*****

 

Rachel and George's house was an old farm house built back in the time when having a several story home was the norm. Dan and Emily often spent time there and were very comfortable. To Claire, the house felt like her own; spending time there wasn't a problem. Claire had a wonderful time with her family and yet there was something.

"Claire, you've been very quiet this evening. Care to share?" Steve asked as they were getting ready for bed.

"Isn't that my line?" Claire snarked.

"Sweetheart, methinks you've been spending far too much time in the company of drama queens." Steve cupped his wife's chin so that Claire would look directly into his eyes. "Is it Brian's scare? Is that what set this off?"

"I think so. Grandpa Aidan and his wife both lived well into their eighties. My parents were strong too, living to ripe old ages. Jack Kinney died relatively young. And Brian, he was in his early thirties when they found cancer. I worry for John."

"Honey, from what I've learned Jack Kinney died from lung cancer. He smoked close to three packs a day for over forty years. His cancer has nothing to do with Brian's. And Brian is doing all the right things to stay healthy. And so is John. As a matter of fact, John has made it a policy to remind me about my checkups. He's a right pest about it too. Even been harassing Bill and Gordon. Your son is fine and is taking very good care of himself and his family, including that stubborn and often irritating brother of his."

Claire and Steve broke out into quiet giggles. Claire felt so much better, in part due to Steve's gentle wisdom. She had a lot to be grateful for, especially for the man in her bed.

"I love you, Steve McNally."

"What's not to love?" Steve quipped, imitating Brian.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." Claire and Steve snuggled into the downy mattress and fell peacefully asleep.

*****

 

"Patwick, Patwick," Bree repeated as she leaned over Patrick's face staring at his sleeping eyes.

"Huh?"

"Patwick, wake up."

"Why are you talking baby talk?" Patrick asked rubbing his eyes.

"To get you to wake up, silly."

"I'm awake," Patrick said with a yawn.

"Sh, Gus is still asleep and JR too."

"So?"

"Let's go see where everybody is."

"Why?"

"I don't know, just let's go."

"Okay," Patrick said giving in to Bree as he almost always did.

Quietly and with only a few almost silent giggles the two slid off the bottom bunk and walked carefully past Gus who was sleeping in his sleeping bag on the floor. Bree stopped for a moment to look at her brother.

"Come on," Patrick said.

Bree leaned over and gently kissed Gus' cheek before following Patrick out the door.

"Where do you want to go?" Patrick asked.

"Let's find Daddy and Dada," Bree said confidently.

"Okay."

They headed for Brian and Justin's bedroom. The door was closed, but Bree quietly turned the knob and opened the door. The two children stepped inside and looked at the bed.

"That's not Dada."

"Or your Daddy," Patrick whispered.

"That's the man and lady who came with Gamma Jenn, Mr. and Mrs. Owen."

"How come they're sleeping here?"

"Don't know," Bree said with a frown.

"Let's go," Patrick advised.

They quickly left the bedroom closing the door behind them as quietly as they could. In the living room they saw Katerina sleeping on the sofa.

"She looks really pretty," Patrick whispered as they watched Katerina sleep.

"Pretty as me?" Bree asked not at all impressed that Patrick thought someone other than her was pretty.

"Naw, nobody's as pretty as you."

Bree smiled and kissed Patrick's cheek. Patrick felt obliged to wipe off the kiss even though he really didn't want to.

"Come on," Bree said heading for the sun porch. "Maybe they're in the brass bed."

Without looking at the rest of the sun porch they headed for the brass bed. The screen was folded and back and they could clearly see two men sleeping in the bed, but they weren't the right two men.

"Why did everybody sleep here?" Bree wondered out loud. "And where's my daddies?"

Beau chose that moment to lick Bree's face making her giggle.

"Morning, Beau," Patrick said as he got some of the same treatment.

Bree wiped the dog slobber off her face and then patted Beau's head. "Where's my daddies, Beau?" she asked him.

Beau turned and trotted over to the chaise. Bree and Patrick followed. They stopped beside the chaise looking at Brian and Justin locked in each other's arms and sound asleep.

"Should we wake them up?" Patrick asked.

Bree frowned and then that turned to a smile as she decided what to do. "Tickles," she whispered.

Bree went for Brian's feet and Patrick went for Justin's waist. They plunged under the quilt and started their tickle torture.

"Hey!" Justin reacted before he started to laugh.

"What the…!" Brian said as his eyes flew open. He looked down into the laughing face of his daughter. "Squirt! You are a very bad girl."

"Yes, Dada," she laughed, and Beau let out a woof.

"What's all the uproar?" Seth asked throwing back his covers.

"The tickle twins are at work," Brian said as he scooped up his daughter and pulled her onto his chest for a big kiss. Justin grabbed Patrick around his waist and pulled him over for a kiss too.

"Why didn't you two go pick on John and Bobby?" Justin asked.

"'Cause we found you first," Patrick explained.

Bree nodded her head in agreement.

"Has the storm stopped?" Brian asked looking out the windows of the sun porch.

"Jesus!" Justin reacted.

The snow was halfway up the windows. There were some lazy flakes still drifting down, but the worst seemed to be over.

"It must have snowed most of the night," Seth said as he got up from his chaise and stretched his back.

"Yeah, and hard," Brian replied. "We'll have our work cut out for us even to get out of the house."

