He wakes up, and as he looks down a smile spreads across his face, Matthew had fallen asleep on his lap; Nora's head was on his shoulder, her arm around Matthew. He ran his hand through her hair, whispering to himself, "This is how it always should have been..."

 

Nora wakes up as she feels his hand go through her hair. She stretches with her eyes still closed and a huge smile on her face, "Good morning..."

 

He looks over at her and smiles, "Good morning to you to." They both look down at their sleeping son and smile.

 

Nora stands up and reaches out and picks him up. "I'm going to go lay him back down in his bed. Will you still be here when I come down? I think we need to talk."

 

He smiles at her, "I have a better idea, how about I go start breakfast while you lay him down?"

 

She smiles, "Will you make me an omelet?" her eyebrows raised.

 

"Sure," he smiles as he makes his way into the kitchen. He turns back and watches her carry their son upstairs. There was so much they needed to work out. So many things they needed to get out in the open. She places a kiss on his forehead and stops in her room before heading downstairs.

 

As Nora walks downstairs she notices a distinct aroma. Worried, she walks quickly towards the kitchen. Upon opening the doors she sees Bo plating their omelets, "What's that smell?"

 

"Red, has it really been that long since you've had food that wasn't burnt?"

 

She walks up to him and smacks his arm, "Very funny Buchanan. I'll have you know that since Matthew I've become a better cook." she looks down at her plate and then back up at him.

 

He walks over and sits down beside her, "I'm sorry you've had to do this all alone for the past six years. I should've been here with you. It should've been the two of us tucking him in at night. It should've been the both us of dealing with the every day life of our son."

 

"It wasn't the life we had planned for him was it?" Her eyes start to tear up as she remembers them planning to having a baby.

 

He reaches across the table and takes her hand in his, "Red, he's everything we ever dreamed of for our child. He's smart and strong and, I think, truly the best of both of us."

 

Nora gazes at him, "You know and he SO has your smile. I just wish I would've seen it earlier," she pauses for a moment, "No I can't say that, I think I've always seen it but after the last DNA test I just thought it was too much of what should've been creeping in. I wanted him to be yours." she wipes her tears and looks back up at him, the tears now forming in his eyes.

 

"Nora, I think we need to talk about what we want now and what we want for him now that we know the truth. We need to be honest and open with each other. We need to let it all out no matter if we think we're going to hurt the other's feelings. It's been five years, Nora. It's time we face it."

 

She starts to push back from the table, to stand, he puts his hand on her shoulder, keeping her in place, "Hey, you aren't going to let this wonderful breakfast I cooked you get cold are you?" She looks up at him, tears in her eyes, he wipes them away with his thumbs, "we'll talk about the serious stuff....later....right now....I want to tell you what I was thinking about doing today." He sits down, "You interested?"

 

"Why am I starting to worry about what I'd be getting myself into if I say yes?" Nora smirks.

 

Coyly, "I don't know why you'd even say something like that. She smiled despite her tears, “Okay Red, why don't you go upstairs get dressed. I'm going to run home and change and I'll be back to pick you up in an hour, deal?"

 

"What do you have up your sleeve Buchanan?"

 

He leans in and pecks her on the cheek, "You'll see."

 

"Bo!" she whines, "I hate surprises," she scrunches up her nose, "Can't I have just a little hint?"

 

"Okay." She gets all excited, "It's starts in," he looks at his watch, "1 hour and 45 minutes." He winks at her as he heads for the door, "Oh and Red, I don't mind if you tell Matthew you cooked breakfast!"

 

"Ha Ha Ha," she picks up the plate to put it in the microwave to warm for Matthew, smiling despite herself.

 

As soon as the door closed behind Bo, Matthew came down the stairs and into the kitchen, "Mommy? What's that smell?"

 

Nora brushed her hand across his forehead, "That's home cooked food, baby"

 

"THAT's what that smells like... Mommy? You didn't cook it, did you?"

 

Nora smiles lovingly at him, "I love you, Matty; now eat up because your dad's going to be here in an hour."

 

Matthew's face lights up at the mention of his father. "Where are we going?"

 

"It's a surprise" she stares off into space as she remembers, "Your dad loves surprises." she says quietly

 

He looks at the plate in front of him, then back at his mother, "You didn't cook this did you?"

 

"NO, Matthew, your father did, now hurry up and eat or we’ll just leave you here with Sarah." She turns back to the sink to finish the dishes.

 

He took a tentative bite and with his mouth full, "dad's a really good cook" She turned to look at him, thinking to herself, 'Your dad is really good at a lot of things, making babies especially.’

 

"I'm gonna be just like dad"

 

Sarah walks into the room, "Did we have company last night?"

