Birds chirped outside our window, clouds rolled gently across the sky. It was a beautiful morning, serene and perfect. 

Lying beneath a thin sheet, nestled against Marc's chest, I allowed day-dreams to roam. I was safe in his embrace, ready to face the day no matter what anyone decided to throw at us. 

He stirred awake, meeting my gaze with those eyes I once thought were cold. The chill had vanished, consumed by everything I felt for this man. The transformation was absolute. One step at a time, he'd showed me that love was far from dangerous. Love was what we all lived for; it allowed us to brave the next step in our lives; it helped us to breathe when the air seemed too thin. 

The door swung open. "Daddy, Ethan!" Tilia sprinted across the floor and jumped into the bed. Her smile shone like a second sun as she crawled across the sheets and made herself a spot between us. 

I smiled until I realized that I had no underwear. Talk about awkward. Marc looked at me as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. However, he didn't offer any help. 

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes. But you slept so long. I'm hungry." The added whine in her voice was of the sweet rather than annoying kind. I checked the time and saw that she was right. It was definitely late for her. 

"I'll make us something," Marc said, starting to rise from the bed. He leaned over and pulled something out of his drawers. 

Of course, I thought, he was prepared with clothes close at hand. This must happen to him constantly if he liked to sleep in the nude. 

"And Tilia, we have guests, so no loud noises," he added. 

A frown settled on her forehead. "Who?"

"One friend of Ethan's, and one friend of mine."

She turned to me, still frowning. "Who is your friend?"

"His name is Jace."

"Does he like to play?" The seriousness in her voice could have earned her a spot in the Spanish Inquisition.

I chuckled, knowing that she wanted someone to play with her. I very much doubted that Jace would agree to play with Tilia's lego, though. Perhaps he would sit down and draw with her, or play a game, but I didn't want her to see much of him today if he was coming off his high. 

"Maybe not today, angel." 

She beamed. "Then maybe another day." That's how simple the world was to a young child. I loved her outlook on life and wished that I could somehow tap into that simplicity. 

Marc slipped on a t-shirt. "See you downstairs." He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss, right there in front of his daughter. It shook my entire body. He was serious about this--as serious as someone could ever be. 

I must have looked shocked because he laughed and kissed me again. "She's not stupid, you know."

Checking her reaction proved him right, she wasn't surprised in the least. She was tapping her foot on the floor, a gesture she must have learned from Marc, or maybe she learned it from me, I wasn't sure. 

------

Jace and Drew appeared when the rest of us had finished our late breakfast. Jace's skin held a gray quality that I remembered all too well from those first days at St. Mary's. It wasn't a pretty sight, nor was it a nice feeling. Drew seemed more than willing to take care of Jace, though, so we left them alone. 

I had questions, but they could wait. Or, maybe they weren't questions; rather, I wanted to know what had happened out of concern. If he wanted to keep that secret, I had no intention of hounding him for information. He was here, and that was the important part. How he got tangled in Sam's mess was none of my business. 

Marc left for the club, leaving me with Tilia and the others. I can't say it was the ideal situation, but I hoped Drew would help me if anything happened with Jace. Considering his state, he could lash out any second. Withdrawal wasn't easy to handle, and neither Drew or I knew what kind of drugs they'd given Jace. 

Sitting in a warm coat outside, Jace smoked cigarette after cigarette as if that would help. I had a feeling he mostly sat outside to get away from Tilia's bubbly demeanor. Like most children, she kept talking whenever she had something to say. It wasn't a bad trait, and certainly not one I would fault a child for, but I could feel with Jace. During withdrawals, everything was a nuisance. 

Drew sat down beside me, playing with a lighter of all things. "So, you're Matthews' submissive. Should have known he had someone steady since he's been gone from the scene." 

The simple statement seemed to hold a deeper question, and I wondered if I was ready to answer. Marc and I had barely started to explore together. In fact, I feared that he would tire of me since I wasn't what he needed. 

"I guess so," I said after a while. 

"You don't sound so sure." 

