Disclaimer: Everything Secret Window does not belong to me…I wish it did, but it doesn't.
AN: Once again (if you didn't do it for the first two chapters), bio page for info. Otherwise, love to ya all!
Chapter 3: Visits and Negotiations:
Amber's POV:
From the Mort gave me, my parents were coming to New York in three weeks, and they were the longest three weeks of my life. I grew increasingly nervous as that dreadful day drew closer…the day Elizabeth and I would be visited by my parents. I could understand why Mom and Dad wouldn't want Mort coming along, but at the last minute, my wonderful husband decided to come anyway. I think he didn't want my parents to try and steal me and Lizzie away while we were unattended by him and a few bodyguards. To tell you the truth, I was relieved that Mort was coming because, like him, I didn't trust my parents as far as I could throw them.
Despite my nervousness, we actually had a pleasant time together in the cabin. At first, it didn't seem like four people could live in the cabin, but it actually worked fairly well. Mike was very helpful in washing dishes or cooking when Mort and I were busy, and we all spent the evenings together, talking over evening snacks of hot cocoa, chips and salsa, and popcorn. I think that Elizabeth enjoyed our evenings together, too, because she seemed to like having several different people to hold her and entertain her whenever she got cranky. She particularly liked it when her Uncle Mike talked to her while they were playing together…
Finally, two days before our meeting with my parents, Mort and I gave strict instructions on the care of the cabin to my brother, who would be staying there alone while Mort and I went into the city. He seemed sort of uncomfortable with the idea of staying alone in the woods, but Mort assured him that no one came up to the cabin unless it was absolutely necessary. Also, Mort told him that there was no way for anyone to sneak in because of double-shielded glass on the door and windows, so there was nothing to worry about. Mike seemed to breathe easier after that, and he was actually smiling as Mort and I drove away, Elizabeth cooing happily in her carseat.
Mort was extremely tense as he drove, his hands gripping the wheel so hard his knuckles turned white. His usually soft brown eyes were hard and focused, and he was frowning a great deal. I wanted to comfort him, but I was in the back seat with Elizabeth, keeping her happy and entertained. Mort only started to relax after he heard Lizzie let out a happy gurgle during one of our games of 'peak-a-boo;' his shoulders slackened, and his grip on the wheel relaxed. During one of our stops to stretch our legs, he picked up Elizabeth and held her tightly, but gently, to his chest, slowly becoming the gentle, kind man I had married. After that, the ride was far less tense, and he even joked with me as he drove. When we finally passed into the city limits, Mort drove directly to the flat he had bought after Elizabeth's birth. A valet took care of our car, and Mort took Elizabeth and escorted us upstairs. When the door opened, I couldn't believe how beautifully decorated it was.
It was the complete opposite of our cabin by the lake. Where the cabin was rough and simple, this house was the embodiment of modern. The walls were crème colored, there was thick blue carpet on the floor, and the couch and loveseat were cushy and made from a black material that I couldn't identify. The tables were smooth mahogany, and there were black lamps everywhere. The kitchen sported rose-colored marble counters, a large sink, and all of the necessary cooking appliances were in various shades of silver and black. Mort showed me the beautiful pale blue bathroom for common use by us and guests, and the black-and-white marble bathroom inside the elegant plumb-and-white painted and furnished master bedroom.
Elizabeth's room and nursery were one and the same, but it was a huge dark blue room with glow-in-the-dark stars on the walls and ceiling. A night sky themed mobile hung over a silvery-white crib, and when I turned it on, it played Once Upon A Dream, my favorite song from the Disney movie Sleeping Beauty. Smiling, I lay Elizabeth in her crib and watched as she followed the movement of the mobile with her eyes. After several moments, her eyes fluttered shut and she was sound asleep.
Once we were sure she was really sleeping, Mort showed me the spare room, which was the main reason he had bought the loft in the first place. He had known that I wanted my brother to visit, and since none of the other apartments he had looked at had included a guestroom, Mort had bought this one the second he had found out about it. It was a forest green room with dark wood everywhere, creating the illusion that the person was actually sleeping in a forest. The ceiling and walls even had faint leaf patterns on them! Even though this was meant to be my brother's room while he was here, for now it would be the room my parents would sleep in. I'd have to remember to buy new sheets for the bed after they left…
Finally, Mort took me out to the front room and sat on the couch, pulling me down to sit with him. He wrapped an arm around me and lifted me into his lap, burying his face in my hair and breathing in the scent of my shampoo. I heard him sigh and snuggle closer, his arms clutching me even tighter. I gently placed my arms around his neck and held him, knowing that he feared what might happen over the upcoming week. I knew that, of all things in the world, Mort feared losing me and Elizabeth and having to face life without us scared him down to the core of his soul. He knew that I wouldn't leave him willingly, but he feared my parents snatching me and our baby away from right under his nose.
