Coming Together

Chapter Eleven

Catherine shut the door as she left Peter's home. She could hear Jacob screaming inside and it was tearing her up. Jimmy was crying beside her holding her free hand.

"Mama will he be okay?" Jimmy asked as he climbed into their black Grand Cherokee.

"I don't know but his Father will be there for him." she said helping Jimmy buckle up. Tez climbed into the passenger in the front. Climbing in Catherine started the engine and put the Cherokee in gear. She was leaving her son behind, she could still hear the his screams of pain inside her. She knew she always would. She didn't want to leave. She also knew this was the right decision. Letting her foot off the brake she started the long drive to their new home.

They drove through Pennsylvania and stopped at the border of Ohio and found a hotel. The boys were subdued has they climbed the stairs to their hotel room. They missed their brother. They ate pizza from a nearby restaurant. The boys enjoyed watching television for the first time in months. Catherine decided that they would stop in Chicago to go aquarium.

Five hundred miles away Vincent sat on Jacob's bed watching him sleep. The boy had waken when they had gotten home but wouldn't say anything. Devin tried to get him to eat but he refused and went to bed where he cried until he fell asleep again. Vincent felt like crying too. She was gone. He should have made more of an effort.

"Why didn't she stay?" he asked out loud.

"She wanted her boys to have a chance." Devin said behind him. Vincent stared at him.

"A chance?"

"They had been hiding for so long that she wanted them to know that the world wasn't as violent as they knew."

"Oh..." Vincent said.

"Vincent she's trying to be a good mother to all of them."

"She is a good mother to them but what about Jacob?"

"What about Jacob?" Devin asked looking down at his sleeping nephew.

"She left him here alone."

"She left him here with you. She knows your relationship with him is not the best. She's trying to give you another chance with your son. Don't mess it up."

"I won't." Vincent promised running his hand through Jacob brown hair. He would gain the relationship he had with son back. He would make Catherine proud of him, maybe love him even.

"Boys we're here." Catherine said as they entered their new hometown.

Landen, Minnesota

It had been a long drive for all of them. The boys slowly starting smiling again after the stop in Chicago. They still hurt but the ache would lessen after time. Catherine knew her pain would never go away. She left her son behind. What kind of mother was she to leave behind her child? The worst kind.

"There's your school." she said pointing to the school. It was a red brick building that held all the grades. There was only about four hundred students in the school only about twenty graduates a year. A lot of the nearby towns sent their children here. Catherine thought it would be good for her boys to be in a small environment.

"Mama it looks awesome." Tez said staring at it. He had never been to school before and couldn't wait to find out what it was like. He didn't think class underground really counted.

"Do I get to go?" Jimmy asked hoping he was old enough.

"You sure do your going to be kindergarten." Catherine answered. Jimmy cheered and stared at the school.

"Mama look at the baseball field." Tez yelled pointing at the field behind the school. It was the best he had ever seen. He couldn't wait to get out there and hit some balls.

"Mama look at the playground." Jimmy shouted excitedly staring at the big playground beside the school.

"Looks like you all are going to have a lot of fun." she said laughing at her boys happiness. Stopping at the Realtor's office she picked up her new house keys and got the directions to their new home. She made a left at the school and headed out of town following the directions her Realtor gave her. The entire town was surrounded by a huge forest and she enjoyed driving under the trees watching the shadows hitting the ground.

"Mama it's pretty here." Jimmy said staring into the forest.

"Very pretty." she said agreeing with her son. It was thirty minutes before she saw the big red mailbox on the right with Wells painted on the side. The Realtor set everything up for them from the mail box to making sure they had the electricity on and running water.

"Here we are." she called out pulling into the drive way. The boys leaned forward looking for the house. The house stood about half a mile from the road totally surrounded by trees.

"Mama look it's so cool." Tez yelled pointing at his new home. Home he couldn't believe it. For so long he dreamed of a place to call home now he was here. He smiled he was home.

"Mama look water." Jimmy yelled pointing to the lake behind the house. He wanted to go swimming. He wanted to go to school. He wanted to play.

"What do you think?" Catherine asked stopping the car in front of the house. She turned to her oldest son waiting for his opinion.

"Mama, we're home." Tez whispered staring at the house.

"Yes we are." she replied smiling and looked at the house. It was two stories with lots of windows. She thought it was perfect. Opening the door she climbed out and grabbed her crutch. By the time she got to the front of the car the boys were waiting at the stairs leading up to the front door. The porch extended around the house. Unlocking the door she pushed it open and watched as her boys ran in trying to look at everything at once. Walking in she was amazed it was better than any of the pictures the Realtor had sent her. The movers had already been here, furniture and boxes were scattered everywhere.

"Mama we have a fireplace." Tez yelled pointing. The living was huge a fireplace set against the far wall and her new sofa and love seat were facing it. She imagined evenings of her boys surrounding the fireplace reading and doing homework.

Walking past the living room she saw her kitchen and gasped. It was beautiful. The cabinets were a rich brown and the counter ran the length of the room. In the middle set an island the top covered in a dark blue granite. Bar stools sat on one side. Two big windows lit in warm sunshine that made the granite glow. The dining room was off to right and connected to both to the kitchen and living room.

There were two bedrooms downstairs for guests. Each room already had a bed set up and dressers. She hoped that children from the tunnels would be able to visit. She knew this place would be perfect for them to visit.

"Mama come upstairs." Jimmy yelled from upstairs. Climbing upstairs she laughed when she found Jimmy jumping up and down.

"Mama come look." Jimmy yelled grabbing her free hand and led her to one of the bedrooms. Walking in she saw the bunk beds she bought all ready set up.

"I got bunk beds." Jimmy said climbing to the top bed. He stood up on the bed and touched the ceiling laughing.

"You sure do." she said laughing with him. Walking into the hallway she opened the door to the master bedroom. It was perfect. The queen size bed was set up under a skylight and empty bookcases lined one wall. A comfortable recliner was set up beside them. A huge bathroom connected to the room. Two huge windows let in warm sunlight and she looked out onto the lake.

"Mama which room am I in?" Tez asked running in. He had been outside looking at the lake. The was a dock that had a bench on it. He couldn't wait to try fishing.

"Next to the room for Jimmy and Jacob." she said leading him to other bedroom. Walking in Tez smiled a twin bed set up against the wall. A desk set in front of his desk. From the window he could see the forest that surrounded them.

Turning to his Mama, Tez gave her a big hug.

"I like it here, Mama. It feels like home." he said looking up at her.

"We are home, baby." She said holding her son close.

TBC...please review