Micah

 I shift slightly in the recliner as I glance at the clock on the nightstand, the red numbers glow in the dark room and I run a tired hand over my face. It's three am and I have yet to go to sleep. In the custom made cot one of the twins stirs slightly and I turn my head as I listen, I am rewarded by the soft sound of sucking and get to my feet. Malachi has the habit of sucking his tongue for a minute or two as he wakes for his next feed. I look at Rosy where she is asleep in our bed before I reach out and touch the lamp near me making it turn on to the lowest setting that gave out a soft glow.

"Rosy," I say softly as I get to my feet and walk to the cot as quietly as I can.

"Hmmm," Rosy murmurs. She is already easing herself into position to hold Malachi and feed him.

"Couldn't sleep?" Rosy asks softly as she gets our son settled and feeding. I am busy lifting Taylor up, she is already awake and waiting patiently for her feed. I sit on the edge of the bed holding Taylor while I watch my wife feeding our son, Taylor has her face turned towards her mother with her clenched fist against her mouth and a soft sucking sound comes from her as she sucks her fist.

When Malachi has fallen asleep Rosy places him on the bed and I pass Taylor to her before reaching for Malachi. I lift him up to my shoulder and pat his back to burp him as I carry him to the changing table. I am rewarded with a burp and when there is no more I place the sleeping kitt on the table and change his diaper with practiced ease.

"He didn't even stir," I tell Rosy as I place him back in the cot.

"Your son always drinks his fill before falling asleep," Rosy says. I can see the soft smile on her face and hear it in her voice as I wait patiently for Taylor to finish. When Rosy hands me the sleeping kitt I try for a burp but she is curled up against my chest and there is no resulting burp. With a clean, dry diaper Taylor is ready to finish her feed and I hand her back to her mother. I turn my head at the soft patter of little feet and smile at the sight of Kali walking into the bedroom, she goes straight to the end of the bed and climbs up before crawling up the bed to snuggle into Rosy's side. When Taylor is finished feeding I lift her into my arms and take her over to place her in the cot with her twin brother. I watch as the two of them cuddle into each other before I pull the covers over both of them and tuck it firmly around them.

When I turn around I am not surprised to see Kali in Rosy's arms as she snuggles close to sneak a turn at nursing

 "Are you sure you should be letting her nurse?" I ask quietly.

"She doesn't really drink," Rosy says. "It's more for comfort than anything else,".

I can only watch as Rosy strokes a hand over Kali's dark curls letting the dark strands curl around her fingers before easing her hand away then stroking her fingertips across Kali's cheek. Kali's eyes flutter open and I feel a tightness in my chest and a fullness in my stomach as Kali looks up at her mother.

I am a silent bystander watching these special moments between mother and child. I see Kali's lips curve in a smile and the answering smile on Rosy's face, small fingers lift to curl around Rosy's fingers and I find myself blinking back tears at the rightness of the sight. Rosy and Kali are oblivious to my presence and I leave the room silently.

In the sleepout Terry, Dacey, Wynn and Kyle are asleep cuddled up on two mattresses pushed together. Not far from them Steven, Mikkarl and Lana are on separate mattresses. Steven lifts his head even though I am making no noise. He gets up and follows me as I head out towards the lounge room and kitchen.

"Can't sleep?" Steven asks in little more than a whisper as I open the pantry and reach for a bottle of whiskey. I glance at him but make no attempt to answer him as I put the bottle on the bench before getting two glasses from the draining tray on the sink.

" We need to get up in two hours," Steven says.

I glance at the time displayed on the microwave, hesitate a moment then pour two double shots of whiskey before putting the bottle back in the pantry. I mean to toss the whiskey back in one gulp but find myself sipping the liquid to feel the slow burn of it down into my stomach, I take my time finishing the drink before rinsing the glass. Steven must have followed my example because he finishes his drink just after me and we both place the glasses in the sink before heading back to our beds.

"You going to come to bed?" Rosy asks softly.

I glance her way in surprise, she is curled up in bed with Kali who is asleep. I hesitate a moment and Rosy sits up, one hand lifting to push her fringe back off her forehead.

"Put Kali in the cot with the twins and come to bed," Rosy says quietly.

I hesitate a moment before lifting the sleeping toddler and turning to the cot, I eye the occupying twins for a moment before placing Kali across the bottom of the cot near their feet and pulling a blanket over her. Rosy is waiting for me as I sit on the edge of the bed before stretching out beside her. She instantly cuddles against my side and hooks a thigh over mine, I roll into her body and enjoy the feel of her hands sliding over my ribs as she puts her arm around me.

"I love you," I murmur against her hair as I hold her close.

"I kept waiting to fall in love with you," Rosy murmurs against my shoulder before leaning away from me so she can look into my face. " I kept waiting for it to hit me, for that moment I realised what I felt was love. And each time I saw you while I was waiting this warmth filled me and I felt safe. I didn't wake up with this need to go looking for something I couldn't remember, even when I couldn't remember. I was happy, I was content, and I was ... complete. I was waiting for it to hit me with this big bang, a big sudden reveal ... then one morning I without any great difference I realised this is love. No great fanfare just the knowledge I loved you and you loved me and, well, I think I fell in love with you all over again when you told me ... 'You don't get to walk back in here like nothing happened! You don't have that right!' or maybe somewhere in my damaged mind there was this me that was still so in love with you and it was that part of me was what had kept me alive when that car hit me."

Rosy's lips are soft against mine, her kisses feather light as she brushes them against my lips, my cheeks and jaw line before she buries her face against my neck, her lips against my pulse.

"I am so in love with you Micah, sometimes I can't tell where I finish and where 'we' begin," Rosy murmurs against my pulse. "I know I don't say it often enough. I love you Micah Williamson."

