We all headed home for Christmas. With everything going on, we weren't in the mood to celebrate. It had been too draining on all of us emotionally. Bryson has ruined even the happiest holiday. I mean, what does he get out of making someone's life miserable? He gets everything out of it.

We pulled up to the house and got out of the car. We grabbed our bags and walked up to the house.

"This is such bullshit," Nixon grumbled.

"Tell me about it," Nash agreed.

As soon as we opened the door, Pat and Nate were way too cheery for our taste.

"Is there a reason you two look ridiculously happy?" Nixon asked them suspiciously.

"Please tell us you aren't pregnant," Nathan grumbled.

They stopped and gave each other a look then looked at Nathan, "Highly unlikely. I took care of that chance after Nolan," Nate commented.

"Ew gross," the boys groaned.

"Say what now, but wait until it comes to when you have kids," Nate smirked.

"I never have kids," Nathan retorted.

"Uh, huh," Nate said.

Patrolled her eyes and said, "The reason we are so happy, is the Tilson's have dropped their lawsuit and also settled on the other lawsuit."

Our eyes widened, and jaws dropped. Holy hell, they did it. That's all it took, and we all cheered. That was by far the best news we could have gotten.

"How?" Nash asked them.

"Someone gave Liz a copy of Bryson's greatest hits," Nate declared.

We all looked at him, stunned, then looked at each other. Now, who in the world would have done that? I had a feeling I knew who would. We all dropped our stuff in our rooms, and then I walked over to Nolan's room. I knocked on the door, and he swiveled around in a chair as he asked, "Yes?"

I still couldn't get over how much he changed, and his voice was more profound. He was around the same size as Nash. Nolan wasn't a baby anymore.

I walked into the room and took a seat on the side of the bed.

"Thank you," I told him.

"For what?" He gave me a surprising look.

"Nolan, I know you were the one that gave Liz that disc."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he denied.

"Nolan, come on, I know you did that. I promise I won't tell the others," I smiled.

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Maggie, you have pulled my butt out of so much trouble that it was time for me to return the favor."

"But that's what family does. They help each other?"

"Yeah, but you didn't deserve what Bryson did to you, and you didn't deserve what his uncle did to you."

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Maggie, I'm tired of sitting around and not doing anything. I know everyone's stressed, and all I wanted to do is help," Nolan explained.

I looked at Nolan. I couldn't help but smile. No matter what a mess he had gotten himself into, he had a good heart even if it misguided him.

"Nolan, I have to say, you and your family have changed my life in more ways than one. Even if I remember little from before, I know that you all have been there for me. I guess for me, that makes me grateful."

"Honestly, Maggie, you don't realize it, but you made a huge difference in our lives."

"How so?"

"No matter what, you never gave up on us," he said.

"Are you sure, because from what they have told me, I walked away?"

"Trust me. If you wanted to walk away, you would have, but you never did," Nolan said, then it happened. I got hit with memory after memory. All the times I left, and they all came after me talking me into coming back or bounding and gagging me to go back. The Gray Brothers and I needed each other if we ever wanted to admit it.

"Maggie?" Nolan looked at me, confused.

I looked at him, and tears started falling down my cheeks. He got up and went to get Nash. I sat and cried. A few minutes later, Nolan returned with Nash along with everyone else. He crouched down in front of me and looked at me with concern, "Mags? What's wrong?"

I looked at him and reached up, touching his cheek. "You guys never gave up on me." He looked at me, then at the others. A smile appeared on each of their faces.

"Nope," he reassured me.

"Every time I left, you guys went after me. Why?"

He looked at me and smiled. "Because we needed you." I couldn't help but smile. I needed the Grays, but they also needed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Does this mean you remember?" He whispered.

"The important moments," I whispered. Nash held me tighter.

With the good news of the lawsuit dropped, we could finally enjoy the holidays. We went to find a Christmas tree, and Nash and I argued about the tree.

