A/N: So I thought I'd try something a bit different. Some of the chapters are pretty short but I wanted to make a couple of comments here and there as I went along. Oh, "paterfamilias" is the Roman word for "Head of the household" it sort of works...let's go with it :P
Hope you enjoy :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Paterfamilias

Dimly through the darkness Jackie could hear a baby crying. She wished it would stop as the sound was only making her headache worse.

The crying continued, sounding louder now as it continued to bring her closer to consciousness. Something about it was familiar, her eyes snapped open.

Ebony.

She felt a brief moment of panic as she found herself surrounded by darkness. Images came back to her: men wielding guns breaking through her front door, the children screaming.

The children.

The thought brought her back to the present and she struggled through the darkness, trying to find Ebony.

She sighed with relief when she finally made it to her, taking her in her arms she began to soothe her, checking her for injuries. As Ebony's cries died down she tried to make out her other children in the darkness.

"Jimmy? Nerys? Katie?" she called, her voice becoming more strained due to the continued silence. Presently three small voices answered her and she soon had all four of her children gathered close to her.

"What's going on, Mummy?" Nerys asked, clinging tightly to Jackie's arm.

"I don't know, baby," Jackie told her.

"Where's Daddy?" Jimmy asked, reverting in his fear to the term of endearment he had abandoned only months before as being to babyish.

"I don't know that either honey, we'll just have to wait and see," Jackie told him.

"Daddy will save us," Katrina piped up and Jackie smiled at the conviction in her tone.

"Of course her will, sweetie," she assured them all, and herself, wondering where Michael was and how on earth he was going to find them.

Her musings were cut short when the door opened.

Blinking in the sudden light, Jackie tried to simultaneously clasp all of her children close to her.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Jardine, children," came a man's voice. "I trust you are comfortable," he continued, a trace of amusement in his voice.

Jimmy broke from Jackie's grasp and stood to his full height in front of his mother and sisters, "What do you want with us?" he demanded, sounding braver than he felt.

"Such bravery," the man commented as he eyed Jimmy, "I would expect nothing less from the son of Michael Jardine."

"How do you know Daddy?" Katrina asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she sat huddled next to her mother.

The man took a step forward to see passed Jimmy better; Jimmy moved slightly to block them from sight. "Relax, little man, I won't hurt your sisters or your mother," the man assured him. The man looked over Jimmy's shoulder at Katrina, "Your Daddy and I go way back," his eyes met Jackie's, "and I hope for your sake he loves you as much as I think he does." He looked back at Katrina, "Your Daddy owes me and you're here to make sure he complies."

"My Daddy is going to kick your butt," Nerys, who had been hitherto silent, informed him.

The man laughed, "I would like to see him try," he said, he turned back to Jackie, "you have lovely children Mrs. Jardine, I'm sure their Daddy misses them."

Jackie looked up at him from where she had been silently admonishing Nerys, "Whatever it is you want him to do, Michael will only do what is right." She looked at her children, "No matter what the cost," she added quietly.

The man smiled, "Your husband is a man of principle, it's true, but when his wife and children are in danger...?" he left the question hanging in the air.

"What have you done with our dog?" Katrina demanded suddenly.

The man blinked, "Your dog is probably still barking the house down, but to no avail. What good is he to you now?"

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A/N: As will hopefully come clear a little bit further on, Jackie has actually sustained a head injury which is why she's not saying much in this confrontation of sorts.