(I have posted this story once already and it appears to have been flagged. In response to this, I am reposting with an updated rating and trigger warning below.

I did not mention this in my first attempt to post, as I felt it was implied, but if you find this story to be upsetting/harmful to you, or you simply do not care for it, it is your responsibility to redirect yourself to more accommodating content. I respect that my story may not be for every reader, however, I do not feel that it violates any rules or laws on this site. As the ruling response to this story has been positive, I am putting it back up for those who enjoyed and expressed wanting to see more.)

Hello to all the Madam Secretary fans! This story was created by my sister and so I see us both as the creators of this story. My sister formulated this storyline a few years ago and only recently handed it over to me to finally bring it to fruition. This story is an alternate storyline for Madam Secretary where they have four children not three. For the other details of this story, I'm afraid you will simply have to read to find out. Start your engines for here begins chapter one.

As always we do not own the Madam Secretary storyline or the MSEC characters. Our rights consist only over the changed plot line and the characters we have created.

!Here is a disclaimer for potential trigger warnings!

-Abduction. Abuse.

-lovelyladylavender

As far as seven year old girls went, Madeline McCord wasn't much different from your average little girl. She spent her mornings with her family around the breakfast table, most of her afternoons in school and evenings talking about how her day went over dinner with her family. Her life was like a movie in the sense that if you watched it enough times you could predict which scene came next. She lived a normal life where things out of the ordinary rarely happened and for the most part, she knew what her life would be like tomorrow. It would be much like today... but what she didn't know was that this would be that last time she had the chance to enjoy a mundane morning surrounded by her family and soon the meaning of normalcy would fade from her mind like a a plane fades from view up in the sky. Soon she would be unable to recall the blissful, uneventful mornings and her life would become a far cry from what she had always known. Yes soon, Madeline McCord's life would be so unrecognizable, would she even be able to remember it herself?

...

Elizabeth McCord downed her cup of coffee before placing the empty cup amongst a pile of dishes accumulating in the sink. The woman sighed as she made a mental note to start the dishwasher when she came back from the barn. She turned, rushing to the bottom of the stairs and yelled up the empty staircase. "Kids! It's time for breakfast let's go!"

"Coming!" Elizabeth heard her second child answer and she shook her head with a smile as Madeline came barreling down the stairs quicker than she should've and slipped on the last step.

"Careful honey," Elizabeth caught her before she fell and placed a kiss to the top of her head, shooing her towards the kitchen table. "Stevie! Alison! Let's go!"

"They are right behind me," Henry McCord chuckled as he came down the stairs with the youngest of their crew. He held onto Jason's hand, aiding him in learning how to walk down the stairs confidently. While he was determined for a toddler, he still did not have enough balance and coordination to take on such feats by himself.

Elizabeth chuckled as she noticed Henry had forgotten to put Jason's shoes on and she picked the toddler up as they reached the end of the stairs and swung him around making him start a fit of giggles. "Your daddy forgot your shoes," Elizabeth joked playfully as she poked the little boy's stomach. "He certainly does try but he's not mommy, no he's not is he?"

"No he not!" Jason shouted as he shook his head.

Henry thumped his head with the palm of his hand as he turned to begin ascending back up the stairs and retrieve the shoes. "I'll be right back," he stated before Stevie and Alison came running by him laughing and almost knocked him over. "Whoa! I can see you two are getting along this morning."

"A rare occurrence," Elizabeth tried not to laugh at Henry's face when he almost fell.

"Haha," Henry fake laughed seeing Elizabeth was trying to hold back her laughter. "It's all fun in games till somebody gets hurt."

"Girls, you heard the sergeant, it's all fun and games till somebody gets hurt, no more fun," she turned to the girls mocking him.

"You are hopeless," Henry smiled shaking his head as he disappeared upstairs.

Elizabeth set Jason down in his booster seat at the table and put a few things on his plate before she began putting her boots on. She watched contently as Stevie helped feed Jason and wipe his mouth when he got the food all over his face. Stevie, at nine years old was in the phase of becoming old enough where she could help her parents. She had taken an interest in acting as Elizabeth and would "mother" Jason along with her other two siblings and Elizabeth found it more than endearing. It warmed her to see the hearts of her children and the areas of life they flourished in as they all got older and became more confident in themselves. This drew her attention to her other two daughters who were playing tic-tac-toe while they ate. Alison at the age of five was all about dress up and fashion. She was sassy and such a daddy's girl. Madeline on the other hand was a complete mama's girl and at the age of seven had already become one of Elizabeth's biggest helpers. She was practically her shadow. "When you are done eating, do you wanna meet me out in the barn and help me with the horses?" Elizabeth leaned over Madeline who was still sitting at the table. Madeline nodded with a wide smile and immediately tried to stand. "Finish your food first and then meet me out there okay?"

