Pull Me Back Home 4/4

[enochiansigils]

Title: Pull Me Back Home
Author: enochiansigils/shadowcat
Artist: sexycazzy @ LJ
Fandom: Primeval
Relationship(s)/Characters: Hilary Becker/Abby Maitland/Stephen Hart
Word Count: 44,544
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Sexual content.
Summary: When Becker, Stephen, and Abby get a much needed night alone together, they discover that each of them still have residual worries from past events and that Abby is afraid that she doesn't really "fit" with the men she loves any longer. Between talking and apologizing. they discover that even if their actions speak louder than their words, sometimes it's really nice to hear the words, too.
Author's Note: Sequel to From Where We're Standing and By The Time You Read This, but it can be read as a stand alone.




He woke up a few hours later, to Abby still being asleep. So he shifted position slightly and just watched her.

Abby whispered something in her sleep and curled against his chest.

He kept watching her. He liked watching her, especially now that everything was all right between the three of them and the two of them in particular. She looked so calm, so peaceful.

This was the first time in a long time that Abby had felt peaceful. The conversations with both Stephen and Becker had removed the weight she'd been carrying on her shoulders since coming home from the hospital. Her sleep was easy and completely relaxed.

Becker was glad he'd been able to finally say the things he'd said. Some of them had hurt her, yes, but he'd apologized for that. He'd made it up to her. And he'd been made to realize that sometimes hurting one of them was unavoidable. He'd also been made to realize that all he could do then was do his best to make up for it after.

If Abby hadn't been smart, she would have said that she deserved every bit of hurt that she felt during their conversation. However, she was smart and she had fallen asleep feeling a lot better with the way things were between them. Their conversation hadn't been completely easy to have, but they had done it and that was what was important. She also knew that the making up after the hurtful parts would always be amazing.

Becker knew he'd been stubborn in this, maybe more stubborn than he needed to be. But he'd been trying to avoid hurting Abby. Of course, he'd wound up hurting her, but he'd been trying not to. The way he saw it now, that counted for a lot.

Abby snuggled against him again and then opened her eyes. "Hello," she said softly, looking up into his face.

"Hi," he said with a smile.

"You're pretty first thing in the morning."

"So are you."

"I like looking at you."

"And I like looking at you." He wrinkled his nose at her.

She grinned. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully."

"Good. Me, too."

"I'm glad."

She smiled, running a hand idly down his chest.

He shivered at her touch.

She leaned in to kiss his chest. "I love you."

"And I love you."

"It really did feel nice to have some alone time with you and be able to talk."

"I feel so much more peaceful now."

"I'm glad. So do I."

"Wonder if Stephen's awake yet."

"We should go wake him up..."

"We should," Becker agreed. "Let him know how it went."

"And pounce on him so he knows everything really is all right."

"Probably should get dressed, though."

"Why?" It was a legitimate question.

"... good point." Because really, it was Stephen. He'd be happy to see them naked.

"Or..." She turned to look at him with a grin. "Go wake him up with a blow job and I'll wait here for the two of you."

"I could do that... or you could come and watch." He liked that idea.

"Except that the way I feel right now, I won't be able to just watch." She leaned in to catch his earlobe between her teeth. "Besides, you know you want a few minutes alone with him," she breathed against him. "To wake him up... assure him we're all right... start off the wakefulness by being the first to taste his come as he's waking up..."

It was possible that Abby had overheard a good many quiet conversations between her two boys since she didn't usually talk that way.

Becker whimpered softly. "How'd you know?"

"I'm right, aren't I?" She tugged lightly at his earlobe.

"Uh-huh."

"Go, then," she whispered gently. "I'll be right here when you two get done." She licked his ear. "You could even tie me down to make sure I'm right where you leave me."

"Guh." He shuddered. "You'd be all ready for us."

"Oh very much so because I would be imagining... or hearing."

"Let just grab the scarves, then." He grinned at her.

She grinned, leaning in to kiss him. "I love it when a plan comes together."

He returned the kiss before slipping off the bed to grab the scarves.

Abby got comfortable and watched him with a gleam in her eyes.

He tied her up quickly, testing the makeshift restraints to make sure she had enough slack that she wouldn't be uncomfortable. "You good?"

"Perfect."

"We'll be back in a little while." Becker grinned before leaving the room.

She laughed softly as she lay back against the pillows.

Becker found Stephen in the guest bedroom. Smiling faintly, he pulled the covers back carefully so as not to wake the other man. He crawled onto the bed and into a position where he could take Stephen's cock in hand and stroke slowly.

Stephen stirred in his sleep, even as he hardened under Becker's touch. A moment later, he was waking to the sensation of Becker's tongue against him. "Hil?"

"Uh-huh." Becker grinned before turning his attention back to what he'd been doing. "Abby's in the bedroom. Don't be afraid to let yourself be loud, by the way. She's listening."

"When have I ever had a problem with being loud?"

"Good point." Becker laughed softly before taking Stephen into his mouth with an intentional slowness.

Stephen didn't bother stifling the moan he let out at that. "Oh God, Hil."

Becker worked Stephen slowly, using a good many of the things he knew the other man liked. Partly because he wanted to make him feel good and partly because he wanted to make sure Stephen reacted so Abby could hear.

And Stephen was only too happy to make noise for the both of them. He loved them both and he had no problems with performing a little for Abby, as it were.

In less time than Stephen would've liked, he was bucking his hips against Becker's mouth one last time and moaning his name loudly as he came.

Becker swallowed twice before pulling back, licking his lips. "Good morning, love."

"Best wake up call ever," Stephen declared.

Becker laughed. "Now, what do you say we go join Abby in the bedroom, hm?"

"Are you two good now?" Stephen asked, concerned, as he sat up.

"Yeah." Becker nodded. "We're better than good. We're fantastic."



Abby looked up as the two of them came back into the room. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you, too," Stephen said with a smile. And then he saw she was tied down. "You left her like that?" he said to Becker.

Abby laughed at Stephen's question as she looked at Becker.

"Hey, don't look at me like that, she wanted it."

"It's more a 'how can you walk away from the hot, tied-up fiancee' than anything else," Stephen admitted.

"We wanted to give you a nice surprise for after Hilary woke you up," Abby grinned, feeling no shame at all.

"And that was a nice surprise by itself," Stephen said, returning the grin.

"I knew it would be," she said triumphantly.

"It was your idea?"

"He wanted to. I just put it into words."

"In that case, thank you to both of you for it."

Abby beamed at them both. "Besides, it was a nice show to listen to."

"How much of it did you hear?"

"You get a slight accent when you're trying to say Hilary's name at the same time as you come."

"Huh." Stephen frowned thoughtfully. "Never noticed that."

"I did." Abby was just a font of helpful, wasn't she?

"What else did you hear?"

"A great deal of happy moaning."

"I can't help it; he makes me feel amazing." Stephen grinned.

"You'll get no complaints from me."

Stephen perched on the edge of the bed.

She raised an eyebrow at him, curious.

"I'm thinking we really should take advantage of you being like this," Stephen said.

She tilted her head. "How so?"

"Well..." He grinned at her. "You have an active fantasy life. What have you imagined?"

A light lit Abby's eyes, but just like Becker had done earlier in the evening, she forced it away. She didn't want to do anything to upset the guys when everything was going so well.

"Hey," Stephen said softly. "What is it?"

"It might be too out there for you guys. I don't want to upset you when everything is so peaceful now."