"Would you mind if I called in a dozen bodyguards to stand outside while your parents are here?" Mort murmured into my hair.
I smiled and moved back so I could look into his eyes. "Even though that would make me feel better, I doubt my parents would like it," I whispered to him, giving him a quick kiss. "They had a bad experience with our bodyguards the last time they were here, remember?"
Mort sighed and pulled me into another kiss before pulling back and looking me in the eye. "I don't care," he whispered as he kissed me again. "I'll call in the Army and the National Guard if it keeps you and Elizabeth safe."
"I know," I whispered through another kiss. I also knew that he'd tear the world apart in order to keep anything from happening to our family.
We spent several moments like that, holding and kissing each other until we dozed off in each other's arms.
Two Days Later, Amber's POV:
Today was the day…the day my parents arrived. Mort and I did not go to the airport to pick them up, but had instead hired someone to pick them up in our place. Instead, we stayed in the apartment and "tidied up" the entire place, including the guestroom. Once that was done, I dressed Elizabeth in a cute purple dress outfit, put little white booties on her feet, and carried her out to wait in the living room, where Mort was waiting with a couple bodyguards that he had secretly hired when I wasn't looking. I hadn't even known about them until this morning; I came out for breakfast and got the scare of my life after seeing two huge men in my kitchen!
I was surprised, to see the least, but not upset by Mort's actions. After all, we didn't know how my parents were going to act, or what actions they were capable of, so it was better to be safe then sorry. I also knew that there would be two guards following my parents wherever they went, and there would be two outside the door at all times. Four guards seemed like too few to Mort, but he knew that too many would upset me (I didn't like to be followed everywhere) and Elizabeth.
Finally, we heard the buzzer that the front desk used to call up and announce guests. Mort quickly picked up the phone and told the clerk to let them up as we waited for their arrival. Elizabeth seemed to sense that we were uneasy because she started fussing and squirming in my arms. I tried to calm her down, but all she did was squirm even more. Finally, I went to the living room and put her down in the blue bassinette that Mort had bought yesterday, and she quickly settled down. I was just putting a blanket over her when there was a knock on the door. Mort and I exchanged glances as he went to answer the door. I heard it open and took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever might be thrown at me.
"Where is my daughter!" shrieked a piecing voice. Ladies and gentlemen, my mother has entered the building…
Elizabeth immediately began to cry, and I sighed as I picked her up and rocked her. Trust my mother to ruin a perfectly peaceful moment for my daughter. As I rocked Elizabeth, my mother and father stormed into the room and practically attacked me with harsh words, scoldings, and lectures. I ignored them as they asked annoying questions, like why I hadn't been there to greet them at the airport with Elizabeth, and how could I send a chauffeur instead of coming myself? They continued in their questions, asking things like why were there bodyguards here, how could I let my brother come out here unescorted, and was I insane as to let my 'crazy kidnapper' stay here while we were all supposed to be here together as a family. Quickly getting tired of them frightening my daughter and insulting Mort, I walked away and headed for my husband. I handed Elizabeth to him, nodded towards the nursery, and waited for Mort to shut the door before I turned to face my parents.
"Don't you people ever shut up!" I said, loud enough to be heard and soft enough to not disturb Elizabeth. My parents' jaws dropped as they stared at me. "You've only been here for two minutes and you've managed to not only frighten my daughter and insult me, but also insult the man I love! If I didn't have to have you here to keep Mike, Elizabeth, and Mort safe and happy, I'd kick you both out of here right now!"
My mother's eyes narrowed and her mouth opened, but before she could say anything, my father put a hand over her mouth to shut her up. He then turned and looked at me, anger and hurt in his eyes.
"Amber, there's no need to yell," he gently chided me.
God, he's chiding me like a child! I frowned. "There is a need to yell if you were yelling and insulting us first!" I snapped at him. "So you can either behave or leave."
My father sighed. "Amber, he took you from your home," he said, repeating what he'd said in the hotel and hospital room a few months ago. "I still don't understand why you want to remain with him as his prisoner wife!"
