Family and other surprises by Kakie
Chapter 6
Ally and Larry took the kids out for a pancake brunch at the marina. It had become a family tradition for Sam's visit. After brunch, they would stroll along and admire the boats. Afterwards, they would head for the airport. Except today Ally wanted to stay at home in case David came back and Maddie had a science project she had neglected all weekend. So it was just Larry who took Sam to the airport.
Larry called the house that afternoon.
"Has he returned?"
"Not yet. Are you on your way home?"
"No. There was some bad weather in route so the flight has been delayed. I had an idea. See if Renee will watch Maddie tonight and I'll take my best girl out to dinner."
"A date?"
"Sure, why not? We haven't had one of those in a long time."
"That's true. What about David?"
"Let him find his own date."
"Cute, Larry. I wanted to talk to him."
"And I want an evening alone with you."
Ally could hear the desperation in his voice. "Okay, you win. A date it is. I'll call Renee right now."
"Great. I should be home pretty soon. See you then."
"Bye."
"Ally?" Larry entered the house a couple of hours later. "Maddie? Where are you guys?"
Silence.
He climbed the stairs but found no one. He went into the back yard but they weren't near the hot tub either. Ally's car was in the driveway. He called Renee but hung up a few minutes later more confused than ever. Renee had not seen or heard from her in days. Concerned but trying not to over react, Larry walked into the kitchen and noticed the door ajar. He looked out and noticed something in the grass. It was a rag. He picked it up and staggered back. The smell was overwhelming. He remembered that smell from college chemistry. It was the smell of ether. Why would there be a rag of ether in his front yard? Then he noticed something else in the grass. It was a shoe. It was Ally's shoe. Next to the shoe was a headband. It was Maddie's headband. Larry's heart began to race as he began to put the pieces together. Ally and Maddie had been kidnapped.
Helena watched Larry sitting in the gazebo all alone. She turned to her husband. "I'm going to see what I can do to help."
Tom nodded. "Do that. He needs a friend. I'm going to keep an eye on things in here."
The first person Larry called when he ran into the house was Tom. He and Helena rushed over. Tom used his contacts and called the FBI. There were no less than a dozen agents working on finding Ally and Maddie in and out of the house.
Helena saw that Larry wasn't alone. He had a bottle of Scotch in his hand. She began to get angry.
"Larry, there are a lot of people looking for your wife and child and I'm not going to let you sit here and get drunk."
Larry held up a hand. "Easy there, Helena, I wasn't getting drunk. The bottle isn't even opened." He showed her the sealed bottle.
"Then what are you doing?"
"Thinking. A few years ago, Ally and I broke up and I moved back to Detroit."
Helena nodded. "I remember."
"I checked into a hotel in Detroit, opened a bottle of Scotch, took a drink and didn't stop for three days."
"You went on a binge to cover the pain. Is that what this is, are you thinking about another binge?"
Larry shook his head. "No, those days are over. The point I was making was that those days and weeks after I left Boston was the darkest time of my life. But it doesn't even come close to what I am feeling right now."
Helena sat down next to him and put her arm around him. "They didn't leave you, Larry. They will be found and come home to you. There has been so much sadness in your life; you deserve your happy ending. You, Ally, Maddie, Sam and this baby will have the life you deserve. I know it."
Larry stared at the bottle of Scotch. "What if you're wrong? What if they don't come back? I don't even know who has them." Larry turned and cried on her shoulder.
Tom watched them from inside the house and hoped for a miracle.
As the sun set, Tom filled Larry in on what he learned. "The FBI was able to locate David. He was on his way back here after visiting his parents. Needless to say, he's quite alarmed."
"Alarmed? He's alarmed? None of this would have happened if it weren't for him. He did this."
Tom shook his head. "No, Larry, some South American drug cartel did this. This is what I know. After college, David went into the military. He got some training that the government liked and went to work for the FBI. He was assigned to infiltrate a drug cartel in Columbia. He was able to leak information out that did a lot of damage to the cartel. They discovered his true identity and made plans to kill him. But before they could, David drowned off the coast of Cape Hattaras in a boating accident."
