by Mj Fields
���Don���t worry Ava, Maddox took care of it,��� Matthew winked at Harper.
Maddox looked up at him and then back at Harper.
Matthew chuckled, ���Choked one and chucked him out the window and snapped the other���s neck.���
���Matthew,��� Maddox scowled at him.
���What man? It was fucking awesome,��� Matthew smiled.
���You killed two people with your bare hands?��� Ava tried to look shocked, but a grin crept across her face. Harper laughed out loud, ���That���s seriously hot you know. I mean no offense to you or Emma but that fantasy is going to be impossible to erase from my mind now.���
���Ava!��� Lucas snapped from behind her.
���Oh hey, Daddy��� when did you get here?��� she said in a very innocent tone and winked at Harper causing Harper to laugh, which was exactly her intention.
���Just a minute ago,��� Lucas answered quietly and then snapped, ���You don���t talk like that.���
���Oh Daddy, you have no idea what I have running through my ������
���Ava Links, you are going to be grounded������
Tessa laughed loudly and so did everyone else and Lucas closed his eyes and shook his head.
���She���s fine Lucas; she made us laugh. We needed that.��� Tessa patted his shoulder and gave him a quick hug, ���Thanks for stopping by.���
���Tessa I���m so sorry,��� Lucas hugged her tightly, ���If you need a friend, I���m here.���
Tessa felt a tear fall and finally stepped back. Lucas reached up and wiped it away, ���I know and thank you. I���ll be fine, and so will they.���
Lucas looked sadly at her, ���Alright then.���
���Where is Ashley?���
Lucas gave Tessa a look and quickly answered, ���Jersey.���
Tessa nodded and smiled and looked around the room, ���I���m very happy you all came to be with us. I know Harper is tired, I���m jet lagged. You���re all welcome to hang out but I���m going to try to get some rest. Oh and you better eat, good God��� there���s enough food for a hundred people out there.���
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Healing
Maddox talked Harper into taking a nap, with the time change and the emotional stress she needed to rest.
Harper lay in bed and he stood beside it, ���You haven���t slept, have you?���
He shook his head no.
���Because of me?���
���No, my own issues,��� Maddox smiled as he pulled her blanket around her.
���You need to sleep, Maddox,��� Harper yawned.
���You need to heal,��� he kissed her head, ���I���ll check on you������
���No, come to bed Maddox, please,��� she looked up at him sadly, ���I need you���to sleep.���
Maddox looked at her curiously, ���You need me in order to sleep?���
���I need you to sleep. You need sleep too,��� Harper yawned.
���There are things that need to be done,��� Maddox smiled and bent down, ���I���ll come back as soon as I can.���
���Then fine, I need you in order to sleep,��� Harper scowled.
���Are you trying to trick me, Harper?��� Maddox sat on the bed next to her.
���I don���t know,��� she whispered and pulled his arm so that he was lying down.
Maddox looked at her, ���We should both use the bathroom������
Harper laughed, ���Oh my God, Maddox.���
���What?���
Harper stood off the bed still smiling, ���You!���
Maddox smiled back, ���Just don���t want you to mess up my pants, Sweetness.���
���Well WE appreciate the reminder.���
Maddox smiled as he watched her walk out, completely aware that her mood may swing back at any given moment but she smiled and she laughed. For now that was good enough. He yawned, as he stood and took off his shirt and pants and started to climb into bed.
He looked up and Harper was standing in the doorway smiling.
���I guess I am tired,��� he stood and pulled the covers down, ���Come on, girl.���
Harper took his sweats off, ���So I won���t mess up your pants.���
He smiled and looked away, ���I don���t care about the pants.���
Harper got into bed and lay on her back and looked at Maddox sitting on the edge of the bed, ���No?���
Harper watched him looking at her, his eyes traveled down to her stomach and stayed there for a few seconds. His eyes changed, there was no longer anger and rage showing in them. It was now sorrow and pain.
Harper rubbed her belly feeling the same hurt.
Maddox quickly looked up at her, ���Does it hurt?���
She took his hand and placed it on her stomach and whispered, ���You tell me.���
He closed his eyes and said, ���I wish I could kill them again.���
���What would it change?��� Harper smiled sadly
He smiled, ���I know that���s what I said to you, right? Great words of advice huh?���
Harper shook her head yes and looked down and put her hand over his, ���Maddox, I���m truly sorry I didn���t tell you before, about the baby I mean.���
Maddox leaned down and kissed her stomach, ���We���ve already done this conversation, I understand. I���m sorry I was such an ass, if I wasn���t, I would���ve been with you then, not���Drake,��� Maddox kissed her belly one more time and sat back up.
���If you weren���t an ass, I wouldn���t have gone to that concert,��� Harper giggled.
���And again, you wouldn���t have been in this situation,��� Maddox looked down in shame.
