Chapter 2



"How was your first day of school?" Renee asked Parker while she made a snack for him. When he didn't answer, she turned and looked at him. "Did something happen?"

He shrugged. "Kids m-made fun of m-me. T-teacher h-hates me."

"I don't think she hates you, Parker."

He nodded his head. "Y-yes, she does. I h-heard her t-telling other t-teachers. Said I wasss st-stupid."

Renee's eyes burned with fury. "Go down and see your dad." Once she made sure he got down the stairs without falling, she hurried out to her car and drove to the school. Pulling to a stop in front of the building, she climbed out and walked through the door.

J.J. glanced into the hallway as she passed the first grade classrooms. "Uh oh," he whispered.

"What is it?" Carina whispered back, glancing at the teacher as she wrote on the chalkboard, her back to them.

"Aunt Renee's on the prowl."

"Josiah McBride, be quiet or I will move you," the teacher threatened, turning around.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

Renee knocked on the door to the kindergarten classroom. Mrs. Eron opened the door and stepped into the hallway. She noticed the open anger on Renee's face and took a breath before asking, "What can I do for you?"

"I'm Renee Bowman, Parker Bowman's mother. He said you called him stupid."

Mrs. Eron took a step back and inwardly cringed. She should have known better than to unleash this woman's anger. After all, the mother of those twins couldn't be a laidback woman, and Mrs. Eron knew that, she'd met her before. "I never told him that."

"No, you told some other teachers. And he heard you. My son is not stupid." Renee's voice rose. "He has a mild form of spastic paralysis. That's what causes his stuttering and clumsiness. The doctors haven't found any treatment yet that seems to help him. We're just thankful that he doesn't have it worse. It could be much worse."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bowman. I didn't realize."

"Well, maybe you should think about that next time you decide to judge a young boy because of something he can't control. And if I ever hear of anything like this happening again, I will make sure you lose your job for it."

Mrs. Eron watched as Renee turned and stormed out of the school. She sighed in relief when the angry woman was out of sight. 'Hell hath no fury like an angry mother.'

*******

Gabriel was waiting in the living room when Renee returned. "Where did you go?" He asked.

"Had to drop off a warning."

"Where?"

"The school."

"Renee, you cannot protect him forever."

"Gabe, his teacher called him stupid. Not to his face, but he still heard her. Gabe, this is the woman who is supposed to get him started on his education. The one to begin to guide him. And she calls him stupid. He's still in the crucial years of learning. If someone, definitely a teacher, someone he can trust, says he's stupid now, he's most likely gonna believe it for the rest of his life. I couldn't just let that slide."

"How bad did you hurt her?"

Renee laughed. "I didn't, Gabe. I just warned her. And threatened she'd lose her job if I found out she did it again."

Gabriel shook his head. That was his Renee. He didn't blame her either. He would have done the same thing if Parker had told him first. "You're too stubborn sometimes, Renee."

Her eyes rose in feigned shock. "Me? Look who's talking, Mr. Stubborn himself.

Gabriel laughed. "I'm not the one who threatened a teacher." He moved around behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You need to relax. You're too tense. You need to stop working yourself so hard. You need to stop worrying about everyone else." His fingers dug gently into her shoulders, massaging the tension out of them.

Renee sighed as her muscles relaxed. "You need to do this more often."

Gabriel kissed the back of her neck. "Just schedule an appointment."

"Hmmmm." She grinned at him. "Is tonight free? Maybe once the kids are in bed?"

Gabriel pretended to think about it. "I think I can squeeze you in then." He kissed her again. "I need to get some more work done before I pick Amie up and take her to her lesson with Ian. Parker's playing outside."

Once Gabriel had gone downstairs, Renee walked to the window and watched her son playing out in the yard. After a while, she went outside and sat down in the grass beside him. "Can I play too?"

He nodded and smiled up at her. Several minutes later he put his toy car down and climbed into Renee's lap. "I love y-you, Mommy."

"I love you too, baby."

*******

"Amie, you must stay focused."

"I'm sorry, Uncle Ian. I will try harder."

Ian sighed. "Take a break, Amie. We will try again in a few minutes."

Ian walked over to Gabriel. "Is she practicing at home? If she doesn't practice, then all my teaching-"

Gabriel stopped him. "Ian, she has been practicing. Every night. She's just a little off tonight. Give her a break. She's only eight. She shouldn't be pushed too hard, too early. You'll wear her out."

"Don't you want her to be prepared? You cannot just let her gift fallow and then expect it to return when she needs it in twenty years. The Witchblade will not allow her to wield it if it feels she is incapable."

