[Zach]

Zach had finished feeding Eli and put Billy down for his nap. He made his way downstairs as he heard the door opening. “Hey baby, how was your trip?” He asked as he went over to help. “Eli ate and Billy is napping.”

[Hope]

Hope walked into the house and set her bags down before seeing Hallie heading upstairs. “Oh that’s good, it was fine.” She told him. “I needed a get away. I was exhausted.”

[Zach]

“I am glad that you had a good time.” He tells her before giving her a kiss. “Let me get those for you.” Zach picks up the luggage and starts to head upstairs. “I can draw you a nice bath for you to relax in if you like.”

[Hope]

She kissed him back and saw him taking her luggage. “Wait Zach, I could have done that.” She said as she walked upstairs with him. “I can do it, you don’t have to do everything.”

[Zach]

“But you just got back from traveling. You should rest.” He tells her with a small laugh as he puts the bags down. “Besides, I missed you.” He smiled as he pulled her closer to him so that he could kiss her again. “It was too long.”

[Hope]

Hope walked into the room with him. She felt him pulling her closer and she kissed him back. “I missed you too.” She said as she wrapped her arms around him.

[Zach]

Zach smiles as he peppered her face in kisses. “So how did the trip go? Do you think that she is doing a little better at least?”

[Hope]

Hope smiled before pushing him away lightly as she moved to grab her suitcase and placed it on the bed. “It was good. I mean I got to rest which was much needed. And Hallie got to go to that support group her therapist suggested. It seems she really likes some of the people there.”

[Zach]

“I am glad that she is getting along with them. I figure that is why she is on her phone so much now? I just hope it doesn’t interfere with her watching DJ or her school work. Were we going to hire her a private tutor or just have your brother help?”

[Hope]

Hope unzipped her suitcase and started unpacking. “She’s talking to people who understand. That’s important. We want her to be talking and not shutting down.” Hope told him. “I don’t want to think about her being in school right now. She just needs to focus on getting better. She already has enough to think about.”

[Zach]

“But does that mean she will talk to us or just these other people?” He asks while looking at her. “Yeah we can put off the school conversation then for sure.” He tells her as he laid down on the bed. “Well Billy and Eli were good for the most part. There were times when Billy was upset about his wings but I took away some of that pain for him to help him fall asleep.” 

[Hope]

“I am sure when she is ready to talk she will. I mean you did push one of her boyfriends onto a wall. And whenever David is here, you stare at him like you are going to blow him up with your mind. She probably doesn’t know how to talk to us.” She shrugged. “We have to give her time.”

[Zach]

“Yeah because if David didn’t mess up then I am sure she wouldn’t have fallen for Emmett at least. I don’t know, just knowing there are two and they are all in this…I don’t even know what to call it. It’s just…weird. I am not used to it.” He sighed. 

[Hope]

“Yes, but acting like you are going to kill him the moment Hallie looks away is not going to help Zach. If you are team David, then you should act like it. Besides, if you don’t think about them all having sex it makes it easier to process.” She teased.

[Zach]

Zach covered his ears so he didn’t have to listen to what Hope was saying. “I do not want to think about that. Out of state, out of mind, thank you very much.” He said loudly so he didn’t have to hear Hope talking about his daughters sex life. “I will act like I like him when he proves that I can like him which means he has to prove that to Hallie first.” 

[Hope]

Hope just laughed as she looked at Zach, “I’m just saying.” She teased. She finished unpacking and moved to place the suitcase in the closet. “Well I think her first week is with Emmett. So she won’t even be here. Or I don’t know how that’s supposed to go.” She called out.

[Zach]

“Right. I think they will probably be on the ship then since that is where he has a room that you know…isn’t here.” He tells her with a small laugh. “I am sure that DJ will love looking at all the shiny things they have on the ship. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get into bottles.” 

[Hope]

“You don’t want him here?” She asked as she came out of the closet and started getting undressed. “I almost prefer her here. I just…I don’t know if her staying with them is a good idea.” She said as she slid off her dress.

[Zach]

“She needs to stay here, that is not a question. I just…just thinking about David and Hallie under our roof doing whatever their doing is bad enough. I don’t want to think about her doing that with her brother and what if she gets pregnant again? There is a higher chance of her miscarrying I think. I don’t want her to have to go through that on top of everything else.” 

[Hope]

“Yeah, because when  my parents told me I couldn’t see you, that worked out so well. We don’t even know how this whole week is supposed to go. Maybe we can tell them both that she can’t spend the night.” She said before picking out some new clothes. “Well Emmett would never cum in her. He’s not stupid.” 

[Zach]

“Well you were with a highly skilled assassin so… and I think she needs a week of rest, you are right. She just needs some time to herself before everything else is thrown at her.” He sighed before fixing his hair. 

[Hope]

“I don’t know, she has a day planned with the group so maybe she will have fun.” Hope said walking into the bathroom and starting her bath.

[Zach]

“Mhm well they better be an actually good influence on her. If they don’t there will be fists thrown.” He somewhat jokes. “You aren’t going to invite me?”