"Courtesy of the Feds, of course." Larry smirked.
"Of course. They gave him a new name, new background and moved him to Kansas City, Missouri where he stayed for the next 11 years. At that time he wanted to come home. He had seen a picture of Ally in a magazine where was honored for an award for women in law."
"I remember the article." Larry mumbled.
"So he started making plans to come home. There hadn't been a peep about David in eight years and he figured they had given up on him."
"But they didn't, did they, Tom? They followed him from Kansas City to Boston. They probably read the same article he did and made the connection. Or maybe they have been following Ally's movements since David's drowning."
"Larry, come on, he didn't bring the danger on purpose."
Larry turned to him. "How can you justify this?"
"Because it would kill me to leave my family behind. My kids and Helena; it would absolutely kill me. And he did it, and he did it for a long time. His kid sister was no longer a kid, but a grown woman with a family of her own. His parents were no longer young but old and ready to retire. He missed years of his life to protect his family and his country. That is why I am justifying this."
All the anger drained out of him. He laid his head on the kitchen table. "Do Ally's parents know?"
"No. He hasn't called to tell them. He wants to wait."
"Probably best. Where is he, anyway?"
Tom got up and poured another cup of coffee. "Off doing his job. He said to tell you, he won't return without them."
Larry sighed. "I hope so."
The evening stretched into night. The takeout had been ordered and then ignored. Helena tried to keep Larry's spirits up by pulling out photo albums and inquiring about each picture. It worked for a while but Larry gave up. It hurt too much.
It was almost three in the morning when the phone rang. It startled Larry, who was dozing on the couch. "Hello?"
"Larry?" came the little voice at the other end.
Larry sat straight up. "Maddie? Maddie, is that you?"
"It's me. Larry, can you come and get me? I'm scared."
Larry was on his feet now. "Baby, where are you?"
"I'm not sure," her little voice trembling. "Let me ask. The man said I'm at Joe's Diner."
"What man, Maddie?"
"He works here. Hold on."
Larry held his breath. Helena and Tom came running in.
"Mr. Paul, this is Joe Bryan. I own Joe's Diner. Someone dropped your daughter off here a few minutes ago."
"Is she hurt? Is her mother with her?" His hands were shaking.
"She seems to be okay, scared to death, but okay. And she was alone."
"Mr. Bryan, please tell her I'm on my way."
"I will."
Larry hung up. "Maddie's okay."
Tom nodded. "We know. The FBI heard it all and are on their way to the diner. Let's go."
Tom pulled into the diner's parking lot and Larry jumped out. The front door opened and he could see Maddie.
"Daddy!" she cried as she ran to him.
Larry ran and grabbed her. He held her close. Tears of joy ran down his face. "Maddie, baby, I love you." He pulled back so he could see her face. "Thank God, you're okay."
"I'm okay." She buried her face into his neck.
Tom and Helena watched from a discreet distance. "One down, one more to go." Tom remarked to his wife and she nodded. Helena got choked up watching Larry reunite with Maddie. He had become a remarkable father.
Larry carried Maddie into the diner and the two of them joined Tom and Helena at a booth. One FBI agent talked to Joe Bryan and the other joined them at their table.
"Hi, Maddie. My name is Nick. Can I get you anything? Something to eat or drink?"
Maddie shook her head and held tightly to Larry's hand.
"Okay, I have some questions to ask you about today so we can find out who took you and your mom and get her back to you."
"My mom," Maddie sobbed. "They still have her."
"Was she okay?" asked Nick.
"Yeah, she was okay. She has a huge bruise on her face. I think one of them hit her." Maddie wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
Larry's insides burned.
"How did you get out?" asked Nick.
"Mom convinced this nice lady Rosa to have them let me go. They put this thing over my eyes and when I took it off, I was outside on the sidewalk."
Larry had a question. "Maddie, honey, did she want you to tell me anything?"
"Oh yeah, she said to tell you that she loved you and hoped you had her other shoe."
Larry laughed and hugged Maddie. "Sounds like your mother."
Maddie answered all of Nick's questions like a real trooper. Larry was so proud of her. However when Nick wanted to speak to Larry alone, Maddie clung to him and refused to let him go.
