Reconciliations Part III:
Resolutions

Bubba tried to defend himself against the continuous punches that rained down on him, but he was no match for an enraged Larabee. Realizing that if he didn't step in and do something Chris was going to kill the man with his bare hands, Buck swore and grabbed Larabee in a headlock to pull him away from Bubba.

“Larabee! Calm down! It's me, Buck! The man's not worth throwing your life away.” Bubba slid to the ground, as Chris tried to free himself from the headlock Buck had him in.

“Damnit Buck! Let me go!” Chris yelled. “I’m not going to kill the bastard. Okay?”

Buck loosened his hold on Larabee. “You could’ve fooled me.”

“Get the sonofabitch out of my sight.” Larabee shook off some of his anger as he caught sight of Tracker. Obviously the dog was injured, but he was alive, and Chris intended for him to stay that way. He trusted Vin to take care of Kelli and pulled out his cell phone to call Matt as he knelt down beside the dog that had been injured trying to protect his daughter.

Rain had taken one look at Kelli and insisted she go to the emergency room even before Dr. Weeks called. She was too far along to take any risks, and the number of possible problems this latest incident could cause for the babies were too many to count. Dr. Weeks was waiting for Kelli when they arrived at the hospital, and immediately took charge, throwing everyone out of the exam room, except Vin.

Buck had turned Bubba over to Mark, giving him an opportunity to redeem himself with Vin and Chris. Evidently the bag discovered near Camp Larabee was a deliberate ploy to get Mark and Walter away from the house. Bubba had been monitoring the activities at the ranch for so long he knew one man had a good chance to slip inside, if he could isolate his target. When he saw Kelli head to the barn with no bodyguard, he knew he might not get a better opportunity to kill her.

After Matt assured Jason and Andi he would take good care of Tracker, Chris left the kids in Max and Walter’s care, promising to let them know about their mom’s condition as soon as possible. Ezra called the court explaining why Tanner would not be returning for the afternoon session. Buck drove Chris to the hospital where they joined the rest of the Wild Bunch as they waited on word from Vin about Kelli.

Kelli gripped one of Vin's hands with her uninjured hand as Dr. Weeks finished examining her. When she had completed the examination, Dr. Weeks stripped off the soiled gloves and stood up. She moved over to the counter to wash her hands and then picked up Kelli's chart and palmed through it before she finally turned her attention onto the Tanners.

“We were lucky, everything looks good.” She told them softly with a smile. “Vitals for all three are normal, except Kelli's blood pressure is slightly elevated and that is to be expected after what she just went through. There is the bruise on her face and there will be some bruising along the lower back region due to Kelli's fall against the stall wall. Of course the cut she sustained on her hand will require stitches, but I don't see that there is anything for us to be worried about at this point." Helen Weeks sighed as she patted Kelli on the shoulder. "The stress you have been under all these months would have put most women into premature labor or worse."

Kelli wept with relief against Vin, as Tanner fought to control his own emotions. He knew that both of them had been fearful that this time they weren't going to be so lucky about the babies escaping unscathed by the actions of Bubba.

"Kel is not most women." Vin told her as he assisted his wife off the examination table. "Thank you, Dr. Weeks. You don't know how relieved we are to hear that nothin' is wrong with the boys."

Dr. Weeks nodded.” I think I do know, however, she needs to be watched closely for the next 24 hours to be on the safe side. Make sure that she gets plenty of rest." She smiled. “It won’t be long, your boys are almost ready, and I bet I see you before the end of the week. Vin, as soon as we suture that cut you can take her home."

It took six stitches to close the wound on Kelli's hand. Vin helped his wife dress, and together they walked out to the waiting room when they were met by anxious family. “Doc said the babies are fine, and Kel can go home.”

Chris was relieved, but he still needed to know the details of what had happened. “I’m glad, and I hate to do this, but I need a few questions answered.”

“Not now Chris. “Vin answered.

Kelli placed her uninjured hand on Vin’s arm. “It’s okay, let’s get this over with.”

Vin found a chair for her to sit on, and stayed close while she told them what Bubba had said. When she repeated his intention to cut the babies out for Vin to find, it was more than Vin, Chris, or the others wanted to hear.

“I was too easy on the sonofabitch.” Chris growled. “We should have let Peso kill him.”

JD addressed Kelli. “I’m sorry; I did the background on him and Karl. I should have been able to find their connection.”

“They spent a lifetime hidin' that fact JD; you had no way to find somethin' that couldn’t be found.” Kelli sighed. “I’m tired, if you want a formal statement it will have to wait til tomorrow. I need to see our kids and there is a certain dog and horse I would like to check on.”

“Tomorrow is fine and according to Matt, Tracker will be fine. George checked on Peso, and he's okay, too.” Chris stood up. “Come on, Buck and I will take you both home.”

Max had her hands full trying to keep Jason and Andi in the house when the Tanner children heard their Uncle Chris's truck pull into the yard. Vin and Kelli were barely through the door before Jason and Andi were on them. “Is Mom alright? What about our brothers, are they okay?" Jason asked his dad, as Andi hugged Kelli.

"Your mom and your brothers are just fine.”Vin was quick to assure the children.

"Vin, Kelli...we're going to head on home. You’ll let us know if the two of you need anything?" Chris asked.

Tanner looked at Kelli, Jason, and Andi. “Thanks Chris, we have all we need.” Vin knew there would probably be nightmares to contend with, and damage control with the kids, but they were all alive, and together. That was the only thing that was important.

Chris felt the emotions of the day catch up with him. He had come too damn close to losing one of his children again, and it made him anxious to get home to Grace and Cody. Bubba Jones had acted out of an unwarranted loyalty to a man who he considered family. In the process he had almost killed part of Chris’s family. If Kelli and the babies had been taken, Vin might not have been able to ever completely recover from the loss, and Chris knew it. Fate had stepped in, in the form of an ornery horse, and an obstinate Aussie Shepherd to protect his daughter, and Chris Larabee would be forever grateful.

Vin knew when the nightmares returned. He felt Kelli jerk in her sleep, and he began whispering soothing words in her ear to calm her. It had been a nightly ritual since Bubba Jones had attempted to kill her and their babies. He had had a few unnerving moments himself when he thought about what Bubba had planned for him to find, and refused to be separated from Kelli until after their boys were safely delivered. Tanner told the U.S. Attorneys that they could either work around him not being in court or fine him for contempt. Jones had been charged with the attempted murder of Kelli, conspiracy to commit the murder of FBI Agent Daniel Abbot, was arraigned, and now resided in the same jail as Karl. As far as Vin was concerned they could both rot in there.

“You’re safe Kel.” He spoke softly as he tightened his arm around her. “Our boys are fine, and ‘m right here with you.”

Kelli was now wide awake, and felt secure with Vin holding her. “I’m okay, Vin, but I do need to get up for another trip to the bathroom.”

The stitches in her hand made even the simplest of tasks difficult. “I think we can manage that.” Vin rolled out of bed to assist Kelli to her feet. It amazed him that she could get around at all as big as she was, and he could not see how she would make it another seven days to her due date. Of course he would never voice that thought aloud, to him she was beautiful, but she was sensitive about her size.

Once the necessities had been taken care of, Vin suggested that she go back to bed for a while. “We don’t have to be at Chris’s until eleven for his birthday feast.” Chris really resisted the idea of a party, but he had agreed to a barbeque lunch with only the Wild Bunch in attendance. He also stipulated that in lieu of gifts, those so inclined to get one should make a donation to Reins of Change instead.

“I don’t know Tanner; my back really hurts this mornin’ and I'm havin' a few contractions. Maybe I should do some more walkin’ to try to convince your sons it’s time to see the outside world.” She leaned against Vin for support,

He gently rubbed her back with firm circular motions that seemed to help with her discomfort. “Our boys will get here when they’re ready baby.”

She answered with a deep sigh. “I know, and I really enjoy bein' pregnant, but I think we’re runnin’ out of room for the three of us to share one body.”

“All right boys, listen up, your room is ready, and your mom and I have kept a journal of your journey, both written and in photos. You have a brother and sister anxious to meet you, as well as twelve cousins, six uncles, five aunts, and assorted extended members of the Wild Bunch. The camcorder is charged. I have plenty of film for the camera, our bags are packed, and ‘m gonna be waitin’ for you as you take your first breaths.” Vin patted her stomach. “So what do you say, y’all ready to give your mom her body back?”

Kelli smiled. “Nice try Dad, but I don’t think they’re listenin’.”