Harper continued rubbing her stomach as they sat in silence.
���Hey, Maddox?���
���Yes?��� he looked up at her, ���Please remind me when I flip out again, that I said this,��� her lips curled up, ���I���m a Mommy and you are a Daddy. We���re parents still.���
Maddox looked slightly confused.
Harper took his hand and rubbed her belly with it, ���We are the most special kind of parents ever Maddox,��� Harper���s voice broke and she whimpered quietly and swallowed hard, ���We are parents to an angel.���
Maddox smiled and looked up into her eyes, ���We are.���
���Yes and our little angel is keeping my dad company, and showing your mom what she missed, what she deserved to have. What some sick, sick person took from her, and in turn, took from you, my angel.���
Maddox���s eyes opened wider and he looked away and then looked back at her, ���I am no angel, Harper,��� he cleared his throat and tried to keep his emotions in check, ���But he is.���
���You are,��� Harper sat up and grabbed his hair in her hand, ���Yes, you are.���
Maddox leaned in and kissed her and ran his nose against hers. He dipped his head and kissed the base of her neck and slowly dragged his tongue up her throat to her ear.
���You are everything to me,��� he whispered.
���I love you, Maddox,��� Harper whispered.
Maddox pulled his head back and kissed her lips a little harder than before, his tongue slid across her lips and she opened to him. His tongue licked hers. Each
deep lick, more possessive than the one before, slowly tasting her mouth, declaring his love with each luxurious touch.
Harper whimpered into his mouth and grabbed his head with both hands pulling him tighter against her, opening wider for him, wanting more of what he was giving her. Giving him more of who she was.
Her door squeaked as it opened and Maddox jumped back leaving Harper dizzy and panting as he tried to control his breathlessness.
���Oh I���m so sorry��� No I���m not���You both know you can���t ���have sex yet, right?��� Tessa���s face was burning red.
���Mom, we aren���t, he was just��� cleaning me,��� Harper gasped.
Maddox groaned and hung his head.
���Cleaning you?��� Tessa���s voice squeaked.
���Harper,��� Maddox whispered.
Harper threw her hands over her face, ���Oh. My. God.���
Tessa walked up and sat on the bed and hugged her, ���its okay.���
Maddox squinted his eyes shut and slowly grabbed a pillow from behind Harper and placed in on his lap.
���Oh God,��� Harper said when she noticed Tessa glance at the slowly moving pillow that Maddox pulled onto his bulging boxers.
���Okay, okay,��� Tessa tried to calm Harper down and looked towards Maddox, who was slowly opening one eye cringing at what reaction he was going to get. Tessa giggled nervously.
���Mom,��� Harper groaned.
���Okay alright listen, I don���t know what you two are���I don���t know what you two are into but we do have a bath������
���MOM!���
���Harper I���m sorry but cleaning you? Cleaning what? Your tonsils?��� Tessa laughed out loud.
���I think she meant kissing her, Tessa, I was kissing her,��� Maddox blushed and looked away.
���No cleaning me! Nothing dirty, Mom. Like in the ambulance, Maddox, you were kissing me to comfort me and then licking and sucking������
���Dear God, Harper,��� Maddox gasped and stood up. Both Harper and Tessa looked down, ���Really ladies?��� Maddox gasped in dismay, grabbed his jeans, threw them on, and walked out the door.
Harper and Tessa both looked at each other in shock and immediately started laughing. Tessa hugged Harper as their laughter turned into tears as they held each other.
Maddox opened the door, ���I forgot my,��� he stopped when he saw them crying. He walked over and grabbed his shirt and put it on.
Tessa sat back and Harper wiped her eyes, ���We���re good, right?���
���We are,��� Tessa smiled.
���Mom I������
���I am sorry I fell apart, it won’t happen again,��� Tessa whispered.
Maddox stood in front of them and let out a heavy breath and extended his hands, ���Alright both of you come with me.��� They looked at him curiously, ���Please.���
Maddox lead them to the double doors leading to the master bedroom.
���I don���t want to go in there,��� Tessa stepped back.
Maddox opened the door and walked in, ���The man you loved and will always love is not in this room, Tessa. He���s in your heart and your children���s hearts. He is in their smile and their eyes. He is everywhere. In every breath and step that you take. He���s in your past, your future, and your always. The man that you loved, loved you not only in words, but the way he lived. As a man he was a protector of what he loved, it was who Collin Abraham was. He died saving his daughter, and giving the woman he loves back her child, his child. He is not in here Tessa he is forever burned into your soul.���
Tessa closed her eyes and chocked back a sob; she held Harper���s hand as they walked in the room.
���You both need to sleep. It���s been physically and emotionally exhausting for all of you,��� Maddox walked over to the large bed and pulled back the heavy deep red duvet, ���Please for each other, both of you, climb up here, and sleep.���
Harper hugged Maddox tightly and kissed his cheek before climbing into the bed. Tessa stood with her eyes closed and Maddox grabbed her hand and pulled her into a strong embrace. He stepped back and motioned for her to go get into bed.
