A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, PM'd, favoured this story and the author follows. I know I say this every time but I appreciate all of you more than you could know. I wish I had time to reply to every one of you in person but RL takes up a lot of my time at the moment and I write when I have quiet moments.
Huge thanks as always to my wonderful friends: Purdy's Pal for reading through part of this for me and to JediSkysinger for providing me with locations as well as reading through for me too. Huge thanks also to DaisyDay for putting a smile on my face every single day, I don't know what I would do without you all.
Thanks also to the girls on twitter. You're all so special to me. Love you all
10
Sam drove the charger along the 826 West out of Miami while Michael called Patrick's number for the third time. Holding it against his ear he pleaded silently for the man at the other end to answer the phone while he kept his eyes on the passing road signs. His heart was pounding inside his chest and he was starting to think that they would be heading to Broward County to carry out a blind search that may or may not lead to Marie.
After the fifth ring the voice at the other end of the phone startled Michael for a few seconds until he finally found his voice and croaked Patrick's name in desperation.
"Michael?" Patrick asked in confusion. "Is tha' you?"
"Yes…it's me…listen, I need—"
"I've been tryin' ta call ya fer tha last hour…ya need ta answer yer damn phone…"
"Patrick," Michael snapped angrily, "if you're trying to make a point then make it, we're in the middle of trying to find your wife!"
"Tha's why I'm callin' ya. I go' a call from Marie's cousin, they own a horse farm ou' thare, in a place offa Griffin Road…"
"Dammit…," Michael hissed out and glanced across to Sam. "Take I-75 North, Sam. She's somewhere off of Griffin Road."
"Sure thing brother," Sam gasped out as he kept his eyes on the road. "Can he give us the name of the farm?"
"Michael…"
"Yeah, we know it Patrick. What's the name of the farm? We're on our way there now," Michael's voice rose as he spoke, the irritation pouring out of him when he gripped the phone tighter. "I NEED a name Patrick."
"I don' know fer sure bu' it has somethin' ta do wit' Dwyer…sorry I can' give ya more."
"Sam, we need to find a horse farm with the name of Dwyer," Michael told the man beside him and watched when he nodded silently as he took a hand off the steering wheel to delve into his pocket for his iphone and tossed it across to the man beside him.
Michael tucked his phone beneath his chin while he put the details into Sam's phone and only half listened to Patrick's disjointed voice. When the information popped up on the screen Michael tapped Sam's arm and handed him his cell before he turned his attention back to the man at the other end of the phone before he felt his patience slip away completely.
"What the HELL are you doing about your wife? You do know she's out here to take my daughter?"
"I know Michael...an' I promise ya I'll be makin' sure she can' ge' tha babby this time…" Patrick's voice crackled through the static over the line, his words sounding disjointed before the line cleared again. "I'm on me way ta Miami righ' now…"
"Fiona doesn't need this," Michael growled angrily. "Haven't you and your family done enough to her to her already?"
"Micha—"
"No Patrick, you listen to me. If that woman goes near my wife or my children I swear I will KILL her. DO YOU hear me Patrick? I won't let her get away this time."
"Aye I hear ya loud an' clear…bu' ya might be wantin' ta hear wha' I've go' ta say befer ya go an' kill me wife."
Michael narrowed his eyes and clutched the phone tighter against his ear, "Yeah? What's that Patrick?"
"She's pregnant."
Michael head ached and he suddenly felt his blood run cold. Shaking his head he let out the breath he'd been holding and closed his eyes while he tried to think of what he could say.
"So why is she back in Miami for Caitlin?" he hissed angrily. "I thought you were supposed to be watching her—"
"She's givin' me another son…" Patrick's voice softened and he too gasped out a breath as he spoke. "An' I guess she wa' prayin' fer a girl this time."
"I won't let her take my child," Michael promised, his voice dropping dangerously low. "I'm sorry Patrick but I don't think I'll be able to stop Fiona from hurting her this time, pregnant or not…she's not taking Caitlin from us."
"Michael, tha's wha' I wanted ta tell ya…I found tha stuff she'd hidden from all a us befer she disappeared…an' it's bad, Michael…ya have ta know she's sick…she wouldn' be doin' this if she wasn'."
"What did you find Patrick?" Michael asked, his patience wearing thin as he watched the scenery flash past.
