paternal 2 PATERNAL INSTINCTS (4/?)
by Mel (email me at cosmic_quest@yahoo.com)

I hope you guys are still enjoying this. Anyway, on with the show...


Chapter Four


Harm's Residence
Washington DC
2045 EST, September 6th
"Are you ready to come out of the tub?" Harm asked of his young son, who was splashing happily in the bath (at the same time giving the carpet a bath too).

Kaiden held his fingers up to examine them then he shook his dark head resolutely. "Uh-uh, Daddy, I'm not wrinkly yet."

"Okay," Harm said, against his better judgement. He retreated from the bathroom, leaving the door open, only to bump into a scowling Kally. "What's up, Sport?"

"Why did we have to go to that sucky restaurant? Why couldn't we just have had pizza or a burger?"

"Because I wanted you to met Jordan and a restaurant was the best place for that."

"You could have introduced me to a cardboard box and I wouldn't have noticed the difference personality wise."

"Kally..." Harm said, with a distinct warning tone in his voice.

He had hoped her vehemence of Jordan would have faded as the evening wore on but there was no such luck. Kally was nothing if not set in her ways, he had the feeling that the girl still found it hard seeing him with someone who was not her mother. Of course, Jordan's condescending manner when dealing with Kally did not help matters. The 'gentle and comforting' act may have worked a treat with a docile and emotionally hampered child like Darlin Lewis, but Kally hated being patronized by adults. Alex had raised Kally- and Kaiden- to understand that they were equals in this world and never to stand for someone treating them otherwise, no matter what the reason. It seemed Alex had done that job a little too well.

"You're going to make me see her, aren't you?" It was not really a question so much as an observation.

Harm's eyes widened slightly at her deduction. He shook his head. *God, Sport, you're too perceptive for your own good sometimes.* He didn't bother denying it, there was no point with this kid.

"Yes, Kall, I think you need to speak to someone about your mother."

"I've got you and Grandma and Kayla and I can e-mail Uncle Bren if I need to," Kally pointed our defiantly. "Who else more do I need?"

"You need to speak to someone outside of the family, Sport."

"I can talk to the lamp-post outside in the parking lot. Does that count?"

Harm knelt down, taking Kally's slender shoulders. "Can you do this for me, Kally? Please? If you don't like speaking to Jordan then you don't have to, but give it a shot."

He didn't want to pressure her but he felt it was important that she talk to someone. If not Jordan then a child psychologist, though he preferred the child was in the company of someone he knew. When his father disappeared in Vietnam, he was a pit of anguish and anger ready to explode but there was no-one to explode to. He was only five years old and even then he did not want to burden his mother or grandmother. He knew Kally had the same protective instincts of her loved ones. Maybe if he had someone to talk to he wouldn't have grown up to be so stubborn and hard-headed when it came to matters of his father.

Kally scrutinized him for a moment then sighed. "I'll speak to her just once."

"Good girl," Harm smiled. He stood up. "Why don't you get ready for bed? It's been a long day."

The little girl picked up her Gameboy from a shelf then ran off into the bedroom. Harm sighed. Fatherhood was certainly not for wimps. Just as he was about to drag Kaiden from his precious bath (that boy had to be the only four-year-old in the world who enjoyed getting clean) when the doorbell shrilled.

It was late, a little too late for either Mac or Kayla to be dropping by and he had warned Jordan not to make an unannounced visits until he had the chance to talk to Kally about their proposed sessions. However, when he opened the front door, he found the last person he ever expected to see. He was standing face-to-face with Logan Raine- also known as, Kally's biological father.

"Hello, Harm. I hear you're keeping my daughter here."

Raine was almost as tall as Harm, and certainly more muscular. His hair was as blond as Kally's but thankfully his beady green eyes were not inflicted onto his daughter's genes. Harm was aware he was more than biased when it came to his opinion of Logan Raine; when he saw the successful accountant, he saw an abusive, two-timing, selfish ass. Raine had been abusive to many of his ex-girlfriends and tried it on with Alex only to find it wasn't easy using an accomplished martial artist as a punching bag.

Although he hadn't been expecting him, Harm did not find it too surprising that Logan was paying him a visit. The man had tried once to gain full custody of Kallinda when he and Alex had split up. He had only backed down when Alex threatened to report his assault attempts to the police, however, she did agree to let him have limited access. That monthly visitation was cut-off when Logan disappeared with the then six-year-old Kally for two days. Logan just missed jail time but he did lose any contact rights he had to Kally after that stunt.