"Tell us and we'll decide," Becker said from where he stood.

"You won't turn away... think I'm too messed up to keep?"

"No, love," Stephen said gently. "We'd never think that. We might say the idea's better for another time, but we'd never turn away from you."

"I like the idea of being tied down... hands and feet... and the two of you enjoying yourself with me."

"Enjoying ourselves how?" Becker asked.

"All you can eat Abby buffet," she said with a deep blush. "You don't have to just use your mouths if you don't want."

"Hm..." Becker mused. "I think I like this idea."

"Really?"

"My fiancee tied up and at my mercy... how could I not like it?"

She gave them both gentle smiles.

"And really, we can find all sorts of creative things to do to you." He grinned. "Guess this means I need to break out more scarves."

She blushed and gave him a shy nod.

He quickly retrieved another set of scarves and set about tying Abby down.

Abby watched him and a shiver of excitement went through her.

"This good?" he asked as he finished tying the last scarf.

She nodded. "Uh huh."

"If you need the restraints retied at any point, let us know." He trailed a finger lazily along her thigh.

Her leg twitched when he did that.

"Mm, you like this?" He trailed his finger back down her thigh just as slowly.

"Yes," she whispered.

While Becker was teasing Abby's thigh, Stephen leaned in to press a kiss to her shoulder.

Abby shivered at the contact from both of them.

Stephen nipped playfully at her shoulder.

She whimpered softly, trying to press her upper body closer to him.

"Mm, somebody's a little impatient," he teased as he kissed her throat. "Play nice, love."

"This is me playing nice!"

"She has a point," Becker pointed out distractedly as he moved into a position where he could press a kiss to Abby's stomach.

"Uh huh. Hilary... is right."

Becker smiled against her skin, letting his tongue dip against her navel.

That made Abby squeal and arch up.

He bit back a whimper and nipped at her stomach lightly.

The sound Abby made was probably a little incoherent.

But it was exactly the kind of sound Becker enjoyed hearing her make; he dipped his tongue against her navel again.

Abby made another wordless squeak, squirming against his mouth.

"I think she likes that, Hil," Stephen said, nipping at her throat before moving to kiss her soundly.

"Yes," she whimpered against his lips.

"Wonder what else she'd like," Becker said thoughtfully.

"I have the two of you and you have great imaginations."

"We do, don't we?" Becker grinned against her stomach before moving again, this time so that he could nip at her stomach while laying between her legs.

"Wonderful imaginations."

Becker teased her folds with a finger.

She whimpered, arching against his finger.

He eased that finger inside her slowly.

Abby mewled softly, watching his face as he started doing that.

Becker was focused on what he was doing to Abby, on moving slowly and getting a reaction out of her.

Abby made a soft sound again, twitching against him.

He smiled at that sound, carefully easing a second finger inside her as well and shifting them slightly.

Abby squealed louder, arching up against his hand.

"That's it," he murmured softly. "That's it."

"Feels good, Hilary."

"That's all I ever want, to make you feel good."

She whimpered, squirming a bit in the restraints. "You do. Very much do."

Stephen grinned, leaning in to kiss Abby again. "I like seeing you like this."

She turned her head to his. "Seeing me like how?"

"At his mercy."

Abby blushed and then smiled. "I do like it..."

"Just like you like me watching the two of you," Stephen murmured.

Abby made a soft sound in her throat and nodded. She did enjoy it when Stephen was watching. She loved it more when the three of them were all involved, but there was something about Stephen watching her and Hilary that she loved.

"Why is that, anyway?" Becker asked, fully aware of how evil he was to expect Abby to answer a question while his hand was busy against her.

He was very evil in that respect. "What?" She whimpered. "What why?"

"Why do you like him watching us?"

"His eyes," she gasped. "He always looks so happy to see us together." That was one of many reasons, but it was the first thought she managed to put into words.

"He does, doesn't he?" Becker agreed.

"Uh huh."

"And him watching makes us happy, too."

Abby nodded in response to him.

"I like making you both happy," Stephen said.

Becker just grinned, at the same time as his fingers increased their pace just slightly.

"Always happy yes." Because that made sense as a sentence from her right now.

Hey, it worked for both men.

"I love the look on your face right now," Becker said softly. "It's absolutely beautiful, Abby."

"You," she whimpered softly. "You make me react."

"Good." Becker's thumb pressed against her clit for a second.

That caused her to jerk up and yelp in surprised pleasure.

"Did I startle you, love?"

"Good way."

"Oh, good." He did it again.

She yelped again, her breath coming in a gasp.

"Oh, I do so love that sound," Becker said, his voice quiet and dark. The voice she loved.

Abby shivered at the voice and her voice turned to small gasps of reaction.

Stephen shivered at the tone in Becker's voice and again at Abby's gasps.

That dark and low voice from Becker was definitely her favorite voice to hear from him and she arched her hips up, trying to get closer to him.

"Oh, that's my girl," Becker said softly, his thumb pressing against her again. "That's my beautiful girl."

Abby squirmed again in the restraints, her breaths coming in heavy gasps as she tried to get her body closer to him.

Part of Becker wanted to ask if she wanted the restraints undone, but too much of him liked having her at his mercy like this. Besides, she hadn't actually asked.

She would have said no because the fact that she couldn't move as she wanted to added to the excitement of what she was feeling. The look in his eyes at having her like this made everything that more intense of a sensation for her.

"You're close, aren't you?" Becker asked, a very unlike him smirk on his face. "Oh, I can tell you are."

Stephen had gotten distracted by watching Becker. He so rarely saw the other man like that.

Abby didn't know where the smirk on Becker's face had come from, but she decided that she liked it. He would probably be able to tell that by the way her hips were twitching.

"Mm, someone's enjoying this," Becker teased, his fingers moving slower.

She whimpered, her body twisting towards him.

"That's it, Abby my girl," he said, his voice still in that dark tone. "That's it..."

"Hilary!" Abby's voice was turning into a soft keen. "Hilary..."

"Yes, love. I'm right here."

Abby bucked hard against his hand, her entire body stiffening for a moment, and then she felt herself coming hard as she she cried his name again.

"Jesus," he whispered as he watched her.

Abby whimpered, her body twitching as aftershocks moved through her. Apparently not being able to move her arms or legs freely made her orgasm that much more intense when it came.

"That was fucking hot," was all Stephen could manage.

Abby's response wasn't actual words, so much as little sounds of pleasure.

Becker just grinned, looking rather pleased with himself.

Abby dropped her head back on the pillows, panting. When she got her breath back she would definitely be agreeing with the satisfied look on Becker's face.

"You look beautiful right now, you know that?"

"I do?"

"You do," Becker said.

"Why?" She would have tugged at his hair if her hands were free, but she wasn't ready to be untied yet.

"You look so... satisfied. So wild."

"You made me look this way," she said, her breathing finally getting back to normal.

"I love knowing that."

She gave him a bright smile.

"Beautiful," Stephen said. "Both of you."

She turned her head so she could look at Stephen. "Happen to think the same about you."

"We're some damn pretty people," Stephen agreed unrepentantly.

Abby laughed softly. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

She gave him a smile.

Stephen just returned the smile tenderly.

She turned back to look at Becker, who still seemed very satisfied with making Abby come unhinged.

Becker grinned at her. "I think I'm going to enjoy this."

"Well, I would hope so since that it point of me being tied up like this."

"Be nice or no more for you."

She gave him a pout.

"Not gonna work this time."

She pouted more, but her eyes were full of mirth.