I scowled. Hadn't Marc told this guy to cut it out yesterday. "It's none of your business." 

He chuckled. "You've got some fire in you. I'm sure Matthews loves that." 

Those words didn't deserve an answer. 

He continued to play around with his lighter, moving the flame close to his skin. I wondered if he liked that type of play and got slightly uncomfortable. Maybe I wasn't cut out for being a submissive if I was scared of pain. 

I sighed. Perhaps it would be better if Marc had stayed with his former submissive, then, at least, he would get that part of his life fulfilled. 

Tilia came dashing through the room, dissolving my thoughts in an instant. "Ethan, I wanna make cookies." The pure happiness in her smile urged me to say yes. Besides, making cookies would help us pass the time until Marc got back. Also, I didn't mind giving some cookies to Jace. He needed something to look forward to. Drew, on the other hand, deserved nothing of the sort. Or maybe he did. He'd taken care of Jace after all, even if I wondered at his intentions. 

"Ethan?" she asked. 

I got rid of the excess thoughts and ruffled her hair. "Sure, we should definitely make cookies. I'm sure Jace wants some as well." 

"What about me?" Drew said, arching an eyebrow. 

Tilia studied him carefully. "You're Daddy's friend."

"Yes, that's right."

"Then you can have cookies with Daddy."

I realized right away that I should teach her to be generous, meaning that Drew would have to get some cookies after all.

"Angel, I think Drew deserves some cookies too. Sharing is caring." 

A smile tugged at Drew's lips, and I wondered if he might be alright, after all. When he didn't have that grim crease between his eyebrows, he seemed a lot nicer. 

------

Around the time I got the cookies out of the oven, the front door opened.

"Daddy!" Tilia ran off into the hallway. I peered out of the kitchen, warming from inside out as I caught sight of Marc removing his coat--Tilia clinging to his leg. 

"Have you behaved, sweetheart?" he asked. 

She nodded vigorously. "I made cookies." 

He kissed her forehead. "You sure Ethan didn't make the cookies?" 

"He helped." 

Marc shook his head at her antics, meeting my gaze. "Never thought I'd see you in an apron." 

Mortified, I threw it off. "Never happened." 

He laughed and came closer, leaning in to give me a quick peck with his soft lips. "Nothing beats coming home to my boyfriend, my daughter, and cookies."

More warmth pulsed around in my body. When he dropped sentences like that, I had no doubts, no fears. Even weird comments from Drew didn't matter. What Marc and I had together didn't have to be defined according to a set of rules. 

We had each other, and that was enough. 

Marc smiled. "Looks like a cookie feast. Definitely a good way to celebrate a successful nightly operation."

Drew nodded just as Jace appeared from the guestroom. The dark circles beneath his eyes stood in stark contrast to his pallid skin. "I need a hit," he said, barely able to stand without support from the wall. 

I didn't have time to say anything until Drew took matters in hand, leading Jace back into the room. The door closed with a distinct click, and I dropped the enthusiasm for the cookies. Successful as the night may have been, Jace still had a long way to go. 

"Ethan," Marc said close to my hear, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes." 

"Let Drew handle this for tonight. Let him take care of Jace, and let me take care of you." 

I leaned my head against his shoulder, trying my best to let go of the guilt that soared within me. I repeated again and again that Jace made his own choices. I got him out of there, and if I tried to help him, we might end up back where we started--at least if we allowed no one else to guide us through this mess. 

Leaning even closer, I touched his neck with my lips, placing soft kisses on skin that tasted familiar. 

"You want to take care of me?" I asked, thinking of all the ways he'd taken care of me last night. 

His careful chuckles traveled from his chest into mine. "Very much." 

"Good, because I have every intention of taking care of you as well." 

"Perfect." 

One last touch of my lips against his. "Let's have cookies." 

"Great idea." 

  I smiled, wondering what I had done to deserve this man. He was everything I could have asked for, everything and more. So much more.  

A/N I know that I haven't updated in ages. Thank you for being patient. I think I see one or two more chapters, then I'll say goodbye to this novel :)