"What do you want?" Harm demanded, deliberately stepping out so the kids couldn't hear.

"I want to see my daughter," Raine replied, like he actually gave a damn about Kally. "Where is Kallinda?"

"She's in bed, you can't see her."

Raine smirked at this. "Can't see her, huh? I'm her goddamn father, I can see her whenever the hell I want. Still a lawyer, Harm?"

"Yes, so?"

"So you'll know that I have every right to Kallinda. I can have her back whenever I damn well please."

"I won't let you hurt her like you did Alex," Harm promised.

Raine snorted. "Why do you protect that bitch after everything she did to you? She kept your son from you, didn't have the guts to tell you." At Harm's surprised expression, Raine smirked. "Oh, yeah, everybody knew about the boy except you. What's the little guy's name? Kallum? Kaddy?"

"Kaiden," Harm muttered. He still couldn't get over the fact that this ass knew about Kaiden and he didn't.

Just as Raine turned to leave, he said, "Alex may have kept you away from your boy but Kallinda is *mine*. You can't keep a father from his child. Just you remember that, Rabb." With that, he was walked down the hallway without looking back.

Harm stepped back into his apartment when he heard Kaiden call for him to inform him, he was now 'wrinkly'. He looked in the direction of where the children were and made the vow he would protect his little family. He would never allow anyone to break them up.

****************************************************
"Mom, remember when you said you were desperate for grandchildren? Well, there's no more waiting for you, you're now the proud grandmother to two happy, healthy children...Mom? Are you still there?"

Kally grinned from the bedroom as she listened to Harm explain the circumstances to his mother. She had met Grandma Trish on many occasions so it was not like the woman would be totally shocked. Well, perhaps she would be when she heard that her mother was dead, had been murdered...

The girl swallowed back a choke. The last thing she needed was to be freaking out like a little kid; such behaviour was kept for night-time when no-one would hear her.

"It's been hard...but it's worth it." There was something odd in his voice. She had heard the doorbell ring half-an-hour ago and for some reason she had the distinct feeling that was what Harm was discussing, despite his pretence that it was nothing when she had asked who was at the door. But then, adults were always weird like that. "The kids are fine, they're settling in well."

Her gazed drifted from the doorway to her sleeping brother and she sighed in contentment. Oddly enough, Kally did find herself quickly adjusting to life with Harm. He made her feel like she was his real daughter right from the start and treated her with the same love and affection that he bestowed on Kaiden, his real son.

When Harm first met her mother, he looked to her like she was his own, so much so that, when younger, every Christmas afterwards she would write to Santa to make Harm her dad. But not even Santa could change genetics...Still, she had friends whose stepfathers were less paternal than Harm and the job of playing daddy wasn't really his.

"Mom, Jordan's a psychiatrist and she's arranged for Kally to come in for a few sessions. She'll be able to help her...Yes, Mom, she *is* a real doctor, I doubt the Navy would take on a quack."

Kally smothered her giggles with a pillow. Grandma Trish was right in asking about Jordan; the woman was strange. She reminded the girl of Miss Lawson, one of the counsellor's at her old school. Miss Lawson had no real life of her own as Kally and her friends saw it, so instead she went around harassing the pupils and concocting problems to deal with. Kally reckoned Miss Lawson- and Jordan- had the psychologist version of Munchausen's by proxy.

She was fine and it enraged her when this Jordan woman had just declared her 'disturbed' and deemed it necessary for her to have some sessions with her. She had agreed to go for Harm's sake- the guy was new to parenthood so he deserved a break- but Kally had her own plans to prevent these little sessions from progressing. If begging for Kayla's intervention did not save her then she would just give Jordan an overdose of her obnoxious ten-year-old self.

No longer interested in eavesdropping on Harm's phone conversation, Kally wandered over to the bedroom window. She gazed outside to the darkened street, and watched the shadowed figures of teenagers vandalizing a wall and young couple stepping into their car.

Her mother's killer was still out there, free to roam and enjoy life, while her mother was about to be buried leaving her a virtual orphan and Kaiden with memories that were already fading. Kally wasn't stupid, she knew her mother had died too soon and she was never coming back. All Kally had left was the hope that the killer would be found and made to pay, preferably in the most painful way possible.

"I'll find you," she vowed, in a barely audible voice. "I'll find you...and kill you."

