AUTHOR'S POV   

The abandoned house stands in a composed way...as if it's chosen solitude and residents are a luxury it can forgo. If one were to study the floors they could tell that at one time they had been a parquet that was polished to a smooth finish. Now they're old and demolished. It's a natural tendency to believe that the floors of an abandoned home creak. But, not in a creepy, horror movie kind of way but in a way that one should walk slowly and carefully with each step as the floor beneath them could collapse at any moment. The odor all around is musty and dry. There's a thick dust that's spread all over the creaky floors. The oldest residents of this abandoned house are the spiders. Many generations of them have laced the walls with cobwebs though now they lay in dusty rags. Larry is sitting in the same spot as he cried nearly uncontrollably at the hope that Kaylee was in here so he can scoop her up in his arms and take her home. The anguish at the discovery that she isn't feels like a dagger going through his heart. Only moments ago his weepy eyes looked into the sky and pleaded to his higher power to bring her home. The kids are their life and Kaylee being gone has placed an excruciating void in theirs. It's also deeply affecting Emma and that's another pain that crushes them. Larry is now having visions of them playing together whether it was at home, on the playground they love so much that they went to just days ago, and at Emma's birthday party. To see the joy on their faces as they held hands while jumping up and down in the large inflatables then witnessing the power of their embrace after Emma blew out her candles. The resounding "aww" from the crowd as they witnessed the powerful bond between sisters is what he and Laurent get the pleasure of seeing every day. It simply warms their hearts how close they are and how much they love each other so this void he and Laurent feel is what she feels. Ayden's eyes always light up when Kaylee is near and whenever she extends her arms for him just as she did the Sunday of their family outing he crawls possibly faster to get to her than he crawls for anything or anyone else. That beautiful smile of his and the sweet sound of his laughter while crawling to her is everything. She's so gentle with him and always volunteers to help whether it's changing or feeding him. She's even learned to test his bottle on her wrist to make sure it isn't too hot. Larry can even recall a time where he was feeding him before he was able to hold his bottle. Kaylee looked down at him with her sweet smile and he was so mesmerized by her he raised his hand to touch her face. If Larry could have frozen that moment he certainly would have for it was just beautiful. The memories are becoming overwhelming...but they're also igniting a bigger fire within him to keep looking for her so he pushes himself up then brushes off the dust on him and with a few stray tears accompanied by soft sniffs he makes his way out of the home. He doesn't immediately leave because this home is on large land so he searches the grounds which leads him to the back of the home. He's alarmed to see another window so he rushes right over to look inside. It appears to be a spare bedroom or something of the sort but it isn't a large one and the small closet in it is open with nothing inside. Now having searched every square inch he begins walking to his car. The separate searches continue until hours later when his love calls him and after the disappointing news that neither of them found her nor did they find any additional clues or evidence they decide to go home...

Larry arrived home a few moments before Laurent and he could've went inside to wait for him...but he's still feeling down and completely defeated from his part of the unsuccessful search that after shutting the engine off he just slouches down in the driver's seat and takes this time of silence to himself. He has thoughts of the press conference tomorrow and what that will entail. Hopefully he and Laurent have the chance to speak and make their plea to the citizens to help them find Kaylee so she can finally come home. One hour without her was painful. Days are just too difficult to bare. Minutes later he sees Laurent pulling up only he doesn't have the strength to look at him as his heart is so heavy...but because he and Laurent are so connected he senses his love looking at him so he feels his emotions rising again. He then hears a gentle knock on his window so he turns his head to look up. Laurent gently motions for him to get out so with the keys now in his hands he opens the door while Laurent backs up to give him room. Now standing face to face mere seconds go by before Larry shrugs innocently and his mouth falls open as if he wants to say something but the words just can't find their way out. Laurent doesn't hesitate to embrace him and when Larry feels his hold he bursts into tears. Laurent hears the utter turmoil in that cry and closes his eyes as one of his own tears slips. He holds onto his love slightly tighter and in a whisper he gives him the same reassurance that Larry gave to him when they were in Kaylee's room earlier. He pulls away then takes Larry's face in his hands to gaze at him and when two more tears fall from Larry's eyes Laurent gently wipes them away with his thumbs. Then after composing themselves he leads the way into their home. They walk into the sound of mama whipping up lunch in the kitchen and with Emma and Ayden nowhere in sight they know it's because they're napping. They walk into the kitchen to greet mama whose mood hasn't really changed which they understand. They thank her for watching the babies and cooking lunch then decide to go and check on the kids. They head over to Emma's room first who's sound asleep and just as adorable as can be. Her long, beautiful curls lie against the pillow and she's holding her favorite bear close to her while sleeping peacefully. Ayden's room is next so they tip toe inside then over to the crib and he's as beautiful as always. In the midst of the pain in this living nightmare the sight of Emma and Ayden did produce smiles...though Kaylee's room is just a few steps away that she isn't in. She hasn't felt the comfort of her bed and their hearts sink at the thought of where she's being kept. If she's sleeping on a cold, hard floor. If she's at least being fed while being held captive. They don't want to think the worst and just focus on bringing her home but they do wonder what the kidnapper's, or any kidnapper for that matter, reasoning is for abducting an innocent child. The thought is just unfathomable. They step away from Emma's room and Laurent remembers the flyers and buttons mama suggested...

