Meanwhile back in the car Hannah was speeding down the highway. "So what did Thea have to say?" asked Hannah.
"I don't want to get your hopes up," said Thierry, rubbing his knuckles gently against her cheek.
Hannah sighed in pleasure that Thierry's touch caused then said, "Tell me anyway."
"Alright," Thierry finally agreed, "Thea said they might have found where the; children are being held."
"Good, now we plan the attack and before you say anything I'm going."
"But Hannah—" Thierry started to protest and then he saw the look on her face and stopped.
"Don't you dare tell me it's too dangerous, I'm going and that's final," Hannah said firmly.
Thierry sighed and nodded for he knew he couldn't budge her on this not when she was in this state of mind anyway. Not that he could blame her. "But you are not to leave my side understand? I don't want you hurt."
"Okay," Hannah agreed.
"Good," said Thierry, reaching out to again gently stroke her cheek.
~~~Thierry and Hannah~~~
It was midnight before everyone had gathered in a glade not a far from the house. Everybody who lived in Thierry's house was there as well as other Circle Daybreak members. They were getting ready to go in. Thea had already warned them that the minute she and the other witches took down the wards the people in the house would know they were coming. "Take down the wards," Thierry ordered, just as it turned midnight.
Thea nodded and she and the other witches concentrated for a long moment. "They're down," said Thea after a long silence. She and the other witches then slumped to the ground unconscious.
Thierry nodded and started giving orders rapidly. All the Daybreakers responded instantly to his orders. Through it all Hannah stayed by his side.
There were two teams one went in the front door and that the other the back. Lupe led one team and Thierry the other. It was Thierry's way of telling Lupe that he trusted her.
Both team's knocked down their doors almost at the same time and entered. They had met little resistance up to this point and there was still no one in sight.
"Stop right there," a voice ordered them from the top of the stairs. Both groups stopped dead in their tracks at the sound of the voice. "Take another step and the children die."
"What proof do I have that they are still alive?" asked Thierry the anger evident in his voice. He strained and to see the kidnappers face, but could not make it out even with vampire sight for the face was in deepest shadow.
"You want proof?" asked the voice. "Fine I'll give you proof. Baen bring one of the children down here."
"Yes boss," a voice answered from further down the hall.
~~~Thierry and Hannah~~~
As this conversation was quietly going on Rashel slipped away and went to find the backstairs. She found them and quietly slipped up to the second floor careful not to let the stairs creak. She moved as quietly as a cat until she came to a partially open door. Inside a brief struggle insured as the one called Baen untied one of the children. Rashel entered quietly and had her knife at the guy's throat in an instant. "Now untie the other two and no tricks or you're dead. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," said Baen the fear evident in his voice.
Rashel removed the knife from his throat, but had it in the small of his back less then a second later. "Alright move it."
Baen moved it and untied the other two. Rashel then quickly knocked Baen on the back of the head with the hilt of the knife. "I'm a friend of your father's. My name is Rashel," Rashel told them after seeing their expressions. They had not met her or Quinn before for they, had been out of the house a lot on missions for Circle Daybreak
"Baen what is taking you so long?" called a voice from downstairs. No one answered him.
Lena considered; for a moment then nodded they had to trust somebody sometime. They followed Rashel out of the room and down the backstairs and then out the backdoor.
Quinn could you please tell Thierry I have the children?
Of course, love, Quinn's mental voice sounded relieved.
Thierry, Rashel got the children out, Quinn told Thierry mentally.
Good now if we can just get out of here, said Thierry the relief evident in his mental voice
"So are you going to give up your seat on the council?"
Thierry seemed to consider for a moment then said, "No, I'm not."
Hannah looked at him in surprise, but his expression said trust me. She nodded; she did trust him he would do his best to get the children out of their unhurt.
"Then the children will die," said the vampire with an evil smile.
"I don't believe for a second that even if I did give up my seat on the council that you wouldn't kill them," said Thierry. "So what's the point?"
"Are you really sure of that?" asked the vampire from the shadows.
~~~Thierry and Hannah~~~
Meanwhile Rashel and the children met very little resistance and were soon in the glade where the whole attack had started. They; were met by Thea who quickly took the children in hand. "I've got to go back," said Rashel. "Take care of them."
Thea nodded just as Rashel turned around and slipped into the trees
Rashel got into the house a different way then she had gone out. She shimmied up the drainpipe and went through a window. She crept down the hall and came up behind the vampire without him even noticing she was there. She got there in time just to hear Thierry say, "I don't believe for a second that even if I did give up my seat on the council that you wouldn't kill them. So what's the point?"
Good for you Thierry, Rashel thought as she slowly slid a knife out of its sheath.
"Are you sure of that?" asked the vampire. Before Thierry could answer Rashel with all swiftness stabbed the dagger down toward his back. The vampire hearing a sound at the last moment turned around just as Rashel's dagger came down. The dagger ended up going into his stomach instead. "No one messes with my friends," she muttered quietly hoping no one heard her. Every vampire in the room still heard what she said.
"Well what do you know killed by a human," said the vampire who; was dying before their eyes.
"You weren't just killed by any human. You were killed by Rashel the Cat," said Quinn proudly.
The vampire looked surprised then died. His muscles and flesh shriveling until he was nothing more then a leather sack full of bones.
