Picking Up the Pieces

“Natalee are you ready for school yet?” MacKeanize yelled up the stairs. Her sons were both getting agitated, waiting on their sister.

“I'll be down in a minute.” the younger red head yelled down.

“Dammit Natalee you're going to be late!” Mac yelled up the stairs. She turned to Christian, “Go get your father.”

“Sure Mom.” And Christian took off down to the basement where his Dad was currently hiding from his Mom. When the teen came back upstairs, his father raised an eyebrow at his wife.

“Would you please get your daughter to come downstairs. The kids are going to be late for school.”

“Fine.” He said shaking his head. He kissed his wife on the cheek and glanced up the stairs. “Natalee Paige Sanders, get your ass downstairs now.” Matt rolled his eyes at his wife and she narrowed her eyes and smacked him.

“Coming Daddy.” She yelled and a moment later the fifteen year old red head was smiling as she ran down the stairs.

“Ready now? I already had to call coach tell him we'd be late for this morning's meeting, because our sister is a pain in the...”

“Logan.” Matt said warningly.

“Well it's true.” He muttered. MacKenzie smacked him.

“C'mon you three we have to go pick up Julie.” MacKenzie told her three.

“I thought Aunt Brenna was taking her to school?”

“No, she has court today.” MacKenzie said sighing. Her sister was going through a bad divorce and it was taking a toll on her.

“Okay, so are you and Dad coming to the game tomorrow? You promised...”

“Yes Christian, we'll be there.”

Twenty minutes later when her fifteen year old sons and daughter got out of the SUV and her eight year old niece waved by to her cousins. A moment later Mac's cell phone went off. She picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Hey Mac, turn your head and look towards the steps of the school.”

“Why Chelle, what's up?” She asked, but did what she had been told to do. Her eyes went wide. Natalee was standing with her arms around Landon Haners, neck and he was leaned forward, his forehead against hers. Mac blinked when Landon kissed her daughter. “The fuck?”

“Aunt MacKenzie?”

“Sorry Julie.” She watched the two for a moment and saw the smile on her face.

“You know, I'm glad that the guys didn't bring them to school today. It's so cute isn't it? I mean, I didn't see it coming. But it's cute.” Michelle said, drawing MacKenzie back into the phone conversation.

“Cute? Matt's gonna kill him.”

“So, we don't tell him. Or Brian for that matter.”

“Yeah, easy for you to say. Matt's a persistant ass at times. If he knows something is up, he'll pester me until I tell him.”

Later that day MacKenzie was in the kitchen starting dinner when Matt walked in. She was busy putting together the roast for that night. Matt wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I'll pick the kids up from school. Brian asked me to pick Landon up too.” Matt smirked when he felt his wife tense. “Now, there's the reaction I was looking for. What do you know that Brian and I don't?”

“Nothing. You're keeping me from putting together dinner. Brenna and Julie are coming over for dinner.”

“So are Brian, Chelle, and Landon. Now, what do you know?” Matt kissed the side of her neck causing her to moan.

“Matt, stop.” MacKenzie murmured, he just turned her in his arms. She looked up at him. He lowered his mouth to hers. When he pulled away she sighed. “I love you, but I'm not telling you what I know.”

“So you do know why our daughter has been taking half an hour to an hour to get ready for school in the mornings. Who is he?” MacKenzie stared at him.

“I don't know what you're talking about Matthew.” He looked at his wife and raised an eyebrow.

“Yes you do.” He murmured and pulled her against him.

“Landon.” She said right before he kissed her again.

“I can deal with that. Dinner can wait.” And he took her hand and lead her upstairs to their room.

“Who's picking us up from school?” Christian asked his brother.

“Dad, I guess Aunt Brenna is getting Julie and everyone is coming over for dinner. So are Chelle, Brian, and Landon.” Natalee pretended not to hear her twin brother's conversation.

“Earth to Nat, are you listening?”

“Huh? Yeah, family dinner. I got it.”

“What is your problem Natalee?”

“I don't have a problem. Look Dad's here.” The trio started for the SUV and Landon caught up with them a moment later muttering something about idiotic math teachers.

