The Sequel. The Little Rose.

Chapter Fifty-one. 2054. Stay Strong.

The boys gathered around the large round table in the dining room with their children, keeping a careful eye on their grandkids that played happily on the floor near the French doors.  It was a glorious day outside and they all knew they'd have to be quick before kids were clamouring to go outside. It was a good thing the boy's wives had offered to look through pictures earlier, so they could keep an eye the children.  They all appeared to have inherited a spirit of adventure.  No one really knew how that had happened, considering they had been adopted.  Osmosis, Luke claimed once, to Sang's entertainment.

"Okay, here's the deal.  You all need to pick the photos you like most, for whatever reason, and they'll be going in this album for Sang.  We all have a couple of pages each, but we only have today while she's out to select them."  Kota finished talking, and looked at the pile of boxes in the centre of the table.  He hoped they had enough time before Sang returned home.

"Well, fuck Kota," Gabe exclaimed, before grabbing a box and making a start,  "we've got almost 40 years of memories here."

"Don't panic, Gabe," Victor smirked, as he reached over to the sideboard and, taking a pile of small iPads handing them around also.  "I've been putting pictures in digital albums for years.  If you get stuck, look through them."

"Yeah, and watch your language, dude," Nathan murmured.  "Little ears and all, you know.  If Peanut finds out you let something slip in earshot of the little munchkins, your butt will be toast."

"How long do you think we have before Sang Baby gets home?" North asked, nodding his head in satisfaction when Owen replied 'twelve hours', and continued flicking through photos before his face softened and he flicked a photo across the table to their son "Remember that day, Nic?"

Looking at the picture, Nicolai shook his head. "This was the day we got out of that hellhole," he said, referring to the old Romanian orphanage Sang and North had rescued them from so many years earlier.  "Have a look at Mom's expression.  One of us has to have this in the album."

"Show me, bro," his older brother, Alex, spoke up.  Alexandru looked curiously at the photo, his eyes darkened and he shook his head at the picture of a filthy seven year old boy, being held in his mother's arms.  "I thought I was dead, when I fell," he exclaimed softly.  "Turned out to be the best day of my life, when you found us trying to escape."

"I had the shock of my life when Mom's head popped over the fence and she spoke to me in Romanian offering help.  She was all business too, and couldn't wait to get us out." Nic sighed.

"Yeah, not before she climbed back up the fu..reaking fence and showed you the correct way to land a jump," North exclaimed, shaking his head at the memory.  He was surprised none of them were totally grey, now he thought about it.  He put the photo carefully to the side and continued looking through piles of pictures.  His life, with this family, surpassed any dream he had ever had, he realised as he found a picture and flicked it over to Luke.  "That's pretty special, bro," he declared.

Luke picked up the photo, and a familiar goofy smile spread across his face. "I still had long hair then," he nodded to himself, and grinned again as Gabe leant across and looked closely. 

"The Taj Mahal.  Nice dude, and very romantic. But, what the hell are you two wearing?  That wasn't anything I organised for either your mission or holiday, that's for damn, f..lipping sure."

"Which explains why you've never seen the picture, bro," Luke murmured as he ran his fingers gently down Sang's image on the photo.  "It was an amazing holiday.  We helped with those kids on the side, completed the mission as well and even managed to go on a tour in the jungle.  But, the absolute best part was doing it all with Cupcake.  You have to admit she looked stunning in that sari, Gabe."