Chapter 3
~Misrepresentation~
"I so can't believe I'm doing this," the man groused as he looked over to the red head next to him.
"Oh shut up and do it already. We don't have much time. If Donna or Marley get here before we're gone this isn't going to work," she told him as she trusted a ream of legal papers at him.
"You had better hope she wasn't a fan," he muttered as he slipped on sunglasses and started to open the car door.
"You didn't gross enough domestically for that to be a possibility," she deadpanned, earning a colorful response. "Nice language for a lawyer."
"I'm supposed to be related to Jake, remember."
"And his image has cleaned up considerably since the last time you saw him."
"I'll take that under advisement."
"Just go so was can get outta here!"
"I'm going. I'm going," he muttered as he slid out of the car and adjusted his sunglasses, wondering not for the first time how he'd let his sister-in- law talk him into this one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Abigail sat on the couch with the twins next to her. She couldn't believe this was happening. That Jake was really gone. Forcing a smile, she handed Michelle a crayon as the doorbell chimed. Slowly she rose, hoping it was Donna or Marley. All she wanted to do at the moment was lock herself into her room and cry, but since Molly had gone to make funeral arrangements, she had to watch the girls. Fighting back tears, she opened the door to a dark haired man, and frowned slightly. "Umm. . .can I help you?"
"You must be Abigail," he said softly as he looked over the rim of his sunglasses and at her, smiling slightly. "Jake told me a lot about you."
"Jake's not here. . . he's. . ."
"I know. Our cousin called from the hospital. I'm sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances."
"I don't. . ." she sighed, shaking her head as she stepped back.
"Of course. I'm sorry. I'm Jake's half-brother."
"He didn't. . .I didn't know he had one."
"Yeah, well, we haven't always been the closest," he man shrugged. "Look, I hate to do this, but I have a plane to catch. Are they ready?"
"Are who ready?"
"The twins."
"WHAT?"
"Shit. Leave it to Jake," he muttered as he patted his suit jacket and then pulled out the sheaf of papers his cohort had given him. "I thought you already know. Jake signed papers for me to take over custody of the girls a while ago."
"You want to take the girls?" Abigail asked aghast.
"It's not necessarily about want, but I did tell him that if anything happened I'd be there. Look, if you can just get a few of their things together . . ."
"You can't take them. Molly's not even here and. . ."
"I'm sorry. I thought. . ." he shook his head as he looked at his watch. "I have that flight. We're going to some relatives, they'll be in good hands. But I need to take them now. It's all legal."
"I can't. . ." Abigail protested as she looked around the room panicly.
"Look, I'll call the police if I have to. I don't want to make this any harder than it has to be, for any of us. . ."
Shakily Abigail nodded and stepped back so he could enter. "I'll get some of their things together. It shouldn't take long," she thought, her mind running all over the place. Maybe she could call Molly. She'd have to get here quickly, wouldn't she? She could buy them time. She had to. . .
~Misrepresentation~
"I so can't believe I'm doing this," the man groused as he looked over to the red head next to him.
"Oh shut up and do it already. We don't have much time. If Donna or Marley get here before we're gone this isn't going to work," she told him as she trusted a ream of legal papers at him.
"You had better hope she wasn't a fan," he muttered as he slipped on sunglasses and started to open the car door.
"You didn't gross enough domestically for that to be a possibility," she deadpanned, earning a colorful response. "Nice language for a lawyer."
"I'm supposed to be related to Jake, remember."
"And his image has cleaned up considerably since the last time you saw him."
"I'll take that under advisement."
"Just go so was can get outta here!"
"I'm going. I'm going," he muttered as he slid out of the car and adjusted his sunglasses, wondering not for the first time how he'd let his sister-in- law talk him into this one.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Abigail sat on the couch with the twins next to her. She couldn't believe this was happening. That Jake was really gone. Forcing a smile, she handed Michelle a crayon as the doorbell chimed. Slowly she rose, hoping it was Donna or Marley. All she wanted to do at the moment was lock herself into her room and cry, but since Molly had gone to make funeral arrangements, she had to watch the girls. Fighting back tears, she opened the door to a dark haired man, and frowned slightly. "Umm. . .can I help you?"
"You must be Abigail," he said softly as he looked over the rim of his sunglasses and at her, smiling slightly. "Jake told me a lot about you."
"Jake's not here. . . he's. . ."
"I know. Our cousin called from the hospital. I'm sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances."
"I don't. . ." she sighed, shaking her head as she stepped back.
"Of course. I'm sorry. I'm Jake's half-brother."
"He didn't. . .I didn't know he had one."
"Yeah, well, we haven't always been the closest," he man shrugged. "Look, I hate to do this, but I have a plane to catch. Are they ready?"
"Are who ready?"
"The twins."
"WHAT?"
"Shit. Leave it to Jake," he muttered as he patted his suit jacket and then pulled out the sheaf of papers his cohort had given him. "I thought you already know. Jake signed papers for me to take over custody of the girls a while ago."
"You want to take the girls?" Abigail asked aghast.
"It's not necessarily about want, but I did tell him that if anything happened I'd be there. Look, if you can just get a few of their things together . . ."
"You can't take them. Molly's not even here and. . ."
"I'm sorry. I thought. . ." he shook his head as he looked at his watch. "I have that flight. We're going to some relatives, they'll be in good hands. But I need to take them now. It's all legal."
"I can't. . ." Abigail protested as she looked around the room panicly.
"Look, I'll call the police if I have to. I don't want to make this any harder than it has to be, for any of us. . ."
Shakily Abigail nodded and stepped back so he could enter. "I'll get some of their things together. It shouldn't take long," she thought, her mind running all over the place. Maybe she could call Molly. She'd have to get here quickly, wouldn't she? She could buy them time. She had to. . .