a/n: i know, finally an update right? LOL. sorry it took so long...Senior year is busier than i thought it would be. but i finally got this chapter finished so i hope you enjoy it. don't forget to review. Thanks

Chapter Twelve: It's Gonna Be Okay…I Hope

Days after kidnapping Brooke, Haley and Cooper, Dan was happy to finally be closing in on his hideout destination where he intends on holding them hostage for a very long while…who knows, maybe even forever. Yes…they could become his new family. He would steal this family like Nathan and Lucas stole a family from him. They would hate this, but what other choice would they have? It's a home with him, or well…no life at all. And in this place, there's no chance Nathan and Lucas would find them here.

"Home sweet home," Dan says, pushing open the door to an actual house. He steps aside to let Brooke, Cooper and Haley with the baby enter. Marcus follows inside, carrying a large box, conforming to Dan's demands.

"This isn't home." Brooke says, setting her purse on the floor by an ugly, old couch. "This is a dump."

"Well, it is nice than that van." Haley says, sitting down on the sofa with the baby.

"Thanks you." Dan says.

"I'm not defending you." Haley snaps, glaring at him. "I just want my kids away from you and there's more space in here than there is in that dirty old van."

Dan nods, unsurprised and unoffended by Haley's tone and harsh words.

"Well," he says, " you can all look around, get comfortable and make yourselves at home. But don't hurt yourselves trying to find a way to escape. All the doors are locked from the outside and the windows are sealed. Marcus will help you with anything you need and if you get hungry…. well, there is plenty of food in the fridge…I just stocked up."

"Where the hell are you going?" Haley asks, still glaring. "Not that we really care."

"Well I have a few more things to pick up. And you might consider behaving…it's all for you, to make your stay more comfortable."

Dan chuckles as he heads back out the door, locking all locks running down the door before leaving.

"Please eat your breakfast, Chloe." Nathan begs of his three year old, sitting at the kitchen table in a chair next to her in her booster seat.

James and Katie are sitting next to Chloe, watching as their father attempts to feed Chloe again and again.

"It's Coco-Puffs. You love Coco-Puffs." Nathan holds the spoon up to Chloe's mouth. "C'mon, honey…just a few bites."

Chloe doesn't open her mouth. Instead, she stares at Nathan with a pout.

Nathan sighs as he drops the spoon back into the bowl, making a clinking noise and he says, "Okay. I give up."

He stands up and pulls Chloe from her seat and kisses her cheek.

"You know daddy loves you, right?"

Nathan stares at her in his arms, hoping she might say just one word…that's all he needs to hear to know she'll be okay. But still she says nothing as she stares back at him with the same pout.

"Okay." He says again as he sets her down. "You can go play with Rocket now."

Chloe picks up her purple toddler cup from the table and walks slowly to the living room as Nathan watches.

"At least she'll drink her milk." He sighs before sitting back down.

"Daddy," Katie says, finishing a mouthful of cereal. "Why won't Chloe eat or talk no more?"

"Because she misses mom." James answers sadly.

"But I miss mommy too and I'm still eating and talking. Am I not supposed to?"

"No, honey." Nathan says quickly. "I don't want you to stop eating and talking too. But your sister is just going through something more than just missing mom. When she saw your mom and Cooper and aunt Brooke being taken, it really scared her and it made her feel alone and abandoned. She still does and that's why she doesn't want to be away from us. Seeing what she saw was really scary and it's still affecting her. She's still afraid."

"Will she be afraid forever?"

"She will be for awhile, but not forever. I'm going to take her to a doctor who can help her. She'll be okay…don't worry."

"What about mommy?" Katie asks more sadly. "Will she be okay too?"

Nathan swallows. There's that question again…now how am I supposed to answer it? She's only six years old.

"Yeah, sweetie." He says. "She'll be okay."

Katie smiles a small smile and then asks, "And Cooper and baby Henry? They'll be okay too, right?"

Nathan nods and Katie smiles wider. She stands up from the table and says, "Then I'll believe Dad. I'll believe and they'll be home soon."

Nathan smiles again at his oldest baby girl. God, she is all Haley. She has so much faith. Thank God for her and all my kids…they keep me strong at times like these.