"She has new stuff in tha packs fer tha babby…ya have ta keep har safe."
"I already told you Patrick, we won't let her take Caitlin from us." Michael nodded his head towards the exit sign that indicated they were turning onto Griffin Road and listened to the man at the other end of the phone trying to talk through the static on the line. "Patrick I can't hear you…say that again…"
"Marie…babby…she wants—"
The line grew silent and Michael took it away from his ear to look down at the blank screen before he threw it onto the dashboard.
"What did he say brother?" Sam asked, his voice rising over the roar of the engine. "Did he tell you—"
"He said Marie's pregnant and it's another boy."
"Jeeze Mike," Sam shook his head and put his foot down, driving faster. "That's gotta piss her off."
Instead of answering Michael snatched the phone from the dashboard and pressed in Fiona's number, hoping the sound of her voice would calm his nerves.
000
Meaghan's cries brought Fiona racing into the room, her eyes darting to the windows. Seeing nothing unusual she fought to control her thumping heart rate and moved towards the crib before she reached down to pull the baby up into her arms.
"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" she cooed when Meaghan whimpered against her. "Did you have a bad dream?"
Manoeuvring the child in her arms she smiled down at her as she bent to place a kiss onto her forehead, nestling her lips against her warm skin. None of the baby books she'd read had come close to describing the love she felt as a mother. She could remember with perfect clarity that surge of protectiveness she'd felt when Caitlin had come into the world…a love that had never faded but only intensified.
Meaghan fussed, making whimpering sounds causing her mother to lift her head to gaze down at her. Fiona's eyes searched ever part of her but seeing no outwardly signs she moved across to the changing until and laid her on top of it before she started to unfasten the poppers, all the while whispering to her restless daughter.
"You look like daddy when you pout," she cooed when she eased Meaghan's arms out of the sleeves. "Just so you know, that doesn't work on me anymore."
Meaghan looked up at her mother and broke out into a wide grin as she kicked her legs in response. Fiona gazed down at her with absolute devotion and couldn't resist stroking the soft skin on her daughter's chest.
"Okay, well maybe your pout works more on me more than your dad's does," she grinned. "Now stop laughing and keep still. I am trying to change your diaper here!"
"Mammy, nana wants ta know if ya want har to help ya wit' anythin'," Caitlin's voice caused the baby to turn her head searching the room as she tried to find her sister. Fiona looked over at her eldest daughter and smiled, indicating for her to come closer.
"I think Meaghan wants to see you baby," she told her proudly when the little girl came further into the room. "I'll go and see nana when we've finished in here."
Caitlin's eyes sparked with love when she walked towards the changing unit and reached for her sister's tiny hand before she lowered her head and nuzzled her cheek against the baby's fingers.
"She's soft."
"That's because she's so tiny," Fiona told her with a smile as she placed a clean diaper onto the wriggling child who was cooing up at her elder sister. When she had finished she refastened the poppers on Meaghan's outfit and lifted her up, holding her back flat against her stomach so that she could see Caitlin properly.
The two girls responded to one another instantly, Meaghan already reaching out to grasp Caitlin's hand. The baby had grown so much in the last few weeks and her development had surprised all of them. Even though Fiona had already had one child, because she hadn't raised her she was doing everything with Meaghan as a new mother.
Watching her two little girls Fiona was suddenly struck with a sense of loss and she knew it had everything to do with missing all of these moments with Caitlin as she was growing. She wished she had the confidence to understand what was happening with all of the changes that Meaghan was going through, and despite how many times Michael had tried to reassure her that she was a good mother, sometimes she still felt like a failure.
"Look mammy, she's tryin' ta eat me," Caitlin giggled when Meaghan gnawed on her fingers only to snatch her hand away. "Ouch…"
Looking down at Caitlin questioningly when she held up her finger to show her, Fiona examined it as best as she could with Meaghan in her arms and gasped in amazement when she noticed that there was a distinctive red mark that looked like a dent on Caitlin's finger.
"Oh baby, it looks like a tooth mark," Fiona gasped with a smile when she met Caitlin's wide eyes. "I think your sister has her first tooth."
"Yer've go' a tooth," Caitlin gasped as she stepped forward to take both of Meaghan's balled fists in her hands and grinned up at their mother. "How many teeth does she have ta have befer she can eat real food?"
