It was Howie that called a group meeting. The birthday party at Brian's had gone well, and he knew it was high time everyone reconnected. He invited everyone to dinner at his place, so the meeting would be informal. Hopefully, more like old times. Howie specified that it was just going to be the five of them... no wives, kids, girlfriends, just the group. AJ seemed to accept the invitation eagerly, as did Nick. Brian seemed hesitant... he confessed he was worried about leaving Leigh and Baylee alone. A quick phone call to one of their trusted bodyguards was all it took to reassure the man. Wayne, Brian's personal bodyguard on their last tour, was delighted to visit and watch over the pair. Howie expected Kevin to be reluctant; oddly, the oldest's reply was unemotionally neutral. He didn't seem excited, nor did he resist. It was so unlike Kevin that Howie wasn't sure what to make of it. Figuring that he had some issues to work out, Howie left the questions for later.

Brian was the first to arrive. Howie had just begun chopping the salad ingredients and instantly drafted Brian into helping. They talked as they worked. At first, the conversation was casual; eventually the slight tension eased and the two began talking in earnest.

"So how are you, really?" Howie asked, his voice serious.

Brian sighed. "A little better now that Kev and I have talked some."

Howie raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

Brian nodded. "I feel… lighter now. A lot was weighing me down until I could get the chance to talk with him. I was worried he was going to leave or... I dunno. I'm hoping we can build a trust between us again. I know it's going to take a while, but I want to try."

Howie smiled, glad that Kevin had finally given his cousin a chance. “So what do you plan to do?”

Brian contemplated his answer. He’d thought about it several times over the past couple weeks since the birthday party, but no solid way had come to mind.

“It’ll come, B. Just give it time.”

“Yeah,” Brian muttered. “‘Just give it time.’ I know, I’ll try.”

The doorbell rang, and as Brian was the one with clean hands at the moment, Howie asked him to see who was at the door. Brian hesitated a few seconds before opening the door. AJ was standing in the doorway waiting to come in.

“Hey, B,” he greeted as he stepped through the door. “You got here first, huh?”

“Yeah. Howie drafted me to help him make the salad.”

AJ chuckled. As Brian made to close the door, he saw Nick arriving. He gripped the door handle tighter when he spotted Kevin sitting in the passenger’s seat. He stayed where he was while AJ headed to the kitchen to help Howie. When the car stopped, Nick looked up and smiled when he saw Brian, then waved. He turned and tapped Kevin on the shoulder. As Kevin looked up from unbuckling, Brian saw Nick say something to Kevin and point to the house. Kevin turned his gaze to the front door and paused. Brian bit his lip and decided to give a wave in greeting. Kevin nodded and stepped out of the car.

Brian heaved a sigh of relief. Kevin had acknowledged him; that was a good sign.

“How you doin’, B?” Nick asked as he headed to the porch. He smiled at his friend as he climbed the steps.

Brian found that he could easily smile right back. “I’m all right, Frack.”

Nick nodded. “Good to hear. And how’s family life treating you?”

Brian felt his mouth explode into a grin. “It’s great, Nick,” he replied. “I love it. There’s so much that Leighanne and I are constantly learning while trying to raise Baylee, but it’s worth it, you know? Especially when we see him smile.”

“You love being a dad, then?”

Kevin had reached the porch and it was he that had spoken.

Brian nodded. “It’s the greatest thing in the world, Kevin. I bet you can’t wait till you and Kris have a family of your own.”

The corners of Kevin’s mouth twitched as he stepped inside, but he shook his head. “We’re waiting until the time is right.”

Brian smirked. “Well don’t wait too long, Kev. It might suddenly pop up on you without knowing.”

“Right!” Nick said loudly. “I’m heading to the kitchen before I become permanently scarred.”

Brian was pleased to hear Kevin laugh as Nick left, even though it was soft. He met Kevin’s green eyes and spoke quietly. “I haven’t heard you laugh in a long time, Kev.”

Kevin studied him for long, silent moment before he replied. “I haven’t had much reason to laugh lately.”

Brian looked away as he closed the door. Turning back, he saw that Kevin was standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

“Need any more help, D?” he asked.