“Then let me help you dress, and then I’ll make you a fantastic breakfast. All you have to do is sit and keep me company while I do it.” Vin reached for the camera he kept close by. “One more picture for their baby journal.” He snapped a photo of her stomach, and jotted down the date in their birth diary. He had managed to get some terrific pictures; even a few of a foot, and a hand outlined under her skin, and they had documented every stage of her pregnancy.

“No more Vin. You have enough pictures, and ‘m hungry.”

“Someday you’ll appreciate my talent for photography.” Vin teased. “Right now though I reckon I should feed you, and then, we’ll take a walk.” They finished dressing, and walked together into the kitchen, Tracker trailing behind them. A busy day waited ahead, for both of them.

Kelli’s backache had graduated to consistent contractions, and she and Vin had been monitoring the timing of them all morning. Nothing definitive, but enough for Vin to be concerned, and he was the one to make the call to Dr. Weeks. Better to be nothing and call, than to be something and not call.

Vin hung up the phone and turned to Kelli. “Helen suspects that you are in the early stages of labor. She said not to panic, just monitor the contractions as we have been, and watch for any changes in intensity or timin’. You still want to go over to Chris’s?”

“Why not? You can watch me there the same as you are here, and I really don’t want to miss dad’s birthday.”

Tanner walked over and wrapped his arms around his wife. He knew this could be one of the last moments they had alone before the babies were born. Kissing her forehead as he rubbed her back, he whispered to her. “We started this incredible journey together, and I want you to know how much I have enjoyed sharin’ it with you. I love you Kel.”

“I love you too Tanner.” Kelli was anxious, but knowing that Vin was here gave her the strength to get through anything. “I don’t think I could be this calm without you here with me.”

“Then you’ll be glad to know I have no intention of being more than three feet away from you for the duration.” He lowered his mouth and claimed a long slow kiss before speaking again. “Let’s go wish Chris a happy birthday.”

It was a beautiful summer day in Colorado, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the temperature was not expected to reach over eighty-eight. A perfect day for an outdoor barbeque, and the kids were ready to play while the adults worked. Josiah had fired up the grill early and the ladies were busy preparing food in the Larabee kitchen. Under Nettie and Max’s supervision it was a well coordinated effort for the ideal birthday dinner.

The Wild Bunch had become experts at throwing great celebrations. They had learned to seize the good moments whenever possible, and to deal with the bad ones together, as a family. Today was a good one, Chris was never one that liked to see his birthday observed, but this year he felt he had a lot to celebrate. He had survived one of the most unstable years of his life, and come out emotionally strong, healthy, and had two of the most beautiful babies in the world that were his alone. His best friend and eldest daughter were about to experience one of those miraculous moments life offered, watching their twin sons being born. Chris knew from his own experience how wonderful it would be for them, and he was looking forward to being there with them when the time came.

Larabee was certain that Tanner was going to experience all sorts of new emotions while being an active participant in the birth of his sons. Watching life being born was ultimately the most sacred thing for anyone to have the privileged to witness, and he knew that Vin and Kelli's lives would be forever changed because of it, just like his had been. There was also no doubt in his mind that they loved Jason and Andi with all their hearts and would never let the fact that they had created the twins together, change how they would treat their older children. Family was family, regardless if siblings shared the same blood or not. Chris knew that for a fact, because he had six brothers to prove it.

“Is this where you want it. “Buck and Nathan asked. Chris had them move one of the cushioned redwood loungers off the deck to under the tree where most of the adults were gathering to watch the children. Vin had called ahead to warn him that Kelli was having some contractions and that she could be in active labor at anytime.

“That’s fine. I wanted Kelli to have a comfortable place to sit with the rest of us.” Chris answered.

Buck laughed. “Chris, she’s nine months pregnant, there ain’t no place she’s gonna be comfortable.”

Chris grinned back at him. "Maybe not, but we can attempt to make her as comfortable as possible.”

"True." Nathan said as he watched Vin and Kelli slowly head their way, he had to laugh when he saw that she was barefooted. Rain couldn’t wear shoes the last couple of weeks she was pregnant with Terrell either.

"Thanks, boys," Vin said appreciatively as he helped Kelli to stretch out on the lounger. "Sittin' up or standin' doesn't seem to be doin' much to ease the discomfort that Kelli's in... maybe layin' down will."

"Don't talk around me as if I’m not here, Vin." Kelli said irritably, laying one hand on her stomach as another contraction hit her.

"Sorry, Kel," Tanner replied automatically as he began to time the contraction that she was having.

Buck and Nathan exchanged knowing looks. Vin was in for a wake up call. All of the brothers knew about the extensive reading that the Texan had done about bringing babies into the world, but they were sure that there were a few things he would learn first hand. One of them being that a woman in labor almost always takes every last ounce of pain she experiences out on her unsuspecting husband.

"That one wasn't bad." Vin told Kelli, as he sat down in the chair beside her lounger.

"Says who?" Kelli asked him with a cocked eyebrow. “You didn’t feel it, I did.” She looked over to Chris, “Happy Birthday Dad.”

“Thank you, daughter,” Chris smiled. “You plan on having a special delivery for me today?”

“Maybe, if the boys cooperate.” Kelli said wearily. “I don’t know what they’re doing, but it’s damn uncomfortable.”

"How close are her contractions now?" Nathan asked Vin.

"They’re still nine to ten minutes apart." Tanner assured him.

"You stay here and take care of Kelli while we go see if there is anything else we need to help out with." Buck said and then he and Nathan headed off toward the house where the rest of the ladies were beginning to bring out condiments, salads and other food items from the kitchen.

JD moved his chair so he could see Lilah and Daisy. “Did you get to try out the lens attachment I sent over for your camera, Vin?

“Yep, and it’s great. I already took some shots with it, and I like the way the pictures came out.” Vin answered as he kept one eye on Kelli.

Chris chuckled. “If I know Vin he's not only tried it out, but can tell you everything about it.”

“Our brother does have a need to know every detail of the mechanism he aspires to use.” Ezra smiled.” Of course that is why he is the best sharpshooter in the country. Very few details escape his meticulous attention.”

"Ah don't be going and telling him things like that." Buck told Standish as he returned with some juice for Kelli." You’re liable to give him a swelled head or something and then he won't be fit to be around." He handed the glass to Kelli as he spoke, who nodded her thanks.

The brothers burst out laughing in response to Wilmington's words. Other men might get a bit too full of themselves over hearing praise in regards to their accomplishments, but not Vin Tanner. He didn't care about accolades or prizes; he only cared about doing the best job he knew how with the skills he held.

More ribbing continued between the men until the ladies announced that lunch was finally ready.

Tanner made sure that Jason and Andi were seated at one of the tables eating, before he made plates for him and Kelli. He was cautioned by both Rain and Nathan not to try and force Kelli to eat too much, and Tanner had listened to their advice. He handed Kelli her plate and then seated himself in the chair beside her. “You want somethin' else to drink, maybe some sweet tea or water, anything?"

"Water." Kelli said as she raised an olive to her lips to eat, when a strong contraction struck her abdomen. Her paper plate full of food went flying as she clutched at her stomach and tried to breathe through the contraction. "Vin!" She gasped out his name.

“Right here, baby.” He grabbed her hand as he looked at his watch, noting that one was only sevens minutes from the last one, and then made a decision. “That one was closer and harder. I think it’s time we leave for the hospital.” He pulled out his cell phone to alert Dr. Weeks.

Kelli did not argue with him, “All right.” Vin helped her to her feet.

Chris stood next to them. “I’ll drive, you sit with Kel.” He handed Cody to Dottie, and then bent down to kiss Grace. “Buck and Inez are going to bring Jason and Andi to the hospital with them.”

Since their bags were already in the Silverado with his camera, Vin gave Chris his keys, while Kelli hugged Jason and Andi, assuring them she would see them at the hospital. The rest of the Wild Bunch would follow in a short time.

Within a few minutes of her arrival in one of the suites of the maternity ward, Kelli had been helped by Vin to change her clothing, and both the babies and her heartbeat's were being monitored. Vin held her hand and offered reassuring encouragement as she breathed her way through another contraction. Dr. Weeks arrived a few moments later and did an exam to find out how far along she had progressed in her labor.

