"One more picture!" Amelia begs and Xander groans. "Please?"

Audrey laughs, kissing Xander's cheek. "Let your mom take as many pictures as she wants."

"Fine." He grumbles, slightly smiling at his girlfriend.

Audrey Rush showed up in Xander's life sophomore year of high school and it seems like she's here to stay.

My son is head over cleats in love.

Audrey seems to be his Amelia and I'm happy he found her and got her so quickly.

Although the collision after my chase for Amelia still leaves me breathless.

I smile watching my wife complement our future daughter in law.

Xander has discussed his wish to marry after he graduates with his mother and I and we are thrilled.

Audrey comes from old money, her parents haven't worked for it but they're nice enough. Audrey though, she wants to set out and make something of herself. She's currently looking into medical school at NYU.

"Baby," I rest my arm around her waist. "Maybe we should let the kids get to their prom."

"Okay," She smiles up at me, kissing under my jaw, before turning to Xander. "You two have fun."

"Bye Mom, love you." Xander shouts dragging Audrey away as she trips in her red heels.

"Bye Mr. and Mrs. James."

"Be careful guys!" I call after them as Amelia moves my arm to wrap around her. "Don't cry." I tell her as I notice a frown out of the corner of my eye.

"It's their senior prom."

"I know." I hug her to my chest. "But we have at least four more kids."

"At least?" She questions, biting her lip as she pulls away from me.

I hum, using my thumb to pull her lip out from between her teeth.

"Cameron, I just had a baby six months ago."

"I didn't say now." I grin at her, "We can wait awhile to have this discussion."

"A few years." She corrects, wrapping her arms around me, letting me kiss the top of her head.

"A few years."

"We could practice though." She mumbles with her face in my chest. "Since all the kids are either gone or sleeping."

'Don't have to suggest that twice.' I think, pulling away just to throw her over my shoulder.

"Cameron." Amelia shakes me awake. "Lover."

"You know I love when you call me that." I mutter, letting my fingers dance across her stomach. We're laying in bed, her back pressed to my chest. "You hungry?"

"Cameron," She says seriously. "Listen."

I listen to the silence for a second before there's a loud thumping sound, causing me to look at the clock.

"Why is he home?" I ask, frowning. It's only 8:30.

Amelia frowns starting to sit up.

"I'll go check on him." I push her back down. "You have sex hair." I go to kiss her lips.

"Cameron, I think something's wrong with him." I frown at her serious tone. "Why is he home so early?"

"Maybe they got bored?" I question, becoming concerned the more I think about it. "I'll be right back." I assure her, standing and quickly dressing.

When I get outside Audrey is nowhere to be found. Xander's red tie has been thrown to the side of the driveway along with his suit jacket.

He doesn't see me in the shadows and I watch him as he trips over the untied laces of his leather loafers.

He growls, throwing the ball before yanking his shoes off and chucking them across the driveway and they slam into the garage.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I ask him, stepping out of the shadows.

"No," He growls at me, and I hold my hands up defensively.

"Where's Audrey?" After a few minutes of watching him miss miserably over and over.

"Fuck, Dad," He yells just before chucking the ball at me.

"Language!" I yell back, Amelia and I don't allow cursing in the house and he knows it.

He looks at me and I notice tears in his eyes.

"Xander," I say at the same time Amelia comes running out with my phone in her hand. She looks like she been crying. What is happening?

"The school called." She sniffles and Xander flares at the phone in her hand.

"Of course they did."

Amelia gives be a completely broken look and I'm at a loss.

"Sweetheart," She starts after turning back to Xander.

"Mom," Xander's voice breaks and both my confusion and concern multiply. "Please."

Amelia give me a helpless look and I nod at her. I don't know what's happening, but I'll figure it out. She nods back at me, turning to go inside.

Deciding to get comfortable, I sit, continuing to watch Xander.