Madeline's response was too quickly shove the last few bites into her mouth which left her mouth full as she yelled "Done!" and took off running to the front door.

"Don't go in the stall without me ok?" Elizabeth yelled after her as the girl already had the front door open.

"I won't!" Madeline called back before slamming the front door in a hurry.

"That girl," Elizabeth chuckled as she cleared Madeline's plate and placed it in the sink.

Just as Henry descended the stairs, with Jason's shoes in tow, Alison started cry and both parents turned to see what was wrong. "What is it baby?" Henry asked as he walked closer to her and crouched down so he was on her eye level.

"Jason broke my toy!" she wailed holding the broken doll.

"That's okay daddy can help you fix it," Henry assured her and almost immediately saw her calmed slightly.

"Really?" she asked as her eyes lit up? "Can you really fix it daddy?"

"Of course I can!" Henry said in confidence.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Alison lunged forward wrapping her arms around Henry's neck.

"You are welcome noodle," he patted her back. "Now lets see what we can do about this doll."

Elizabeth beamed watching her husband with their kids. He had always been a good husband but he was an even more perfect father. Now they had had been married for a decade and their family had grown Elizabeth couldn't imagine sharing her life with anyone else. "I love you," she spoke softly leaning down to kiss his cheek.

"I love you too," he replied squeezing her hand. "Where's Madeline?"

"Already out there," Elizabeth chuckled as she now headed for the front door as well. "Girls be good and listen to your father! Your sister and I will be back in soon."

"We will!" Stevie and Alison yelled in unison.

Elizabeth made her way to the barn with Madeline's coat in her hand as the little girl had forgotten it. It wasn't freezing yet and there was no snow but the trees had turned brown and had begun to shed their leaves as winter came closer with each day. Elizabeth loved this time of year. It was no longer hot but it also wasn't quite cold yet. It was the weather that required no more than a light coat and a warm hat. It was perfect for enjoying a warm cup of coffee on the porch in the morning and a fire at night. As she entered the barn she stopped and smiled as she took in the sight before her. Madeline was standing on a bucket in front of their oldest horse's stall. She was petting his head and talking to him which he always loved.

"You forgot your coat," she spoke softly hoping to not startle her daughter or the horse.

'I'm sorry mommy," Madeline turned looking at her apologetically. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's alright baby," Elizabeth walked closer kissing the girl's cheek as she opened the coat up and signaled for Madeline to put her arms in. "It's not that cold yet but it's cold enough that you should still wear it."

"Thank you for bringing it to me," Madeline smiled and turned around on the bucket to hug her mother.

"You are welcome honey," Elizabeth returned the hug. "Now who's stall do we start in first?"

"Buttercup's!" Madeline replied without hesitation. "He's the oldest which means he should go first."

"Buttercup's it is!" Elizabeth grunted as she lifted her daughter off the bucket and down onto the ground. "Go grab the picks and his halter, I'll get the the wheel barrel ok?"

"Got it!" Madeline set excitedly as she ran down the way to the tack room.

Madeline had always been the child that took after Elizabeth in everyway. From her sandy blonde hair and blue eyes down to her love of animals and the farm. None of the kids took an interest in the farm quite like Madeline did. The little girl loved helping Elizabeth with the chores as much as she loved to go riding with Elizabeth. Buttercup was Elizabeth's oldest horse and also the most gentled and so when Madeline was five, Elizabeth had gifted him to her for her birthday but that had also come with the condition that Madeline become his caretaker in the ways that she could and so far Madeline had not faltered in her care for the horse that was now her own. Elizabeth could not be prouder of this and had cherrished watching the relationship between her daughter and the horse bloom and grow.

"I got them mommy!" Madeline came walking over slowly to not spook the horses and with her hands full.

"Good job Madeline!" Elizabeth gave her a smile as she opened Buttercup's stall door. "You halter him and I will lead him out."

"Ok," Madeline smiled proud that she was now big enough to be trusted with this task. She worked carefully and tried her best to do it the exact way her mother had showed. "Good morning Buttercup," she spoke calmly as she pet his chest and neck to let him know she was there. Gently, she slipped one hand under under his lowered head and showed him the halter so he knew what she was going to do. Once he was haltered she patted his neck and rewarded him with a treat for being such a good boy. "Did I do it right mommy?"

