Mark awoke to the sound of giggling. He opened one eye to see Lucas standing beside the bed. He smelled coffee and food. He opened both eyes and seen Abby standing behind Lucas with a tray in her hands.
"Surprise daddy breakfast in bed!" Lucas yelled.
Mark smiled and sat up. Abby sat the tray down and handed him a cup of coffee.
"Thanks." Mark said accepting the coffee gratefully. He looked up at Abby noting how beautiful she looked this morning. Most of the time she kept her hair pulled back in a pony tail, but this morning it was hanging loose in waves. She had on hip huggers and a blue tank top, she looked lovely. Abby blushed under Mark's scrutiny and Mark grinned as he sipped his coffee
Lucas had scrambled up beside his dad in the bed and Mark leaned over to hug him.
"Whose idea was breakfast in bed?" Mark asked as Abby set the tray across his lap.
"Mine, but Abby thought it was a good idea too." Lucas said.
Mark scooted over and patted the empty space beside him.
Abby sat down and Mark leaned over and kissed her cheek causing her to blush again.
Abby had made French toast, eggs and bacon. Mark dug in with relish he was starving.
"I helped make the French toast daddy." Lucas said proudly.
"It's the best French toast I ever had." Mark said grinning.
Mark and Abby listened to Lucas chatter while Mark fed Abby breakfast. Abby and Mark sat there grinning at each other like lovesick teenagers.
"Thanks for breakfast you two, it was wonderful." Mark said.
"Your welcome daddy." Lucas said kissing his dad on the cheek.
"Do I get a kiss from you to girl?" Mark asked.
Abby gave him a shy kiss on the cheek then hopped up and grabbed the tray Lucas following her. She turned around in the doorway.
"Abby pea brain." She said and walked out.
Lucas started giggling and followed Abby out the door.
Mark fell back on the bed laughing. Little brat she wasn't ever going to change.
Victor picked up the ringing phone.
"Hello." He snapped. He hated being interrupted.
"Mr. Kasseris, I got the info you wanted." Johnny said.
"Well go ahead." Victor said rolling off Jeanette
"I found them, there living in a apartment in San Diego." Johnny said.
"Well listen, I want you to grab the boy, but don't hurt the aunt." Victor said.
"Well there not here right now, I've had the place staked out, and there's no sign of them." Johnny said.
"They will be back and when they do get back, grab the boy." Victor said.
Victor hung up the phone.
"You found them." Jeanette said.
"Yes." Victor said absently stroking Jeanette's skin with his hand.
"Soon I'll have what I want." Victor said lost in his own thoughts.
"I'll have what I want, my son." Jeanette said.
Victor looked at her.
"Yes you will most definitely get what you deserve soon." Victor said smiling.
The day passed quickly, much too quickly for Mark. They had spent the day playing with Lucas outside. They had packed a picnic and Abby had showed them an old picnic spot of theirs beside a lake in the woods. Mark lay on the blanket watching Lucas and Abby play hide and seek. Abby was pretending she didn't know where Lucas was at and making a great show of trying to find him while Lucas giggled loudly behind a tree.
Mark smiled. Abby was so different here, he was seeing a whole new side of her that he hadn't seen before. She was like another child around Lucas running and playing with him like a little girl. Mark was absolutely enchanted by the different facets of her personality. He realized he was falling and falling hard for her, but the situation they were in wasn't ideal. He would just have to put his feeling on the back burner for now.
"Hey you two, I told ya to stay away from the edge of the lake, that waters deep." Mark warned.
Mark had warned them earlier, the water was a little cold this time of year and Lucas wasn't a great swimmer.
"I know how to swim and I'm not going to let Lucas fall in!" Abby yelled to him.
"I don't care if ya got a gold medal in swimming, you two get away from the edge!" Mark yelled back irritated they were ignoring him.
He sat back watching as they once again moved to the edge of the lake.
"Abby, Lucas get up here now!" Mark bellowed.
They both looked up startled and came trudging up to him.
"Sorry daddy." Lucas said shuffling his feet.
"I told you twice, if I have to tell ya again, I'll get me a switch from one of these trees and make sure I don't have to say it again." Mark boomed at them.
Mark was sure Abby was going to go ballistic on him.
"Looks like he's in cave man mode." Abby said smiling at Lucas.
Lucas tried his best not to laugh but didn't succeed.
Mark could see her as a mischievous little girl always in trouble because of her mouth. He had to work to keep the smile off his face.
"Ya think this is a joke Abby?" Mark said staring her down.
Abby didn't know what was wrong with her, something about being back at home, she felt so happy about being here and being with Lucas and Mark. Instead of cussing him out, which was her first instinct she wiped the smile off her face.
"I'm sorry Mark; we didn't mean to worry you." Abby said looking down.
Mark would have fallen if he hadn't been sitting al ready.
"Yea we won't do it no more." Lucas said.
Lucas walked over and plopped down beside his daddy knowing the situation had been diffused by Abby.
Mark didn't know how to react to her not fighting him every step of the way.
Lucas had lay down looking sleepy. He could probably use a nap Abby thought.
Mark looked up at Abby.
"Come here little girl." Mark said.
Abby went over and sat down beside him.
Mark put his arm around her and laid down pulling her with him.
Mark looked at her.
"If I'd known all it took was the threat of a switching to calm down that attitude, I would have used it long ago." Mark said grinning.
Surprisingly Abby grinned back.
"Don't get to full of yourself buddy. I know you were worried about Lucas falling in, that's why I didn't crush you like a bug." Abby said lying in his arms.
"I was worried about you too." Mark said quietly looking in her eyes.
Abby swallowed hard at what she seen there, want desire and something else she couldn't define.
Mark kissed her forehead and pulled back to look at her.
"Lucas is asleep, take a little nap, I'll watch over you two." Mark said.
Abby closed her eyes without a word. It felt good to give in to him sometimes, let him shoulder the weight for a while. She hadn't ever been able to let go with someone before, she felt like a child again, safe in her fathers house protected from all the bad stuff.
Mark watched her doze. Him and her needed to talk soon. His feelings for her seem to overwhelm him. He needed to know how she felt, but he seriously doubted she would be able to open up to him and talk. She had a wall around her, that slipped once in a while but not much. He just hoped she felt the same way he did.
