Disclaimer: I do not own the 4400
Chapter 1: Rachel and Steven Ward
June 19th 1998 Arthur Wisconsin
Steven sighed as he heard his parents fighting again. Dad was probably drunk. It was a good thing Rachel wasn't here and neither was baby Gwen. Steven stood up and walked out of the house as silently as he could, he didn't want to hear the fighting again. He walked around the area, it was late at night and getting dark, no one was around at all, if Rachel didn't have to babysit tonight she would be out jogging tonight, but that was his sixteen year old twin sister, out late at night trying to escape the horror that was their father.
Steven sat on a bench and sighed, he couldn't understand what allowed their mother to put up with their asshole father. He wondered if he would ever understand.
Suddenly it started to get brighter he looked around confused for a moment, then he looked up and saw a white blinding light.
June 19th 1999 Arthur Wisconsin
Rachel smiled down at little Gwen and cooed lovingly at her, tickling her stomach and making faces at her that made Gwen giggle and squeal with delight.
"She's growing up so fast." Rachel heard her mother say; Rachel smiled up at her and then stopped herself and turned away from her mother and back to Gwen.
"Rachel, please talk to me! I know you still blame me for Steven's disappearance but you have to talk to me sooner or later."
Rachel glared at her mother, if she had the money and the resources she would have taken Gwen to someplace far away a year ago and never looked back, but she couldn't, not yet, not for another few months.
Rachel sighed "Is…HE… going to be home tonight?"
Her mother, Melody, looked hurt and shook her head "No, Roger is… dealing with a late work night… and-"
Rachel scoffed and snapped "You mean he's out with his whore again?!"
Melody bit her lip and nodded "Yes, more likely than not he is…"
Rachel rolled her eyes and stood up "I'm sorry mom; I just don't know how you can stand that man! He gets drunk and hits you on several occasions! Then a year ago Steven goes missing. And now he's cheating on you!"
Melody sighed "Rachel, we have no proof that he was connected to Stevens' disappearance…"
Rachel sighed "I know, but I still believe he was responsible for it! Look I need to babysit again tonight, I may be home late, so can you take care of Gwen and make sure HE doesn't hurt her if he comes home early?"
Melody nodded smiling "Of course I'll lock him out if that would make you feel better."
Rachel nodded "It would." With that she grabbed her coat and left.
Eleven fifteen, that's how late it was when Rachel started walking back home, it wasn't far from her house so she wasn't worried about an attacker or anything, but halfway to her house she became aware of a white light, she looked up and…
August 14th 2004 Seattle Washington
Rachel looked around in shock as she was standing beside a lake with a couple thousand people she didn't know, she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to look and was surprised to see Steven, Steven grinned widely at her and hugged her tightly "Oh my god! Rachel!"
Rachel laughed and hugged Steven back "Steven!" then she pulled back to look into his face and asked "Where have you been for a year?"
Steven looked shocked "A year? What are you talking about? And what happened to you anyway? Have you gotten taller?"
August 20th 2004
Diana Skouris looked at Tom Baldwin "Here is an interesting case, the Ward Twins; in 1998 on June 19th Steven Ward was taken, leaving his twin sister, baby sister and parents behind."
Diana clicked a picture and a video took over the screen. On the computer screen a young teenage boy appeared, he had short black hair and blue eyes. "My name is Steven Ward, I'm sixteen years old and I'm from Arthur Wisconsin"
A man's voice, off-screen asked "What year is it?"
Steven bit his lip and answered slowly "The year I thought it was, was 1998, but I don't think that's the year it is now… is it? My sister asked me where I had been for a year… is it 1999 or something like that?"
A pause, then the off-screen voice answered "The current year is 2004"
Steven's eyes went wide "2004? That's… wow…"
The off-screen voice again "Do you know where you've been?"
Steven laughed "Sir, if I knew where I had been do you think I would be getting my years mixed up?" with that he laughed even harder.
Diana paused the video and leaned back for a moment before saying
"His father was accused of involvement, he was accused by his oldest daughter who called the police the minute she realized Steven was missing, Roger Ward was ultimately released, and then, in 1999 on June 19th Rachel Ward was taken."
Diana clicked another picture and again a video overtook the whole screen, this time a young woman with long wavy dirty blond hair and chocolate brown eyes appeared.
A kind woman's voice came from off-screen "Please state your name, age and where you're from."
The girl swallowed "My name is Rachel Ward, I'm seventeen years old and I'm from Arthur Wisconsin."
The woman's voice again "Do you know what year it is?"
"1999" Rachel said without hesitation. "Why?"
