Stern Men Always Finish Last

Epilogue

Sitting in our meeting room in the basement of the 15 bedroom home we purchased 5 years ago, I had to stifle the laugh that wanted to escape at how similar this all felt. Laughing at a family meeting would just give Sean more ammunition with which to tease me. 

Sang was standing in front of the boys ready to tell them something important. Sean and I were off to the side where she could see us for support.

This is exactly how things looked 7 years ago when she told us all she couldn't choose. Again 3 years ago when she asked us all to marry her - tired of waiting on her 'stern men' to 'get over themselves and get on with it' - we had readily agreed.

The difference each time was her confidence with us. Yes, our shy Sang still blushed at every opportunity, but she knew how to stand up to us. She could neatly out maneuver all of us with a touch or smile. On the rare occasions that did not work, usually when it involved a mission we perceived as too dangerous or too demanding for her, she would work through our issues. 

Usually she would sit us all down and remind us that she was just as capable as we were. If needed she would demonstrate, be it taking North out for a drive on her motorcycle or writing a new computer program that Victor had to crack into or predicting every last thing I would say before I said it. When Sean had complained that she was working too many hours, she had Dr. Roberts schedule her for Sean's old residency shifts just to prove she could keep up with him. That was in addition to the hours she worked on Meanie Enterprises. 

Finally, she was not above threatening us with calling in the Toma team, Erica, Uncle, Charlie, Pam, Sean's parents, or Dr. Roberts to remind us to let her flourish and that 'overprotective' should not be our defining attribute.   

Yes, by the time she was done with us we were putty in her delicate hands and she had molded us into exactly what she wanted.

I secretly loved when she had called us her stern men and I reveled in showing her just how stern I could be. Over the years, I had gotten over my formalities with her; choosing instead to call her Sang or my darling - even in front of others. However, when she sassed me with her stern men comments, I was Mr. Blackbourne and she was my Miss Sorenson. I delighted in how she would shiver when I said it and how husky her voice would get when she used my formal address.

Sang called this meeting and as Academy liaison I knew it wasn't about a dangerous mission that she would have to talk us into letting her take. So I was just as perplexed as the rest of my brothers. Except for Sean. He had been rather chipper, annoyingly chipper if I'm being honest, the last week or so. I had attributed it to the extra Sang time he had received, but now I wonder if he knows something the rest of us don't.

My darling did not look distressed over the topic of today's family meeting. Physically, she looked tired but nothing a long nap cuddled up to me couldn't solve. Yes, I was quite certain that today's news was not something to be worried about.

I was wrong; so very wrong. Today's news was something to panic over and Sean was just as dumbfounded as the rest of us. That was a small miracle, my brothers and I would have been livid if he knew first.

Sang had the audacity to just stand there and tell us as if it was no big deal. She called it 'perfectly natural'. Natural would have involved not dropping a bomb on us and then walking into the kitchen for chocolate chip pancakes like nothing had happened. Natural would have been to not ignore our protests for more information and continue to make said chocolate chip pancakes. Natural would have been to answer the questions of her attending doctor who was currently pouting that she wasn't letting him examine her.

Natural wouldn't have been anything that happened this morning.

I watched as she efficiently made enough pancakes to feed a whole army and quietly commanded us to cut up fruit, cook some bacon and eggs, pour coffee or juice, and set the table. When breakfast was ready and we were all seated she spoke up again.

"The order will be determined by how you behave over the coming months."

"Order for what, my darling?"

"Meeting your first born child, Owen."

"And what is the criteria?"

"It's quite simple - Stern Men Always Finish Last."

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A/N: Thank you, dear reader, for taking time out of your schedules to read this. There are quite a few stories out there and it is humbling that you chose to read mine.

During the last 6 months, I have appreciated your kind words and support more than I can adequately express. I hope that you have enjoyed this story and I look forward to writing new adventures in the future.

See you on the flip side.