"It is over," said Hannah simply her voice showing not a single hint of compassion for the dead vampire.
~~~Thierry and Hannah~~~
A few minutes later back at the clearing Hannah practically ran to where the triplets were sitting with Thea. The triplets looked up as Hannah and Thierry came towards them.
"You're okay aren't you?" asked Hannah.
"We just want to go home," said Paul rubbing his eyes tiredly.
Hannah nodded and helped the children into her car. Most of the Daybreakers had left as soon as the stalemate had ended. The only ones still hanging around were Rashel and Quinn, Thea and Eric and of course Thierry and Hannah. Soon even they were gone.
~~~Thierry and Hannah~~~
The next day all three children awoke after noon. When they opened their eyes at last it was to see their grandmother sitting by their beds. "Ah, so you are awake at last. We thought you would sleep forever," said Diana who was sitting near the door reading a book. All three children groaned and got out of bed. "How are you feeling this afternoon? Any nightmare's last night?"
"A few why?" Andrew asked. The other two nodded agreeing with their brother.
"Because we are afraid of the psychological affects a kidnapping can have," said Diana.
"Psycho-loical?" asked Paul.
"Psychological," Diana corrected.
"What's that?" asked Andrew.
"It means that, that kind of bad experience can have some serious consequences—bad dreams, flashbacks and so forth. So are you hungry?" asked Diana changing the subject.
"Starved," Paul answered for all three of them and there are other two just nodded.
"Lunch is waiting then," said Diana leading the way downstairs
"Well good afternoon," said Thierry as soon as he saw them.
Hannah for her part bit her lip and had to remind herself not to run towards them. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to smother them. "Hungry?"
"Yes," Lena answered
"Good, lunch is on then," said Hannah. "What would you like?"
"Anything that is already ready is fine," Andrew answered quietly.
A few minutes, later soup, and sandwiches were served. All three children ate quietly. Not a single word was spoken until lunch was over. Hannah through it all bit her lip. "Thank you for lunch may we please be excused?"
"Of course you can," said Thierry looking up the worry evident in his dark eyes.
The triplets got up and walked out of the room. As soon as they were, out of earshot Hannah burst out. "They hardly said a word doing lunch. Children should be loud and rambunctious not quite and subsided."
"Give them time Hannah," Diana advised. "They have been through a lot in the last few days."
"Your mother's right Hannah after all time heals all wounds," said Thierry.
Hannah bit her lower lip then nodded. She knew they were right, but it was still difficult not to do something. To protect them from all harm, but Hannah knew that was; also one of the worse things she could do was; smother them.
"Can't we do anything to ease their transition?"
"Well I could make them forget, but it would probably just pop up years from now and that would just make it worse. I'd rather not do that if I can help it."
Hannah nodded and agreed with him. They'd just have to stiff it out she supposed.
~~~Thierry and Hannah~~~
After lunch the triplets headed up to their room to talk about what had happened. "You know there is something weird about the people in this house," said Lena. "Did you notice that Thierry didn't call the police and that he handled it himself in his own way?"
"Yeah, I noticed," said Andrew with thoughtful frown. "Do you ever think they'll let us in on the secret?"
"They'll probably tell us when we are older," said Paul also with a frown.
"They think we are too young to understand," said Andrew.
"Or maybe too young to keep a secret," said Lena.
"We'll find out someday," said Paul.
"Someday," the other two repeated. Someday seemed like, a long way off.
~~~Thierry and Hannah~~~
A couple of weeks went by and it seemed that everybody was walking on eggshells. Everybody who lived in the house was careful what, they said and did around the triplets even more so than usual. Finally, Andrew unable to take it anymore exploded. "You're all walking around here as if somebody died!" Everybody was shocked by Andrew's outburst, but the truth of it was he was right. After that little outburst things got back to normal or at least as normal as things ever got. A month after that the school year began and the triplets were entering kindergarten.
"Come on you three it's time to get up. Today you start going to kindergarten," said Hannah. The triplets groaned and got up although they wanted to go back to sleep.
"It's too early in the morning to be up," said Lena rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
"Well you have got to go to school and get a good education so you can get a good job when you grow up," said Hannah, helping the kids get dressed. "Come on you just have time for a nice breakfast before I'll drive you to school."
They all went downstairs the children still rubbing their eyes sleepily. "Good morning Andrew, Paul, Lena," Thierry greeted them as they entered the dining room. He was taking a sip of coffee and reading the paper as he spoke.
"Morning Thierry," said Lena, still yawning behind her hand.
They ate breakfast in silence and when they were done they got the backpacks that had been bought for them and slung them over their shoulders.
"Before you go," said Thierry. "I have something for you." He handed each of them a box and watched as they open them. Inside were three identical rings. A black; rose which; was the symbol for all made vampires. "Put them on," said Thierry. "Don't ever take them off for any reason. The rose is my family's crest. Which; was basically true.
"What are they for?" asked Paul.
"For protection anybody who sees you wearing these ring shouldn't bother you," said Thierry. He hoped. It was true it should detour most Night World criminals, but not somebody who was really determined.
The triplets nodded; but to their curiosity was hardly appeased, but they knew better than to ask questions for they would get no answers they knew.
~~~Thierry and Hannah~~~