The question threw Fiona completely and she wished that Madeline was in the room with them just to verify an answer but all she could do was think back to the things she had read. Caitlin seemed to be a little distracted while she was talking to Meaghan and Fiona suddenly realised that she didn't have to know all of the answers.
"Soon baby," Fiona told her with a smile when she manoeuvred the baby in her arms so that she was cradling her against her. "She's still too young yet, but maybe in a few weeks."
"Did I have lots a teeth when I had food?" Caitlin asked curiously as she bounced up and down in front of Meaghan, playing peek-a-boo. She was so engrossed in her baby sister's giggles that she didn't see the fleeting sadness that crossed her mother's eyes. When she jumped backwards and pulled her hand away from Meaghan before she could gnaw on her finger again, she'd forgotten all about her unanswered question.
Stepping away from them, Caitlin moved back towards the crib and pulled out a pink rabbit to hold it in front of Meaghan, before she turned back towards the door and held it open for her mother.
"Do ya think daddy will be back soon?" she asked, her lips merging into a smile when she held up the toy rabbit to see if Meaghan could hold it yet. "Can I tell him abou' Meaghan?"
"Of course you can baby," Fiona grinned, relieved that she didn't have to answer any more questions. "As soon as he gets home."
"He's goin' ta paint me nails later."
"Really?" Fiona asked, the mental image bringing another smile to her lips. If someone had told her all those years ago that the man she had fallen in love with would allow himself to be influenced by a five year old she would have shot them on the spot. Shaking her head she lowered a hand to Caitlin's head and followed her out of the door. "Well, make sure you pick a bright colour."
"Yep."
When they moved out into the family room Madeline wasn't anywhere to be seen, her absence sent immediate worry to Fiona's eyes. Looking around the room she found herself checking every window and trying to think how she was going to keep the girls safe and hold a gun at the same time.
The front door suddenly opened and the woman in question came into the house. Closing the door behind her she stopped on the spot when she saw how pale Fiona's face had become and instantly made her way towards her.
"Honey, what's wrong?"
Swallowing her fear Fiona released the breath she'd been holding and plastered a smile onto her face. She didn't want to allow her worry to speak for her because she knew all too well how easy it was to say things she didn't mean when she was scared. The smell of cigarettes clung to Madeline's body and she made a mental note to tell her to step out in the yard next time she needed a cigarette break.
"Nothing…" she lied. "Meaghan's got a tooth."
"A tooth?" Moving towards them Madeline reached out to take the baby from her arms and held her up so that she could kiss her cheek. "You're getting to be a big girl now."
"Yep," Caitlin grinned when she stepped up to her grandmother to peer up at her sister. "Soon she can eat real food an' I'm goin' ta tell daddy."
"You are?" Madeline asked, her smile widening as she spoke. "Well you know what honey, why don't we go and sit on the couch and read a book to Meaghan so your mom can take a break."
Fiona was about to answer and insist that she was absolutely fine but before she could object the cell phone began to ring on the table and she moved to snatch it up, relieved to see Michael's name on the screen.
"Michael," she breathed the second she pressed the phone to her ear. "Where are you?"
"Fi…I spoke to Patrick, we're on our way to a place off of Griffin road, Marie's got a cousin who owns a horse farm there."
"Dwyers?" Fiona asked him numbly as she tried to process just how many miles that was away from them. "But…I don't…"
"You know it?" he asked excitedly.
"No…not really I know she has a cousin somewhere. Her names Katherine Dwyer, she left Ireland when Caitlin was a baby…" shaking her head Fiona gasped in a breath and closed her eyes against the throbbing headache behind her eyes. "Is it her? Is she helping her?"
"I don't know for sure—"
"Michael," she ground out suddenly, angry tears burning her eyes. "I need to know."
"That's where she is Fi…that's all I know…" after a few seconds his voice softened again, "Are you and the girls okay?"
"Yeah, we're good…we…" her heart lurched in her chest when she thought of the possibility that Marie could be near the house right now. Turning her eyes onto her two daughters she swallowed the lump in her throat and resisted the urge to ask him to come home, knowing that if he heard for one second that she was terrified he would turn around right now. "We're all fine."
"You're sure?"