“Nah,” Howie replied. “Nick, AJ and I’ve got it under control.”

Brian saw Kevin’s shoulders tense slightly. Without a reply, Kevin headed through the dining room to the back of the house. Brian watched him head into Howie’s library with a sinking heart. How were they ever going to rebuild their relationship if Kevin kept distancing himself? Brian sighed heavily and headed to the kitchen. He hesitated momentarily in the doorway, and then headed to a cabinet for a glass, ignoring the others’ stares. Nick scooted aside at the sink to let him get some water.

“Where’d he go off to?” Nick asked.

“The library,” Brian replied before taking a large gulp of water.

Nick nodded and resumed peeling potatoes. AJ said nothing as he turned the oven on so Howie could start making the dessert. Howie met Brian’s gaze and offered an encouraging smile. Brian returned it with a small smile of his own, and knew it was time to stop hesitating. He had to talk with his cousin more if things were going to change.

~*~

Kevin looked up when he heard the door open. He suppressed a sigh when he saw Brian enter the library. Knowing what Brian would undoubtedly want, Kevin turned back to the shelf of books he was facing and pulled one down. He wasn’t ready to talk to the man yet. True, he had been relieved to find that Kael wasn’t around anymore, but he just didn’t feel ready to talk. Scanning the first few lines, he realized that he’d just opened a mystery book, one he didn’t particularly like, but at least it kept him from making conversation.

After a few minutes he heard Brian’s voice. “I know that’s not a book you like, Kevin. Will you please look at me?”

He couldn’t hold back the sigh this time as he replaced the book back in its proper place on the shelf. He heard movement and turned to see Brian sinking into one of the armchairs by the wall, waiting for a response.

“What do you want?”

“I just wanted to talk,” Brian said.

“You’re talking,” Kevin pointed out.

Brian’s eyebrows lowered slightly in pained frustration, but Kevin didn’t care. “I meant have a serious conversation with you,” he said.

Kevin crossed his arms and leaned up against the bookcase. He could see that Brian was waiting for him to speak. “What is it?”

Brian kept his gaze for a while, then asked, “Where’d you go, Kev? Leighanne told me you were gone for six months.”

“That’s what you wanted to talk about?”

“Well, didn’t Kristin want to know?” Brian pressed.

"What does Kris have to do with this?"

Brian frowned. "Because she cares. And so do I."

Kevin searched for words. At last he said, "I'm not so sure of that anymore."

"What, that I care?" Brian asked, the hurt evident in his voice.

Kevin looked down at the carpet with a frown. "The mountains."

“What?"

"That's where I went. You asked."

Brian resisted a frustrated sigh. "Can we stop this dancing around the issue, please? I just want... no, I need... answers. Please."

"Do you think it's that simple?" Kevin said, sudden anger edging his voice. "Do you think we can ever just go back to the way things were? If you do, you're dreaming."

"Tell me what's been going on in your head, Kev."

Kevin's jaw clenched, and for a moment Brian was sure his cousin was going to explode. Then, in a softer voice that surprised him, Kevin spoke.

"I had to get away," he said. "To think, to... come to terms with what had happened. With what I... with the way things went down. I didn't have anyone else to turn to. I told Kris where I was going, and she was gracious enough to let me be." He took a breath. "Actually I didn't tell her the exact location, because I didn't know myself."

Kevin shook his head. "I thought the solitude would clear my head right away, but it didn't happen. By the time my... my injuries had healed, I found myself more confused than ever." Emerald eyes darkened a bit. "For the first time in my life I felt utterly, totally alone."

Brian kept his silence, not wanting to interfere.

"I couldn't come back. Not then. But I needed to talk to someone." The taller man dropped his voice a bit more. "I met this person... who isn't important. But he made me realize that fear has control only as long as you allow it to. He made me look at what I feared. I didn't get answers... I'm still looking. But at least I recognized what had propelled me so far from home."

"And… that was Kael," Brian said roughly.

"No," Kevin replied, still looking down. "It wasn't."

Brian was surprised at the statement. A moment later Kevin continued.

"It was me. My failure. My inability to do... to do anything when it really mattered."