"You are doing well Kelli." Dr. Weeks told her when the exam was finished. “You are already dilated to three centimeters, and Baby A is in a good position, hopefully he will set a good example for his brother to follow. “She patted Kelli on the shoulder. “I know you wanted an all natural delivery, but your high risk status prevents that. You have had a lot of stress during this pregnancy and that concerns me. The same scar tissue that made it difficult to become pregnant in the first place could factor into a problem with internal hemorrhaging. Add that to the fact that multiples are expected and we could have any number of scenarios play out today. I will do all I can to make certain you have as much freedom as possible to do things your way, but my objective is to have two healthy babies. I intend to keep a very close watch on all three of you. You can however get up and walk around the room as much you feel that you can, but don't eat or drink anything."

"What about ice chips?" Vin asked.

"Those are alright." Dr. Weeks replied. "I'll be back in to check on you in just a little while.”

The nurse disconnected the monitor lines from Kelli, and Vin helped her to stand. Her walking was limited to the room, but it was a big area, and although they had to forgo home delivery, they were determined to make it as natural as possible under the circumstance. After all they had faced to get here they could not help but believe that this was going to be the easy part.

Chris had sat by silently, allowing the doctor to exam his daughter. He wanted to be the least intrusive as possible, but was thrilled Vin had asked him to be here. “Pace yourself Kel, you still have a good ways to go.”

Kelli had almost forgotten he was there. “Dad, I’m sorry we ruined your birthday dinner. You barely had time to eat.”

“I can eat anytime. Being a witness to my daughter giving birth for the first time is the best birthday gift I could ever hope for."

"I'm not sure how much company I'm goin' to be." Kelli warned him. "This isn't exactly a walk in the park that's goin' on here."

"I wasn't expecting you to be at your best, Kel.” Chris reassured her. "Giving birth is hard work, that’s why they call it labor. We'll all be close to support you through it. "

"Thanks. I'm thinkin' that the next time around, Vin's goin' to be the one doin' the havin' instead of me. "

"That's anatomically impossible Kel, "Tanner told her patiently, “but you know that I'd take the pain away from you if I could."

"I know." Kelli gasped out, halting in mid-stride as another contraction hit her. Vin stayed at her side, alternately rubbing her back and speaking encouraging words in her ear.

Chris watched the two of them and thought about how it was when Sarah was having Adam. He smiled to himself remembering how smart they thought they were, but how little they really knew about what to expect. Neither of them had had an inkling of an idea about the powerful emotions they would feel when Adam finally made his arrival, or how their lives would be forever altered. Larabee found he was anxious to see those same emotions on the faces of his best friend and eldest daughter.

Larabee did have one question. “Vin you keep saying, boys, twins, or brothers. Are you having trouble coming up with names?”

Kelli looked over at Vin “It’s your call.” They had selected names, but she had promised him it was his decision to make about when they announced them.

Vin was ready to share with Chris. “We compromised. Kelli chose the name for the firstborn, and I decide on the name for the second.” Vin smiled. “My only condition was no Vincent Jamison Tanner Jr. or Vincent anything. My sweet wife found a way around that though, and chose to name him after me anyway. She decided on Bren Jamison.”

Chris laughed. “That’s my girl. It’s not junior, or Vincent and you didn’t say it couldn’t sound like Vin… Bren Tanner, I like it. So, what about Bren’s brother?”

“Well, I thought about the men that have had an influence on my life. The first name I considered was Christopher, but Cody already has claim on that one. Other than you, there are two men that changed the course of my life. My grandfather, Treyton Hawk, was the first, and Trey will carry his name. Another one was a Texas Ranger named Jake Mackenzie. He took Kel in, loved her, and set her on a course that would eventually cross paths with mine. Naming our son Trey Mackenzie will honor them both

“Bren Jamison and Trey Mackenzie are good choices Vin.” Chris nodded in agreement,” Named for three fine men.”

The door burst open and Andi was the first one through it. “Are my brothers here yet? “She yelled as she ran to her mother.

“No, not yet Sugar.” Kelli answered, squeezing Vin’s hand when another contraction hit her.

Andi patted her mom’s tummy. “This is Andi. You can come out now, ‘m here.”

Jason joined his sister. “They don’t have to listen to you.”

“Do too! I’m the big sister.”

Vin saw the argument that was coming and interceded. “Okay, the boys are on the way, but it’ll take a while so no arguin’. Y’all can sit in here with us for a bit, or in the room through that door.” He indicated the adjoining waiting room. “There’s a television, some colorin’ books for Andi, and some horse magazines you might wanna look at Jason.

Buck rubbed his hands together. “That sounds like a cool room. Wanna go with Uncle Buck and check it out?”

Jason stood in indecision looking from his Mom to the doorway in which his uncle and sister had gone through a few moments earlier.

You can come back in here at any time you want to." Vin told him softly.

"Okay." Jason said, letting Vin make his decision for him. He went to join his Uncle Buck and Andi in the other room.

"He takes on too much for a little boy." Inez commented quietly.

Yes, he does." Vin agreed.

"You and Kelli have done wonders for Jason and Andi." Chris said. “While Jason does tend to be a bit more serious about things than a little boy his age should, he's learned to be a kid again under your guidance and love."

‘It’s easy when you have two great kids to start with, especially Jason. No one could ask for a better child, he’s compassionate, responsible, and super smart. We’re hoping when the babies get here he’ll realize that all things in life don’t have to turn out badly, and relax ever more.” Vin explained and smiled when he heard Jason laugh with Buck in the next room.

“Their laughter is music to my ears. “Kelli smiled too. “I always…ohhh…Vin, I think my water broke with that contraction.”

“Let’s get you back to the bed and call the nurse.” Tanner walked her back to the bedside, and found her a dry gown to change into. Chris stepped out of the room with Inez to give her some privacy.

"Damn..." Kelli exclaimed as another contraction hit and she leaned into Vin for support until it had passed. "They seem to be comin' faster now."

"They are." Vin agreed as he tied the strings of the gown into a bow and helped her back into the bed.

“I wish the boys would decide to come all ready. I'm anxious to be able to hold them in my arms, instead of inside of me."

“I know...they'll be comin' sooner than you think. Just wait and see." Vin said soothingly as he fluffed up her pillows so that she could sit more comfortably. "Do you want some more ice chips?"

“No, what I want is to move this along.”

“You’re impatience is showin’ baby. When the time is…”

“I know, I know, when the time is right.” Kelli snapped. “Do you have to be so logical? It’s irritatin’.”

“She sounds like you did Case.” JD grinned as he and his wife walked in the room. “Only I think Casey was worse.”

Casey elbowed him in the side. “It’s still early for her, but if you don’t hush it may be too late for you.”

"Better watch it JD, I think she means it." Ezra said as he and Barbara followed the Dunnes in. “Maybe we should all step into the other room so Vin and Kelli can have some privacy for awhile?"

Vin stepped back from the bed a little, but not so much to make Kelli think he was going anywhere, or so he thought. "Don't leave me, Vin. I can't do this without you." Kelli cried as another contraction hit her

"I'm not goin' anywhere.” He assured her.

"We'll be in the other room." Ezra took the lead and headed everyone into the waiting room.

Tanner nodded his head, his attention focused on helping Kelli through the pain she was experiencing as best he could.

“Vin, ‘m sorry,” Kelli started to cry. “I’ve changed my mind. Let’s just go home.” She squeezed his hand again.

“I think we’re past that point Kel.” He pushed her hair back. “Want me to braid you’re hair so it’ll be out of your face?” Tanner figured the best he could do is roll with the flow of her emotions.

Vin did braid her hair, Nathan and Rain arrived along with Josiah and Mallory, and time moved slowly. At least Kelli thought so. When Dr. Weeks came back thirty minutes later she gave her the third degree, trying to pin her down to a definite timeframe.

Dr. Weeks examined Kelli, read the chart, and rechecked her vitals. “I wish I could tell you specifically Kelli, but I can’t. You’re more than halfway there though, and things look good. I’ll be back in another hour to see you again.”

"Make it stop, Vin." Kelli pleaded with her husband as she was consumed by pain.

"I would if I could Kel,” Vin told her, biting down on his bottom lip so hard that he tasted blood. The past three hours had been increasingly hard for Kelli and Vin both. Kelli was dilated up to seven centimeters now, and her contractions were coming hard and fast, making it almost impossible for her to get any rest between them. Tanner's anguished blue eyes sought out Chris's green ones, as Larabee sat in a chair a few feet from the bed.

Larabee's voice was calm and reassuring in Tanner's head. *Keep talking and encouraging her.*

"You're doin' great, Kel.” Vin said soothingly, resting his forehead against hers and whispering words of love and encouragement to her.

The kids had been in and out of the room, but at this point Inez and Casey were keeping them distracted, while Barbara and Mallory took turns checking on Kelli’s progress.