****************************************************
Harm's Residence
Washington DC
0850 EST, September 7th
"Aaaghhh!"

Harm sat up so abruptly from the couch he was sleeping in that he fell off. His eyes darted around for a moment before he gathered his faculties, sprinting to his bedroom in a speed that would have put Linford Christie to shame. Expecting to find a knife-wielding psycho standing over his two charges, he slid to a surprised halt when he found Kally standing by the bed looking rather disgusted and a weeping Kaiden sitting in the heap of covers on the bed.

"What's going on here?" he asked, uncertainly.

"Kaid's wet the bed and peed all over me as well," Kally said, her nose wrinkled.

Harm took in the wet pyjamas and the little boy whose face was buried in a pillow. He sighed. He wasn't exactly sure if this was normal for a four-year-old boy who had been apparently potty-trained since he was two, but then this was a four-year-old who had just lost his mother. Determined to be careful with his son's fragile state, Harm tossed Kally a towel.

"Go have a shower, Kall," he instructed gently but firmly.

The girl glanced at her brother in a mixture of revulsion and concern then obediently left the room for the bathroom. When she was gone, Harm sat on the edge of the bed, pulling blanket-clad Kaiden onto his knee. The child would not meet his gaze, preferring to focus on the floor.

"Had a little accident, huh, Scamp?" Harm said, quietly. At Kaiden's jerky nod, Harm smiled and lift his chin to they were face-to-face. "It's okay, Kaiden, I'm not mad at you. You're a little boy and when we're little, we all have accidents sometimes. It's normal."

"Did you have accidents?"

"Well..." Harm remembered he was not talking to one of his rowdy Navy buddies, but a delicate child. He nodded. "Yes, when I was four I had accidents too." Harm shifted the boy. "Kaid, I know that it hurts that your mommy's gone and you don't really know me too well. But I'm your daddy and I'm here to take care of you. You'll be fine, I'll make sure you are."

"Mom's not ever coming back, is she?"

"No, Kaiden, your mommy's not ever coming back."

"Not *ever* ever?"

"No, but that doesn't mean she's not with us. She's in our memories, and I'm sure she's watching over us from heaven." Harm hoped he was answering these questions correctly. He had been expecting Kaiden to be curious and he just prayed he was handling the boy properly without further confusing him.

"What if you die too?" Kaiden asked, anxiously. "My friend, Jamie, was put in a children's' home like in 'Little Orphan Annie' when his mommy and daddy was deaded in a car crash. I heard the other kids at nursery say so."

"I won't die, Kaid," Harm reassured.

"You don't know that, you can't promise."

"No, I can't...But I can promise you this; if anything were to ever happen to me there are plenty of people here to take care of you, Scamp."

"Like who?"

"Like your Auntie Kayla, Mac, your Grandma, my mom, your Uncle Bren. You and Kallinda will always be protected, that I *can* promise." Harm stood up, holding Kaiden to him. "Come on, lets get you cleaned up."

"I'm glad you came home to us, Daddy," Kaiden whispered to him.

Harm smiled at him. A week ago, he thought the idea of fatherhood was a far away dream and now he didn't think he could let go of these children. The rush of love he felt for them was intense and unyielding. He would do anything for Kally and Kaiden, including giving up his career change of flying without much regret.

*Thank you, Alex,* he thought inwardly, eternally grateful for his ex-girlfriend's final gift.

****************************************************
The National Zoo
Washington DC
1215 EST, September 7th
Kayla smiled as her niece and nephew ran on ahead, Kallinda patiently reading the description of each animal enclosure to her brother. The children seemed to be in as good spirits as possible considering the circumstances and she was so glad that Harm was coping with them so well. These children were her sister's living legacy; it was vitally important to her that they were taken care of. Not that she doubted Harm for a second, he was a good man who made a great father.

She and Harm walked slowly a few metres behind the kids, watching the youngsters carefully. The four of them had taken to spending more time together since the day of Alex's death and oddly, Kayla had begun to no longer see Harm as a brother and her sister's ex but as a good friend. She berated herself of such selfish thinking, she had no time to think of such things when she was hunting a killer.

"Are the kids ready for the funeral tomorrow?"

"We had a little accident with Kaid this morning, but you know how kids are. They're so resilient and brave. I do worry about Kally though, she's been far too emotionless about this."