Laurent: "Bebe I need to get to the copy center so the flyers and buttons can be made". 

Larry: "Oki baby but you're so tired. Let me come with you". 

Laurent: "No it's fine bebe. When the kids wake up they will want one at least one of us here so you stay. I'll be oki.  

Before Larry can respond again Laurent steps forward to give him a soft peck on the lips and as he walks towards the door he runs one hand through his twists while informing mama of where he's going. Mama sees the exhaustion in his face and she sees the same exhaustion in Larry which is no doubt hard to see. Laurent leaves the house and Larry just stands in place gazing at the front door because of the state his loving husband is in. He then feels mama's gaze on him so he attempts to straighten up then walks over to her...

Larry: "Can I help with something mama"?

Mama: "No it's oki son. I've got it". 

Larry looks around the kitchen and he sees a large baguette resting on a plate to eventually be put in the oven then basted with butter once it's nice and warm..

Larry: "I'll take care of the bread for you". 

Mama: "Son it's oki. You just rest for a while my love".

Larry: "No, no it's oki". 

Larry walks over to the sink to wash and dry his hands then proceeds to prepare the bread for the oven when he feels mama come up and gently place her hands over his to stop him from going further. He slowly looks up and she whispers to him, "it's oki son". Those whispered words are followed by a brief moment of silence. Larry nods as tears build in his eyes and the instant mama lovingly wraps her arms around him he silently weeps on her shoulder. She doesn't whisper a thing...just holds him close and allows him to cry. They don't break apart until he pulls away and begins wiping his tears...

Mama: "Son, I know it's hard to do right now but you should try and get some more sleep. You're so tired and you need all of your strength to find Kaylee. Please try".  

Larry: *nods* "Yes ma'am".  

Mama: "Oki and I'll take care of the babies when they wake up". 

Larry: "Thank you mama". 

Mama: "Anytime son". 

Larry gives her a kiss on the cheek and begins walking towards the bedroom. He peeks into Emma and Ayden's room who are both still sleeping peacefully. Once he's in their bedroom he kicks off his shoes and places his phone on the nightstand before plopping down on the mattress. He gazes at the ceiling and he's hoping that this is the moment he will discover that it's all a bad nightmare instead of a living one. Kaylee would still be safe and life with all three of their babies would be back to how it was. When he realizes it isn't happening more tears begin sliding down his temple. Then he begins thinking about Laurent. His eyes were barely open when he left due to his exhaustion...but the pain behind those exhausted eyes is what hurts the most. Before they made love just a couple of nights ago Larry whispered to him that he's the best papa...and that he truly is. Though Larry can't help but wonder if Laurent is somehow blaming himself for this. He's always considered himself the protector of Larry and the kids so perhaps he feels as though he failed Kaylee somehow. He can only hope that the love of his life doesn't feel that way. Before he closes his eyes to rest he wants to check on him so he reaches for his phone...

Laurent: "Yeah bebe"?

Larry: "I was just calling to check on you baby". 

Laurent: "I'm oki my love. I gave them the picture so everything is being made right now. I should be home in the next hour". 

Larry: "Oki. I love you". 

Laurent: "I love you too". 

They release the call...but Larry keeps his phone pressed to his ear as the sound of Laurent's voice rings in his mind. It mimics the anguish in his face and that deepens the hurt. Since he assured Larry that he will be home within the next hour he tosses his phone back on the nightstand, checks the time then takes mama's advice to get some sleep...

