~28~

"Uncle Luis!" Maria burst through the front door, pulling Jane by the hand along with her, both girls rosy cheeked and breathless with giggles. "We need a nose for our snowman, and Little Ethan wants your help to make him a police man just like you and my grandpa."

Jane pulled her hand free to push her blond hair behind her shoulders. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she left a melting puddle of snow and ice in her wake.

"Jane," Theresa deftly sidestepped her brother to reach her daughter's side. "You're making a mess."

Her voice lowering to a stage whisper, Jane tugged at the layers of clothes her abuela and her mother had armed her with before even allowing her to set foot in the winter wonderland that had sparkled and beckoned with the morning's dawning, "I gotta go to the baffroom, Mama."

Smiling as his sister steered a waddling Jane in the right direction, Luis returned his attention back to Maria when he heard her pointedly clear her throat and whine his name. "You want to borrow my badge?"

"Uh huh," Maria nodded with serious blue eyes.

Do you promise to bring it back? I can't catch the bad guys without it," Luis told her.

"Uncle Luis," Maria threw her arms up in exasperation then settled them on her small hips and struck a pose reminiscent of her mother.

"Okay," Luis relented with a grin. "Go back outside. I'll bring it to you. Hey, Maria?" he called when Maria paused in front of the fireplace to snatch a protesting Samantha into her arms. "Have you seen Marty? Is he outside helping with the snowman?"

"Nope," Maria answered him with a shrug of her thin shoulders, dark curls bouncing behind her as she marched back outside. "Don't forget, Uncle Luis."

"I won't," Luis promised, letting the curtains fall back into place as he turned to leave in search of his young son. "Mama," he pushed the door to the kitchen open, "have you seen…Mama? What is she doing here?"

Lifting her chin proudly and standing tall, Katherine Crane commanded his attention. "I'm here to keep you from making a terrible mistake."

Luis looked to his mother, but she refused to meet his eyes, staring instead at an undefined point somewhere over Katherine's shoulder. Looking back to Katherine, he waited for her to continue, and after a brief pause, she did.

"Sheridan wouldn't listen. My only hope is that you will."

Will Luis listen?

More importantly, should he?

What are your thoughts on the kids?

Did you see little bits of their parents' personalities shining through?

Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback; it is much appreciated.

Thanks for reading!