I know I haven't updated in a long time so don't know if anyway still wants new chaps of this. well, let me know.
Chapter Thirty–Five
It hadn't been as awful as Jack had thought it would be. He hadn't been surprised if the woman had fallen to her knees crying, but if anything she seemed almost more relaxed once he had told her that he was there to take the little girl. All though the woman still looked slightly uncomfortable by his presence.
They had been sitting in silence for a couple of minutes when the woman suddenly sighed loudly. Jack watched the woman in front of him trying to hold in her emotions. With a suppressed sob, she excused herself for a second and disappeared down the hallway.
Jack mechanically took in his surroundings, quickly scanning the room from one side to the other. Not really knowing what he was looking for in the first place, Jack did his best in an attempt to relax. Sitting back more comfortable in the armchair he tried to focus on Kate who was waiting in the car, not the woman in the next room who he had most likely gotten to cry.
He sat waiting for several minutes studying the photos of children placed in frames on the walls. Realizing that it had been quite some time now, Jack glanced nervously at the doorway where the woman had disappeared.
Getting up from the armchair, Jack walked down the hallway, not really knowing where to go. Luckily he passed a room with an open door and he immediately saw the woman as she paced back and forth in the room.
Stepping inside, Jack took in the beautiful light purple room while Mrs. Coleman continued to gather children clothes from a closet and placing them in a pile on the bed.
Jack felt slightly uneasy as he stood there watching the woman packing up the little girl's belongings. Should he help? Should be at least say something?
"Do you have children, Agent Shephard?" Mrs Coleman asked casually as she placed a stuffed bear and a doll next to the pile of clothes.
Jack felt taken back for a second by once again being referred to as an agent. Maybe this FBI thing hadn't been such a good idea.
"I do, yes" Jack answered politely, as he leaned slightly against the wall. Before the woman had a chance to ask him anymore questions, Jack hurried up and asked her something that had been on his tongue since he walked into the house.
"How did you first come in contact with Kate, and how did Molly end up in your care?" He emphasized the little girl's name as if it was foreign to him.
The woman glanced up at him with a slightly puzzled look on her face, but to Jack's surprise she at once started telling him the story.
"I was out walking with Emily and our dog Milo, about a year ago. Out of no where this little girl who couldn't be more than maybe a year and a half comes running towards Milo but before she reaches him a young girl comes flying after her and manages to grab her in the air just as she was about to throw her little arms around our dog's neck." The blonde woman had moved away from the closet and was now taking a few items out of a dresser.
"Well, we stayed at the park the whole day and the kids played for a few hours. We kept up the routine and a few days a week we would get together in the park so the kids could play. Kate and I became good friends but suddenly they stopped showing up and we never heard from them again. Until a few months later, Kate showed up on our porch in tears begging me to take care of Molly."
Jack could see that the story had a big emotional affect on the woman. With a deep breathe she quietly continued.
"I didn't know what to do… I told her that if she was in trouble I would try my best to help her, or if she needed money I would give it to her. But the only thing she wanted was to leave Molly here with us. She said she was scared that something would happen to the little girl."
Jack gave the woman a sympathizing look. Mrs. Coleman had packed a few more of Molly's belongings and was now sitting on the bed. It suddenly hit Jack that the baby she had been carrying earlier was no where to be seen. She had probably put him down to sleep before coming in here.
"Well, I couldn't say no to her so I promised I would take care of her daughter. We switched her name and got her into Emily's school. No one really asked any questions and to the ones that did we just said that she was our niece."
"I'll be right back." The woman said as she rose from the bed. Before leaving the room she handed over the bag with Molly's belongings to Jack who at once tossed it over his shoulder.
It didn't take very long until the woman came back carrying the small child who looked like a miniature version of Kate. Mrs. Coleman was talking softly to the child whispering something to her and hugging her close doing her best to not let all her emotions show.
The blonde woman suddenly took a step closer to Jack and motioned for him to take the girl.
Taking the toddler into his arms, the look in Jack's eyes immediately softened as he noticed the scared look on the girl's face. "Hi Molly. It's okay, you don't have to be scared."
The little girl looked like she didn't know if she was going to bury her face into to Jack or try to get away from him. She finally settled with putting her head on his shoulder making small noises sounding almost like sobs.
Jack guessed that she had picked up on the woman's upset mood and assumed that there was something very bad happening. From her point of view it kind of was.