"This seems familiar," Nate suggested to Pat, who just rolled her eyes.

Once we finally agreed on a tree after Nixon yelled at us for taking too long and in his words 'freezing his balls off,' we went back home. Nixon gave blue balls a whole new meaning.

They set the tree up, and we started decorating it. Well, that was until we threw tinsel at each other. Poor Pat, we were making more of a mess than decorating the tree. Nash grabbed me and swung me around as I laughed.

Nate looked at Pat. "When do you think he will ask her?"

She looked at him. "If he is anything like his father, soon." She smiled, and Nate chuckled.

We also did traditional things such as making cookies, which let me tell you, we made a lot. Have you ever made over 900 cookies in two days? Yuck, I didn't even want to look at another cookie after that. Pat made all kinds of cookies. Personally, the smell of vanilla was making me sick.

Unfortunately, this didn't matter to the guys as they gorged themselves on cookies. Yeah, no, thanks.

We also watched Christmas movies. I swear, things get heated with deciding on a film between everyone. The boys got so heated they all wrestled over who was watching what.

I stood there and watched them as Pat said, "Some things will never change."

"Do they do this every Christmas?"

"You do not understand. When the boys were kids, they would get so bad that Nate and I had to separate them. I think Noah ended up with a busted lip one year, Nixon ended up with a broken hand, Nash ended up with a gash, and Nathan ended up with a broken nose. Then there was Nolan, who ended up quite bruised."

"Wow, they sound rough," I said to her.

"Yeah, but it's because they are passionate."

"I don't want to know what they are like when they get ticked off," I said to her.

"Worse," she smiled, oh boy.

After the movie, fiasco came the gifts. Everyone exchanged gifts with each other. It was fun. We all had fun with it this year and bought each other kid's toys. Hey, I wouldn't judge us. Even adults need to have some fun. It was a fun Christmas.

Eventually, New Year's Eve came, and Nate and Pat had a party. Nash stuck close to me, explaining who everyone was. The girls came to spend it with the boys, and even Nolan's girlfriend came. Yeah, this surprised us. It seems he met someone that could deal with his naughty side. No wonder he was calmer.

As we all enjoyed the party, there was a knock at the door. Nate went to answer it. Two uniformed officers stood there. We all stopped as Nate spoke to them.

"Officers? Is there an issue?"

"Nate, we aren't here for the party."

He looked at them.

"There's been an accident."

We all walked closer.

"Okay, is it Jonas?" he asked them concerned.

"No," they answered.

"Cayson?"

"No, we were hoping you could come with us to talk to another family."

"What family?" Pat asked them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Tilson, Pat," the officer answered.

"What happened?"

"We got reports that there was a head-on collision. Mike, Sarah, and Bryson were in one vehicle, and there was another couple involved. The other couple had been drinking." We stood there as our blood went cold. "Nate, there were no survivors." It felt like the world stopped at that moment.

"Let me get my coat," Nate said as he walked over and grabbed his coat even though there was animosity between all of us with the Tilson's. No parent deserved to lose their child like that, especially both. Nate left with them, and they went to the Tilson's. Pat made phone calls.

We all sat there waiting for Nate to return. I couldn't believe it. As much as I hated what that family had done, I could never imagine losing someone I love. Nate returned a couple of hours later. He walked in, and Pat looked at him. "Nate?"

"Pat, no matter what happened, they didn't deserve that. You should have seen their face when I showed up with the officers. They're devastated," he spoke somberly. Pat wrapped her arms around him and held him. That was the first time I had ever seen Nate cry. Tonight, he cried for the parents that lost a child. I couldn't help but feel sorrow for them.

Death is a tricky thing. No matter what you may think of someone when they are alive, you still feel a sense of loss when they die. It just goes to show that no matter what, none of us are immune to death. That's when I decided not to take the settlement money. I knew this wouldn't sit well with anyone, but I couldn't do it in good conscience.