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"He's fine!" Orion said dismissively and put Thomas' pacifier in his mouth. He pet the baby's head.
"Hey you! Why you crying?" He moved the baby to face him.
"Stop that noise." He rocked him gently and then passed him off to Grace.
"I am going to go get some cake. Want some?" He was already up and headed back toward the kitchen.

He returned a few minutes later with two plates with large slices of cake on them, and a large bag of chips. He set the cake down on the coffee table. He tossed the bag of chips on the couch.
"I forgot forks, and milk. Want milk or more coffee to go with your cake?" Orion still ate like crap. Being married to a Nurse did nothing to alter his poor eating habits. He still ate whatever he wanted, which tended to be junk food, and in large quantities.

I have the answer
I can take the pressure
I will turn it all around
~Five Finger Death Punch

Grace pressed her lips together, and when Orion handed Thomas to her she held him in front of her, rubbing her nose against his and cooing to him. However, he concentration was broken when Orion asked about cake. "Cake? For breakfast?" She knit her eyebrows and looked to Thomas, laughing softly. "Your daddy is going to be a walking ad for diabetes later on down the road." She poked his small stomach, and smiled at him, which caused him to smile back, dropping the pacifier out of his mouth. She kissed his forehead and grabbed the paci, moving to set it on the end table.

Grace turned to the gigantic pieces of cake on the plates, and shook her head. "My goodness. Are you trying to ruin this physique of mine or what? No, I'm fine with my coffee, thank you." She stuck her tongue out at Orion and turned her attention back to Thomas, who was staring right at her with his bright blue eyes. "You know, I was thinking, he probably doesn't think the scars of my face are scary because it's all he's ever known. Which is nice.." Her voice trailed off slightly, just thinking about all of the looks she had received from the scars. From the moment they happened she had been so self conscious of them, and having them get pointed out just made her feel worse about herself. Not to mention the scar on her inner thigh from Dylan, which was still there. "Do you think when he gets older and see's that I am the odd one out, he will be embarrassed?" She had been called many things, the one that seemed to stick was 'Female Joker'.

Even though her scars were what had kept women from messing with her in jail, they just made her an outcast on the outside. After a moment Thomas started to fuss again, so she crossed her legs beneath her, adjusting her shirt so he could feed, and she could finally drink a little bit of coffee. "This kid eats as much as you do." She murmured, letting the corner of her mouth turn up into a smile while glancing at Orion.

Lena kissed Archie and patted his chest. "Sorry about the burgers..." She looked displeased with dinner. She moved to start setting up the food. Tyson groaned and pointed in outrage.
"I hate carrots!" Lena had allowed him to get a burger and fries. She stopped to grab milk, juice, and some baby carrots.
"I don't care." Lena sang and went about setting up the plates.
"Moooommmm!!!" Tyson wailed and threw himself back in the seat. He crossed his arms over his chest.
"You know the rule!" He looked toward Archie for help. Lena put her hand on her hips.
"Don't look to him for help! He is eating carrots too!" Tyson suddenly smiled and picked up a carrot.
"Eat up!" He cheered and shoved the baby carrot in his mouth. Soon as Lena's back was turned he spit it out, and grabbed a few more carrots and stuffed them in his pocket.

Lena moved toward Archie, taking his hand. "Come eat." She grabbed the other chair and moved it closer/ She turned on Tyson suddenly.
"Wash your hands! Why do I still need to remind you of this?" He huffed and stood up.
"Alright, alright..." He stopped as he was about to enter the bathroom.
"Uh....who are you?" He asked the large man who had just entered the room. Lena looked up and was immediately pissed off. Ben was walking around the room like he owned the place. Clearly not troubled by Archie's antics.
"Go on with dinner, don't let me interrupt. I just want to check on her. I will be leaving shortly. Oh, and Lena that restraining order....really? Not necessary. I will leave you and Tyson alone. No problem. Once this is all behind us, we won't even have to see each other again! Cadie and I will be back to our life, you to yours with your boyfriend."

He walked in and walked to Cadie. Lena glared at him as he stroked her cheek. She wanted to throw him out on his a**. She had to be cordial though. Tyson was watching, he was always watching.

Orion shrugged. "Fine....more for me..." He grabbed a plate and sat back down. He started to attack the cake happily. He LOVED cake. Cake was his happy food. He listened to Grace talk and set his plate down. His appetite having fled with her words.
"Grace....no. He is going to love his Mother regardless. You're an amazing and beautiful person inside and out. Those scars change nothing." Orion looked back at her, and for what was probably the millionth time since the Outcasts had attacked her, he wished he could fix her. Make her look like the person she was since she was so uncomfortable with the person she was now.

She was the same person to him, but she seemed to believe her scars somehow changed her. Made her someone less then who she was. It hurt him to hear her say things like she had. He leaned over and kissed the side of her head. He just wished Grace could see herself through his eyes. So she could see what a amazing person she truly was.