Dr. Weeks returned and after examining Kelli she pulled off her gloves, and then explained why she was in so much pain. “Kelli you are experiencing what we call back labor. Simply put, the baby has his face turned toward your spine and we need him to face the other way.” She showed them on the ultrasound where the babies were positioned.

"Can you do that?” Vin asked.

“We can try. The nurse will keep repositioning you and well see if our young man is inclined to cooperate.” The doctor moved closer to the head of the bed. “If he doesn’t it’ is going to be harder on you. Do you want some medication to ease the pain?”

“No! No drugs.” Kelli closed her eyes. “Our babies will be born drug free, no matter how much pain ‘m in.”

"Vin, there are some methods that you can do or help Kelli do to ease some of the pain and discomfort she is feeling." Dr. Weeks said. "I've noticed that you've already been massaging her back, wetting her face with cool cloths, feeding her ice chips, and helping her to walk around." Dr. Weeks said, " Continue to do all of those...but add in applying pressure to her lower back, and try helping her into different positions.”

"Alright," Vin replied.

It was a team effort but sometime in the next two hours Baby A turned into the right position and was almost ready to lead the way for his brother to come into the world. Kelli was tired but determined, and Dr. Weeks was pleased with her progress.

“Vin what time is it?’ Kelli asked.

“Almost seven baby.” Vin realized that Kelli had been at this since early this morning. He had tried to help make it as easy on her as possible, but he knew she was close to exhaustion, and was not sure how much longer she could go. His mind rapidly replayed all the trials they had been through to get to this point, but Vin's turmoil of emotions suddenly became tranquil as he felt the presence of his mother and grandfather's spirits close by. Vin knew his sons were under the protection of two special angels.

“Vin, I hope you are ready to welcome your sons, it’s time.” Dr. Weeks smiled. “Kelli, I need you to work just a little bit longer. When I tell you to push, don’t stop until I say so.”

"We're ready. Right Vin?"

"Yes Ma'am." Tanner smiled. He was ready and he was confident now that Kelli and the boys would be fine.

Chris had taken over the camera hours ago, leaving Vin free to help his wife. He knew Kelli was close, and in a matter of a few minutes Vin would be holding his firstborn son, but that was only half the job. He was aware of the problems that could still manifest, and prayed for everything to go smoothly. Tanner followed the instructions that the nurse told him, and was ready to help Kelli in anyway he could to safely deliver the babies that they had been wanting for so long.

"Push Kelli!" Dr. Weeks ordered and began to count to ten. Vin supported her back as Kelli did as the doctor ordered. Perspiration dripped into her eyes, and her face turned red, as she pushed as hard as she could. They watched as Bren Jamison Tanner made his entrance into the world. Dr. Weeks worked quickly to clear the baby's nose and mouth of mucous. A loud wail of protest filled the room.

"Dad, are you ready to cut the cord?" Dr. Weeks asked, holding Bren, and nodding toward the surgical scissors that the nurse was handing out to him.

Vin worked to clear the lump in his throat as he took in the miraculous form of his baby son before him. "Yes." His voice was raspy as he took the scissors from the nurse and followed the doctor's instructions. He and Kelli watched with tear filled eyes as the nurse gave then a brief glimpse of their son, and then took Bren to clean him up.

"We did it." Kelli whispered to Vin.

"Your work is not over yet, Kelli. You've got another son waiting to join his brother." Dr. Weeks reminded her with a smile. “I don’t think he’s going to wait very long either.”

Another contraction seized Kelli reminding her that Trey was very anxious to arrive. “Vin,” was all she was able to say as she tried to breathe through it.

He reached behind her to support her back again as two more contractions hit hard. ”I’ve got you Kel, we can do this.”

“Okay Kelli, Bren paved the way for him, and this little one is ready.” Dr. Weeks prepared for Tanner baby B. “I need you to push, now.”

Using what strength she had left, Kelli did as she was told, and within moments she heard Helen Week’s voice, “Happy birthday baby.” The loud lusty cry of Trey Mackenzie Tanner filled the room.

Vin was ready this time to cut the cord, and couldn’t take his eyes off his son as the nurse repeated the same process she had with Bren. He kissed Kelli and whispered. “I love you Kel.”

The nurses brought the babies to their parents, showing Vin the baby books that held each twin's footprint. They were both healthy, and would be staying in the room with Mom and Dad, instead of going to the nursery. Kelli could barely keep her eyes open, but she lasted long enough to take in the sight of her sons in their father’s arms. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she whispered to him. “It’s your turn to carry them Vin, I need to sleep now.” She fell asleep confident that Vin was on watch, and their babies were safe.

Tanner leaned down and kissed her forehead before taking the babies to meet their brother and sister, along with the rest of the Wild Bunch. He knelt down in front of his children with the boys in his arms, and made the introductions. “This is Bren Jamison, seven pounds six ounces, and this is Trey Mackenzie, seven pounds five ounces.” He looked into Jason and Andi’s beaming faces when the babies appeared to respond to their voices, and he knew their incredible journey was not over, it was only just beginning.

Moisture clouded Chris's eyes as he gazed down at the wiggling bundles in his brother’s arms and found he couldn't speak past the lump in his throat. These miracle babies were just as much a part of his blood as they were Vin's and the reality of that further cemented Tanner to him as his brother.

*I'm fine.* Larabee worked to clear his throat, reminded that they had an audience. “Brother, this is the best birthday gift anyone could have ever given me."

"Now you went and done it Vin. How are the rest of us supposed to compete with you and Kelli giving Chris babies for a birthday present?" Buck commented, from the doorway of the adjoining room.

His words eased the intensity of the moment and Chris felt a sense of peace flood through him. "You have plenty of time to think of something by the next time my birthday rolls around." Larabee told him.

"Want to hold ‘em?" Vin asked Chris.

"You bet." Chris replied and took both of the babies into his arms. "How can you tell one from the other?”

"The baby wrapped in the blue blanket is Bren, and the one in green is Trey.” Vin explained to him and grinned.” Besides, their names are on their hospital bracelets.”

Viewing the babies went on for a few more minutes, when Chris felt his cell phone begin to vibrate on his belt. He handed the twins back to their father and withdrew his cell phone to turn it on. He stepped outside into the hallway so that he could hear over the voices of the Wild Bunch. It was Raphael on the other end of the line.

"Karl Chambers and Bubba Jones are dead." Cordova told Chris. “Someone iced them in their cells early this evening, and of course nobody is talking. We just got word from the jail a few moments ago and I thought I should call to let you know. "

"Thanks." Larabee said and disconnected the call, eager to return to the suite with the good news. He would get the specifics later about Chambers and Jones's deaths, for now all he cared about was that they were dead and the horrible nightmare with the RMR was finally over.

"Its over." he announced to the group as he entered the room.

"What's over?" JD asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Vin and Nathan, you are free men again. Our nightmare with the RMR is finally over." Larabee said exuberantly. “Karl Chambers and Bubba Jones are both dead. Someone murdered them in their cells a couple of hours ago and with them gone their followers will scatter and that bounty on your head Vin, is null and void." It took a moment for the full impact of Chris’s words to sink in, and when they did a feeling of liberation flooded the room. All the worry and stress of the last ten months vanished. With Karl and Bubba gone, the RMR would fall apart and the threat to the Wild Bunch was gone.

“Damn, do they know who did it?” Josiah asked.

“Not a clue, nobody saw a thing, or so they say.” Chris answered.

Bren and Trey had fallen asleep. Vin took them to the other room and laid the boys into their bassinettes, moving them close to Kelli’s bedside. He was still trying to take in Chris's words, and what they meant for his family.

“Mr. Tanner, these were delivered a short while ago, but you were sort of busy at the time.” The nurse handed him a vase of beautiful multicolored roses.

Vin set the vase on the table where Kelli could see them when she woke up, but when he saw his name on the card, he opened it. The enclosed note was short, but Tanner unquestionably understood the mysterious message.

I have made arrangements for us to spend next weekend at a mountain retreat not far from here. The only problem is that Vin will not commit to being there. I know something is weighing on Vin’s mind, and I had been waiting for him to talk to me about it. Whatever it is, Tanner is not sharing his thoughts on it, and my patience is coming to an end. Today I hope to find out why Vin has been avoiding his brothers, and more specifically me, not so much by his physical presence, but mentally.

The last month had been an enlightening experience for Vin and Kelli as well as the other members of the Tanner household. Reading all the books in the world could not have prepared any of them for life with twins. Bren and Trey were identical, they had Vin's chestnut hair with red highlights, and their eyes were a beautiful blue, but they had very distinct personalities and their parents had no problem knowing which was which. Bren had the same Larabee traits as his mother, with a temper to match, while Trey had his father’s more laidback approach to gaining what he wanted, firm, but patient. Both babies definitely marched to the tune of their own drummers as far as time was concerned.