"Yes, she's always been one to hide her emotions, too much like Alex sometimes. I heard that your girlfriend shrink wants to see Kally." Kayla was doubtful as she said this. She knew her niece and how stubborn the kid was when she didn't want to do something.

"Who told you?"

"Kally did." Harm gave an amused snort. "You do remember that our Kall is no prissy little girl. We are talking about a kid who spiked her mother's boyfriend's coke with Nytol and called my boss to tell him that her third grade teacher was on 'America's Most Wanted.' Can this shrink cope with her?"

"Of course she can," Harm defended. Kayla could tell after years of interviewing people that there was some kind of resentment behind Harm's words. There was obviously some issue going on between Harm and this shrink. "Is Bren coming over for the funeral?" It was a blatant change in subject but Kayla let it go.

"Yeah, he's flying in tonight with Laura and the kids."

It had been three years since Kayla had last seen her older brother and his family, it was still sinking in that it was the death of their baby sister that was bringing the family together. Their mother had just announced she was pregnant with Alex when their father was killed in a boating accident and it was her birth that brought them out of their grieving slumber; she and Bren were always pampering their kid sister. Now they were burying her.

There was a few moments silence then Harm spoke. "How is the case going?"

Kayla sighed. "So-so, I suppose. We're going through all her previous boyfriends, tracking them down for alibis."

"Think you'll find anything?"

"I hope so, Alex did date quite a few weirdoes." At Harm's bemused expression, she reiterated, "Present company excluded, of course."

"What about Logan? Have you checked him out?"

Logan Raine, the name was almost enough to make Kayla vomit. The man was a self-centred, egotistical and arrogant jerk who had the disposition of a spoilt two-year-old toddler. Unfortunately, the man was also Alex's ex-husband and Kallinda's father. Alex had married just six months after meeting him, and then Kally made her surprise appearance. Logan was an asshole and, like most assholes, he was not ready for the joys of a new-born child, leaving all the parenting to Alex.

When he began to drift into adulterous ways, Alex applied for divorce. The man had the nerve to start getting violent but apparently he was soon reminded, one broken jaw and dislocated shoulder later, that he was dealing with a black belt in tae-kwon do and a lawyer. He found himself hauled into court and being ordered to pay a huge settlement to his ex-wife and then infant daughter. Needless to say, Logan was not a happy guy. He had tried in vain keep Kally but she wondered if that was just an attempt to spite Alex, who had no intentions of surrendering her child.

Nevertheless, as much as Kayla loathed this man, she didn't think he was capable of murdering Alex. In his own crude way, she honestly believed Logan loved Alex and Kally. He always sent Kally pretty flash presents and money for the girl's birthday and on Christmas, and he occasionally wrote to her. Why the hell would Harm think such a thing? Especially since Logan had not had any direct contact- that she knew of- with Alex or Kally for four years when the girl was just six and he tried to run off with her.

"He will be checked out but I don't think Logan could kill Alex...Why do you ask about him? What made you think of his name?"

Harm regarded her solemnly. "You don't think..." He hesitated slightly then inhaled deeply. "You don't think Logan would try to take Kally away from me. She *is* his daughter and he was always a spiteful son-of-a-bitch."

Now she was really worried. One minute Harm was settling in to life with the kids relatively easily, and now he was panicking over custody. She put her hand on his upper arm, bringing him to a halt.

"What's wrong, Harm? Why are you so concerned about Logan?"

"He paid me a little visit last night wanting to see Kallinda."

"Did you let him?"

"No! Of course I didn't let him. Kally hasn't seen the man since she was six. I'm not going to just let him barge into her life like that. But..."

"'But' what?" Kayla urged.

"But, he *is* her father, Kayla, he does have legal rights when it comes to access to his own child."

Kaiden came sprinting over into Harm's arms. His father lifted the giggling little boy high up onto his shoulders. "Let's go see the lions. They're too cool. They remind me of Grandma's cat, Fudge."

"Okay, Scamp, we'll go see the lions."

"Then can we see the wolves?" Kally piped up. "They're cute. I want one."

"How about I get you some goldfish instead?" Harm teased the girl.

As they made their way to the lion compound, Kayla smiled strangely at Harm. Harm scowled questioningly at her, clearly wondering why she looked so thoughtful.

"What's wrong, Kayla?" he asked, ever the gentleman.

"Nothing, just don't worry anymore about Logan. I'll see to him." Yes, she had ways to deal easily with Logan, although she didn't think Harm would approve. But then Harm was too honest sometimes, he couldn't see that the hard way was the only way to get through to people like Logan Raine.

