excitement as she did a small happy dance. Her joy was infectious and Lace's mouth twitched upwards in a half smile and I found a broad grin on my own face.

"Careful too much movement isn't good." Lace's voice was stern and her gaze fell to Mari's belly and her expression paled. Mari must have caught it and she grabbed Lace's hand.

"Come! Come meet him!" She yanked Lace towards the couch and sat beside her mate, gently taking Jackson from Bennett's arms. "This is Jackson Ridley Aldridge. Little Jacky, meet Aunty Lace." Mari looked up at Lace almost like she was seeking Lace's approval. Lace's hand didn't shake as she reached out and smoothed the backs of her fingers down the boy's cheek. I felt pride fill me at it. She had come so far since the first time I had seen her. Being around those little lives didn't hurt her anymore and that was so important for her.

"He's beautiful." At the words Mari's eyes filled with tears as she leaned against Bennett, watching Lace. I could only feel contentment radiating from her as she pulled one of his little hands from his blankets. Her eyes widened slightly as she moved the blanket and exposed a soft looking white hide. Mari gave a watery smile.

"He hasn't slept without it." It was softly said and Lace blinked rapidly before giving Mari a look of almost childlike confusion.

"Why?"

"Because it was a gift from his aunty and a dear friend of his mum's." Mari's smile grew as Lace sat beside her. I watched, a lump in my throat as Lace's arm went around Mari's shoulder tentatively and she kissed Mari's temple softly before Lace pressed her forehead to the spot she kissed. "What was that for?" Mari's voice trembled and I could see Lace's hand squeeze her arm gently.

"Because you are my friend." At the word tears burned my eyes. There were no words that would adequately express the progress that Lace had made in the past five months. There was nothing that could ever encompass the pride that I felt for her. Mari leaned her head against Lace's and I watched as both females had tears leak from their eyes as they touched little Jackson's hands. Lace kissed Mari's temple once more, stroking her hair gently.

Because you are my friend.

The words moved through my head from hers, her mind opening up just a fraction and I smiled once more. She was getting better and that was all that mattered in this moment. She was getting better.