Chapter 6

The motorcade pulled up on the tarmac. A day late but all the paperwork was done. The McCord's would just be heading to a courtroom when they got back to finalize everything. The press was having a field day with the new McCord twins. Diplomatic security was not. Everybody was in love with them. Well, not everyone…

Aamira stopped short walking the stairs up to the plane causing Stevie to almost run into her. "Woah! I have never seen anything so big!" "Woah" being a new word she learned from Jason.

Stevie dropped her shoulders and gave her a little push, "Yes, it is big. Keep going as there is a whole line of us behind you." Her tone was not lost on Henry, who was just behind her with Asim between him and her.

"Those are the engines?! They're huge!" Asim turned back to Henry.

"Yep, that's what I told you. They will power those up and that is what will lift us into the air." Henry said as they continued climbing the stairs.

"But, the engines on your fighter jets were smaller, right?' he asked, stopping them again.

"Yes, and very different. Let's keep going or we will miss our flight time," Henry laughed.

Elizabeth came on the plane five minutes later, a bit raveled from a conversation with Minster Avdonin.

She sat down next to Aamira, Henry was across from her with Asim at the window looking out. He had his head on his chin while his elbow rested on his soccer ball.

"Ready to go, babe?" he asked. The kids giggled.

They glanced over at them as Elizabeth said, "I am so ready to go home."

As they waited for takeoff, Asim asked a million questions, which Henry answered with patience.

Blake sat across from Elizabeth, with the three older kids. He and Stevie had managed to find clothes for the kids in Kampala. He looked over at them and back to Elizabeth.

"If you want to have a drink, nobody is stopping you." Elizabeth grinned at him.

"It's much too early," he said back, settling into his seat.

She laughed and pulled a blanket up over herself and Aamira, who was noticeably quiet.

She reached out and touched her head, "You okay, Aaamira?"

The girl looked back at her from the window with a tear in her eye. Without saying a word, she snuggled up to Elizabeth's side. She was tiny enough to move around while keeping her seatbelt on. Her bravery was breaking down and she was scared.

Elizabeth kissed her head and told her it was going to be okay.

The plane took off and gravity took hold. "Woah! This is so cool. Don't you love this, Aaamira?" Asim screamed, loving every minute of their first flight experience.

Henry smiled at him as the other kids laughed and shook their heads. Aamira was not interested as she shrunk deeper into Elizabeth.

By the time, the plane leveled out she was sound asleep. Elizabeth easily got up and laid her down across the seats.

She turned to the older kids and asked Stevie to join her in the office.

Blake stood to let her out. As she stepped by him he whispered to her, "Busted."

She turned her head back at him, laughing while Elizabeth threw him a look.

They entered the office, Elizabeth headed for her desk. Stevie took a seat on the couch typing something into her phone. Before looking up at her mother, who was now staring at her.

"Are you all done there?" Elizabeth asked her sarcastically.

"Yeah, sorry. What's up?" she asked, clearly not realizing why she was called in here.

Elizabeth rocked back in her chair, her legs crossed as well as her arms. "Listen, I understand that you are not happy with this decision your father and I made. But, we don't need your approval."

Stevie looked her right back in the eye, never backing down. "I'm not looking for you to get my approval. But, your job has you moving so many different ways, I would think it is going to be difficult to raise eight years old twins."

"Stevie, you should feel grateful that you were never an orphan…" Elizabeth started.

Stevie mumbled under her breath, "You gave many opportunities for that to happen."

"Excuse me…really? You want to come at me with my career now." Elizabeth stood up. "Fine, Stevie, have your father and I taken risks with our lives? Yes. But, don't you ever think we didn't weigh those risks against the future you and your siblings would have if we didn't risk our lives."

Stevie looked at her regretting the comment.

Elizbeth put her hands on her hips while pacing. Her white blouse hanging out the back of her navy pants.

"But, let me remind you about how me and my brother became orphans. My parents were killed in a car accident on the backroads of Virginia. Not in Iraq, not in Chechna, not in Iran. Although, that was close." She paused and gave her daughter the small grin. "Accidents happen and people die. But, your father and I were not going to leave two orphaned children behind that clearly had a connection with us and our family!"

Stevie did not make eye contact with her.

She sat down next to her. "Look, we understand your concerns. No, my job doesn't make it easy to be the parent of twins under the age of ten. But, I know what it is like to have no parents. If I can give any parentless child the opportunity to have a family, well, I am going to take that opportunity. This is for your father and I to work out, not you. You need to go and live your life. We want you to spread your wings and soar. Not stay with us to help the family."

"I know, Mom. I just think it will be very hard," she looked down at her hands not making eye contact.

"Do you think raising you, Allie and Jason was easy? It's never easy, Stevie. It is always hard. But, your father and I have a pretty good track record in parenting and doing hard things," she smiled at her.

Stevie smiled up at her, "Thanks for the chat, Mom." She hugged her.

As Stevie got up to leave, Elizabeth stopped her, "Please come back in with the others."

Stevie turned and smiled at her.

Ten minutes later, the McCord family was sitting for their first family photo. A necessity as Daisy and Jay insisted it be released before they landed back in the United States.

Henry and Elizabeth sat together in the middle. All three girls joined them at their sides. Aaamira on Allison's lap. Jason and Asim sat in front of them. Asim up on his knees proudly smiling. His soccer ball in front of him.

Jay said, "Say cheese!"

Everyone shouted, "cheese" except Aamira, who furrowed her brow and asked "What's cheese?"

They all laughed.