by Mj Fields
���That house was always a place of peace for me, even after the Bo incident. It is just a house, what is important is what stands before me. And the little girls on a plane without us,��� Brody rolled his eyes. ���Emma and I discussed this after the conversation between all of us the other night. I don���t want it anymore; I want the girls and all of you to feel safe. Our security system was second to none but we got comfortable������
���Brody,��� Emma patted his arm, ���Okay.���
Brody looked down at her for several moments before looking back up, ���We���re moving back to the States. London will graduate as a Saint and Lexington will start her schooling there as well.���
���You���re moving home, Emma?��� Tessa smiled.
���Yes,��� Emma smiled.
���To your old������
���No,��� Brody shook his head, ���We���ll build a new home.���
���So you���ll stay with us until it���s finished,��� Tessa smiled, a real smile, the first since the night Harper was taken, ���And you both, as well.���
Harper looked to Maddox and he smiled and shook his head, ���Sounds good for now.���
Zach popped his head in the door, ���Brody, do you have a minute?���
���Zach, how is Claire?��� Harper asked.
Zach stepped in, ���She woke up a few minutes ago, confused but������
���I want to see her,��� Harper sat up holding the pillow to her stomach.
���She���s kind of groggy, Harper,��� Zach said softly.
���I won���t be long,��� she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
���Harper, damn it������
���Maddox, I���m fine,��� Harper stood, ���Dizzy, but fine.���
Maddox glared at her, ���Sit your little ass������
Harper reached up and closed his lips with her fingers, pinching them together, ���I want to see her.���
She pulled her hand away and he closed his eyes, ���I���ll take you and you���ll sit so that I can get a wheelchair.���
���I can walk,��� Harper insisted.
���It���s on a totally different floor, Harper. I really wish you would just wait,��� Maddox looked at her with pleading eyes.
���I need to do this, Maddox,��� Harper looked at him. She hoped he understood that she did not have to explain what she, Jane/Jazz/Claire, had done for her.
Harper sat and waited for him to get the chair and looked around the room.
���Harper, you are as far away from������
Harper looked confused as Maddox walked in the room pushing the chair, ���Can we have a minute please?���
Maddox waited until everyone had left and he helped Harper into the chair. He squatted down before her and took both of her hands and kissed them softly and ran his lips back and forth over her knuckles.
When he finally looked up he looked sad, ���Sweetness, the surgery you had required that you be brought to the same floor as������
Harper gasped, ���Maddox are we,��� Harper cleared her throat, ���Am I in the maternity unit?���
His brows knit slightly as he shook his head up and down, ���Your room is the farthest away������
���From the babies,��� Harper whispered and started to look down.
���We will have children, Harper, more children. Your dad��� he needed part of you to be with him while he waits, for his other angels to join him someday.���
Harper swallowed back tears and placed her hand against his heart, ���Did you see him Maddox? Did you see���?���
���No, Sweetness.���
���Okay, I can do this,��� her voice barely a whisper as she started to pull her hand away.
Maddox placed his over hers as they looked into each other���s eyes, each other���s souls, gaining strength from one another as they had done so many times before.
Maddox begrudgingly stood outside the door as Harper wheeled herself into Claire���s room, ���Hi Zach, Matthew,��� Harper looked confused.
���Hey Harper, do they know you escaped?��� Matthew smiled and stood up off the wall heater mounted beside Claire���s bed. He walked over and kissed his sisters head, ���Do you need something?���
���Yes, I need a minute. I want to talk to Claire,��� Harper smiled sadly at him.
Matthew nodded and Zach stood and patted her shoulder as they walked out the door.
���How are you feeling?���
���I���m well,��� Claire smiled.
Harper looked down at the ground, ���I wanted to say thank you, Claire. I don���t know what would have happened if you weren���t there with me. I wanted to say sorry because you would have never been in that situation if it weren���t for me. I want you to know I will always be thankful, grateful. If there is ever anything I can do, please tell me.���
Claire smiled sadly, ���Did you lose������ she stopped talking when Harper shook her head, ���I���m sorry for your loss. I really am.���
Harper looked up at her and saw tears in her eyes, ���Claire������
���No, please let me. The first time I met you I wasn���t kind. I purposely hurt you each time. I didn���t know you. I didn���t want to.���
���I know that, Claire, and I understand.���
���I was jealous.���
���I���m sorry.���
���Please don���t be,��� Claire smiled and looked down at Harper���s hand, ���You got your ring back.���
���I did.���
���I���m glad, very glad that you and Maddox have each other. He loves you. Maddox was kind to me. But he loves you, deeply,��� Claire smiled slightly, ���I���m glad he has you.���
���Someday you���ll find the person you are meant to be with also, Claire.���
���Well for now, I just really want to find myself.���
Harper smiled at her, ���Anything I can do������
���You, your whole family, have a lot to deal with.���
���We all do, Claire.���
���The police have to interview us. Zach won���t be here, they want to arrest him.���
���Why would they want to do that?���
���Apparently he was warned about going rogue,��� Claire smiled, ���My brother doesn���t listen well. He has to leave the country, today.���
Harper could tell Claire was uncomfortable, ���Where will he go?���
���The US. I guess Tomas and Brody are taking care of it,��� Claire looked scared.
