HUGS AND KISSES FOR LUSO :o) YOU DID GREAT!
Chapter 12
On his way back to Denver Pete thought about Sam and her betrayal, he would find a way to punish her for leaving him, to teach her that she can't just leave. He would show her how he felt about it, what it meant to be alone without the person he loved more than life itself. He stared at the road in front of him; the humming of the wheels on the highway his only companion. Suddenly he grabbed his cell phone and dialled a number.
"Hello Den…"
"This is Pete Shannahan calling." Pete jumped in before he could even finish his sentence, he paused. "I need some of your men" he demanded. The voice on the other end of the phone obviously said something Pete didn't like because his face became fierce.
"It's none of your business what I want them for. Do I need to remind you that it's your turn to follow my orders? You owe me." Pete smiled, he had obviously gotten somewhere with his tactics.
"I want them to meet me at... Silver Bay town centre Minnesota Wednesday next week. Tell them to follow my orders without questioning." He almost yelled into the phone. If this works out as I want it to, you won't hear from me ever again, and your men will be returned safely. However, if it doesn't and your people screw it up, I'll make you pay. Got me?" Pete threatened in a deadly serious tone, before slamming the phone shut on the dashboard and throwing it into the seat beside him. Smiling contentedly he praised himself on being such an excellent strategist for putting phase one of the plans into action, the rest was going to take a few days.
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Far away in a little cabin in Silver Bay Minnesota, Sam and Jack had called it a night. Although the temptation to spend the night huddled up on the couch had been huge, they had decided against it. It was the very early hours of the morning and they were sure they'd need the energy for the day to come. So they finally managed to part and went to bed.
Sam slid into bed next to Charlotte; on the one hand she'd liked the idea of spending the night with Jack, a lot. Although, on the other hand she was glad he didn't push her, which on its own showed the huge difference between Jack and Pete. He was willing to wait until she was ready, until she let him know that she wanted more. He respected the fact that after everything they had both been through it would take time adjusting to their new relationship. Drifting off to sleep she remembered their weekend three years ago and deep inside she hoped it would be that way forever.
Across the hallway Jack was in his bed unable to fall asleep, too lost in thought about their earlier conversation. Why did he forgive her that easily? He thought about it a lot but it always came back to the one and only answer. He loved her, plain and simple, always had and always will. Lying awake in his king-sized bed Jack heard Charlotte crying across the hall: "Mommy, mommy." She whimpered, but he didn't hear any response.
In the spare bedroom Sam tossed and turned in her sleep. She had nightmares, always had after the days Pete had hit her.
In her dreams she could see hi, Pete, taking Charlotte. Taking her to places Sam couldn't go places Sam couldn't reach. She could see Pete and Jack fighting saw them yelling but she didn't hear the words said. She wanted to scream but no sound made it out of her mouth. She wanted to run but wasn't able to move her feet. All she could do was watch. Watch when Pete pointed his gun at Jack, watch when he pulled the trigger. And the only sound she heard was that of the bullet when it left the gun and buried itself deep in Jack's chest
Charlotte started to cry. What was wrong with her mommy? She reached out to touch Sam's arm and shook it, as much as a two year old could, but to no avail. Sam was in a very deep sleep. "Mommy" She pleaded, tears made their way down her face in full force now and her voice was full of fear. "Mommy" Charlotte repeated, desperate for her mother's attention.
Across the hallway Jack had listened carefully and decided that there was definitely something wrong, he jumped out of his bed, put on a pair of sweat pants and hurried into Sam's room. Charlotte jumped off the bed and flew into his arms when he entered.
"Daddy, Mommy sick!" she stated in tears.
"I guess she's having a nightmare, sweetheart." He stroked her ringlets trying to soothe her.
"Mommy not wake up. She not sleep, mommy sick." The little girl babbled and hugged Jack even closer, seeking the comfort and security that seemed to encompass her whenever her daddy was around.
"Come on. Let's get you back to bed and then I'll wake mommy up, ok?" Jack suggested as he lifted his little girl into his arms.
"Daddy bed?" she whimpered; her cheeks still wet from the tears she'd been crying.
"Yes honey, you can sleep in daddy's bed." Jack said, looking forward to being able to hold his little girl in his arms and keep her safe through the night.
"Mommy too." Charlotte pleaded with him to hold them both in his protective embrace, and keep them both safe. Jack chuckled; Charlotte was so much like Sam. Here they were in the middle of the night, and his two year old daughter wanted to have what seemed to be a conversation.
"We'll see." Jack compromised, when he noticed Charlotte wanted to ask the next question he put his finger on her lips "Ah ah, no more questions. You're cold, let's tuck you in."
He wandered into his bedroom. Sam had stopped tossing and started to mumble instead. Jack tucked his little girl in, making sure that she was safe and secure so that she wouldn't fall off the bed. "Mommy good" Charlotte questioned sleepily before Jack had reached the door.
"Mommy's fine, honey, don't worry, now sleep we want to visit Donald tomorrow, don't we?" and the smile he got before she drifted back to sleep was his answer.
Although he had told Charlotte not to worry he was worried himself. Sam had always been a light sleeper. How could she not have heard Charlotte crying next to her? It had to be something serious. He sat down next to her and she seemed to calm down immediately. She was entangled in the sheets and her cheeks were wet from silent tears. He took a few strands of her loose hair and tucked them behind her ear.
"Hey Sam, come on. Wake up." He said softly, but she didn't, instead she started tossing again.
"Sam." His voice grew louder. "Sam, wake up." Again Jack pleaded, only this time more desperate.
