AUTORS NOTE: Thanks for all the reviews and I hope you all enjoy this update.

Ch. 2

After a morning of reading picture books to very active children and getting more hugs than she knew what to do with, Elizabeth was in better spirts during lunch. She and Blake were just finishing lunch at a local restaurant when Matt, her lead DS agent, sat down at the table to go over her updated security measures for the outdoor playground opening that was next on her list of events for the day.

"ok ma'am, so, this is an aerial map of the park. You will be standing here with Mr. Moran to your right…" Matt went on to explain. As this went on Elizabeth listened and nodded when necessary. To be honest she usually tuned out these extensive safety briefings, despite what Henry thought. She just never understood the point. In the end if there was a security issue, she would be forcibly removed by her agents despite the situation or her wish to do anything different. So, she would sit through the briefing and half pay attention.

"So, ma'am if there is anything out of the ordinary, we will be able to have you to relative safety within 4 minutes. Do you have any questions?" said Matt in his all-business voice. "No Matt, I think we have this down by now. Has the threat assessment changed from this morning?" asked Elizabeth. "No ma'am" said Matt, "but we are still of the belief that the threat is not credible. There has been no new chatter and everything has gone quiet in regards to the earlier threat."

"Gee, that sounds ominous" stated Blake from the other side of the table. Sitting silently up to this point. He always took Elizabeth's safety more seriously that she herself did. Henry laughed saying he never worried about Elizabeth when Blake was around because he knew Blake worried about her just as much as he did. "So, why would silence make a threat less credible? Wouldn't it be more credible? I mean if I was going to do something nefarious, I wouldn't shout about it from the rooftops?" asked Blake sarcastically.

Elizabeth snorted a laugh at Matts facial reaction to Blakes questions. "Blake" she laughed, "Most security threats we deal with are crazy people who don't know how to be quiet. So, if a person says on Twitter, they plan to teach me a lesson or some other such non-sense, and they go quiet, then the threat is no longer a problem. But you are correct. This only is true for that kind of threat. Had it been a physical threat, that would mean silence is bad. But I do appreciate your concern." Elizabeth's words were meant to alleviate Blakes worries, but only served to remind him of the time he read the 'World in 2030 Report'. This briefing only served to make him more on edge.

As the day went on, the event at the park went off without a hitch. Elizabeth was in her element among the many parents and small children. She was always so open with fellow parents. Blake stood back as he watched her get into a deep conversation with a few mothers of very small humans, he guessed two or three. They were discussing potty training nightmares. 'what a strange conversation' Blake thought as he watched on. He wondered if his own mother ever discussed him with the same singular pride that Elizabeth spoke off all three of her children and their trials with pull-ups and mad dashes to the potty at inopportune times and places. His face must have taken on a lost look as he drifted through his mind and also lost track of time because the next thing he knows, Elizabeth has placed her hand on his arm and he jumps back to the present. As he looks up, he sees Elizabeth's concerned look and also that everyone is gone and it is quiet. Too quiet.

"Are you ok Blake?" asked Elizabeth in what he now recognizes as her mom voice. The same voice she started using those many years ago when she all but saved him. Saved his sanity and his life.

Blake shook himself and forced a smile "Of course. Just drifted off there for a minute. But I'm good."

Elizabeth did not believe that for a second. She led him to a park bench not far away. Once they were seated, she turned to him and leveled him with her 'I'm not buying what your selling look'. "Ok Blake, you know the drill. You know we are not leaving this park until you tell me what is bothering you" she said again in her mom tone. Blake sighed and looked up at the sky before closing his eyes and taking some deep breaths. A technique Elizabeth and Henry had taught him to starve off his panic attacks as well as a way to center himself. Elizabeth noticed the technique and knew that she was right and that he did need to talk about something. She and Henry had determined all those years ago that Blake was not a person who could be allowed to bottle up thoughts and emotions. He had to be made to talk even if he didn't want to. It was just too dangerous not to push him.

~~Flashback Dec. 22nd 1:30 am~~

Blake woke up in the McCord's guest room. He was confused at first as he didn't know where he was. Then it all hit him at once, he was alone. He should have told them. He knew he should have just left. It would be so much simpler. He mother was right. He should make it easy on everyone and just disappear. He knew what to do. But he didn't want to hurt Elizabeth and Henry. They would not want their kids exposed to him. That's why they were staying with Jared and Stevie. He knew they were just too good of people to say that out loud. So, he got to work. Hey grabbed his laptop out of his bag by the closet door. And he began to type. He wanted them to know. He had to let them know it wasn't them. They were the only bright spot in his otherwise dark world.

~~3:30am~~

Elizabeth woke with a start. She sat up sharply waking Henry. "Babe what's wrong" Henry sleepily asked. "I don't know, but something is wrong. Very wrong!" said Elizabeth already getting out of bed. It had been years since she had this type of breath stopping, stomach turning, deep dread. The last time had been when Stevie had snuck out and wrecked her car in a ditch down the road from the house. She grabbed her robe as Henry got up and looked at her. "Elizabeth, is this one of those mother intuition moments?" Henry asked hesitantly.

