A/N: This chapter's a little short, but you all have been amazing this week about reviewing. I may have to spend my night doing some Themes :)

HammyMC: Haha...it's going to be awhile before any of them are revealed. Calvin's got issues. They're all coming out at once.

Aubrey: Daniel has discovered a space to be mischievous in. Let your mind run wild with that.

TheRanger'sDaughter: Haha...yeah, Daniel's good at the getting into trouble thing.

Raider: Elizabet's unsure about Calvin coming back into her life, but she's still pretty young. She's learning how to process her emotions.

Disclaimer: I am not John Flanagan.

Liam and Kane jerked in opposite directions to dodge arrows flying at them. Will and Mason had appeared on the other end of the hallway Laura fled. Once the four men realized they had her cornered each of them pulled back arrows. The bows Will and Mason had weren't Ranger bows. It seemed like they'd raided the Archery section of the armory. Still, the two of them were good shots and Laura knew she was no match for four trained archers. She held out her hands as the four of them honed in on her.

"You four are idiots," Laura scowled as Will bound her hands. "Am I really so important that you leave all my friends to run amuck while you chase after me?"

"Yes, you are," Liam told her grimly. "You messed up my wife's work, you messed up my apprentice's training, and you have managed to personally piss off some very important people."

Laura glared at him. "Your wife is dead."

Kane made note of how little Liam let her remark affect him. Had Laura taken a shot at Gabby he would have snapped. Liam looked to Will. "You have any ideas of where we can keep her until this is all over?"

Will took a rag and gagged Laura. "I'll take care of her."

Gabby cradled the baby in her arms. He was hungry but nobody had been able to get milk in their mad dash to the safe room. Gabby rocked him slowly as she'd once rocked Russ when Kane had to go find someone willing to sell them milk in the middle of the night. Later William and Anamaria would figure that type of thing out and all that came with adopting a baby. They'd probably buy their own set of goats and one of Anamaria's maids would learn how to milk it. But for now there were more important reasons to keep the baby from crying. If the people who attacked the castle found them it could be bad. After all, both Cassandra and Anamaria were in there, and the baby who would be a prince once his adoption was made formal.

As the baby's cries softened down to whimpers Gabby listened to the others in the room. She could hear Russ's familiar breathing while Talia and Caitlyn took turns entertaining him with stories. Gabby didn't feel completely comfortable with Talia being so close to Russ but there wasn't much choice at this particular moment. At least they were where in earshot and Caitlyn was there too. Though young, Caitlyn had proved more than useful in blocking Talia from taking on Russ fully while Gabby was busy with the baby and Anamaria. Russ was interested in Talia but he gravitated towards Caitlyn, whom he was more familiar with.

Cassandra busied herself sitting in the floor with Melody getting as much information about Joy as possible. Melody had relaxed enough to sob quietly into the queen's shoulder while answering every single question thrown at her about her sister. All while Gabby and Anamaria sat on the bed with the still unnamed baby.

"Maybe taking on a baby wasn't such a good idea," Anamaria muttered as Gabby rocked. Gabby just smiled.

"You've just started. Don't worry, you'll get it."

"You're doing it now."

"I've already been through this. Trust me, if him being quiet wasn't so important right now I wouldn't be holding him."

Gabby felt the bed shift as Anamaria moved back to lean against the wall. It put her closer to Gabby and the baby.

"You like to be private nurse?" Anamaria asked. "We pay what you want."

"You know I won't do that," Gabby told her. She'd become accustomed to turning down job offers over the past few years. She was comfortable as a senior physician's assistant and knew her way around the medical wing she'd been working in since she was young. Despite the reputation she'd built for herself she didn't have interest in being anyone's private physician or nurse.

"It was worth try," Anamaria sighed.

The baby stopped whimpering. Gabby listened as his breathing evened out. "He's going to be fussy until he eats. Don't think all this is because he doesn't like you."

Gabby loosened her grip on him and held him up when she felt Anamaria's arm brush against hers. Anamaria adjusted his blanket and then pulled back again. It was as though she were considering taking him for a moment but decided against it. If the stakes on silence weren't so high Gabby would have dumped him on her.

"How you feel?" Anamaria asked softly in attempt to cover her hesitation. "I mean, with yours."

Gabby felt the baby in her arms squirm. She readjusted him so he lay against her chest. He coughed once and snuggled against her warmth. He'd worn himself out crying and now he was falling asleep. "Slightly nauseous to be honest, but I'll be alright."

"You say you need anything," Anamaria told her. "Really. I give you what you want."

Gabby smiled. "Be careful with that offer."