(A/N: This takes place in the late spring/early summer of 1997 where Tim is 43, Jill is 41, Brad is 16, Randy is 15, Mark is 12 and Hannah is 3. Hannah's their daughter that I always include in the story that's born in 1994).
You'll Be in My Heart
The Taylor family was a normal family of the 90's in Detroit, Michigan. The father (Tim, age 43) hosted a cable show called Tool Time that aired on weekdays. The mother (Jill, age 41) attended college but also ran the family. The couple had four kids: Brad (16), Randy (15), Mark (12) and Hannah (3) that were happy and healthy. The boys went to school during the day and Hannah with her parents, usually her father who was more available. The boys were involved in extracurricular activities as was Hannah like most kids were.
Crime started happening more and more often in the neighborhood, but the Taylors weren't worried since they had a security system. Not since the break-in with Wilson had a major crime gone on. The kids could ride their bikes and walk to their neighbors' houses to hang out until they were called in to supper. After dark, the parents kept their kids inside the house unless they had a sleepover.
Tim and Jill were no exception with their kids. Both parents allowed the kids to go bike to their friends' houses and stay until suppertime. In the summer or on weekends, they could spend the night, but only if they knew the family. After dark, Tim and Jill didn't want their kids (especially Hannah) going out late at night. Since their youngest was only three, Tim and Jill didn't allow her to walk alone. They always had someone accompany her or accompanied her themselves. They still thought the neighborhood was safe.
With the boys, Tim and Jill were a little more lenient. If the boys called and let them know where they were going, they could stay. The boys had a curfew of eleven, so they weren't allowed late. The boys were each given cell phones and had Tim and Jill's numbers programmed into the phone.
With Hannah being only a toddler, they were a bit strict but not to where they controlled everything. Being only three, Hannah couldn't be home alone so they either took her, had the boys take or watch her or Wilson babysat her. They walked with her to friends' houses and didn't let her play alone at the park. Hannah's friends' parents kept a good eye on her so Tim and Jill let her stay there.
They thought this neighborhood was safe, especially for little ones. They had no idea how wrong they would be.
One warm night in June, Randy walked up the stairs to get some milk to hopefully help him sleep. His room that was in the basement had been built by his father two years ago, since he refused to share with Mark. Jill was worried at first, but they had an intercom downstairs, just in case something was wrong. They had intercoms around the house for the same reason. He walked towards the fridge, but paused when he heard voices.
"Would you just hurry up and unlock the door already? You're going to wake up the family! You already disarmed the stupid security alarm. All we have to do is unlock the deadbolt," The unknown voice which sounded like an adult male, yelled at another person.
"Okay! Okay! Gees, you can be harsh," The other voice, another adult male rolled his eyes, neither of them knowing that Randy was awake.
What do I do? Randy's thought to himself, his heart racing. He knew he had to do something or the burglars might kill him. I need to warn Mom and Dad, but I need to get upstairs before they see me. Randy, you're smart! Think of something!
Randy knew his best option would be to lightly run up the stairs, hoping that the burglars wouldn't see or hear him. He needed to get out of sight and into his parents' room where it would be the safest. The burglars likely wouldn't touch him, his brothers or especially his little sister with their parents there. Burglars didn't usually harm children when parents were present. Especially toddlers.
He just had to warn his brothers to get to their parents' room. His sister was already in their parents' room, after having a nightmare. Although he needed to warn them, he needed to be careful and quiet.
He carefully crept up the stairs, keeping quiet and out of sight.
Brad woke up to hearing a banging downstairs and got out of bed. Probably just Randy getting a late snack, Brad told himself. The noise came again and he knew that it wasn't his brother. Randy was never that loud and it sounded like furniture dropping on the floor. There was no reason for Randy or anybody to move it. There were no plans to move as far as Brad knew.
He walked out and stumbled into Randy, whose face was white with terror. It was rare that Brad ever saw his younger brother that scared. Sure, he'd been bullied on several occasions, but this was different. Something had clearly scared him that was more than just your bully at school. A burglar must've broken in and Randy must've come up here to warn me. He's never this scared. I have to calm him down before his asthma returns, Brad warned himself.
"Whoa, Randy, calm down," Brad whispered, putting his hands on his little brother's shoulders, giving him a reassuring look. "You're okay. No one's going to hurt you, okay? Mom and Dad will keep us safe. Go in their bedroom and I'll warn Mark, dragging him to the bedroom if I have to. We'll keep each other safe."
Randy smiled and hurriedly (but quietly) ran to his parents' room while Brad ran to find Mark, relieved that he calmed Randy down. The last thing they needed was for Randy or Hannah to have an allergy attack or for Hannah's anxiety to flare up.
I just need to get Mark to come with me to Mom and Dad's room. Hopefully they go with the basement first, and don't take either of Hannah's comfort items, Brad thought as he walked into Mark's room to find Mark sleeping.