"I'm sure…" she told him, lowering her voice as she moved towards the back windows and away from Madeline and the girls. "Now you go and find that bitch and make sure she doesn't show her face here again."
"I'm on it Fi…I'll see you soon…"
"Okay," she nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Call me as soon as you know anything?"
"You know I will—"
The line grew silent and she drew in a deep breath before she pushed the worry to the back of her mind. It wasn't like him to end the call without a goodbye now, not since Caitlin had come back into their lives. She could already feel the same worry eating away at her when her mind twisted her thoughts to tell her that he was slipping back into his old ways. He wasn't, she knew that, but it didn't stop those nagging doubts from taking her fear and turning it into something it wasn't…Michael wouldn't return to the way he was before because he was a father now…she was just over thinking again.
Placing the phone back onto the table she moved into the kitchen and listened to her eldest daughter reciting the words from the book that they were reading. Fiona's heart clenched in her chest when she thought of everything that Caitlin was missing out on and all because of an obsessed woman who couldn't seem to let go. As soon as this was all over for good then maybe she and Michael would make this marriage of theirs official. Maybe then they could have their happily ever after…
000
Michael stared down at his phone and instantly tried to redial Fiona's number only to be met with a disconnected tone. He glanced across at Sam worriedly before he tried again, this time punching her number in manually just in case his phone was acting up.
Lifting it to his ear he silently pleaded with anyone who was listening to let the call connect so that he could calm the panic overtaking his body. The same sound pierced his ears and he gasped in an anxious breath.
"I can't get through to her, Sam…"
"Maybe the networks down, Mike," Sam suggested hopefully as he put his foot down on the accelerator and drove faster as he inclined his head towards the map on his iphone mounted on the dashboard. "Keep tryin', according to this we should be coming up on the farm any minute now."
If Michael heard him he didn't give any indication of it. Pressing Fiona's number into the phone again he lifted it to his ear once more and tapped his foot onto the floor as he began a mantra that were the same words over and over…"Pick up…pick up…pick up…"
When the same harsh tone rang in his ears again he growled in frustration and tried another number, this time pressing in his mother's. He knew the two women were together and that gave him some tiny measure of relief but when he was met with the same sound, indicating that the line was dead he knew something was wrong.
"SAM my mom's not answering…something's wrong."
"Oh jeeze…hang on brother we're almost there... Give Barry a call—"
"Barry? Seriously?" Michael snapped as he tried Fiona's number again. "He's good with money but—"
"Look Mike we're running outta choices here. You need someone who can get to your place fast and even if we turned around now it'll still take us an hour to get back." Gripping the steering wheel tighter Sam kept his eyes on the road and sped up, ramming his foot down onto the accelerator. Glancing across to the man in the seat beside him he could already see him losing his tenuous control before he snapped his eyes back onto the road again.
Michael's voice was shaking when he scrolled through his phone book and pressed down on Barry's number. His heart was pounding in his chest as he listened to the silence on his phone until the call connected, filling him with relief.
"Barry," he gasped out as he tried to get his words out. "I need you to do something for me."
"Yeah Mike…I'm kinda in the middle of a thing right now—"
"Listen, I NEED you to go to my house and stay with Fi and the girls until I get back," Michael hissed out as he tried to speak over the tremor in his voice. "Can you do that for me?"
"What's all this about Mike? Is everything okay?"
"No BARRY everything's not okay. Just head to the house…go NOW…"
"Yeak, okay… jeeze Mike…I'll go," Barry gasped out. "Tell me the address and I'll head there now."
"I'll text it to you…just stay with them okay…?"
"Okay…"
Pressing the end call button Michael pressed in the address and texted it onto Barry, feeling a tiny bit of relief when the text was delivered. He had just started to press in Fiona's number again when his phone sprang to life in his hand and he snatched it up, placing it against his ear.
"Fi?"
"No Michael, it's me."
"Patrick? What—"
"Ya have ta listen ta me an' stop yer talkin'. Marie wan's yer babby an' she's go' it inta har head tha' she can jus' come an' take har."
"I told you already Patrick I won't let her take Caitlin," Michael growled out the words and opened the car door the second Sam stopped it in front of Dwyer's Horse Farm.
"Tha's wha' I've been tryin' ta tell ya. It's no' Caitlin she wan's, it's tha' babby…I found cupboards full a stuff fer ya little one, all pink."