Eventually, the FBI finished their business and followed Larry and Maddie home. Larry put Maddie into bed but again she refused to let him go. He stayed with her until she fell asleep.
He joined Helena in the kitchen. He grabbed another cup of coffee and took a seat at the table.
Helena looked up from the paper and smiled. "How's Maddie?"
"Asleep finally. It kills me to hear those cries in her sleep."
"It will take time, but once Ally returns, I'm sure she'll be okay."
"I hope so." He looked around. "Where's Tom."
"He went home to get some clothes for us. This could be a long day."
He took a sip of coffee. "You should go home. I can handle things from here."
"No way, Larry. Friends stick together. Tom and I are not leaving until Ally is home safe and sound in your arms. And that's final."
Larry grinned. "Have you always been this terrific?"
Helena smiled. "Always. Can I fix you something to eat?"
Larry's grin faded. "Seriously. I can't thank you both enough for everything. I don't think I could have survived this without you." He leaned over and hugged her. "I'm sorry I didn't appreciate you more when we were married."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you."
"Well, well, well, what do you we have here? I'm gone a short time and I come back and catch you hugging my wife."
Larry looked up and caught the gleam in Tom's eyes. "She was my wife first," he said with a wicked tone in his voice.
"You didn't appreciate her enough."
Laughing, Larry pulled back. "So true. Listen, Tom, thank you for everything."
Tom, not wanting things to get too mushy, changed the subject. "Look, the sun is rising. I think we should take it as a good sign."
Larry thought to point out that the sun rose every day but he needed all the good omens he could get. "It is a good sign."
The phone rang and Tom answered it. He hung up a few seconds later. "That was David. They know where she is. They are on their way now to get her."
Larry stood up. "Where are they? I'm going with them."
"No, you're not," said Tom. "The three of us are going to wait right here and let the professionals do their job."
"You don't understand, I have to be there," insisted Larry.
"You don't understand. This is not amateur hour. This could get dangerous. Let them do it. You stay here and keep Maddie safe. It's what Ally would want."
Larry opened his mouth to protest but something Ally said to him the day they filed the papers for him to adopt Maddie filled his head.
Larry, promise me that you'll put Maddie first. That you will protect her the same way you do Sam. Of course I will. My family comes first.
"You're right. It's what Ally would want."
Helena patted his hand. "I'm glad. Now I am going to take a shower."
"Use the one in our bedroom unless you want to shower with toys."
Helena smiled. "Thanks." She left the room and Larry turned to Tom. "Did David say anything else?
How she was?"
"No, only what I told you."
Larry carried his coffee cup to the sink. "I hope he gets it right."
"He's saving his sister. I don't think he's going to miss."
Larry checked on Maddie and found her still sleeping. He kissed her forehead and covered her up. He sat in the chair and watched her sleep.
A little while later he returned and found Tom on the phone.
"No," replied Helena before Larry could ask. "Nothing new. He's leaving instructions for his secretary since he won't be in the office today."
Larry blinked. "It's Monday? I can't believe I forgot. I've got to make some calls." He picked up his cell phone and called his office and left a message on Marissa's voice mail that he had a family emergency and wouldn't be there today. He also called John Cage's office and left a similar message. Knowing how John cared for Ally, he didn't want him to worry so he just said something came up at home and he would call later and explain. He picked up Maddie's teacher's cell phone number and left a simple family emergency message and hung up.
Tom also hung up and stared at Larry. "That was David."
Larry's knees began to shake. "What did he say?"
"He said that they have her. They have Ally and she's okay."
Larry's knees buckled under him and he sat down. "She's okay?"
"He thinks so. They are on their way to the ER."
Larry paled. "Why? You said she was okay."
"It's for the baby, to make sure everything is okay."
Larry took a deep breath. "Okay."
The waiting was killing him so he went outside in the backyard and pulled weeds. After that he went upstairs to shower, checking in on Maddie, who was still sleeping. After the shower, he heard a car door slam. He raced to the window in the guest bedroom and saw Ally and David in an embrace. They let go and he watched Ally head for the front door. He raced down the stairs and stopped at the bottom. The door opened and Ally entered the house. They stood there staring at each other.