I grit my teeth and kept my anger in check. I needed to keep calm so that Elizabeth and I could stay with Mort, and so that Mike could have a place to escape to. I took a deep, calming breath and glared at my parents.
"I am not Mort's prisoner wife," I slowly replied, trying to keep my anger in check. "He is my husband, the father of my child, and I love him. I don't care what you think about him, but Mort is a kind, considerate man who loves me and Elizabeth more than anything in the world, so stop insulting a man you know nothing about!"
My father sighed but said nothing else as he removed his hand from my mother's mouth. My mother glared at me, but said nothing further on the subject of my husband. I knew that they would never believe me, but I had to defend the man I loved as he had defended me. After all, I'd do anything for him, and for my brother and daughter.
Before either of us could say anything more, Mort came into the room and walked up to my side, his arm wrapping itself around my shoulders to comfort and support me. I smiled up at him and leaned into him, grateful for the warmth and protection he was giving me. He placed a kiss on my forehead, and I put an arm around him, hugging him close. I needed all of the love and comfort Mort could give me, and I knew that he would do everything in his power to help me get through whatever sort of nightmare my parents were likely to put me through during their week-long stay.
I heard someone growl, and looked up. My father was glaring at Mort, but my mom had her jaw clenched, so I knew the growl was coming from her. I sighed and looked up at Mort, who gave me a smile of support. I smiled back and kissed him to thank him for what he was doing for me. As I pulled back, I noticed my mother reaching for me as though she were trying to pull me away from Mort. I quickly turned and glared at her before moving closer to my husband's side. His arm instinctively tightened around me and I hugged him back.
"Would you like to sit down and have something to drink, or would you like to see your room first?" Mort asked, trying to sound civil to them.
"I'd rather see my grandchild," Mom snapped, glaring at him.
Mort forced a smile. "Of course," he said, leading her towards Elizabeth's room.
I sighed as my parents followed him, and I in turn followed them. I could feel that this week was going to be the longest nightmare of my life.
That night, Mort's POV:
Bedtime could not come fast enough for the two Raineys. As Mort pulled on his black satin-like pajamas, he watched Amber shimmy into a new floor-length red silk nightgown that he had bought her the day they had arrived in the city.
After he and Amber were dressed for bed, Mort turned her around so he could rub her back and calm her down. He could see the tension in her body slowly melt away as he gently massaged her shoulders. It had been an extremely stressful day for all of them, but more so for Amber. Mort felt that she was scared of her parents causing trouble or trying something get her away from him, and he was probably right. Still, with the guards outside the door, ready to keep the Rainey family safe from anything and everything, Mort felt safe and confident, and he was positive that Amber would never leave him. As he continued to rub Amber's shoulders and heard her sigh in bliss, he mentally went back over the events of that morning and afternoon…
The day had dragged by for Mort as he heard Amber and her parents constantly arguing over whether or not Mort was a good man, whether he was a good husband, and whether or not he was insane. He knew that if her parents found out about Shooter killing and burying Ted and Amy, as well as committing the other two murders, there would be huge trouble for him and Amber, the kind of trouble that would tear everyone apart. If he had to, Mort would snatch up his family and get them out of the country to keep them safe from any sort of emotional and psychological harm that might come their way.
When they weren't arguing, Amber and her parents hovered over Elizabeth and passed her back and forth so that she 'knew' what her grandparents looked like. Amber had once commented (out of her parents' earshot) that Elizabeth would never want to see her grandmother ever again, after looking at her face so many times. Mort could heartily agree; Mrs. Olson's face was sharp, thin, and cold and her black eyes were hard. In other words, she was not what one imagined a grandmother to look like…in fact, she reminded him of the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz, without the green makeup.
"I'm so glad they decided to stay in a hotel during their visit, instead of here," Amber sighed as he rubbed her neck. "I don't think I could survive them being here 24/7 for their entire visit."
Mort chuckled. "It helps that I offered to pay for the hotel bill, huh?"
Amber laughed, too. "I would say so!" she said, giggling as Mort gently tickled the back of her neck with a lock of her own hair. "My mother is so cheap she would have stayed in a city dump just to say that she saved money, and she'd say that the dump would provide free food for their stay!"
Mort threw back his head and laughed. "Really?" he asked, pulling his hands away from her neck now that she was fully relaxed and at ease. He couldn't imagine a woman being that cheap, even in his wildest dreams.