"You can do it, Dada," Bree said confidently from her perch on Brian's chest.

"Thank you, Squirt. I'll do my best." Brian gave her a peck on the cheek.

"We'll be happy to help shovel," Dr. Raph said from the big brass bed. "I don't know when I've had such a good night's sleep. I'm raring to go."

"Me too," Hector agreed.

"Well, first we need to have a good breakfast," Justin stated.

"That's right, Daddy," Bree agreed.

"I'm hungry," Patrick concurred.

"Then breakfast it is," Brian stated as he set Bree back down on the floor.

"Woof," Beau added.

"You hungry too, Dog? We'll have to see what we can do about that." Brian stood up and headed for the bathroom.

"Will you have enough food for all of us?" Hector asked.

"You ain't seen nothin' until you've seen Brian Kinney whip up one of his famous breakfasts," Justin told them.

Bree and Patrick nodded their heads enthusiastically.

"I can mix a mean can of orange juice," Seth volunteered.

"We'll hold you to that," Justin laughed as he got up. "We should crank up the barbecue so we have some more places to cook."

"But don't they need to be outside?" Raph asked.

"We have one that's vented to the outside. We use it when we have bad weather and still want to barbecue," Justin explained.

"Like today," Hector said looking at the mountains of snow outside the windows.

"Today's a beautiful day," Seth said. "The sun is breaking through and the world so white and sparkly and beautiful."

"You got that right, Seth," Brian said as he came back from the bathroom. "Let's get this show on the road."

"I'm ready," Seth said.

"Us too," Patrick added for Bree and himself.

"Me too," Raph agreed climbing out of bed.

"I guess I am too," Hector said a little reluctantly. He really wasn't a morning person.

"Woof," Beau added.

They all started to get things organized.

With Brian in the kitchen cooking up a storm at the stove, the family decided they would be more useful by setting up the porch to receive the massive breakfast that was apparently being constructed. John thought it best to break out several small breakfast steaks. They were going to need all able bodied persons to help dig their way out of the house and clear the cars. A little extra protein wouldn't hurt.

The long dining table was put back in the middle of the porch, the chairs placed around the table. As Brian cooked, family members appeared and then retreated, bringing platters of eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, waffles and of course, steak. A seemingly never ending amount of dishes, cutlery and napkins were brought out and neatly arranged.

Seth, as promised made several pitchers of juice. Danny was put in charge of the coffee pots. He made sure pots of coffee and tea were brought out, as well as milk for the children. Within an hour breakfast was ready and set out on the table looking almost as vast as the Christmas dinner was on the previous day.

"Brian, I know you don't normally say grace but if you don't mind, I'd like to offer a simple prayer," Joan asked gently. Brian smiled, nodding his consent then respectfully bowing his head.

Joan stood to gaze upon the family she had grown to love and cherish and who had welcomed her into their fold. Briana was smiling brilliantly, dazzling just like her father. Joan understood how her son could fall so hard and so completely for Justin. Gus too carried a smile, more like a smirk, growing more like Brian every day but without that sadness that Joan knew she had instilled in her own son.

"Being surrounded by so many of our good friends and family, especially at this time of the year, warms my heart. If I had to be snowed in, it couldn't have happened in a better place and with better company. For what we are about to receive, we are thankful and truly blessed. Amen."

"Amen," the family repeated then began to pass around the platters.

*****

 

"John, how are we going to dig out, there's a five foot snow drift against my front door. If I open the door, the snow will fall in," Brian remarked as he looked out the front window.

"What about your side door? We got the Hummer through, maybe the snow didn't drift up that high," John said as he walked toward Brian's side door. John opened the door knowing the storm door would prevent any snow from coming in.

"Jez-us!" Brian exclaimed when he spied the drift that was even higher than the other one. "Damn, we're really snowed in."

Just then Beau sauntered by, wondering what all the excitement was about. He sat at heel next to John, as John pondered their next option. John's hand automatically went to scratch the top of Beau's head. John looked down.

"Beau, what have you gotten into?" Feeling his hand wet, John took a good look at Beau. "You're wet." Beau looked up into his master's eyes. "Brian, my door!" John said loudly as the realization struck him. "Come on."

The brothers made a bee-line for John's front door. It was situated on the other side of the cottage and may have been protected from the wind. The brothers stood by the door, John's hand poised on the knob.

"Yes!" John and Brian said simultaneously, pumping the air with their fists. They could see through the window beside the door that the snow was barely two feet high on this side of the cottage.

"And we have lift off," Brian quipped. When the euphoria of finding a way out of the cottage faded, Brian made an executive decision. "John, it's going to take the two of us to fight our way to the shed and open it to get out the shovels. And we don't have enough shovels to go around. I don't relish losing someone in all of this snow. I think we should work in pairs and in shifts. If we all go out there, we'll all be exhausted in no time."

"I agree. We have enough games, movies and books to keep everyone occupied until the next shift is needed. I hate to say this but we may be here for a few more days. I don't think I've ever seen this much snow. I spoke with the plow service. He's stuck too. He won't get here until late tomorrow if at all."

"So you and me get to the shed and take out as many shovels as we have. We make a path to my front door then work on clearing the driveways. You know, maybe we should invest in a small plow of our own."

"You know if we do buy a plow, it's a good bet we'll never see enough snow out here to use it."

"Yeah, imagine that," Brian snarked. "Let's go present our plan to the troops."