"What do you m-"

"It was the first time I really, truly, completely failed."

"Failed?" Brian asked, more confused than ever. “Kev-“

"All these years, I've been kidding myself," Kevin said bitterly. "I couldn't stop anything at all, when it really counted. It was all a lie. Look at what happened to Nick, to AJ and Howie..."

"That wasn't your fault," Brian said shakily. "It was mine. But you tried to protect them, Kevin. That's what counts. A weaker man would have wanted to save his own skin."

"I couldn't even do that," Kevin spat. "And it doesn't matter that I tried. The bottom line is, I failed. Nick nearly died. AJ... I can still see his face. He... everyone... looked to me to help. And I did nothing." Kevin winced. "I couldn't even help my own cousin."

"Kevin, I-"

"Do you know what it's like to realize you aren't the man you thought you were? That when it really counted, you couldn't measure up? I thought I was a good judge of situations. I thought I could always protect everyone. I thought... I believed I could trust my own family." His voice dropped to a bare whisper. "I was so wrong." He raised his head. "You heard them just a few minutes ago. They don't need me. Obviously, if I can't help out when it really counts, why bother with the little stuff?"

Brian shook his head in shock. "Kevin, don't you remember the words in our song?"

"What song?"

"The Perfect Fan," Brian replied. "It's not the big things, but the little things that can mean enough. Of course they need you Kevin.” His voice softened as he stood. “And you did help me. When Kael was interrogating and torturing you... you mentioned Leighanne and Baylee. By the time Zator had finished training me and had taken me into his service and Kael had surfaced... I had forgotten about them, the real reason I had done what I did. You brought them back to my mind... to Kael's mind... and helped me come back."

"I should have stopped it from happening at all. You never should have been forced to go with Zator. If I-"

"Stop it," Brian said. "Who do you think you are? You didn’t know, Kevin. You had no way of knowing what was happening. No one did. No one blames you in the least!"

"I do," Kevin said after a long moment.

"It's time we involved everyone in this discussion. I'm calling a group meeting right here, right now."

Before Kevin could protest, Brian was out the door. He wasted no time and headed for the kitchen, a determined look on his face. He heard laughter just before he reached the door... AJ, it seemed, had told some kind of joke. He came into the room and waited until everyone glanced his way.

"Guys, we need to have a group meeting. This one is important."

"What's it about?" asked Nick.

"Kevin's finally told me what went on."

No more needed to be said. Without a word, Howie turned off the stove and the four left for the living room. Brian indicated that they should sit; he went back to the library, relieved to find Kevin still there. Although he hesitated for several heartbeats, Kevin finally followed Brian back out the door. Soon, he was face to face with everyone. Brian started to move to a seat, then noticed that Kevin hadn’t moved. He stayed still and waited until Kevin sat in the leather armchair he usually occupied whenever they gathered at Howie’s. Kevin didn’t look at him, or anyone, after he sat down. He looked at his hands, which Brian noticed were beginning to shake.

“Kev, where’d you go for six months?” AJ blurted out.

Kevin glanced at Brian, who nodded encouragingly. “I went to the mountains.”

“The mountains?”

Kevin pressed his lips together in irritation, then nodded.

“Did Kristin know?” Nick asked.

“I told her when I got back.”

“She missed you something awful, Kev,” Nick continued. “We all did. We all volunteered several times to go look for you, but she didn’t want us to.”

“She wanted you to have your space,” Howie added, “and all the time you needed. We respected and loved you both enough to listen to her.”

Kevin finally looked up from his hands and stared at Howie.

“I told you, Kev,” Brian said. “No one blames you for what happened.”

AJ, Howie and Nick looked over at Brian, then back to Kevin.

“For what happened?” Nick repeated.

“When Kael took all of you,” Brian explained. “And when Zator took me.”

“Well, none of us knew about Zator taking you,” Nick said. “Sometimes, even I beat myself up over it. I kept having the inkling to call you, but I was always busy with something else and didn’t.”

“Well, it’s over, Kael’s gone, and we’re all still trying to recover,” Brian said. “Even me.”