The woman off-screen sighed "Because it's actually 2004 Rachel."
Rachel looked shocked "That's not possible! You're lying to me!"
The woman said calmly "Rachel what reason do we have to lie?"
Rachel was swallowing hard and taking deep breaths of air.
The woman asked "Sweetie do you know where you've been?"
Rachel shook her head and then looked at the camera "What happened to my sister? What happened to baby Gwen? My mother… has she been taking care of Gwen-"
Rachel cut herself off
The woman sighed "I'm sorry Rachel, your mother died a few nights after you disappeared. Your father killed her. He's currently serving time in prison. We've been looking for Gwen, but so far we haven't been able to find her we'll keep looking though, by the time you and your brother get out she'll be ready to stay with you."
Rachel put her face in her hands and the video ended.
"Like the woman in the background said, Melody was killed by her husband Roger a few nights after Rachel disappeared; Gwen Ward fell into the cracks of foster homes. But what I'm trying to understand is why. Why take a set of twins, take one twin in 1998 and then on the same day a year later why take the other twin? Why not take both twins at the same time?"
Tom shrugged "We may never know."
August 25th 2004 Camp Decker Quarantine
Rachel sat reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when someone sat next to her and asked "Good book?"
She looked up and smiled at the man sitting next to her, he looked to be in his forties with brown hair and blue eyes and he had a beard and mustache, he was very handsome.
Rachel sighed and looked at her book "It was, the first ten times I read it… now I'm reading it simply because I have nothing else to do!" she ran her hand through her hair.
The man smiled at her "You mean you're not enjoying the thrills of just sitting here?"
Rachel laughed and shook her head "No, sadly I'm not."
The man smiled and held out his hand "Jordan Collier."
Rachel smiled and shook Jordan's hand "Rachel Ward."
Then Rachel looked over her shoulder and smiled, Steven made his way over to her and plopped down next to her "They keep asking me the same questions as if by asking something will shake loose in my head and I will remember!"
Rachel smiled sympathetically "Did you ask about Gwen?"
Steven nodded "It's not good news sis… they found the house Gwen was… supposed to be staying at… only they said they hadn't seen her, ever."
Rachel sighed and put her head in her hands "Damn it!"
Steven put his arm around her "We'll find her; it will all be okay again."
Jordan looked at the two of them "Brother and sister I take it?"
Rachel nodded "Twins actually, we were taken a year apart from each other."
Jordan frowned "Who is Gwen?"
Steven answered hesitantly "Our little sister, she was only a few months old when I left and little over a year when Rachel left, she's six years old now…"
Jordan nodded "I'm sorry to hear about that, I hope that she's found soon."
Rachel smiled "So do we."
September 23rd 2004
Rachel sat up screaming in her bed and quickly put her hand over her mouth and fell back onto her bed crying softly, she was soon approached and a hand was placed on her shoulder, she looked up and wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry Jordan, I didn't mean to wake anyone."
Jordan smiled "You okay Rachel?"
Rachel nodded "Just a nightmare."
Jordan sat down on the edge of Rachel's bed and rubbed her shoulders "Must have been a bad one, you usually don't scream,"
Rachel looked at Jordan confused "I'm not completely awake so… can you explain please?"
Jordan chuckled "Sorry, but I've noticed that sometimes at night you thrash around a lot and those are the nights that you don't get the best sleep, I've been under the assumption that you've been having bad dreams, but this is the first time you've woken up screaming to one of them."
Rachel laughed and ran a hand through her hair "Yeah sorry about that, I'm amazed no one else woke up."
Jordan smiled "I think at this point they are all sleeping like rocks now that they know that they will be going home in four days."
Rachel nodded "Yeah, I guess so…"
Jordan squeezed Rachel's shoulder "Any word on Gwen?"
Rachel sighed "No. none, how the hell does a six year old girl just fall through the cracks?"
Jordan sighed himself "Don't worry, they will find her."
Rachel laughed bitterly "And then what Jordan? Our mom is dead and it will be a cold day in hell before I let my father anywhere near myself never mind Steven or Gwen. I… I don't know if I'm ready to take care of Gwen, I thought I would be before I was abducted but now… she's grown up… she probably has no clue who I am and… and even if she does know who I am… I can't help but wonder if the government will let me see her, never mind take care of her! I'm a seventeen, almost 18 year old girl with no job, no home, no money, no way to support myself or my brother, never mind a six year old little girl!"
Rachel wiped the tears that were falling down her cheeks but they wouldn't stop. Jordan hugged her tightly and she instinctively buried her face into his chest and started crying softly.