"Yeeeeah, nice try."

She couldn't help giggling at that.

"You're adorable when you giggle, you know that?" Becker said.

"I'm not adorable."

"Yes, you are."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Don't stick that tongue out at me."

"Why not?"

"It's not nice."

"You usually like when I stick my tongue out in places."

"Not when I can't make you use it."

"I'm the one tied up," she reminded him with a devilish glint in her eyes.

"True, you are."

"Uh huh."

"Which means I could make you use your tongue."

"I am at the mercy of you and Stephen."

Becker hesitated slightly before moving slowly up Abby's body.

Abby watched him, completely relaxed.

Stephen was more than content -- for the moment, at least -- to watch the two of them. "He's too polite to say what he wants right now," he said, his voice husky.

Oh, she recognized that tone of voice. It meant that Stephen was getting seriously aroused. "What does he want?"

"He wants your mouth on his cock."

Abby turned her eyes to Becker, but her words were for Stephen.

"He's told me before that he wants me to to that."

"He's too polite to say it now, with you all tied up," Stephen amended.

"I see." She watched Becker. "Hilary?"

"Yes?"

"Are you wanting to be buried deep in my throat right about now?" Yes, she blushed when she said it, but she still asked.

He whimpered softly and nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Then why are you moving so slowly, my love?" She smiled softly. "Tell me what you want. I want to hear you say it."

"I..." God, this felt awkward. "I want your mouth on me, Abby."

Abby watched him and slowly ran her tongue along her lips.

"That's not all you want, is it?" Stephen urged.

Becker shook his head. "I want you to suck me off," he said, meeting Abby's gaze despite his nervousness. "Like you did the first time you ever did it. I want you to torture me with it."

"You mean like I did when I kept stopping, just to tease you and kept bringing you so close to orgasming, and then I stopped. Did that over again?"

He relaxed a little. "That's it exactly."

"Hilary, sucking you off is one of my favorite things to do."

He whimpered softly and stared at her.

"I enjoy it very much, love."

"Oh. Well, then..."

She smiled, waiting for him to get closer to her face.

He straddled her and smiled down at her almost nervously.

"No reason to be nervous my love," Abby murmured. She leaned her head up slightly, running her tongue along the slit located in the tip of his cock.

He groaned softly. "Don't mean to be."

She was quiet as she ran her tongue around his tip for a few moments.

"God, yes."

She smiled for a moment and then took his tip gently between her lips.

Becker stifled a whimper this time.

She loved that she could make him react and she slowly started pulling him further into her mouth.

He shifted forward slowly, his kneeling position helping as he eased into her mouth.

She met his eyes as she sucked on him gently at first.

He reached down with a shaky hand to run his fingers through her hair.

Abby worked slowly until he was buried deep within her throat, and then she swallowed.

Becker moaned softly, bracing his hands against the wall.

Abby made a humming sound around his cock, knowing that the feeling would travel through him.

Stephen settled down next to them, attention riveted on Becker's face.

Abby swallowed again, then started backing off of him very slowly.

Becker just whimpered in disappointment, even though he knew why she was doing it.

Backing him out of her throat gave her the room to draw her tongue along the underside of his cock.

His whimper of disappointment quickly changed to a whimper of pleasure. "Love you, Abby my girl."

She continued to use her tongue to work him.

"I love the look on his face right now," Stephen said to Abby. "Hesitant, but not so much so that he's afraid of letting go."

She nodded her head, knowing that it would feel very good on Becker when she did that.

Becker groaned loudly. "Oh, Christ."

Abby swallowed a couple of times, letting her throat muscles massage him.

"That's good," he said, shuddering faintly. "That feels good."

Abby shifted, tilting her head a little further back so that she could take him deeper within her throat.

He shifted his hips slightly, cautiously.

Abby's eyes darkened a little and she moved her head more for him.

"You make me want to let go," he said softly. "Only I can't. Not without maybe hurting you." He wasn't afraid of letting go, he just needed to know she wanted him to.

Her eyes seemed to flash at him and her mouth tugged a little less gently on his cock.

He groaned softly. "Point taken." He shifted his hips forward carefully but not at all reluctantly now.

She moved her body up against his as much as she could, and swallowed again, taking him into her throat as he moved.

He bucked his hips slightly. "Too much?"

Her response was to swallow... hard.

"Oh, fuck!" he gasped, startled. "No, definitely not too much at all."

She would have smiled at him in response, but she was busy using her throat and the very edges of her teeth to work on him.

"He loves that," Stephen observed, his attention still riveted on Becker's face. "What you're doing, he loves it." And he loved seeing Becker reacting, losing control.

Abby backed her head down so that she had some room to run her tongue along the underside of Becker's cock. She was enjoying this as much as Becker was because he was actually letting himself go.

Becker was grateful for the fact that he'd braced himself against the wall. If he hadn't, he'd have gone weak at what she was doing to him.

She spent a few more moments working him with her tongue and teeth before she started working him back into her mouth and then into her throat again.

He whimpered and his head tilted back, a moan escaping him. "That's it, Abby, that's what I wanted."

She was glad that he was finally telling her that he wanted this. She finally got him buried deep in her throat again and paused to allow them both to just enjoy how it felt for him to be like that.

He shuddered again. "Oh God, Abby. This is perfect."

She swallowed slowly and then when he was still reacting to that, she swallowed hard.

That very nearly undid him; it was only through sheer luck that he was able to hold back.

She watched his face and then continued to work her mouth up and down on his cock.

"He's close," Stephen murmured. "It's up to you, Abby. Does he come now or not?"

She swallowed around Becker's cock two more times, pulling at him gently and encouraging him to let go and come.

He was trying to hold out, torturing himself by not coming, but he couldn't last any longer. Finally, with a surprisingly gentle thrust of his hips, he came.

Abby's mouth and throat kept working him until he was completely spent.

"God," he whispered. "Just... God."

She looked up at him when she gently worked her mouth off of him and then smiled.

"That was intense," he managed to say.

"I'm very glad you enjoyed it."

"I more than enjoyed it."

She grinned, looking very pleased with herself. "Never worry about telling me what you want or need, Hilary."

"I wasn't sure if it was appropriate."

She blinked. "Appropriate?"

"Yeah. I wasn't sure if you could manage it given the position you're in."

A slow smile spread across her face. "And now you no longer have any doubts as to what I can manage?"

"None whatsoever," he assured her with a smile in return.

"Good."

"Now the only worry I have is Stephen feeling left out right now."

She turned to look at Stephen, eyebrow raised.

"The only way I'd feel left out was if I couldn't be in the room," Stephen assured them both. "Even just watching you two is amazing."

"Why?" There was genuine curiosity in her voice.

"I like seeing you two together. I like seeing you two enjoying each other."

"But why?" She was trying to understand how he could be so happy watching them and not getting involved. She still had the worry about one of them feeling excluded.

"Because it's something I don't get to see when I'm with the two of you."

"It makes you happy to be able to see us?"

"It does," Stephen said with a nod.

Abby was thoughtful for a moment. "And you don't feel excluded?"

"Not in the least."

Abby searched his eyes, but she could see that he meant what he was telling them. "All right."

"Participating is nice, yeah, but this has its own advantages, too," he assured her.

She smiled at him. "All right. I'll try not to worry about you."

"Besides, it's not like you won't be watching him with me sometimes. Or him watching us. We'll mix things up a little sometimes."

"Or listening to the two of you." She nodded. "But yes, we will always mix things up like that."