"Baby." He opened his arms and she walked into them. They said nothing, just listening to each other's breathing and sobs.
Tom and Helena watched from the kitchen. She squeezed his hand. "You were amazing tonight."
"So were you. Another job well done."
"What do you say we leave these two alone?"
Tom watched as Larry and Ally embraced. "I agree. We'll call later." Tom caught Larry's eye and signaled that they were leaving. Larry mouthed a thank you and Helena waved.
Larry pulled back. "How do you feel?"
"I'm exhausted, starving, I smell like who-knows-what but at this moment, I've never been happier."
Larry smiled and kissed her forehead. "How about a nice long bath followed by something to eat in bed followed by a nice long rest."
She pressed her face against his chest. "It sounds wonderful. But first I want to check on Maddie." She looked up. "You would have been so proud of her. She's a strong kid."
"Just like her mother." He walked her up the stairs and left her at Maddie's door while he went to draw her bath.
Ally sat on the edge of Maddie's bed and brushed the hair from her face. "My sweet girl. All safe and sound." She leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Maddie."
A clean Ally emerged from the bathroom to find Larry waiting for her with clean sheets on the bed and a nice meal waiting for her. She climbed in the bed and he handed her the tray of food. While she ate, she told him everything that had happened. He listened and was horrified and proud of what they had been through and survived. "I don't know what will happen to David. I don't know if I'll ever see him again if he goes back into the witness program."
Larry removed the tray and sat it on the floor. "David loves you. If there's a way, you will see him again." He stretched out next to Ally and placed his hand on her stomach. "You're okay, so is Maddie and this baby. We're going to be fine. Just promise me, no more adventure for a while. I don't think I'm up to it."
Ally yawned and closed her eyes. "Just being married to you is all the adventure I need."
"How does the next fifty or sixty years sound?"
"Just perfect. I love you, Mr. Larry." Her breathing slowed and he realized she was asleep.
He kissed her cheek. "I love you too."
The End
Chapter 6
Ally and Larry took the kids out for a pancake brunch at the marina. It had become a family tradition for Sam's visit. After brunch, they would stroll along and admire the boats. Afterwards, they would head for the airport. Except today Ally wanted to stay at home in case David came back and Maddie had a science project she had neglected all weekend. So it was just Larry who took Sam to the airport.
Larry called the house that afternoon.
"Has he returned?"
"Not yet. Are you on your way home?"
"No. There was some bad weather in route so the flight has been delayed. I had an idea. See if Renee will watch Maddie tonight and I'll take my best girl out to dinner."
"A date?"
"Sure, why not? We haven't had one of those in a long time."
"That's true. What about David?"
"Let him find his own date."
"Cute, Larry. I wanted to talk to him."
"And I want an evening alone with you."
Ally could hear the desperation in his voice. "Okay, you win. A date it is. I'll call Renee right now."
"Great. I should be home pretty soon. See you then."
"Bye."
"Ally?" Larry entered the house a couple of hours later. "Maddie? Where are you guys?"
Silence.
He climbed the stairs but found no one. He went into the back yard but they weren't near the hot tub either. Ally's car was in the driveway. He called Renee but hung up a few minutes later more confused than ever. Renee had not seen or heard from her in days. Concerned but trying not to over react, Larry walked into the kitchen and noticed the door ajar. He looked out and noticed something in the grass. It was a rag. He picked it up and staggered back. The smell was overwhelming. He remembered that smell from college chemistry. It was the smell of ether. Why would there be a rag of ether in his front yard? Then he noticed something else in the grass. It was a shoe. It was Ally's shoe. Next to the shoe was a headband. It was Maddie's headband. Larry's heart began to race as he began to put the pieces together. Ally and Maddie had been kidnapped.
Helena watched Larry sitting in the gazebo all alone. She turned to her husband. "I'm going to see what I can do to help."
Tom nodded. "Do that. He needs a friend. I'm going to keep an eye on things in here."
