August 25th, 2020
Ouray, Colorado

Ash glanced down at Lee, laying in her bed, sweaty and exhausted, in complete awe. He never imagined his first day as a father could be met by so many ups and downs. Both Lee and their son were close to death more than once, but they were both survivors.

A knock at the door tossed him back into reality, and he remembered for the first time that he had friends and family downstairs, all anxiously waiting to hear good news. He got up to answer the door without disturbing Lee and the baby, both of whom had just gotten to sleep, but a light hand brushing his arm stopped him cold.

"No. Don't leave. Stay with us," she murmured quietly, cradling their swaddled son to her chest.

"I promise I'll be right back. I've gotta go give them all the good news. You just rest. Reggie's right outside, so if you need anything just let him know. Should I send your mom in?"

Lee shot him a dark look. "I don't need a bodyguard. But I would kinda like to see my mom."

Ash smiled and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "It wasn't my call. Besides, even if we asked him to stand down, I doubt he would actually listen. Your cousins never do. I'll go send everyone home, so we can spend the next two months locked away together."

Lee scowled and started to protest, but Ash slipped out of the room before he heard a single word she had to say about it. She didn't like that he was planning on cooping the three of them up for so long on the new compound they'd purchased about an hour's drive deeper into the mountains. Ash was determined to see it through, though. As an Exterminator, he was bound to be away for long periods of time, but he didn't want to miss any of those first few months.

"Georgia, Lee would like to see you now," Ash announced when he reached the sitting room where everyone was waiting.

"Oh, wonderful!" she exclaimed, out of the room and heading upstairs before Ash had even found an empty seat on the couch beside his mother. For a blind woman, Georgia Lockwood was quick.

"Ash! They wouldn't tell us anything! Is it a boy or girl?" Marcia turned to shake him a little bit, jolting him out of his thoughts.

"We have a son. Kit. Kit Grayson Slayer. He's perfect." He glanced around the room at all the smiling congratulating faces, looking for the one he knew he wouldn't see.

His mother hugged him tightly. "Congratulations, son. We can't wait to meet him. But you look exhausted, so we'll get out of your hair. Say your goodbyes, Marley, we're leaving soon."

Marley waited until almost everyone else shook his hand or hugged him before taking her turn. He'd been so busy with work and the new baby, he hadn't spoken to her in nearly a month. She jumped into his arms and squeezed him tighter than everyone else, though.

"Awe, Ash! I'm so happy for you! Our family needed a new addition. Especially one so cute!" She smiled happily as he set her down, and Ash couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks, Mars!" He was quiet for a few seconds before asking, "How are you doing, really?" He lowered his voice so no one else in the mostly empty room could overhear their conversation.

The smile slipped off her face, but there was a brightness in her eyes that he hadn't seen since before they lost Jack. "Better. I think. It's not easy. Sometimes, I wake up in the morning, thinking he's still alive, and then I realize he's gone, and I just feel so... alone." Marley's eyes filled with tears for a few seconds before she blinked them back. "I just keep trying to remind myself that he said everything will be okay. He was so damn sure about that."

Ash was quiet for a long time, trying to absorb his sister's words. "So, how's school? How's Maizie?"

Marley didn't even look surprised by the abrupt change of subject. "School's school. It's fine. And Maizie's cool. I'm going with her next weekend up to Briarwood to visit her sister. Nico's driving us."

Ash's eyebrows rose slightly. "Nico's back in town? I thought she'd moved away for good."

"Yep. She's gonna surprise Daveigh. It'll be fun."

"I hope so. Just don't let them get you in any trouble..." he warned, and Marley laughed loudly. It was a laugh that told him what he already knew, hanging out with the Summer kids always ended in trouble. He and his brothers had all gone through it before. "Yeah, yeah. Just be careful."

"Awe!" Marley cooed at him. "Sounding like a father already!" She gracefully danced away from his halfhearted swatting.

"Marley Mae it's time to go!" Marcia called over her shoulder for the eighth time from the doorway where she'd been talking to Lee's uncle, Gary.