Jordan said "Rachel, I promise, you and your siblings will be taken care of if I have to see to it myself!"
Rachel swallowed and hoped that Jordan wasn't making empty promises.
September 27th 2004
Rachel swallowed as she saw Jordan standing in a business suit and getting ready to leave, over the past six weeks Jordan had become a friend and companion, now he was leaving and she and Steven would be staying in Quarantine.
Jordan looked over at her and smiled, he walked over and kissed her forehead "Now Rachel, I want you to listen to me, this is just temporary, you'll see me again, and you'll be out of this place before you know it okay?"
Rachel blinked and looked away, but he lifted her chin and made her look him in the eyes, "One week Rachel, you won't be in here for more than one week, I swear it."
Rachel's eyes grew wet but she nodded, because she wanted to believe that Jordan would really do as he said, she wanted to know that there was someone who was looking out for her and her siblings and who wouldn't let her down.
Jordan kissed her forehead again and then turned to Steven who was slowly making his way over to them. Jordan smiled and held out a hand to Steven "Well Steven, I guess this is goodbye for now."
Steven smiled and shook Jordan's hand "I guess so."
Jordan grinned and said "Take care of Rachel for me will you?"
Steven laughed "Always."
Jordan looked at the two of them and said "One week, okay?"
Rachel nodded "One week."
When Jordan was gone Rachel's eyesight got blurry and then she felt a hand wipe something wet off her cheek, she looked at Steven and wiped her eyes, before biting her lip and hugging him tightly.
October 2nd 2004
Jordan smiled as he signed the documents and handed them back to the government agent who was watching him sign. The agent stamped the document and said "Congratulations Jordan Collier you are now the legal guardian of Steven and Rachel Ward."
Jordan nodded "When will they be here?"
The agent smiled "Any minute now."
Jordan heard footsteps approach and smiled to himself, he stood up, the door opened and the next thing he knew Rachel had wrapped her arms around his waist and was hugging him tightly. Jordan laughed and hugged her back "I promised didn't I?"
Rachel laughed herself and beamed up at him "You did."
Jordan grinned and kissed her forehead then he turned to Steven and held out a hand to him, Steven grinned and shook Jordan's hand then asked "What has you feeling secretive?"
Jordan raised an eyebrow "Who says I'm feeling secretive?"
Steven smiled "I say so, because you are."
Jordan smiled "I do have a surprise for you two at your new home but I'm not going to tell you, so you both will just have to deal with the excitement."
Rachel's eyes were wide as she took in the mansion that the limo pulled up to "This is your HOME?"
Jordan laughed "Yes, it's also your home now."
Rachel's mouth dropped open "Ours?"
Jordan smiled "Yours."
Rachel blinked as the limo's door was open and a hand was held out to her. Rachel took the offered hand and stepped out of the limo she took a deep breath as Jordan's words sank in, this was her home now, Steven stood next to her and took in the sight too, "wow." He whispered.
Rachel nodded slowly.
Jordan chuckled "Come on you two, there is a surprise waiting inside for you."
As the twins followed Jordan inside they continued to look around their minds still trying to take in the entire splendor of the place.
Jordan said "There are two people here who have been very anxious to meet you."
Steven and Rachel quickly turned to see who Jordan was talking too, and both of their mouths fell open, it had been years since they had last seen her, but there was no mistake, the six year old girl standing before them had Rachel's wavy dirty blond hair, and Stevens' bright blue eyes
Rachel swallowed and walked forward to the little girl who was clutching a teddy bear. Rachel knelt down and slowly touched Gwen's cheek. Gwen swallowed but didn't flinch at the contact. Rachel smiled lovingly at Gwen and whispered "Look at you, you've grown so much, and you look so lovely."
Gwen blinked and whispered in a soft voice "Rachel?"
Rachel felt tears come to her eyes and she nodded "Yes Gwen honey, I'm Rachel… your sister."
And the next thing Rachel knew Gwen was hugging her tightly and smiling up at her.
Steven turned to Jordan "How on earth did you find her?"
Jordan laughed "With work and a good private investigator, your sister had been staying with a good friend of your mother's it turned out, she's been told all about the both of you."
Gwen looked over Rachel's shoulder at Steven and smiled at him. Steven smiled and walked over to Gwen "You really have grown sweetie, you were only a few months old last time I saw you."
Gwen smiled shyly and hugged Steven.
Jordan smiled at the scene, happy that the three new members of his family were happy to be together again.
so i had this idea floating around in my head for a bit and figured i would finally publish chapter 1
Reviews are love!