I recommend reading Over His Dead Body (without a twist) for background on this chapter.)
Chapter Thirty
Memories: Bonding at the safe house
Kyle bounced his five-month-old sister in his lap. Just after she had eaten.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, son," Horatio told Kyle although he was smiling.
"Why?"
Then it happened. Rachel vomited all over her big brother.
"That." His father smiled.
"Ugh," Kyle said, but he laughed.
His father and Aimee had got married at the courthouse yesterday. Kyle was the best man.
Living at a safe house wasn't fun. But he was with his family, where he wanted to be. The totally secluded small two bedroom house with the tiniest backyard was better than the loft at the crime lab where the family had been living for the past while. There was no way in the world he was going to go back and live with Julia, even for a little while, a judge had given him that option.
That were until Julia said Kyle "didn't need" police protection and she didn't want "pesky cops" around her house if he came to stay with her. Bad for business, you know. Kyle thought his mother, he used that term loosely, was selfish and crazy.
Now that Aimee was officially his stepmother, she was "mom" to him, plain and simple. All three knew Julia wouldn't permit him to be adopted. That would have to wait until he was old enough to start the proceedings himself. For now the family were making the best of it, having plenty of quality time playing cards and board games and watching Netflix. Aimee's chess game was improving. Both she and Kyle were still receiving counselling from Horatio's kidnapping, three days where Kyle was sure his dad was dead, no matter how he was told to the contrary. So much so he had to be sedated. Horatio declined any further counselling other than the sessions required by the department.
Now they were going through this.
Still for Kyle he finally felt he was where he belonged. His work earned his father plenty of enemies but the family had been though and was going through Kyle thought only happened in movies or on television. The teenager found himself breathing a sigh of relief he didn't realize he was holding in, each time his dad came home safely. Horatio enjoyed the spontaneous tight hug from the boy every day. But he hated the tension he felt in his young body. He wanted all of this to go away.
Chapter Thirty-One
Memories: When will this end?
Kyle now lost count of how times he thought his heart dropped.
Alexx had to drug him again. This time because now he couldn't stop crying either. He wasn't sure exactly why.
Aimee had taken to the hospital and was diagnosed with appendicitis. The organ hadn't ruptured and Aimee had a fever. The doctors were trying to bring down or break her fever before she was operated on. But even if it hadn't she was going into surgery the next day. This upset him. But that could happen to anyone. He had the same operation when he was eight-years-old. But Aimee were supposed to be safe in the hospital. His dad was getting ready to leave there when it happened. The very man was responsible for them being in the safe house in the first place had snuck into the hospital and tried to strangle the life from his new beloved stepmother.
If it wasn't his father following his gut instinct and him racing back up the stairs Aimee would be dead. His father had shot the man, dead. Aimee was all right, Kyle was told. She was undergoing some precautionary tests just to be sure. She was having her operation the first thing in the morning. Her voice was raspy but she had spoken to him after her tests. She told she was okay and that she loved him very much, no, it wasn't the drugs talking. After this she left the hospital they could finally go home now. Aimee asked her stepson to give Rachel "a bunch" of hugs and kisses for her.
"I will, mom." He said. "I love you. Can I see you tomorrow?"
"I love you too. I'd better see you," Aimee replied. "How listen to me. After you kiss your sister for me and your dad. Take whatever Alexx is trying to give you and go to bed."
That started the tears Kyle was trying so hard to hold back. He wouldn't argue about sedatives tonight.