*****

When Larry awakened he checked the time again and realized that he slept for an hour and a half. He does feel a bit refreshed and he also hears the activity outside of the bedroom. The sound of Ayden's happy laughter is in the air and he can hear Emma's sweet voice speaking to her grandmere. He then wonders if Laurent has made it home yet so he quickly gets out of the bed and rushes over to the bathroom to freshen up. He takes off down the hallway and once he hits the family room he sees Mama, Emma and Ayden...but no sign of Laurent. Emma is at the dining table bringing a spoonful of soup to her mouth prepared by mama who's feeding Ayden in his high chair. Emma sees Larry and greets him sweetly though she doesn't have the same spark in her eye as she usually does. That nearly rips Larry's heart out of his chest for he knows it's because she misses Kaylee as much as they all do. He returns the sweet greeting of course but since Laurent hasn't arrived home yet he turns around to head towards the bedroom for his phone. He's only a step towards that direction when he hears the front door open so he turns back around and in walks Laurent. He has two boxes of the flyers made for their Kaylee in his hand that appear to have a bit of weight to them. If his love wasn't looking extremely tired before he left he really does now and Larry realizes he has to convince him to get some sleep just as mama convinced him. Laurent hears Emma greeting him in which he smiles as he greets her while also placing the boxes down. He walks over to give her a kiss followed by a kiss for mama and Ayden. When he realizes Larry is standing at the start of the hallway he looks in that direction. They gaze at each other for a moment before Laurent walks over to him...

Laurent: "I'm sorry bebe. I know I took longer than an hour. I just wanted to look for Kaylee again". 

Larry: "It's oki baby". 

Laurent: "Thank you my love". *pause* "Come. I'll show you the flyers and buttons". 

Larry softly nods and follows behind him. Larry takes a seat on the couch and watches Laurent's every step from picking up the boxes that he placed on the table by the front door to coming back over to sit next to him. Laurent flings the lid off of the first box and seeing Kaylee's face in the middle of the flyer causes him to essentially seize up. Laurent chose the picture of her from a photo shoot that included all of the kids where there were a combination of photos. All of them together, single photos, Emma with Ayden, Kaylee with Ayden and of course Kaylee and Emma together. In this photo of Kaylee the photographer requested that she look away. The lighting was perfect and with the perfect hand placement it made for the most beautiful picture...

Larry: "That's my favorite picture of her". 

Laurent: "Mine too", he whispers. 

They both stare at the little beauty below their eyes and out of his peripheral Larry can see Laurent bring his hand to his face so he looks over at him. Laurent's eyes are shut tightly as he takes his pointer finger and thumb to pinch the bridge of his nose. Normally Laurent would allow his emotions to spill over...but in this moment he knows Emma is still mere inches away and he's trying so hard to remain strong for her. He then clears his throat and speaks to his love...

Laurent: "Um, we should go out and put more of these around the city since there's still a few hours before dark". 

Larry: "Oki but baby you've been going all day. Are you sure you don't want to rest first? Just for a little bit"? 

Laurent: "I'm oki my love". 

Laurent is suddenly on his feet and is on his way to the table where his keys are to pick them up but Larry stops before he's almost there as he replies, "baby just rest for a little bit". Laurent unexpectedly spins around and yells, "I'll rest when she's home"! Naturally a shocked silence falls as all eyes are on Laurent. He eventually drops his head as he runs one hand through his twists and belts out a deep sigh. He then looks up at Larry and tells him, "I'm sorry bebe". Larry's eyes are gazing solemnly at his love and of course he's far from upset that Laurent's temper got the best of him so he replies softly, "it's oki my love". Laurent gulps then looks over and apologizes to mama...but the moment his eyes set on Emma he feels a pain in his heart as the look in her eyes appears to be a bit of fear because she's never heard her papa yell before so he walks over then squats down in front of her. He then speaks softly to her by saying, "I'm sorry princess. Papa didn't mean to yell". Emma nods then wraps her arms around Laurent's neck for a hug. He rubs her back to console her then whispers, "I'm so sorry my love. I promise I won't yell again". He then kisses her on the cheek before pulling away and raising up. He turns around to look at Larry who's still gazing sadly...but also lovingly at him...

Larry: "I'll drive, oki"?

Laurent: *nods* "Oki", he replies softly.  

Larry stands up and after mama reassures them that she has everything handled while they're away they thank her and head out the door. Larry drives around the city and they stop at several destinations making sure that the frequently visited areas are covered. On occasion Larry catches Laurent dozing off which he's glad to see as he really does need the rest...only Laurent wakes up in a panic as if he realized he's asleep and is trying his best to stay awake. It nearly splits Larry's heart in two but he just continues driving and he's thankful that he was able to get some rest as he will be more alert. By the time the sun begins to set they're pleased with how many flyers they were able to post so Larry makes the drive home. Mama also cooked dinner and they're so grateful for her. She's without question the best mama, the best grandmere and they just can't thank her enough. When the evening turns into a later hour they get Emma and Ayden ready for bed with warm baths along with bedtime stories. Mama retreats to the guest bedroom and is already sound asleep by the time Larry and Laurent get the kids asleep so they head for their bedroom. They don't spend extra moments talking to each other as they normally do. They haven't since Kaylee's disappearance but Larry figured Laurent would talk about the press conference tomorrow...but when he comes out of the bathroom he notices Laurent is already asleep. It's a deep sleep and he looks like the most beautiful of angels. Larry quietly climbs in bed and gives his love a gentle forehead kiss then snuggles next to him to get some sleep...