The first person Larry called when he ran into the house was Tom. He and Helena rushed over. Tom used his contacts and called the FBI. There were no less than a dozen agents working on finding Ally and Maddie in and out of the house.
Helena saw that Larry wasn't alone. He had a bottle of Scotch in his hand. She began to get angry.
"Larry, there are a lot of people looking for your wife and child and I'm not going to let you sit here and get drunk."
Larry held up a hand. "Easy there, Helena, I wasn't getting drunk. The bottle isn't even opened." He showed her the sealed bottle.
"Then what are you doing?"
"Thinking. A few years ago, Ally and I broke up and I moved back to Detroit."
Helena nodded. "I remember."
"I checked into a hotel in Detroit, opened a bottle of Scotch, took a drink and didn't stop for three days."
"You went on a binge to cover the pain. Is that what this is, are you thinking about another binge?"
Larry shook his head. "No, those days are over. The point I was making was that those days and weeks after I left Boston was the darkest time of my life. But it doesn't even come close to what I am feeling right now."
Helena sat down next to him and put her arm around him. "They didn't leave you, Larry. They will be found and come home to you. There has been so much sadness in your life; you deserve your happy ending. You, Ally, Maddie, Sam and this baby will have the life you deserve. I know it."
Larry stared at the bottle of Scotch. "What if you're wrong? What if they don't come back? I don't even know who has them." Larry turned and cried on her shoulder.
Tom watched them from inside the house and hoped for a miracle.
As the sun set, Tom filled Larry in on what he learned. "The FBI was able to locate David. He was on his way back here after visiting his parents. Needless to say, he's quite alarmed."
"Alarmed? He's alarmed? None of this would have happened if it weren't for him. He did this."
Tom shook his head. "No, Larry, some South American drug cartel did this. This is what I know. After college, David went into the military. He got some training that the government liked and went to work for the FBI. He was assigned to infiltrate a drug cartel in Columbia. He was able to leak information out that did a lot of damage to the cartel. They discovered his true identity and made plans to kill him. But before they could, David drowned off the coast of Cape Hattaras in a boating accident."
"Courtesy of the Feds, of course." Larry smirked.
"Of course. They gave him a new name, new background and moved him to Kansas City, Missouri where he stayed for the next 11 years. At that time he wanted to come home. He had seen a picture of Ally in a magazine where was honored for an award for women in law."
"I remember the article." Larry mumbled.
"So he started making plans to come home. There hadn't been a peep about David in eight years and he figured they had given up on him."
"But they didn't, did they, Tom? They followed him from Kansas City to Boston. They probably read the same article he did and made the connection. Or maybe they have been following Ally's movements since David's drowning."
"Larry, come on, he didn't bring the danger on purpose."
Larry turned to him. "How can you justify this?"
"Because it would kill me to leave my family behind. My kids and Helena; it would absolutely kill me. And he did it, and he did it for a long time. His kid sister was no longer a kid, but a grown woman with a family of her own. His parents were no longer young but old and ready to retire. He missed years of his life to protect his family and his country. That is why I am justifying this."
All the anger drained out of him. He laid his head on the kitchen table. "Do Ally's parents know?"
"No. He hasn't called to tell them. He wants to wait."
"Probably best. Where is he, anyway?"
Tom got up and poured another cup of coffee. "Off doing his job. He said to tell you, he won't return without them."
Larry sighed. "I hope so."
The evening stretched into night. The takeout had been ordered and then ignored. Helena tried to keep Larry's spirits up by pulling out photo albums and inquiring about each picture. It worked for a while but Larry gave up. It hurt too much.
It was almost three in the morning when the phone rang. It startled Larry, who was dozing on the couch. "Hello?"
"Larry?" came the little voice at the other end.
Larry sat straight up. "Maddie? Maddie, is that you?"
"It's me. Larry, can you come and get me? I'm scared."
Larry was on his feet now. "Baby, where are you?"
"I'm not sure," her little voice trembling. "Let me ask. The man said I'm at Joe's Diner."
"What man, Maddie?"
"He works here. Hold on."
Larry held his breath. Helena and Tom came running in.
