A/N: I don't know why it took me so long, but I should've created this a long time ago. Enjoy all the goodness :) xx Mariah

Ned - 47
Katie - 43
Willow - 16
Emily - 10
David - 8

Ned came in the front door after his oldest daughter, who stomped up the stairs. He was the worst father ever, or least he was right now. He'd broken up a goodnight kiss between her and Derek. It was their first date and Ned certainly hadn't been happy to see Derek with his tongue down his little girls throat.

Willow rounded the banister and walked straight into her room, stopping to turn around and see her father reach the top of the stairs.

"I hate you," the teen scoffed and slammed her door.

He took the snide comment in stride and closed the bedroom door behind him, ignoring the giggle that came from his wife. Katie was already curled up in bed, grading papers. She about three-fourths the way through her stack now, at least compared to this morning. She watched him with a smile on her lips as he shed his clothes and pulled on a pair of pajama pants. He secured his weapon in the side table and sat on the bed, removing his watch and placing his wallet and keys in there as well.

"Did you manage to embarrass our daughter enough?" Katie quipped as she underlined something. She glanced back over at him and set the paper aside, moving over to him. She pressed a kiss into his shoulder. "I heard a door slam and an I hate you. I got that twice this morning. Once when I told her she couldn't get her belly button pierced and the second time was because I tried to hug her after."

"You had your belly button pierced," Ned said, mirroring Willow's hair toss as he pulled his undershirt overhead.

"Yeah, well mine got infected." She sighed, throwing the same argument she had to her daughter.

It wasn't the fact that her daughter wanted this piercing that made her upset. It was that Katie remembered why she had gotten the piercing when she was her age. She'd told her parents it was because Hannah had gotten hers for her birthday and well, that was a reason, but that was second to the way Ned had looked at her when he saw it for the first time. She'd never wanted Ned to kiss her more in her entire life and she'd been sixteen at the time.

She'd told her mother all these things one day, all the little things and such she'd innocently gotten away with as a teenager. She'd never done anything too terrible so it only made her mother chuckle and roll her eyes, acting like she knew the whole time because it quite possible could be true. She'd been grounded once or twice because a ghost had ratted her out.

"I also remember my reasons for wanting it and I don't want to think of her reasons." She shrugged. "And I said no. I can just say no to some things."

"Why did you want it Katie?" Ned looked over his shoulder and smiled. He knew the answer to his question. They had no secrets between them.

She looked at him like the day he'd first kissed her. She was seventeen then. "You make me feel so young every time I look at you," she breathed and smiled at him.

"Well, I'm glad you feel young." He moved into bed harshly, jostling her a bit. She moved her piles of completed papers to the floor and she tossed the one in her hands down there as she finished it. "Because when I saw Willow kiss that Derek kid... I felt like the oldest guy ever. The boy stuck his tongue down her throat Katie. I about had popped a blood vessel. Especially after I had Scott follow them and he told me it looked pretty PG."

"You kissed me when I was seventeen, at twenty one no less. I remember every second of that kiss and..." she said, her sentence ending in the sexiest chuckle he had ever heard as her cheeks blushed a soft red. She put the stack of papers down and took off her glasses to look at him. "You certainly stuck your tongue down my throat that night."

"That was different," he muttered, smirking.

He remembered every second of that kiss too.

"Was it?" She whispered, leaning in close. She couldn't believe him. He could just be so inconsiderate sometimes. "And you had Scott follow them? That was a bit much, don't you think?"

"No. That's not what I think," he grumbled.

"Oh, honey." She rested her hand on his cheek and smiled at him. "You do realize that Willow is sixteen, right? She's not a little girl anymore."

"She'll always be my little girl," he said stubbornly, but slid his hand over hers and turned his face to kiss her palm.

Katie sighed. She didn't know what she was going to do with these two. Willow and Ned had been butting heads since she started high school. It stopped being cool to hang out with your parents, not that it had been in the first place but no one cared enough to say otherwise until now. "You've got to let her—"

"Do her own thing. I know. I suck," he finished with a sigh. His eyes lit up suddenly and she studied him. "At least I have Emily, she's only ten. If I'm lucky, she won't date anyone for another five years."

She couldn't help but laugh at her husband's antics as she leaned over to kiss him. He grinned against her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her onto his lap.

