A/N: Theo is is ten, Ollie is eight, and Max is five.

The Big Bang

"Mami," said Max in his pitchy voice.

"Maximus," I replied, looking into my rearview mirror to look at one of my beautiful, blue-eyed boys.

He smiled, "Ollie says that you love him more because he looks like Papa."

Theo snickered from besides her brother, "Don't listen to Ollie, Max. He's just upset because you beat him to it when Mami asked who was coming with her today."

I shook my head and smiled, "Do you really think so, Theo?"

I stopped at the red, biting my lip waiting for my daughter's answer when I looked through the rearview. Theo nodded, "I know so. Plus, do you really want to hang out with Papi, Aunt Lexie, Aunt Casey, Emily, and Joshua or do you prefer being here with Mami and I?"

Max smirked, the same smirk his father had been giving me for the past eight years of our marriage. He glanced at the rearview and his blue eyes locked on my brown ones. He moved his stare back to Theo's and he reached out an arm to his sister, "Thank you, Theo," he said. "You're the best big sister ever."

My heart swelled when I saw Theodora maneuver her seatbelt so that she could reach over to kiss Maximus' cheek, "And, you're the best little brother."

Max giggled, "You have two little brothers, silly!"

"Yea, but you're the best. Ollie's… okay," she said, waggling her hand back and forth, causing the boy to giggle.

As I saw the light turn green I eased on the gas pedal, feeling my SUV glide through the intersection when all of a sudden there was this loud crash and shattering sound coming from my side. The vehicle rolled and my kids screamed and cried on the back. I could feel my chest tightening and the rapid beat of my heart when I felt the car stop with an increasing loud beep and multiple horns. There was an agonizing pain to my forehead and left shoulder and leg.

"Theo. Max," I felt myself heave and whisper when the world went dark.

(Trevor's POV)

I laughed, "Not necessarily, Alex."

She scoffed. "Oh please, Trevor. You know you're scared of your wife," she giggled. "I've seen it in your face."

"Papi, are you scared of Mami?" asked Oliver.

I shook my head, "Don't listen to your aunt. I am not scared of your mother. I'm scared of that voice she uses when one of you kids is misbehaving."

Oliver opened his mouth and shook his head in approval, "Me too."

Casey snickered, "It's mind-boggling to say the least the way you two resemble each other. How is Noa not annoyed by that?"

I clapped in tandem with my laughter, "Oh, she is. Especially when Theo, Ollie, and I team up to annoy her."

"Yea," Ollie shouted from besides me. "It's the best thing ever!"

I felt my phone ringing in my pocket and I reached inside my shorts to grab it. It wasn't one of my contacts, but being in the business that I was, that wasn't necessarily suspicious. I furrowed my brow and answered, "Trevor Langan."

"Uh, hello. Hi. My name is Patricia Sawyer; I am a resident at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Are you related to a 'Noa Langan'?"

I felt my throat tighten, "Yes—Yes, she's my wife."

The resident sighed. "Mr. Langan, we need you to come down here as soon as possible. We have your children here as well," my breath caught in my throat and she continued quickly. "They were involved in a severe car accident."

"O—Ok, thank—thank you," I must've gone pale as I ended the call with Dr. Sawyer since both Alex and Casey seemed ridiculously alarmed.

"Trevor, what's going on?"

I could hear the ringing in my ears and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to try and stabilize my erratic breathing. I placed my hands on the kitchen island, leaning my body forward. I swallowed hard, attempting to catch my breath. I couldn't alarm Oliver; I had to think of him now. I released a shaky breath, "Noa—Noa had a car accident. She—She's at Mt. Sinai. They're not giving me much information on their well-being."

Casey gasped, "Jesus!"

"I—I have to go, Lex," I stumbled to stand straight, and I faltered.

Alex reached forward, holding on to my arm, "You're not going anywhere in that state and definitely not with Oliver in the car. I'll drive you and I'll stay with you while you figure out her plan of care, all right?"

I nodded and sighed, calling out for Oliver that had disappeared somewhere with Joshua.

From Alex's home to the hospital was a short drive, but in my current state of distress and not knowing what was going on with my wife and kids, it made it for a much longer one. I tried my best to explain to Oliver what had happened and immediately he had gone teary eyed. He was worried about his brother and sister, but he was especially concerned about his mother. I had assured him that she was a fighter, someone so strong it was astonishing, but eight year olds can see right through you. Our eight year old could see right through me.

One of the traits Noa had passed to all of our children, the gift of knowing. I smiled softly as Alex maneuvered the steering wheel to turn at an intersection. My beautiful wife had done more than just pass down the gift of knowing, she had passed her looks to our daughter and youngest son, she had passed her sense of humor, her wittiness, her sass, her love, and her patience to all three as well.

