Small arms wrap around a small waist and a little face buries itself in a soft, pale neck.

"Please, no." Comes A whimper from the pouty, pink lemonade lips.

"Baby, you know-"

"I know! I know, you have w-work and you have to g-go and you'll call everyday and b-be back in a m-month for another w-weekend. But it's not f-fair! I don't want you to leave! You're my m-mum, I'm supposed to h-have you!"

It's breaks April's heart to hear her little girl trying to reason with her through her tears and cries, and the worst part is, she's right. Delilah is supposed to have her mother.

"I know, sweetheart, I know. I love you so much, baby. And I wish I didn't have to leave." She assures, kissing the brown roots that fade prettily into light pink hair.

A house away, the four Aussie boys exit and head to their car, but they ear the little girls sobs and they all stop and look in the direction the sounds are coming from.

"P-please, mum-mummy! It's n-not f-fair! I lo-love you! It hurts when you l-leave me! Tell your boss to d-die!" April sighs and bends down a bit to be eye level with Delilah, tilting her head up from her chin.  The men listen and watch the way the more experienced woman tries to deal with one of the little girls fits.

"Delilah baby, it hurts me too. I love you so much, my little girl, I hate leaving you here. But you know better than to say such awful things, even when you're upset. That's not how I raised you. You're my good, kind, loving little one. Hm?" Ah, the familiar technique of a compliment sandwich.

Delilah feels a little bit ashamed at her mother's words at first, knows better, but that feeling only makes her more upset, and she whines, pushing away from her mother and stomping on the wood porch of her grandparents house.

"No! I hate him! He m-makes you leave me with these a-awful people, and- and- you can't tell me to like him! He's b-bad! You can't t-tell me not to be a-angry!" Delilah shouts, and her mother gives her the sternest look she's able to master upon her beautiful, soft, kind, face.

"Delilah, you're a smart girl. You know I love you, but you also know the world doesn't always work in our favor, okay? If I had it my way I'd stay, too. But I do not appreciate hearing my sweet little girl speak so awfully, and disrespect me so. You know how to treat people Delilah. You know how to act like a good little girl. So I expect you to fix your rotten attitude and quit acting like a spoiled little brat. Cmon, baby, you don't want our last few minutes before the taxi takes me away to be bad, huh? We wanna end on a good note so we remember and focus on all the fun stuff we did this weekend." The mother's tone goes from sweet to stern to sweet again along with her words

What an interesting way of calming the girl, and it seems to be working, as Delilah is no longer shouting, just standing with poured lips and crossed arms. She huffs and turns her back, facing away from her mother.

April sighs and pulls the little girl to her, kissing her cheeks and all over her face, warming her up with comforting sweet words and kisses and cuddles.

Delilah returns to sobbing when the taxi pulls up, clinging to her mother tightly.

"No! Please! D-don't leave m-me!"

The four men approach and take April's waiting bags to her taxi, putting them in the trunk. April smiles and absentmindedly thanks them before turning her attention back to the distraught child.

"I've gotta, baby. You know that. I love you, be good for your grandparents and those lovely boys, okay? Gotta let go of mummy, now, Lilah." April coaxes softly, prying the small pale arms away from her waist and kissing the babies head. Delilah continues to attempt to cling to her mother, and Ashton reaches for the little girls arms, pulling her back.

She turns and wraps her arms around Ashton instead, sobbing into his stomach.

April gives the four an appreciative look as she flees to her taxi with tears streaming down her face.

"Cmon, babygirl." Ashton sighs, scooping the sobbing little one into his arms and carrying her into the black house with white trim he and the other boys own.

The other three Aussie men follow him and the weeping child up the stairs and into Ashton's bedroom, joining the pair on the bed and doing their best to coo and comfort the little ones cries. She gets dragged from lap to lap as each of the boys attempts to calm and reassure the girl with sweet words and promises.

"Your mummy will talk to you tomorrow, babydoll, don't cry."

"She'll be back in just a month, it'll go fast, little one. You're okay."

"We're here for you babygirl. We'll take care of you."

Their attempts are seeming to be futile. So they stop talking and just cuddle the little girl, peppering her with sweet kisses that sometimes stray a little closer to her lips: the corners of her mouth, or just above her chin.

Delilah doesn't even attempt to speak, just sits and accepts the cuddles and kisses and words.

"How does a nap sound, sweet baby?" She's too tired and her cries are too loud to pay mind to who said it, but she hears it and nods. She'd like to sleep away this pain.

"Alright, I'll go make you some warm milk. Or does tea sound better, Baby bug?"

She stutters out the beginning of the word, hoping it's enough because she doesn't wanna make herself talk. She just wants to cry and sleep.

"M-m-mik."

"Of course. I'll be right back, little love." She feels the bed dip and then restore to its normal position and the warmth of whoever was cuddling her on her left leaves.

Michael mixes the milk with vanilla and powdered sugar and then heats it up on the microwave, putting it in a travel cup that's close enough to a sippy cup to start working the little one up to it.

Once it's done, he returns to ash's room and hands Luke the bottle, and he shushes the babygirl and puts the thick rubber straw-like mouth piece between her lips.

She begins sucking away, quieting her sobs to sniffles as she's laid down on top of Luke's chest, all f the boys keeping a hand or arm on her in some way or another until she falls asleep.

"Poor girl." Ashton mutters quietly, and the other three nod in agreement. They slowly and gently slip away, leaving the little one alone on the bed and going downstairs so they won't wake her up.