 

Nora rolls her eyes, "Why do you ask?"

 

"Besides the fact that I saw the three of you all curled up on the couch together when I came in, maybe that Matt's eating real food...it's not take out, is it?"

 

"No, smart aleck. Would you mind cleaning up so Matt and I can go get changed?"

 

Sarah grinned, "Go get ready for him..."

 

"Him?" Nora tries to act coy.

 

“Yeah him, you know my Uncle Bo, asleep on your couch, your head on his shoulder? Ring any bells?"

 

Matthew looks up at Sarah with a confused look on his face. "My dad's your Uncle?"

 

Sarah looks up at Nora her confused look matching Matthew's, "His dad?"

 

Nora takes Matthew's plate "Matthew, sweetie, go on upstairs and get dressed." she waits for him to leave before turning to look at Sarah. "Bo's Matthew's father, we found out a few months ago and we told him last night." A moment of silence passes between them. Sarah was just about to say something when Bo walked into the kitchen.

 

"Hey Red, you…" he looks up and sees Sarah standing there. " Do you always come home after 3 a.m.?"

 

Nora smiled at the paternal instincts jumping out, not to mention Sarah's cheeks turning crimson. "Well, no, but we had a show at Capricorn...you were up?"

 

"I heard you come in, I didn't see any reason to wake the whole house up, but I would appreciate it, if you would call when you’re going to be out so late."

 

"Oh really?" she looked at him, "Are you moving in? Or are you Nora's mouthpiece now?" She looked between the two.

 

Nora spoke up quick. "NO"

 

Sarah looked at Bo "I didn't think so."

 

Sarah looks back to Nora, "Ya know I love you but you aren't going out in THAT, are you?"

 

Nora rolled her eyes, "No, of course not!" Bo looks perplexed, "Why not? You look fine..."

 

Sarah smirks, "Could be that she was wearing that when she left the house YESTERDAY morning?"

 

Nora laughs as she walks out of the kitchen, "I should only be fifteen minutes..."

 

Bo sits down at the kitchen table. Sarah walks over and sits down beside him. She puts her hand on his as he looks up at her. "Nora told me about Matthew. I'm really happy for the two of you. I was so young when you two were together before but I used to hear my dad talk about how in love you two were with each other, and you know what. I think you still love her....Don't you?"

 

He looked up at her, a smile playing at his lips, "Well, I would answer that, but if I am I think it right, that she be the first to know, don't you?"

 

"First to know what, dad?"

 

"Nothing Champ," he pulls Matthew toward him for a hug, "Your mom almost ready?"

 

Upstairs Nora looks in the mirror for the tenth time in ten minutes, "My God, Nora get a grip, it's only Bo."

 

"Mom", their son yells from the bottom of the stairs, "are you done looking in the mirror yet?"

 

She grabs her purse off the bed and walks downstairs, "Let's get this show on the road."

 

Smiling as he stands at the foot of the stairs, he looks her up and down, never taking his eyes off of her. "What? Do I have something on me?" She looks down at herself.

 

"No, just appreciating what you were looking at in the mirror for the last," he looks at his watch, "10 minutes."

Matthew doubles over in laughter, as Sarah heads back into the kitchen barely able to contain herself.

 

"Funny, Buchanan," she points at his chest, "You will pay for that."

 

"Ooo," he raises his eyebrows, "I like the sound of that."

 

Nora rolls her eyes as leads the way out of the house, "Sarah, we're leaving!"

 

Matthew ran out to Bo's jeep, jumping up and down in excitement as he waited for his parents to make their way to the car. "Come on you guys, hurry up."

 

She looks over at Bo and smiles, "He got his lack of patience from you."

 

"Oh, no way Red, that's all you."

 

She rolls her eyes and just nods as his hand makes its way to the small of her back as he reaches around to open the car door for them. Matthew climbed in and quickly buckled his seat belt, the smile on his face bringing a smile to his parent’s faces.

 

Bo helps her into the jeep winking at his son as he makes his way over to the driver’s side. Matthew leans back in the seat, a huge smile on his face, "This is gonna be great, I can't wait."

 

Nora turns and looks at him, then at Bo, "What's going to be great? Does he know where we’re going?"

 

Matthew looks at his mother....his dark eyes sparkling "Mom, it’s a surprise for YOU."

 

"Oh no way this is so not right," She turns back around in her seat, and crosses her arms over her chest.

He takes his hand and goes to place it on her cheek, which she pushes away, "I'm serious Bo, this isn't fair."

He pulls his hand back laughing, "You know, if I didn't have such a good night last night, I think I would just say forget the whole thing and go home." Bo grins at her and then turns his attention back to the road in front of him.

