-1Chapter 1

Connie's POV

"Mommy!" A cry sounding in the middle of the night, waking me from my sleep. I looked around and could swear I heard my son Dillion cry out in fear.

There was nothing in sight and the room was silent. I sighed, pushing the covers from my body to make sure everything was okay in the surrounding rooms and slowly walked up to the door of our bedroom. I saw a shadow pass under as I reached for the handle and opened it slowly peering out into the vacant hall. There was no one in sight. I turned back to wake my husband, Guy but he wasn't there. Then I remembered he was in California with Adam Banks trying out for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. I took a deep breathe knowing I would have to investigate on my own. Slowly walking into the silently hall, I made my way down towards my daughter, Emily's, room first. The floor boards creaked with strain at the adding pressure of each step I took. We'd only been in this house for a few weeks now, everything was so new. It was big and it was creepy was my first reaction but Guy loved it and the kids loved the idea of having their own rooms so I agreed. I stood in front of Emily's door before pushing it door open with a groan of the hinges. I found no one inside.

"Maybe she went to Dillion's room..." I thought silently, shutting the door. They hadn't full gotten use to sleeping with the other not in the room yet, they were as close as a brother and sister could be. I heard a bang come from Dillion's room and sighed with relief that I would find them both in his room. I reached my hand out to open his door and the handle was cold to the touch. I opened it slowly as my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room and looked around. Again I saw no one.

"Dillion? Emily? Where are you guys?" I asked looking around and then back out in the hall. They had learned to become real trouble since they figured out they made a pretty team against me. I shut the door and listened for a minute before I headed down the stairs to see if they were hiding somewhere else in the house.

"Okay, guys. Game's over, time to go to bed. You have school in the morning.." I said yawning a little with a stretch before I heard a scream come from the basement. I immediately turned around and made my way to the kitchen, picking up a knife as I went. I neared the door and just as I reached for the handle I felt a cold breathe on my neck. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end as I a slowly turned around to see what I was faced with.

Scream

I sat up in the bed and screamed as Guy shot up next to me falling off the bed with a resounding thud on the hardwood floor. He quickly realized what was going on and crawled back up into the bed, grabbing me by the shoulders to shake me awake,

"What's wrong?" His face searched for answers, pushing his over grown hair from his forehead, "Connie, What is it?" I looked around a little frantically and then realized where I was.

"Nothing... Nothing.. It was just a dream.." I said as Guy hugged me close, I was breathing heavy into the shoulder of his t-shirt.

"God, you scared me.." He said as there was a small knock on the old wooden door. I sighed in frustration,

"I woke the kids.." I said bringing my knees to my chest in defeat. These dreams were coming on a nightly occurrence now, the same fear of losing my kids or finding them hurt. Guy stood from the soft folds of fabric and moved to the door, opening it. Emily and Dillion stood in the hall and looked in.

"We heard Mommy scream.." Emily said running over to me and crawling up in the bed to wrap her arms around me. Dillion was already attached to Guy's leg as they made their way back towards the bed. He was the exact mirror image of Guy at his age. I smiled looking at my family, now settled on the bed in front of me.

"Is everything alright, Mommy?" Emily asked snuggling to my side. I wrapped a protective arm around her and shook my head.

"Yeah, just a bad dream..." I said as she made a face at Dillion. He in turn made a face back at her. I laughed a little as I looked at Guy.

"Can we stay here with you, Dad?" Dillion asked Guy and then looked at me.

"Well..." Guy started with hesitation.

"Just tonight.." I said settling back under the covers with Emily. Dillion and Emily snuggled in between Guy and I and quickly fell back asleep. Guy stared at me for a minute before reaching across the kids backs for my hand.

"Are you sure, you're alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, just this house..." I said whispering in contemplation.

"Connie, it's just new...It will be okay...This isn't the Amittyville Horror." Guy joked. I smiled a little at him.

"Yeah, because if it was you'd be trying to kill me.." I laughed slightly to myself. He smiled too,

"I love you.." He said rubbing my hand with his thumb.

"I love you too.."

"Thank you for my family..." He said looking at the kids and back at me in total awe of what we had become in such a short time.

"Well, you helped.." I joked softly as not to wake the kids.

"You know I have to go to California tomorrow with Banks.." He said reminding me. I shook my head.

"Yeah, you guys are going to be back in time for the reunion right?" I asked.

"Yeah...next Saturday?" He asked.

"Yeah, Charlie's throwing it at his house. Linda's having a cow that the ducks are going to ruin her new furniture.." I rolled my eyes at the princess to which CharlieConway had decided to marry.

"Well, some of us.." I laughed.

"Only maybe Portman and Fulton.."

"And Goldberg and Averman.." I added with a nod

"And Dwayne and Russ..." He reminded me.

"And Jesse and Luis.." I pointed out.

"Maybe Ken..." I thought about and then stopped, "Okay, she has a right to worry.." I laughed

"You going to be okay to go back to sleep?" He asked me touching my face.

"Yeah, I'll be fine..." I said relaxing and closing my eyes. It only took a few minutes for me to drift off into a peaceful dreamless slumber.

The Next Morning

Guy's POV

I stood in mine and Connie's walk-in closet the next morning, packing for my trip to California that day. This was it, I was finally going to get my shot at the pros. Not that I blamed Connie or the kids for my screw up last time but I had waited 5 long years for another chance and I wasn't going to let this one pass me by so quickly. Dillion stood in the doorway looking at me, watching every move I made. He was like my shadow, he was truly Dad's son. Everything I did, he had to do. Everywhere I went, he had to go. But this was one trip he couldn't go on. Connie and Emily had went to Emily's room to get her ready for school that morning.

