"Ha! Not very likeable, Jayden. Mine's bigger." Damien mocked.

"He said that," Nico drawled, stifling a chuckle. With his free hand, Lucian reached back to smack his head.

"Mine's definitely bigger. Wait till I show you," Jayden bragged. Lucian's face held disgust as he raised his hand again, knowing Nico was about to make another comment.

"Can't believe Jayden on that but ew-ow Lucian!" Amira giggled, watching Nico rub his head, while scowling at Lucian.

"There's a kid here, Nicholas." Lucian threw a pointed look at Nicholas, who gave back a sheepish smile. Thankfully, Amira was now busy looking behind over Lucian's shoulder.

"Is that a stuffie?" She whispered. Her eyes grew wide as she shook Lucian violently.

The two men frowned and turned around simultaneously.

"Make way, please!" A man shouted.

"Woah!" Nico took a step back as he saw the massive teddy moving in their direction. "What the f-" he stopped when Lucian threw him a glare.

Lucian stepped aside quickly and let the teddy pass, shaking his head when he noticed the ball of happiness that was currently struggling in his arms.

He sighed tiredly and put her down gently, watching her run off to the kitchen behind the teddy.

"I'm this close to disowning both Jayden and Damien," he said, touching the tip of his index finger to the pad of his thumb.

"And I'm this close to make some popcorn and watch this drama unfold," Nico said, already moving to the kitchen.

Lucian followed him. His headache increased slightly when Damien howled with laughter.

"Alright. They might be the same size, Jayden but seriously? A bunny?" Damien mocked.

Lucian entered the room, his eyes landing on another huge stuffie facing the door while Jayden's stuffie had its back to the door. Damien stood beside the stuffie he bought. It was a panda that almost reached his shoulder.

His eyes searched the room for Amira and he found her right where he expected. In the middle, trying to decide which stuffie to hug first. The twinkle in her eyes made him relax a bit.

"It's better than your stupid panda," Jayden mumbled. He crossed his arms while looking at the rabbit beside him with doubt clear on his face.

Asher and Josiah were also watching the two drama queens fighting. They were leaned against the chairs with their arms crossed while Beau was leaning against the counter with his hands pressed against the counter surface.

"Can we let the girls decide which one is better?" Josiah said, the exasperation clear in his voice.

"Yeah sure. Let's get the first vote," Damien agreed, moving his eyes to Amira. "Which one do you like more, Bunny?"

Amira looked between the two with confused eyes.

"Can I like both?" She asked. Her lower lip jutted out when Damien shook his head.

"Okay. You're giving her unnecessary stress." Asher glared at Damien who ignored everyone and focussed on his sister.

Amira was in a bit of a dilemma with this one. This bunny Jayden bought did not look smug and it would not be fit enough to always be around Asher or be tucked in. That's why she liked it a lot more than the other bunnies she had.

"The panda," She decided. She moved forward at a quick pace while Damien took the time to cheer and celebrate his victory.

Amira hugged the stuffie tightly, accidentally putting a lot of her weight on it. She didn't realise, it wouldn't manage to sit straight and the stuffie started falling backwards.

All of the brothers were alerted at once as they all moved simultaneously. Damien, being the nearest was quick to step behind the panda to provide a bit of a support to it. He peeked down at her from above the panda's head.

"Be careful," Asher said, coming to stand beside the panda.

"Sorry." Amira gave him a sheepish smile which made him melt instantly.

"Let's cuddle the stuffies later and have breakfast first," he offered, extending his hand forward. Amira grabbed his hand gently and stepped towards her second eldest brother.

"What about our welcome hugs and kisses?" Josiah asked the question swirling Damien and Jayden's mind. A question they were too embarrassed to ask.

Asher looked at Amira for the answer and got one as she slipped her hand out of his hold and stepped towards Josiah with a smile.

"I missed you," she mumbled in his chest. The odd relief that spread through her was undefined. She didn't know how but with all of her brothers present, she felt a sense of security. The only family member missing was Rose now and she was trying to push that thought to the back of her mind, like she'd done all the time.

"I missed you too, my love." Josiah bent down to kiss her head. "And I brought loads of chocolates."

Amira snuggled more into his chest, unaware of the other two impatient brothers glaring at each other on who goes next.