 

Moments later Nora looks over at him to see the grin still plastered across his face, "What's got YOU so happy?"

 

He grins mischievously, "You'll see when we get there..."

 

"Yeah, you know how good I am with surpri..." Her jaw drops as they pull to a stop at their final destination. She looked around at the view in front of her, "Bo what are we doing at Penn's Landing?"

 

"We're going to take a cruise mom,” he looks between his parents, mistaking his mother's silence, "You don't like our surprise do you?" She turns around and looks at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

 

"I love your surprise, sweetie. It's the best surprise I've received in a long time."

 

He takes her hand and squeezes it, "Well they're waiting for us."

 

She smiles, "Let's go."

 

He takes her aboard the ferry boat, the Captain greets them at the landing, "Mr. Buchanan, Mrs. Buchanan" They look at each other and smile, neither bothering to correct the mistake, the Captain bends down to look Matthew in the eyes, "And you must be Matthew Buchanan?"

 

Matthew looked at the captain and wrinkled his brow, then back at his parents, who looked at each other and then at him, "Yes,” Bo answered, he is Matthew Hanen Buchanan," he squeezed his son's shoulder and his 'wife's’ hand and went aboard.

 

Nora walked around the main deck of the boat; looking out over the water and the skyline rising off to the left, "It's beautiful Bo." Matthew ran over and grabbed his father's hand pulling them from each other.

 

Bo walks over to where Matthew was taking him while Nora leaned against the railing. He glanced over at her; his attention split between what Matthew was saying and the view of her standing there; the wind blowing through her hair.

 

Matthew looks up at his father and looks over to where his attention has strayed. Matthew smiled as he remembered what Starr had told him, "Just give it time and they'll fall in love again." He looked back over at his father and smiled. Yeah this was definitely going to be easier than he thought.

 

Nora opens her eyes and turns her head to look at 'her' boys....she smiles as she watches Matthew point animatedly into the water; Bo laughing at his enthusiasm. She walks over behind them, wrapping her arms around Bo from behind as she leans over his shoulder to look, "What are you looking at down there?"

 

"Well, Matthew here thought he saw a dead body floating…" He ruffles Matthew's hair and then pulls Nora around in front of him, so his arms are around her.

 

"Mom, look," Matthew points to a spot about 20 feet from the boat, "What does that look like to you?"

 

Nora looks, nervous, "Oh, my God! Bo...I think he's right."

 

"My boy, you are most definitely the son of the Police Commissioner and the ADA. That is not what you think it is you two, all that is a tarp that's fallen from one of the naval ships."

 

Matthew looked up at his father, "Are you sure?"

 

Bo ruffles his hair, "Yeah champ, I'm sure. Now come over here a minute." Bo takes his hand and leads him over to the other side of the boat. "That over there is a naval destroyer, and that is an old aircraft carrier. This whole waterfront area is an active Naval Base."

 

Matthew looked up at his father in amazement, "This is so cool." Turning and looking at his mother, "Isn't this cool mom?"

 

She looks over at Bo and then down at Matthew, "Yeah sweetie this’s cool, way cool", she says looking back up at Bo.

 

The breeze causes her to shiver, Bo notices, "Are you cold?"

 

"A little maybe, but I'm fine," he takes off his jacket and wraps around her, "Bo that isn't necessary."

 

"Mom, will you let him take care of you, that's our job."

 

"Your job?"

 

He looks at her a frustrated look on his face, "Yes, mom, it is the man’s job to take care of the woman, right dad."

 

"Absolutely, Matthew, it is and more specifically it is my job to take care of THIS,” he takes her in his arms, "woman."

 

"Excuse me, but I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself there Buchanan."

 

"Yes you are, but you've been doing it for far too long."

 

Matt walked away looking out at the water and the ships lining the waterfront, Nora leans in to whisper, "The over-protective gene MUST run in your family."

 

"I think so, because you know he was like that long before I was in his life..."

 

Nora sighed, "I thought we weren't going to talk about that today, happy thoughts only?"

 

He looked at her and then over at Matthew who was running from one end of the boat to the other taking in all the ships in the naval yard as they sailed past. He looked back down at her and smiled, "Right only happy thoughts." He laid his hand on top of hers that was resting on the railing. She looked up at him and smiled and turned her attention back out over the water. She had been afraid to let herself feel around him again, but for the first time in five years, she was happy; she was complete, and she was home.

 

She leaned her head on his shoulder. He noticed the tear that had fallen onto her cheek, he hesitated at first; finally leaning over to kiss it away. She jumped a little startled at first, then their eyes met and locked. They just stood that way for a few seconds...their breath intermingling giving each other an out, when no one took it he leaned in slowly, taking her lips in his in a soft gentle kiss.

 

TBC