"I still can't believe you enjoyed listening to us," Becker said, turning a faint shade of red.

"It was pretty to hear and I loved knowing you two were so into each other."

"It did sound rather pretty, didn't it?" Becker grinned cheerfully.

"Uh huh..." Abby's eyes took on a glazed look for a moment as she remembered.

Stephen just laughed huskily.

That caused a shiver to move through Abby's body.

Becker moved off Abby, which let Stephen move in closer.

"I love you both so damned much."

"And we love you." Stephen leaned in to kiss her deeply.

Abby moaned into the kiss, pushing her face closer to his.

"Do you want me to untie you?" Stephen whispered against her lips.

"No," she whispered. "I want to see what you come up with. Only fair, after all."

"Love, I want to shag you senseless."

"Then why aren't you?"

"Mm, someone's in a hurry," he teased. "I'm not allowed to take my time?"

She licked his bottom lip. "I'm always impatient when it comes to my guys," she said honestly. "But you can take your time."

Stephen grinned as he moved between her legs, kneeling and resting his hands on her hips.

Her eyes followed every movement he was making.

He lifted her hips slightly and positioned himself before entering her slowly.

Abby whimpered softly at how good that felt.

"That's a very good noise," Becker encouraged. "One of her best noises."

It was one of those noises that both of her men seemed to cause her to make quite easily.

Stephen bucked his hips carefully, easing into a rhythm.

"Oh god, you feel good, love."

"Glad you think so," Stephen said, fingers flexing against her skin.

"Know so," she said firmly.

Stephen thrust harder, knowing she'd react to him.

A low moan was drawn from Abby's throat.

"That's it," Becker said softly. "React to him. Let me hear you."

Abby whimpered.

"I like seeing you react to him," Becker whispered, his mouth now near her ear. "I like hearing it, too."

Abby made a keening sound in her throat when Becker did that.

Becker nipped playfully at her ear.

She shivered, and that shiver moved through her entire body.

The shiver reached Stephen and made him thrust harder.

She arched up to meet his thrust.

He tightened his hands on her hips, despite knowing he'd leave a mark. He didn't care at the moment.

"God I love you guys so much."

"And we love you," Becker whispered in her ear.

Having Becker talking to her like that and having Stephen thrusting into her at the same time caused Abby to whimper again.

"That's a beautiful noise," Becker murmured. "I like knowing we're the cause of it, too."

"You are. You so are."

"The both of us."

She nodded in agreement. "Both of you. No one has ever made me react and feel the way the two of you do."

"I like knowing that," Becker admitted, even as he nipped at Abby's ear again.

Abby made a whimpering moan.

Stephen grinned. "You do like reacting to him, don't you?" he teased as he thrust.

"Uhhh uh huh. Both. Can't help it."

He laughed as he moved. "You're at our mercy and you love it."

"Oh god I so do."

"We'll have to remember this for the future."

Stephen's words caused a tremor to move through her.

"Oh, I think someone likes that."

Abby squirmed, arching herself up to press against him.

Stephen just grinned and thrust harder.

Abby made a soft yelping noise when he did that. It was very clearly a noise of enjoyment.

"I think she liked that, Stephen," Becker said. "Do it again."

Stephen was only too happy to oblige.

Abby made the same happy yelping sound again.

Stephen chuckled lowly. "That's our girl."

"Good," she gasped. "So good."

"I love hearing you react to us." Stephen thrust harder. "I love hearing it now especially. Because you can't get away, all you can do is react."

Abby moaned, squirming against him.

"You're stuck right where you are," Stephen said, settling into a hard rhythm.

"Don't want to be anywhere else," she gasped, her hips moving to meet him.

"Good. Because I think we'd both be sad if you did."

"Never go."

"Good," Becker whispered, his mouth inches from her ear again.

She groaned, her eyes closing for a moment.

"You're ours," Becker whispered. "Ours forever."

"Yes, yours. Always yours."

Becker traced his tongue along the shell of her ear teasingly.

Abby whimpered softly.

"We're trying to drive you wild," Becker whispered. "Is it working yet?"

"Uh huh."

"Good." He traced his tongue against her ear again. "Means we're doing our jobs."

She nodded, not able to find the right words for everything she was feeling.

"And all we ever want to do is make you feel very, very good."

"You do. You do."

"And he can make you feel amazing even when he isn't touching you, can't he?" Stephen asked.

"God yes."

"He's good like that."

"Uh huh. Really good."

Becker's response was to breathe against her ear.

Abby mewled and arched up against Stephen.

"That's our boy," Stephen said proudly. "That's our Captain for you."

She whimpered, nodding her head.

"He's a man of many talents."

There was no way she would argue against that.

Becker tugged lightly at her earlobe with his teeth, at the same time as Stephen thrust even harder.

Abby made a soft keening sound, squirming against both of them.

"Let go, love," Stephen urged. "Let go."

Her eyes were locked on his. "Stephen..."

"Yes?"

She whimpered, squirming and lifting up against him.

"Love you, Abby," Stephen said as he moved against her. "Love you for wanting this."

"A while," she whispered. "Wanted it for awhile. Love you. Trust you."

"Your trust means everything to us," Becker said softly.

"Always trust you," she said in a whimpering voice.

"Even when we're being stupid?" The smile could almost be heard in his voice, though.

"Never stupid," she whispered, squirming up against Stephen.

"Not anymore, at least."

Abby was so close, as the way she was beginning to move against Stephen in a bit of desperation. "My guys. Not stupid ever."

"How can we argue with her, Hil?" Stephen asked with a laugh. "She's stubborn."

"Yours, though."

"Damn right you are."

"Uh huh. Always."

Stephen just grinned at her and thrust harder.

Abby yelped out Stephen's name as she arched up, her body shaking as she felt herself come against him.

Stephen came a moment after she did, with a wordless moan.

She couldn't hold him, but she did manage to make her body tighten around him as they rode out their orgasms together.

"Jesus," he managed to say.

"God," she said helpfully.

"You two are beautiful when you shag," was Becker's contribution.

"The two of you are too."

"We're pretty in all our combinations," Stephen said with a grin.

Abby nodded in complete agreement.

"I do think we should untie you now, though," he said to her.

"Probably," she agreed. She needed to be able to hold onto them for a little while.

Stephen moved to untie Abby's ankles, as Becker quickly untied her wrists.

Abby was feeling weak and tired, but it was for all of the right reasons.

"You okay?" Becker checked. "Besides sore, I mean."

"Oh yes," she assured him quickly."So very much yes."

"Okay, then." He smiled.

"I don't think I'll be much good to you two for a day or two, though," she said regretfully.

"Just means we get to pamper you," Stephen said with a grin. "Pamper you and take care of Leslee."

"Oh that sounds lovely."

"Whatever you want, it's yours."

"I have everything I want."

"Oh, you've got to be able to think of something."

The look she gave them was serious. "But I mean it. I have the two of you who love me completely and I have our daughter."

"Something we can pamper you with."

"Caffeine, bubbles baths, cuddles, chocolate, sleep... " She grinned. "You guys getting up with Leslee the next couple of nights?"

"Of course we are," Stephen said.

She smiled. "That's pampering all by itself."

"Hey, we said we were pampering you."

She grinned. "Letting me sleep through the night when she's overly fussy would be heavenly."

"We'll take care of her the next few nights," Becker assured her.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"You're welcome, love."

She smiled at them both.