“But why the mountains?” Howie asked.

Kevin rubbed his hands together, then said, “I needed the solitude. I thought being there would help clear my head… but I was wrong.”

“You?” AJ asked. “Admit you were wrong? That’s a rarity.”

Howie smacked him. He shut up.

“Go on, Kevin,” Howie said.

Kevin glanced at the rug, and then met his friends’ eyes again. “When my injuries healed, I was still confused, much more than I had been before going there. I couldn’t come back yet, even though I’d been gone three months. I knew I needed to talk to someone, but… I didn’t know who to talk to. Then, I met this man… and for some reason, I felt obliged to tell him my problems. He showed me that my fears controlled me as long as I allowed them to. He made me look at my fears. When I returned to my cabin and really thought about it, I realized what had brought me there.”

“What?”

"It was me,” Kevin replied. “My failure.”

“Failure?” Nick, Howie and AJ asked together.

Kevin nodded reluctantly. "It was the first time I completely failed like that. I couldn’t stop what Kael and Zator did to us all. Nick almost died, and Howie and AJ were injured. All I could do was sit in my cell and watch… Kael… come and take you away. I couldn’t do anything when you came back.”

“You talked to us, though,” Howie said. “That helped me know you were still there, and that we were all in it together.”

“But I couldn’t save you from—“

“Kev, we’re not supposed to have perfect lives,” Howie interrupted. “We’re supposed to have trials and pain. It's one way we can grow.”

“And besides,” Brian added, “you did save them, Kev. You got them off Zator’s ship before anything else could happen, despite your own injuries. And like I told you, it was you mentioning Leighanne and Baylee that started to bring me back.” He turned to the others. “When Kevin was being interrogated… tortured… he mentioned my wife and son. By the time I’d completed the training, I’d completely forgotten the reason I’d come into Zator’s service, completely forgotten my family. But Kevin mentioned them, and from that point on, Kael started to disappear. And besides,” he turned back to Kevin, “he saved my life, too.”

Kevin met his gaze, but said nothing.

“I would have died if it hadn’t been for that transfusion. Kevin, I owe you my life.”

“I think we all do,” Howie remarked. “He got us off that ship. I certainly didn’t know how to fly Zanell’s ship.”

Kevin shook his head. He heard the words, but to believe them...

"Why is it so hard to believe none of us blame you, Kev?" Howie asked softly

"Because I've always... I mean, before, it's-” He stopped, running a hand through his hair. He avoided their puzzled gazes.

"You've what?" Nick asked when he fell silent.

"You wouldn’t understand," Kevin said quietly.

"Kev," Brian began. "Spit it out."

"When we first got together," he finally said, albeit reluctantly, "it just kind of naturally happened that I became responsible for everyone."

"As the oldest, that made sense," Howie said. "And you could be tough when needed. It was hard back then."

“But you see, that's the problem. I was so used to playing the role, I actually began buying into it."

It was AJ who understood first. "But Kev, this whole thing with Zator wasn't like anything we'd gone through. You've done a great job with the group... even our personal problems... but you can't protect us from everything. Not when it comes to this kind of madness."

"But I should have," he said.

"Get real," AJ said in a sharp voice. "No one could have stopped what happened. Not even you."

Howie nodded. "And like I said, you did what you could to stop things from being worse. We could have really... really died up there."

Nick spoke up. "It could have been any of us Zator had chosen, even you. Have you thought about that?"

From the blank look on Kevin's face, it was obvious he hadn't.

Brian added quietly, "And he would have threatened you the same way he did me. Endanger Kristin's life... or any of the group, even me. And I honestly don't think anyone can resist the kind of brainwashing he does." He cleared his throat. "Believe me, being his servant is very hard to deal with. You might be regretting that you didn't do enough, but I have to deal with being the one who actually hurt you all."

"But... you weren't able to do anything about that," Kevin said in a strained voice.

"Neither were you," Brian answered.

"We've got to put all this behind us," Howie urged. "I, for one, don't blame Brian for what he was forced to do. Nor do I blame Kevin for not preventing us from getting hurt. I'm happy that we're all alive, all together, and on the same side."

