"So my mom would like to know if we've become members of Aggressive Parenting Inc. yet?" Freddie sighed, hanging up his phone.

"Is that a real thing?" Kira smirked.

"His mom probably started it," Sam grinned.

"Mom?" Leah said, coming into the room with the rest of her family. "My cheerleading team is sort of going out to celebrate the end of our season after our last practice tomorrow…Would-would it be okay if I go? My coach is going to be there the whole time and it's going to be at a public restaurant with lots of people around."

Sam bit the corner of her lip. "What restaurant is it?"

"Chuck's Sport's Grill," Leah replied. "It's just around the corner."

Sam sighed. "You call me when you get there and I'll be there to pick you up right at seven."

"Thanks!" Leah beamed, hugging her mother. "You're the best."

"I think that place has really good onion rings," Sam said as Leah ran off. "I'll have to grab me some when I pick her up…"

She looked over at Kira who was watching the television intently. "Hey, did your basketball team have one of those end of the year things? Your season ends the same time as Leah's cheerleading, right?"

"Yeah, we had one last night," Kira mumbled.

"Why didn't you go?" Freddie asked.

"It was stupid," Kira shrugged. "The coach just took the team out for burgers."

"Well you could've gone," Sam told her. "If your coach was there."

"Eh, everyone would've just wound up getting into their stupid little cliques and it would've been stupid," Kira said. She got up off the couch. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Night."

"Poor kid," Sam sighed as Kira left.

"Why?" Freddie asked.

"Come on, you could tell she wanted to go out with her team," Sam said. "But she didn't want to be left out."

"But she has friends on the team," Freddie pointed out. "Remember? I took her out for pizza with some girls awhile ago."

"Sure, she gets along with a few of them when they're not all together," Sam said. "But in a big group she sort of just…shies away. She's never been good with that; she's the opposite of Leah."

"Well you know, I was looking around the new house yesterday when I had some time after work," Freddie said. "And the family who would be living next door to us has a girl her age who's really into basketball too."

"Aw, she could make a friend," Sam smiled. "Man…I hope we can move there soon."

"Me too," Freddie agreed.

"Hey," Sam said softly. "I-I just wanted to talk to you again about-about what would happen if the court winds up siding with Marshall-"

"It's not," Freddie said firmly.

"We can't just keep counting on that!" Sam said. She lowered her voice again. "Are we still agreed that we leave? As in we just take off?"

Freddie squeezed her hand. "We wouldn't have much choice. We're not going to let the twins go with him."

"I know," Sam said. "I just…I just want to make sure you really know what that would mean for us. You'd have to leave your job, first of all. You wouldn't be able to tell them you're leaving either because once the court realizes what we did, that's the first place they'd look for you. They-They'd contact your mom too and tell he that she could be arrested if she knows where we are but doesn't tell them, so you couldn't talk for a long time. We'd have to just leave Carly too…"

"We'd have to get whole new lives," Freddie said slowly.

"Exactly," Sam nodded. "But don't worry…it's not that hard to disappear. I just wanted to make sure you really know what you signed on for. Because-Because-"

"I wouldn't just leave you," Freddie frowned.

"I know," Sam said. "I just…you'd be leaving your whole life behind."

"Sam, I don't know why you don't get it," Freddie said gently. "You are my whole life now."

…

"Alright, your mom just called me and told me she's on her way home from work," Freddie said several days later. "And she may be under the impression that when she gets back, your homework will all be done."

"Mine already is," Leah said.

"Yeah mine's…getting there," Kira said. "Can't I just do it later?"

"You really should get it done now," Freddie told her. "When your mom gets home she's bringing a bunch of boxes from work and she'll want you and Leah to start packing up your room."
"But I'm hungry," Kira complained. "I'll just do it after dinner."

"I-Okay," Freddie sighed. He turned back to the stove where he was currently preparing their meal. Sam did have a point…he needed to start learning how to say no. He just wished it wasn't so hard.

"Guess what, Freddie?" Leah said as Kira abandoned her homework and left the kitchen. "The cheerleading coach from the high school Kira and I will go to next year came into my gym class today. I showed her some of my moves and she said I have a real shot of making the team next year!"

"Good for you," Freddie smiled.

"They have the try-outs over the summer because they begin practice the week before school starts," Leah continued. "High school cheerleading is obviously way more advanced than middle school."

"I can tell," Freddie chuckled. "Hey, dinner's gonna be ready in a few. Go tell Kira to wash up."

"Alright," Leah said, heading out of the kitchen as Freddie pulled a tray of baked potatoes out of the oven. As he set the tray down, his phone began to ring. He pulled it out and answered quickly.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Freddie," Carly said brightly. "Quick question…did I leave an eyelash curler at your place when I was visiting? I'm looking through all my stuff and I can't find it…I have a meeting in twenty minutes with my boss."