Two hours later I'm still sitting here, and if it weren't for the tears that have started to steadily roll down Xander's cheeks I would have fallen asleep. Amelia's continual glancing outside has also kept me up. This time I wave at her.

"What do you see when you look at me?" Xander suddenly my asks, and I look away from Amelia.

My eyes squint as I try to understand the question.

"My son?" I question, still confused.

"No," He grunts, tossing the ball behind him and walking toward me. He sits next to me and my stomach turns at his swollen face. "When people look at you they see a rich guy, or a good day, or some women see some hot guy or-"

"Bud," I interrupt him. "I get it."

"Right," He nods more to himself. "When you look at me, what do you see?"

"I see a young man, one I'm proud of, one who protects his mother and siblings with every particle of his being." I say, without hesitation, as al the times he stood up for his siblings comes to mind. "I-"

"I see a murderer." He mumbles, interrupting me. "That's what everyone else sees too."

"Xander, look at me." My tone becomes much more serious and Xander listens. "That's not true and you know it."

"You know, other than you and Mom, Audrey is the only person I told about what I did."

"Okay?" I nod at him.

"They played a video today, at school." He starts and I straighten up at the change in direction. "Someone had news clippings of Marie and Alex's death." He pauses, rolling his jaw. "And they had all the information."

That's not possible. The amount a paid to keep the kids out of the news left the pretty big dent in my bank account. Not that I regret it, I wouldn't change it for anything, but no one would dare cross me on this.

"Audrey." Xander whispers and I look at my broken boy in front of me. "Audrey told them."

"Xander."

"And you were worried she was after my money." He laughs before starting to cry. "They said I was a murderer and they used my full name." He wipes his tears away. "Alex was the last person to call me Alexander. He didn't it right before he broke my finger. I still remember what he said, 'What about you Alexander, huh boy?' and then he snapped my middle finger."

"Xander," I pull him into my arms, and I'm transported to years ago when I would hold him every time he had a nightmare. If his sperm donor were still alive I would kill him myself. "Every person involved with the video will be in the streets by the morning, I promise, and as for Audrey..." I pause unable to come up with a suitable threat. "I'll let your mother deal with her because I promised to never hit a woman."

"Dad," His hazel eyes are filled with tears. "I want you to promise me that you're not going to do anything?"

"What?" I growl, standing.

"I don't want to be like my parents." He stands to. "All their relationship was was revenge. Alex would hit Marie, she would steal his drugs and it kept going back and forth. It's in my blood to be like Alex but I don't want to." He starts to sob. "I don't want to be like him."

"Listen to me." I shake his shoulders. "And listen good, that is not something that runs in your blood! You choose whether or not to be a good person, and Xander you are a good person. You, Xander," I press my finger on his chest, just over his heart. "Are a good person."

He brings his hands up and drags them down his face and I don't miss the way they shake.

"But I killed someone." His voice is utterly broken and my chest aches in a way it hasn't in a long time.

"Xander," I try to keep my tone even. "You defended your family. If you hadn't done it, I would have." I tell him honestly, feeling my blood start to boil.

I promised the kids when I adopted them that no one would hurt them and now my promise had been broken.

"As for the video at school," I try to change the direction of our conversation away from Alex.

"I don't want to do anything about it." He mutters. "I graduate in a few weeks and then I never have to see any of them again."

"And Audrey?" I ask, something has to be done about her. I will not stand for this.

"I just don't want to see her." He sighs, dragging his hand through his blond hair. "If she shows up let mom at her." He grins at me, it's small and forced but it's a start. "Promise?"

A sad smile covers my face and I punch his shoulder softly. "Promise."

"Will it always hurt?" He asks me after a few moments of silence.

"No," I shake my head, glancing up through the window, watching Amelia rock Mayzie.

"We may think that love can ruin us but in the end, if it's right, it will make you whole again."

"I don't think Audrey is my Amelia." He mutters, smiling at his mother.

"She's not." I respond with only one thought.

Audrey Rush will never be a part of his life again.