I have the answer
I can take the pressure
I will turn it all around
~Five Finger Death Punch

Ben glared at Archie, he didn't move or say anything at first. "I will be going to court. Seeing about becoming Cadence's POA while she is in here. Lena you haven't had Cadence's best interest in mind in a long time. Everyone in town knows that. Common knowledge how you threw your own daughter away like trash as soon as you married." He turned and started for the door.
"See you in court. I really didn't want this. I just wanted to make sure Cadie was safe, and received the proper medical treatment that she needs. The Angels are responsible for this, and you're once again to blind to see the bigger picture.Truly an unfit Mother..." Ben turned and pointed at Lena.
"I already have people on it, when it comes back that Orion and his Crew were at fault, you will feel like an idiot. It will be to late by then too. I am ensuring you are completely cut out of her life this time." He exited the room and said something that sound very much like 'biker whore'.

Tyson looked from one adult to the next in the room. Clearly he was confused and getting upset. He hurried over to Lena and pushed himself close against her.
"He doesn't want Cadie to see us anymore? Did we do something wrong?" Tyson glanced back at his sister and looked away. She still looked really bad, his Mother had warned him but it didn't matter. What he saw was worst then what he could imagine.
"No. No. We did nothing wrong he's just....just an a*****e." Lena said as she hugged Tyson. His eyes widened. His Mother never swore around him. She had literally just called someone an a*****e when she always told him name calling was bad, and unacceptable.
"Why did Cadie's other brother hurt her?" Lena immediately pulled away, and leaned down till she was eye level with Tyson.
"Hey, her big brother did not do this. I know you are getting scared, and thinking he is bad. He didn't do this. No big brother or sister would do this to their little brother or sister."

Lately Tyson had been so full of questions about his family. He didn't understand why his Mother and sister were Sinclaire-Caine and he was just Caine. He did not understand why Cadence had brothers and he didn't. He didn't understand why she had a Dad and a Father. He was still struggling to make sense of everything, and now Ben was scaring him into thinking Cadie's oldest brother from her father was a violent crazy person.

Archie Thompson

Archie knew that Ben was just trying to use that to scare Lena. In reality, any judge that gave him POA over someone he had no relation to, or legal ties to, could get their license suspended. Their judicial powers revoked. But, he wasn't going to comment on that now. Even though Ben thought he had the best interests of the lady in mind, Archie knew otherwise. He stood there, with his blue eyes cold and watched the man leave the room. He had to clench his jaw together to keep from yelling after the b*****d when he called Lena a name. When he finally left, Archie moved and took a seat next to Cadence, before breathing out a small sigh. "Now, where were we with dinner?" Tyson didn't need to stand there and continue to worry about Ben, so, Archie grabbed a burger and peeled the wrapping, before taking a bite out of it.

Tyson glanced up at Lena and then to Archie. He moved to the table. "I cleaned my hands already!" He called before he went back to his food. He ate for a bit and then announced he was done. The kid was tall for his age but a skinny little bean pole. Mainly because the boy never seem to sit still.

He rummaged through his backpack and pulled out his book. He held it up.
"I will start with me reading. I will read to Cadie. I am sure she is tired of the hospital noises." He pushed his seat closer to the bed and started to read. He paused every so often to have Lena help him.

Lena watched him with a smile. His reading skills were definitely improving. He seemed a bit more confident to it seemed since before he would never have read out loud. He was dyslexic and struggled with reading. He hated it because the other kids made fun of him and called him stupid. Over the last few weeks Tyson and Cadence had been getting closer. He was enjoying having an older sister.

Tyson practiced his reading with her, and she agreed to practice her Math with his. A fact that Cadence often kept close under wraps about herself, she had a specific form of Dyslexia that affected her Math skills. Dyscalculia was the name of the condition. Cadence had never told anyone that secret, she had always been really sensitive about it. Though she had shared it with Tyson hoping to help her brother feel less alone, and less self conscious. It had worked because now he called her each night to read over the phone to her.

The pair had also bonded over both of them having ADHD, Asthma, hating carrots, celery and being sarcastic little shits. Lena was amazed how similar her two children were, both like mini tornado passing through. Crazy since they were raised apart.

She turned to Archie and grabbed his hand. She lead him out the room, soon as they were alone she laid her head against his chest.
"I have never wanted to punch someone so bad in my life. Except maybe Joshua...once when he hit my daughter." She admitted.
"Right in his smug little face...Ben's. Not Joshua's....he knew better then to try to sass me. Especially when it came to my Cadie. Her Cadie was right. Regardless of what anyone ever said. Cadie was HER daughter. Not Joshua's., not even David's. Even after all his sacrifices and help in raising the troublesome girl. Cadie would always be the precious tiny sickly premie she brought home. The girl she had struggled to raise alone for the first 8 years of her life. Lena lifted her head up, pushing thoughts of the tiny pink bundle she had brought home from mind.
"I'm sorry. I know that sounds really bad." She laid her head against his chest again.