Lately, Mark had taken to wearing all black (Brad didn't understand why) and acting goth, but was harmless. He was tougher, but was the same old Mark. He knew that this was just a phase. Shaking Mark, Brad frantically shook Mark and looked at him in panic. Mark needed to get up and hurry to their parents' bedroom.
Wake up Mark! Brad yelled in his mind.
"Mark, get up!" Brad whispered and threw a pillow at Mark.
Mark got up. "Brad, what's going on? Are you making noise again? I was trying to stay asleep."
Brad gasped. "There's a burglar downstairs! Go to Mom and Dad's room!"
Mark rolled his eyes, "Yeah, right. Nice try."
Mark started to head back to bed but there was more banging and Mark panicked. Like with Randy, Brad grabbed Mark's shoulders and looked at him gently. "Mark, be quiet and go to Mom and Dad's room quietly. I'm right behind you. Mom and Dad will keep you guys safe."
Mark obeyed Brad and Brad snuck behind him, quietly opening the door, all four children safely in their parents' bedroom.
A few minutes before Randy had run into Tim and Jill's bedroom, young Hannah wakes up from hearing a loud noise downstairs. Snug between her parents, Hannah was curled up between her mother and father. To a girl her age, there's no one safer to be with then her parents. Daddy's big and strong and Mommy's strong too.
What's that noise downstairs? Did one of the boys go downstairs? Hannah asked herself as she heard her parents snoring on either side.
She heard a bang and wondered if something was wrong with Randy. After all, Randy was short and sometimes broke stuff when trying to reach for it. Still, it was pretty late for Randy to be up. The boys had school tomorrow and Hannah had a feeling her mommy and daddy didn't want them up that late.
A louder bang came and Hannah knew that wasn't Randy. Although, she didn't know completely what a burglar was, this sounded like what it was. Someone who came in to hurt their family and take their stuff! What if they killed her mommy and daddy? Who would take care of them?
Out of terror, Hannah wails as another bang comes. Whatever they were doing, she needed to wake her mommy and daddy up. Mommy and Daddy could always fix anything and everything.
Jill jolts awake at hearing her youngest, three-year-old Hannah, cry and turns to see that Hannah is sitting up and crying in bed, her face white with terror. Is she just having a nightmare? Jill asked herself. No, this seems worse than that.
Jill grabbed her daughter and hugged her close, rubbing her back and letting her cry into her shoulder. If something was scaring her daughter, surely it was scaring the boys too? The boys were old enough to know that they were safe, but what if this was a burglary? Would they kidnap or possibly kill them and the kids?
"Shh, honey, Mommy's here," Jill rocked Hannah back and forth, feeling Hannah cling to her tight and cry.
Jill looked over at her husband and saw that he was starting to wake up. "Tim, I think someone's in the house!"
Hannah had finally calmed down, cuddled into Jill and buried her face into Jill's robe, feeling safe and warm.
Tim looked over at Jill and kissed her cheek. "Hey, it'll be alright, princess. Daddy's going to keep you, your brothers and mommy safe. I wouldn't let anyone hurt you."
Tim kissed Hannah's cheek and one of Hannah's blue eyes peaked out from Jill's shoulder, causing Jill to want to hug all four kids close to her.
Randy burst in and ran to his mother who hugged him close, tears coming down. Jill felt closer to Randy and Hannah then Brad or Mark. Hannah and Randy loved the theater (and dance) like she did and were attached to her. Hannah was attached to both Tim and Jill but Randy was a mama's boy.
"Honey, what's the matter?" Jill looked at her middle boy, the one who pretended he wasn't scared of anything but she knew what scared him.
The look in his face was scaring Jill. His face was pure white, showing a look of terror like something was going on downstairs.
"There's two burglars downstairs," Randy whispered and whimpered, tears in his eyes. Jill had tears in her own eyes, scared for the safety of her family.
Jill looked at him gently. "I'm glad you're safe, honey. Where are your brothers?"
"Brad's warning Mark but they should be in here soon."
Randy hugged Tim and Mark ran in, terror on his face with Brad on his heels. Jill was thankful that the family was together, but terrified about what would happen. They needed to hide and it needed to be now.
The family stayed hidden in the bedroom with the boys huddled around their parents and Hannah securely in Jill's arms.
Tim was starting to call 911 already to Jill's relief and he stayed on the phone with them while Jill was keeping her kids safe.
Tim set the phone down. "The police are only a few minutes away."
Jill sighed in relief and Hannah was asleep again. Her face was pressed into Jill's shoulder and she was snoring. Randy was fast asleep into Jill's side while Brad and Randy were into Tim's side.
Hearing sirens, Tim looked out the window as they took the burglars away. "Jill, we're safe! Jill?"
Jill was fast asleep, her children safe in her arms.
All was well.