"I have papers to grade," she reluctantly pulled away with a flushed face and despite his efforts, she still had a tight grip on the papers in her mind. She was going to finish them if it was the last thing she ever did. She'd promised these kids they'd have them back by Monday. She shook her head at him and sat back on her haunches, smiling at him. "As much as I want to... I only have a few left Ned. I'll be quick."

"You do that," he said, looking ahead at the television.

"Oh Ned," she muttered. "You've brought so much work home and I have never complained." He met her eyes as she moved to her spot and grabbed a fresh essay. She grabbed her red pen and smiled at him. "Please don't whine. I don't take it from our kids let alone you."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, earning a small sliver of a smile from her as she began to read over the essay, circling a spelling error and correcting a conjunction. This wasn't looking promising. Especially not what she's already skimmed over in the next paragraph. She rubbed her forehead and licked her lips as she struggled to find a thesis. Why is it that kids these days don't even read over their essays before turning them in? She remembered slaving over her papers, but then again, she was the English teacher now. She moved over to the second page and groaned out loud as she counted three misspelled words in the first sentence.

Ned chuckled and she glanced over at him, seeing him out of bed. When had that happened?

"Where are you going?" She asked, her eyes looking over him. He looked so good without a shirt on. She looked back at the paper, underlining something that sort of counted as a thesis. She wasn't a complete hard ass, all of the time. Just some of the time. "Are you going downstairs?"

"Just going to brush my teeth." He peeked out, toothbrush in hand. "I wasn't planning on it, why?"

"My throat is a little scratchy that's all," she sighed and flipped to the last page. At least if the paper sucked it was short and didn't take an hour to read. She looked over the citations, writing a check at the top of the page and going over to her grade sheet. She flipped the report cover closed and opened the plastic pocket for the cover page, writing a C- on it before looking back to Ned. He was brushing his teeth now, his arms working as he watched highlights from the doorway. "Shut the faucet off if you're gonna watch the highlights." He glanced over and turned it off, continuing to brush his teeth. She piled up the graded papers and slid them into her side drawer. She counted the few she had left and set them on top of the side table. She did have tomorrow, it was Saturday night. She placed her pens there too along with her glasses.

He moved to spit in the sink. She'd gotten out of bed by the time he'd come out with his mouthwash to look at the score from the end of third quarter of a different game. He smiled at her as she passed him, filling the cup that sat on the sink.

"You taking a break?" He asked before tossing his mouthwash into his mouth.

"I'm done for tonight," she said. "I forgot tomorrow is Sunday and I still have time to finish them tomorrow. I have my days a little messed up."

He nodded, gargling before spitting. He wiped his mouth and turned to smiled. "That's good," he smiled and rubbed her side. They moved to lie back down together. There was a moment of silence as they both watched the game highlights before Ned turned to her. "I was thinking about making breakfast in the morning. I thought it would be nice to have a meal together with all of us. My work schedule can get hectic and I miss a lot of meals with you guys." He turned onto his side as she looked over at him. His hand was rubbing up the side of her thigh before smoothing over her hip. "You've been awfully stressed with mid-term grades coming up and Willow is a hassle, Emily can be too. I know that first hand." They both chuckled and he smiled. "And David, well, he's a schmoozer when it comes to you."

"Like his daddy," she drew in a breath and licked her lips. She let out a moan of surprise when his hand came between her thighs and wiggled his hand under her shorts.

"I am a lot of things when it comes to you," he pulled her flush against him, her leg hooking around him as she gasped. She wanted whatever he was doing to never stop. His lips were at her neck then, pressing a tender kiss here and sucking a little there. She keened against him, holding back her cries and releasing them in the form of a throaty gasp. His fingers worked their magic as he laid her back. There was only so much he could do before he dismembered he hadn't locked the bedroom door.

David had a tendency to sneak his way into their bed at night, even at eight, and as much as Ned never cared, tonight he did. He scaled the room to the handle, locking it and dashing back over her to. She chuckled against him and nipped at his neck.

"I love you too," she said, suddenly remembering she hadn't said it back to him before. It was hard to think that their life had finally become so simple, that just being with each other like this each night was something they both looked forward to, even if nothing happened. Because there were too many times when they are just so tired and all they needed was to lie in each others arms. "So much Ned."