"You did it perfectly baby," Elizabeth nodded in approval as she took the lead rope and began leading him out, his hooves immediately clopping against the concrete. Elizabeth tied him up in the hallway and then grabbed the wheel barrel and wheeled into the stall. They worked diligently and made a great team as they moved stall to stall finishing each other with a fresh pile of pine shavings.

Elizabeth watched Madeline pick up of pile of fresh shavings in her hands and lift them to her nose inhaling the scent of the pine wood. "I have always loved that smell and the smell of the hay too," the mother smiled at her daughter experiencing such a simple thing but something that would most likely be engraved in her brain for the rest of her life. "It makes me happy."

"It makes me happy too," Madeline replied happily as she put the shavings down and began spreading the shavings around in the stall. "I love anything that smell like horses."

Elizabeth let out a hearty chuckle and ruffled her daughter's hair. "You and me both kid," she stated as she too began helping spread the shavings all throughout the stall.

Soon they were dumping the last load of manure all that was left to do was drop the horses hay for the day and then the chores were done for the morning. Elizabeth dusted her hands off and turned to her daughter in satisfaction of the job well done. "Hive five kid," Elizabeth stuck her hand out and Madeline reached up to slap her hand. "What do you say we go see if your dad and siblings are up for a family trip to the park?"

"Really?" Madeline beamed with glee.

"I don't see why not," Elizabeth answered with enthusiasm. "We could pack lunch and snacks and make a day out if it."

"Hooray!" Madeline jumped for joy and turned to go make a run for the house.

"Hold your horses," Elizabeth chuckled as she grabbed a hold of her hand and stopped her. "We gotta feed the horses first and then we can go tell them of our plan."

"Oh right," Madeline smiled sheepishly and ran to make quick work of the last task, her mind now on the getting to the park and having fun on the playground.

Elizabeth had gotten the kids dressed and ready while Henry had prepared lunch and snacks for the their time at the park. Saying you were going to go somewhere with four kids was always easier than actually making it out the door but after a long hour they had finally made it out of the house and too the park. The door to the car had not been open for more than a minute before the three girls had taken off running heading in the direction of the playground.

"Girls don't go far!" Elizabeth yelled after them as she unbuckled Jason. "Stay where we can see you!"

"Yes ma'am!" Stevie and Madeline turned around to answer as each of them had a hold of Alison's hands.

"Our girls are sure something aren't they?" Henry smiled as Elizabeth came to stand by him and they watched the three girls make it to the playground hand in hand.

"I have feeling our house during their teenage years is gonna be full of broken hearts and fights over who raided who's closet without permission," Elizabeth shook her head as she thought about what life with a teenage daughter would be like let alone a house full of three teenage girls.

"I guess we cross that bridge when we get there," Henry chuckled as he grabbed the bags and cooler from the car. "Life certainly won't be dull."

"You can say that again," Elizabeth scoffed jokingly as Jason begin trying to wiggle out of her arms. "And where do you think you are going mister?'"

"Play on da swing!" he pointed to the swing in emphasis of what he wanted.

"Let's wait for your daddy and then we can go together," Elizabeth tried to hold him off while Henry finished grabbing the supplies.

"No!" Jason yelled as he squirmed, determined to get where he was going.

"Jason," Henry voiced his name in a firm tone as he shut the car door and looked at him. "Listen to you mother son."

The little boy's squirming came to a halt and he gave up knowing he wasn't going anywhere till his parents took him there. "I do love when you talk like that," Elizabeth smirked at her husband. She was used to being the stricter parent with the kids as Henry was a soft teddy bear and didn't always have it in him to get on to the kids. It was rare that he took a firm tone with any of their children but Elizabeth always thought it was sexy when he did and also slightly funny because she knew it hurt him more to be hard on the kids than the kids themselves.

"Don't start something you won't be able to get out of later," Henry matched her smirk giving her a warning to not go any father then she had already had. They might have been married over a decade but there was no loss of love between them, in fact they had only fallen more in love with each other.

"Is that a threat Professor McCord?" Elizabeth gave him a look that sent shivers down his spine.

"We will finish this discussion later," Henry chuckled having to avert his gaze and focus on the kids before Elizabeth aroused him any farther.