The first couple of weeks after the babies came home from the hospital were full of challenges. Jason had hovered close to Kelli, afraid to believe she was really okay, but Vin finally convinced him that she was not going to disappear from his life. Andi had a few nights of ending up in their bedroom to sleep, not from feeling insecure, but to be closer to her little brothers. She decided, however, they made too much noise during the night, and returned to sleeping in her own room.

The nights were long, and at times hectic, but Vin loved every minute of it. He quickly worked out a routine that allowed him to spend time bonding with both boys. Since Bren always wanted to eat immediately after waking, Kelli would breast feed him first. Trey was content to wait, and snuggled in his father’s arms listening to Vin’s soft drawl. When Bren’s appetite was appeased, Kelli and Vin traded babies, giving dad an opportunity to rock Bren back to sleep. More than once as he rocked his son, Vin would watch his redhead feed the other one, and think about how close they had come to not having these two blessings in their lives. Doctor after doctor had told Kelli she would never be able to have a successful pregnancy, and urged her to end the possibility with surgery. Fortunately she had stubbornly refused to give up trying, and when Chris agreed with her, Vin was persuaded to wait before they closed that door forever.

Tanner had also put in for paternity leave, and planned to take every day available to him before he even considered going back to work. He had managed to stay busy enough with his family to avoid any serious discussions about his future plans with his brothers, but Chris was not going to let him avoid it much longer. Vin had been wrestling with his conscience for weeks, and at this point he was not certain he could go back to work. The Texan knew that sooner, rather than later, Larabee would force him to talk about his reluctance to return to MCAT, but he wanted to avoid a confrontation until he was able to work things out in his own mind.

"Quit squirming imp." Chris smiled at his younger daughter. Getting her dressed at times was harder than trying to hold onto a greased pig. "One more arm baby, and then we're done." He slipped her little hand through the shirtsleeve and pulled it down.

"Da," Grace giggled when her father swung her high in the air before setting her down on the floor.

"Daddy," Chris corrected her, but she was not paying attention to him. Instead, she was showing her father something new she had learned. Grace had discovered how to open drawers, and then empty the contents onto the floor.

"I forgot to warn you Mr. Larabee." Dottie stood in the doorway with Cody in her arms. "She made this marvelous discovery yesterday, and has been opening every drawer she can find."

Chris laughed. "At her age it's bound to be something new every day." He reached out to take his son. "By the way, I believe we can drop the Mr. Larabee. It's Chris."

"Yes sir, Mr.…Chris." Dottie handed over the bundled up baby. "Old habits die hard, I suppose, but I will make an effort to remember."

"We're headed over to Vin's house, and should be back after lunchtime." Larabee grabbed the diaper bag, and then Grace's hand. "Say bye-bye to Miss Dottie."

"Bye-bye," Grace laughed when she tried to wave, and her Daddy's hand moved with hers.

Kelli was on her way out the door with Andi when they arrived. “Hey Dad, Vin is in the family room with the boys. Andi and I are going to run over to Buck’s house for a bit. Jason forgot his lucky baseball glove, and swears he needs it to play ball with Caleb. Go on in, and if it’s alright with you, Grace can go with us.”

“If you want to tackle keeping up with her, it’s fine with me.” Chris grinned. “Even since Grace started walking, she seems to be operating on high-speed.”

Kelli laughed as she picked up her sister. “I think Andi and I can handle her.” She kissed Chris on the cheek, and lovingly stroked a finger down the side of Cody’s face noting the distinctive blue-green color of his eyes. “Hey baby brother," she whispered softly. "We’ll be back soon.”

Chris closed the door behind Kelli and the girls, and carried Cody into the family room to join Vin. The closer they got to the twins the more excited Cody became. It seemed that when all three boys were together they responded to one another’s presence enthusiastically. Maybe it was simply what babies do, or maybe it was because they share blood ties. Neither Chris nor Vin believed that. They had their own idea of why the boys had bonded so well, but for now they were not ready to say. They would leave the speculation to others.

“Coffee’s hot Chris, you can lay Cody in the playpen, and then help yourself.” Tanner grinned. “I kinda have my hands full at the moment.” Vin was holding both boys, rocking from side to side, and he had been hoping to get them to sleep. When Chris walked in with Cody though, two sets of little blue eyes popped open.

Larabee deposited Cody in the playpen and then went into the kitchen where he helped himself to a mug of coffee, returned, and settled himself into a chair across from Vin. "You are getting to be an old pro at that." Chris commented with a smile as he took in the rocking motion that Tanner was doing in order to keep the twins pacified.

"Practice makes perfect." Vin replied with a grin. “Kelli and I are learnin' real fast, what it is they like for us to do, and what they don't."

Larabee nodded understandingly. "No two babies are exactly alike in how they respond to certain things that you do, not even twins.  Grace goes right to sleep when she is rocked, but Cody doesn’t until you actually place him in his crib."

"I've come to realize that." Tanner laughed. "Bren and Trey are perfect examples. Trey's more patient when it comes to bein' fed, where as Bren is quite demandin' of it. I think he's already showin' a bit of the infamous Lar'bee temper that runs in the family."

Chris chuckled, "Cody, too."

Vin laid Trey down next to Cody and continued to rock Bren. “I reckon Trey will spend a lot of time caught between Lar'bee tempers. It’s a good thing he has such a peaceful temperament.”

“You have the same temperament, but not for one second would I underestimate the veiled inner strength behind it.” Chris smiled. “I know several men that have made that mistake, and some have not lived to regret it.” 

"Have you given some more thought to going with us next weekend?"

"Chris, it's just not a good time for me to be away." He walked and rocked Bren as he answered.

“Vin, I wish you would reconsider going with us.” Chris picked up his coffee cup. “It just wouldn’t be right if you didn't. Surely, Kel can manage for a couple of days with you gone."

Tanner was already shaking his head no. “Chris, it’s been a rough month of adjustments around here. Even with Max, Mila, and Walter helpin’ with the boys, Kelli and I are worn out tryin' to keep up with the twins and workin' out schedules. Makin’ certain Jason and Andi are gettin’ enough attention and makin' sure they are ready to go to school in two weeks is important to us, too.” He shifted a sleeping Bren in his arms before continuing. “I can’t just take off for a weekend and leave Kel to handle it all by herself.”

Chris studied his brother, looking for some clue to indicate his actual motive for not joining them. “Are you certain that’s the only reason?”

Vin was saved from answering that question when Andi ran into the room with Grace toddling along at her side. Kelli was not far behind them, and her eyes immediately sought out the twins. She approached Vin, and deliberately keeping her voice low asked, “Any problems?”

Bren however heard his mother’s voice, and deciding he was hungry let of a hearty wail. Cody and Trey joined him within seconds, and the three adults found themselves juggling babies attempting to calm them. With a practiced ease Chris quickly prepared his son a bottle, checking it to make sure the formula wasn't too hot, before he stuck the nipple into Cody's mouth and he settled back into his chair to feed his son.

Grace drew close to her father, staring up at the baby in his arms and said, "Baby."

"Cody,” he corrected her softly.

"Baby Cody," Grace stated proudly.

Chris chuckled. "That's right, sweetheart.”

Max had quietly entered the room and taken Andi and Grace into the kitchen for lunch. Kelli sat down and after arranging a baby blanket over her shoulder reached beneath it to unbutton her shirt. Vin lifted the blanket laying Bren into her arms, and the baby wasted no time eagerly latching onto his mother’s breast for lunch. Arranging the cover to shield her breast from view, he picked Trey up from the playpen and began to rock him.

Vin smiled as he watched his son's intense expression. "Bren takes his feedin' time seriously."

"I think he takes after you Tanner." Kelli grinned "You're just as enthusiastic and eager as our son."

"Kel! The Texan's face reddened. He was surprised that she would make such a brazen remark in from of her father.

Laughing, she clarified her remark. "About your eatin' habits, I mean." Kelli knew Vin thought she meant something else and she enjoyed teasing him.

Chris smiled at the exchange between two of his favorite people. "You are right Kel; Tanner does take the subject of food very seriously." He ignored the glare Vin shot his way. When Bren was full, Chris watched with interest as Vin and Kelli traded babies, but he did not see the difficulties Vin had described earlier.

