"When all else fails we have each other Drake, we have our family, and I think that should be enough, for us and our kids." I exclaimed sitting next to him, his balded fists were a sign that he was trying to contain his anger and not lash out. "We, —I needed him to do better by me, and he didn't, what kind of father would ask that I destroy another person's life in such a way, I could never do that." His response came through clenched teeth, he was fighting himself, and all I could do was hold his hand through it.

"I know, and I'm glad you didn't go through with it, taking a life changes you and not in a good way, it stays with you, Hugh still struggles with his past at times." I comfort him and he snorts. "I doubt he wouldn't do it all over again if any of his family were in danger." Drake answers with a snicker, I knew talking was helping him and I sighed slowly.

"Family is everything to him, his husbands are his limbs and the rest of us according to him are his world, he would do anything for us, even for you." I expressed sweetly,caressing his cheek and wiping away the tears. "Your brothers are many things, Hugh especially, a man to protect me, not really, he's made it clear before, he doesn't like me but he's civil because you love me, so with that logic, its fair to say he's only there for us because of you." Drake asserts in a sad tone that I couldn't really decipher, yet I knew where this was coming from.

"I think you need to stop thinking about this too much, we are here, we are safe, you love us, and that's enough and I'm glad that you come back home to us each day." I assured him again, as finally the raging emotions in him vanished, and he nodded vigorously. "I love you." He whispered pulling me in for a hug that I wholly reciprocated. "I love you too." I reply holding on to the man I loved with everything that I was.

"Dad, pops, uncle Mel is here!" Klein yells speeding down the stairs from his room. "Klein no running!" I yelled instantly just as the door to my house opened. "Ceres baby I'm here!" The sound of his voice caused a smile to break out on my face, there was nothing more exciting than meeting Mel, he was every bit intoxicating. "Hey, hey —don't forget I'm here too shorty, Ceres where the hell are you!" Peyton, only Peyton could call Mel shorty, yell above Mel and pretty much take over the show and not even in a mild manner, he was unapologetically there.

"There you are!" My two brothers yelled in unison and I braced myself for the most warm hug they could give, they were family, and all my worries disappeared when they were here. "Hey weirdo you doing ok, you ain't looking so hot." Peyton immediately takes a jab at Drake but still gives him a hug, I guess that was his civil way of accepting Drake, I would take it for now.

Ceres Beau

"Honestly I'm glad he's gone, finally I can stop pretending to like him." That statement alone had me gasping. "What, Peyton I thought you liked him for real." I exclaimed flailing my hands. "Uh, no we only pretended to like him so that Kol, Hugh and big baddy Tyrell wouldn't turn him into that magic trick where the assistant just vanishes completely without a trace." Peyton's answer was a shock to my system, they never  liked Will.

After I had gotten home, I'd already found them at the house, Hugh and Kol surprisingly were playing with Lola, whilst Tyrell was in the game room with the rest of the kids playing lord knows what, it seemed they were already planning on coming and staying for a few days. I had no problem with that at all, my house was big enough for it.

So despite my urgency in wanting to tell Tyrell and the rest of the family about Drake's father and the messiness between Deklan and my former father in law who was actually his father, I put it on the back burner and just enjoyed being around these people who loved me unlike anyone else, they were my whole world.

"So tell me, how you got this glow up?" Mel questioned gesturing to me with his hand but all I could do was try my best to hide my blush. "Oh I know, his name is Gavin Price, really fit man, Tyrell told me about him last week over tea at Marnes." Peyton answered immediately and both Mel and I's jaws were on the floor. "Are you two back to tea talk again, and didn't invite me." Mel accused and it caused me to chuckle at how dramatic he was being.

"Hey we didn't plan it, sort of." Peyton was not doing anything to salavage this. "Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself, was Ceres's new sugar daddy the tea or you actually were having tea, spill Peyton." Mel narrowed his eyes on Peyton who was a deer caught in headlights, I just sipped on my wine whilst checking the food we were cooking.