"I agree," AJ said. "If we let this undermine our faith in each other, if we let doubts take control... well, Zator really did win."

"And that idea, I don't like," added Nick. "We survived this together and got Brian back. That's plenty for me."

"What about you, Kev?" Brian asked quietly. "Do you forgive me? Can we really move on, together?"

Kevin looked at the faces of his friends, his family... his brothers. It took a moment, but he finally found his voice.

"I do," he said. "That monster tried his best to tear us apart, but we're still together. I... I forgive you, Brian."

A smile spread onto Brian's face like a sunrise. He had been waiting so long to hear that. And he realized that he'd been able to say the word 'forgive'. Maybe he’d be able to… but he set the thought aside for the moment as he saw Kevin smile back to him. As the five friends exchanged caring hugs, the air felt as though a heavy weight had finally been removed from their shoulders, fading into the past that they were putting behind them at last.

~~

Kristin entered the bedroom to see her husband still sound asleep with a smile on his face. He had returned from the get-together happier than she’d seen him in a long time. When she’d asked what had happened, Kevin had told her everything, including his open forgiveness of Brian. Kristin had been so overcome with joy that she’d hugged and kissed him until both were dizzy from lack of oxygen.

Almost two months had gone by since then, but Kevin hadn’t wasted the time. He’d called Brian and the others at least once a week to talk and possibly arrange another get-together, but so far no date had been set.

“Good morning.”

Kevin’s call brought her back from her thoughts. He was watching her from the bed and grinning. She smiled back.

“Did you sleep well, Kevin?” she asked as she sat beside him on the edge of the bed.

“Better than I have in a long time,” Kevin replied.

She smiled. “Good.”

Kevin pushed up onto his elbow and wrapped his other arm around his wife. “I’ve been thinking.”

Kristin gasped. “You have not!”

He laughed. “Yes, I actually have, believe it or not. I want to invite the others out here. And Brian can bring Leighanne and Baylee. The last time any of them were out here was last March, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was. I think it’s a great idea.”

When Kevin called the others an hour later, they all thought it was a great idea, too. It was arranged to get together in one week. Kevin felt that the time wouldn’t go by fast enough.

~~

"Nick, if you keep eating, there'll be nothing left for the others!"

"Back off, Kev, I'm a growing boy!"

Kevin scoffed. "No kidding. You're almost two inches taller than I am! Maybe we need to stop feeding you so you can quit growing."

Nick just laughed. "Hey, when's B coming?"

"Soon, I hope," Kevin replied as he glanced at his watch. "They were going to get a cab from the airport. I offered to pick them up, but he and Leigh didn't want to trouble us."

Kristin came into the room. "They called from the airport; they should be here any time now." She patted her husband’s arm. "Worrying won't make them get here any faster. Come and sit."

Kevin sighed. "You're right, I shouldn't worry. I just can't help it sometimes."

“You're good at it because you practice all the time," Nick said with a smirk.

“I'm surprised I haven't gone gray early from what you and Brian put me through," Kevin chuckled.

“That's my job," Nick replied. "But I sure don't have Brian beat-“ He stopped, suddenly realizing what he'd said. He gave Kevin a wary look.

His oldest brother blinked, then offered a slight smile. "I think you're right, there."

"Sorry, Kev," Nick mumbled.

Kevin shook his head. "No, don't be. It's what happened, but it's in the past."

"Is it really in the past?" Nick asked quietly.

"It has to be," Kevin said. "I want us to be a true group again, to be brothers like before."

"Me too."

The older man sighed. "Not exactly easy, though, is it?"

"Kind of hard to forget the hurt," Nick agreed. "All that pain and anger..."

"The desire to get even," Kevin murmured.

Nick frowned, looking into shielded green eyes. "To get even?" he repeated slowly.

"I... yeah," he admitted. "The anger, for me, turned into this real need for revenge."

Nick considered that. "Revenge on Brian?"

"No," came the answer. "On Kael... and Zator, for doing what he did to Brian. I almost couldn't handle it."

"What did you do?"

"Kicked a few trees, nearly broke my foot... chopped a winter's worth of wood. Did a lot of thinking. Almost came back twice, but something held me back. And it's a good thing, too... I wasn't seeing things clearly."

