Bobbi had just finished tying up the laces of her old converses when the car came to a slow, rolling stop. She sat back in her seat and passed her pair of heels over to Alex.

"Can you take these back to the house for me when you go?"

It took Alex a moment to look up from her phone and realize Bobbi was trying to talk to her. She glanced from Bobbi then to the black stilettos and nodded, grabbing the shoes and putting them down at her feet.

"You don't want to take them with you?" She asked, returning her gaze to her phone. Bobbi shook her head but Alex wouldn't have noticed.

"I don't have room."

Frank had already jumped out of the car, walking round and opening the trunk. Bobbi only added to the noise level as she too climbed out and the sound of cars and pedestrians, honking and shouting, replaced the calm silence she and Alex had sat in on the way over.

"You sure you don't want to come with us?" Bobbi asked. "A few days off won't get you fired."

She turned back and leaned into the car to grab her purse as she spoke to Alex. Releasing a sigh and finally setting her phone aside, Alex looked up and leaned forward.

"No. I've got work to do. I'll see you Tuesday. I'm sure you guys can survive a weekend without me."

Bobbi squinted her eyes and her expression cracked a smile in Alex's hard demeanor.

"You sure about that?" Bobbi asked.

"Sam will make sure you guys don't die. I'm certain about that."

Frank came to stand beside Bobbi, her bags in tow. Sending one last wave to Alex, Bobbi shut the car door and headed for the sliding glass doors that led inside the terminal.

The lack of paparazzi or any sort of prying eyes felt like a breath of fresh air. At such a late hour on a Friday night, guaranteed there were more exciting places to catch a celebrity then LAX. But Bobbi kept her pace fast irregardless as she crossed the large open air hall towards where an airport employee stood waiting.

"Miss King. So good to see you."

The woman immediately stepped up once she spotted Bobbi, her uniform immaculate and precise, reflecting the professionalism in her smile. She reached for the bags and Frank relented, turning to Bobbi as the hostess stepped aside.

"You did good this week, kid." He said, smiling down at her.

Bobbi shook her head, laughing softly.

"What do you constituent as 'good'? Cause all I can remember is a lot of screaming and a fair amount of Kleenex."

"You didn't murder him."

Bobbi shrugged, nodding.

"Just barely."

"I'll see you in a few days. Have fun, alright?"

Frank leaned over and wrapped Bobbi up in a quick bear hug, his massive frame enveloping her small one. Bobbi smiled back up at him before following the hostess. She was lead through security, lucky enough to hit a lull in the lines, and was soon enough following the airport employee through the double frosted glass doors marked VIP. Alfie and Sam both looked up as she came in and sent her nods in greeting.

"Bit fancy for a red eye, don't ya think, Bob?"

Bobbi rolled her eyes as Alfie snickered and set her suitcase down on the floor. Finding the complete opposite of the outfit she was still wearing from her night out, Bobbi headed for the nearest bathroom to change. Replacing her dark skinny jeans with workout pants and a sweater, Bobbi swept her hair to the side in a long braid, even going as far as to wash her face of any traces of makeup. Alex had insisted she bring her entire makeup kit but Bobbi glanced down at it with a smile on her face, the thought of it going untouched for the next 9 days bringing her a sense of peace.

Someone just entered the bathroom as she finished and she headed back to where Sam and Alfie had planted themselves before the young girl could ask anything of her. She made sure to flash a quick smile as she left, the girl's eyes widening as her sights fell on Bobbi's long black hair and exposed tattoo.

Just as she reached the corner in which Sam and Alfie had sufficiently hidden themselves from any on lookers, a faint sound of a commotion reached their ears and each of them turned their heads in the direction of the airport entrance.

"Theo!"

"Theo, over here!"

"Theo! Kylie!"

"Kylie, this way! Look here!"

"Theo! Where are you going?"

