Chapter Ten:

The early morning sun shone through the window; casting an orange glow throughout the room, washing across his face; causing his eyes to slowly flutter open. He looked down at her; her head lying on his chest, in the spot it had occupied for so many years. He smiled as the memories of the night before flooded his mind. He ran his hand through her hair; causing her to stir. She lifted her head off his chest and looked into his eyes; a smile spreading across her face as the realization that this certainly was not a dream hit her. She leaned in and kissed him; laying her head back down onto his chest as her fingers slowly traced circles across his chest..

“So how do you feel this morning, Ms. DA?”

“I feel…happy. Truly and honestly happy for the first time in so long.” She lifted her head off his chest and looked up at him, a tear falling onto her cheek, “and it’s all because of you Mr. Buchanan. You’ve made me happier than I ever thought I’d be again.”

“It’s easy to love you, Red. It’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done. With you and our children is where I belong and where I plan on spending the rest of my life.”

She leans in and kisses him, softly at first but it soon turns passionate. He pulls her on top of him but their lovemaking is suddenly interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She reluctantly climbs out of bed and retrieves her phone from her purse, “Nora Buchanan…MaryAnn, calm down MaryAnn I can’t understand what you’re saying...” her voice cracking, “What, what do you mean he’s gone?”…Bo is sitting up now, pulling his pants on, “Did you check the back yard?”…”The garage?”… “Okay…we’re on our way home. Don’t touch anything MaryAnn we’ll be there soon.” She turns and looks at Bo the panic in her eyes mirrored in his, “He’s gone, Bo. Our little boy…”

He walks up to her and takes her in his arms, “It’ll be okay, Red. We’ll find him, I’m sure he’s just at a friend’s.” He picks up his phone and calls the station. “Antonio, I need a unit over at our house ASAP, send a forensics team, I’ll be there in 10 minutes. I want an Amber Alert to go out now…the missing child…” he looks over at Nora, “Matthew, Matthew Buchanan.”

They arrived at the house 10 minutes later, the front yard filled with forensics officers. Antonio walked out of the house and greeted them both. Bo and Antonio walked off to the side to talk, Nora walked into the house and found MaryAnn sitting on the couch; crying. She walked up to her and sat down beside her, taking the woman in her arms, “I’m so sorry, Ms. Buchanan. I’m so sorry.”

“I know, MaryAnn I know.”

Bo and Antonio walked back into the house. Antonio sat down in one of the chairs, Bo sat down beside Nora. Antonio looks between the frightened parents and begins to speak, “It looks like someone came through the back door and took him from his room. It looks like they carried him out of his room in his blanket,” he pulled out a plastic bag from his pocket, “This was found in the back yard, we’re assuming it’s what they used to subdue him. We’re going to have it tested but my suspicion is that we’ll find chloroform on it.”

She lays her head on his shoulder as he pulls her close, “My God, Bo…who would want to do this to us? Why would someone take our little boy?”

“I don’t know, Red, but I’m going to find out. I’m going to bring our little boy home.”

“Let me through, you fool, I need to see my son,” Asa bellows from the front porch.

Bo gets up and walks towards the door, raking his hand through his hair in frustration. Just a few hours earlier they were lying in each other’s arms, their lives so filled with happiness. How quickly things have changed. He walked past the officer and out onto the front porch, “It’s okay officer, I’ll handle this.” The officer nodded and joined his fellow officers on the front lawn, “Pa…”

“We’ll find him son. We will. We’re not going to lose him now, we just found him.”

“You’re damn right we’re going to find him and whoever’s done this is going to pay. I’ll see to that myself.”

“How’s Nora?”

“She’s devastated, Pa. I…I know I won’t survive losing him and I know it’ll kill Nora if something happens to him…if we…”

“Don’t go there, Bo.”

Bo just nods and turns to walk back into the house. He walked back over to the couch and pulled Nora against him, “Honey, you need to get some rest. The baby…”

“I can’t rest, Bo. I can’t rest not when I know that my baby is out there somewhere. He could be hurt Bo, what if he’s hurt?” she begins to cry harder as the realization sinks in deeper.

“Honey, please…please let me take you upstairs.”

She pulls out of his embrace and looks at him, the pain and fear in her eyes all he sees now, the light and love that shone in them just hours before were gone. All he saw was emptiness, “No, I just want to be left alone,” she gets up and walks upstairs; leaving Bo to watch her walk away.

He turns and looks at his father; the tears he was trying to keep back breaking free, “Just give her time son, she’ll come around.”

He looks back up the stairs, “I hope you’re right, Pa. I hope you’re right.”

Antonio walks back into the room, followed by a few members of the forensics team, “We’re done here, sir. We’ll be taking what we found down to the lab for analysis. I’ll call you as soon as we have the results.”

Bo stands up and walks over to the men standing in the entrance, “The second you have the results you call me. I want to be the first once contacted. I want my son back home where he belongs.”

“We’re going to get him back, sir. I swear we’ll get him back.”

Bo just nodded, “I’m going to be staying here with Nora. I’ll be waiting for your report.”

Antonio and the rest of the officers left 10 minutes later and suddenly the house was quiet. Asa was sitting in the chair nursing a bourbon. Renee had arrived shortly before the officers left. She had been sitting with Bo and Asa for a few minutes before she stood up and walked quietly up the stairs. She walked up to the bedroom door and knocked, “Nora, darling, it’s Renee,” she reached down and turned the door knob; opening the door expecting to see her in her room, but all she found was her empty bed. She closed the door and walked down the hallway; finding her lying on Matthew’s bed; his pillow tucked tightly against her chest. “Nora, honey…”, sitting down on the other end of the bed.

“It’s my fault Renee.”

“How can you say that? You have no idea why this even happened or who has him. How can you say it’s your fault?”

“Because I wasn’t here to protect him, I was at the Palace. I should’ve been here.”

“Nora, honey, this is not your fault. Just because you weren’t home when this happened, just because you were out on a romantic evening; one that I might add the two of you were overdue, does not make this your fault. Someone came into your home and took your sleeping child from his bed, and whether you want to believe it or not, this very well may have happened even if you were here.”

She continued to lay there, her tears staining his pillow, Renee’s words offering little comfort, “What if he’s hurt? What if he’s crying out for me and I’m not there. What if he’s cold or scared? Who’s going to comfort him? Who’s going to tuck him in at night?...”

“You will as soon as he’s found, and he will be found Nora.”

“I’ll die if something happens to him, Renee. I won’t be able to live.”

“Yes you can, and you have to. Nora, you have a precious life growing inside of you, under your heart, it needs you. You need to take care of his brother or sister. It’s what he would want, no matter what happens.”

Bo walked into the room, his eyes locking with his “mother”. Renee leaned down and kissed Nora’s cheek before walking towards the door; hugging Bo before she left the room. He walked over to the bed and laid down beside her; pulling her tight, his hand resting on her stomach, “I’m going to find him. I promise I’ll find him, I’ll die trying.”

*~*

He carries him into the small bedroom and lays the sleeping child on the bed; covering him with his blanket. He barely stirs the effects of the chloroform still overtaking him. He quietly mumbles, “Mommy”, as he pulls the covers tight under his chin.

She walks into the room and makes her way over to the bed. She brushes a few strands of hair out of his face, running her hand along his face, “Welcome to your new home, Matthew, I’m sure you’ll love Argentina.”