When Jayden wouldn't back off, Damien slowly curled his lips into a smirk, giving off his signature maniac smile. That had Jayden's confidence crumbling.

Seeing the scary look on his older brother's face, Jayden stopped glaring back and took a step back. Nico, having witnessed the interaction, cackled with laughter as Damien moved forward to stand near the duo that was exchanging love.

"My turn," Damien stated when Amira pulled away. She turned around with a scowl.

"What'd you need hugs for?" She scowled, seeing as her two enemies were left for hugs.

Lucian, who was scrolling through his phone, cleared his throat without looking up. It had the desired effect and Amira bit her tongue and forced a smile on her face.

With a hint of a smirk on his face, Damien moved forward and scooped her up into his arms, surprising Amira.

"I missed you so much, little baby," he exaggerated, placing a rather loud kiss on her cheek. Gritting her teeth, Amira wiped it away roughly.

"Don't you mock me, Dexter," she whispered harshly.

"Oh, what will you do, little baby?" He mocked again.

"That's enough, Dex," Lucian said from the doorway, again keeping his gaze on his phone.

Damien's smirk dropped immediately and a forced smile made its way to his lips again. Amira smirked this time and jumped down when he released his hold.

She stomped towards Jayden, who made a face. Damien had just ruined her mood and he was gonna suffer because he was next.

"Don't let his misbehaviour influence my share of love," he said, when she was near enough. Amira rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Bunny," Jayden whined, bending down to be on her level. "I really really missed you."

Amira tilted her head to the side, staring intently at Jayden. She didn't quite believe that to be true.

"Honest!" Jayden put his hand on his heart and flashed a sweet smile. The same warm smile that made him look exactly like Josiah.

"Fine," The girl grumbled and wrapped her arms around his neck. She saw the truth in his words once Jayden melted into her hug and let out what could be a relieved sigh.

"Are you okay?" Jayden asked, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Yes," Amira said. That was the truth. She was okay. She was okay now that she had all of her brothers around her. She was okay now that there were so many people there to keep her preoccupied and distract her from the bitch's voice. She was okay now that Asher was home. "I'm okay."

Jayden turned his head to place a kiss on her cheek and tightened his hold a little more.

"How about you and Rose join me for a dinner date this weekend?" He asked, hoping to have some relaxing bonding time.

A shrug is all the response he got. Jayden smiled and placed another kiss on her temple.

"I love this bunny too. It's the only one that doesn't look smug," she said.

Jayden shrugged. Him and Damien had agreed to buy one each, for both of the girls. Since it was a competition, both of them tried to buy a stuffie that was as big and as pretty as possible.

"We still have Rose's vote left though. It'll either be a tie or Damien's victory." Jayden glared at the back of Damien's head while he said the last part. "They're both yours nonetheless."

She pulled away smiling.

"Your trip changed you!" She exclaimed.

Jayden chuckled and winked.

"Just an exception for today," he whispered, taking the chance to place another kiss on her forehead.

"Alright. I hope you're done because Bunny needs to have breakfast." Beau said, quickly ushering her towards the table. He was considerate enough to lead her to her seat beside Asher's.

There was an extra chair at the other head of the table where Nico had taken a seat while Beau took his seat beside Amira, on Josiah's seat. Josiah, unfortunately, had to sit between Damien and Jayden.

"Waffles for just Bunny?" Jayden asked, looking from Amira's plate to Beau with a scowl.

Beau shrugged.

"Yes." The simple answer irked Jayden more.

"Watch your mouth, Jayden," Asher cut in.

Lucian nodded in agreement and fixed his glare on Jayden.

"You can't talk to Beau like that," he spoke.

"I didn't even say anything!" Jayden exclaimed.

"But you were about to." Nico shrugged. Jayden gave him a disgusted glare.

The stifled chuckle from her side made Amira giggle slightly. That caused Beau's stifled chuckle to turn into laughter. That, in turn, gave the girl incentive enough to laugh freely.

"Why are they laughing in installments?" Jayden scowled, nudging Josiah. His comment and the laughter from the two pampered children caused all the brothers to chuckle. Lucian looked around the table with a slight smirk, feeling oddly satisfied with the chuckles and giggles filling the atmosphere around them.