"You look so peaceful right now," Stephen observed.

"I'm with the two men I love more than anything in the world. I got to be with them again."

"You'll have plenty of times to be with us," Becker assured her.

The assurance was very nice to hear.

"And we got to talk things out, which I didn't realize was needed so badly."

"I didn't, either," Becker said. "But more importantly, we got to talk it out without things going wrong."

"Yes," she agreed. "That is the most important."

"And we're three volatile people," Stephen said. "It could've been a bad conversation, but it wasn't. That means it was meant to happen now."

She nodded. "I was thinking that, too," she murmured.

"I'm just glad it happened," Becker said. "We needed it. Badly."

"I agree."

"Jenny will probably be glad she's returning Leslee to a set of parents who have everything sorted out."

"Of that I have no doubt," Abby nodded.

"She'd probably knock the lot of us into next week if we didn't have it all figured out." Which didn't necessarily mean that they had everything fixed. But they had a good grasp on everything now, knew what was wrong. Now they could fix it properly.

"She knows how much we love each other."

"Maybe now she'll stop eyeing me like she wants to slap me for something," Stephen said.

"Jenny wouldn't slap you, love."

"No, but she's certainly had that look in her eye like she wanted to."

"Sweetheart, she wouldn't do anything so tame as slapping you."

"Oh, I know. But she gets that look in her eye. The one that says 'I have to think about slapping you because fantasizing about killing you is bad form.' That one."

Becker just snickered.

Abby giggled.

"And while I deserve that look, it still scares me," Stephen said.

"You don't deserve that look."

"No, but she's protective of the two of you. I was the outsider intruding on you two."

"But you're family now."

"Which is why she'll be glad she can stop worrying about me being stupid."

"Get her to help plan the wedding and you won't ever be on her kill list again."

"I may have to do that."

"In fact..." Abby's smile turned impish. "You and Hilary get to plan the wedding and make the arrangements. I did the research and found the answer for us -- now you guys get to make plans."

"Then we're definitely getting Jenny's help," Stephen said. "Because somehow I think a wedding is a little beyond us."

"I think you'd be wonderful at it."

"I can plan a lot of things, but a wedding isn't one of them," Becker said. "Too many details to get wrong."

Abby just grinned at them both.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh hell yes."

"Why?"

She grinned at them both. "Because you told me I could ask for anything and I would get it, but you had no idea this would be one of the things I asked for."

"And you'll get it," Becker said. "We just make no promises that it'll resemble something you'll actually want to remember."

"I have everything I want as long as we're married, I don't care." She smiled. "And it will be something I want to remember because it will be the day that I became legally yours, too."

"You deserve a nice wedding, though," Stephen said.

"As long as I have you, I don't care what kind of wedding we have."

"We care what you deserve."

"That's why you're in charge of it."

"You've just given us panic attacks, though."

"No panic attacks," she murmured. "Don't let something like planning a wedding for the three of us cause such anxiety."

"I don't want to screw it up," Stephen said quietly.

She shifted so that she could look at both of them. "There is no way that you will," she said softly. "Do you two really think I need something huge and showy? As long as you're there and our friends are, there's nothing more that we need."

"You may not need more, but we want to give you more," Becker pointed out.

"And that's just it," she pointed out. "You're giving it to me so no matter what it will be special."

"I hope you're right," he said doubtfully.

"Would I say it if I didn't believe it?"

"No, of course not."

"There you go."

"We're allowed to worry, though," Becker said. "Because it's our wedding. It should be perfect for you."

"It's our wedding. It should be what all three of us want."

"We just want it to be perfect for you."

"Guys, listen to me. I have you and I have Leslee. Nothing will ever be more perfect than that."

"Doesn't mean we can't try."

"But don't cause yourself stress and anxiety over it."

"Too late." Becker was smiling faintly, though.

She pulled them both to her and kissed first one and then the other.

Becker smiled against her lips. "We just want to give you the wedding you deserve. I'd say 'the wedding every little girl dreams of,' but I have a feeling you didn't so much dream of that wedding."

She shook her head, but didn't move away. "No, I didn't. But then again, this is so much better than any dreams anyone could ever have."

"What kind of wedding did you imagine?" Stephen asked curiously.

Abby shook her head.

"You didn't imagine it at all?" he pressed gently.

"No, I didn't imagine weddings at all," she said faintly. "I didn't dare."

"Well, imagine it now."

There was a few moments of silence from her. "I can't," she said finally. "I can't see anything of that day beyond being with the two of you."

"And that's what you'll have," Becker said.

"I'm sorry, Stephen," she said softly, holding onto both of them.

"Don't be."

She swallowed, closing her eyes. "My childhood really didn't give me the luxury of dreaming about normal things. I can't tell you about what kind of wedding I dreamt about, because I didn't. I dreamt of escaping."

"And you have," Stephen said. "We're your escape."

She nodded, still not opening her eyes. "But so much more than that. You're my heart, my soul and my life. If I had to choose between being safe and being loved by the two of you? I'd choose you every time."

"We'd pick your safety every time," Stephen said. "That's the most important thing to us."

"I stay with you, you keep me safe. Fairly obvious."

"Can't exactly argue with that logic." Becker grinned.

Abby smiled at them both.

"Well, we can, because we're stubborn and silly," he amended. "But we're not going to."

Abby giggled.

"That's our girl," Stephen said with a smile. "I love your laugh."

She curled close to Stephen, trying to tug Becker closer to her, too.

Becker obediently moved closer. He'd never deny Abby anything, but especially not this.

She needed to feel them both curled against her as she tried to stay awake. Soreness was settling in and so was exhaustion, but she wanted to stay awake and just enjoy being with her guys.

"You look tired," Becker murmured, because it was hard not to notice. "Go back to sleep."

"I don't want to yet. I like hearing your voices and having you holding me like this."

"We've got a guy to contact in the morning, love. You want to be well-rested, don't you?"

"You're doing the contacting, remember."

"Yes, but you don't even want to be listening to our end of the conversation?"

"Oh, well, yes."

"So you need to be well-rested," he reasoned. "Don't want you falling asleep on us."

She smiled. "Guys, with everything we've done tonight, I'm going to need more than a nap."

"You've got plenty of time to sleep in," he assured her. "It's only what, four in the morning?"

She smirked. "You realize that when the muscles start setting in that I'm going to have some issues moving very far for a few days?"

"So you won't move," Stephen said with a shrug. "You'll let us take care of you."

"I like the idea of you taking care of me."

"I like it, too," Becker said. "I'd say it's an apology for hurting you, but I'm not sorry and I didn't hurt you."

"No you didn't hurt me and I'm not sorry about anything we did."

"So then... we'll call it the perfect end to everything."

"Sounds perfect."

Becker smiled. "You know I'll be fussing a lot more than Stephen, right? It's just how I am."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"Doesn't mean I won't be fussing a lot, though," Stephen put in. "Hell, I'll probably be helping him with his fussing."

"Double the fussing double the fun."

"Yeah, 'double the fun' is so not a phrase I can hear and think of it cleanly," Stephen said, smirking.

"Why do you think I said it?"

"You little brat."

"Your brat, though."

"Exactly."

She smiled, snuggling down amongst them.

Becker pressed a kiss to her head.

"Love you," she murmured.

"Love you, too."

"Tonight has been amazing, just so you know."

"That's all we ever want."

"It's what I want, too."

"Then everybody wins." Stephen smiled.

"Oh yes. Very much win."

"And winning is good."

