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Chapter 13

"Aiden! Aiden!" Natalie screamed out as she looked around the playground, Jess came back from her phone call; she walked over to a slightly panicking Natalie.

"Natalie, what's wrong?"

"I...I can't find Aiden, I turned my back for only a second when Tabitha ran off, he... he couldn't have gone far" Natalie told her trying so hard to stay calm.

"Calm down Nat, I'll go look in this direction with Tabitha and maybe you should go that way and call uncle Bo, maybe even John as a precaution." Jess told her as she took Tabitha hand and started to walk into the treed part of the park looking for Aiden.

Natalie walked away from the swings and pulled out the cell phone her dad had given her yesterday. She started to dial when she heard his voice.

"Is something missing?" Darren asked and Natalie got an uneasy feeling come over her, did this man have something to do with her son gone? No, she said and she shook her head, he couldn't have, he wouldn't scare her son, the son he thought of as his own, not like that.

"Darren, I.. I can't find Aiden,... I think He may have wandered off" Natalie told him; she noticed he didn't seem shocked by what she just said.

"Are you sure he wandered off and that maybe someone didn't take him? I mean maybe someone who was missing something themselves, something like his wife, his family." Darren told her and Natalie may not be able to remember everything but she knew what he was getting at, she had a gut feeling about this.

"Where is he!" she demanded, as all he did was walk around her with his fingers on his chin, acting like he was trying to think.

"Hm...not sure... not really sure but... maybe I might know where he is, or where you can find him, but... it will cost ya"

"What!"

"Yeah, I probably could find your son, our son but only if you decide to come home with us, and play the charade." Darren told her as she was about to say something nasty to Him and they heard Jessica calling out for Aiden, and Jess' voice was getting louder which meant she was coming closer.

"I know how smart you are Natalie, I know you understand what I'm saying, maybe not about the charade part but... you need to decide now, before Jess finds us here and then things spiral out of control again"

"Again?" Natalie questioned briefly but then made her decision, she needed to be with her son, and it was obvious this asshole had him and wouldn't be giving him back if she didn't go home with him"

"Where is he and is he safe?"

Darren motioned to a near by Limo, the back window of the limo opened slightly and they could see him playing in the car. Natalie started towards the car when Darren grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"I can get him at anytime and I just did, decide now, come back home with me, the three of us, pretend to be the family we've been for three years and everyone stays safe.. including... including John" Darren told her as he gave her an evil eye.

Natalie just shook her head as she looked at him.

"Well Natalie, your answer? I mean it's not like you didn't love me, cause you did Natalie, you did Love me, you probably just don't remember it"

"What the hell are you doing now? Are you now trying to tell me that I loved you? That we were in love, like someone who loved me so much would hold my son hostage till I came back to him"

"I do what I have to, if you had your memory you would know that about me, I set my goals high and I don't give up till I reach them. Natalie, yes or No?" Darren told her and for a minute thought she wouldn't go for it, she was hesitating; they heard Jess' voice again, even closer this time.

"I'm not bluffing Natalie, not about taking Aiden, sending him far, far away from you, I have the resources to do that and I'm definitely not bluffing about taking Mcbain out, would quite enjoy it, only this time things won't be done so sloppily, the job would get done"

"It was you then, you son of a Bitch! It was you who cut the brakes that almost killed us" Darren didn't say a word, Natalie was about to again and Jess and Tabitha reached them.

"Darren? Natalie I guess you haven't found him? Did you call Bo and John?" Jess asked as she saw that Nat looked strange.

Natalie looked at her sister, the words were on the tip of her tongue, she would tell her it all, scream that her son was in the limo, the limo who's engine just started running again after being shut off for so long, she looked back and forth between Darren, the Limo and even Jess. She had to say something before Jess caught on to something major being wrong, she couldn't chance that he'd take Aiden away, that he might hurt John. Natalie took a deep breath and closed her eye's briefly, when she opened them back up she looked at her sister.

"Aiden is fine, Darren found him, he's in the Limo and... and... I've been remembering things... Darren.. How he's my husband and all, so I'm.."

"She's decided to come home with me" Darren finished her sentence for her.

"Natalie, I.. I don't know if that's a good idea, lets just take Aiden back to the Carriage house, we'll talk and if you still want to go home"

Natalie looked at Darren briefly, he gave her the a look telling her she was going to have to sell Jess on this, on this being a good thing for her and that she wanted to do it.

"Jess' I love that you are concerned for me but.. I 'm a big girl, Darren is my husband, I need to be home with him, my son.. He needs to be home in his own bed, his own place" Natalie told her and she leaned into her and gave her a hug. She whispered into her ear where Darren couldn't hear

"Don't worry so much, I know what I'm doing"

"Take care Jess, tell mom and dad I'll call them later" Natalie told her and then she said goodbye to Tabitha.

Natalie and Darren walked off towards the limo pretending to smile as they walked side by side.

"Very well done, I did have my doubts for a few minutes there"

"You shouldn't doubt me Darren, or under estimate me, I've obviously learned from the best," Natalie said as she gave him a phony smile and kissed his cheek gently before entering the limo that contained her son.