"You all are going insane," Jayden muttered, stabbing the eggs and bacon with his fork.

"And you're turning into a jerk again," Nico commented, ruffling his hair.

"Right," Amira agreed, nodding her head wisely.

"Didn't you have breakfast on the way home?" Asher asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. He raised an eyebrow when Jayden gave him a sheepish smile.

"That was like forty minutes ago," Jayden defended himself. That's when Amira looked around and saw no plates placed before the boys, except Jayden of course.

"Don't you guys want some?" Amira asked, turning all the attention towards her. The soft touch to her voice and the waffle offering, made the boys coo internally.

"No." Six voices rang out while the seventh muffled voice said a quick yes.

Within a blink, one waffle disappeared from her plate. Amira gritted her teeth and threw daggers at Jayden.

"I wasn't asking you!" She snapped, her temper rising when Jayden smirked.

"You didn't specify," He retorted in a baby voice.

"Asher!" Amira whined, turning to her second eldest brother.

"Jayden!" Asher snapped, fixing Jayden with a pointed look.

"Yes?" Jayden smiled nonchalantly.

"Stop annoying your sister," Lucian spoke instead, making Jayden's nonchalance vanish instantly.

Lucian turned to Asher, pretending to not hear the bickering that followed. The boys started with their usual insults while Lucian tried not to focus on his headache.

"What is it?" Asher asked, his brows knitted together.

"I won't be home till evening," Lucian informed, hoping he won't be questioned.

Normally, he would be questioned about it. But now that his eyes screamed everything he was feeling inside, Asher could tell exactly why he was going away for a while.

"Alright." He nodded. He didn't bother to ask where he was going. Knowing Lucian, he could trust him to not put himself in danger.

Lucian nodded again and stood up.

"Kids," He called out, buttoning his coat as he waited for everyone to quiet down and pay attention to him. When he got all eyes looking back at him, he announced. "I'm going out for some work. I'll be back for dinner. Behave."

He sent pointed looks to Jayden, Damien and Nico at the end, refraining himself from sending the same look to Amira.

Amira kept staring at him, awaiting the same pointed gaze to be set upon her as a warning but was surprised when Lucian dropped the look after he moved his gaze from Nico. When his gaze finally landed on her, a smile stretched on his face.

"You can have all the muffins today but not all at once," he said. That gave him the reaction he wanted to see.

That bright twinkle in her eyes and the smile that graced her lips. He winked and turned to Nico who raised his hand slightly.

"I wanted to talk about something first," Nico said. "If all of you could meet me in the living room."

Lucian nodded his head. Everyone, except Beau and Amira stood up and made their way to the living room. Lucian looked at his sister again and placed his palms on the table.

"Call me if there's any problem. Okay?" He asked, humming when he got a nod in return. He stood up straight and strode out of the room.

"He didn't hug me goodbye," Amira mumbled to Beau, who blinked and heard panic sirens going inside his head. He stammered but managed to speak.

"Lucian is feeling a little down right now, Bunny," Beau explained, setting his hand on her head. "He'll come around soon."

Amira nodded, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind as the room emptied as fast as it was filled.

"So there's some more things you'll need to take care of now. I've already discussed this with her and there are clear rules everyone has to follow," Nico started, standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed. "She isn't to be left alone anymore. She's probably gonna move in with one of you, if she wants and you're going to have to be the caregiver and make sure she's fine."

He gave Asher a knowing look, who nodded. Everyone knew it'd be Asher she'd want to share a room with.

"If, however, a condition arises that none of you can be present for some time, two guards will be there with her." He looked at Damien. "Make sure you appoint someone trustworthy."

Damien gave a nod and turned to Lucian, who was sitting in an armchair to the side. Lucian had his gaze fixed on Damien already.

He looked a lot more intimidating as he sat with his right ankle on his left knee and one arm resting on the arm of the armchair while the other was bent so his hand was near to his face. He kept rotating his ring around his finger.

"Would they be allowed in her room?" Damien asked, doubting this rule.

"I don't trust anyone enough to be around her," Asher contributed to the doubt.

Lucian glanced at Asher then looked back at Damien.

"Have them put cameras and mics on them."

He turned to Nico.

