Eli chuckled at the way she had phrased that, liking the way her mind worked. It was a good thing they'd met as there were probably few other people who would have been able to put up with them. As it was, they were a perfect match. "Something like that, yes," he replied. "Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak." Not only would they be able to show off their newly-acquired homestead, but they'd be able to visit Nate and Millie, too.

"Well, we can move in at any time," she told him. "Beckett already moved his family in with his mother, and anything we're missing when we move in we can pick up with relative ease."

"Do you think it's safe for them there?" Eli asked - a question he'd asked more than once. He'd been of a mind to leave the place empty or even burn it to the ground. It was too far out, in his opinion, and too close to the boundary between them and the mutants, but there were still some who enjoyed the seclusion.

"They have plans, and no children to worry about," Dale pointed out. "And the land borders his brother's land. They're going to stay with his brother and fortify the homestead properly after the breeding season's done." She smiled ruefully. "They'll do better out there than I ever did."

"I hope they build a fence," Eli remarked, mostly to himself. He would have offered to help, but he was going to have his hands full with their own homestead. "I should go help Cody and Brona unload. Noah should be up soon," he said of their almost too-peacefully napping son.

"No problems while I was gone?" she asked, almost teasingly. Their son was a month old, and had finally learned how to sleep without being cuddled. That had been such a wonderful relief when it finally happened.

"Nope," Eli replied. "He slept like an angel." He leaned down to touch another kiss to his wife's lips. "I won't be long," he promised, needing to do his part to help out.

She smiled into his kiss, a smile that deepened as the first gurgles reached her ears. "Oh, good timing," she teased her husband. "Fine, I'll feed the monster." She grinned, glancing back at the door as Brona's distinctive cackle made itself known. "And you can entertain that monster."

"Like father, like son," Eli countered with a grin. He had never smiled so much as he had in the last few months since marrying Dale, moving to Pax, and having a son. It was like he was a new man. Oh, he was still grumpy sometimes, or he wouldn't be Eli, but he couldn't help admit that for the first time in his life, he was actually happy.

"Shoo, or Brona'll follow through on that threat of making you a false bosom to feed your son with," Dale warned him in amusement, laying her shawl aside as she headed toward the stairs to collect the month-old baby before he started to scream.

"I'd like to see her try," Eli said, smiling as Dale wandered off to fetch their son. He finished off the rest of his coffee, despite it having turned cold, set the cup near the sink, and took himself outside to help unload the wagon.

It didn't take long to unload the little cart. Even with four adults and a baby to provision, they didn't need to buy much, not when the little farm provided more than enough for both households. The chill still clung in the air, despite the spring sunshine, making it a relief to come inside and sit near the fire, listening to the creak of the rocking chair as Dale fed the baby.

"Did you see Nate or Millie at the market today?" Brona asked Cody curiously as she unpacked the boxes and baskets into the larder and scullery.

"No," Cody replied with a frown, as he helped her unpack. "Maybe we just missed them," he suggested.

"Nate and Millie ..." Eli murmured. "I was thinking maybe we should stop by and visit."

"One last gathering before you abandon us again for the summer?" Brona asked, lips twitching around a teasing grin. She was not going to let this drop; after all, there was a reason she was such a good healer.

Dale snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "It's moments like this that make me glad I have no family outside this," she commented wryly.

"Something like that," Eli said, with a straight face. "They're on our way to the homestead. Why don't you come with us" You can stay the night at Nate and Millie's while we continue on," he said, knowing that wasn't quite what was really going to happen.

"You're going today?" Brona looked horrified. "But ..." She cast her eyes to Cody, hoping for some kind of support in convincing his brother to stick around a while longer.

Cody caught Brona's glance with a frown of his own. He'd grown accustomed to having his brother and Dale around and wasn't looking any more forward to them leaving than was Brona. "Why don't you wait until morning" That will give us all more time to pack," he suggested. And to say good-bye.

Dale glanced at Eli. "That is a better idea," she said mildly, somehow endeavoring not to smirk as she spoke. An earlier start meant a longer day in the company of both other brothers and families, but she didn't mind that so much.