Times like these where she took off her glasses and put her work away were his favorite. They didn't happen often but he loved the way she'd hint at what she wanted.

It reminded him of a day when they were barely out of her mother's driveway before he had his hand down the front of her jeans, drawing soft moans from her as she keened into his hand. Now it was different, yet the same. They were older, wiser. They had a wide range of kids something they were scared would never happen at some point. And now, their kids were their life.

He lapped his tongue up her neck and she gasped as his erection pressed against her. She rocked against him, needing a little relief from the slow burn that coiled in her. She wanted him, like she always had and she let him love her well into the night.

Ned plopped the last pancake onto a plate as the oven timer beeped and he turned, going to stir around the browning hash browns in the skillet. He pushed them onto a serving dish with the scrambled eggs and bacon before going to the staircase.

"Kiddos! Breakfast is ready!" He yelled upstairs.

The pounding of three sets of feet reached his ears as they raced down the stairs. The Banks kids all slid into their seats at the island in the middle of the kitchen, each of them eagerly waiting to see what their father had cooked for breakfast.

"What's for breakfast daddy?" Emily demanded, a scowl that reminded him of Katie on her face. It made him chuckled and she furrowed her brow even more. "This is not funny daddy. There better be no peppers in it this time."

"I just made strawberry pancakes, eggs, bacon and hash browns!" He announced as he slid out paper plates to all of them. "Who's hungry?"

"I am!" The ten year old pumped her fist in the air. "My favorite!"

"Did you make me my eggs dad?" David's voice was meager and small, and Ned smiled at him as he watched him wiggle his tongue through the hole of his recently lost tooth.

"Uh... I forgot." He sighed, itching his neck. "Just give me a minute bud. I can whip them up for you."

Katie came down last, just as Willow plopped in her seat. She was still in her robe and clothes from the night before. Her shorts had ridden up, well past her belly button and her legs went on for days as she walked toward him. His determination to make David's eggs had dwindled the further his eyes traveled up her legs. Even at forty three, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"What seems to be the problem?" She yawned, ruffling the boy's hair. She kissed Ned, smiling at him sleepily as she itched her stomach. Her tank top had ridden up and his eyes traced over the faint scar. It was barely there anymore, and yet it had been such a significant time in their relationship. He hadn't even noticed it last night, he thought. "Ned?" She caught his fidgeting eyes and pulled down on the tank top, touching his hand.

It was still such a touchy subject.

"Dad forgot my eggs mommy," David sighed. He had such a soft spot in his mother's heart. He was her baby and she may coddle him too much to Ned's liking, but that didn't stop her. "Will you?"

"Of course baby," Katie smiled and kissed his forehead. He wasn't the biggest fan of pancakes, but loved every kind of eggs she would make. She had to make his eggs special now, he was lactose intolerant and couldn't have milk in his scrambled eggs like all the other kids loved. "Did you sleep good?"

"Thank you," the boy grinned and hugged her. "I did. I won the world heavyweight championship belt in my dream."

"That's awesome!" She laughed, ruffling his hair as she walked away, hearing Ned's high five as she pulled out three eggs for him from the fridge. He'd recently found an old picture of Scott in his wrestling gear and was obsessed with everything wrestling. He wanted to be just like his Uncle Scott, and despite Ned's efforts of trying to show him football, it did have the same reaction.

She smiled at Ned as he listened to David talk about different moves he'd seen and how excited he was for the youth wrestling program at the YMCA to start. Katie had signed him up and he start in a few weeks. He was so excited when she'd told him.

All of the kids eagerly dug in and all was quiet in the kitchen. Ned came around the corner as she made their son's eggs, his hand snug around her waist. He kissed her shoulder and then her cheek, whispering in her ear.

"Your legs," his hands moved over her thighs and he nibbled on her ear. He palmed her ass and she laughed, smiling over her shoulder at him. They were thankfully hidden by the island. "Look just amazing in these shorts and your ass is even better."

"I know," she smiled, silently thanking her father for giving her such nice legs. She would look weird if she were as short as her mother. "I've always loved these shorts, but morning to you too." She smiled and relaxed into him. She grabbed the spatula off the island and mixed around the eggs as they began to form and soften. "Breakfast looks great. I'm glad you did this."