Christian, front seat. Nat, middle, you're shorter than the boys.” Matt said. Logan had already slipped to the seat behind his father. Natalee saw the look on her Dad's face and swallowed. She slipped in and Landon got in beside her. Christian got in the front seat. They were all looking at Matt strangely.

“Dad, what's going on?” Natalee asked from the backseat. He didn't answer his daughter. The three in the backseat looked at one another. Christian, looked at his Dad and raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing. Landon, you're coming to our house, your Mom and Dad will be there later.”

“Okay.” Logan wasn't paying attention, but as they drove, Landon took Natalee's hand and Matt noticed. And he was surprised that seeing that didn't piss him off. But he did trust Landon. And he trusted his daughter. His sons on the other hand, were a whole nother story. And he felt bad for Landon when they got their hands on him.

That night, they sat at the table, in a somewhat awkward silence as Matt, Mac, Michelle, Landon, and Natalee all knew what the others didn't. Mark looked between his daughter, and her sister, and the rest of the family and shook his head. He didn't want to know.

“So how was school today?” Brenna asked glancing at her daughter.

“Fine, I got really bored though.”

“So, what about you Natalee? How was your day?” Brenna asked, only for Michelle and MacKenzie to burst into a fit of giggles. Brenna looked at her older sister, raising an eyebrow. “You okay Mac? Chelle?” They glanced at the second oldest red head and tried to nod.

“Mom are you okay?” Landon asked when Michelle almost fell out of her chair.

“I'm fine son. So did anything inter...” she started laughing harder and had to get up from the table and leave the room.

“What's wrong with her?” Brian said watching his wife leave.

“Nothing.” MacKenzie said a little too quickly, when she got up and followed her friend from the room Matt shook his head. Natalee stood and followed her mother.

“Mom?” She asked. “What's wrong with the two of you?” when Michelle looked at her son's girlfriend she tried to talk, but nothing came out, excpet laughter.

“Chelle, stop...”

“You know, the two of you are acting like you are higher than cloud fucking nine.” Matt said joining them.

“Okay, someone better tell me what the fuck is going on.” Brian said crossing his arms over his chest and leaning on the wall between the rooms. The boys had joined them now. Landon glanced between his Mom, Natalee, and her parents. Then he met Natalee's eyes. Both realized just what the hell was going on. Natalee looked at her Mom.

“Who told you?” She asked raising an eyebrow and being as vague as possible.

“Caught. This. Morning.” Michelle said as she tried to catch her breath. Natalee's eyes went wide. She glanced at her Dad and swallowed.

“Wait, what the hell is going on?” Christian asked. Landon swallowed when Logan's eyes narrowed.

“Not happening.” Logan growled.

“Logan!” Natalee said glaring. Brian, Mark, and Brenna caught on instantly.

“Julie go back to game room for a little bit.” Brenna told her daughter. The minute Julie left the room, Christian and Logan lunged at Landon.

“Christian!”

“Logan!” Matt yelled at the same time as his wife yelled at their other son. But there was nothing anyone could do. The boys were in the middle of a fight and when Brian and Matt moved to seperate their sons they instantly backed off. They looked at one another and nodded. Prepared this time, they glanced at Mark who sighed and moved with them. Each one grabbed the boys quickly and Michelle, Brenna, and MacKenzie rolled their eyes.

“Seriously Christian? Logan?” Natalee demanded stepping up beside Landon. She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes, both boys, who looked like their father, where as Natalee, had her mother's hair, and the rest of her features matched her brothers. When her brothers just narrowed their eyes at them she sighed. “Mom a little help here!”

“I'm staying out of this.” MacKenzie said glancing at her husband and grinning before she and Michelle and Brenna left the room, leaving the teenaged girl and her boyfriend to the mercy of her father, twin brothers, honorary grandfather, and her boyfriends father.

“No killing anyone.” Michelle tossed out over her shoulder as they walked from the room. And with that one comment everyone burst into laughter and the tension was broken as they all moved off to the game room, Landon and Natalee hand in hand.