"Nah, we went on a whole home run babe, Gavin was just the tip of an iceberg." Tyrell out of nowhere answers, grabs several fruits from the kitchen, places a kiss on Mel, high fives me and fist bumps Peyton as if it was some sort of solidarity thing for their little gossip club, I was completely in shambles on the inside, well in a good way because I was trying hard not to laugh at Mel's flabbergasted look, yet all the wheezing I was doing caused my brothers to just join in as we all blew up into a fit of laughter.

"I did not see that coming, my own husband, paying true homage to gossip girl." Mel laughed as I finally fell to the floor wheezing and laughing, I pulled him down with me and he grabbed Peyton, so we all were rolling on the heated floor like idiots. Somehow if felt as if this was what I needed, for a very long time I needed to be myself, to laugh unhibited, and fully knowing and trusting in the fact that I was loved.

"Never would I have thought Tyrell would be the one, I thought it would be Hugh who would be your partner in gossip Peyton." I exclaimed and he gave me a sassy eyeroll. "Please, Tyrell always has good tea." As Peyton answered the doorbell rang and I immediately went to go answer but Kol beat me to it. "Who are you?" He demanded and if you didn't know Kol well enough you would think he was being rude, but that was just who he was, face of an angel, scary as hell, yet that combination was what made him unique and besides he was the biggest softie I knew.

"Uh, you're him—." The voice sounded familiar as I walked toward the door. "Are you going to answer or what?" Kol questioned again. "Yeah, we're here for Ceres, I'm —." Before the man answered I slid in next to Kol who put his arm over my shoulder protectively. "Ceres hey!" The woman I knew immediately moved toward me and I opened my arms to hug her. "Grace you're here, goodness, how are you here?" I questioned, separating from her just a little and we hugged again.

She was Gavin's older sister, and one of my good friends. "Gavin called us for breakfast at our dad's, things didn't go so hot, so he suggested we visit you, plus drop off the car." She explained and it made sense.  Kol clears his throat and I smile in embarrassment. "Sorry, sorry, this is Kol, my brother." I introduce the big oaf who offers a dashing smile as if he wasn't just intimidating these people earlier. "Please come in, we taught Ceres manners but it seems he forgot them." Kol jabbed at me and I went to protest. "Hey I was just surprised." I protest and he just laughs.

"Ceres, this is my brother Glenn who seems rather enchanted by your brother right in this moment, my sons, Noah and Stan, you know these two." Grace introduces as the boys immediately hug me. "I've missed you guys too." I laugh as we separated. "Your brother is Kol Tempest, so cool." Glenn mumbled, awestruck by Kol and I chuckled as realization finally hit Glenn and he blushed like a school girl.

"Sorry, you don't get to meet thee Kol Tempest like this." He apologizes and I wave him off. "Its okay, most people are smitten with my whole family, everyone we have guests." I called out the last part of my statement as the kids, well my kids rushed to Noah and Stan, they were cousins after all. "Glenn, Grace, this is Hugh, you already know Tyrell, and Kol, thats Mel he's married to Hugh and Tyrell, last but never ever least—." I paused. "You got that right." Peyton sassed. "Peyton, Kol's husband, guys these are Gavin's siblings, be nice." I exclaimed and I just waited for a second or two.

"Hey man, welcome to the family." Hugh acknowledged and that's all the assurance I needed to know that we were off to a great evening. I was glad my family had accepted Gavin's, it was too early to tell how they would fare as inlaws but I had hope that they would do alright.

"Are you fake liking them again?" I questioned Peyton in a whisper after Glenn had been dragged of by the trio of scary men and Grace was with us in the kitchen already with wine in hand and laughing with Mel. "No, not this time, listen, Drake was bad news ever since you met him and subsequently us but Gavin, he is different, and besides Mel does not like anybody right off the bat but look at him laughing with Grace, that's all the assurance you need, I'm sure this time around, we're in good hands." Peyton's assurance hit deep and I appreciated it.

"Wait, did you say we are in good hands?" I asked as we joined the others. "Of course, don't you know anything by now, when a man dates you, they are practically dating all of us, we are a package deal." Peyton sassily retorted and all I could do was facepalm, I was given a lot when it came to family but I loved them for it.

Something About Home

Saint Jay