Still Kickin' (Wedding: Part 1)

"Lia, sweetie, you are just...getting sand stuck all over yourself." Atticus said, trying to hold back his laughter as he watched the small child "digging in the sand for treasures". She and Lucius had just been playing in the water not that long ago, and while Lucius had gone back to the beach house they were staying in to get washed up and help the older man prepare lunch, Lia had insisted on staying outside with Atti while he waited for his love and his adopted big brother to arrive.

He was simply excited to see them. There was nothing else to it. It had been years now that he had had to fake his own death to be able to move to thirteen. He had wanted to tell Tarek from the beginning. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt Tarek with his own death. Doing the exact thing he always feared about Tarek doing to him. Except Atticus was being even more cruel. Putting him through that pain for nothing because really he was alive and kicking happily in thirteen. He only hoped he could forgive him and he could understand why it had to be done. That they could look past it and just...enjoy each others company again.

"Okay my little sandy monster. Let's go inside so you can get cleaned up for lunch and I can see if Papa and Uncle Tarek are here yet or if Grandpa has heard anything from them." Atticus said quietly as he scooped the giggling child up in his arms. He made his way across the warm, squishy sand and onto the back patio, trying to brush Lia off a bit before stepping into the kitchen of the house. "Any news?" he asked, looking toward Cade.