Jack was after all taking her away from the only family she knew. Since she was just a toddler she probably didn't remember much, if anything from her life before the Colemans.
"What's going to happen to her?" The woman asked worriedly.
Jack gave her a reassuring smile before glancing down at the little girl in his arms. "Don't worry. I give you my word that she'll be well taken care of.
Jack could tell that she wanted to say something in. It was quite obvious that the woman was having a battle with herself whether or not to open her mouth.
Giving the blonde a soft look, Jack nodded for her to go ahead and just ask him anything. He knew that he would probably not be able to answer it anyway but he could always make something up and continue with his lame FBI-lies.
"Is she in a lot of trouble?" The woman finally asked in a whisper.
Not really sure what to say back to that, Jack's face fell a bit and with genuinely sad eyes he shrugged back a reply. "I don't know… I really hope she's not"
The woman was staring at Molly. Following the little girls hand movements with her eyes, before finally letting them meet Jack's again.
"Will Kate get a chance to see her?" The woman asked hopefully giving Jack a pleading look.
"I'll make sure she will." Jack promised, smiling slightly.
Leaning forward the woman placed a kiss on Molly's forehead. "I'll miss you so much sweetie. Now be a really good girl, ok?"
After saying goodbye, Jack managed to open the front door balancing the toddler with one hand. Having carried both Hannah and William endless of times, Jack carried Molly with ease down to the car. When he got a little closer to the vehicle he noted that Kate was about to open her door so he quickly and discreetly shook his head indicating for her to stay put.
Opening the door behind her he gently placed Molly down in Hannah's car-seat, which was slightly too big for her.
"Just stay in the car, don't do anything until we are out of sight." Jack whispered to Kate before stepping back and closing the door. With a solemnly nod to the blonde woman who was still standing on the front porch watching them, Jack walked around the car and got in as well.
"What's going on?" Kate asked the second he closed the door.
Turning the engine on and driving off from the area, Jack turned around slightly and cast a glimpse of the little girl in the backseat. "Honestly, I'm not sure."
Kate turned around in her seat and looked at the child that was sitting right behind her. The little girl had found one of Hannah's small stuffed animals and was fingering with it rather apprehensively.
After just a couple of minutes drive, Jack pulled the car to the side and stopped. Turning to the brunette, he started to get a really bad feeling about all of this.
"Jack? Can you please tell me what's going on…" Kate asked, sounding rather demanding.
"Well…" Taking a deep breath, he unexpectedly turned around slightly and opened his door, giving Kate a quick nod telling her to follow his example.
Jack slowly walked around the car and the brunette curiously did the same, meeting him half way. Standing in front of the car, Jack lazily leaned against the hood with one of his hands.
He could feel the inquiring eyes of the toddler from inside the car on him. She didn't really look scared anymore, now her expression was filled with worry and curiosity.
Turning back to Kate he was met by the exact same facial expression as well as the exact same eyes staring at him, waiting impatiently for him to explain what was going on.
Trying his best to retell what he knew himself and what Mrs. Coleman had told him, Jack managed to fill the brunette in rather quickly on what had happen the last 30 minutes.
"Oh my God…" Kate said in a breathless whisper. Turning to face him properly he could see her eyes suddenly flashing with rage. "Are you insane?!"
Taken back by the sudden outburst, Jack took a step back with a perplexed expression on his face. Why was she mad? Hadn't he just lied and taken a huge risk to get the woman her daughter back? A daughter she hadn't even known about if it wasn't for him.
Jack had no idea what to reply. Should he defend himself? Try to explain his actions and intentions? Without knowing why she was upset, Jack didn't really know what to do about the situation.
"Don't you think there was a reason that I had this family take care of her?! A reason, that I didn't have her in my life?" Kate yelled as she took a step forward, now standing close enough for Jack to feel her breath on his face.
"A mother doesn't give away her child without a damn good reason Jack! Have you any idea what you've done?! You've probably put this child in tremendous danger!" Kate ranted as she started to hyperventilate. The brunette was mechanically shaking her head back and forth as if it would keep the reality at bay.
"Hey…" Jack said sharply, as he gently placed a hand on each side of her shoulders in an attempt to get her attention. "It's going to be okay." He promised reassuringly.
Feeling Kate lean into his arms he folded them around her and brought her closer to his body. "It'll be okay" He repeated in a whisper into her hair, knowing that he would do anything to keep her and the little girl in the car safe from whatever it was that Kate had been so afraid of.