The repeated yells continued, even after both Alfie and Sam had sighed and shook their heads, returning their attention to their previous activities. Bobbi took her seat next to Alfie and tried to look anywhere other than the glass doors. For the next fifteen minutes her attention was split between the email from Alex she was suppose to be reviewing for their upcoming interview and glancing over at the entrance. The yells of the paparazzi had been executed by the louder cries of the airport security presumably forcing them back outside. And so by the time the glass doors were thrust open, the only noise heard from the rest of the terminal were those of travelers preparing for their flights.

Theo stormed into the lounge, bursting through and startling the attendant standing behind the desk near the entrance. The disturbance caused the few other occupants to look up from their own activities and glance his way as he wound through the couches and chairs set about. His neat button down and dress shoes did not help him blend in with the uniform of workout clothes and pjs that his fellow travelers wore. With his eyebrows low and close together, his eyes shone an even darker shade of green than usual. He was wiping as his cheek, a bright red spot staining his skin, as he pushed open the bathroom door.

While he was out of sight, the announcer over head started calling for people to approach their designated gate and begin boarding. The attendant behind the desk had gathered her wits about her enough to let Bobbi, Alfie and Sam know that they would be the last to board, and while it might still be a few minutes, they should prepare their personal items.

When Theo reappeared, his black slacks had been replaced with sweatpants and his face read that he was ready to sleep. His furious energy had almost completely dissipated by the time he made his way over to where Bobbi was standing. Alfie and Sam were positioned near the door and Bobbi and Theo were allowed a modicum of privacy.

"What happened?" Bobbi asked, in a low whisper as she placed her hand gently on his arm.

His body relaxed a bit at her touch and he exhaled a large sigh as his hand ran over his face.

"She wanted to say goodbye."

Bobbi felt a laugh rise in her throat and did her best to keep it down. Theo looked down at her and let a small smile barely light his face for a moment at her efforts.

"Seriously?" Bobbi said.

Theo nodded.

"For some stupid reason, I told her I was going away for a few days. She wanted to tag along to say goodbye here instead of at the restaurant, like we had planned. The paps followed."

"Is she actually going to miss you or something?"

Bobbi's humor over the situation helped Theo's mood calm a bit.

"I honestly have no idea. I was hoping she hated our dates just as much as I do."

"I don't know. I mean, I'd be thrilled to go on a date with you, even if it was just a PR stunt."

Bobbi winked up at him and he shook his head as she started to laugh.

"You have to say that."

"Doesn't make it any less true."

"And it doesn't help the fact that I have to see her again the minute we come back." Theo said.

Bobbi glanced around the room and saw that everyone in their general vicinity was well enough preoccupied. She took a step closer and grabbed his hand, wrapping it in hers and holing on tight. The scowl fixated upon his face melted a bit as he glanced down and smiled.

"We have 9 whole days without either them. Forget the last two weeks and the countless dates we've had to go on. We have 9 days of real life. We can worry about those two on our flight back, alright?"

Bobbi squeezed his hand again and his eyes flitted up to hers.

The attendant stood up from her seat and beckoned for everyone to follow. Bobbi dropped Theo's hand and grabbed her suitcase instead. She smiled up at Theo one last time before following Sam and Alfie onto their flight.

"Come on. Let's go home."

********

The plane touched down at Logan airport at 7:30 the next morning. The captain had kept the seat belt sign on but the flight attendants were quick to help Bobbi and the rest of them gather up their things and disembark before the rest of the cabin followed.
Sam was the first off the plane and was out of sight the minute they stepped off jet bridge and into the terminal. Alfie laughed as Sam sped his way through the crowd towards the exit, leagues ahead.

"I doubt if we'll ever see him again." Alfie said.

Bobbi and Theo nodded in agreement, their sleep-heavy eyes keeping them from entering fully into Alfie's amusement.

Once near baggage claim, Bobbi finally convinced Alfie and Theo to stop so she could grab her coat from her bag. The sliding glass doors let in a cold breeze every time they opened for a traveler. Outside the sky over Boston was a light with a fresh sun despite the early hour. The lack of clouds only enhanced the chill in the air as the slowly diminishing piles of snow shone bright in the sunlight.