"I think she's serious this time." Ash yawned, trapping her in another hug. In the time since he'd seen her last, she must've grown another five or six inches. She was almost as tall as Jack was. Glancing down, he caught her rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but she never gives me enough time, so sometimes I just ignore her until I'm ready."

"Mars... You gotta give her a little more respect than that. She deserves it." Ash could barely muster up a stern tone, but she looked appropriately scolded as she glanced away, letting her long, curly black hair fall into her face.

"Okay, okay. I'll be better. Can I come see the baby soon?"

"Sure. Whenever you want." Ash shrugged, yawning again.

"Cool! See ya later." She skipped off and disappeared through the doorway after their mother. Leaving only Charley and Piper behind. Will and Haru had gone away almost an hour earlier, discussing their latest project, and everyone else had already left.

"Sorry, Ash," Piper sat up on the couch and a grim look crossed her face. "We've gotta talk business."

He sat down on the couch across from them and yawned again. "Okay, but talk fast, 'cause Lee's gonna kick my ass if I don't get back up there soon."

Charley grumbled something under her breath before saying, "It's really not good timing to be taking a vacation. We need you. No matter what we do, it's never enough. The old monsters are back for good. It's a mess out there."

"You've got Will. He's actually pretty good. Besides, I've killed scores of them the last few months. I need time with my family. What other business do ya got?"

"We've worked with Mercy and Abigail Silver on a few jobs. They've actually been really helpful. Even sent some work our way. Not saying I fully trust 'em, but I'm getting there." Piper shrugged, the reluctance in her voice giving away her true feelings.

"I'm tellin' ya, Mercy saved my life more than once the last few months. She's alright, as far as I'm concerned. It's Sophia Knight I'm worried about. Anyone heard from her?" Ash tried to keep tabs on her the best he could, but a month after Jack died, she disappeared. Vanished pretty much without a trace. He had every Exterminator he knew, on the lookout for her, but he hadn't heard a thing back.

Charley's sullen expression said it all. "Nobody's seen her. But Emory Pierce got a call from her about a month ago, asking for contacts she had in Canada and throughout Eastern Europe."

"Europe? Why there?"

Charley shook her head and shrugged a bit. "Emory said it sounded like she was looking for somebody, but your guess is as good as mine. Honestly, that girl's gone completely off the rails."

"That's what I'm afraid of. She's not holding it together very well. Her sister's already contacted police and filed a missing person's report in five different counties."

"She's one of the best Exterminators I've ever worked with, I'm sure she's going to be just fine. Last thing I wanted to check-in about, the families want to have another meeting to discuss the growing crisis. And especially how to act when crossing paths with law enforcement. Al wants you to speak on the topic."

Their meetings were becoming more regular, and they were surprisingly helpful at times, but also extremely inconvenient. Ash wanted to shut down the request altogether, even though it had never gone over well in the past. Instead, he gave in, like always.

"I'll write it out. But Will's gonna have to represent us all. I'm not allowing Marley back until she's eighteen."

"Works for me," Charley muttered, starting to get up. "Hey, I need ammo, I'm gonna go find the geek squad. Haru always gives me the best deals."

"Hurry up, we've still gotta get back home before Wednesday!" Piper laughed loudly when Charley flipped her off without ever turning around.

"I should get back upstairs. Love ya, Pip." He gave her a quick hug and kissed her forehead the same way he always did, before making his way back up the stairs to his tired girlfriend and their newborn son.

Lee was still awake and arguing with Georgia as per usual, when he finally got back to their room. The moment she spotted him, her whole face lit up in that way he loved, while the baby laid in her arms sleeping soundly. She held him out to Ash when he got close, and he gingerly cradled the infant in his arms.

"He's so tiny. What if I break him?" He stared down at the child, marveling at how perfect he seemed.

"Just be careful. You'll be fine." Lee giggled, not taking her eyes off them, even when her mother started speaking.

"I know you're eager to take him home, but just stay a week, please? Just think about it. Goodnight, loves." She left after they said their goodbyes, and Ash didn't waste any time crawling into bed next to Lee, so they could sit and watch their newborn together.