New tears gleamed under her lashes and suddenly Jack noticed a rather shocked yet helpless expression on her face, her mouth offering a silent scream. Jack gently grasped her shoulders and shook her, attempting to awaken her from a nightmare that was beginning to frighten him, why was she so terrified? "Sam. Wake up!" he demanded and that was when suddenly she awakened with a start, jumping upright in bed.
"Jack!" she cried, and threw herself into his willing arms, clinging to him as if she would never let go, desperate for the security she felt in his presence and the love she felt in his arms.
"I'm here…shhh…" he assured her, hugging her tightly, rocking her back and forth. She would never ever let him go again, Sam decided as she sobbed quietly into the crook of his neck, absorbing his scent for her own personal reassurance he was there, and she was never going to lose him again, this time they would be together forever.
"It's ok, Sam. It was just a dream…a nightmare…shhh." Jack continued to sooth her.
"Do you remember what it was about?" Jack asked gently, curious to know what had gotten her in such a state, but at the same time not wanting to bring up bad memories, and he got his answer when her crying became heavier again.
"Shhh…It's okay. It's over." He said stroking her back softly in soothing circles, trying to calm her down as her breathing had become uneven and ragged in her state of fear, deciding against trying to find out what the dream was about, at least for now.
"Mommy okay" Charlotte questioned sleepily, poking her head around the door, having been woken by Jack's attempts at waking Sam and the commotion that followed. Sam wiped off her tears, attempting to protect her daughter from anymore confusion or pain, trying to hide any trace of her evident fear.
"Mommy is fine, sweetie. Just had a bad dream" Sam assured her, Charlotte nodded and yawned showing her obvious exhaustion despite her best attempts to suppress the inevitable yawn that managed to break through.
"I thought I just tucked you in a few minutes ago." Jack stated trying to lighten the mood a little, and bring smiles to the faces of his family. The little girl's expression changed from happy to sad to frightened in mere seconds, just as Jack's went from happy to confused to questioning and hurt.
"Daddy mad" Charlotte stated more than questioned, and didn't wait for an answer as she turned and scurried off out the door, before Jack could smilingly reassure her that he wasn't mad and he was simply playing.
"Sweetie, wait!" Jack shouted but she was already gone.
"I didn't mean to make her cry, Sam." He looked at her for confirmation, a mixture of genuine apology and a hint of hurt in his eyes, and saw pure understanding in her eyes which was replaced by a sad expression.
"What is it, Sam?" he urged her to express her thoughts aloud.
"Sometimes Pete would yell at her and overreact when she interrupted our 'alone time'. I guess that's why she thinks you're mad at her, because she walked in on us, she doesn't recognise the sarcastic tone in your voice, and just assumes from what you say that you're angry. She doesn't know any better, she doesn't know any different." Sam said, getting quieter towards the end of her explanation and averting her gaze, still feeling guilty that yet another factor of her keeping their daughter a secret had reared it's ugly head. Her daughter felt as though she couldn't join in and didn't recognise tone of voice, because Pete would simply snap when it was 'alone time', but this wasn't 'alone time'. They would have to teach her to recognise when she could join in and be involved so that she would never feel afraid of interrupting them when they were simply in the same room together.
"He yelled at her? That bastard yelled at my little girl?" Jack gently let go of Sam and headed downstairs, fuming that Pete could do such a thing but desperate to comfort Charlotte.
"Charlotte?" Jack called looking for her so that he could apologise and make sure she realised that he wasn't in the least bit angry, well at least not at her, maybe at Pete. There was no trace of her, behind him stood Sam.
"Charlotte come on, where are you?" Sam tried. "I'm not mad at you, honey!" Jack added, again desperate to reassure her that he couldn't possibly be angry when she was simply worried about her mother.
They heard a tiny sniffing sound from behind Jack's favourite arm chair; he made his way towards the sound to take a look behind his much loved piece of furniture.
"Hey little lady?" he said; his voice gentle and his eyes giving away how much he loved her.
"Daddy mad?" a timid little voice asked.
"C'mere little one" he opened his arms and Charlotte reached her arms up at the invitation to snuggle with her daddy thankfully. Sam sighed deeply with relief, once again assured that they were just perfect together and so alike, they were the most important people in her world.
"Let's get back to bed campers! It's been an eventful day!" Jack suggested playfully, oh so relieved that he had his daughter back in his arms gently resting on his hip as he guided Sam back up stairs, gently caressing the small of her back.
Although she liked watching them it was close to sunrise and she really wanted them all to catch a little bit of sleep for the remaining hours of darkness. Charlotte giggled when Jack let go of her.
"Charlotte daddy bed" She stated and ran across the room, reminding him of his earlier promise to allow her to snuggle up with him through the night.
"Mommy come?" she questioned and looked at Sam, who looked deep in to Jacks eyes searching for the answer to the unasked question between them. Were they ready?
"Come on mommy, let's go." Jack took Sam's hand following Charlotte into their bedroom where the three of them made themselves comfortable in the big bed.
"Me middle" Charlotte announced and wriggled until she felt Sam on her right and Jack on her left side.
"Love you." She yawned and her parent's answers were two kisses on her forehead. When the little girl was sound asleep Jack turned to face Sam. She was asleep as well; a fact which finally made him realise how tired he himself actually was.
"He shot you." Sam whispered. "In my dream, I thought I'd lost you forever."
"I'll never leave you, Sam." He whispered back at her, looking directly into her blue eyes.
She reached for him and he took her hand in his. "I love you, Jack." She said sleepily, but full of honesty as she drifted off to sleep.
"I love you, too, my Sam." he told her and she smiled in her sleep as she realised, yeah they were ready.
Author's note 2: Let me know what you think:o)