���Well��� we do the interview together, and when we leave we���ll take you to him Claire������
���Your brother Matthew offered the same.���
Harper shook her head and smiled, ���So that���s what we do. No worries.���
Zach and Maddox walked into the room, ���Claire I have to take off, I don���t want to������
Claire smiled slightly, ���I���ll be fine.���
���How do you������ Zach started.
Claire squeezed Harper���s hand, ���Because of Harper. She said she���ll help me.���
Maddox looked between the two of them nervously and H
arper looked up and smiled. His eyes were cold and his face was expressionless.
Harper took his hand and smiled slightly, ���We���ll all be fine.���
Maddox let out his held breath slowly and Harper tilted her head towards Claire motioning him to say something.
���You���re alright Ja…Claire?���
���Yes Maddox, thank you,��� Claire smiled at him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Empty
Harper insisted on staying in Claire���s room after Zach left. She wanted to wait until she was alright.
Matthew knocked and walked into her room, ���Hey Claire. Zach is in the air and I just talked to the police. They will interview both of you in the morning and then us. After that we all fly back to the US and Zach will meet us.���
���Thank you, Matthew,��� Claire yawned.
���Of course,��� Matthew winked.
Claire scowled at him and Maddox laughed, ���It���s a friendly gesture Ja��� Claire.���
���Alright then,��� Claire was obviously embarrassed, ���I���d like the pain medication. I want to sleep.���
���Promise if you wake up and need company you���ll let us know?��� Harper reached up and squeezed her hand.
���Yes, thank you Harper,��� Claire shifted to her side and closed her eyes.
���See you in the morning, Claire,��� Maddox said as he pushed Harper into the hallway.
Claire covered her face when they left and started to shake. She was alone in a hospital and scared. She knew she shouldn���t be. Zach had told her she was safe and through the counseling she had received, it was still hard. She felt safe for the first time in her life and then again she was taken. Again, she used her body to try to manipulate a situation based solely on the only thing she knew to do to survive.
Claire jumped when she felt someone take her hand and pulled away.
���Claire, you are alright.���
She looked up and Matthew stood beside her hospital bed.
���I want the medicine, please.���
���They���ll be in with it in just a few minutes,��� Matthew pulled a chair next to her bed and then another.
���What are you doing?���
���I���m going to get comfortable,��� he smiled, ���I���ll be right here if you need me.���
Claire shook her head no as she looked at him with eyes full of terror.
���I promised your brother,��� Matthew sat down and propped his feet on the other chair. ���I���m a man of my word. I���ll stay with you until we can get you to Zach.���
���What if I don���t want you to?���
Matthew laid his head back against the chair and closed his eyes, ���You don���t have a choice. Now try to sleep, we travel tomorrow.���
Claire knew he wouldn���t hurt her, but not having a choice made her angry. He wasn���t like the men she had known all her life. She rolled to her side facing away from him and curled up into a ball.
Detective Buchanan and two uniformed officers sat in the empty waiting room the hospital administrators had allowed them to use for the interview, waiting for everyone to arrive. Matthew and Maddox pushed Claire and Harper into the room, Emma, Tessa, and Brody followed them.
���We would like to interview them one at a time,��� Buchanan said as Brody closed the door behind him.
���That is not necessary, we do this now or you wait until we have attorney���s present,��� Brody sat next to them.
Claire looked at Harper and Harper raised her lips forming a small put-on smile, ���I���ll go first.��� Harper held Claire���s hand as she gave an account of the kidnapping. She stopped when Buchanan held up his hand.
���Claire, you could give your statement now.���
Claire cleared her throat and started talking, her voice became softer and softer and her body shook. Matthew stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She glanced up and he gave her a look of encouragement. She continued talking a bit louder.
When asked what stopped the beating Claire scowled and looked down. Harper continued the story. She talked about how courageous Claire had been and how lucky she herself was that Claire was able to manipulate the man. She did not give details and Claire looked at her appreciatively.