Amber nodded as she turned towards him, her nightgown wrapping around her legs as she pulled the covers around her. "Yeah, she was always like that whenever we went on vacations as kids," she whispered as she lay down. Mort set his glasses on the table and stretched out beside her, putting his face a few inches from hers so he could see her clearly. "She only wanted to have fun if it didn't cost too much, or if she approved of it. The restaurants we wanted to eat at were always 'too expensive' and we were sometimes forced to eat at cheap places that would eventually make us sick later. Needless to say, vacations were never very fun for us."
Mort pulled her into his arms. He felt Amber snuggle into them before quickly drifting off into sleep. When he heard her smooth breathing, his mind drifted to the two people staying in a hotel several blocks away. How could her mother be so terrible in such a way? God, no wonder the woman had practically jumped for joy when he had offered to pay for the hotel room! What kind of monster was she?
'She's only here for a week,' Mort thought, forcing himself to relax. 'After this, things will be back to normal and we can go back to the cabin by the lake.'
Hopefully they'd all survive until then…
Six days Later, Amber's POV:
The past week had been Hell, pure and simple. Mom wouldn't stop insulting me about the weight I had gained during my pregnancy, and Dad wouldn't stop calling Mort a kidnapper and a rapist behind his back. Despite everything, I had tried to be civil to both of them, for Mike, Elizabeth, and Mort's sakes. We had all gone to the favored tourist sites together, like the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, etc, but it wasn't much fun. The fun tends to go out of sightseeing when your parents are glaring at your husband and badmouthing him while they're trying to stand so you two are separated from one another. When we got hungry on the tours, we ate together and made polite, vague comments about the sights we had seen throughout the day as we tried to be civil in public. At night, we all went our separate ways so I could recover from the day's excursions and emotional traumas.
Finally, the week was over, and my parents were leaving for the West Coast. For the last few hours of their stay, they had insisted on spending it with us at the loft so that they could "hold Elizabeth one last time" before they left. Yeah, right…I think they only wanted to try and convince me one last time to go home with them. They just couldn't accept that I was happy here with Mort, as far away from them as I could possible get. I was never as happy as I was now, and there was no way in Hell I was going to leave.
Before they left, we managed to work out a visiting schedule that would fit all of us. During the beginning of Mike's school summer vacation, my parents and Mike would come to visit us in New York City. After staying a week or so, my parents would leave, and Mike would stay with us for the entire summer. He'd then go home, and then Mom, Dad, and Mike would come visit us for Christmas, but leave before the huge New Year's Eve celebrations. The rest of the year, including Thanksgiving, Mort and I were left alone with Elizabeth. Mort and I readily agreed to this…after all, it was only twice a year, for two weeks at most, that my parents would be here…not long at all, if you really try to not think about it…
As my parents got into their cab to the airport, my dad turned and gave me one last pleading look that begged me to come home. I sighed and shook my head, tightening my grip on Elizabeth as Mort tightened his grip on me. My dad nodded as a sad look on his face as he closed the door and told the driver to go. I watched at their cab vanished around a corner, a huge weight suddenly lifting off my shoulders. It would be months before I had to see them again, and in the mean time, Mort and I could enjoy the quiet time alone with Elizabeth and my brother, before Mike had to go back home in a couple months.
We left for the cabin a few hours later, handing in the keys to the loft at the front desk so it could be cleaned and maintained while we were gone. We packed our suitcases into our car and Mort eagerly drove us home. This ride was much lighter than the one going towards the city; Mort was grinning like a maniac, and even Elizabeth seemed happier than usual. I smiled as Mort turned on the radio and sang along to the Oldies…I even joined in a few times, making faces at Lizzie as I did sang, causing her to laugh and smile as she kicked her feet and waved her arms at me.
Home had never looked so good…the cabin looked warm and inviting, and I could smell food being cooked as we pulled into the driveway. Mort took care of the bags while I carried Elizabeth inside, and my brother gave me a surprised look when I came into the kitchen. Mike smiled as I placed Elizabeth's carseat on the table and took her out of it so I could put her in the nursery. When I came back out, my brother and husband were hunched over plates full of stir-fried vegetables and chicken. I pulled up a chair and joined them, savoring the quiet moment as I took a bite of my food.
"So, how did it go?" Mike asked as he took another bite of chicken.
I smiled and glanced at Mort, who smiled back. I then turned towards my brother.
"Welcome to your new summer home, little brother!"
Mike jumped up and gave me a huge hug.
AN: Feedback and review appreciated (hint, hint)! Thanks!