Yes, having twins could be challenging, but it appeared to be smooth transition for the Tanners, they worked together well, and Larabee saw no signs of extra stress. In fact, Kelli was well on her way to getting into good physical shape again, thanks to Vin taking on the position as her personal trainer. She exhibited an aura of confidence regarding motherhood that she did not have before. Any doubts she had about being a good parent to four children were gone. Jason and Andi were healthy, happy, and well adjusted, and they knew they were loved. They had welcomed their new brothers with open arms, and Chris credited Vin and Kelli for that. Tanner was great with children, he listened when they talked, and encouraged them to be their best. Vin's contentment with family life was obvious, so whatever was bothering him had nothing to do with the children.

Within twenty minutes all three babies were sleeping soundly. Vin had Bren asleep just as Trey had sated his appetite, and Cody had fallen asleep in his father’s arms. Chris settled him into his carrier, while Vin took the twins to their cradles.

"Stay for lunch Dad, there's more than enough, and it will give us a chance to visit." Kelli hoped Chris could get Vin to talk about what had been troubling him. She had been unsuccessful in convincing her husband that he was being too critical of his actions.

"Sounds great," he took her arm and walked with her into the kitchen. While the kept up a lively conversation during lunch, Vin managed to avoid any serious discussions. By the time Chris left with Cody and Grace, Larabee was no closer to finding out what was wrong with Vin than when he arrived.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kelli made certain Andi was asleep before she went in search of Vin. She found him in the front room sitting in the oversized chair next to the fireplace, staring out the window. “Andi is down for a nap, and the boys are still asleep.”

Vin stretched out his arm, inviting her to join him. “Get your butt over here woman.” He waited for her to get close enough and then pulled her down across his lap. "Have I told you today that I love you?"

She gently trailed her fingers through his hair. "You say it to me all the time Tanner, everythin' you do tells me. I don't need words to know it. You had the boys' birthstones added to my family ring for my birthday, you stay up with me at night until both Bren and Trey are asleep, you make me breakfast even when it's not a special occasion, you send me that look that says you want me when I least expect it. You put up with my temper and my complaints when I'm in a bad mood, and make me laugh instead, your beautiful poems tell me…"

He drew her closer and interrupted her with a kiss that took her breath. Vin took pleasure in the intimacy between them, the familiarity that was there even before they had made love, and still was. They had another week to go before they could resume having sexual relations, but there was no reason they could find other ways to keep them satisfied in the meantime. With one hand splayed across her hip, he lowered his head, and nuzzled the crook of her neck to nibble on soft skin. "You are good for me Kel." The Texan whispered between nibbles.

"I love you Vin." Kelli leaned back to see his eyes. "That's why I want you to go with Chris and your brothers next weekend. I know this whole thing with Bubba and Karl is eatin' away at you, and you need someone other than me to talk to about it." She recognized the signs of denial showing on his face, but continued speaking. "I will support any decision you make, and you know it, but Vin, you are bein' too hard on yourself. You are the most honorable man I have ever met, and there is no reason on god's green earth for you to doubt your moral principles."

It was not often that Kelli asked anything of him, and Vin found it difficult to deny her request. "Okay, I'll go, but 'm not promisin' that I'll change my mind about goin' back to MCAT." He would go to the mountains with his brothers, and he would tell them the truth. After that, he had no idea in hell what he would do.

Chris and Josiah had been here since early yesterday afternoon. Larabee wanted to air out the cabin, bring in supplies, and discuss the reason he had called this weekend retreat with Sanchez before the other brothers arrived. He had decided to let the profiler take the lead on their schedule, leaving Chris the freedom to do what he did best with his family, which was to read what they were not saying.

JD and Buck came in about five, Nathan at six, and the five of them had a light supper. Ezra arrived just before nine last night after having dinner with Barbara. Tanner told Chris he would drive up sometime today; after he was satisfied everything was okay at home. Nathan and Josiah were in charge of breakfast this morning and they were getting plenty of unsolicited advice from their brothers.

"You need to double that recipe Nate." Buck urged. "I'm hungry enough to eat a dozen biscuits all by myself."

"Must be the air up here, but I'm starving too." JD added. "Maybe you should put in another dozen eggs Josiah."

Chris grinned. "JD, you and Buck are always hungry."

"Yeah, well if Vin were here he'd be complaining too." JD realized from the expression on his face he had hit a nerve with Chris.

Ezra cleared his throat. "Vin said he would be here and he is a man of his word, so might I suggest you make enough food to appease the voracious appetites of JD, Buck, and Vin."

Tanner sat in his truck outside and looked up at the cabin. He had left his house shortly after the boys' morning feeding, making good time on the drive. Now it was time to face his brothers. He was apprehensive about being here, but he had promised Kelli, and he was not about to go back on that promise. He climbed out of his Silverado, took a deep breath and headed inside. "Food smells great." Vin said when he entered the cabin a few minutes later as the rest of the brothers were getting ready to eat. His growling stomach emphasized his words, making the others laugh. He had been too nervous to eat at the house before he left to join them.

"You're just in time to join us, brother." Josiah said, patting him on the shoulder as he passed.

"Pull up a chair Vin, and take a load off." Buck nodded to the empty chair next to him.

Chris acknowledged Vin's presence with a nod, the simple fact that Tanner was here gave him hope that Vin might be ready to share whatever was troubling him. He seemed to be fine about putting Dusty Slater behind him, and the bounty on his head was no longer a threat. Chris was totally in the dark this time about what else could be bad enough for Vin to shut him out of his thoughts. Larabee had no intention of pushing him though, and would let the day unfold to see what happened. He poured himself another cup of coffee while his brothers continued to harass the cooks.

"Unless you want to take over and finish cooking, I suggest the lot of you shut your traps." Nathan told JD and Buck threateningly with a spatula.

"Ooh...we're so scared." JD remarked with a broad grin.

"You should be." Nathan retorted.

Vin stood back and watched his brother's antics, and as he took a long drink of his coffee, he could feel Larabee's eyes on him. "What?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad that you decided to join us up here." Chris replied.

Tanner shrugged his shoulder. "It's been a while since we've been together like this, it's time I reckon." That was all he was willing to concede to for now, Vin moved over to the table and joined his brothers.

After breakfast they all settled in the huge front room, each finding a comfortable spot. As much as they enjoyed being here, they were anxious to find out why Chris had insisted it be this weekend. Josiah however, was the one who started talking.

"I know it's been a while since we were together away from the ranch, and our families. It is one year to the day since our MCAT office was destroyed, and all of our lives took a major detour. It seemed that this was an appropriate time to assess where we are, and take a look at where we have been."

There were nods of agreement from some of his brothers in response to his words

"Buck, is there anything that you'd like to say?" Sanchez had felt for a long time that Buck was holding on to some heavy emotions concerning the child trafficking case. It was time to find out why.

"Hell, Josiah. Why did you have to pick me first?" Wilmington commented with a groan.

"You have had several life altering events, this last year. You headed up a major task force on the child trafficking case, you adopted a son, Inez gave birth to Tannis, and you earned a promotion to Captain. Surely you have something to share with us about how you feel about so many changes."

The changes were easy to handle, but Buck knew he was not good at keeping secrets from his brothers and he had held one particular one for a long time. He lowered his head and took a deep breath. "I'm thinking that this weekend together was a long time in coming. There's something that I've been keeping to myself for a while now, and it's been eating away at me a little by little." He sighed deeply ". Remember that little boy Danny?"

"Danny, the little boy that was taken the same time Caleb was." Chris remembered all too well.

"Yeah, well I couldn't let it go and did some investigative work on my own time. I found out that he was sold, sexually abused, and brutally murdered. I keep looking at my boy, and I think, it could have easily been him. I keep asking myself, did I do enough to find Danny?"

"Damn Buck, you should have said something." Chris answered. "There was nothing any of us could have done for Danny. We did save Caleb though, and he has been a blessing in all our lives. You know that."

"It is unfortunate that such an innocent child was mistreated so cruelly, Buck, and I think we are all in accord that tougher laws need to be formulated to prevent such things from happening. However, blaming yourself is not going to do anyone a bit of good. The guilt lies solely on the miscreants who harmed Danny. They will get their just reward in hell." Ezra spoke up, hoping to aid his brother in letting go of the guilty feeling he had just confessed to having.

"Thanks Ezra. Chris, I couldn't tell Inez 'cause it would break her heart, and I haven’t decided if I ever will tell her, or Caleb." Buck took a deep breath, "It sure feels good to be able to say something about it though."

"That case took a toll on all of us, and we should have discussed it sooner." Josiah felt he should have been the one to insist on it.