"Wow... So it's actually good that you stayed away for six months, then."

"Yeah," Kevin said. "I knew if I came back before I had figured things out, I'd do something terrible. I didn't... I didn't want to become something like Kael."

Nick kept his silence.

"I never told anyone about that," Kevin said in a low voice. "Not even Kristin." He swallowed. "But I was truly afraid at what I would be capable of doing. And that terrified me."

Nick regarded his companion. He'd never heard Kevin admit to being scared, much less terrified. The fact that he'd shared such information touched the younger man deeply.

"But you did come back," he said. "And you forgave Brian."

"Yeah, I did. But it wasn't easy, not by a long shot."

"I never knew it was that way," Nick finally said. "I'm glad you figured it out. I'm glad you came back."

"Me too." On impulse, Kevin reached out and tousled Nick's blond locks. With a laugh, Nick ducked away.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Kevin froze and looked toward the living room.

"I'll get it!" Kristin called.

"It's got to be them."

"Cool," Nick said, not hesitating as he moved towards the other room. Kevin paused for a moment, then followed.

It was little Baylee that broke the ice. The boy scrambled through the door almost the instant Kristin opened it, squealing excitedly at the sight of Uncle Nick's open arms. His parents' laughter just urged him on until he reached his Uncle Nick, who promptly picked him up and blew a raspberry on his cheek.

"I'll say this," Brian chuckled, "he certainly knows Uncle Nick."

"Didn't even pause to say hi to Cousin Kristin."

"Well, no offense Kris, but you're not a big kid like Nick is. The man just doesn't want to grow up."

"Growing up is overrated," Nick said, swinging Baylee around. "Don't do it, kid, not ever!"

Brian nodded. "Yes, please don't!"

"What's the matter, B?" Kevin asked. "Baylee growing too fast for you?"

"Well, every day that goes by, he seems to find more energy and more things to get into," Leigh said. "I remember when he was a nice, quiet baby who only woke two or three times a night," she added with a sigh.

"Well, I'm glad you do, 'cause I sure don't."

As the adults began to laugh, Kevin noticed that Baylee was reaching for him from Nick's arms.

"Hey, little bud," he said, taking the child from his uncle. "You want to see me now?"

"Keh, Keh!"

Kevin grinned; Baylee was trying to say his name. He glanced up and caught Brian smiling at him.

"Are you sure you want to wait to have kids, Kevin?"

"Aw, he just wants to practice on Baylee before he tries it on his kids," Nick remarked.

Kevin ignored Nick completely, tickling Baylee so the boy giggled. He lifted the child onto his shoulders, and Brian watched with amusement as Baylee almost touched the ceiling with outstretched hands.

A long blast of a car horn sounded outside.

Brian rolled his eyes. "AJ must be here."

Smiling, Kristin opened the door and confirmed that it was AJ indeed. "He also brought Howie with him."

"Who's driving?" Nick asked.

"Howie."

"Oh, thank heaven!" He placed a hand over his heart in mock relief. "I thought I was going to have a heart attack if AJ had actually gotten Howie to ride with him in his car."

AJ reached the door first, giving both Leighanne and Kristin nods in greeting. "Hey Nick, you leave any food for the rest of us? I'm starving."

Kevin snickered. "Come on in Aje, there's plenty left."

AJ paused and looked up... way up. "Baylee you grew! You can touch the ceiling now!"

Baylee laughed and waved to Uncle AJ. Howie came in and greeted the group; soon, everyone was filling their plates and beginning to relax. Conversation was a bit forced at first, but soon the five men were caught up in discussions of planned projects. Kristin and Leighanne, knowing better than to interrupt the flow, escorted Baylee to the playroom, where they could watch him while they caught up on each other's news.

"So we want to work on a couple of new songs, stuff that we create together, right?" Howie asked.

"I think that's the way to restart things, yes," Kevin answered. "Management suggests we do some benefits, some charity stuff to kind of get back into it. Give us a chance to polish up the old stuff and maybe try out some of the new."

"It's been a long time," AJ commented, his tone even.