"I'm glad I did too," he said, kissing her cheek. He moved around to make his plate and smothered peanut butter and maple syrup all over his pancake.

"Got enough toppings dad?" Willow glanced up from her plate as she ate, pulling a headphone out of her ear.

"Never enough," he chuckled, sitting down next to her. "I thought I was the worst."

"You can be, sometimes." Willow muttered and then sighed as her mother cleared her throat. "I'm sorry."

"I can be a little overprotective, but I still don't like him yet." He sighed, scooping up a bite of eggs. "So Wills, I was thinking that we could take a drive today. That way you can practice before your lessons start. Do you wanna go after breakfast?"

Ever since Willow had gotten her permit four months ago she had been begging to drive every chance that she got. She smiled at her father and quickly finished her pancakes, shoving the last bite of eggs in too. "Oh dad," Willow sighed. "I so would dad, but Derek is picking me up. We're going to see a movie."

"Another one?" He asked.

"I promise to only kiss him on the cheek this time," Willow grinned and right on cue, her phone buzzed and pulled her attention. "We can go later after dinner and stop by that malt shop."

His daughter knew his sweet spots all to well. The chip on his shoulder was smoothed over and he smiled at her and she stood, kissing his cheek before she went around to hug her mom.

"I think I can agree to that," he sighed and cleared his throat as he stabbed a few piece of pancake.

"Can I come too daddy?" Emily slid over onto Willow's stool and grinned at her father.

"We'll have our day another time," he winked at her and the ten year old sighed and sunk a little. "Oh Ems, I promise that we can do something fun. I just need some time with Wills today."

"Only if I can stay up an extra hour to read," Emily said. "Eight is just so early. I'm ten dad."

"You deal a hard bargain," she huffed and sprinkled pepper over the eggs.

Ned looked over at her and she shrugged, not really minding that she stays up to read. She usually did anyway on Katie's old kindle that she'd gotten as a present for Christmas last month. Willow's phone buzzed again and she hugged her dad.

"I'll be home at like..." Willow glanced at the time on her phone. It was almost eleven. A little too much ice had kept them from church, but it was starting to warm up and melt away some. She kissed her dad's cheek and then went around to hug her mom and grab a banana from the counter on her way out. "Bye guys, love you!"

"Love you too," Ned and Katie said at the same time as she scooped the eggs onto a plate for David and slid them over to him. She moved over to see Ned then.

"You are the best father," she whispered, sitting in his lap. "Good idea with the driving... just take the truck please. And remember your seat belt. She can be touchy on the breaks." She kissed him then, silencing him until he pulled back and shook his head at her.

He could be such a schmoozer when he looked at her like that. With that smirk and those eyes. "Yeah, the truck is fine. She'll be fine." He reassured her as much as he could and kissed her cheek. If he was being totally honest he had no clue how good Willow was at driving. She'd only practiced with Jim, twice because no one was as good of a driver as him. Katie had once when she'd gotten her permit in September, but that hadn't ended so well for Katie's Honda. She'd taken the mirror off when she hit a garbage can turning into the driveway. "We'll be fine and I'll bring home ice cream. Promise."

"Strawberry," she reminded him and leaned close, touching his face. The look he gave her next was everything she loved about him. His eyes, just the way he looked at her. With those green eyes. She just melted every time. She kissed him and laughed as she pulled back and smiled at him. "I love you."

Emily shook her head as she spread sprinkles over her pancakes and wrinkled her nose, making a face that was classically Katie. "Boys are gross," the little girl muttered. "I don't get love."

"Oh baby girl," Katie sighed and slid off Ned's lap to hug her. "You'll know one day. I promise."

Ned grinned and swooped the small girl up into his arms, tickling her. Emily giggled and shrieked as Ned said, "That's right! Boys are gross and have cooties. Don't you forget it!"

"Come on you guys, eat your food." Katie rolled her eyes and pressed herself into Ned's back. He suddenly had different task on his mind. He kissed Emily's cheek and sat her back on her stool. "I need to eat Ned." His hand had grasped her ass and she laughed, kissing his cheek as she leaned into him. "Later... I promise." She smiled into his back and looked over at her kids.