Rosy

 I am alone in bed when I wake, I have a faint awareness that Kali had woken and Micah had gotten out of bed to take her out to the lounge room to let the twins and I sleep longer. I listen intently for a few moments and hear the telltale sounds that Malachi is awake, I get out of bed and scoop up my youngest son before returning to bed to feed him. As soon as I have him fed, changed and ready to go back to sleep Taylor starts to make the faint sounds that signify she is waking for a feed.

"All you pair do is drink, poop, cry and sleep at this stage hey," I murmur softly when I am able to put a now content second twin in the cot. I double check that both twins are sleep before switching on the baby monitor and carrying its mate out to the lounge room where I find all of the children awake and playing under the watchful eyes of Micah, Steven and Mikkarl.

"I'm going to go do half an hour or so on a treadmill," I tell Micah as I hand the baby monitor to him.

"Want someone to go with you?" Steven asks. He glances towards Mikkarl who is playing with his nephew and avoiding my eyes.

"There's warriors out patrolling isn't there?" I query.

"Double patrols," Micah admits.

 "I'd prefer some time to myself," I admit reluctantly.

There is a few uncomfortable moments as Micah gives a tense shrug as he looks away, I hesitate a few seconds before heading out the hallway. Outside is cool and the sky is just starting to lighten in the east with the first hint of light in the pre dawn. I turn and head towards the large shed where the exercise and work out equipment is kept. As I go I glance around the area as I listen to the predawn sounds. A light is on in the main house, its soft glow showing on the ground below a window towards the rear of the building. As I approach the shed I can hear a rhythmic sound and soft grunts of effort, I pause just outside the door that stands ajar as I listen intently.

Knowing it can only be one of Mitchell's warriors or those Micah and I employ I push the door open and step inside. Malcolm darts a quick glance my way without breaking the rhythm of hits to the large punching bag in front of him. He is positioned so he only has to glance past the bag to see anyone who enters the building. I walk towards the row of treadmills collecting a bottle of water and a towel on my way there. I see the sleeping bag on the floor in the darkest corner but don't comment on it as I pause near my preferred treadmill.

"Hope you don't mind company," I say to Malcolm.

 "Not at all," Malcolm grunts out as he finishes hitting the bag in a flurry of blows. "How you holding up?"

I shake my head and shrug at the same time as I reach out and start the machine, I hang the towel over the machine beside me and place my drink in the holder on the console of the one I am about to use.

"Do you want to talk about what is going on with you and Mikkarl?" I ask glancing his way before stepping onto the treadmill and beginning to adjust the speed of the track. I hear the snort Malcolm gives and then the soft clicks as he starts a treadmill up. The soft sounds of our steps are the only sounds we make for a few long moments as we both settle into our individual paces.

"Mikkarl has been acting like a lovesick fool since Kia broke it off with him," Malcolm grunted more than said.

"And?" I prompted when he didn't add anything further in the next few minutes. Malcolm didn't reply, he just turned the speed up on his treadmill.

"Remember the time I kicked the crap out of your leg in Edwin's car the time you annoyed me?" I ask lightly.

"Long story short I spent the night in Kia's bed and answered Mikkarl's knock on her door with a sheet wrapped around my waist," Malcolm says in a completely toneless voice. I slam the palm of my hand down stopping my treadmill and turned to face him angrily.

"And what about my sister? Where do you and her stand now?" I demand angrily.

"When was the last time you sat down and had a good talk with your sister?" Malcolm asks dryly. "When? And I don't mean 'Hallo, how are you.' Your sister has been struggling for close to a year now, I know you've had a hard time but so has Sasha."

I open my mouth to argue with him but then I remember the interrupted conversation with Sasha. She had been distraught and had been trying to talk to me about some problem she had with Kia. Was this it? Malcolm and Kia?

"Did Sasha kick you out because you slept with Kia?" I hazard a guess.

"No," Malcolm says and reaches out to slow his treadmill down until it comes to a stop. He takes a deep breath before turning to face me as he steps off the treadmill.

"I left so I am not there while Sasha goes into isolation for her heat and invites some other tom to join her," Malcolm says emotionlessly before turning away. "Mikkarl had to gloat about the fact Sasha chose Ed,"

I am left standing on the treadmill lost for words, last I knew Malcolm was making a serious play for Sasha's affections and she had seemed to be very interested in him. I really need to go and talk to Sasha, find out what is going on with her but for this morning at least I am stuck here. I grab my bottle of water as I step off the treadmill and walk over to stand beside Malcolm. I put my left hand on his shoulder and leave it there as I press the side of my face against his upper arm for two or three seconds. I take my water and sit on a long bench against the wall, Malcolm sits beside me and I drink my water in silence for a few minutes before he glances my way.

"So shit is about to get real around here this morning hey," Malcolm says gently.

"Yeah. You have any thoughts on why the entire Council is coming?" I ask in little more than a whisper. I don't look his way but I feel it when Malcolm turns his head to look at me.

"No I don't," Malcolm tells me quietly. "But I get the gut feeling one side of this fiasco will have their tails between their legs by the end of the day."

"You think they're coming to hand down one of their infamous decisions," I say tightly.

"They must think whatever they have decided is important," Malcolm says gently.

"Kali is MY daughter!" I snap, "They don't get to decide anything about her! Only Micah and I have a say!"

Malcolm gives a long sigh and finally opens his bottle of water, he takes his time drinking it before turning to face me.

"For what it's worth I'll be standing with you and Micah," He tells me. " You need to get the Chairman of The Board, your Uncle Kurt on your side."

"A bit late for that," I mutter. I almost don't listen as Malcolm talks in bits and pieces. One of his hands comes to rest on my back just below the base of my neck and he kneads the tenseness there.