"Sounds reasonable," Eli remarked, tossing Dale a wink. "It's a bit late to be leaving now, with a baby in tow," he added, though he and Dale both knew it wasn't, considering they weren't going to the old homestead; but Cody and Brona didn't know that.

"Thank goodness for that," Brona exploded. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, intending to get going at this time of day in breeding season with a baby in tow." She scowled good-naturedly at Eli. "I swear you enjoy riling me up."

"Not me! I'm the good brother," Eli said, feigning looking offended. "I think you have me confused with Nate," he said, knowing how wrong that was. Nate was the gentlest and kindest of the three brothers, while Eli, as eldest, had always been the leader, though he had mellowed considerably since arriving in Pax.

"Oh, I think you'll find I married the good brother," Brona countered, lifting the coffee pot from the stove to pour fresh hot coffee for the adults. "You're the bad boy. That's why you got Dale."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Eli said, still looking offended, a small frown on his face, though the gleam in his eyes said otherwise. "Everyone loves Cody. Cody's the baby," he said, at his little brother's expense. Cody rolled his eyes. "I've grown up a little since then," he said in self-defense.

"Yeah, how is getting me a bad thing?" Dale added with a small grin, sitting little Noah up on her lap to burp him. He turned his unfocused eyes adoringly toward Eli as she rubbed his back.

Brona laughed. "Not a bad thing," she defended herself. "Just, you know ....you're tough enough to keep him under control. And Cody grew just fine, thank you very much."

It was strange how the three brothers, so different from each other, had managed to find wives who fit each of them so perfectly. "I didn't know I needed to be kept under control," Eli remarked, retrieving two cups of hot coffee - one for himself and one for Dale.

"You have a point," Eli remarked, halting his pacing of the floor to claim a chair, a solemn frown on his face. "The truth is I hate them," he said, though that wasn't much of a surprise. "I'd wipe them off the face of the earth if I could."

"There's more to life than hate, darlin'," his wife said gently. "I get it, I do. I hated my father. I married Bart out of fear, because I hate my brothers and I didn't want them to find me. And yeah, I asked you to marry me for the same reasons. But I have so much more to live for than hate these days. And it's sitting in front of me, holding our son."

Eli's expression softened, his hatred melting away at the sound of his wife's words. She'd melted his heart a long time ago, even before he'd become aware of his feelings for her. "There has to be a way to contain and control them, Dale. We just haven't thought of it yet," he argued, appreciating her concern over him, even if he didn't say it. A fence wasn't the solution or any kind of barrier they'd previously attempted.

"Containment and control is probably better for you than outright destruction," she agreed softly. "Maybe the people in the valley have a few ideas on that score. They kept everyone else out of the valley for generations - stands to reason they'd know something about it."

"Maybe," Eli admitted, though working with the people in the valley meant either sending a delegation to confer with them or sending messages back and forth via courier, neither of which would be easy. These were matters for the village council to consider, but Eli was not afraid of going before them and speaking his mind.

"Maybe you should talk to Mahon about it," Dale suggested, her eyes dancing with encouraging amusement. "He'd probably agree with you, and two voices can touch more than just one."

Eli snorted. "If he'd listen," he grumbled, though the two men were getting along a lot better now than they had when they'd first met. In truth, they were more alike than different and if they could get past that fact, they might even become strong allies, if not friends.

Dale snorted with laughter, rising to move over to the kitchen and check on the pies, just to satisfy herself on how long they needed to stay in the oven. "Approaching him for a sensible conversation rather than an argument might help."

Eli huffed a little at that suggestion, even if he knew his wife was right. He supposed the two of them should probably put their differences aside, if not for the sake of their families, then for the sake of the village. "It's not my fault he's so damned stubborn." Said the pot about the kettle.

Dale wisely said nothing at this point, hiding her smile in a bend to look into the oven that made her temporarily disappear from view entirely. On Eli's shoulder, Noah's head rose, one arm gesturing toward the kitchen as he made a confused noise.

"Hush, now. She's not going anywhere. She'll be right back," he assured the little one, in a surprisingly soothing voice as he rubbed his son's back. "You know, it would be kind of nice to have him grow up in a world without the threat of mutants," Eli murmured.