"I wouldn't know," she said as seriously as she could manage. "I'm not at all competitive."

Stephen just looked at her a moment before snickering.

That killed her attempt at seriousness and she started giggling.

"I love your laugh," Becker said softly. "And I love how easily he makes you laugh."

She turned to kiss Becker. "You make me laugh, too."

"I know." He smiled against her lips.

She smiled, running a hand through his hair.

That made him smile again.

"My guys. My wonderful, beautiful, loving guys."

"Yours forever," Becker said softly.

"And I'm yours."

"We'll do our best to always make sure you feel properly appreciated," Stephen said.

"You do, love. You do."

"We never want you to feel unappreciated." Stephen looked at her. "That's a mistake we've made once already. It's not one we want to repeat."

Abby reached a hand up to lay it against his cheek. "You've both more than made up for it, love."

"I know that," Stephen said. "It's just not one I ever want to make again."

"I know that you won't. Both of you...and I... we need each other."

"Damn right we do," Becker said.

She nodded. "We do."

"I'm not good with admitting to needing anything, but... I need you both," Stephen said softly. "I need you both in my life."

"We're not going anywhere, Stephen," Abby said gently. "I'm never going anywhere again because I need you just as much as you need us."

"One big happy family." Stephen smiled. "A little dysfunctional, but so what?"

"Every family has their dysfunctions."

"True," he allowed.

"And ours..." She chewed on her lip. "They are nowhere near as bad as some other families."

"Also true."

She nodded.

"Ours make us who we are."

"And make us stronger."

"And really aren't so bad," Becker said.

"That's my thought, too."

He grinned. "Great minds think alike."

She laughed softly.

"You have an amazing laugh, you know that?"

"I think you may be a little biased."

"And that's a problem?"

She didn't have an answer for that because she yawned instead.

"Get some rest, love."

She shook her head, even as her eyes were closing.

"We'll be here when you wake up."

"Not tired," she lied, curling close to the two of them as her body's need for rest warred with her determination to stay awake and talk more with them.

"He's right," Stephen said. "We'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise. Or at least leave a note if you have to go." Because sometimes it scared the hell out of her when she woke up and they were gone.

"Promise," he said softly.

Abby nodded slightly, holding onto both of them as she finally fell asleep.

Becker fell asleep first; Stephen was awake a little while longer, just watching the two of them, but soon enough he was asleep as well.

At some point in her sleep, Abby managed to somehow move her body to where she was covered by both of her guys.



Stephen woke first; when he realized the other two were still asleep, he just lay there and watched them. Sometimes it was still hard to believe they were really his, but in a really good way.

Abby made a soft sound in her sleep and her hand reached out to hold him.

He took her hand in one of his. "I'm right here, love."

That touch seemed to settle her and as soon as she had also held onto Becker, she quieted.

Becker woke a few minutes later; only when he'd reflexively checked that Abby was still there did he settle down.

"We're always going to worry that she'll be gone, aren't we?" Stephen asked.

"Yeah," Becker said softly. "We'll always check for her every time we wake up, because the idea of her being gone again terrifies us. We know she won't leave, but that doesn't change the being scared."

"But we know she won't leave," Stephen said. "It's not our fault our brains act up when we've just woken up."

Becker laughed quietly. "Exactly." It was so easy to talk with Stephen now. There was none of the awkwardness of the few months they'd been together before Abby had left them. And there was none of the awkwardness of the time she'd been gone. Things were finally the way they were supposed to be between them.

"I love you, y'know," Stephen murmured.

"I know." There was only warmth in Becker's voice as he replied, warmth and utter confidence in the other man's words.

Stephen could only smile at Becker's confidence in him. "I missed that."

"Missed what?" Becker lifted his head slightly, looking confused.

"The way you sound so confident in me when I say I love you, like there's no doubt in your mind."

"That's because there's not." Becker tugged his hand away from Abby to reach over and touch Stephen's face gently, sliding his hand back to cup the other man's neck briefly. "I love you, Stephen Hart, and there are three things in this world about you that I will never, ever doubt. One, that you love me. Two, that you love Abby. Three, that you want this to work."

"I missed your faith in me, too," Stephen said, smiling gently at Becker's touch.

"I will always have faith in you," Becker promised. "For the rest of our lives."

If Abby weren't between them, Stephen would've leaned in to kiss Becker at that. Since she was, he settled for giving the other man a look full of promise.

Abby shifted slightly in her sleep.

"Quiet," Stephen said softly. "We don't want to wake her up."

If she had been awake to hear that, she might have said that she wouldn't mind if they woke her up -- even if her body was telling her that she needed a great deal of rest for awhile.

"She's going to be out like a light for a while," Becker said, pulling his hand away. "We did a number on her."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Stephen said. "And it's so not."

"I know. I just don't know if I like being responsible for her being nearly incapacitated."

"You may not like it, but she does, and isn't that what matters?" Stephen pointed out.

Abby made a soft sound in her sleep, and then a soft smile crossed her face and she quieted again.

"God, look at her," Becker said softly. "She looks so beautiful when she sleeps. It's entirely different from when she's awake."

"I know," Stephen said, equally softly. "She's so fierce and determined when she's awake. This... she's calm and innocent and everything good in the world."

Abby didn't move or make a sound besides the soft breathing that meant she was deeply asleep. She was in a peaceful sleep not haunted by nightmares tonight.

"She's ours," Becker said softly. "Ours."

"She is," Stephen said with a nod. "It's... mind-blowing to think that she's mine. Because the way I came back into your lives wasn't exactly a good start to things."

"No, it wasn't," Becker said dryly. "But we got through it and we made things work."

"Sometimes I'm amazed that we've managed to make it work so well," Stephen admitted. "Not that I'm complaining, don't get me wrong. I just look back at how it started and wonder how we got to this amazing relationship we have now."

"A lot of screw-ups, some feeling sorry for ourselves, and a whole lot of determination to prove ourselves," Becker said. "Once you stopped being such a jackass, things were pretty wonderful."

"Yeah, I was rather horrid, wasn't I?"

"For a while, yes." Becker smiled tenderly. "But you were just uncertain about where you fit in and how things were going to work. I wasn't much better, some days." It'd taken him a while to own up to that. For a long while, he'd wanted to blame it all on Stephen, but the fact was that he hadn't been any help, either.

Abby sighed softly in her sleep, murmuring what might have been their names before she went still once more.

Stephen smiled, bringing a hand up to touch Abby's face gently. "Look at her," he said softly. "She's so beautiful."

"She is," Becker agreed. "And she's ours. For the rest of our lives and beyond, she's ours."

As if she heard them, Abby made a soft sound of happiness in her sleep.

"I love the little sounds she makes," Stephen said. "They just... they're her."

"I know what you mean," Becker replied. "They just fit."

If Abby had been awake, she probably would have been blushing.

"She's perfect," Stephen said. "I know she'd argue with that if she were awake, but... she can't argue the truth when she's asleep."

Becker laughed softly. "No, she can't," he agreed. "But even when she argues... you can tell she likes hearing it."

"She hasn't heard much good in her life," Stephen said. "We certainly didn't help that much for a while. But we'll spend the rest of our lives making sure her life is a good one."

Becker nodded. "But I'm going to spend the same time making sure yours is, too," he said solemnly. "I love you, Stephen. I love the both of you."

Stephen smiled. "I know you do," he said gently. "I know you do. I'll never doubt that."

