Stella stood inside the door leading out to the terrace, looking through the pane of glass. They had been gone for ten minutes now. For Christ's sake where are they? She thought deserately. No one was screaming now, she couldn't hear the helicopter either, she could see it circling in the distance. Please, don't let it be him. She begged. We're all happy now, don't let it be him, not with our sons out there.
The boys were at the top of a tall, winding tree, watching in horror as the men followed them up. Men in black clothes, hats, and microphone earpeices, who had ruined their game by grabbing Damon, which is when they had all screamed. He had managed to escape by biting the mans hand, and they had pelted up the tree, but even now they were being followed still. Alex sat the lowest in the tree, having got everyone else into the branches first. He was slightly confused, no one had ever broken into their house before, or the grounds. Charlie had told him it was impossible.
They heard their Dads calling their name, and Charlie took his eyes off the men below him, now not so far behind. "Dad!" He called out. "Help!" Some of the others cried out.
"Alex, keep climbing!" Charlie told him. If they weren't being chased further up the tree, he would have worried a lot at how high the boys were in the tree. If they feel from that distance, they would be seriously injured. In fact, he recognised it as the tree that Stella didn't like them climbing so high on, but they always did when they couldn't be seen.
Looking up around him desperately, Alex noticed the branches of the next tree interlapping with this one, with small gaps in the branches that theire persuers would never be able to fit through, but they might. "Sideways!" Alex yelled, "Into the next tree." Michael was the closest, and went across first, taking care when the branch they were climbing across thinned out and wavered beneath him. If it wasn't for the branch overhead that they could hold onto, the branch would have fallen beneath him completely. Afterwards, the twins, followed by Michael went across, but Alex was still climbing up the tree.
By now, Charlie and Rob were also in the tree, and Lyle and Left-Ear arrived. Lyle took one look at what was going on and yelled. "Michael, get down from there!"
Michael looked down at him with a strange expression on his face, but being so high up, Lyle couldn't see it. "Are you crazy!"
Then, Lyle saw the guys chasing them, one of which Rob had just thrown to the ground.
Charlie dodged around them. He had been climbing these trees with Rob and the others since hey had come to live here nine years ago, and was somewhat of an expert now, as was Alex, who spent more time in the branches of the trees than he did in the house. Before Alex had a chance to get into the other tree, one guy grabbed his foot. He struggled against him, and hearing the struggle, Charlie looked up, climbing faster, punching a guy who got in his way, landing him neatly beside the ones that Rob was throwing down. He caught sight of Lyle and Left-ear climbing up the other tree, where the boys were beginning to climb down, but Alex was still struggling above him. The man pulled, and Alex slipped down a branch. He tried to pull himself up again, but was helpless against the man's strength. Charlie found a sturdy branch just below the ones that they were on, and stood up with his arms free. The man pulled Alex from the branch and dangled him by his captured foot, unaware that Charlie was below him. "Hi Dad." Alex said as he was dangled directly infront of Charlie, who grabbed him around the chest and tugged him from the mans's grasp. Setting him down beside him, Charlie instructed. "Go, quickly with the others!"Alex wasted no time in climbing again, but Charlie pulled the man down, who fell to the ground with the others.
Now there was only one guy left, in which Rob was having a hard time taking care of. The boys were all on the ground now, with the exception of Alex, who still had half a tree to climb down. As soon as he reached a safe distance though, he jumped down the rest of the way. Charlie lept from a much higher height, landing in a crouch before standing up straight. "Left, Lyle, get them out of here!" He yelled, watching the two men round up all five kids and get them running back towards the house.
Nathan fell back though, looking at Rob fighting. "Dad!"
Rob looked quickly at one of his sons who had remained behind. "Nathan, get out of here!" He didn't move. "Now!" He didn't have a choice as Lyle came back and grabbed his wrist, carting him off with the others.
Charlie punched the guy from behind, sending him to the ground. Rob nodded. "Nice one."
"Thanks."
"You think there's more of them?" Rob asked, looking up at the trees around them.
"Definately. Maybe at-" His face filled with shock.
"Stella!" They both muttered, before running back to the house.
Stella watched as Lyle and Left-ear came towards the house with the boys and she sighed with relief. None of them were hurt. They were filthy with mud, leaves in their hair and mud on their clothes, but not hurt. She was about to run to them when she remembered Holly was asleep in the chair beside her. She looked over at her, kneeling beside the chair and stroking her blonde hair away from where it fell over her eyes. It was getting longer now, just like her own.