Nathan stood up. "I don't suppose I gave any of you a chance to talk much about anything. I took what happened, made an ass out of myself, and damn near destroyed all of us before we even had an opportunity to regroup."

Chris shook his head. "You weren't the only one. I didn't help matters much by getting myself suspended, and dividing us at a time we needed to be pulling together."

Josiah put up his hand wanting to stop a guilt session before it took over. "We're not here to assign blame. Nathan you have talked to each of us and we understand what you were going through. Chris, you took a wrong turn and then had a choice to make about what to do about it. You made a commitment to make things right again in your life and that brought you all the way back to the Chris Larabee we know and love. We all realize it was not easy for you, especially with your personal challenges, but you did it."

Nathan and Chris both relaxed back in their chairs again.

"We have all been affected not just by the office bombing, and the cases, or the loss of Anderson and Roberts to our unit, but by change. We came into MCAT two years ago, and it has been a rollercoaster of emotions, not just for one or two of us, but for each one of us." Josiah sighed. "Change is not always a bad thing, but good or bad it does affect us."

Ezra grinned. "My life has certainly been irrevocably altered this year. Not that I am complaining, Barbara is the best thing that has happened for me since I moved to Denver and found all of you. I am however, concerned about how the new direction MCAT is taking may affect our lives."

"Good point Ezra." Josiah agreed. He was pleased that the discussion had moved the direction he wanted it to. "I suggest we take a break, and meet again this afternoon to discuss just that."

Chris made another suggestion. "I say we grab some poles and head down to the lake for a while. If we want fish for dinner we need to catch them first."

After their fishing expedition, they had all returned to the cabin, cleaned the fish, and made sandwiches for a late lunch. Josiah waited a while and then had them gather again to continue the discussion from this morning. He had observed his brothers during the break, and was disturbed that Vin was not joining in as he usually did. Sanchez hoped that he could bring Tanner into their discussion at some point to find out why.

"I've listened to bits of conversation since this morning, and believe it would be fair to say that most of you still have issues about our last case and how it hit so close to home." Josiah stated.

"We're used to taking personal risks, but when our families are targeted it's a whole different story." JD started off. "Are these the types of cases we're going to be involved with in the future? Will we have to force our families to stay on lockdown at the ranch and keep our kids out of school?"

Chris decided to answer that concern."JD, this case took on a life of its own when the RMR directed a personal vendetta against us. Chambers and later Bubba were factors we had no control over, and yes, it put our families at risk. Will it happen again? I wish I could say no, but the truth is I don’t know. All we can do is stay prepared for any possible scenario. As long as we take on special cases, the ones Travis calls shadow ops; there is always the potential for another one to develop unexpected consequences."

"About those special cases Chris." JD asked hesitantly. "Has Travis given you any specifics about how we're supposed to handle them?"

"No, but I have given him a detailed outline that we are going to use. The idea is to keep the government's involvement or more specifically MCAT's roles in these cases unspecified." Chris explained.

"You mean unofficial and unsanctioned." Buck sighed. "Sounds more like special ops to me."

"In some ways Buck, except we will be sanctioned and we will have guidelines to work from. I've recommended to Travis that the entire team not be involved. Only agents qualified to conduct these assignments will work them as a special task force, and it will not be mandatory. I also believe that we should use Camp Larabee as a contact point when we are running these cases. We only need to add a taskforce operation board there, and then we keep our MCAT office for our usual assignments. I may not like the reasons, but I do know we are dealing with a different type of criminal when we take on terrorist, domestic or foreign, and we need to be prepared for any possible situation. "

Vin had sat by silently until now, but Larabee's words hit a nerve. He slammed his glass down on the table. "Just what in the hell are we Chris, law enforcement officers or special ops? Hell, I've trained for both, and can kill anyone you want, anyway you want. That's how I earned the codename, Hawk. I was the hunter that always came back with blood on my wings. I've even kept a record of every kill I've ever made, and I'm damn good at it. You just gotta tell me which Tanner you expect!"

Josiah spoke softly. "Vin, we know how stressful it's been on you and Kelli. You had to damn many threats to you and your family with the bombs, the personal attacks, and the bounty on your life. All the while you were trying to get through a high risk pregnancy. Nevertheless you made it through all that, and have two healthy babies at home, but it's understandable that you might question what we do."

"Bull Josiah! It's not understandable or acceptable!" Vin rose to his feet. "We might not have always played by the book, but we did what was right, and took our ass chewin' for bendin' the rules." He began to pace. "Now those same people that chastised us for not seein' things in black and white, tell us to throw out the damn rulebook and do whatever it takes to get the job done. We'll I've been down that road before. I've taken orders to get the job done no matter what, and justified what I did because that's what special ops were intended for, but that never made it right!" I

"You weren’t the only one that was asked to cross the lines we had been taught to observe." "Buck said."Hell, we were at war, and sometimes we were ordered to do the wrong things for the right reasons, and we did."

Chris was not sure where Vin was headed, but he felt he was getting close to discovering the truth, and wanted to get it all out in the open. "Travis has not asked us to cross any lines or act as a special ops team Vin. He has only asked us to take on some covert operations that aren't made public record."

Tanner stopped in front of Chris. "Are you satisfied with how this case ended? Do we not pursue the investigation of two murders that took place in a Federal jail? Does the end justify the means, no matter what? We swore to uphold the law, even the ones we didn't agree with, and to protect and serve. Since when do we get to decide who gets protected or how? Do we condone Karl and Bubba's murders because they were bastards? If so, what does that make us? Where the hell is the line Chris?"

Larabee recognized the anger behind Tanner's words, and subtly signaled to Josiah to let him respond. He took a deep breath. "We might have more shades of gray in our business since 9-11, but we do not condone murder. MCAT is still a law enforcement unit, and while we might bend the rules as you so aptly described; we are not an assassin squad, or vigilantes. We're still the good guys Vin, and if we take a case that never becomes public knowledge, it doesn't make us bad. It means we have to find a way to uphold justice, and protect the citizens of this country without throwing the rule book out."

Chris paused to consider his next words. "To answer one of your questions, no, the end does not justify the means. We cannot and will not compromise who we are for any case. As far as Bubba and Karl are concerned, I can't honestly say I'm sorry they're dead, but if we had any leads we would pursue their murderers. No one is talking about what happened in that jail cell however, and we have no idea who is responsible for their deaths."

"I know who killed 'em." Vin 's voice was barely audible.

Buck laughed uneasily. "No way could you know. It happened the day the twins were born, and if memory serves me, you were kinda busy."

"Josiah and I interviewed every inmate in that cellblock, and they all swore they saw nothing." Nathan said.

"I ran all their names through CASSIE, and not a one of them had any ties to white supremacy groups or the militia." JD added.

"None of my sources had even a hint of an idea about who could be responsible." Ezra stated.

"Who do you think killed them, Vin?" Josiah asked.

Chris watched the play of mixed emotions that crossed Vin's face. He realized that this was the root of the reason the Texan had shut him out for the last five weeks. Why he had avoided talking about coming back to work, and why he had blown up when the case was discussed. Larabee repeated Josiah's question, but he suspected he already knew the answer. "Who do you believe is responsible for their deaths Vin?"

"I am." Tanner answered.

"Vin you…" Chris began to deny Tanner's statement.

"Don't Chris!" Vin extracted from his pocket, the note Raven had sent him, and gave it to Larabee. Chris read the words, but showed no surprise at the disclosure, in fact it was as if he expected it.

*I had my suspicions.* Chris placed a hand on Vin 's shoulder. "This doesn't prove a damn thing, and would never hold up in court."

"It's not about court, Chris. I brought Raven into this, knowin' what he is, and what he is capable of doing. I knew he could find a way to eliminate Karl, Bubba, and the RMR as a threat and did nothin' to stop him." Tanner stepped back. "Hell, I wanted Karl and Bubba dead, and when I found out Raven was responsible for havin' 'em killed, I was fuckin' relieved that they were dead, the law, and what was right or wrong never crossed my mind. Assignment over, target terminated, end of story. It was just so damn easy for me to accept their murders. What kind of federal agent does that make me? How in the hell can I go back to upholdin' the law, and standin' up for justice, when I can't even find it in myself?"

Nathan had heard enough. "Vin, you're just a man. You have emotions and feelings because you're human, like the rest of us. I had to wrestle with my conscience, too, after I strayed off that same line. Me going to those 'Without Prejudice' meetings after you ordered me to stay away, cost Paul Roberts his career, and almost his life. I have to live with that every day, but the only way I can make some kind of right out of it is to keep working. I can't ever erase what happened to Paul, but maybe I can keep someone else from suffering the way he has."

