Hey, there! So, this isn't the longest chapter but there's a little sweetness to it. I wanted to get something out for Valentine's Day. I hope you enjoy! Leave a note when you finish – let me know what you think!

Chapter 14

**Louden Pines**

"Goodnight, Mommy; goodnight, Auntie," the girls said in unison backing toward the bedrooms.

"Goodnight, twins," Elizabeth offered sweetly.

Once they were in the other bedroom, door shut tightly, they girls looked intensely at one another.

Whispering, Caro spoke first, "Okay, you get in bed and pull the covers down on my side, I want to look out the windows and see what's going on out there. Text Andy and Mom, find out what's going on."

Nodding and trying not to cry, Cassidy followed her sister's plan. Tiptoeing to one of the windows in the tiny room, Caro froze when she heard the anguish in her sister's whispered groan.

"What is it, Cass?"

"The phone. It's dead. I must have used it too much today. All the texting and then trying to get the GPS to turn on so Mom could find us. What are we going to do?"

"Get in bed, get the covers down so I can slide in fast if I have to. Relax. We can still get out of here if we need to."

Slyly shifting the curtain just a bit, Caroline was careful to limit her motions so as not to draw undue attention too soon.

"I can't see anything. This window just looks in back. We'll figure something out."

"Check the side window, Caro."

On her way to the other window, Caroline froze at the sound of footsteps in the hallway.

**Saratoga Police Department**

As Olivia pulled the car into the parking lot outside the Police Department, two uniformed officers stepped forward.

"Don't get out of the car, ma'am. We'll take you right to the staging area near LP."

"Let's go," Olivia answered.

Within minutes, the two cars were pulling into the entrance of Louden Pines Trailer Park.

The first trailer on the left was crawling with activity and the Sheriff stepped outside to wave Olivia in.

The car doors quickly opened and all six people scrambled out to rush inside the trailer.

"Where are we? Show us what you have, please," Detective Benson requested.

"Are the girls still in there? With guns? Are they in imminent danger? Are they hurt?" Miranda was firing questions at the on-site police officers faster than they could answer them. "What if they decide to go out tonight? Won't they be tipped off by the volume of police cars and personnel?"

"Here's what we think the layout of the trailer is," another Saratoga Officer pointed to the plan lying out on the coffee table. "The women have been told the police are looking into a drug situation two trailers away, they should not be at all suspicious about the police and sheriff activity tonight."

Olivia and Alex bent over the table along with Miranda to look at all the photos and layouts.

"Do you know where they are in the trailer? Which room?"

Miranda looked interestedly at the officers to whom Olivia's question was directed.

"We aren't positive at the moment. The last time we saw them they were in the front room just inside the door eating dinner. We have two officers on the ground with night goggles on trying to look inside."

"Stop them. That is completely unsafe! You've said there are weapons in the trailer? You can't have inexperienced feet on the ground hoping to catch a glimpse of the kids!" Olivia looked incredulously at the locals.

"Now, you listen here, lady; just because you're some big city cop doesn't mean you know how things work up in these parts. We do things our way here," the Sheriff said, thumbs in his waistband, chest puffed out.

"You will not do this," Miranda hissed. Her hands were shaking. Her eyes watery. "You will not get into a jurisdictional scuffle over this while my children – my babies – are that trailer with crazy people and guns. You will not! If Olivia says you're doing something dangerous, I expect you to stop and rethink your plan. Who is in charge around here?"

The man who had just been dressed down by Miranda was completely red in the face and loudly answered, "I am!"

"Then you should know better. Do I need to get the governor on the phone right now to tell you the same thing I just said or will you make the right decision?"

The room was dead silent. All of the chaotic activity from the previous moment stopped and everyone, locals and city people alike, stopped to witness the interaction. Even Andréa was frozen.

Not wanting to allow things to get any more confrontational, Olivia called the Sheriff over to the table.

"Can you tell me what's in the buildings around the hot spot?"

"More trailers. They're pretty much in the center of the grounds. It will take them a few minutes if they try to leave by car."

Olivia nodded before responding, "Do we have eyes in those trailers?"

"No. Just in our cars and on the ground."

"Okay, I think we need to pull back the officers on foot and re-evaluate before someone gets hurt," Olivia said very quietly to the Sheriff standing next to her.

"Fine but we're wasting time and if those kids get hurt it's on you," he turned and spoke into the walkie-talkie he had clipped to his shoulder.

As the men and women inside the trailer crowded around the coffee table, Olivia outlined an idea.

"I want eyes on the place from every angle. Binoculars. We watch until we've seen a sign that we know where the girls are. Then, we go directly to their window – stealth mode – and extract them silently." Olivia tapped different locations around their target, assigning different locations to everyone.

"I'm staying in Command Central here. Everyone keep your talkie on secure channel beta. We go to radio silence when the extraction team goes in. Clear?"

Everyone in the room agreed and started moving out the door.

When Miranda tried to follow, she was quickly stopped by Captain Cragen. "It's, uh, it's better if you stay here."

"No."

Blinking at the intimidating woman, the Captain tried to think of a way to appease her. "Listen, ma'am, I know you want to be as close as possible to your daughters but I have to request that you remain here. I can appreciate your tension and desire to come with us but it just doesn't work that way."

Olivia, seeing the standoff, stepped forward into the melee, "Miranda, it seems counterintuitive to you but there are many reasons for it. I have to agree with the Captain on this one. Stay here with Andy and Jenn. Listen on the talkie that the sheriff has."