"These next two months are gonna be magical," Lee whispered, and Ash murmured his agreement. He really believed it too.

They weren't wrong. Mostly.

Despite all the hardships that came with being new parents, they genuinely enjoyed each other. But as with all good things, it had to come to an end sometime. Ash didn't expect it to happen the way it did, though.

It was four thirty the morning Kit turned two-months-old when the knocking started on the front door. Alarms and sensors should've been going berserk, but the security room adjoined to the master bedroom was completely silent.

Ash jolted awake at the sound, while Lee didn't so much as stir even for a second. Just down the hall, he heard Kit's fussy noises, which he usually made right before he started screaming for his late night feeding. Quickly, on his way to find out who was at his front door, he holstered his gun and picked up his son, rocking him soothingly in his arms, and making his way downstairs. Discreetly, he pulled back the curtains and glanced out the window to see who could've possibly bypassed all of his security.

There, standing on his porch looking like a pair of drowned rats, were Will and his girlfriend, Emmaline Balestrieux. After more than six months of dating, Ash figured she'd warm up to him again, but so far, she'd been as cold as ever, even after Jack's death.

Opening the door, Ash ushered them inside, scowling at his brother. "Ever heard of calling first?" he grumbled, bouncing Kit gently to keep him calm. Lee needed as much sleep as she could possibly get.

"This couldn't wait," Emmaline answered icily. She and Will were dressed like they'd come from somewhere a lot colder than the Rocky Mountains at the tail end of October.

"We just flew here from Anchorage. Caught the first flight we could, and drove a good six hours straight to be here. Oh, hey, baby Kit." Will interrupted his serious explanation to start cooing at the infant Ash cradled in his arms. It was the first time either of them had even seen the newest addition to the Slayer family since he'd been born.

"What's so important?" He adjusted Kit in his arms, and the baby's fussy cries started to taper off.

"We ran into Sophia. She was talking to some of Dad's old friends, asking for Exterminator contacts for all over the world. She asked me if we had some, and I gave her the name of Dad's buddy in Venice. I didn't know what else to do." Will's eyes hardly left the baby, who'd just fallen back to sleep, the entire time he spoke. "Wow, he's so cute."

"He really is," Emmaline agreed, sounding warmer than she had in months. "When we left Sophia she was heading to Russia on some cargo ship or something. The crazy bitch wouldn't listen to sound reasoning."

"What do you mean? What's she talking about?" Ash glanced over at his brother, and for the first time, he realized how much Will really looked like an Exterminator. A year ago, if someone had told him that Will volunteered to take jobs all over the country, he might've laughed in their face. Over the past few months, though, he'd become one of the most reliable Exterminators he had ever met.

Will caught Ash's searching gaze. "She thinks he's still alive. She thinks she's gonna get him back."

"What? That's insane. We were all there that day. We all heard what Ari's father told her. Jack is dead." Ash continued to sway back and forth like he was trying to soothe his son, even though Kit was already sleeping soundly.

"We told her the same thing. Several times. She's bat shit crazy." Emmaline seemed to almost enjoy that.

"Is that all you came to tell me?"

Will shrugged. "That... And we need you back. There are too many monsters out there. Breeding and feeding. We're fighting a losing battle and we need all hands on deck."

"I was planning on taking a trip out to Summerland tomorrow to check in with Al and Wyatt. I've heard of some pretty fucked up deaths out on the edge of our territory. I want to go check it out, make sure it's a legit job before I put a team on it."

"Great. We're heading out to the Lockwood compound later, and then, if it's cool with you, taking a few days to make a trip out to Louisiana."

"Good plan. You deserve a break. Take as much time as you need. How are you on cash?"

Emmaline threaded her arm through Will's. "We have enough to last us. The job we just finished paid well."

"Just let me know if you need anything. The guest rooms are all ready to go. Just choose whichever one you want. And if you stay long enough, I might just make you breakfast in the morning."

"Deal. Night, Ash." The couple disappeared into the dark hallway, while Ash took his son back upstairs and carefully laid him in his crib, realizing he forgot to ask how they'd bypassed all his security.