"That's good, Katie." He says, reaching his arms out for hug.

Katie walks closer and hugs him tight.

"I love you, Daddy." She says.

"I love you too, Katie bug."

Katie pecks his cheek and runs to the living room.

Nathan looks over at James and notices his sullen expression as he stares into his bowl, playing with his spoon.

"Hey," he says and James looks up. Nathan squints his eyes in concern and continues, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," James replies. "I was just thinking about something."

"What?"

James stares at his father. Should he tell him? No…I can't. It's not true; it's not what happened, so why say anything? It is sort of odd though…how mom…no, stop it. He would have told me. He swore he would tell me. And he's never lied before. So there really is no reason to say anything. I should just stop thinking about it all together.

James shakes his head again as he carries his and Katie's bowls to the sink and he says, "Nothing. I'm gonna go get dressed."

And Nathan watches his son walk-away, sensing there was really something bothering him…something more than just missing his mom and brother. But what?

"Where's Anna, Aunt Peyton?" Jessilyn asks after she and Kelsey greet Peyton at the front door.

"She's at home." Peyton replies as they enter the living room.

"Why didn't she come with you?"

"Because she had to clean her room and…well, I wanted to spend some time alone with you guys."

"Auntie Peyton!" Two little voices shout.

Peyton smiles as Ashlyn and Megyn come running into the living room. She bends down to hug them as Lucas and Karen step off the front stairs and enter the living room.

"Daddy, you didn't tell us auntie Peyton was coming over too." Megyn says.

"Yeah," Ashlyn agrees. "Are we having a party?"

"No, honey." Lucas replies. He sighs and says, "We're having a family meeting. Daddy has to talk to you about something."

Peyton, Karen and Kelsey help gather the girls around the couch before taking their seats.

"Do you guys remember when I told you mommy and aunt Haley went on vacation?" Lucas starts with Megyn sitting on his lap and Jessilyn and Ashlyn sitting on either side of him.

"Yes." Jessilyn says.

Lucas sighs and continues, "Well, I told you that because I wasn't ready to explain to you what really happened to them and I didn't want to scare you either."

"What happened to them, Daddy?" Megyn asks.

Lucas looks over at his mom, who's sitting in the chair next to the couch. She touches his hand and he feels the strength to continue.

"Somebody took mommy and aunt Haley and Cooper when they went out that day."

"You mean like when someone took Jamie a long time ago, Dad?" Jessilyn asks, while her sisters sit there confused.

"Yeah, honey.

"Where is mommy?" Ashlyn asks.

"Someone took her, Ashy." Megyn answers. "Don't you listen?"

"Be nice, Megyn." Lucas says sternly.

"I want mommy." Ashlyn says, covering her eyes as she begins to cry.

"Shh…" Jessilyn says, hugging her sister. "Mommy will be okay."

She looks at her father and he stares back at her as she says, "Daddy's gonna find her…aren't you?"

That look in her eyes, that look of fear and hope all at the same time, the same look Brooke gets when she's afraid, brings tears to Lucas' s eyes and he says, "That's right…daddy's going to find her."

"I'm going to see if there's a decent bathroom and bedrooms to this crap hole." Cooper says to his mom as he stands up from lying on the floor.

Haley watches him as he leaves the room. She hears Marcus moving around in the kitchen. She glances down at her infant son, swaddled in blankets, asleep atop more blankets on the floor below her. She hears a sniffle next to her on the couch and looks over at Brooke, sitting Indian style, with her hands pulled into her gray hooded sweatshirt…Lucas's gray hooded sweatshirt.

"Hey," Haley says worriedly, touching Brooke's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Brooke shakes her head and sniffling again she says, "I miss my girls and I miss Lucas…I really, really miss them."

"I know." Haley says, rubbing her friend's back.

"I need Lucas…I really, really need him right now."

"I know. And he knows. He's going to find us."

"I really need him." Brooke says again quietly, as if in a trance. She bows her head and says, "We really need him."

Haley stares at her friend, ready to cry with her.

"Haley…" Brooke says, crying again. "There's something else…"

Haley waits for Brooke to continue and Brooke looks up at her friend and finishes, "I'm pregnant."