"Mr. Paul, this is Joe Bryan. I own Joe's Diner. Someone dropped your daughter off here a few minutes ago."
"Is she hurt? Is her mother with her?" His hands were shaking.
"She seems to be okay, scared to death, but okay. And she was alone."
"Mr. Bryan, please tell her I'm on my way."
"I will."
Larry hung up. "Maddie's okay."
Tom nodded. "We know. The FBI heard it all and are on their way to the diner. Let's go."
Tom pulled into the diner's parking lot and Larry jumped out. The front door opened and he could see Maddie.
"Daddy!" she cried as she ran to him.
Larry ran and grabbed her. He held her close. Tears of joy ran down his face. "Maddie, baby, I love you." He pulled back so he could see her face. "Thank God, you're okay."
"I'm okay." She buried her face into his neck.
Tom and Helena watched from a discreet distance. "One down, one more to go." Tom remarked to his wife and she nodded. Helena got choked up watching Larry reunite with Maddie. He had become a remarkable father.
Larry carried Maddie into the diner and the two of them joined Tom and Helena at a booth. One FBI agent talked to Joe Bryan and the other joined them at their table.
"Hi, Maddie. My name is Nick. Can I get you anything? Something to eat or drink?"
Maddie shook her head and held tightly to Larry's hand.
"Okay, I have some questions to ask you about today so we can find out who took you and your mom and get her back to you."
"My mom," Maddie sobbed. "They still have her."
"Was she okay?" asked Nick.
"Yeah, she was okay. She has a huge bruise on her face. I think one of them hit her." Maddie wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
Larry's insides burned.
"How did you get out?" asked Nick.
"Mom convinced this nice lady Rosa to have them let me go. They put this thing over my eyes and when I took it off, I was outside on the sidewalk."
Larry had a question. "Maddie, honey, did she want you to tell me anything?"
"Oh yeah, she said to tell you that she loved you and hoped you had her other shoe."
Larry laughed and hugged Maddie. "Sounds like your mother."
Maddie answered all of Nick's questions like a real trooper. Larry was so proud of her. However when Nick wanted to speak to Larry alone, Maddie clung to him and refused to let him go.
Eventually, the FBI finished their business and followed Larry and Maddie home. Larry put Maddie into bed but again she refused to let him go. He stayed with her until she fell asleep.
He joined Helena in the kitchen. He grabbed another cup of coffee and took a seat at the table.
Helena looked up from the paper and smiled. "How's Maddie?"
"Asleep finally. It kills me to hear those cries in her sleep."
"It will take time, but once Ally returns, I'm sure she'll be okay."
"I hope so." He looked around. "Where's Tom."
"He went home to get some clothes for us. This could be a long day."
He took a sip of coffee. "You should go home. I can handle things from here."
"No way, Larry. Friends stick together. Tom and I are not leaving until Ally is home safe and sound in your arms. And that's final."
Larry grinned. "Have you always been this terrific?"
Helena smiled. "Always. Can I fix you something to eat?"
Larry's grin faded. "Seriously. I can't thank you both enough for everything. I don't think I could have survived this without you." He leaned over and hugged her. "I'm sorry I didn't appreciate you more when we were married."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank you."
"Well, well, well, what do you we have here? I'm gone a short time and I come back and catch you hugging my wife."
Larry looked up and caught the gleam in Tom's eyes. "She was my wife first," he said with a wicked tone in his voice.
"You didn't appreciate her enough."
Laughing, Larry pulled back. "So true. Listen, Tom, thank you for everything."
Tom, not wanting things to get too mushy, changed the subject. "Look, the sun is rising. I think we should take it as a good sign."
Larry thought to point out that the sun rose every day but he needed all the good omens he could get. "It is a good sign."
The phone rang and Tom answered it. He hung up a few seconds later. "That was David. They know where she is. They are on their way now to get her."
Larry stood up. "Where are they? I'm going with them."
"No, you're not," said Tom. "The three of us are going to wait right here and let the professionals do their job."
"You don't understand, I have to be there," insisted Larry.
"You don't understand. This is not amateur hour. This could get dangerous. Let them do it. You stay here and keep Maddie safe. It's what Ally would want."
