Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Chapter 26

Three years later...

"Chloe! I'm home!"

Chloe jumped as her husband's voice carried through the house. Does he really have to do that every time he comes home? Setting aside her laptop, she wheeled herself out of her study and into the living room. "Hey, Jack. How'd it go?"

"Great. They had what we were looking for. Last ones in stock, too."

Chloe scowled. "I could have just gotten them online, you know. You wouldn't have had to drive to 6 stores to get them."

Jack gave Chloe a scorching glare, and Chloe rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. No deliveries."

"Exactly. We can't trust anyone we don't know."

"Yeah, I know." Chloe looked down.

"You all right?" Jack asked.

"I'm fine, Jack. I'm just a little tired today, that's all."

"Come on, Chloe. I know you better than that. What's on your mind?"

"...It's been 3 years, Jack. 3 years since our children were kidnapped. We went through hell to get them back, and since then, our lives have been relatively peaceful. As peaceful as raising 3 children can be, anyway."

Jack stared at her in confusion. "Isn't that what we wanted? We wanted our children to have the chance to live their lives without fear, and that's happening."

"I know that." Chloe sighed. "I'm just worried, that's all."

"Worried about what?"

"That we'll never really be free of the past. We both made our fair share of enemies when we worked for the government. How many of them are just waiting for us to drop our guard, so they can hurt us? Or worse, hurt the kids? Look what happened the last time we let ourselves get complacent. That could happen again."

"Chloe, I know how you feel. Believe me, I feel the same way. But you can't let that fear control your life. The best thing you can do for our children, for yourself, is to go out there and live your life on your terms." Jack sat down and pulled his wife close. "Besides, no matter what the future holds, we're going to be here for each other."

He's right. He's always right. "Thanks, Jack. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just being a little paranoid."

"No, you're being a concerned mother. Nothing wrong with that." He let go. "Speaking of, where are the kids?"

"Connor took them to the park for a couple hours. I was trying to finish that firewall upgrade for Twin Rock, and they wouldn't leave me alone long enough to get it done."

Jack gave her a stern look. "I told him not to buy them anything, Jack."

"You know how Connor gets when he's around those 3. They want something, they beg him for it, and he gives in every time."

"And I told him if he did, it was going to be the last time he took them anywhere for a while."

"Fine." Jack handed Chloe the package he had brought. "Here. The gifts for the kids."

Chloe carefully inspected the contents, checking for any problems. "They're perfect. The kids'll love them." She looked up as she heard a car approaching. "They're back. Go hide these in the gun safe. Hurry."

Jack took the package back and went up the stairs. No sooner had he disappeared, then the front door opened and Connor walked in followed by 2 very muddy kids, and a glum-looking, yet nearly spotless David. "Mom, we're home."

"I noticed" she said dryly, then smiled. "Did you guys have fun?"

"Yeah" Teri said. "We had a lot of fun."

"Good." Chloe grew serious. "You guys are a mess. Go get washed up. It's lunch time."

"Aw" Edgar whined. "Do we have to, mom? We're not that dirty."

"Yes, you have to. I can barely see you under all that mud." She pointed towards the bathrooms. "Now go."

Teri shrugged and followed Edgar out of the room. David, however, turned to go up to his room, his head bent down.

"David? What's wrong?"

David shuffled his feet, shaking his head, refusing to look at his mother. "Nothing."

Chloe moved her chair close to David, gently raising his head to force him to look at her. "What's wrong, honey?"

"...Teri and Edgar wouldn't let me play with them."

Oh, brother. Not again. Chloe glanced quickly at Connor, then back at David. "So what did you do?"

"Connor let me sit with him, but I really wanted to play with Edgar and Teri. They never let me play, though."

"David, you have to stand up for yourself. Don't let your brother and sister push you around like that." She could see tears forming in David's eyes, and she pulled him on her lap. "Look, I'll talk to them."

"No. Don't do that. They'll just think I'm a tattletale."