She loved to say that these were 'my' kids, but looking through my eyes, all three of our children were hers in more ways than one.

The predicament I'd been placed in had me running through my private memoir searching for good times, previous fights, nights where I'd been cold towards her, afternoons where she had ignored me, mornings that our stubbornness crippled our communication and I thought, was it all really worth it?

God forbid, but I could be on the verge of losing my wife and I didn't know if she knew how much she really meant to me. Had I shown her enough? Had I said it enough? Did she believe me when I said that I loved her, that she was the epicenter of my world, and that without her my life would be completely meaningless?

I doubled in my seat, hiding my embarrassment in my hands as I sobbed silently. I heard Alex whimper and seconds later felt a hand on my back, rubbing circles through the fabric of my polo.

Just thinking the thought of losing her made me sick to my stomach. She needed to be right. She couldn't leave me—couldn't leave our children either. They needed her more than she thought they did.

Whom was Theodora going to turn to when she needed advice when it came to boys? Whom was Oliver going to run to when his siblings teamed up against him? Whom was Maximus going to shout 'mamita' at the top of his lungs when she came through the door? Whom was I going to seek when I couldn't sleep? I swallowed a sob; it was futile because it broke through me, causing Alex to sniffle next to me.

My SUV came to a stop and I sniffled, sitting straight and wiping at my tears. We had parked in the hospital's attached garage and I was quick to undo my seatbelt, hopping out and going to the back to pick up Oliver. I needed him to be quick and his short stride could only allow for so much. I could hear Alex chanting for me to slow down, but I couldn't. Noa needed me right now. Theo and Max needed me too. I couldn't slow down, not now, not ever. Not when it involved the greatest love I'd come to experience in my lifetime.

I burst in through the emergency room doors and collapsed against the counter with a frightened Ollie in my arms, "Noa—Noa Langan, where is she? Where are my kids?"

The woman behind the counter had the warmest green eyes and she smiled, "Mr. Langan, why don't you have a seat in that room over there and I'll send Dr. Sawyer in so that you can go see your wife and kids, all right?"

I sighed and heard a panting Alex stop behind me. I nodded and offered a thin-lipped smile as I walked and opened the door to the room she had directed me to. I placed Ollie on the ground once inside, taking a seat in one of the many empty chairs of the consultation room. I rested my elbows on my knees and my face fell into my hands. Within seconds, Ollie's body was lodged between my legs, his little hands prying at mine.

"Papa," he whimpered.

I sniffled once more and lowered my hands, wrapping them around my son, and flushing his body against mine, "I'm right here, Oliver. I'm right here."

He rested his head against my shoulder, "Is Mami okay?"

I lowered my chin against the boy's neck, "I sure hope so, bud."

His body shook and his fingers tightened around my shirt. I shushed him, moving my hands to pick him up and sit him on my lap. Alex had remained silent in the room and she brought her hand to rest on Ollie's back, just as I swayed in an attempt to calm the boy.

A young woman entered the room and she smiled apologetically, "Mr. Langan?"

I nodded, sniffling. "Y—Yea," I cleared my throat. "How is she? Where are my children?"

"I'm Dr. Sawyer, we spoke on the phone. Your kids are okay, just a few cuts and scrapes. We took them for a CT scan to rule out any head trauma or injury. Theodora is complaining of chest pain and she does have a bruise on her chest and shoulder attributed to the seatbelt doing its job, and," she checked her notes briefly, smiling, "Maximus has a mild headache. We gave him a painkiller for that and as for Theodora, she'll need a muscle relaxer, but we need your consent."

"Yes, yes, whatever she needs. Just make her feel well," I said rapidly.

"As for your wife," she sighed, "she has a fractured ulna and she dislocated her left shoulder. Due to the impact, her left leg got caught in between the dash and the steering wheel when it collapsed, her fibula is fractured as well and just like her arm, her leg is in a cast too. She has a concussion, and we had to stitch her right brow up. She has cuts and scrapes, but where the concussion is, we're afraid she might suffer from short-term memory loss. Not something to be completely alarmed about, but she hasn't woken up for us to assess her."

I felt my lip tremble and I looked at Alex. "And, the driver?" she asked.

"Drunk driver ran a red light. She was doing sixty-five on a thirty and crashed into your wife's SUV, but she never eased on the gas pedal. She has mild injuries. The police are here to speak with her," Dr. Sawyer explained.

Alex nodded, "Where are my kids? Can I see my wife?"

The doctor nodded. "They're sitting in your wife's room. They refused to leave her, and Theodora gave quite the compelling argument. Enough to scare one of the fellows," she giggled jovially.