Larry opened his mouth to protest but something Ally said to him the day they filed the papers for him to adopt Maddie filled his head.
Larry, promise me that you'll put Maddie first. That you will protect her the same way you do Sam. Of course I will. My family comes first.
"You're right. It's what Ally would want."
Helena patted his hand. "I'm glad. Now I am going to take a shower."
"Use the one in our bedroom unless you want to shower with toys."
Helena smiled. "Thanks." She left the room and Larry turned to Tom. "Did David say anything else?
How she was?"
"No, only what I told you."
Larry carried his coffee cup to the sink. "I hope he gets it right."
"He's saving his sister. I don't think he's going to miss."
Larry checked on Maddie and found her still sleeping. He kissed her forehead and covered her up. He sat in the chair and watched her sleep.
A little while later he returned and found Tom on the phone.
"No," replied Helena before Larry could ask. "Nothing new. He's leaving instructions for his secretary since he won't be in the office today."
Larry blinked. "It's Monday? I can't believe I forgot. I've got to make some calls." He picked up his cell phone and called his office and left a message on Marissa's voice mail that he had a family emergency and wouldn't be there today. He also called John Cage's office and left a similar message. Knowing how John cared for Ally, he didn't want him to worry so he just said something came up at home and he would call later and explain. He picked up Maddie's teacher's cell phone number and left a simple family emergency message and hung up.
Tom also hung up and stared at Larry. "That was David."
Larry's knees began to shake. "What did he say?"
"He said that they have her. They have Ally and she's okay."
Larry's knees buckled under him and he sat down. "She's okay?"
"He thinks so. They are on their way to the ER."
Larry paled. "Why? You said she was okay."
"It's for the baby, to make sure everything is okay."
Larry took a deep breath. "Okay."
The waiting was killing him so he went outside in the backyard and pulled weeds. After that he went upstairs to shower, checking in on Maddie, who was still sleeping. After the shower, he heard a car door slam. He raced to the window in the guest bedroom and saw Ally and David in an embrace. They let go and he watched Ally head for the front door. He raced down the stairs and stopped at the bottom. The door opened and Ally entered the house. They stood there staring at each other.
"Baby." He opened his arms and she walked into them. They said nothing, just listening to each other's breathing and sobs.
Tom and Helena watched from the kitchen. She squeezed his hand. "You were amazing tonight."
"So were you. Another job well done."
"What do you say we leave these two alone?"
Tom watched as Larry and Ally embraced. "I agree. We'll call later." Tom caught Larry's eye and signaled that they were leaving. Larry mouthed a thank you and Helena waved.
Larry pulled back. "How do you feel?"
"I'm exhausted, starving, I smell like who-knows-what but at this moment, I've never been happier."
Larry smiled and kissed her forehead. "How about a nice long bath followed by something to eat in bed followed by a nice long rest."
She pressed her face against his chest. "It sounds wonderful. But first I want to check on Maddie." She looked up. "You would have been so proud of her. She's a strong kid."
"Just like her mother." He walked her up the stairs and left her at Maddie's door while he went to draw her bath.
Ally sat on the edge of Maddie's bed and brushed the hair from her face. "My sweet girl. All safe and sound." She leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, Maddie."
A clean Ally emerged from the bathroom to find Larry waiting for her with clean sheets on the bed and a nice meal waiting for her. She climbed in the bed and he handed her the tray of food. While she ate, she told him everything that had happened. He listened and was horrified and proud of what they had been through and survived. "I don't know what will happen to David. I don't know if I'll ever see him again if he goes back into the witness program."
Larry removed the tray and sat it on the floor. "David loves you. If there's a way, you will see him again." He stretched out next to Ally and placed his hand on her stomach. "You're okay, so is Maddie and this baby. We're going to be fine. Just promise me, no more adventure for a while. I don't think I'm up to it."
Ally yawned and closed her eyes. "Just being married to you is all the adventure I need."
"How does the next fifty or sixty years sound?"
"Just perfect. I love you, Mr. Larry." Her breathing slowed and he realized she was asleep.
He kissed her cheek. "I love you too."
The End