Stepping outside, they were greeted by a wave of newcomers, families giving final hugs and travelers making their way their way inside the terminal. Each glancing around for their ride, Alfie was the first to spot it. His laugh rang out among the honking horns as he pointed in the direction of a girl leaning against a minivan. She was only a few years younger than Bobbi and her short brown hair was pushed up over her forehead by her sunglasses. Her familiar green eyes shone as she smirked at the approaching group, glancing down at the sign in her hands then back up at Theo to gage his reaction.

"No. I hate it. Kat, put it down."

Theo moved faster than Bobbi, laughing as much as his depleted energy would allow as he reached the girl first. She laughed and looked down again at her sign. The words 'The Dainty Daffodils' were scrawled out in sharpie on a long piece of cardboard.

"What?" Kat said. "This is your band name, right?"

Theo wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her in tight for a hug, making sure to mess up her hair while he did.

"Oy! Not the hair! It took me forever to get it to look like this!"

Theo released her from his grip as Bobbi and Alfie approached.

"Yeah, right. It looks like you just woke up."

"I did. Do you know what time it is, by the way?" She said.

"Too early to get yelled at." Theo said through a yawn.

Kat shook her head and turned her attention instead over to Bobbi.

"Hey, girl!" She yelled. She took a step towards Bobbi, her arms opened wide.

"Kat! Finally, a face I can tolerate!" Bobbi said, her tone purposefully overly dramatic.

"Pretty sure Theo and I have the same face, so your compliment is invalid. But I'll take it anyways." Kat said, laughing.

Bobbi's neck did an instinctual sweep of the area before embracing Kat and returning the compressing squeeze. Kat's shoulders shook underneath Bobbi's arms and she was laughing when Bobbi released her.

"What are you looking for?" Kat asked. "Are me and you feuding now too?"

Bobbi shook her head and smiled back, the best she could do to return Kat's good humor.

"Sorry. Force of habit. Can't be too sure."

"You sure about that, love?" Kat asked, quirking up her eyebrow but then sending Bobbi a wink. "Alfie! My man. How you doing, kid?"

Alfie accepted Kat's hand and gave it a firm shake, nodding his head down at her in a formal manner.

"Katherine." He said. "Staying out of trouble, I hope?"

Kat shrugged.

"I haven't been arrested if that's what your asking."

"I would suggest you dress better when you leave the house. You'll want to look good for your mug shot."

Alfie glanced down at her plaid pjs showing underneath her large down jacket, but his serious expression broke into a smile when Kat nudged him in the shoulder. She started back towards the car and nodded for the rest to follow. Slamming the drivers side door once all the bags had been properly stowed in the back seat, Kat didn't bother to check that everyone was settled as she pulled the minivan back into the traffic and headed out of the airport.

"You see, Alfred," Kat said, as she glanced to her right where Alfie sat in the passenger seat. "I would have actually showed up in some sort of proper attire if you guys didn't arrive at such a wicked early hour."

"Would you, though?" Bobbi asked, receiving a glare from Kat from the rear view mirror.

"Well, thanks for picking us up." Alfie said.

Kat nodded over at him.

"Thanks for the acknowledgement, Alfie. You are currently my favorite brother."

Theo scoffed as he leaned forward to defend his position.

"You're kidding me, right?" He asked. "Kat, the dorms are like 15 minutes away. How are you complaining?"

"I just think you're jealous, Theo. I mean, I have always been like an older to Kat and I think it's time you just come to terms with the fact that I'm better at it than you." Alfie said.

"Yeah, because you've only ever had one younger sister to deal with. I have five!"

"Theodore, quiet making excuses." Kat said.