****************************************************
Heart Hill Cemetery
Baltimore, Maryland
1225 EST, September 8th
It was fitting that the day of Alex's funeral it was bitterly cold with a chilling rain spitting down on the congregation gathered under the tent with the white casket, belonging to a once vibrant young mother of two, in the centre. The funeral was held cemetery by a small Methodist church that Alex had obviously attended in the years before her death. And, from the sheer number of people that were present at the funeral, it was clear that Alex was loved and cherished by many.

Mac glanced around the congregation. She had offered to come with Harm to provide him some moral support after he decided Jordan should not be there if she was to counsel Kally. Mac was all to happy to be there for Harm, this was a hard time for him and the children, and she wanted to be there for them. She wanted Harm to see her not just as his partner but as a friend...maybe even more.

Ellish Cameron stood near the priest at the top of the gathering flanked between her eldest son Brennen, and Kayla. It had been Harm who had introduced Mac to Brennen and his family, and the fact that he knew the names of his wife and his three sons just attested to how close he was to the family. Brennen seemed to see Harm as a brother and his children greeted Harm as 'Uncle Harm'.

She had never shared such an attachment with any of her ex-boyfriends' families, not even with Chris', a man with whom she was actually married to. It burned her to know that Alex and her family was able to get close to Harm, to wiggle into his emotional defences and work past his demons. Harm did confide in her but never to such a level that he evidently did with Alex.

It was then that Mac came upon a realization; she was insanely jealous of Alex Cameron, a woman she had never met before and never would meet. But that little detail did not prevent her envy and jealousy, that much was certain. She was jealous that another woman had managed to have a long-term commitment to Harm enough for her to bear his child as well as make him the surrogate father to her daughter...and jealous that her sister was now on the road to having the kind of close relationship she craved from Harm.

Mac watched Kayla standing close to Harm, one hand on Kally's shoulder and the other holding his hand. Harm was precariously holding Kaiden in one arm but still maintained the contact with the FBI agent. They looked so close, so intimate. Judging from the brief glances of Ellish Cameron to the couple, the older woman seemed almost pleased to see them together.

Forcing her gaze away from Harm and Kayla, her eyes came to rest on the two children standing near her. Kally was dressed in an adorable navy pinafore and white blouse whilst her brother wore a navy suit and a pale blue shirt. Kally sniffled every so often, especially at the poignant moments when Alex's friends spoke of her, but the child appeared determined to stand strong in public. Kaiden vacillated between resting his head on Harm's shoulder and playing with Harm's tie. He was too young to understand properly, all he knew was his mother was never coming back.

The priest ended the funeral with some closing remarks on what a wonderful light shone in Alex and how she would look over them all from her place with God. Kally looked eager to run off but Kaiden possessed the morbid curiosity of a small child and it was obvious from his studious face that the boy needed to ask questions.

As the casket was lowered into the ground, the gatherers threw in white roses then moved away to begin the short drive to Ellish's place where the wake was being held. Harm gently led Kally to the casket.

"Do you want to throw your flower?" he asked of the ten-year-old. He was so good with children, his consideration towards them melted Mac's heart. In some odd way, it was almost enough to make her yearn for a child just to see him grace his tenderness to her baby.

Kally stared thoughtfully at the casket, then tossed her rose into the grave. "Goodbye, Mom," she whispered.

Harm pulled her tiny form to him. "We'll all miss her, Sport, and we'll *ever* forget her."

"No..."

Tears that she had tried to fight back, finally rolled down her rosy cheeks. She hid her face into Harm, shaking as she wept for her lost mother. Harm just held her and Kaiden clumsily patted his sister's head. After a few minutes, Kally pulled back and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"Better?"

"Yeah."

Kayla came over, smiling weakly at her niece and Harm. "How's it going, Sport?"

"'Kay, I guess," Kally sniffed.

Kayla put her hand on the child's cheek. "You're freezing, Kall." She put her arm around the little girl. "How about we go find the car and get you heated up? David, Oliver and Toby are waiting for you."

Kally sighed, not much up to playing with her cousins but needing to be away from all the misery. Mac watched as Kayla walked off with Kally, after sharing a private look with Harm. That just reinforced Mac's jealousy. She wanted so much to be there for Harm and the children yet when she watched the three of them with Kayla Cameron, she felt as if she was losing Harm. He was changing- children did that to anyone- but she had never witnessed such dramatic changes in Harm before. Hell, he didn't even seem that bothered when he announced that he was considering quitting the Navy to care for Kally and Kaiden. A few months ago, Harm would have collapsed at the thought of life without the Navy and JAG.