Will and Emmaline ended up sticking around for two full days before they finally left for the Lockwood compound. Ash spent almost the entire time working and coordinating with the Pierce brothers and Ramsay Redding. He was supposed to go out to meet with them in person, but Lee got sick and he refused to leave her alone with the baby, despite her insistence.

"It's only ten in the morning, but I'm ready to go back to bed." Lee finally dragged herself out of her office and trudged into the kitchen where Ash was busy making a large breakfast.

"Sit down, and I promise, in ten minutes we'll be eating food from the gods." Ash grinned over at her, splitting his attention between the baby in the wrap slung around his shoulder and over his chest, and the breakfast he'd spent the past forty-five minutes cooking.

"Give me the monster baby. That can't be comfortable." Carefully, Lee relieved him of their two-month-old son.

"It's not so bad. He's such a relaxed kid. Hey, so-" Ash was interrupted by his phone ringing loudly on the counter. "Slayer Extermination Company. We kill the pests that you don't want to. Ash, speaking." He purposefully avoided looking at Lee, who always made fun of his professionalism. She said it sounded like he was practicing to be a radio show announcer.

"Ash. Have you heard anything about my sister yet? The cops won't do anything and every number I have for her has been disconnected. I'm going crazy here not being able to lift a finger to help. I keep seeing her face in crowds and just walking down the street. My husband says I need to stop freaking out. But Sophia has never gone this long without calling me first." Annie Price finally took a deep breath, but he could still hear the sniffling that meant she was crying. Again.

"I've heard something recently, but I wanted to make sure all the information was confirmed before I called you. Last night, everything I was waiting for came through. Sophia was seen boarding a cargo ship bound for Eastern Europe. I managed to get ahold of the captain last night by email. He confirmed she was on board."

Annie took a deep shuddering breath. "Well, I feel better just knowing she's alive... But why won't she just talk to me? I know she's grieving, I just don't understand her..." Annie trailed off, and Ash could hear the tears in her voice. "I'm so sorry for all my sobbing phone calls these last few months."

"Don't apologize," Ash soothed, as he set out two plates and served the biscuits and gravy he'd been slaving over for some time. "I'm not sure what's going on in that head of hers, but I promise I'll find her and keep better track of her for you. I've got people all over on the lookout."

"Thank you, Ash. Thank you so much. I already lost both my brothers, I can't lose my baby sister too. I just... I just can't. Jack made her happier than I've ever seen. I'm so sorry for everything she's gone through."

"Don't worry. Sophia's tough. She'll get through this. I promise." They said their goodbyes a few moments later, and when he caught Lee's gaze, she had a sour look in her eyes.

"You have more important things to do than looking for that selfish girl. I know why I liked her, but seriously, what did Jack even see in Sophia, anyway?" It was the one thing they constantly argued about. Lee just couldn't understand his determination to look out for the Ice Princess when she'd never even warmed up to him, and Ash got sick of trying to explain himself.

"I'm not sure. But they had a connection. A strong one. If something ever happened to me, I'd want Will to check in on you and make sure you were okay. Besides, I'm worried about her."

Lee rolled her eyes. "Sophia Knight's probably the one person in the world you don't have to worry about. History's proven she can take care of herself. We have more important work to do."

"Speaking of your work, I've heard of a growing group of Exterminators that are boycotting your services."

Lee swallowed the food in her mouth and snorted unattractively. "Yeah, bunch of prejudiced bigots. Ya know, to monsters, it's ya'll who are the bad guys. They didn't ask to be brought back."

"I know. I get it. All I'm saying is be careful. Not everyone is as understanding as our company. Some of the four families get anxious just thinking about a harmonious relationship between us and them."

Ash made the decision months ago, that he'd stick by Lee no matter what side her family chose to take. He loved her after all. The politics and everything else came second. Lee and their new son were more important than any silly conflict.

"I heard some weird reports from a nearby town on the police scanners earlier. You should go check it out. I know you've been climbing the walls. It's time for you to get back to work, and focus on something other than your late brother's grieving girlfriend."

Ash knew Lee was right, but he was still reluctant. "You two will be okay...?"