Michael stopped dead and the colour drained away from his face. Right before his eyes he could see a woman coming towards them with blood sticking her hair to the side of her head. "I'll stop her Patrick," he promised. "You'd better get to Miami fast."
"Aye I know," Patrick sighed. "I'll be thare befer tha day's out."
Stuffing the phone back into his pocket Michael pulled his gun out of the waistband of his pants and held it onto the woman who was approaching them, keeping it trained on her even when she held her hands in the air.
"Where's Marie?" he growled out as he moved towards her, gun still drawn. "TELL ME…"
"She's gone," Katharine Dwyer shook her head and stumbled onto her knees. "She's nuts…she held a gun on me husban' an' demanded he helped har steal some wee babby bu' I wouldn' have any part a it…"
Lowering his gun, Michael looked towards Sam who nodded and tucked his gun into his pants before he moved swiftly to the injured woman's side.
"She's in a lawn service truck…Ryan helped har fit ou; a trailer ta brin' tha babby back here befer she ca' ge' har outta here an' back ta Ireland."
"Dammit…Mike…"
"I know Sam," Michael hissed, his heart hammering inside his chest. Turning back to Katherine he surged towards her and grabbed hold of her shoulders, keeping his gun in his hand. "How many men has she got with her?"
"She has me husban' Ryan an' some flella she brough' over wit' har…Bobby O'Neil."
"O'Neil?" Sam asked, his voice hissing through his lips. "Any relation to Thomas O'Neil?"
Shaking her head, Katherine's eyes filled with tears when she didn't know the answer. "I don' know…bu' ya have ta stop har."
"I intend to," Michael growled out as he turned away from her and raced back towards the Charger but her cry stopped him and he turned back to look at her in frustration.
"Le' me come wit' ya…" she rushed towards them and climbed into the back of the car before either of them could protest. Looking up from her seat she shook her head and yelled out. "HURRY UP WILL YA."
Sam and Michael exchanged glances before they both climbed into the charger with their unwelcome guest as Michael started the car and sped back out onto Griffin road.
000
Fiona's heart was hammering inside her chest when she tried to rationalise all of the things her mind was telling her. All Fiona wanted was for them to live a normal life, whatever normal was for them now. She also knew that a normal family life was something that they would never be able to experience…but it didn't stop her for longing for it anyway.
Lowering the phone Fiona sighed heavily before she placed it onto the table, her eyes lingering over the blank screen. Something wasn't right, she could feel it. Reaching for the phone again she picked it up and saw the no service message plastered all over the screen, propelling her suspicions into overdrive.
Her eyes flared with suspicion when she looked towards the windows and tried not to let Madeline or her daughter see how she anxiously looked around her to make sure all of the locks were secured. Moving towards the glass in the kitchen she lowered the blinds and closed them to shut out the sunlight before she walked into the family room to repeat the process.
"Mammy, wha' are ya doin'? It's no' bed time yet."
Glancing back towards her daughter she felt her heart lurch slightly when she tried not to think of how she could possibly live without her again. Shaking her head she pushed a smile to her lips and turned the lock on the back of the main door, listening for the click that indicated it was locked tight.
"I know baby," she told her, keeping her voice soft as she spoke. "I…just…I've got a headache…it's too bright in here."
"Do ya wan' me ta close tha other blinds fer ya?" Caitlin asked quickly, the concern in her voice bringing a sheen of tears to Fiona's eyes.
"No, it's okay baby…you stay with nana and read to Meaghan, I'll be alright."
Fiona could feel Madeline's eyes upon her but she moved along the house to close all the blinds anyway. There was something nagging at her in the back of her mind…something felt off here but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
When she walked into Caitlin's bedroom she moved towards her pink blind and was in the process of lowering it when she saw something that caused every hair on her neck to stand on end. It was Wednesday and she knew for a fact that the lawn service wasn't due around for another week since there were several neighbours who had cancelled the service the same time that she had, so why were they parked outside?
Her senses were on high alert as she surveyed the truck that was parked opposite the house. So far she couldn't see anyone near the house or the sounds that usually accompanied the lawn service. Everything just seemed silent. Lifting her hands up to the blind she slowly began to lower it when something caught her eye to send every one of her fears into overdrive…Marie was here…
TBC