"I don't ever want her to wear the damn thing!" Gabriel realized he was yelling and lowered his voice. "I've seen how much grief it's given Sara. I don't want Amie to go through that."

"It is her destiny, Gabriel. You cannot change or stop it."

"How do you know it's her destiny, Ian. You just think that. Maybe her destiny is somehow involved with the Witchblade, but she might not be the one to wield it."

"I do know it, Gabriel."

"Trust him, Gabriel. He does speak the truth."

Gabriel felt the comforting touch of his grandfather's hand on his shoulder, even though he knew they couldn't really touch. He bent his head. 'I don't want it to be the truth though.'

"That's not your decision to make. You must relinquish some control."

Ian could tell Gabriel was communicating with his dead grandfather and took a step back.

'But she's my daughter!' He screamed in his head. 'Shouldn't I have some say in her life?'

"You do, Gabe. But you must give up some as well. Let Ian train her. He is correct, but so are you. Do not let him push her too hard. She still has some growing to do before she's ready for his level of intensity. He understands this, but is not always able to control that intensity."

Gabriel nodded his head then looked up at Ian, smiling weakly at him. "Ian, I'm sorry. I'm just being protective. You're a father now too. You know what it's like."

He nodded his head. "I did not mean to be harsh. I still carry the scars of Father's 'teachings'. Believe me, Gabriel, I will not train her like that. I will teach her the correct way. I made a promise to never turn out like him." Ian clenched his fists at his side. "I will honor that promise."

"I know you will, Ian."

Ian nodded his head and walked back over to Amie. He kneeled down beside her and asked in a gentle voice, "Do you think you can focus now?"

She nodded her head. "I will try, Uncle Ian."

After a few minutes, Ian could sense that something was wrong. "What is wrong, Amie? You can usually concentrate better than this."

She shrugged. "I'm not sure."

"Are you feeling something?"

She nodded her head.

"What are you feeling?"

"Sadness. Fear. Pain." She looked up at him. "Someone's hurt, Uncle Ian."

"Concentrate on those feelings, Amie. Can you tell who it is?"

He saw her draw into herself, trying to concentrate. Gabriel saw this as well and grew concerned. He wanted to go to her, but something held him back. It was like someone physically blocked his path.

Amie gasped in fright as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Who is it, Amie?" Ian pressed.

"Uncle Danny and Aunt Caitlyn." She looked up at Ian then past him to her father, her eyes filled with fear. "Mommy's there too."

*******

Parker was sitting on the couch watching tv when Renee walked into the living room, followed by Danny and Caitlyn Taylor. He smiled at them then turned back to the show he was watching.

"Parker, I think you've had enough television for now," Renee told him. "Why don't you go play."

He nodded his head and jumped off of the couch. "Sit down," Renee told her guests. "You said you had some news."

Caitlyn nodded. "In seven months we'll have more news."

Renee caught the meaning and grinned at her friends. "Congratulations!"

Before they could thank her, the front door crashed open. Renee went to see who it was, but Danny stopped her. He didn't like the sound of the crashing door. He reached the hallway, and a fist sent him sprawling to the floor. He got to his feet, but the intruder sent him to the floor again. He groaned, but struggled to his feet one more time. Renee rushed forward, but the intruder dropped her to the floor with an uppercut to the chin. The blow stunned her.

The man grabbed Danny's arm, spinning him around and grabbing the other arm as well. Drawing a length of rope out of his coat pocket, he tied Danny's hands together and threw him to the floor. Caitlyn watched all of this from the couch, too shocked by the quick attack to move. The intruder started for her next.

Renee struggled to her feet as he moved toward her friend. He turned back to her. "Can't you just stay down?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head.

He sent a fist to her stomach then hit her in the side of the head. Lights exploded in her head. Before she could get all of her senses back, he had her hands restrained behind her back as well. Soon she joined Danny on the floor.

"Only brought enough rope for two," he said as he moved toward Caitlyn. "Guess I'll have to improvise."

Her eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape. The attacker just laughed. "Don't even think about it."

"Too late."

She climbed over the arm of the couch, but before she could take a step, he grabbed her from behind. His other hand moved up and held a drenched cloth over her mouth and nose. After a few moments, her body went limp. He carried her out to a waiting van, pushing the other two in front of him. Parker sat trembling at the top of the stairs, unnoticed.

The man pulled out of the driveway a moment before Dakota arrived from school with the kids. She wondered who it could have been, then shrugged it off. "Probably just a deliveryman for Gabe," she thought out loud. She walked onto the porch and opened the door.