"Whatever you say," Elizabeth nonchalantly smacked his ass before speeding away to the swing with Jason as she erupted in laughter.

"What did I get myself into," Henry laughed as he saw her turn around in laughter herself.

Elizabeth and Henry made a great team when it came to being parents to their four children. While one would watch Jason on the swing the other would play with the girls and then they would switch to make sure they both got time with all of the kids. Lunch had passed now and the kids had thoroughly enjoyed their food and juice boxes and Henry and Elizabeth had enjoyed watching their children caught up in the joy of the day they were spending together. Moments like this was what made all the sleepless nights and all the tantrums worth it. They were a unit and neither Henry or Elizabeth wanted anything different. Lunch had passed and Jason had tired himself out and was asleep in his stroller while the girls had gone back to playing together. It was a Sunday afternoon so the park had slowly filled up with many more families and the sound children laughing and parents talking resounded in the park area. It was a beautiful sight to behold. A sight that filled both Elizabeth and Henry's heart with love. There was nothing quite like the simplicity of a slow pace Sunday spent with your family and loved ones. This was what life was about. Not about their jobs or how they were going to afford college tuition for four kids but simply about making every moment count with their family so that at the end of their lives they could look back see a job well done. Stevie, Madeline, Alison, and Jason were all that mattered to them and their kids happiness was their happiness as well.

Husband and wife stood back soaking in the moment, arms around each-other as they watched the girls playing with the friends they made. "I love you Henry McCord," Elizabeth whispered turning to look up at him. "I wouldn't want this with anybody else..."

"Neither would I honey," Henry smiled as he leaned down to kiss her.

It was at this moment of time as they parted they head a loud scream come from their oldest daughter, Stevie. They both turned in a hurry their hearts picking up pace as they searched to locate their child. Stevie who had been playing on the monkery bars had taken a spill and fallen from the bars and now was sitting on the ground holding her arm as tears poured from her eyes.

"Oh Stevie honey," Elizabeth fretted as she came over to evaluate the damage. "What happened?"

"I fell from the monkey bars," she sobbed as she held up her mildly scraped forearm.

"Oh baby," Elizabeth said as she placed a kiss to the scraped up area and then pulled her to her chest.

Upon realizing their child wasn't mortally injured, more scared than anything from the fall itself, Henry picked her up and dusted her off. "Let's go clean this thing up," he comforted as he led her to table. The scream had woken Jason so now that two of their children were crying things were starting to seem hectic.

"I wanna go home Daddy," Stevie cried as the whole thing had shaken her and now being at the park didn't seem like so much fun anymore.

"Okay honey," Henry said as putting the bandaid on her arm after cleaning it and looking at Elizabeth who was trying to settle Jason. "We gotta get everything picked up and then we can go home."

"Shh shh shh," Elizabeth worked to keep Jason calm while Henry wrangled the kids and loaded the car with everything they brought.

"Okay I think I got everything babe if you want to put him in the carseat I'll get the girls," he suggested.

"Alright," Elizabeth answered frazzled as Jason had only grown more upset and she knew putting him in the carseat would be a feat in and of itself.

As soon as Henry had tried to get the other girls Stevie had started to cry again not wanting him to leave her and now he himself felt frazzled as he turned unsure of what to do. Then Alison had appeared out of nowhere seemingly confused at to what was going on. "Oh there you are Alison!" Henry stated relieved that he didn't have to walk away from Stevie. "Stevie got hurt so we are pack up and go home noodle."

"But I don't want to go home daddy," Alison's chin begin to quiver and her eyes started too well with tears.

"Oh I know you don't want to go, especially when we were having so much fun, but Jason is upset too so do you think you could be a big girl and load up in the car to help me and mommy out?" Henry asked trying his best to avoid all of his kids crying at the same time.

"Can we come back to the park again?" Alison asked sadly.

"Of course we can noodle," Henry assured her as he smoothed her hair out. "We just have to go home for now but we can always come back to the park."

"Okay daddy," she agreed as she sniffled and began getting into the back seat of the car.

"Alright I think that's everything," Henry voiced to Elizabeth who had finished buckling Jason. Just as he went to go shut the doors he heard Elizabeth.

"Where's Madeline Henry?" Elizabeth questioned realizing a child was missing from their car. She immediately turned towards the playground her eyes scanning as quickly as they could trying to locate her little girl.

"I thought she was here," Henry said nervously. "I thought she had come over here when Alison did." Now that he really thought about it in all confusion of crying children he wasn't sure that Madeline had come over here with Alison.