"She's beautiful, isn't she?" A voice from behind her complimented.
Stella's eyes widened and she lifted Holly from the chair, afraid to leave her out of her own grasp. She slowly turned on the spot, looking straight into the eyes of their enemy.
"Of course, she's nothing compared to her mother." He continued, stepping closer. "But I'm sure she'll grow up just as nicely. Her name's Holly isn't it?" How had he known that? She wondered. His voice was like poison to her ears, and having not heard it for nine years, and then to hear it so close to her was nauseating.
"Steve." She whispered. "How did you get in here?"
"What? You think I can't get passed your security?" He said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. "Maybe the others forgot to inform you, when I was on the team, security was my specialty." (A/N: I think this is right, I'm not sure) He produced a gun from his jacket pocket, and cocked it, reading for her to move. "Just like old times." He teased. "Except, last time it was your father." The mention of Steve's murder brought so much anger to Stella that the look on her face made Steve laugh. "Oh, come on Stella, you have to get over it, forgive and forget. He's gone, there's nothing for it." It was now only the fact that she refused to risk setting Holly down that she wasn't beating Steve to death with her bare hands. "Don't worry, I wouldn't hurt her," He continued, motioning at Holly with the gun. "I'm not that inhuman, but I wouldn't hesitate for a second to let you join dear old John."
She was holding Holly so close now that she was scared she would wake up. Come on, Charlie, where are you?
Left-ear put an arm out to stop the boys before they ran into the house. "We can't go in there." He said to them.
"What!" Lyle cried in disbelief, "We can't keep them out here."
Left-ear looked back at Lyle as he came up running with the last of the boys, Nathan and Nick. "You rather they stay here with us, where it's remotely safe, or them be in there with Stella and Steve!" He pointed through the terrace window, where Steve was holding a gun to Stella.
This was when Charlie and Rob came running up to the terrace. "What's going on?" Rob asked.
"We've got an uninvited guest." Lyle said, pointing through the window.
Charlie spotted Steve, and wasted no time in going around to the other entrance. Creeping through the house, he entered the living room from behind. Stella saw him, but didn't make any move to go to him, and Steve hadn't realised her was there. She had never seen so much anger on Charlie's face, except that night in the resturant nine years ago, when she had just finished her 'date' with Steve. He advanced on Charlie from behind, standing only a foot away from him before stopping.
"It's all about the element of suprise, Stella." Steve reminded her. "Even if I've had to wait for nine years to get that suprise, it's worth it. Do you know why?" She didn't move, so he took her answer for a no. "Because I want to see the look on Charlie's face when he knows that I've got his kids and his girlfriend."
Charlie moved. "Wife, actually." He corrected. Steve looked a little shocked, having not known Charlie was back, and Charlie hit him so hard that he fell to the floor.
Meanwhile, a little audience had gathered at the window. "Woah, go Dad!" Alex cheered.
"Yeah, go Charlie." Rob added, watching as Steve tried to get to his feet but Charlie hit him again. He ushered the kisd into the kitchen. "Right, now, you stay here." He told them firmly. "If I see any of you out of this kitchen, then there will be trouble.Ok?" They all nodded in understanding, and Rob turned to Lyle. "Stay here with them."
"Why do I always have to babysit?" Lyle muttered.
"I'll repeat myself, shall I?" Rob said. "If I see any of you out of this ktichen, then there will be trouble." Then he and Left-ear went into the living room. The boys all climbed onto the worktop, looking through the large hatch that looking into the living room. From there they could see everything going on. Lyle was sure that Stella wouldn't be too happy with them climbing all over where the food went, but this was an exception, so Lyle climbed up beside them, making sure that he saw everything they saw.
The effect of the others walking in made Steve frown. "You've really planned this well, haven't you Steve?" Rob teased. "Seven guards, all of which we've taken out."
"And you're wandering around Charlie's house unguarded." Left-ear finished. "The odds aren't looking good, man."
Steve reached desperately for his gun, but Charlie kicked it behind him, and it landed neatly at Left-ear's feet. The boys looking through the hatch all whispered excitedly at the sight of the gun. Charlie put his foot on Steve's neck agressively. "What do you want?" He snarled.