Chapter 21

"How is she? Is she okay?" Grace asked, holding the baby Rebecca in her arms when Gavin walked in.

"Chelsea's fine, yeah... broke her leg and her wrist, but she'll mend," Gavin assured her.

"Broke her...how?"

"Zack... pushed her down the stairs."

"What? Our Zack?"

"Yes."

She sank to the couch. "Oh God..."

"He's threatening to kill her."

"What did we do...?"

"Nothing, baby. We did nothing wrong."

"Then why...?" She had a pained look in her eyes.

"Because they're just... confused."

"Confused?"

"Because they don't know where we all stand."

"Where *do* we stand?"

"Chelsea's still our baby."

"I know."

"I don't like this, Grace." He sighed.

"How could you? Our son just tried to murder our daughter."

"I don't like what I see in him."

"What do you see?"

"I see... I see Garrett, Grace."

She looked at him, slightly alarmed. "How?"

"I don't know how, I don't know where it came from... but I see it.”

"He's...he can't be...our boy?"

"Our boy."

"Gavin, what are we going to do?"

"We'll... do something. We'll think of something. I'll make Garrett talk to him."

Grace sighed. "He pushed her?"

"Yes."

"Is she down in the medical wing?"

"Yeah. Cass said she'd get more security because of Zack."

Grace sighed. "Our Zack..."

"I know."

Rebecca started squirming a bit and reaching for her father.

Gavin lifted the baby gently. "And our other little angel."

The baby cooed.

He kissed her forehead.

Grace smiled a bit. "She was crying for you earlier."

"Poor little angel." He smiled.

Grace rested her head on Gavin's shoulder.

He kissed his wife's cheek.

"She's really okay? Aside from her leg and arm?"

"She's fine."

"Good." She sighed, knowing full well what the IMF was capable of doing to their prisoners.

"They didn't bring Kayla home," he said quietly.

"Why not?"

"She'd already been moved."

"Any idea why they moved only her?"

"None yet... they're working on it."

Grace nodded.

"They'll get her."

"I know they will."

He sighed.

"Did you talk to Chelsea at all?"

"Yeah... we talked... we're.... alright I guess."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"You...I don't know, you just sounded unsure a second ago."

"We need to talk more but we're doing okay."

"You didn't start yelling at each other?"

"No."

"Good."

He kissed her.

She kissed back.

~*~*~*~

Kayla looked toward the door as he entered. She'd changed, finding the closet remarkably full, and had left her long red hair down. In fact, she mused, she looked a lot like her mom that way.

Chad smiled a bit. "Hello beautiful."

"Hey." She smiled a bit.

He walked towards her and kissed her.

She smiled a bit. "Can I ask where we are?"

"You can, but I won't tell you."

"Well fine then," she teased. "Can I ask... is your wife... around? And does she know?"

"She's not around, but she knows."

"Oh really?"

"She listened to our phone conversation last night and then confronted me. I've taken care of her though."

"You... what do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. She'll be out of my hair soon enough."

"Alright." Kayla sighed.

"Don't worry about it, beautiful."

"I just want to get some image of what's going on. But I understand you can't tell me things."

"I'm divorcing her. And making sure she never bothers me again."

"That... that'll be kind of nice for us."

Chad shrugged. "That really all depends on you."

"On me?"

He nodded.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how am I to be sure that if given the chance, you'd run back to your father and tell him anything I may have told you?"

"If they nabbed me and brought me back... I wouldn't tell him."

"How do I know that?"

She paused, considering. "You don't... but... I'd like to think we're starting to trust each other a little. I mean... I'm pretty blindly trusting you."

"You were never really given much of a choice, were you?"

"I could have put up a stink if I'd wanted."

"But you didn't."

"I know."

"And I'm grateful that you didn't, but understand that I'm not an easily trusting man...in our kind of work, and after what happened with my wife..."

"I understand that... but someday you might have to trust me."

"I will. But don't feel bad that I don't yet."

"Alright." She smiled.

He kissed her. "You're very beautiful, you know that?"

"Oh am I? I was thinking I kind of look like my mom.'

"I'm not about to say anything about your mother, but you look absolutely stunning."

She laughed softly. "Thank you."

His phone started ringing and Chad hung it up and tossed it in a nearby chair and kissed her again.

She kissed back eagerly. "Can I ask a little bit of a personal question?"

"You can ask."

"But you might not tell me. Fair enough. How old are you?"

"Thirty." He told her. "Why do you ask?"

"Just nosy." She kissed him.