"Of course we will. Everything's manageable here. Go take care of everyone else. There are scared people out there coming into contact with all the new monsters. You need to be available to take care of the ones getting out of control."

So, after they'd finished eating, Lee practically kicked him out of the house with all his gear. He was gone for nearly a month on back to back jobs before he finally returned home.

It was late when he parked in front of the house he was proud to call his own. It was well after midnight, yet all the lights were on and there was a car he didn't recognize in the driveway.

At first, he thought it probably belonged to Haru or one of Lee's cousins, but the closer he got to the front door, the more he realized it couldn't have been. The only voices coming from inside were female. Lee's family only had one other woman, and he'd know Georgia's voice right off the bat, anywhere.

Throwing open the door, Ash called, "Honey, I'm hoooome!"

From the kitchen, he heard Lee say, "Thank fucking Jah." Immediately, his senses were on high alert. Lee rarely mentioned or hinted at the religion she grew up with unless she was on the verge of losing her shit.

Ash followed the sound, and even though he shouldn't have been surprised by what he found, he still was. There, standing in his kitchen, was Sophia Knight, looking like she'd just finished a difficult solo job, with Keala laying at her feet. His entire face lit up at the sight of her as he walked over and engulfed her in a tight hug, before moving to stand beside his fuming girlfriend.

"Sophia! How are you?" he asked, genuinely wanting to know.

Lee scoffed, holding the baby monitor in her hand with a death grip. "She's fucking psychotic."

Sophia looked completely unaffected by the insult. "I'm great. I just came by to tell you I found a reliable lead. Jack's alive, and I'm gonna find him. You wanna come with me?"

Ash stared at her, carefully keeping his expression blank and unreadable. "He's not coming back, Soph. I'm really sorry."

The excitement in her dark brown eyes only dimmed for a second as she shrugged off his words, including the nickname she hated. "If that's what you think, you're dumber than I thought. I figured you'd be the last person to give up. But it's fine. I can find him alone." For once, Ash didn't detect even the slightest hint of malice in her voice. It was like she'd already accepted that everyone thought she'd lost her mind, and didn't even care.

"But you were there," Lee pointed out snidely. "You saw the same thing everyone else did. Don't you think this family has suffered enough without you waltzing in and ripping open healing wounds?"

"Lee..." Ash muttered warningly, not necessarily agreeing with her.

"No. I'm sick of this. Someone's gotta tell her. You know how often your sister calls, worried out of her mind that you're dead? Almost four times a week. She's a mess and you can't even be bothered to pick up the phone and call her. Or Ash, for that matter."

For the first time, Sophia actually looked guilty. "I didn't mean to worry anyone." She matched Lee's stare. "Or hurt any of you." Determination sparked in her eyes as they flickered between Ash and Lee. "But I know he's alive. I can feel it."

"Why hasn't he contacted us then?" Lee snapped, while Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulders and drew her into his side, in an attempt to calm her down. It seemed to help for a second, until the baby monitor crackled to life and she stomped away to check on Kit.

Sophia glanced up at Ash. "I know what I sound like. But I have to do this. I have to at least look for him. What if he has amnesia and he doesn't remember us? Or what if he's hurt or in a coma? There are probably a thousand reasons why we haven't heard from him." After a brief moment of silence settled between them, she quietly asked, "You trust me, right?"

He nodded without hesitating. "Yes. Of course. But I think everyone's afraid to get their hopes up. Sometimes, it feels easier to just say he's dead and grieve properly. Especially since the alternative floating around here is much less romantic than any notion in your head." Sophia's scowl darkened, but she didn't interrupt him. "Even if you do find him, the boy we all knew went away the second he became that monster."

Sophia shook her head. "You're wrong. I saw it. He was still there. And I'm going to find him." The iciness in her voice melted slightly and she sounded almost vulnerable when she said, "Can you please tell Annie I'm fine? Make up some lie about how I'm dealing really well and killing monsters? And... can you believe it too? I don't like people worrying about me."