"Too long," Nick added. "I say it's overdue. Agreed?"

Looks were exchanged. "Agreed," said Howie. His affirmation was echoed by AJ.

"I'm ready," Brian said carefully. All eyes went to Kevin.

The oldest nodded, then said, "Let's do it."

It was as if a great weight had been lifted from their collective shoulders. True smiles appeared all around. The excitement grew as they discussed what old songs might be the best to restart with; finally, enough were selected to occupy an hour's worth of entertainment.

"Okay, we got the songs, now... the location," AJ said.

"Well, management gave me a list," Kevin said, pulling a paper out of his pocket. "It's totally our choice. I say we pick one, then see how it goes from there."

"Okay, shoot," Nick said.

"First is a library fundraiser in Tucson, Arizona."

AJ yawned dramatically.

"Second," Kevin said, ignoring him, "is for a groundbreaking for a new hospital. That's in Chicago."

Nick rolled his eyes and scrunched up his nose.

"Okay, third," Kevin said. "There's a college in Peoria, Illinois that wants to raise funds for a new sports stadium."

"Sports?" Howie said, frowning. "Not that I have anything against sports, but..."

"Right," Kevin said, continuing on. "Awareness concert to stop an area of marshland from becoming a garbage landfill in Maryland."

"Worthy," Brian said, "but... marshes and garbage?"

"Okay, okay. I suppose the 'Save the Black-headed Warbler' campaign is out..."

"Yes," came a chorus of four voices.

"How about this one... a town needs a lot of rebuilding after some kind of disaster. Lots of structures destroyed, including part of a school."

"Maybe..." AJ said, leaning forward. "Sounds like they need all the help they can get."

"What happened, was it a flood or a quake or something?" asked Nick.

"Doesn't say here," Kevin said, scanning the list. "But the town is in Nevada. Ah... Riverview, Nevada."

Four heads snapped around when they heard Brian choke on his drink and start coughing.

"Where?" he finally gasped.

"Riverview, Nevada," Kevin repeated. “You’ve heard of it?"

"You haven't?"

Kevin, Howie, AJ and Nick exchanged a confused look. "No. Should we have?" Nick asked.

Brian sat back and wiped the water from his lips. His gaze moved away and then back. "I guess you didn't have time... That's... that's the town Kael attacked... last March."

Kevin's eyes widened. "What?" he rasped.

Brian nodded, having lost the ability of speech for the moment. The hand that held his cup was shaking. He set the cup down and sat back again. Riverview…

"Well..." AJ murmured, "that would certainly qualify as a disaster."

No one laughed.

Kevin cleared his throat. "We can pick something else," he said uncomfortably. "What about-"

"No," Brian said quietly. "No. I think we should do it."

Howie spoke up. "Brian, do you think you can?"

Brian didn't speak for a long moment. "I have to," he finally said. "If I'm ever going to get past it all, I need to make some true amends. I can't think of a better way than this."

"There are other ways," Howie continued. "We could contribute anonymously, or-"

"No," Brian interrupted sharper than he'd intended. "This is the only way."

"Can you face them, though?" Kevin interjected. "Everywhere you look will be evidence of what... what Kael caused."

Brian stared at his lap. "I have to try."

"We don't have to make a decision tonight," Kevin said. "Think about it... hard. Make sure this is something you truly want to do."

Just then, a squeal was heard from the hallway, followed by a female voice.

“Baylee Thomas, come back here!" they heard Leighanne call.

The toddler, screeching in delight at his 'escape', came wobbling into the living room, a broad smile on his chubby face.

"Da! Da!!"

He stumbled once, but practically bounced back up. In a moment, he was waving his arms at his father. With a grin, Brian picked him up and hefted him into the air, which brought on a bout of giggles. Lowering the baby, he hugged him close. As Baylee squirmed to be free again, Brian kissed him on the cheek. He set Baylee down and off the toddler went. Brian watched him for a moment, and then spoke.

"That's why I have to do this. Not just for me."

Kevin nodded, understanding. "Then it's up to you. Call management tomorrow and tell them the decision."

"Yeah, I'll do that."