She moved back from Harm, giving him and Kaiden some privacy, but remained closeby. Mac watched as Harm moved closer to the grave, placing Kaiden firmly on the ground and squatting down beside the little boy.

The child regarded the lowered coffin for a moment, leaning over to get a good look. "Mommy's going in the dirt now," Kaiden said, matter-of-factly.

Harm blinked hard at his simple statement, trying to keep his own volatile emotions under wraps for the sake of his four-year-old son. "Yes, we've buried your mommy in the ground but her spirit has gone to heaven."

"Will we ever see her again?"

"One day...but not for a very long time, Scamp. Until then, remember that she's watching over us."

Kaiden nodded solemnly and Harm scooped the boy up into her arms. Mac smiled inwardly as she studied the man and child- they looked like the model idea of a father and his young son. It made Mac ache all the more for a child of her own. Ever since she had held AJ Roberts in her arms, she had felt the urge that many a childless woman of her age felt when in contact with a child as loving and adorable as Kaidan. She had hoped that spending more time with Chloe would soothe her needs but watching Harm with his children made her realize that nothing could compete with having your own child.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Harm's soft voice. "Coming, Mac?" He held his hand out for her to take.

"Yeah," she smiled slightly, taking his hand.

As they walked through the rows of gravestones, Mac knew that being at the grave of his former lover had to be hard for Harm and it brought home the reality that Alex was dead. It had been the same for her; she was coping quite well with Chris's death until the day she visited his finally place of rest. That night she cried herself to sleep. Harm always was a sensitive person, moreso when people he loved were hurt. He needed some time to overcome this.

As the trio wandered over to where Harm's SUV was parked, Mac caught sight of a blond-haired man watching the funeral service from some trees. She was about to point it out to Harm when she saw that he too had seen the man. Oddly, he scowled then turned away and walked faster towards the car where Kally and Kayla were standing waiting for them.

"Who was that?" Mac asked.

"Kally's father," was the sullen response.

Mac just arched her eyebrow. She wasn't stupid; she could hear the agitation and anger in his normally placid voice. But she also knew now was not the time to question him on it.

****************************************************
Harm's Home
Washington DC
0400 EST, September 9th
Harm jolted awake, sleepily blinking as he tried to figure out what had disturbed him. He had found that since having two young children in his house that he had been sleeping lighter compared to before. He had asked Harriet about it, since she was the only one he found he could identify with on such situations, and she smiled at him as she explained that these things happen when one becomes a parent.

A parent? God, he still could not believe it. He was meant to be the obsessive and sometimes reckless Navy officer, not a responsible father to two small kids.

Scrubbing his face with his hands, he rolled off the couch. He padded into the kitchen for a glass of milk then just as he was about to settle back to the couch, he felt the need to check on the kids. Creeping into what was previously his bedroom, he glanced around the room under the illumination of Kaiden's night light.

Kaiden was sprawled on the infant bed that Harm had brought in after his little accident. The tot looked so adorable when he slept, like a little angel. That thought made Harm bite back a snort of amusement since he knew the boy was anything but...He knelt down to smooth his son's hair, tucking the blanket around Kaiden's shoulders careful not to disturb the sleeping child.

Turning to Kally, Harm frowned when he saw the girl entangled in the sheets, her pillow on the floor. Gently, Harm readjusted the girl so she was lying in a more comfortable position. As he reached to retrieve the pillow, he was surprised to find it wet.

She'd been crying...

He just stood there stunned for a minute. Kally had been so strong and collected over the days following her mother's death and Harm had found it strange she had not shown emotions. Obviously she had, only she just felt like she had to hide her sadness whether it was from him or from Kaiden, he did not know. It wasn't fair. Kally needed her mother, she needed Alex to keep the monsters away and kiss her knees when she fell.

"Oh, Kally..."

Harm would gladly have laid his life down for the children, but suddenly he felt unable to give anything to them at that very moment. Stumbling back into the living room, he slumped onto the couch, burying his head in his hands and, for the first time since Alex's death, he sobbed for a woman taken too soon, his own lost chances of a family and two small children left without a mother.

TBC...
End Of Chapter Four