"Why don't you stick around for a few days? Rest up, get more supplies and hang out here." The suggestion came from Lee, her voice softer and more understanding than it was just a couple minutes earlier. She strutted into the kitchen with Kit cradled in her arms looking all around.

Sophia spotted him and froze, her eyes wide. "Is that...?"

Ash grinned proudly. "Our son. Kit Grayson." He walked over and gently took the baby from Lee, leaning down and pressing a light kiss to his forehead. "Do you want to hold him?"

Sophia took a couple steps back, shaking her head lightly. "Uhm... No, thanks. I'm really dirty."

"You are," Lee agreed. "Go take a shower and get changed. You're staying here for a while. Don't even try to fight with me on this. You always lose."

Sometimes Ash forgot that Lee had known Sophia since she was a standoffish little kid. They were as close as sisters, even though they both vehemently denied it, for reasons unknown to anyone else.

Instead of arguing any further, Sophia actually did what she was told and reluctantly gave into Lee's demands, leaving Ash and Lee alone with their three-month-old. Keala loped lazily after her, like the loyal dog she'd always been.

"Now, go call Annie and tell her exactly what Sophia said to tell her."

Ash's eyebrows shot up into his hairline as Lee took Kit back from him. "What? You want me to lie to her? Why?"

"Because Sophia's right," Lee answered simply. "We can worry about her enough for everyone. Poor Annie just wants to go back to thinking her family's safe. Let's give her that peace of mind. She deserves it."

"Yeah, okay." Ash did what she asked, before putting away all his work gear and washing off the exhausting past month he'd been away from his young family.

Sophia ended up staying with them for almost two months, before she disappeared late one night in mid-January. When Lee and Ash woke up the next morning and discovered every trace of her had vanished from their home, they were actually kind of sad. She'd become a brooding member of the family that they almost never got along with, but she was family all the same.

"We knew it'd happen eventually..." Lee murmured, while Kit crawled around at their feet. At nearly five-months-old, he had a tuft of dark curly hair, and swirling giant hazel eyes.

"I just kinda hoped we could convince her to stick around." Ash's admission sparked the guilt he'd been pushing away as much as he could. Jack would've wanted her to be happy. But they all knew she wasn't. Maybe she never would be again.

"We both know she's probably better off. We were just delaying the inevitable."

Ash snorted. "Mom's gonna be relieved we're not bringing her to dinner tonight. Shit. I've still gotta go pick up Will's birthday present from Haru."

Lee was practically ready to go. "And I need to check in with the staff at the compound. So, hurry up. We're just waiting on you."

He smiled softly at his family before leaving to prepare for their daytrip out to his hometown. The entire time, he couldn't stop thinking about the Ice Princess. He couldn't let go of that intense obligation to make sure she was safe. Stix was as close to a best friend as he could possibly have, other than Charley, and Jack had loved Sophia. In a strange way, he always felt a little closer to his brother when she was around, bringing Keala with her. But the longer she stayed away, the more he realized Lee was right. Sophia Knight had to do whatever she needed to in order to get over Jack's death. They all did.

For Ash, that meant throwing himself into his work, so he could go back home and be the man his family deserved to have around.

It wasn't until the one year anniversary of Jack's death that he heard from Sophia Knight again.

Exterminators from all across the continent trekked out to the Lockwood compound to pay their respects, and enjoy the celebration being thrown in his honor. Unbeknownst to Ash, Jack had been labeled a hero for the sheer amount of monsters he'd killed the day he'd died.

Most people had left before Jack's true self was revealed, though. So the part about being a monster too, hadn't made it in to the stories told around flickering campfires and dimly lit bars. For that, Ash was eternally grateful.

"You enjoying the party, buddy?" Roger started to put an arm around Ash, but dropped it quickly when their eyes met.

"I'm not a dumb, doe-eyed girl. Don't think you can charm me like you did Charley."

Roger took a step back, but didn't take the bait. He remained as calm and collected as ever. "Charley's not stupid. You don't have to agree with our choices, but don't go insulting her like you can get away with it. She'll find out eventually and get you back."

Ash had known her long enough to know it was true. "Yeah, whatever, man. How's it going with the two of you anyway?" He almost wished he didn't ask when Roger smiled dreamily.