Theo turned back to Bobbi, his energy surging, the presence of his favorite sister brightening his mood. Thoughts of Kylie and any other worries were sure to seem like a distant memory at that point and Bobbi smiled as any trace of scowl on his expression had been completely replaced with a broad smile.

Bobbi sat back in her seat, choosing rather to listen to the banter between the three of them than participate. Theo and Alfie seemed to have bounced back easily from a sleepless red eye, but Bobbi could feel her eyelids grow heavy.

"I saw Sam almost hours before you guys finally appeared." Kat said. "We gonna see him at all this weekend?"

"He should be coming to the party tomorrow." Was the last thing Bobbi heard Theo say, his figure humming as she dropped off to sleep.

Far too soon, Bobbi felt someone nudging her arm and she sat up in her seat, her eyes shooting open. Glancing around, she realized they had come to a stop.

"Babe, come on. We're home."

Bobbi nodded and followed Theo as he climbed out of the car. After taking a minute to stretch her legs, Theo appeared beside her, holding out her bags for her. Just as she smiled up at him and began to say thank you, the door to the large white house before them burst open and a flood of people came running towards them. Shouts resounded down the quiet suburban street and then the door to the second house white house, right next door, was flung open. A woman joined the already large crowd of people as they surrounded Bobbi, Theo and Alfie.

The group formed primarily around Theo, comprised mainly of young girls with an older woman with gray hair and a tall man matching Theo's exact features. Bobbi and Alfie both turned from the commotion at the sound of their names and hurried to meet the newcomer. She dark eyes shone and her black hair sparkled silver in the bright sunlight.

"Mom!" They cried out simultaneously.

She wrapped Alfie and Bobbi up in a tight group hug and whispered in their ears and they leaned down to embrace her.

"Welcome home!"

**********

Bobbi scrunched up her nose, trying to hide the surge of awkwardness that had flooded her body as she extricated herself from under Theo's arm. He barely looked up as she stood up from the couch and grabbed her cup from the coffee table, holding it up to the other guests sitting around as proof for her sudden need to exit the conversation. A few of the elderly ladies glanced her way and gave their nod of approval but then quickly returned their attention to Theo as he started recounting stories from tour.

Bobbi made sure to smile and nod as she wound her way through the large family room and dining room. The constant noise of chit-chat and small talk filled the air all the way up to the second story balcony where Bobbi could spot a small group of kids looking down over the on going party. A cousin who looked vaguely familiar waved at Bobbi as she exited the kitchen and Bobbi entered. Bobbi returned the gesture but breathed a large sigh of relief when she found the large kitchen blessedly empty of any and all relatives.

Circling the marble-topped island, placed in the center of the pristine cabinetry, Bobbi opened the fridge and reached in to grab a bottle of beer nestled in the back, cool to the touch. Alfie had entered by the time Bobbi had turned around, empty plate in hand and in search of something to eat. The bowls and platters of food filling the dining room table in the other room stayed full but the rations of sweets was running low. Bobbi had accurately attributed it to the small band of thieves who remained hidden in their perch above the proceedings and only appeared among the adults to grab rations.

"Think Pop Harris will mind me stealing one of his beers?" Bobbi asked, searching of a bottle opener among the various drawers.

"Its the third one from the left." Alfie said.

Bobbi nodded and grabbed her necessary equipment as Alfie found a brownie and leaned against the kitchen counter.

"Saw you talking with old Aunt Shelia." He said, barely swallowing his bite before speaking.

Bobbi crossed the kitchen and took her spot next to him, nodding with her eyes wide in reply as she did so.

"So when has she got the wedding planned?" Alfie asked, smirking.

"Next month, by the way she talks." Bobbi said.

"It could be worse, right?"

Bobbi looked up at him.

"How?"

Alfie shrugged.

"I don't know. They could hate you and refuse to even let you see their darling grand-nephew."

"Their only grand-nephew." Bobbi corrected.

"Of course! How could I forget?"

Bobbi laughed, her shoulders releasing a bit as the tension built up in her body from the evening started to dissipate.