"Vin, I had to let all those innocent kids stay in that hell house, in order to make a case for taking down the entire trafficking network. Everything I am and everything I believe in said I should have helped them first, but I didn't, and Danny died because I didn't push to find him. I still have nightmares sometimes, and I can hear the scream of those kids while they were being abused. You think I haven't questioned the rightness of what we did?" Buck ran his hand through his hair. "I do every day Vin, every day."

Chris knew Vin was listening to his brothers, but was not totally convinced that any of what they had to say applied to him. "One year ago today, I watched the news and saw those horrifying pictures of the blast that took out the twelfth floor of the Federal building. I thought I had lost all of my brothers, my daughter, and my team. I blamed you, the team, and Donner. I blamed everything and everyone and blatantly ignored my obsession with that damn case. An obsession that pushed me back into the hell I thought I had climbed out of after Jack. An obsession that made me forget my unit, and turned me against the men I trust most in this world. I crossed that line you're talking about, and then had to fight my way back. I did it, and here I am today, surrounded by my family, and back on the job. Do I regret my actions? Hell yes! Will I let them control the rest of my life? NO I won't, and I damn well won't let your misplaced feeling of guilt control yours!"

Vin wanted to believe Chris's words, and as he looked at the faces of his brothers he realized he was not in this alone. "So what do we do? How do we hold on to the right side of that line without bein' dragged into the shadows that have no rules, no right or wrong, a place that only acknowledges morality by the results It produces?"

Larabee took the note Vin had given him and tore it into pieces letting the bits of paper fall to the floor. "We do the best we can, and we don't let the wrong that happens override the good we know we can do. Raven lives in a different world than you and the rest of us live in Vin, in his view he was repaying a debt of honor. Let it go, you don't belong to that world, you belong with your imperfect, human brothers that occasionally stumble on the pathway to justice. Together we will pick up any brother that may falter on that fine line between right and wrong, and move on. Hopefully we'll make a small difference in the future we leave for our children."

Chris knew it was time to move forward and ask the question Vin had avoided answering for too long. "You said to ask you when this was over what you were going to do. I'm asking you now. Are you with us?" Chris held out his hand palm up. Nathan and Buck stood and moved forward to add their hands, then JD, Ezra and Josiah. Vin knew the strength that could be found when the seven of them stood together. This was what he wanted…no, what he needed… the balance he always found with his brothers when they stood as one. He took a deep breath, and stepped forward, placing his hand on top of the others. A band of brotherhood, infused with strength, and a solid bond that crossed all lines. They had survived the turbulent transition of the last two years and the future was theirs for the taking.

Vin gazed down into Bren's wide blue eyes and felt a whirlpool of emotions brewing within him. He couldn't get enough of holding either of his twin boys, knowing that they were the direct result of the abiding love that he and Kelli shared with one another. Yes, they had had help in ensuring Kelli getting pregnant, by the fertility treatments that Dr. Weeks had supervised, but the boys were nevertheless made up of equal parts of him and Kelli and they were truly miracles. His cell phone rang as he was holding his son, and Vin hesitated to reach for it, not wanting to break the special moment that was occurring between him and Bren, but then he thought that maybe the call was from one of the Wild Bunch, and grudgingly picked it up from the table beside his chair in the living room

He flipped it open and pressed the talk button. "Hello?"

"Is this Vin Tanner?" a cultured man's voice asked with an accent that Tanner identified as Asian.

"Yes, it is. Who is this?"

"You don't know me, but I feel as if I know you and the rest of Chris's brothers. My name is Col. Michael Tai."

It took a moment for Vin to recognize the name as belonging to the man that Chris had told his brothers was his sponsor in the NA program. "Chris has mentioned you. Is something wrong?"

"Not at all, Vin. It is alright that I call you by your first name, is it not?"

"Sure," Vin was listening intently to every word Colonel Tai said.

"Nothing is wrong. In fact everything is right. This afternoon there will be a small ceremony at which time Chris will be receiving his one-year coin. I thought his family should be there, even though he didn't."

"What time?" Vin asked, silently thanking the older man for calling him.

"The ceremony begins at 4 o'clock. Come early if you wish to surprise him."

"We'll be there." Tanner promised before hanging up the phone.

Chris Larabee was becoming edgy. He had never been one for having too much patience when there was something that he was looking forward to, and today it showed. He was proud of the accomplishment he had made, and was anxious to hold his one-year coin in his hand. The recognition ceremony had been going on for about an hour now, and his name hadn't been called yet. There were several other members in front of him who had more years sober than he did, and he acknowledged their accomplishments along with the other NA members in attendance. Finally, his name was called and he made his way toward the platform where the NA emcee and Col. Tai awaited him.

Finally, his name was called and he made his way toward the platform where the NA emcee and Col. Tai awaited him.

"Chris, this coin is awarded to you in recognition of you successfully completing one year of sobriety in Narcotics Anonymous." The NA member, acting as the emcee announced, once Larabee had taken his place onto the stage beside him.

Larabee smiled his thanks as the room thundered with applause. At the NA member's signal, Col. Tai stepped forward to accept the coin from the emcee. Col. Tai turned to Chris. "I know that you personally asked me to give this honored coin to you, Chris, but I thought that it should be given to you by someone who is even closer to you."

Chris watched in puzzlement as Col. Tai turned toward the audience and gave a piercing whistle. A moment later, the crowd began to part on one side of the packed room, as his six brothers moved toward the stage, with Vin leading the way.

Emotion flooded through Larabee as he took in the broad smiles that each of his brothers' wore as they came to the stage together and stood in a half-circle around Larabee, Col. Tai, and the Emcee. "What are you guys doing here?" Chris asked, fighting back the lump in his throat.

"Forgive me, Chris." Col. Tai told the stunned man. "I took it upon myself to notify Vin and fill him in about the ceremony today. With everything that you have shared with me about these gentlemen in the past twelve months, and how much they have always supported you, I felt that they needed to be here with you to share in this special moment with you."

"There is nothing to forgive, Col. Tai." Larabee told his mentor. "Thank you for everything that you have done for me."

"You are most welcome."

"Gentlemen, if we can get on with the ceremony?" the Emcee interrupted softly.

Col. Tai handed the wooden box that held Chris's coin in it to Vin, and then stepped back to reclaim his seat on the stage.

"We're all real proud of you, Cowboy." Tanner said, opening the box and removing the coin from within it. He handed the coin to Chris as their other brothers and the audience cheered.

The Texan waited until the other brothers had loaded themselves into Buck's vehicle and Chris's truck, before leading the procession toward their destination

"Where the hell are you taking me?" Larabee demanded, once the vehicle was in motion.

Josiah and Vin shared a look across Chris and with wide smiles on their faces, the two men exclaimed together, "Saloon."

Their arrival at Standish Tavern brought more surprises for Larabee. Inside were the rest of the adult members of the Wild Bunch, minus Walter, Max, Dottie, and Mila, who were supervising all of the children. A rowdy rendition of 'For He's A Jolly Good Fellow' broke out as Chris and the other brothers entered the saloon. Larabee was fighting his emotions by the time that the song had finished.

"Damn." he said, trying to find the words to say just how much their actions and their presences in his life meant to him. "A man considers himself lucky just to have one good friend his entire life. I must be the luckiest man in the entire world because I have all of you".

As a whole the family had much to celebrate that night. Foremost they were celebrating Chris's accomplishment in earning his one-year chip, but they were also celebrating surviving the dastardly deeds of the RMR. It had been a year full of chaos, pain, and emotional upheaval, as well as professional and personal struggles.

Sitting next to each other at one end of the table that the family had designated as theirs, Chris and Vin watched the antics of their brothers and their wives together.

*You okay?* Vin tentatively asked Chris.

*I'm better than okay, Vin. I'm great.*

*It's been one helluva a year hasn't it?*

*That it has.*

Being here with his family and sitting with the man he felt he had known throughout the ages felt right. Life was good for Chris Larabee and looking back now, he realized that he would not change a thing. His past made him who he was today, and brought him here to this moment.

*It's been one helluva ride Tanner.*

*Wouldn't take it with anyone else, Cowboy*

They reached out and clasped forearms as they had many times before to reinforce their commitment as friends and as brothers. Memories of moments such as this that they had shared throughout the fathomless years their spirits had known one another, sliced through their minds like quicksilver lighting. Without a doubt Chris and Vin knew that their ride together was never ending…