[Hope]

“It’s a group of kids that tried to kill themselves but didn’t succeed…don’t know if that’s a great group but I have faith.” She said before putting her hair in a bun. “You saw me getting naked. You didn’t want to join so…that’s your fault.” She teased before getting in the water.

[Zach]

“Well that doesn’t make things sound very good. What if I wanted to join now though…” He says before getting up and stripping himself down as he walked to the bathroom. 

[Hope]

“At least it’s a support group.” She said before watching him walk into the bathroom. She watched him get undressed and just smiled as she leaned back against the tub. “I think things will work out. They always do.”

[Zach]

“Yeah and the one you were in almost got you killed.” He tells her before getting into the tub with her and pulling her onto his lap. “I just worry about her.”

[Hope]

She felt him pulling her forward and straddled his lap as she looked at him. “Baby, Hallie is a smart girl. A very sweet and smart girl. We raised her to know it is okay to follow your heart and now we have to stand beside her as she does that. She is going to make mistakes, but we just have to be there with tissues and a hug to let her know we are there. She will tell you if she is unhappy.”

[Zach]

“If she was unhappy she would have told us but instead I found her in a pool of her own blood.” He tells her. “I don’t think she would tell us…that is what I am worried about.”

[Hope]

“But like you said we knew, a part of us knew. It was too much for her to go back and if she was trying to figure out her feelings for both boys and trying to be a normal girl then yeah…she was going to break. But you have to trust that she will tell us now that she is here.”

[Zach]

“I can only hope so.” He tells her with a small sigh as he lets his hands wrap around her waist. “I think everyone just has a lot going on in general between the castle and school.”

[Hope]

“We are Winters, we will be fine.” She teased before kissing his nose. “Oh, and I will be planning my father’s bachelor party so I won’t be home that night.”

[Zach]

“I thought your father didn’t want one?” He asks while raising a brow. “What are you going to do for him anyway? It's not like he is a fan of strippers.” He jokes. 

[Hope]

“I have something in mind. You don’t have to worry about it. It just won’t be on this island because if it is he will run to my mom. And my mom made it very clear he’s not allowed to do that.”

[zach]

“You know the islands haven’t stopped him before. Didn’t he swim across a whole island at one point cuz she was gone for what a day?” He asks with a small laugh. 

[Hope]

“Yeah, but if he wants to get married he will listen to her. He is being so dramatic. He will have fun. I know how to throw a great party.”

[Zach]

“And so wait, why am I not invited to this bachelor party hm. Is it just him and you going?” He asks with a raised brow. 

[Hope]

“If my dad invites you, sure, I don’t mind. I didn’t mind when you had a bachelor party. Doesn’t matter to me.” She shrugged as she grabbed her loofa.

[Zach]

“Pretty sure your dad invited the guys to the bachelor party. He was worried about what kind of party you might throw him.”

[Hope]

“Inviting you won’t change what type of party I throw. Everything has already been planned. I just need to pick up my outfit.”

[Zach]

“So then what are you planning? Not like I will tell him or anything. I can bet you he will panic about what Misty is doing the entire time.”

[Hope]

“And why would I tell you?“ She asked teasingly before moving off his lap and started to wash off. “You will have fun, if that’s the question.”

[Zach]

“I mean why not? I am your husband…so I am curious.” He tells her as he pulls her back onto his lap. “Mhm not so fast.”

[Hope]

She felt him pulling her back and just kissed him. “You will have fun and you don’t have to be my husband at the bachelor party. You can have as much fun as you like.”

[Zach]

“Oh now that is a trap I know it is. No wife says oh you can do whatever you want. It’s a test.” He says against her lips. “But what if we snuck off by ourselves?”

[Hope]

“It’s not a test. You can do whatever you want. I give you permission to have as much fun as you want. I promise, and I don’t break promises.” She teased before smiling at his words. “I have to make sure my dad stays, I can’t sneak away.”

[Zach]

Zach raised a brow. “Sounds like a damn trap. Well what if someone else watched him for a bit so we can have some fun?”

[Hope]

“It’s not a trap.” She said before kissing him and letting her tongue run over his piercing. “It’s not.” She says pulling away. “Hm, I will think about it.”

[Zach]

“What? You not sneaking away from something? Mhm what have you done with my wife?” He purred before kissing her once more after he felt her tongue running over his piercing. 

[Hope]

She kissed him back and just smiled. “Nothing, I just think you will be preoccupied. If my dad sees you having fun, he will have fun. Since as your wife, I am saying you get a pass.”

[Zach]

“How do you know I will have fun?” He asks while looking at her with a smirk. “There is no such thing as a free pass….wait are there male strippers there?”

[Hope]

“Because I know you.” She teased before shrugging. “You will have to find out.” She told him. 

[Zach]

“No hints really?” He asks while looking at her. “Wait this doesn’t mean you get one too does it?”

[Hope]

“I don’t understand what you mean?” She asked in confusion as she looked at him. “What are you talking about?”

[Zach]

“You won’t even give me a hint as to what to expect?” He asks with a pout before kissing her. “Come on, give me a hint, baby girl.”

[Hope]

“Nope.” She smiled as she kissed him back. “But I promise to make you very very horny.” She purred in his ear before pulling away.

[Zach]