****
Alex watched transfixed as Ariel Sage Donovan waddled over to her brother who sat on the ground at her feet drawing in a tablet Uncle Cody had given him. She was obviously intent on something as she squatted next to LJ and patted his arm. She made a few sounds in her own soft baby talk and was clearly displeased when LJ shook his head. Did they truly understand each other? Fascinating.
Ariel shoved her dark hair from her eyes as she gazed at her brother's face. "Tell me," she pleaded. To LJ, Ariel spoke plainly...to all others within hearing range, she babbled in her unintelligible baby talk.
"Don't know, Airy. I can't tell you," he insisted. Although LJ could speak plainly enough to adults, it was easier for Airy if he spoke in her language. He was not so grown-up that he could not still speak the language that babies understood best.
"I'm going to find out," she replied determinedly in her baby's language.
Alex watched the transaction between the two toddlers in amazement. She almost laughed when Ariel tossed her hair out of her eyes. Ariel was the epitome of her mother. She had her father's dark, exotic looks...but her characteristics clearly showed she was going to take after her mother one hundred percent.
Unable to move, but just watch as the toddler made her way to stand by her father a couple feet away, Alex smiled when Ariel tugged insistently at Frank's pant leg.
Frank knelt down to bring himself as near to eye level as he could with his baby girl. "Whatcha doin', Princess?"
In response Ariel babbled resolutely to her father.
"Do you want to play with LJ, honey?" he asked, not able to understand what she needed. He was taken aback when she stomped her little foot and let out an exasperated breath.
"Princess, Daddy has to work. Go play with LJ," he insisted.
Ariel's eyes grew stormy. How could she make him understand? LJ understood her...sometimes Mama did. He never did. She put a little hand to her hip and waved her other hand around. She said the only thing she could think of..."Da da da da."
Frank's lips curved into a delicate smile. In the back of his mind he knew he did not have time to attend to his children, but damn...his daughter just said her first word and he was there to hear it! And she said "da da". He touched her cheek tenderly, "yes, my baby...Da da."
Ariel shook her head. He still did not understand. "Dada dada...Mama mama mama..."
He picked her up and sat her on his knee. "Princess...if this was any other time...but Daddy has to help Aunt Frankie and Cousin Jessie. Please baby...go play with LJ."
Ariel was beyond fuming. Why didn't he understand? Her voice grew to a scream, "MAMAMAMAMAMA!!"
Frank's eyes widened at her sudden temper. "Wha..." he looked over when he heard the small voice of his son.
"Airy can't find Mama and she wansa know where Mama is. Mama is always where we can find her."
"Oh my God," Alex exclaimed as she joined Frank and took Ariel from him.
"What?" he asked as he brought himself to a standing position.
"Your kids...they understand each other."
Frank smiled. Shay always said they communicated without problem. This was the first time he had actually seen it. "Amazing, isn't it? I think they have the secrets of the universe locked inside. It's too bad we're too grownup to understand them."
****
****
The team watched as the barricade was moved aside to let a vehicle through. "That's Katie's car," Cody said moving forward.
"Cody, you don't need the distraction. Please ask her to leave," Frank insisted.
Cody shook his head. "Something's up Frank. She was going to the hospital to stay with Shay. She knows better than to come here."
"Shay..." he breathed. His first thought was that she had complications and something had happened to the baby. No, Thomas would have called him. He released a relieved breath when he saw Katie and Thomas helping Shay from the vehicle. "Good God, what the hell..." and took off running until he was at her side.
"Ash, what the hell are you doing out of the hospital?" he demanded softly as he lifted her into his arms.
Shay groaned and hissed at the pain the sudden movement caused. "Easy Tiger...broken ribs remember." She laid her head on his shoulder in exhaustion. "My babies?"
"Shhh...Quito released them, thankfully. I don't know how Frankie got him to do it, but she did. Unfortunately, Frankie and Jessie are still in there." He sat her down gently in the chair next to Alex. He took Ariel from Alex and placed her on Shay's lap. "Be careful, Princess. Mama's not feeling good." He watched as Ariel smiled and curled up on her Mama's lap and fell asleep.
Shay smiled warmly at her precious bundle before cupping LJ's little face with a hand. "How's my Little Man? You being a good boy?"
"Uh-huh...Uncle Cody helped me with my lesson's Mama, cuz that mean man would not let Aunt Frankie come with me to finish them."
"I'm so proud of you baby. Such a brave Little Man," she said, a soft sob in her voice.
She saw Jake standing off by himself. "How's our boy doin?"
"He's torn, but focused. We'll get through this," Frank insisted.
"Quito Real?" Shay said absently, going through all the past details involving Quito and Jake.
Frank nodded and touched her bruised cheek tenderly. "Real. He did this to you, Ash. Thought you were Frankie."
"Forget me, my love. Frankie and Jessie are all that matter. He won't let them go, Frank. He won't let them leave alive. He knows he may die in this attempt, but he is determined. His vengeance has consumed him and getting to Jake... killing him and his family...that's all that matters to him now."
Frank saw the unwavering truth in the sky-blue depths of her eyes. "He won't get his way, Ash. I won't have it."
She lifted a hand to his cheek and closed her eyes when he turned his head and kissed her palm. "I believe in you, Franklin Paul Donovan."
****