I chuckled. "Oh, Theo," I said breathily, standing.

Oliver had been listening and I could feel him relax against my body. Dr. Sawyer opened the door to guide us to where Noa was being kept in a recovery room in the orthopedic floor of the main hospital. Alex followed suit, providing silent comfort, and when we entered the room, Theo shot an intimidating glare towards the door that then softened when her glossy stare found mine.

"Papa," she said in a breathy sigh.

I was quick to place Oliver on the ground, receiving the impending body of my daughter against my own. "Theo," I replied just as eagerly, palming her shoulders and arms just to make sure she was truly in one piece. "What happened?"

She sniffled. "I—I don't know! One minute we're talking and laughing and the next…" her sob prevented her from speaking and I gathered her in my arms.

Dr. Sawyer was by the bedside computer, probably inputting the medication for Theo to have. Oliver had approached the bed, looking at his mother with a worrisome look. Max was settled next to his mother, pressed against her body with his head on her chest. His cheeks had dried tear paths and I smiled weakly.

She was their everything.

She was my everything, too.

The unfathomable thought of possibly losing her had shaken me to an impossible length. She needed to be all right, she needed to wake up, she needed—

"Papa!" Max shouted from the bed, his tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Y—Yea, yea," I cleared my throat. "Sorry, buddy," I said in a whisper, approaching the bed to gather him in my arms.

I turned, glancing around the room where my wife was being cared for. Alex had Theo flushed against her front, her hands soothingly running down Theo's back. Dr. Sawyer stood near the bedside, patiently waiting for me, while Oliver stared at his mother, a deep frown on his face, "What now, Dr. Sawyer?"

"Try talking to her. Maybe your voice can bring her out of her slumber," she offered.

"Mami," Oliver tried before I could. "Mami, you have to wake up now," he reached for her good hand, placing it over his chest.

We watched and waited for some sign of something. Movement, a flinch, or a stir… something that could let us know that she was okay. Noa groaned, moving her head and hissing. "Be—Be careful," I spoke quickly, watching the flutter of her eyes.

"T—Theo," she croaked, "M—Max," she continued shifting until she opened her eyes. She winced, closing them quickly, but bracing herself when she opened them again. "Where—Where are my kids?" she heaved.

I chuckled; glad to finally see her beautiful face awake, "Mrs. Langan, your kids are safe and well. They're here with you. Do—Do you know where you are?"

She breathed out, "Obviously not a five-star hotel."

Alex snickered, chuckling through her sorrow. "No, unfortunately not," Dr. Sawyer smiled. "My name's Dr. Sawyer, you're at Mt. Sinai Hospital."

Noa nodded, "Where are my kids?"

Dr. Sawyer pressed a button on the bed railing to bring her upper body up on a slant. She gasped at the sight of her elevated leg, but when she went to move her head she winced, hissing and bringing her good hand to the back of her head. "Is it possible to turn off the lights? Why is everything so damned bright?" Dr. Sawyer nodded, moving to turn off the headlights and instead have on the overhead reading lights. "Jesus, much better," Noa glanced and squinted. "I take it my contacts were lost, too."

"Mrs. Langan, I have some questions for you. Are you up for it?"

"Not like I have a choice," she mumbled. She was irritable, a known side effect for concussions, yet I couldn't help but smirk.

"Okay, before we start, I'm going to need you to remember these three words: solitude, green, and agenda. Now, what's your name?"

She rolled her eyes, whimpering no doubt at the pain behind her eyes, "Noa Elisa Langan."

"Date of birth?"

"September 24th."

"Good! What are the names of your children?"

"Theodora Juliette, Oliver Elijah, and Maximus Noel."

"What's the current month?"

"April."

"And, those three words I gave you at the beginning?"

"Solitude. Green. Agenda."

"Very good, Mrs. Langan. Very good," the woman turned, typing on the computer. "I understand you wear glasses?"

"Cannot see far without them," she responded. "Where's my husband? Has anyone called him?"

"Baby," I husked, watching her turn her head briskly and noticing the proximity of Oliver to her bed.

"Ollie," she sighed, reaching for him. He climbed the bed, careful not to disturb her injuries. "Trev, you know I can't see you if you're not close enough. Where are Theo and Max?"

"They're here, baby. Theo's at the foot of the bed with Alex, and I have Max."

"Can you find my glasses, please?" I looked around the room and noticed Theodora rummaging through some plastic bags of belongings. She approached the bed and Noa smiled, running her thumb across her daughter's cheek. Theo assisted her in placing the glasses on, "Finally."

"How are you feeling, besides irritable and sassy?" I quipped with a smirk.