It was hard to think she had once had all four of them in the house. Willow was gone so often and Asher was at Yale in New Haven until Spring Break. He called, sometimes, but he was playing hockey and in med school. He had a lot on his plate.

She moved back around, swatting him away like they were in their twenties again. Emily was reading Pride and Prejudice, despite Katie telling her she was still a little too young.

"How's the book?" She asked, as she grabbed herself a plate.

Ned had half expected her to take the book and read it herself, but she didn't. Instead she plated herself a pancake and some eggs.

"It's alright. A little dry." The girl sighed and closed it. "I liked Gatsby better."

"Stop going in the office," she sighed and aimed her fork at her. "Or I'll take your eye out next time."

"Sorry mom," Emily grimaced and looked up her mother bashfully.

"Just ask next time. I'm reasonable," she rolled her eyes, giving in a little. "I read a lot of things my mom never knew about way before I should've."

"Yeah, I know. It was just..." The little girl's cheeks blushed and her head sunk between her shoulders. "I'm sorry. You weren't in a good mood then and I finished all of the books Freya had given me. Dad couldn't take me to the library and no one answered when I ran over to Auntie's."

"Well I'm sorry that I wasn't in a good mood. I can take you to the library today and finish grading papers while we find you something more age appropriate." Katie grabbed the book and placed it by her spot. Ned chuckled. He knew it. Of course she was going to read it with breakfast. "I have a few things buzzing in my head. Maybe Matilda did you read that one yet?"

"I watched the movie," Emily piled another bite of food in her mouth and she shrugged.

"Book is much better," she said and set about to make her plate. She took a pancake and scooped some eggs and hash browns onto her plate before setting it at her spot next to him. Next she went over to the fridge, grabbing an orange and the coffee creamer. Katie went to the coffee pot last and poured herself a cup and added some creamer before putting it away and sitting down. Ned had put three strips of bacon on her plate and kissed his neck, sliding her hand under his shirt and rubbing his back.

"Em, how did you sleep? I hope your dream was as good as David's." She took a bite of her eggs and leaned into his arm. She moved her leg up against his thigh and he glanced over at her.

"Eh, it was alright. I dreamt I was making cookies with grandma," the girl shrugged and laughed. "And then Gatsby sent me an invite to one of his parties. I thought it was pretty cool to get that. But then I woke up."

Katie laughed and smiled at her daughter. She had always wanted an invite to a Gatsby party too. She'd gone as a flapper to party once in college, but that wasn't the same and she had a feeling her daughter would feel the same too. Not party would be as good as a Jay Gatsby party.

Life was so simple and Katie was thankful for it as she ate her breakfast with her family. So thankful for it.

"So are we going to do this light thing every time Willow goes on a date?" Scott asked as he helped David with a puzzle on the coffee table. "I just want to know. This is very good practice for when Freya starts dating. You know, when she's twenty."

"Don't forget, you still have Therese to worry about." Ned chuckled as he held a sleeping toddler. He moved to lay one of Scott and Mack's two year sons in the nearby playpen Katie had set out. Mackenzie and Scott were over for lunch with their kids. The girls and little Oliver were baking cookies in the kitchen while Scott and Ned watched a playoff football game with David and a tired and sick Elliot. He had an ear infection and had taken to Ned today, enjoying cuddles from him. Ned didn't mind and he certainly liked how Katie swooned at the sight. She missed the times when the kids were littler and he didn't blame her. It was so hard to watch kids grow up. They stop needing you as much as they get older, they pull away sometimes and it hurts. It hurts so much.

"Yeah? Well, she's not dating until she's twenty, either." Scott and Mackenzie had two daughters. Scott had been worrying so much about Freya now that she'd begun to wear makeup to school. Katie had caught Willow teaching her how to do eyeliner the other night and he'd nearly lost his crap. He didn't like that she was growing up and that boys were looking at her. "I can't wait for the boys to be older and Mackenzie to know how I feel a little more."

Freya was just about to turn thirteen and Therese was twelve. Scott and Mackenzie also had two rambunctious twin boys. They had just turned two and they had their hands full, but they were managing. Just like Katie and Ned did.

Scott would never say anything, but Ned knew that he always wanted his own child. One with Mackenzie and his DNA, even if Freya was just as much his child as this new one would be. Therese's adoption and just gone through not to long ago and that was even more cause of celebration.