"Good." Becker looked at him seriously. "Because that's one of the things I want most, for you to be that absolutely certain about how I feel about you."

"Hilary, I have never doubted how you feel about me."

"What about when we were searching for her?" Becker pointed out.

"I thought you didn't love me anymore, but I never doubted that you had loved me with everything you had."

Becker nodded thoughtfully. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"I'd hurt you," Stephen said. "You had good reason to doubt me. Just so long as you don't doubt me anymore."

"I don't," Becker said with a shake of his head. "I promise."

Abby burrowed her head in the blankets.

Stephen laughed softly. "Think that means she's trying not to wake up?"

"Possibly."

"My brain wants me to wake up but the body has other ideas," came the muffled reply.

Stephen laughed again

Abby made a rude sound, trying to get warm and comfortable again.

"Come here, you." Stephen wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "This more comfortable?"

She nodded, her head comfortably on his chest as her eyes started to droop again.

Becker reached out to lightly rest a hand against her back. "Go on, love. Go back to sleep."

"Sorry," Abby murmured. "Can't help it."

"It's okay," Becker said softly. "Go on."

Abby sighed and soon she was again sleeping deeply.

Becker smiled slightly. "Poor thing. We wore her out, didn't we?"

"Oh, yeah." Stephen grinned. "And she loved every minute of it."

If she had been awake, she would have definitely agreed with Stephen.

"And to be perfectly honest, so did we." Becker grinned in return at Stephen.

"It was bloody amazing seeing you let go, Hil."

"It still amazes me that you like seeing it. I mean, I know you like being on the other end of it -- " He grinned at that. " -- but I didn't realize you liked seeing it so much."

"I like seeing it because I've been on the other end," Stephen said. "Because I can easily imagine how Abby's feeling."

Becker smiled slightly. "It feels nice to let go, to not have to worry."

"We never want you to worry with us."

The contented way that Abby was sleeping was a very good indication that she would like him not to worry, too.

"I know I don't," Becker said. "But I'm so used to being restrained at things. My life's always been about my career and my family, and that's it."

"Your life's about us now, too," Stephen said. "And we like when you're not restrained."

All Becker could do was blush a little.

Abby murmured in her sleep and reached for Becker's hand as she curled close to Stephen.

Becker smiled as he took her hand. Even in her sleep, she didn't want either one of them to feel excluded.

He knew her very well.

He squeezed her hand lightly. "Love you, Abby my girl," he murmured softly. "So much."

Stephen just smiled. He knew how important it was for Becker to be able to say it to Abby. He wasn't going to take that away by adding his own sentiments, not this time. Sometimes he would and sometimes he did, but sometimes he just let it be. There was a fine art to telling which it would be, and he never knew until Becker spoke.

If Abby had been awake, she would have felt incredibly peaceful to see that smile on Stephen's face.

With nothing to distract them, nothing to interrupt and bother them and give them cause to worry, Becker was able to snuggle up to Abby and Stephen and just be content.

"I love you two," he said softly.

"And we love you," Stephen said, just as softly.

Abby murmured in her sleep, her eyes opened for a second, but then she sighed and they closed again.

Stephen smiled faintly. "She's trying to wake up," he said. "Poor thing's so tired she can't even manage it."

"She's not gotten a lot of rest lately, either," Becker said quietly. "But she enjoyed tonight with each of us and us together. We needed this."

"We did," Stephen agreed. "All three of us needed it, but... I think she needed it the most."

"She's been a lot more scared then we knew about, Stephen."

"I know, and I feel like a heel for not realizing it."

"Yeah, I don't feel very good for not realizing how scared and hurt she was."

Stephen looked at Abby for a moment. "God, she's beautiful," he said softly. "She's beautiful and she's ours and we haven't done a very good job of being there for her, even after she came home."

"She thought she hadn't done a very good job of being what we needed her to be, Stephen."

"We just need her to be herself," Stephen said, sadness in his eyes. "That's all we've ever needed."

"She apparently didn't think that."

"I just hope tonight helped her a little," Stephen said quietly. "I don't know how it would've helped, but... I hope it did."

"I think she feels a lot better about things now that we've all talked and the two of us let go with her." Becker sighed. "I think she thought we were holding back because of her hurting us. I didn't realize that us looking out for her would make her feel even more apart from us."

"I didn't, either." Stephen was quiet for a moment, watching Abby. "God, I can't believe we hurt her again."

"But we also made her feel better and made up for it." He sighed. "I hope."

"We have to believe we did." Stephen frowned thoughtfully. "We could ask her later..."

"She seemed so happy... relaxed, even, when she finally let herself fall asleep. I don't remember the last time I saw her look so relaxed."

"Before I came into your lives again, probably."

"Don't say that, Stephen. Especially don't say that when she might happen to hear you."

"All I mean is, it's been a damn long time and I'm not sure I've ever seen her look this relaxed and happy."

"She's been holding so much in, you know? Her worries about letting us down. Her fear of never being forgiven or trusted completely again because of her leaving." Becker sighed. "Those things in her mind plus the nightmares have got to have been messing with her a great deal."

"We should have noticed." There was a distinctly miserable look on Stephen's face. "We should have noticed, Hil."

"We should have, maybe, but now we know exactly what she's been afraid of and why she thought we were holding back. We know and now we can fix it."

Stephen just nodded slightly. "I haven't been very good to her lately, it would seem. Not if she was still so afraid."

"You were being considerate, same as I was. We should have remembered that sometimes when we get so worried about her, that it doesn't translate well to someone who has always been one to judge how she's doing with someone by how much they want to do with her." Becker sighed. "I also don't think she had truly forgiven herself -- even though we had."

Stephen didn't know what to say. They'd been trying to help Abby and they'd only wound up hurting her again. He'd hurt her again.

"If you keep beating yourself about not realizing, she's going to know it, Stephen. That might make her start keeping things bottled up again."

"I can't help it," Stephen said quietly. "I should have realized, though. I should have and I didn't."

"But if she hears you, love, you know she's going to react about hurting us."

"Why do you think I'm saying it while she's asleep?"

Becker sighed and reached over to link his fingers with Stephen's. "We'll be better than all right now, because she told us."

"And that had to have taken a lot of courage for her," Stephen mused.

"It did, and she also wanted to tell us."

"She's stronger than she realizes when it comes to that sort of thing."

"She's been trying to make sure that we're happy and she hasn't asked for anything for herself until tonight."

"I wish she'd ask for something for herself more often," Stephen said quietly.

"We'll get her to feel better about asking."

"Damn right we will," Stephen said.

"She's ours, damn it and we're not going to lose her or push her away."

"No, we're not," Stephen agreed, squeezing Becker's hand gently. "We're not going to repeat our mistakes."

"It will fine, we know this."

"We do."

Becker smiled at Stephen and then looked down at where Abby was asleep. "We'll make sure she stays safe and between us -- where she belongs."

"But we'll be sure to let her out in front of us sometimes, too," Stephen said, smiling faintly. That was one mistake they'd definitely learned from.

"Sometimes," Becker agreed. Because he couldn't not protect her. He wouldn't know how. "We'll show her how much she's needed and loved on a more regular basis."

"Tonight was a good start, though, I think," Stephen said. "She was comfortable enough with us to ask for what she wanted. Means she trusts us."

"Which is something that I didn't think we'd ever earn back."

"Me, either." Stephen looked at Abby. "She's... everything good about our lives."

"You're a good part of our lives, too."

"I know," Stephen said. "I know. But Abby, she's... she's our everything."