Her grandparents are still on vacation- they left shortly after April arrived to visit family and friends in the next state over- so they don't worry about them fretting about the child's whereabouts. In fact, the older couple won't be back until afternoon tomorrow. How could they leave such a little girl alone by herself for a whole 24 hours, the boys don't understand or approve of. But thankfully they're around to keep the little one safe.

The four man-boys watch tv for a while before making Mac n cheese and broccoli for lunch and Michael, Ashton, and Luke set the table and put out servings as calum goes to Ashton's room.

"Time to get up, Bugga boo." He says quietly, picking Delilah up out of the bed and setting her on his hip, bouncing her small body gently by bending his knees.

"No." Delilah whines, cuddling closer to the Maori man holding her and burying her small pale face in his tan neck.

"Yep. We made lunch. If you'd like we can make cookies after we eat. Does that sound fun, pretty baby?"

"Mmhm." Delilah hums and lets calum carry her sleepy self downstairs, only protesting when he sets her down in a hard wood chair at the dining table.

"Hello there, sleepy girl." Luke chuckles, bending down to kiss the rosy cheek before setting himself in his chair.

"Hi." Delilah mutters, wasting no time in digging into her Mac n cheese.

She quietly eats as the boys talk, only barely responding when asked a question.

Once the creamy yellow pasta is gone, Delilah hops down from her chair and attempts to flee to the living room I watch tv, but is caught by some big pale arms and plopped right back in her seat.

"I don't think so, babe. Not til at least some of that broccoli is gone." Michael orders as the little girl frowns up at him.

"I already ate some!" She protests, trying to get away as the blonde man keeps her put in her chair.

"Dont lie, little girl. You know better. Cmon, it's just a little bit of broccoli, you can do it. You're a good girl, aren't you, doll face?" Michael remembers how her mother coaxed her out of a bratty fit and attempts the same trick.

"I don't want it. Yucky." Delilah says sassily and glares at her plate.

"You gotta eat veggies, princess." Ashton interjects. "Would you rather some salad? Or carrots? I think that's about all we have, pretty girl."

"No! I'm full, I wanna go watch tv!" Delilah argues.

"Choose, babydoll. Do you want salad, carrots, or broccoli?" Ashton's stern voice warns.

"None! Let me go!" Delilah yells.

"Cmon, pretty girl. Be a good girl, just take a few bites." Michael coaxes.

"No!" Delilah shrieks, earning her a smack on the thigh. "Owww!" She whines.

"Delilah, if you don't do as your told than you're not gonna get any dessert." Calum warns, and Delilah stomps her foot under the table.

"Why?! I don't want it! That's no fair!"

"Not only that, but your little butt is gonna sit in the corner for being such a brat, unless you quit arguing and eat some broccoli." Luke adds, and Delilah shrieks in anger.

"One." Michael warns.

Delilah glares at him. "Are you really gonna count at me like I'm some five year old?" She growls.

"Two. Well that's what you're acting like."

Delilah growls as she dramatically stabs a fork into her broccoli and puts it in her mouth, glaring at her plate as she angrily eats the green veggies.

"There." She mutters once she's done with one piece.

"Such a good girl, only two more, Delilah." Michael praises from behind her, kissing her head. Delilah groans and pushes him away.

"No. No more." She protests, determined to stay strong and not give in.

"Yes, little one." Ashton orders, gently but still firm.

"No." Delilah repeats.

"No?" Michael asks, and again, Delilah huffs.

"No."

"Alright, time out it is I guess." Michael says, beginning to lift the small girl out of her chair.

"No! No!" She shrieks, fighting. "I'll eat two more, I don't want time out!" Delilah cries out as she gives up. Michael sets her back in her chair and Ashton gives him a look, obviously disagreeing and thinking the little one should still get her timeout.

"Fine. But if any of us hear another bratty thing come out of your mouth today, there's not gonna be any more chances, do you understand, babydoll?" He reasons, and Delilah wipes a few tears from under her eyes and nods.

"Words, Delilah." He scolds, making her whimper.

"Yes sir." She mumbles, making Ashton smile and walk to her, leaning down and kissing her cheek.

"Such a good girl." He hums. Delilah kisses his cheek too, transferring some of her tears onto him, before reluctantly eating the rest of her broccoli, more than two pieces, because she feels bad and she knows she was being naughty.

Michael, Ashton, and calum are all in the living room and Luke is washing dishes when Delilah finishes, and he grabs her plate when she mutters a "all done."

"Oh, look at that, what a good little girl!" He praises when noticing she ate all the veggies on her plate. He sets her dish in the sink and picks her up, kissing her cheek. "So proud of you. I think you've earned yourself your desert back, hm, babygirl?" Delilah smiles and nods at the words coming from the tall blonde Aussie man.

"Earned back?" She questions. She thought the arrangement was that she would eat three pieces to be able to get dessert?

"Well, We weren't gonna reward your bad behavior by giving you dessert despite it, but you proved you're still the good little girl we know you can be." Luke kisses Delilah's cheek again, setting her down.

"I thought I still got dessert if I ate three pieces?" Delilah tints her head, confused.

"Maybe if you stopped fighting and obeyed right there, but not after you continued to throw a fit." Luke explains in a chuckle, and the little girl nods. "But you're such a good girl you ate the rest without even having to be asked, huh? So why don't you go get the cookie dough out of the freezer and I'll get the pan and stuff."

Delilah obeys, setting the tub of cookie dough on the counter next to the pan Luke puts there, with a baking sheet covered in nonstick cooking spray on top of it.

The two put equal sized balls of dough spread evenly all over the tray and put them in the oven before Luke carries Delilah to the living room and the two sit down, little girl on the blonde mans lap, to watch tv.