"She's perfect."

Ash laughed loudly. He couldn't stop it if he tried. Without another word to Roger he walked away, still chuckling. He found Lee and Kit sitting with his mom and Marley in the warmth of one of the many tents set up outside, each equipped with their own heaters to combat the chilly day.

"There you are. You just missed saying goodbye to Will and Emmaline." Marcia smiled at him while she bounced Kit up and down on her knees. His laughter rang out loudly, and everyone else laughed too.

"Actually, I think I just saw him getting attacked by a mob of kids. I'm pretty sure that Pierce girl, Ella, was their leader." None of the girls he'd surrounded himself with looked even remotely surprised.

Slowly, Marley dragged herself to her feet. "I guess I should go help..." But Ash had a sneaking suspicion she was only going to take pictures.

"Lee! I need your help over here!" one of her cousins called, and Lee was on her feet In a second, running to see what kind of fire she had to put out that time.

When it was just Ash, Marcia, and the baby, he couldn't avoid the concerned looks she was tossing his way any longer. "Something on your mind, Mom?"

Marcia smiled softly. "How are you doing?"

He'd been dodging that one simple question all day, but he couldn't anymore. "Pretty shit. It's been a year, but..." He trailed off and brushed at his watery eyes.

"I know, honey. I know." Without a body to bury, they'd never bothered with a funeral, opting instead for a memorial of sorts. It never felt real. "I miss him every single day. He was my baby boy. He might've gone away, but the sorrow never will."

"How do you deal with it?"

"Acceptance. He may never come back, but we'll carry him with us for the rest of our lives." Marcia brushed back her own tears and smiled at her infant grandson. "He looks a lot like you as a baby. Calm, serious, and focused. Those are good traits for a baby."

He heard the unspoken implication in her words and said it for her. "Especially in a baby who can't hear." He and Lee had found out just weeks before Sophia vanished. They were trying to teach their families that Kit's deafness wasn't something they needed to tiptoe around. They didn't always seem to get it, though.

Marcia's smile never faltered. "For any child, really. You know, Jack was silent until he was about three."

Ash chuckled. "I remember. When he finally started talking it was in full sentences." He felt his phone start buzzing in his pocket, but he ignored it while he reminisced about Jack with his mother, and socialized with other friends and guests that stopped over to chat or have work-related discussions.

It wasn't until everyone else had left or turned in for the night and he was sitting around a campfire with Lee, Kit, and Marley that he finally decided to check who'd called. He didn't recognize the number, but whoever it was left a voicemail.

"Ash! Come on! No more work," Marley complained, picking up his beer and blatantly taking a swig.

"It's just a message. Whoever it is, I'll call them back tomorrow. Promise."

"If you get drunk on our watch, Marley girl, your mother will never let you stay with us ever again," Lee warned, switching Kit over to her other boob.

Marley giggled like it was all a big joke, but she put the beer back down anyway, after taking another couple of sips first. "Dad let Ash have a beer for the first time when he was my age."

Ash laughed and was about to respond, but he pressed play on the message first. It was about ten seconds long, but that was all it took to flip his world upside down. Blood drained from his face and he felt a little faint. Marley noticed.

"Holy hell, Ash. You okay?" Lee's gaze snapped up at the sound of Marley's voice, and they both stared at him expectantly.

"Sorry, Mars. I'm gonna have to break my promise. Here, listen." He put his phone on speaker and played the voicemail again, for probably the tenth time in a row. Except that time, it was for everyone to hear.

"Ash. He's alive. I was right. Say hi. No, into the phone, idiot."

"Uhm... hi?"

"See. I was right. I'm not crazy."

The voicemail cut out, and the three of them stared at the phone, the same expression of disbelief on all their faces.

"It can't be. Can it?" Will's voice startled them all as he joined their group, without Emmaline. "Did I just hear what I think I did?" Tears filled his eyes as he wrapped his arm comfortingly around Marley.

Ash shook his head. "We're about to find out." He hit the redial button, the phone ringing loudly as they all held their breath, waiting for someone to pick up.