He kissed her back. "Listen, I've got to take care of something...and then, how would you feel about some dinner?"

"Mmm.... that'd be nice. Should I dress up?"

He nodded.

She smiled. "Then I will."

"I'll be back." He left the room.

Kayla headed to her closet, choosing a short black dress and changing quickly, again leaving her hair down. It was then she noticed his phone sitting on the bed... and she couldn't resist. There was a message, and she just had to listen.

Chad watched what she did with the phones through the monitors showing her room.

"Chad, I cannot believe you would embarrass yourself like this! Ending our marriage because of some whore you bought from Kincaide. I'm not just going to let you do this to me, you fucking asshole. I'll kill that little bitch if I have to. I'll make you pay." A woman's voice yelled angrily into the phone.

Kayla quickly hung it up. More than she needed to know...

Chad watched her for a few more minutes before entering the room.

She looked up as he entered and smiled. "Hi."

"You look great."

"Thanks. You look nice yourself."

Chad kissed her cheek and picked up his phone.

"So... what's for dinner?"

"It's a surprise." He opened the door and took her hand. Leading her down a hallway to the dining room, he masked the disappointment that she didn't admit to listening to the phone message.

"I heard your messages," Kayla said quietly, as if reading your mind. "The one from your wife... I don't know if I listened to all of it, I hung up..."

He nodded. "I know you did."

"Is that... is it alright with you?"

"You told me. That's what I wanted to know. If you would tell me the truth."

"I have since I got here... don't see a reason to stop."

He shrugged. "I had to be sure."

She nodded. "So your wife isn't wild about me."

"Not in the least."

"Well... honestly... I'm not crazy about her and I knew ahead of time."

Chad nodded and paused to look at her. "Do you want to go back?"

"I... don't know... I mean I miss my mom and my brother... but I don't know if I miss them enough to go back. My father's... hardly affectionate."

"And if I were to let you go right now?"

"I... don't know what I'd do."

"Maybe that might be something you'd like to think about."

"I... I think I'd stay. If you'd have me."

Chad nodded.

She looked at him questioningly.

"I'm just curious to see where your loyalties are."

"They can't ever be completely to the IMF. I don't want to watch my family die. But they could wind up being to you."

"Being to me would be enough."

She smiled a bit.

He kissed her softly.

She kissed back.

"How is it that I can barely keep my hands off you for a minute?" He questioned.

"Just my sweet charming nature. And I'm eight years younger than you."

"True." He kissed her again.

She kissed back. "We're never gonna eat if you keep that up," she told him teasingly.

"We can always eat in bed."

"Mmm... true..."

He kissed her neck. "Honestly, Kay, do you like your room?"

"Yeah. It's nice..."

"Obviously there are guards and security set up all over this house...but how would you like to be moved? Just to upstairs, and you'd be allowed to go in the whole house."

"Seriously?"

He nodded. "How would that sound?"

"I'd like that."

"Good." He ran a hand down the length of her arm.

She shuddered involuntarily.

He smiled and kissed her.

She kissed back eagerly.

Chad picked her up and carried her upstairs to the master bedroom.

Kayla smiled. "Yeah, this is definitely nicer."

"I'm glad you like it, beautiful."

"I like you."

"And I like you, a lot."

She smiled up at him, her hand in his hair.

He kissed her again.

She kissed back.

"You're perfect."

"Oh am I?"

"From what I know of you. Yes."

"Good. Because I think you're perfect too."

"Of course I am." He grinned.

She laughed a bit and kissed him.

~* ~*~*~

Corryn lifted her son gently, taking her daughter's hand as they entered Dylan's office.

"Hey." He looked up. "This is a nice picture."

"Aww thanks." She smiled and let go of Elizabeth's hand so the child could run to Dylan.

Dylan picked up Elizabeth and tossed her into the air. "Who's this girl? She can't be my little Lizzie."

"Daddy, of course it's me!" The child said impatiently.

"Nah, my Lizzie is just a little girl. You're so grown up."

"No I'm not, I'm little."

"Nah."

"Yes I am!" She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Dylan tickled her. "You are my Lizzie!"

She laughed.

Corryn smiled at the sight.

Dylan kissed the top of the little girl's head.

She smiled. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, angel."

"And do you love me?" Corryn asked with a slight smile.

"Oh I love you." Dylan moved around the desk and kissed Corryn.

Corryn kissed back.

Lizzie made a face.

"What's the matter angel?"

"You're all kissy."

"That's because I love your mommy."

Lizzie nodded and suddenly baby Will cooed.

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