She smirked, "My head hurts, my right ear has this… ring to it, and I can tell why I'm here, but I don't seem to recall what happened."

"That's all normal, Mrs. Langan," Dr. Sawyer replied, going into detail of her injuries and that of her children.

Maximus managed to fall asleep in my grasp and as the afternoon turned into the evening, Alex took the kids with her to keep them at her home whilst I stayed behind with my wife. Dr. Sawyer had asked of Alex to monitor Max's headache and if any nausea or vomiting occurred, or any excessive lethargy happened to bring him by as soon as she could for further assessing. Noa had been in and out of sleep, her fatigue getting the best of her, and every time she woke, I was there to assure her that our children were all right and remind her of her injuries.

Her headache and dizziness had continued throughout, but her ringing ears had ceased. Even though her irritability became prominent, no doubt frustrated for not being able to remember what had happened, I was able to handle it.

She was my wife. I knew her.

Her stirring and groaning made my head snap in her direction. I'd been lost in my phone, answering calls and texts of friends and family that had caught wind of Noa's condition, and keeping Sara in the loop of her sister's condition.

"Trev—Trevor," she croaked, slowly opening her eyes.

"I'm here, baby," I replied, standing and pocketing my phone.

She yawned, shutting her eyes close. "Fuck, that hurts," she admitted. "Where are the kids?"

"Lex took them for the night, they're in good hands," she nodded, running her hand through her hair. I turned on my waist and reached for her glasses on the rolling bedside tray, "Here, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. It hurts, but I gave birth without epidural all three times, I'm sure I can handle a little headache and some shoulder pain," she giggled, looking up at me. "How are you, huh? I'm sorry I've been such a pain in the ass."

I chuckled, leaning against the bedrail. "The day you stop being a pain in my ass is the day I'll fear for my marriage," she chortled. "You scared me."

She bit her lip and blinked slowly, "I didn't mean to, papi. I'm sorry. The kids must've been so scared…"

"They're stronger than you think, Noa. God, you should've seen the glare Theodora gave the doctor when she walked in."

"Oh, let all the boys beware of that glare. She's going to turn them into putty when her time comes," she playfully said. "But seriously, how are they?"

I shook my head, "Just some scrapes and bruises, they'll heal. They've done more damage playing outside or at games. They're fine, I promise."

She nodded. "Thank you for staying with me," she reached across her stomach to grab at my left hand, her fingers automatically playing with my wedding ring.

I smiled down at her and squeezed her fingers, "Where else would I be?"

"I don't know," she spoke lowly, mirth hiding behind every word. "Maybe with your mistress. I heard she's an easy going woman."

I snickered loudly, shaking my head, "Yea, I get bored of her pretty quickly. She's too... vanilla for me."

Noa laughed, "Oh, maybe we could meet up and I can give her some pointers on how to keep you happily satisfied for the next couple of months of me being an invalid."

"You know, the whole point of having a mistress, Noa is that the wife doesn't get to speak to her."

It was her turn to snicker and shake her head, "Whom are we kidding? None of us would dream of being with somebody else."

"Meh," I joked, shrugging my shoulders. She slapped my hand and I winced, hinting at the burning sensation that radiated through my skin, "I'm kidding! Jesus, woman, half of my heart belongs to you completely."

She smiled the smile that she only reserved for me.

I had tried, time and time again to find it in someone else, but it seemed as if she had a smile reserved just for the kids, one for me, and one for the rest of the world. I brought her fingers to my mouth, placing a kiss to each of her knuckles. She opened her hand, cupping my cheek, and stroking her thumb against my stubbly cheek. The only reason I kept it stubbly nowadays was because she would look at me with an extra glint in her eyes whenever I would get ready in the mornings with her, she would press her cunt on my face harder when I'd be in between her legs, and she would stroke my face with better purpose when I lain in her arms.

So I kept it, out of sheer selfishness, but for her.

We stared at each other and reveled in our silence. It had always been able to be like this. I didn't need to speak to offer her my love and neither did she for me to bask in hers. The less words the better, but the impulse of those words weighed heavy on my tongue and I spoke them, watching her smile, and look at my lips. I leaned forward, placing my lips on hers and slowly starting a careful fall. Her hand cradled my neck and urged me to take the fall further, coaxing her sweetly out of her funk. I rested my forehead against hers, breathing softly through my nose. She moved her head, kissing my cheek, and resting her forehead against mine again.

"I love you, Trevor Langan," she admitted.

"And, I'll always love you more, Noa Langan."

I felt her smile in my soul and I knew then that whatever happened from here on forward, nothing would be as important as letting her know how much I loved her, how much she meant to me, and all that I would do for her and our children.