Sensing the explosion that was about to occur, Andy stepped forward and gently laid her hand on Miranda's shoulder, "Miranda, you are unbelievably recognizable, especially to someone who saw or sees you as competition. One glimpse of you and Cass and Caro are in unnecessary and serious danger. Please stay here."

Eyes filled with tears, Miranda turned to Andréa and whispered something quietly before walking back toward the sheriff. If she couldn't be near her girls she was going to be as close as possible to the person who would get the news first. Andy nodded at Olivia and the rest of the officers as the left to go save Caroline and Cassidy.

Silently making her way to a window, Andy stood with her shoulders stiff and her back to the room and tried not to take Miranda's anger personally. She knew how devastated she was about the twin's situation, she could not possibly imagine how Miranda herself was getting through it.

Feeling a gentle bump to her shoulder, Andy looked to her right to see Jenn Harper standing there. "What did she say?"

"Hmm?" Andy feigned ignorance.

"Come on, Andy. You look like someone just punched you in the gut. What did Miranda say to you?"

Looking Jenn straight in the eyes, Andy answered, "Et tu, Bruté?"

**Rebecca's Trailer**

"Caro, hurry!" Cassidy whispered frantically. Her sister was at least five feet from the bed and that was a big distance to cross quickly and quietly.

Caroline, trying to think, walked heavily toward the door and whispered to her twin, "Follow my lead."

"Elizabeth!" They heard Rebecca shout.

"What? Geez, why are you yelling, I'm ten feet away from you."

"Those kids are up, I hear them walking around in there. You better control them, or I will," Rebecca growled. The threat was clear.

Before either woman could do it, Caroline opened the door herself, one arm wrapped around her stomach, her shoulders hunched forward and her hair hanging near her face. "Mommy? My tummy hurts again. Can I go to the bathroom?"

"Sure, Cassidy. It's right here. If you need to use the bathroom tonight, you can just go. You don't have to ask."

"Thanks, Mommy," Caroline said meekly.

As the bathroom door shut, Elizabeth stuck her head into the bedroom, "Caroline? How long do Cassidy's tummy aches usually last? Is she going to be sick all night?"

"Um, no," Cassidy coughed, reminding herself to talk like her sister, she made her voice stronger, "she'll start to feel better soon. Once she falls asleep, as long as nothing wakes her up, she'll probably sleep late in the morning. That's what happens at Dad's house." Thinking desperately about what her sister would think up in a moment like this, it struck Cass, "Daddy usually lets her sleep really late when she gets a stomach ache. Last time, she slept until all the morning cartoons were over!"

"Well, she won't get to sleep quite that late tomorrow, we do want to meet your daddy in the morning at home but I'll make sure the house is nice and quiet all night so she can fall asleep right away. Don't keep her awake talking, got it?"

"Got it," Cass answered.

Elizabeth and Rebecca went back to the living room, leaving the bedroom door open.

When Caroline opened the bathroom door, Elizabeth asked how she was feeling and told her to go to bed and shut the door.

"Okay, I will."

Caroline shut the door and went immediately to the window but before she could look outside she heard the front door open and froze where she was.

**Louden Pines, Administrative Trailer**

As the minutes stretched on, they felt like hours. Miranda, Jenn, and Andy could not stand still. All three women were in constant motion. Miranda finally paused at a window and looked outside intently, trying to figure out where her girls might be in relation to where she was. She had not allowed herself to really focus on Andréa, needing that feeling of betrayal to help her keep her gruff exterior up. She was surrounded by too many people to cry. She realized she smelled fresh coffee and after a few moments felt a gentle hand on her elbow.

Andréa was holding out an interesting looking coffee cup to her. At Miranda's questioning look, the brunette quietly explained, "I've been working on making lattés at home. So, in case we ever get stuck somewhere that I don't have access to a Starbuck's for you I can still supply you with your caffeine fix." She ended with a tiny, near-smile and raised eyebrows. Andy knew a home-made latté would not make up for ganging up on Miranda in front of other people but that wasn't her goal. She just wanted to make Miranda happier, more comfortable. Andy was still standing there, one hand on Miranda's elbow and the other holding out the coffee mug while Miranda searched the younger woman's eyes.

"You? You've been doing this? At home?" Miranda whispered.

Biting her lip, Andy answered on a breath, "Yes. It's important to me, you know, that you always get, well, whatever will make you happy, comfortable. I mean, whatever you want, or need, or…whatever." Andy's cheeks were red and her eyes teary but the time she finished.

Miranda quickly glanced around the small room, but no one was paying any attention to them at all. She reached up to take the drink from the other woman and held Andréa's hand beneath her own on the cup. "Thank you. Again. And, Andréa, I'm sorry. You are, always, the truest person I've known. I should not have said that to you."

Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, Andy nodded. A tear escaped.

"Please, please, Andréa, do not cry. Not here. We have so much to discuss but not yet. Please," Miranda whispered so quietly.

Continuing to nod, Andy turned them so they were both looking out the window. "I won't, Miranda. I'm not. I'm just relieved. I would never, ever want you to feel that I betrayed you. It was just a tear of relief."

"Good, I…I just…"

"I know."

After a few quiet moments together, Andy took a deep breath and spoke quietly to the beautiful woman next to her, "Miranda, I know you're panicked about the girls right now, and, to be honest, so am I but I just want you to know, I'm not going anywhere. If it takes hours or days or weeks for us, for you and I, to get to a place where we can have our talk? I'll be there. This matters, Miranda. I…well…I – "

"Rebecca has left the trailer," Olivia said over the walkie talkie just at that moment. "We have eyes on the suspect. Looks unarmed. Captain, should we move?"

"Negative. That is a negative. All hold. I repeat, all hold."