Chapter 11-Sarah McGwire

"Mom! Mom! Look at what Jeremiah won!" Zack said as he came into the suite carrying his little brother on his back. Cody came in after holding up a big gold trophy. Carey pulled herself off of the couch and looked at it in awe.

"You won this? That's great, Jeremiah," Carey said as she hugged him after he slid off of Zack's back.

"Thanks…mom," he said as he grinned and took the trophy from Cody's hands. Humming a song to himself he danced to the bathroom and shut the door. He placed the trophy on the sink and slid into his bathtub bed. He looked at the picture he drew of himself and his family and drifted off to sleep. Back in the living room Cody and Zack sat Carey down and started to explain something to her.

"Mom. During the dance competition, there was this lady," Zack started slowly as he gazed at his mother. "She wouldn't stop staring at Jeremiah as we danced or talked to him."

"We think…that Sarah McGwire checked into the Tipton hotel," Cody finished. "But we aren't exactly sure. I mean, she could've just been interested him how well he can dance but it doesn't feel like it."

"What should we do?"

"I think you should keep Jeremiah by your sides and don't let him out of your sites. I will ask Mr. Moseby tomorrow if she checked in. That's about all we can do about this situation. G'night boys. Love you." Carey said as she kissed them on the forehead.

"Love you," they responded in unison as they made their way to the bedroom door. As they got ready for bed they brushed their teeth and put on their pajamas. Before they turned off the lights they said a prayer for Jeremiah, "Please God, keep him safe with us. He needs us…and we need him."

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After school the boys had basketball practice so Jeremiah waited patiently for them as he sat on the bench swinging his feet and watching them run back and forth. He cheered every time Max or Zack got a basket and shouted encouraging words towards Cody and Tapeworm. He watched as Chris and Crystal gave them some pointers to help them play better. He also helped the coach, Arwin Haukhouser, draw up plays for them to use.

After the practice Zack and Cody were teaching Jeremiah how to shoot a free throw when the Drew Crew rolled in. Zack glanced at them and looked away in disgust. Cody just didn't face them at all; he ignored them completely so Jeremiah decided to do the same, but it wasn't easy, especially when Drew snatched the ball from him and tossed it to his buddies. Jeremiah got an annoyed look in his eye and Cody placed a hand on his arm.

"Well if it isn't the clones. And who's this? Hey guys, it looks like the clones, made a clone!" Drew and his crew laughed at his joke although it wasn't funny at all. Jeremiah raised an eyebrow as Zack and Cody glared.

"Leave Jeremiah alone!" Zack said as he snatched the ball back.

"Or you'll do what?" Drew countered as he stared Zack down.

"Take the damn basketball and shove it up your ass!" A snappy comeback suddenly reached everyone's ears. But this one didn't come from Zack. And it also didn't come from Jeremiah. Surprisingly, it came from Cody. True, Cody could say some mean things when he gets angry, but now he was pissed off!

"What did you just say to me?" Drew demanded.

"I'm surprised you didn't hear me. Your brain is so small it can't comprehend any form of speech except for scolding!"

"If I knew what that meant you'd be dead right now!"

"Funny. I feel so alive though."

Cody made a face as Drew and his crew stalked off. Drew shoved Cody aside so hard he fell over. Drew glared at him over his shoulder and continued walking as Zack and Jeremiah helped Cody stand.

"You two didn't have to do that for me," Jeremiah said in a small voice as he walked over and picked up the basketball.

"Yes we did," Zack corrected. "We're brothers," he said as he put an arm around Jeremiah's shoulders.

"We stick together," Cody continued as he draped an arm around Jeremiah's shoulders.

"And we watch each other's backs!" Zack and Cody finished in unison. Jeremiah grinned and hugged his brothers.

Laughing, the boys continued practicing basketball. Underneath the bleachers a woman with black hair was watching them with a glare in her eyes. She growled to herself as she pulled her cell phone out of the coat's pocket and dialed a number. Once someone picked up on the other line, the woman said, "I found him babe. He's got these two twerps around him all of the time. But I know you can get him. We'll have our little bud back in no time!"

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Jeremiah dribbled the basketball on the sidewalk as he waited for Zack and Cody to get out of the skateboard shop. They stopped there on their way home and they have all ready spent twenty-five minutes in there and it didn't look like they were going to come out anytime soon.

The basketball bounced off his foot and rolled down the street. If it was an normal basketball he would've let it keep going. But the fact that it was Zack's made him run after it. Right as he got to it a foot came down on top of it.

Jeremiah looked up as his eyes widened. It was Sarah McGwire. He backed away and opened his mouth to scream as hands grabbed him and pulled him backwards into an alley. A bag was pulled down over his head until it reached his shoulders and the drawstring was pulled tight. He reached up to grab it but his arms were pulled behind his back. They were wrapped tightly by a rope and he was suddenly lifted into the air. He was thrown into the back of a car and it drove away as fast as it could, tires squealing…

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A/N: I hope you like this chapter. I know only a little bit of what I'm going to put in the next chapter so I want some suggestions in your reviews. Also some criticism please. It can be good and bad. It is going to help me make this fic better and I need all the help can get.

Next Chapter:

Chapter 12-Sarah and Butch