Elizabeth stopped her nervous walking of the room and looked at him with a horrified expression. The next second she was out of the room running to the guest room. What she found would haunt her for the rest of her days. Blake, sitting at the end of the bed, not moving, with a tie around his neck securing him to the end of the iron foot board. It took maybe five seconds to process before she screamed for Henry as she was rushing to Blake. When Henry got to the room, she was trying to get the knot loose enough to get him laying down. Henry was faster with a pair of scissors from the bathroom. As he cut the tie, he noticed that Blakes lips were blue and that he did not feel a pulse.

After Henry got the tie cut, he pulled Blake by his feet so he was laying down and began CPR. "Elizabeth, call 911" henry said. After a minute, she hung up the phone and told Henry that they were on the way. Not 10 minutes later did the EMT's enter followed by DS. The paramedic took over compressions and the EMT began asking questions while he placed a mask over Blakes mouth to help him breath. The EMT told the paramedic that he was having trouble bagging him. They switched places and the paramedic turned to the McCord's and said "he has crushed his trachea. I'm going to need to intubate him to secure his airway. Are you his next of kin? They both stated firmly "Yes".

Elizabeth watched with tears in her eyes while Henry held her as the paramedic put a tube down Blakes throat. While he was doing that, the EMT had cut off Blakes shirt and had place pads on his chest. The AED Elizabeth recognized from an office worship a few months back. As the machine worked it told them to shock Blake and as the electricity coursed through his body the first tears fell down Elizabeth's cheeks and Henry held her closer. They were both thinking the same thing. They may just watch their son die. After 10 minutes that felt like eternity, the paramedic said that they got him back. They put a neck brace on him as a precaution and put him on a backboard. As they were about to leave the room to follow, Henry saw a stack of envelopes. As he walked to the desk, he saw five neatly labeled letters written in Blakes very precise block lettering. Matt, Daisy, Jay, Henry, Elizabeth. It hit him then. It was real. Blake had every intention of dying tonight. He grabbed up the letters as he and Elizabeth went to follow Blake to the ER. In the SUV on the way, Elizabeth turned to Henry and said "He can never be left alone with his feeling again. This is partly our fault. We both knew he needed to talk. We will have to push him from now on." Henry looked in her eyes and said "yes, your right." After a moment, Henry spoke in a whisper quite voice "he wrote letters". As Elizabeth turned back to him as he spoke another bit of her heart broke.

"let me see" she told Henry in an equally soft voice.

~~end flashback~~

After a few minutes Blake began talking. He was still avoiding eye contact, but that was fine. Elizabeth didn't need him to look at her, just talk to her. "I was thinking about how much you light up around other mothers and their kids" Blake said. Then shook his head and laughed "You were able to hold a two-hour conversation about potty training." Elizabeth smiled at this and said "Well, when you're a mother, you take pride in the little things that seem so important at the time." Blake sighed and turned to look at her with sad eyes. It was then that Elizabeth had a good idea what the problem was, but needed to let Blake express it himself. "I was wondering if my mother ever thought about me that way. If she ever talked about me with such pride. If I ever made her face light up the way yours do when you talk about Stevie, Ali, and Jason. It's stupid I know, but my mind just wondered there without my permission. I have been trying to do as Dr. Sherman told me and to not focus on the past, but the present and the future, but sometimes its really hard to do that." He had started off quietly but gradually got louder as he went. By the end he was in a normal tone of voice.

"Oh Blake, do you need a hug?" Elizabeth asked and was heartened when he nodded his head yes and leaned over toward her. She rapped him in her arms and said to him in that mom tone he loved so much "she may not have, but sweetheart, I do. You will forever be more my son that you were hers. She did not and does not know what a gift she tossed out. But I have always been of the opinion that one person's discard can be another person's treasure; and that is what you are Blake Moran, you are treasured and adored. Me and Henry and Stevie, Ali, and Jason; we love you and you will never have to wonder or worry about being important. I may not know about your pitfalls with potty training or any of your formative years, but I know how proud I am of you for everything else which is just as important." Blake just held her tighter and sighed. He realized her really was loved and safe. "I love you too Elizabeth" Blake whispered near her ear. As he pulled away, he wiped his lingering tears and cleared his throat. "So, ma'am it's time we go back to the hotel so you can get ready for your donor dinner" Blake said in his no-non-sense assistant voice. But he did at least do it with a smile that Elizabeth returned easily.

"Ugh…are you sure you don't have any more issues to work out, I would love to stay in this park longer" Elizabeth quipped as she got up from the bench. All of a sudden there was an extremely loud bang followed by a tree branch breaking. Blake and Elizabeth both turned to the sound just as Blake saw a guy with a gun and in one fluid motion yanked Elizabeth behind him as another shot was fired and Blake felt a punch in his chest that had a white-hot burn behind it. He stumbled back against Elizabeth just as DS took out the shooter and Elizabeth did everything, she could to slow his descent to the ground. When he was down, he looked at his chest to see a red spot growing on his white button up shirt in fascination. Elizabeth however was screaming for a medic as DS swooped in to secure them both. From his spot on the ground Blake was looking up at Elizabeth who in that moment looked down into his eyes and he was struck by how blue they are. Elizabeth had just pressed something onto his chest hard and his world faded to black.