"Although I doubt such a situation would arise," Lucian said. There was no chance none of them would be free for her.

"Alright then. That's settled," Nico said. "She's to inform an adult as soon as she comes across a problem. Jayden and Josiah do not count as adults." He turned to the two. "So you'll have to inform us older people if she comes to you with her problems."

Getting two nods in return, he continued.

"Make sure she isn't left alone with any sharp objects or anything harmful. She could try to harm herself while she's alone, for example, while taking a shower and stuff, so check her room and bathroom frequently for anything."

"So we're simply invading her privacy and leaving her with none," Asher stated.

"We have a suicidal kid in our care, Asher," Nico responded. "Besides, with age regression, she's already lost most of her privacy herself. She's a clingy little. She won't want any privacy anymore."

Asher nodded and waved his hand for Nico to continue.

"Other stuff you need to do is take her out more often. Have some self-care sessions. Let her have friends over. Make her exercise maybe and be positive all the time."

"Don't let her have free time basically. Noted." Damien nodded. "I have so many picnic ideas."

"Well you can put them into a box and throw them away because I'm the one who's taking her to picnics," Jayden retorted.

"Shut up!" Nico snapped, already annoyed by their bickering. He turned to face the eldest two again. "Keep these idiots on a leash, please."

Lucian glared at his younger siblings, watching them stare at the floor quietly.

"Well, they won't be messing it up," he threatened. "Otherwise I'll send them off to Italy and give their custody to someone else."

"You'll disown me?" Jayden exclaimed

"But I'm an adult," Damien mumbled. Surely you can't give someone an adult's custody.

"I'm aware, Dex," Lucian stated. "That means you'll have to work hard to earn money too."

"I repeat," Jayden said, calmly before exclaiming in the same tone. "You'll disown me?"

"Yes," Lucian said. His face was stoic which just made Jayden and Damien sulk to themselves.

Nico pushed away the smug look from his face and continued.

"I'll be having sessions with her more frequently." He said. He took a step back for good measure, preparing to run before he said what he was about to say. "And I'm giving her a puppy."

He watched Lucian's reaction closely. As the words finally settled, Lucian looked up slowly.

"Repeat what you said," He ordered, already having a glare on his face.

"I know you don't like-" Nico was cut off quickly.

"No," Lucian declared, wondering where Nico had the audacity to think that he would allow that.

"Bunny needs a pet, Brother," Nico pleaded. "She's wanted a puppy since forever."

"I said no, Nicholas. I'm not having a little barking thing running around my house," Lucian said, still having his glare set on the therapist.

"It'll be good for her," He pleaded again.

"Find an alternative." Lucian cut him off sharply. "I'm not letting an animal enter my house at any costs."

"Jayden has been living with us for eighteen years," Damien commented, earning glares from around the room.

"I think a pet's company would be good for her," Asher agreed. Before Lucian could say anything to that, he continued. "Compromise for her, Lucian."

"But-" he was cut off when Asher started glaring too. Asher thought it was foolish to not allow that, of course. It wouldn't be that hard to keep a trained dog in the house.

"You're in no way being an obstacle to anything in her therapy," he declared. "I don't see anything wrong with keeping a puppy."

Lucian sighed and looked towards Nico, making sure to hide his glare for now. He'll deal with him later.

"Fine. We're keeping a puppy."

"Thanks Asher," Josiah cheered. He'd wanted a puppy since a long time but couldn't because Lucian didn't allow pets.

"That's all," Nicholas said, happy he was still alive. "Beau and I are staying for dinner."

Asher nodded and stood up. Lucian followed suit but stopped when a hand clamped on his shoulder. Asher looked at the others and nodded for them to leave.

Lucian sighed and sat down again. Once the others were out of the room, Asher turned to Lucian and took the seat nearest to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, leaning down a bit to have a look at Lucian's face.

Lucian kept staring at the floor, refusing to look at his younger brother. After a few minutes of pondering over his answer, he shook his head slowly.

"Are you?" He looked up finally, wincing when he saw the clear pain on Asher's face.

"No," Asher answered honestly. This was indeed taking a toll on the whole family.

"I love Bunny with all my heart, Asher," Lucian started speaking. "But I really need some time away from everything. I know I'm sounding rude and insensitive but I need time to get my shit together."