"Well I just have to get used to Willow dating," he sighed and chuckled soon after as he looked at his friend. "You should've seen how nervous Katie had been when Asher first asked someone to that formal dance in eighth grade. But apparently this Derek kid isn't too bad. She met him through the newspaper at school. And Willow really likes him. I can tell."

Just then, the front door opened and said fifteen year old girl appeared.

Scott immediately turned and said, "Is that boy with you because if so I hope he fixed that taillight."

Willow gave her uncle a mildly amused look. "Uncle Scott, please," she said. "It's Sunday. The shop is closed."

Scott held his hands up. "I mean I know to fix them in my sleep."

"Not everyone is as good with cars as you are," Willow rolled her eyes and walked over her dad sat on the arm of his chair. "You ready for that drive dad? I think it would be best to go when its light out."

"Well I think it's very important in a guy," Ned told Willow and she shook her head at him.

"Not you too," she muttered. "Well yeah, you're probably right. I guess." He chuckled.

"Just let me go tell your mom and we're all golden. Go start up the car. Don't go anywhere." He pulled his truck keys from his pocket and gave them to her. "Don't change any stations."

"I won't do anything bad, promise." She laughed and took the keys. She stopped in front of Scott and shook her head at him. "Lay of Derek okay? He's scared enough of my dad, don't make him scared of you too. And you really should not worry so much about Frey. Also stop honking when you pick her up from school. It's embarrassing. She's thirteen."

"Not until next week," Scott sighed. "And I guess I promise to give Derek a chance." Willow beamed at her uncle and hugged him. "Don't ever say I didn't do anything for you."

"Thanks Uncle Scott," she smiled and turned to her dad. "You know that I'm always going to be your little girl right, Daddy?"

Ned stood from his chair and hugged her. It felt so good to hear her say those words to him. It had been a few weeks since she'd been so nice.

"That's never going to change, no matter what." She said.

"I know," he said. He kissed the top of her head and hugged her again. "I love you, baby girl."

"I love you too, Daddy," she said and then wiggled the keys. "I'm going to start the truck now. I'm so excited!" She ran out and Scott laughed.

"Oh good luck dude. Jim said he hadn't been as nervousness for a driving lesson since Lana." Scott chuckled.

He was really in for it.

Katie walked into the bedroom with a mug of tea later on that day and smiled at her husband who was watching tv. The driving lesson had gone okay. There had been a few sharp turns and she'd ran a red light because of an ice patch, but Willow was going to get better. She just needed to practice.

"What?" He laughed and stretched as he relaxed into the bed.

"I heard about your driving lesson and that you ran into Derek at the malt shop. You were kind to them have a few minutes alone. I'm proud," she grinned and sat on his edge of the bed. She held his hand as she took a sip of tea and set the cup on the side table. "And I heard that you closed the Fell case. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It didn't go the way I wanted," he muttered. "I didn't think you'd want to know." For the past six months Ned had been responding to domestic abuse calls for a newly married couple. Every time the husband would get drunk with his Army buddies he would knock his wife around. And that was every single night. He'd do anything he could to hurt her. He'd push her down the stairs, through screen doors and into a mirrors. Ned had been over there more times in a week than he had to the grocery store this month. "The bastard killed her with a fire stick."

"Mackenzie told me," she whispered and squeezed his hand. "She was the trauma nurse on call when she came in." Ned nodded and sighed. Nothing stayed between those sisters. They told each other everything. "But I also heard that you told Willow that you like Derek. And it just so happens that you get a little present for saying it so diligently. Even if you don't completely know yet."

"A present?" He asked, a little too excited for what Katie might do. "And I do like the kid. He's nice and he makes my little girl smile and until she's not smiling, he's alright in my book."

"Yes. That's right," she stood up and reached for the tie on her robe. "I think you'll love it."

"Since it's my present, can I unwrap it?" He asked, taking the ties from her.

She laughed at his grin and nodded at him eagerly. Ned pulled the robe from her like it was wrapping paper and grinned.

"A naked wife is always the best present," he said as he pulled her to be with him.

"Now where's mine?" She giggled.

He kissed her and kneeled before her, going to pull his shirt over his head.

It was going to be a long night for these two.