Becker nodded. "She is. She really is and I don't think she knows that."

"We'll just have to make sure she does know."

"We can be good at convincing when we need to."

Stephen smirked. "Oh, yes. Yes, we can."

"And we'll keep at it until we know that she is completely convinced."

"Might take a while, but it'll be worth it."

"She's worth it."

"She's worth all the effort in the world."

"She really is and we'll make sure she knows that."

Stephen nodded slightly and watched Abby for a moment. "I love watching her sleep. She looks so... calm."

"Like she knows she's safe and wanted."

"And that's half the battle," Stephen said. "Because she knows it when she's asleep. We just need to work on making sure she knows it when she's awake."

Becker nodded and smiled slightly. "Because no matter how confident she seems to be, she still has worries."

"And it's our job to make sure she doesn't need to have those worries." Because keeping her from worrying would be almost impossible, but making sure the worries weren't warranted was something they could easily do now that they knew.

"And if she doesn't look like she feels like she fits in with us again, we give her a night like this to remind her."

Stephen grinned. "I like the way you think."

Becker grinned back. "You love me for my mind."

"Among other things."

"I love you, period." Becker said quietly.

Stephen was silent for a moment, and then: "Thank you."

It was a thank you for so much, though, for so many things all at once.

"You don't have to thank me."

"I know, but I want to." Stephen smiled. "They're words that're good to say sometimes. Not always, but every now and then."

"I like hearing you tell me how you feel," Becker said, squeezing his hand.

"That's why I'm going to say the words sometimes," Stephen said. "Because I know I don't need to thank you, but... at the same time I know I need to express myself better sometimes."

"I need to do the same thing for you, too. I know that I don't say it nearly enough to you or to Abby. I plan to change that."

"You realize it and that's what's important," Stephen said. "I think, anyway."

"Does it help that I agree with you?"

"A little." Stephen grinned.

Becker grinned back at him.

"Things might just work out after all, y'know that?"

"I think they will," Becker nodded in agreement. "I think they will."

"We won't let it go any other way."

"No more fear. No more thinking we're going to lose her or each other."

"No more worrying about anything," Stephen said.

"No more. Because when we worry, Abby feels rejected."

"And that's the last thing in the world we want. We've made her feel like that enough," Stephen said. "More than enough."

"We will not make her feel like our concerns are a rejection." Becker's voice was calm. "We'll show her that she's ours."

Stephen nodded in agreement. "And we'll figure out how to better judge when she's starting to doubt something."

"Watching her eyes more often should help."

"Because she gets this look... hesitant but almost blank, in a way. Like she's hiding behind a wall."

"We need to stop her from being able to hide behind that wall."

"We'll find a way," Stephen said, watching Abby. "We have to."

"We will, Stephen," Becker said quietly. "We will."

"It might take us a while, but..." Stephen exhaled slowly. "Anything worth doing is worth doing right."

Becker nodded, the first peaceful smile he had actually felt in weeks crossing his features. "But we know that what we have had is still there -- with all three of us."

"And now that we know it, we're not letting it go."

"Exactly. And she knows it, too. I think she finally has faith in us again."

Stephen sighed. "God, it hurts that she lost faith in us for a while. I understand it, but that doesn't make it hurt any less."

"She's here now," Becker reminded him. "She came back to us and we have the chance to make ourselves this wonderful family."

"I know." Stephen nodded slightly. "I know. And I'm trying to focus on that."

Becker leaned carefully over the sleeping Abby to kiss him. "We'll help each other focus on that."

Stephen deepened the kiss slightly, not enough to be trying anything but enough to let Becker know he meant it. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. Making this work is as important to me as it is to you, love."

"I know, but..." Stephen had to search for the words for a moment. "I still feel like I need to, a little."

"If that's how you feel, then never hold back when you need to say something, Stephen. Not with me and not with Abby."

"I'll try," Stephen said. "I'm not always very good with words."

"We're all pretty well matched on that."

Stephen laughed softly, ruefully. "Yeah, I suppose we are."

"But we'll make this work because it's important to all of us."

"Exactly." Stephen nodded. "And even if I'm not good with words, at least I'm trying to find the right ones. That's a step."

"And if I don't have all of the words. I'll make sure my actions say how I feel."

"You've always been good with actions," Stephen said with an affectionate smile.

"I've got to make sure I'm better than I ever have been."

"You will be," Stephen said. "I have faith in you."

"Like I have faith in you."

"And Abby has faith in both of us, too."

"Yes she does. We have to make sure she never has reason to doubt us again."

"Tall order, but we can do it."

"I know we can," Becker nodded, his hand running along Abby's hair.

"So do I," Stephen echoed.

"Then why are we worrying so much?"

"Because it doesn't change the fact that we're still scared," Stephen said after a moment of honest thought.

Becker was quiet and then nodded. "I can't go through losing her again."

"I can't go through losing either of you again," Stephen said quietly.

"You're not losing me, Stephen. I'm not going anywhere."

Stephen warmed slightly; he knew he wasn't going to lose Becker, of course, but hearing it was nice too. "I know. I promise, love, I know."

"We're sure with each other, so now we just need to focus on making her believe that she's not going to lose us." Becker squeezed Stephen's hand. "And we remind each other of our commitment because sometimes we'll need to hear it."

Stephen smiled faintly. "Because knowing it is one thing, but hearing it on occasion is damn nice, too."

"Exactly." He smiled back. "And if we say it to each other, it will make it much easier to tell her all of the time."

"So really, it's a good thing to say it to each other."

"A very good thing."

"So..." Stephen looked to the still-sleeping Abby. "I tell you lately how much I love you, Hil?"

"I love you, too, Stephen."

"And I'll always love you."

"Feels good to hear it and say it, doesn't it?"

"It does," Stephen said with a nod.

"And that's what we have to make sure we do for Abby, too."

"We will," Stephen said. "We know it's what we need to do, so it's what we're going to do. It won't always be easy, but the stuff that's worth it never is."

"And this is definitely worth it."

"Damn right it is."

"We can do this. I know we can."

"I know, too." Stephen nodded. "Because we're nothing if not determined."

"And stubborn as hell."

"And Abby's equally stubborn. She won't let the two of us fail at something that matters so much to us."

Becker smiled faintly. "No, she wouldn't allow that."

"She's... remarkable," Stephen said softly. "And she's... mine. I know she's ours, but... she's mine. I look at her sometimes and I wonder how this amazing woman could want to let me into her life at all."

"Because she thinks you're just as amazing as I do."

"And that's something else I wonder about. Not in the doubting it sense," he assured Becker. "Just... after everything I did to you, you took me back. God, I'm lucky."

"People make mistakes, love," Becker said softly. "All of us have made them. And you have more than made up for everything that happened in the past -- and it is in the past."

"But it was always possible that things wouldn't work out nearly so well," Stephen said. "I just think I need to appreciate the good in my life."

"And we appreciate you, too."

"I hope I never give you cause to stop that."

"You won't."

"I certainly hope not."

Carefully, so as not to disturb the woman sleeping in their arms between them, Becker leaned up and then over to kiss Stephen. "You won't."

Stephen whimpered softly and returned the kiss. "God, I love your faith in me."

"Like your faith in me."

"I never stopped having faith in you, Hil."

"And now we need to keep her faith in us alive."

"We can do it."

"I know we can."

"I know, too."

"We'll be fine," Becker said softly.

Stephen just nodded.

"When the three of us are together, we can manage anything."