Tessa climbed in and lay down and Harper hugged her tightly.
Maddox pulled the covers up over them, ���I will be checking on you both, if you don���t go to sleep Harper������
���We will, right Mom?���
���We will,��� Tessa whispered.
Maddox turned and Matthew, CJ, Ava, and Liam stood in the doorway.
He ran his hand through his hair, ���Matthew, CJ, they may need you. That bed is plenty big enough.���
Matthew and CJ both nodded at him as he walked out of the room.
Maddox walked inside the house with Harper���s bag and smiled politely at her family as he walked into the kitchen.
���Hello,��� he said quietly as he sat her bag on the counter.
���Hello,��� Harper���s Uncle Alex smiled, ���Are they in bed?���
���They are,��� he smiled slightly as he walked to the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water.
���That was really nice what you said up there,��� Liam sat at a barstool at the kitchen island.
���Well it was all very true,��� Maddox smiled briefly and opened Harper���s bag.
He grabbed the medication bottles out and looked at them.
���Do you have sleeping pills in there?��� Maggie asked giving Maddox a one armed hug.
���One is an antibiotic, to fight infection. The other a pain pill. That one will ensure Harper sleeps,��� he smiled shyly at her.
���Could you give one to Tessa?���
Maddox looked at her and smirked, ���You���re asking me to drug your daughter?���
���No Maddox, I���m insisting on it. She won���t sleep soundly otherwise, and I am a nurse so������
���Mom, seriously?��� Alex laughed.
���Alex, mind your business,��� Maggie scolded him and kissed Maddox���s cheek, ���Tell her I said so, and that I���ll be up to check on her, and that I���ll be able to tell if she is faking.���
���Yes Ma���am,��� Maddox smirked.
���So you really killed the guy that������ Ava began.
���Two guys,��� Maddox looked at Ava unemotionally, ���And my father shot the fucker who killed Collin.��� Maggie gasped, ���I apologize for the language, Maggie.���
���Alright,��� Maggie patted his back and left the room.
Liam chuckled, ���Isn���t she sweet?���
���She is, just don���t upset her,��� Alex laughed, ���You���re lucky she didn���t make you chew on a bar of soap like she did our younger brother Jake when he was not much younger than you are Maddox.���
���I���ll remember that in the future,��� Maddox grabbed a glass of milk and leaned against the counter.
���That���s incredibly hot you know,��� Ava grinned.
���Ava, I am telling you������ Lucas began.
���Yes, Daddy,��� she batted her eyes.
Alex laughed loudly, ���She is all you, Lucas.���
���Well Liam here certainly isn���t you Alex,��� Lucas glared at Liam.
���What���s that supposed to mean?��� Alex asked confused.
���Daddy, you do li
ke me to come home and visit, right?��� Ava raised her eyebrows.
���Of course I do Ava, but that������
���Daddy, I love you. But I absolutely will be staying in Charlotte and not moving back here to east bum fuck if you think you need to intrude on my private life,��� Ava had a touch of sweet and a dash of hell in the way she spoke.
���Well good night, or afternoon,��� Maddox smiled as he walked out of the room.
���Ava, I don���t think you should be trying to piss your father off,��� Liam whispered. ���Let���s go in the other room.���
���What other room?��� Lucas raised an eyebrow at Liam.
���The living room, why?��� Liam smiled.
���Not the barn?��� Lucas asked.
Liam���s face turned red and Ava laughed out loud, ���No, Sir.���
���Now I���m Sir?��� Lucas cocked his eyebrow.
���Apparently,��� Liam stood and left the room.
Jade and Phoebe walked into the master bedroom and saw Harper���s head resting on Tessa���s shoulder as they held hands. Both wide awake.
���No invite to the slumber party?��� Jade smiled sadly.
���Sorry, the boys are going to stay in here tonight. It���s a big bed but not that big,��� Tessa smiled, ���Hop on up here until they get back.���
Phoebe lay next to Harper and pulled her hair away from her face and held her other hand, ���I am so sorry you went through all of that, Harper.���
���Thanks Aunt Phoebe,��� Harper smiled.
Jade lay next to Tessa and held her hand, ���You got me through Tommy, and I���m here regardless of how much you push me away, Tessa the Terrible.���
���I know, but really I will be fine. We���ll be fine, right Harper?���
She shook her head and smiled.
���Liam and Ava told us what they overheard up here,��� Phoebe rubbed Harper���s hand.
���Maddox?��� Harper asked.
���Yep,��� Jade grinned and sat up. ���I may be old now but I���m not dead, that boy, or young man I should say, makes me feel like a cougar, is H.O.T hot Harper, and you and he?���