"It could be more of a Romeo and Juliet thing." Alfie said.

"Huh?"

"I mean, his family and our family could, like, hate each other or something. And then you'd have to kill yourselves to finally be together."

Bobbi frowned.

"Doesn't sound too bad."

Alfie knocked her shoulder with his and she shook her head, laughing softly.

"It could be worse, Bob. At least they love and adore you and have somehow absorbed our family as their own. It's no longer just the three of us."

"I think they had to when we bought mom a house literally right next door."

Alfie nodded and laughed.

"Yeah. But at least she's not alone. She has someone here when we can't be."

"True."

"I would have thought work kept her busy enough. Do you know she has no plans to retire? Even with what we send back?"

Bobbi shook her head and they both turned back towards the direction of the dining room as their mother's laugh rang through the air.

"She'll never stop. She'd probably still be living in that tiny apartment in the city if we didn't make her move." Bobbi said.

"Yeah, that whole safety bit was a brilliant tactic, by the way."

Bobbi bowed her head a bit and Alfie shook his head, rolling his eyes. After a long moment where they let their eyes glaze over as they stared at the cabinets opposite and let the talk of others fill the void, Alfie spoke.

"She talk to you about dad?"

Bobbi sighed before replying, nodding as she did so.

"Yeah."

"You want me to call me or what?"

"I don't want either of us to call him. I don't want to see him."

"You know she has a point. We didn't see him last time. And apparently he was hurt."

Bobbi looked up at her brother.

"Really? Because I didn't hear anything other than a congratulatory text message on the Grammy the night after the show. And apparently he only heard about that because Janice was watching the ceremony on the TV. He doesn't care, Alfie."

"He's trying."

"Barely."

"Mom raised us better and you know it."

Bobbi huffed at his perfect comeback, all further arguments rumbling in her head subsequently quieting themselves.

"Fine."

"I'll call. Thursday work?"

Bobbi shook her head.

"Make it Friday. Theo's got an outing set up with his sisters that day."

"You don't want Theo to come with?" Alfie asked.

"And risk him getting dad alone to ask for permission to marry me? Best not to risk it. He's somehow still managed to hold onto that idiot idea despite my protests and crazy Aunt Shelia isn't helping the situation."

"I don't know. It's a nice thought."

"I just don't want the two of them to ever meet again. Who knows what dad will say? Or Theo? He'll probably try and act like the perfect boyfriend to prove himself."

Alfie paused before speaking, his expression reading confusion as his eyebrows knitted together.

"But Theo is your boyfriend."

Bobbi felt her eyes go wide and she turned her stare towards the array of magnets and paintings hanging on the fridge door, sipping her drink instead of responding.

"Bobbi, have you still not told him?" Alfie dropped his tone low, glancing back before turning his full attention on Bobbi.

He continued his interrogation when Bobbi didn't answer.

"Bobbi, you have to tell him. Theo will be furious."

"Its none of your business. It's barely Theo's!"

"What? How is it not Theo's? You haven't told-"

Bobbi didn't wait to listen to the rest of his tirade as the front door opened and shouts of welcome resounded through the party.

"That'll be Honor and Sam." Bobbi said, turning back to Alfie after glancing over towards where Sam and his girlfriend stood. She had swept her long dark hair to the side as she crouched down to the ground to greet a few of the kids who ran up to greet her. Theo appeared in the foyer and shook Sam's hand, taking the gift bag from his hand and leading them into the family room where the rest of the family resided, immediate and extended alike.

"Look, I'll talk to Theo." Bobbi said. "I promise. But it's his birthday party and he's enjoying this time with his family. I don't want to mess that up for him."

"You better know what you're doing, Bob." Alfie said, staring down at her with dark eyes, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I do. It'll be fine. Trust me."

A/N:

Thanks for reading, joymoment . And yes, Cordillak , I am hard core shaming you right now.

Get on it, girl! Better catch up!