"Well clearly she's not Henry!" Elizabeth stated frustration leaking into her voice and she begin calling out. "Madeline!"

"Madeline!" Henry called out too.

Though their eyes looked their blonde headed child could be seen no where which baffled them both as they felt they had just been looking at her playing on the playground. "MADELINE!" Elizabeth called out more frantically this time as she begin jogging over to the play area the girls had just been at. "Henry stay with kids!"

Henry watched his wife turn in every direction scanning the crowd for Madeline. He saw her begin to talk to parents and then those parents asked their own kids if they had seen Madeline but with each shake of the stranger's heads he noticed Elizabeth's features become more consumed by panic and he felt his heart begin to sink. After a few minutes Elizabeth walked back over to him empty handed with tears in her eyes. "She had to be around her-"

"Wait!" Elizabeth interrupted him sticking her hands out as her senses heightened.

"What?" Henry said looking around trying to understand what she was doing.

"Stop and listen Henry!" Elizabeth commanded as her feet begin taking her in the direction of the parking lot but then abruptly stopped as both parents heard it.

"Mommy!" they heard Madeline's voice screaming for them and it was laced with fear and panic. This was followed by the sound of tires screeching on asphalt and their child's voice could no longer be heard.

"Madeline!" They both screamed in unison as Elizabeth took off running in the direction of park entrance. "Hold on honey! I'm coming!"

The screaming had draw attention and other people's gaze was now on the family and they begin looking around trying to understand what was going on. Henry had immediately jumped in the car and began driving to the front of the park where Elizabeth had run too.

"Madeline! Where are you?!" Elizabeth called out frantically as she spun around looking in all directions for her child. "Madeline!" Though she had run as fast as she could Elizabeth's running had been in vain for there was no trace of her little girl anywhere in sight. The only thing she saw was the black skid marks leading out of the park. A crowd had begun to gather around the frantic mother, everyone trying to figure out what was going on. Elizabeth locked eyes with another mother and moved towards her. "DID YOU SEE ANYTHING?"

"See what ma'am?" The young woman looked frightened as Elizabeth shook her.

"MY daughter! A little girl, blonde hair, blue eyes. Did you see her?!" she asked again.

"No I didn't see her!" the woman answered confused.

Elizabeth let her go and turned to the rest of strangers and yelled, "Did anybody see anything?!" she looked around quickly between all the people that were standing around.

There was a moment a silence before a young father stepped forward holding unto his own little girl. "I saw a car speed off with a little girl in the front seat a minute or two ago," he answered hesitantly.

Elizabeth honed in on him and quickly walked towards him. "Did you see her get in? Did she have blonde hair?" Elizabeth asked desperate.

"I didn't see her get in but I'm pretty sure she had blonde hair," he answered beginning to put the pieces together of what was going on.

"Pretty sure?" Elizabeth asked irritated with his words.

"Yes she had blonde hair!" he said more confidently this time. "Is she your daughter?" he asked his features saddening.

"Yes she is," she answered quickly. "Did you see who was driving the car? Did you see a license plate?"

He took a moment before he shook his head, "No I'm afraid I didn't."

"SO no ONE saw anything?" she turned once more looking between all the different families but no one came forward. They just looked at her with pity and pulled their children closer.

It was at this moment in time that Henry had parked the car and came running over to Elizabeth. He immediately noticed his daughter was not by his wife's side and Elizabeth was clearly asking everybody questions. "Elizabeth," spoke her name softly but the fear was evident in his face as he put a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around frantically but then saw it was Henry and she broke as she saw his fear and threw herself into his arms. A muffled sob escaped her mouth as the reality begin to hit her. "She's gone Henry," Elizabeth cried. "Somebody took our baby girl..."

Henry hugged her tightly as his eyes still scanned their surroundings hoping beyond all hope that they were mistaken and their daughter would come from somewhere with an explanation of where she had been but he saw nothing and now he knew they needed to act and act quickly if what they believed to be true was the case. He didn't say anything, he simply pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed nine-one-one.

"911 what's your emergency?" a voice answered after the first dial tone.

"I'd need to report a kidnapping at Fairlington Park off Stafford Street, someone has taken my daughter..."

This concludes chapter one...a plot line is revealed;)

I have never enjoyed writing a story as much as I did than with this one and I just hope that you as the reader enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.

Please review and let me know what you think as well as if you would like to see chapter two.

-lovelyladylavender