"No, they won't." Chloe set David down. "Go get cleaned up, son. Then we'll have lunch."

"I'm not hungry, mom. Can- can I just go play in my room instead?"

"...All right. If you get hungry later, let me know." David nodded and ran up the stairs. Chloe shook her head, then turned to Connor. "What happened, Connor?"

"I don't know, mom. I was sitting watching them, then David comes up to me practically in tears, telling me Edgar and Teri wouldn't let him join in. I offered to talk to them, but he said he was tired anyway. I let him sit with me until we left."

Chloe rubbed her forehead wearily. "I don't know what's going on with those two lately. Jack said it was normal, but I don't think so." She heard Jack coming down the stairs. "You want to stay for lunch?"

"No, I've got plans this afternoon. I'll be back tomorrow, though. Those 3 would never forgive me if I missed their birthday."

She smirked. "Tell me about it. You go on, then. Thanks for taking care of the kids."

"Anytime, mom. I'll see you later." Connor left, and Jack joined her in the living room. "Jack, we have to talk."

"About what?"

"The kids. David told me that Teri and Edgar kept excluding him again today."

Jack frowned. "I told you that was normal. 3 people that spend as much time together as those kids do are bound to get sick of each other once in a while."

"Jack, Connor said David was really upset when they wouldn't let him play. He was almost in tears when he came home. This has been going on for a while now, and it's got to stop."

"Chloe, they're kids. This is normal sibling stuff."

Chloe glared at Jack. "Maybe to you, but not to me. When I was growing up, Jason always made sure Tyler and I were never left out. Even if we didn't want to join in, he still asked. I don't want David to grow up hating his family." She grabbed Jack's hand. "Look, can we just talk to them? Please?"

"All right. We'll do it now." Jack moved to the stairs. "Teri! Edgar! Come on down here! Your mom and I want to talk to you!" He heard the thundering footsteps of the two kids as they joined their parents in the living room.

"Are we going to have lunch now?" Teri asked excitedly.

"In a few minutes. Your father and I need to talk to you about something first." Chloe looked at her children seriously. "Why wouldn't you let David play with you guys at the park today?"

"Because he messes everything up, mom. He's a crybaby."

"It's not nice to call your brother names, Edgar" Jack interjected.

"Well, it's true. We tried asking him what he wanted to do, and he wouldn't tell us."

Wouldn't? Or couldn't? "Look, guys, David is your brother. It hurts him when you two leave him out. Promise me you'll try to include him in the future, all right?"

"All right."

"Good. Now go sit down at the table. After lunch, I want you to apologize to David for what you did."

"Yes, sir." The kids shuffled off to eat, and Chloe looked at Jack expectantly. "That went well."

"Yeah. I hope they really listened, though."

"We'll see." Chloe sighed. "Jack, I'm concerned about David."

"Why? Is it because of what happened today?"

"Not just that. I didn't want to say anything before, but something's been bothering me. You know how we thought he couldn't speak because he didn't until last Christmas, right?" Jack nodded. "And how he wasn't walking until he was almost 3? I've watched him, Jack. He's not very coordinated, even for a kid his age. I don't know, maybe I'm just being silly, but something's not right."

"Chloe, he's a kid. I think it's a little premature to assume that something's wrong with him."

The glare Chloe gave Jack was enough for him to step back. "Don't do that, Jack. Don't dismiss my observations like that."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like I was dismissing your ideas. All I'm saying is, let's give it some time. Maybe wait a couple of years and see what happens. If you still have concerns when David's a little older, then we'll have him checked out. That sound good to you?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Jack leaned in for a kiss.

"Mom! We're hungry!"

Chloe scowled, moving away from Jack. "And we just couldn't wait until they started talking." Shaking her head, she wheeled herself into the kitchen. Jack hung back, watching her.move, his thoughts on what Chloe had told him. Could she be right? Is something wrong with my son? Or is it nothing? Well, no sense in standing here, worrying about it. Whatever happens in the future, we'll deal with it.