"Not even that would stop him from needing to learn how to defend himself, though," Dale pointed out, straightening up. She grinned at the baby boy, who giggled back and hugged his father around the neck once again.

Eli moved toward the kitchen to join his wife, not only for Noah's sake but his own. "I want him to have a happy, peaceful life, Dale," Eli said, wanting this for his child, just like any parent would.

"He will be," Dale promised him. "But only if he has his poppa there with him. There's no point taking a risk for a future you're not going to be a part of."

"Don't worry, darlin'," Eli assured her. "I'm not a fool, and I'm not suicidal. I've got too much to live for, don't I, little man?" he said, turning to regard his young son, almost as if expecting an answer.

What he got was a spit bubble, a gummy grin, and a small mouth wrapped around the end of his nose to suck thoughtfully as Noah looked around the kitchen. Dale laughed fondly. "Match made in heaven, I can see."

Eli laughed, as he pulled away from his son's surprisingly strong grip. "Sorry, son, but you won't get any milk out of that."

"Here, try this out for sucky size," Dale suggested, handing the baby boy a smooth teething ring. He took it, gumming happily on the wood as he cuddled against Eli's chest. She smiled at them both. "I'm never going to get tired of seeing you together."

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Eli asked, not expecting an answer. It was the truth, and they both knew it. Their lives were nothing short of a miracle these days, and neither was taking it for granted.

"We have," she agreed softly, moving to lean against his free side comfortably. "There's no guarantee that my brothers won't find me, if they're looking. But there's nothing that will take me willingly away from you and our family."

"Your brothers will have to go through me first, and then my brothers, Mahon, the militia, and half the village!" Eli said, though that wasn't quite true if her brothers were to find her while she was alone. Still, he thought he'd made his point.

She chuckled, tilting her head up to look at him. "They'd have to get through me, too, and I'm not defenceless," she pointed out to him in amusement. "Or did you forget how we met again?"

Eli chuckled. "How could I forget that' It's not everyday a naked woman points a gun in my face." Or anywhere else really. He'd never met another woman quite like Dale, and he knew he never would.

"I wonder how many women lost their chance with you just because they weren't holding a gun?" she teased him cheerfully. In his arms, Noah sighed, bored with his teething ring.

"Not as many as you might think," Eli replied, though he didn't quote a number. In fact, she'd had very little, if any, competition. He may have dallied with a few women during his travels, but in the end, his brothers always came first.

"Good to know." Dale grinned, rising onto her toes to pull him down into a gentle kiss, and winced as Noah headbutted both of them in his eagerness to join in.

Just as eager to return Dale's kiss, Eli laughed as he and Dale both got head-butted. "Poor little man. Are you feeling left out?" he asked, with a sympathetic smile at his son. "What do you say we take him to see his Aedan and Liam?" he said. As much as he and Mahon got on each other's nerves, the five-year-old was a godsend with the little ones.

"I think that's a very good idea," Dale agreed. "You boys could do with a little playdate, and I'll get on with putting together something we can eat with the pie for dinner."

Even though Noah was only about a month old, Aedan never seemed to have any trouble getting giggles out of the little boy, no matter whether he was grumpy or not. Eli leaned down to press a kiss against Dale's lips. "We'll be right next door if you need us," he assured her.

"Mm, my brave heroes," she teased fondly, smiling into his kiss. She pressed a soft kiss to Noah's cheek as the little boy gurgled hopefully. "I'll give you a yell when it's time to eat."

"Yes, ma'am!" Eli said, lifting Noah's hand to give her a little wave. "Say bye-bye to Mama, Noah! Let's go see what Aedan is up to," he said as he started toward the door. "Hopefully, Mahon didn't take his grumpy elixir today," he muttered.

"No hittin'," Dale called after them laughingly, grinning at the sight of Noah's delighted expression as he was borne away toward the door with the promise of seeing Aedan and Liam. The boys of this family were at least all friends. She couldn't help wondering what they were going to make of Nate's Ella as they all got older.

Like their fathers, they'd probably be very protective of her, especially if they had no sister of their own. While no one could predict the future, the future of the Mullen brothers and their families was looking far brighter these days than it ever had before. Pax was lucky to have them.