Lavinia stood outside Joseph Littleton's hospital room at Robert MacGavillary Memorial Hospital. He was silently reading the newspaper, and he looked so peaceful she hated to disrupt him. She was heavy...his son safe in his arms, with his mother at his back, and he counted each breath. Every breath was surviving in a world without his Jordan. Each one was a victory, even if he couldn't feel it

Having his beloved parents attacked was not exactly conducive to study, Julian discovered. He had left his daughter in their care in London, and now he was terrified for her saftey as well as theirs. He...shook his head. "I'm already on edge." "Fair enough. Alright, we can study together for an hour and then head off to our doom, hand-in-hand?" Damon kissed Julian's cheek and he nodded. "Deal.

Julian had put Aislinn to bed and then he had helped his mother put Jaida to bed as well. Then he made his way into the kitchen where Joe was fastidiously cleaning out the fridge because something in the...planted a kiss on his father's cheek and then he raced away to find Damon. "Thanks, Dad!" "Any time, Son." Joe watched him fondly and then he turned back to find to his quest for the questionable cheese

Taking Aislinn to meet Alexa had not been something that Julian had taken lightly. He had thought about it over and over again, but Alexa was doing so well. In fact, she was due to get out of hospital...clapping his hands. "Put her on the floor, she loves this!" and the three of them spent the next hour playing with who they all believed to be the most beautiful little girl they had ever seen

Julian had been waiting up for his father when Joe finally came home on Saturday morning at 6 am. Julian jumped off the sofa and ran to the door, which made Joe jump a foot and a half in the air, but he... to Gramma...to everyone. Just don't forget that. Everything else doesn't matter. Only what's on the inside." Joe smiled again and he gave his son a grateful look. "Alright, Kiddo. I won't forget.

Joe now went to work with all the enthusiasm of a man being led to his death. He was still good at the job, but he did his best to avoid speaking with people as much as he could, only leaving his office..." "It's winter." "Hot chocolate?" "I'm not five! A fitted tee." Julian paused. "And a hot chocolate." "Sold." If Joe could, he would buy Julian all the fitted tees and hot chocolate in the world

Joe was headed to his office when he heard the familiar sounds of his son singing in his bedroom. Joe smiled softly to himself, and he crossed the hallway where he could see Julian through the doorway...now Joe was trying to hide it? He was lower than low. He was scum. And he was late for dinner. Quickly, Joe ran down the stairs to join his family again. Because he wasn't ashamed of them, dammit

"I'm not going to let you get away with pretending you don't know exactly what you're doing if you stick a needle in your arm." That was what Spectre had told him the day he had revealed that he had...that he wasn't as strong as he thought. And for the boy who had lost his life that day, so Julian could live. Julian wasn't perfect at it. He probably wouldn't ever be. But goddammit, he was trying

The previous night had been wonderful and ghost-free. Damon and Julian had played with Aislinn together, before sharing a wonderful dinner. And after Aislinn had fallen asleep, there had been yet more...wrong thing? "Oh yes." Julian breathed, and he wrapped his arms around Damon, embracing him tightly and smothering his face with kisses while Damon laughed and Aislinn played contentedly beside them

Joe was doing a rather fine job at not panicking outwardly, or so he would say himself. Inside, he felt as if one false move might rip his soul right out and he didn't know if he would be able to get it..." Jordan said as if Joe was insane to insinuate anything else. "Yeah." Joe said dejectedly, but if he was being honest with himself, there was no one in the world he would rather have control the remote