"Hey, Buddy...Shouldn't you be getting ready for school too?" I asked packing some socks into the small compartment in the front.

"Are you leaving again?" He asked looking like a lost puppy looking for it's owner.

"Just for a couple of days..." I reassured him with a smile.

"Can I come with you?" He asked hopefully.

"Maybe next time, I need to go with your Uncle Adam this time. Besides you need to stay and take care of your Sister and Mother.. Plus you've got school, you wouldn't want to miss that, would you?" I asked, fixing my tie in the mirror.

"Why?" He asked. That was his new favorite question, I swear everything that came out of my mouth, this kid had to know why. I sighed with frustration, he never understood my trips. He was like an extra part of my body, anywhere I went he had to go.

"Because I have to work and it would just be boring for you..." I tried to fool him but he knew better.

"But you play hockey...can't I watch you?" He begged.

"No, Dillion just stay here.." I said getting a little annoyed. He stormed out of the room slamming the door after him. He might have looked like me but he had Connie's temper.

Connie's POV

Emily sat at her mirror examining herself in it. I sat behind her brushing her long honey colored hair and watching her interact with the dolls she had chosen to play with that morning.

"Dillion and Dad are at it again." She mumbled, pretending to know what she was talking about. I laughed again at her adult tone.

"I'm sure your Dad has it under control." I said finishing the braid in her hair.

"Why doesn't Grandma like us?" She said looking at me. I was a little shocked,

"Well, your Grandma Germaine loves you guys..." I said trying to avoid the question my daughter was posing to me.

"No, I mean Grandma M." She said turning around from her eat at the mirror.

"Where is this coming from?" I asked getting her clothes for school out and placing them on the bed.

"Well, we had a game in school yesterday where we talked about our Grandparents and everyone looked at me weird when I said I only had one set of Grandparents..." She said looking down. I came back over to her,

"Look, you have two Grandparents that love you and would give you the world. Don't let those other kids make you feel bad about yourself..." I said kissing her forehead.

"Get dressed; I'm going downstairs to make breakfast.." I said leaving the door with a click of the door. Guy was coming out of our room as I shut the door. He saw I was upset and put down his bag.

"Where's wrong?" He asked me taking my hand.

"Oh, nothing really just some kids making fun of Emily because my parents don't have anything to do with us.." I said. Guy rubbed my back.

"God, I hate them!" I said trying not to cry.

"Cons, let it go. I thought we weren't going to give your parents anymore of our time?" He asked, reminding me of a pace we had made to make it easier on our children.

"Your right.." I said hugging him, "You all set to go?" I asked looking at the bags.

"Yeah, just need to go find Dillion." He said. I smiled,

"Yeah, he sounded pretty mad..." I said from what I heard through the door to Emily's room.

"He just can't understand he can't go with me. It's not like I'm not coming back..." He said walking down the hall towards Dillion's room. I turned the other way and headed down the stairs to the kitchen to begin breakfast.

Guy's POV

I reached my son's door and knocked lightly on the wooden frame.

"Dillion?" I asked waiting to see if he'd open the door. I heard nothing from the other side but silence.

"Dillion can I come in?" I asked trying the friendly approach first. I tried the handle and found it locked from the inside. I told Connie we'd have to change these door handles.

"Dillion, unlock this door now..." I said raising my voice in anger. When did he learn to lock the door, I asked myself, grunting with effort to get the door open but it wouldn't budge.

"Dillion!" I yelled through the thick material. Emily came out of her room and bounced passed me down the hall.

"Morning Daddy..." She said in passing with a small wave.

"Morning beautiful..." I said before returning to the door, "Dillion!" I yelled.

Connie's POV

I could hear Guy yelling at Dillion from upstairs as Emily entered the kitchen ready for school that morning.

"What's your Father doing?" I asked her, still hearing the sounds of guy trying to reason with our son..

"Him and Dillion are playing again.." She said as I sat a plate in front of her with eggs and fruit.

"Dillion!" I heard him yell once more before a few stomps and then Guy coming down the stairs to the kitchen.

"He's grounded!" He yelled entering the kitchen and giving me a kiss.

"Do you want some breakfast?" I asked returning to the stove.

"No, I got to go.." He said kissing Emily on the head.

"What do you want me to tell Dillion?" I asked on his way out the door.

"Whatever you want...I'll talk to him when I get home.." He rushed for the door handele, opening up the front door. Adam and Julie were out front with their car. There was a clatter and then a door slamming and Dillion was down the front stairs and out the door to follow Guy. I watched from the kitchen doorway, leaning in the frame.

"Dad!" Dillion yelled as Guy turned around. He attached himself to Guy's leg.

"Hey, Hey!" He said leaning down and putting down his bag. Dillion was crying.

"Buddy, I'll be back before you know it.. You just take care of the girls.." Guy said kissing his head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lock the door on you.." He said begging him to stay.

"Dillion, we'll talk about that when I get back. Uncle Adam and Aunt Julie are waiting...Be good for your Mom." He said as Dillion shook his head in agreement. I watched as Guy got in the car and Dillion stood on the end of the walkway, watching until he was out of sight. My heart melted as to how much that boy loved his Father. I walked to the front door,

"Dillion?" I asked as he turned and began to walk into the house.

"You want some breakfast?" I asked as he passed me.

"No.." He said walking to the living room to pack his bag for school.