"Um, no I don't think so," Freddie frowned. "Although…honestly I don't know what an eyelash curler even looks like."

"It's a metal device that one uses to curl their eyebrows!"

"Doesn't help, Carls," Freddie grinned. "Do you know where you would've left it? Maybe you should call the hotel you stayed at."

"I already did and they couldn't find it," Carly said.

"Well hold on," Freddie said. "Leah? Are there any eyelash curler things lying around?"

"Clearly I should've just called her then," Carly chuckled.

"Probably," Freddie agreed. "Hang on, I don't think she heard me."

He headed back to the twins room and poked his head in, only to find the room empty.

"Huh," Freddie frowned. "That's weird."

"What is?" Carly asked.

"I don't know where she is…" Freddie said slowly. "Maybe she's in mine and Sam's room for-"

Suddenly he stopped talking as he saw the twins' bedroom window was wide open.

"I-I'll call you back!" Freddie said, quickly hanging up his phone. He ran over to the window and looked out at the fire escape.

"No…" Freddie said, feeling his heart race. "No, he-no!"

Had Marshall decided not to wait for a verdict from the judge before going after the twins?

"Leah!" Freddie yelled again. "Kira? Where are you?"

He ran into his and Sam's bedroom, but the twins weren't there either. They weren't in the living room or the bathroom either.

"Oh my God…" Freddie said, feeling more scared than he ever had in his entire life. If anything had happened to the girls, he knew he'd never forgive himself.

He quickly pulled his phone back out and dialed Leah's number, and then Kira's. But neither picked up.

What do I do? Freddie thought frantically. I-I have to call the cops. And Sam…I need to go look for them! He couldn't have taken them more than a few minutes ago; he can't have gotten far, even with a car. Oh man…a few minutes could still do a lot…

He picked up his phone again and dialed 911 and pressed the phone to his ear, his palms sweating heavily.

Just as the phone began to ring, though, he heard the front door opened behind him.

He spun around to see the twins walking in, laughing to each other.

"I-What?" Freddie exclaimed, quickly hanging up the phone. "Where-Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Kira frowned. "We're fine."

"Why are you all sweaty?" Leah asked.

"I-I-Where were you two?"

"We went down to the front desk," Kira said. "I got an email that my new laces for my basketball shoes arrived."

"The front desk?" Freddie repeated. The relief that had been rushing over his body a moment ago was suddenly replaced by a new feeling. Anger. "You went to the front desk?" he said again, his voice rising. "And you didn't even tell me?"

"We were only gone five minutes," Leah frowned. "Besides, you were on the phone."

"I don't care!" Freddie yelled. "Do you know how worried I was? Do you know what was going through my head? This was completely irresponsible of both of you!"

"We're sorry," Kira said, looking taken aback.

"Yeah, we'll tell you next time," Leah nodded.

"Oh, there won't be a next time!" Freddie said. "You both know you're not supposed to go anywhere without an adult! I don't care if you went to the front desk or even just down the hall! And what is your window doing open? Don't you know how dangerous that is? Do you not watch the news?"

"No," Kira replied.

"Well you're gonna start!" Freddie snapped. "After you're done being grounded, that is! No T.V., no fun, no…anything!"

"Can't we just-"

"No!" Freddie said firmly. "Whatever it is, no!"

"What's going on?"

Freddie turned to see Sam walking into the apartment with an armful of empty boxes.

"Oh, I'll tell you what's going on!" Freddie said before the twins could even open their mouths. "These two decided it would be fun to just go on a little adventure to the front desk without even telling me! I was here ready to call the police because all of the sudden I have an empty apartment with an open window!"

"Mom, tell him he's being unreasonable!" Kira said.

"Yeah, we can't be grounded just for going to the front desk!" Leah agreed.

"Sorry," Sam said simply. "You should've known better."

"Ugh!" Kira groaned.

"This is so unfair!" Leah exclaimed as they both stomped back to their room.

"And close that window!" Freddie called after them.

Sam waited until she heard their bedroom door slam shut before throwing her arms around Freddie.

"Oh my God! You actually yelled at them!" she grinned. "I'm so proud of you, baby!"

"Yeah…I-I did yell at them," Freddie said slowly.

"You feel that rush?" Sam asked.

"A little," Freddie said. "Wow…that's a different feeling."

"Pretty good, right?"

"I-Do you think I might've overreacted?" Freddie asked.

"No!" Sam said at once. "No you were on fire! I could hear you before I even got to the top of the steps!"

"But ,maybe I should-"

"You," Sam said, giving him a seductive smile as she laced her arms around him "Have never seemed so attractive to me."

"I-Really?" Freddie said. "Well perhaps I'll need to yell more often then."

"Maybe," Sam laughed as Freddie leaned down to kiss her.