When Buchannan was finished with Claire and Harper, the men gave their statements. Matthew left out specifics about what he had seen Maddox do as he was coming through the window and it was agreed upon that the extreme measures that had been taken where done so in self-defense.
Buchanan asked where Zach was and Brody told him he had to fly back to the States for some Burning Souls business, explaining that obviously Maddox couldn���t do it at this time. Brody also told him that he was sure Zach would be in touch.
Buchanan looked angry and was further angered when he saw the picture pop up on his cell phone of Zach holding up his middle finger standing next to a JFK International Airport sign and cursed when he read the caption attached to the picture,
You seriously fucking suck at your job and when Madeline gets sick of lying under a douche bag, let her know I���ll let her taste my dick again.
Brody chuckled to himself when he walked out of the room after peering over Buchanan���s shoulder to read the text.
���What���s so funny?��� Emma whispered.
���Nothing Em,��� Brody pulled her into his side and gave her a swift kiss on the cheek.
Maddox wheeled Harper through the doors towards her room. He hurried as they walked by the large glass window overlooking the nursery and wondered when the realization would finally hit her that she���d lost a child.
Maddox pushed the chair up next to her bed and she stood and looked at him as he put it in the hall and shut the door behind him.
Harper looked at him, ���I know what you���re doing.���
���Shutting the door?��� Maddox smiled slightly, ���then helping you into bed, hoping you���ll be comfortable lying on your side so I can hold you until you fall asleep?���
Harper looked blankly at him, ���Your parents, CJ, and my mom are going to pack up our stuff, and meet us back here in the morning.���
���Yep,��� Maddox lifted her feet and swung them carefully onto the bed.
���Tomorrow we get on a plane with a box containing my father and our child,��� Harper said in a matter a fact tone causing Maddox to stop and stare at her. ���I know you push me past the nursery so that I don���t see what I know is in there. I know that you sneak out in the hall when I���m asleep and talk to Tomas and your father about������
���Harper,��� Maddox said softly as he finally sat next to her.
���I know you keep looking at me waiting for me to fall apart. I know you want more of the story about what happened when I was���taken. But what I need right now is to be strong for me, Maddox. I need to hold it together for my mom.���
Maddox nodded his head slowly up and down, ���But you also need to let me take care of you Harper.���
���You lost a child, too,��� Harper whispered.
���So you need to take care of that for me as well, Harper?��� Maddox���s voice carried an edgy bite.
Harper looked up at him concerned and shrugged her shoulders.
���If you want to discuss this now, it���s fine. I am a bit apprehensive as to how you may react to my feelings at this time.���
���What does that mean, Maddox?���
���I wouldn���t trade you for anything or anyone. I need you,
Harper. I don���t know how to explain exactly, and I know it���ll come out incredibly selfish. I haven���t given myself a proper amount of time to process all of it. I don���t even know if it���s something I should try to do. Two lives were lost, taken from you and from me. I took two lives in return. An eye for an eye. Nothing will change, regardless of what I say or do.���
Harper looked into his intense blue eyes. A mix of pain and rage hid deep inside them.
She said nothing; she just looked at him and then lay down and closed her eyes. Harper took a few deep breaths and rolled to her side. Maddox sat looking at her, waiting.
She kept her eyes closed, and patted the pillow. She heard a mournful sound escape his chest and he laid down. He placed his lips on her forehead and she placed her hand on his heart. She felt him take a deep breath.
���Goodnight Maddox, I love you,��� Harper whispered and scooted closer to him.
���I love you, Sweetness,��� Maddox reached down and held her hand and rubbed her ring finger, ���Marry me?���
���Of course.���
Harper felt his body relax and she tilted her head up towards him. He rubbed his nose across hers and breathed her in, ���I���m so sorry for everything, Harper. Your hurt and pain. I am so sorry I was not there to protect you.���
���You did, Maddox. You saved my life.���
They spent the next hour holding and comforting each other through gentle touch and soft sweet kisses.
The car pulled up on the tarmac and Maddox helped Harper out. Surge had returned from his holiday and Maddox was extremely short with him.
Harper noticed and elbowed him in the side.
He looked around quickly wondering what had bothered her; upset her enough to do that. When he looked back at her she scowled.
���What is it Harper?��� he quickly looked around again.
���Don���t be an ass to him.���
���To who?��� Maddox had no idea what she was talking about.
���Surge, none of this is his fault, Maddox.���
He let out a deep breath and looked into her eyes, ���I know that.���
