Chaos
The hospital air felt suffocating, thick with the scent of antiseptic and fear. Liam sat beside Jeff, fingers intertwined but his grip was tight enough to hurt. Abbey was in surgery, and every passing minute felt like an eternity. Smart paced near the ward's entrance, restless, murmuring under his breath, the kind of panic that only comes when someone you love is in danger.
Then Liam's phone rang. The unfamiliar number made his stomach twist with unease, but he answered immediately.
"Hello?" His voice was steady at first—calm practiced over years of crises—but the words on the other end shattered him.
"They… your step-sister… Lin… she's been taken. From your dad's house."
Liam froze. His grip on Jeff's hand slackened. "…What did you just say?"
"She's… kidnapped. They came too fast… you have to—"
"No! No, no, no!" The words tore out of Liam, raw and guttural. His knees buckled beneath him as the phone slipped from his trembling fingers. "…Lin… … my baby sister?" His voice cracked.
Jeff's eyes widened. "Liam… what is it? What happened?"
Liam's chest heaved, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. "…She's gone. They took her. Someone… from Dad's house. Lin's been kidnapped."
Smart froze in the doorway, panic flashing across his features. "Lin? That's… impossible."
Jeff's heart thudded painfully. "…Liam, slow down. Breathe. Tell me exactly what you know."
Liam shook violently, tears streaming down his face. "…She's just a baby, Jeff! She… she can't defend herself! Ben… dad… they can't let this happen!"
Jeff pulled him into a steadying hug, but Liam's sobs shook through him, raw panic radiating from every fiber of his body. "…We have to do something. We can't just wait here!"
"Liam," Jeff said firmly, voice tight with urgency but trying to anchor him, "…we will do something. But first, we stay calm enough to think. Then we act."
Liam's hands clenched into fists, nails digging into Jeff's shirt. "…Calm? You think I can be calm when my step-sister is in danger? She's a baby! She's… she's all alone right now!"
Jeff swallowed hard. "…Okay. Okay, first we breathe. Then we find her. We get her back."
Miles away, at Ben and Arthur's house, chaos had taken on a different, more intimate form.
Ben sat on the floor, knees pulled to his chest, hands trembling, face wet with tears. "…
my baby. They… they could hurt her…" His sobs broke free, raw and uncontrolled. "…She's mine…"
Arthur knelt beside him, arms wrapping around Ben, holding him close, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head. "…I know," Arthur murmured, voice steady but low, laced with anger. "…I know. We're bringing her back. I promise. I swear… we are not losing her."
Ben buried his face in Arthur's chest, trembling violently. "…I gave birth to her… she's mine… she's just a baby… they can't… they can't—"
Arthur's arms tightened around him, anchoring him. "…Breathe. One second at a time. I've got you. I've got her. We will bring her home. Together."
Ben hiccuped, tears streaking down his pale face. "…I… I can't… I'm so scared… for her I can't believe I finally had a miracle and it go snatched from me..
Arthur pressed his forehead to Ben's, voice deadly calm but full of fire. "…Nobody hurts her. Not while I'm alive. Not while I'm standing. She's ours, baby. Our daughter. And we will bring her back."
Ben's trembling fingers clutched Arthur's shirt. "…I… I don't want to lose her…"
"You won't," Arthur said quietly, voice low and firm. "…I will not let anyone take her from us. You hear me?"
Ben nodded weakly, trembling, leaning fully into Arthur's embrace. "…I… I understand…" His sobs softened just enough to let a shaky breath through. "…I'm so scared…"
Arthur kissed the top of his head again, then pulled back slightly, eyes scanning the room, mind already calculating. "…Good. Now we move. We find her. We bring her home."
Back at the hospital, Liam's panic was barely contained. He was pacing in a tight circle, voice breaking as he muttered, "…We can't just wait here… Jeff… Lin… she's all alone… "
Jeff placed a hand on his shoulder, grounding him. "Thinking about how worse things can get today
Liam's hands shook violently. "…I… I can't… I can't just sit here…
Jeff tightened his grip on him. "…I know. I know. But panicking won't help her. You need to breathe, Liam. For her."
Liam exhaled shakily, nodding. "…Okay… Okay. I will try
Smart, still near the doorway, could only watch, his stomach twisting with worry for Abbey while his younger sister Lin's kidnapping burned at Liam like a brand.
At Ben and Arthur's house, the air was taut with tension. Guns were loaded, magazines clicked into place, and escape routes were reviewed. Every movement carried the panic and desperation of parents desperate for their child.
Ben's face was pale, eyes wide, lips trembling. "…I… I just want her…"
Arthur held him steady, hand firm on his shoulder, voice quiet but commanding. "…You will have her. We are bringing her back.."
The night outside was quiet, but inside the house, hearts raced with fear, panic, and fury. Two fathers, one top, one bottom, prepared to move heaven and earth to get their daughter back...
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