~next day~

When the Bourgeois family woke up breakfast was made though Larry and Laurent didn't eat much because from the moment they woke up there was an instant angst to get to the press conference so their plea to the public can be heard. Mama is staying behind to watch the kids but since the conference will be streamed live she will watch and be there with them in spirit for support. Larry is behind the wheel and as they approach the outside of the venue where the conference will be held they gently touch the buttons of their little love that are attached to their shirts. Once they get out of the car Detective Lane spots Larry so he flags him down and Laurent follows. He then explains how the conference will work...

Lane: "The sheriff will call the conference to order first then release information about the case. That's typically followed by the dozens of reporters asking questions. You will be given the opportunity to address the reporters and answer questions. As you're aware this will be streamed live and the news stations will play bits of it in their news reports later tonight". 

Larry: "Oki. Thank you".

Lane: "You're welcome". 

The detective then looks at Laurent and notices that he has the same face as Larry so naturally he deduces who he is. When Larry notices him looking at him he introduces them...

Larry: "This is my husband, Laurent. Baby this is the detective working on the case and who met me near Kaylee's school when I found her headband".

The detectives face scrunches in confusion but Larry and Laurent don't think anything of it so Laurent extends his hand to shake his while thanking him for his help. The detective still appears to be completely stunned but now the sheriff and several officers are approaching the podium so the detective leads them over. Larry and Laurent meet him as well then stand behind him to listen until it's time for them to speak...

Sheriff: "Good afternoon. Two days ago, at approximately 1:15 pm, we received a call from the victim's elementary school who reported the sudden disappearance from the playground. Today, the police department will do our very best to provide public information relating to the disappearance of seven year old, Kaylee Bourgeois. This investigation remains of paramount concern and our department's highest priority. I wish to thank in advance all of whom who will give and continue to give their best efforts and interests in the police's determination to solve this case". 

Just as they were told questions from the numerous reporters are asked along with the flashing of cameras. The sheriff is doing his best to provide answers just as he said and it's disheartening to hear him reply to the question of if they're close to finding the suspect. He stated that they're not but mentioned Kaylee's headband and the forensic analysis that will be conducted. When he's answered all the questions he's able to the mic is turned over to Larry and Laurent so they can make their statement. Laurent takes Larry's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze then steps up to the collection of microphones that he looks down at and gulps as this moment is just too real. With tears already slipping from his eyes he speaks in a painful voice...

Laurent: "I don't know if my husband and I can describe how we feel right now knowing that a big part of us is out there somewhere afraid and wanting to come back home. It's a pain that we don't wish on anyone". *sniff* "Kaylee is the sweetest and happiest little girl who loves animals and books". *gulp* "She also loves her family. She has a younger sister and brother who think everything of her...and so do we. Please. If anyone knows something or if anyone saw something but you're too scared to come forward please do. We just want her back. Please. Help us get her back". 

The moment Laurent steps back and the sheriff steps back up to the mics the reporters go on another frenzy of questions. Larry and Laurent just connect hands for the remainder of the conference. When it's finally over they speak to the detective again who seems to be acting different towards them but Larry and Laurent are internally praying that the conference helped substantially that they don't notice. They're told by the detective that he will follow up as soon as the forensic analysis on the headband is complete so with that they head for the car to go home...

~evening~

Since arriving home from the press conference they haven't spoken too much about it because it's just too painful. They're focusing on keeping the faith that they told their sweet Emma is the most needed. They had dinner as normal and after getting the kids ready for bed it's story time. Ayden sat on Larry's lap and with a book in his hands he rocked him while reading. He went to sleep right away so Larry put him in his crib then quietly left the room to head over to Emma's where Laurent is. He's reading her a story and she's fully alert while listening. It was on Laurent's heart to choose the children's book titled, "What is Faith" and when he's finished he softly closes it and nothing could have prepared him for what he's about to hear...

Emma: "Papa"?

Laurent: "Yes princess"?

Emma: "Can we say a prayer for Kaylee"?

*brief pause*

Laurent: "Of course my love", he whispers.  

Like the big girl she is she sits herself up in bed, presses her hands together in prayer position then closes her eyes. Laurent watches all this in amazement but also near tears. He places his hand in prayer position and just when he thinks he's leading the prayer he hears that soft, precious voice...

Emma: "Dear God, I miss playing with my sister and our baby brother misses her too. My papas are very sad and we want her back home so please bring her home God. Amen". 

Laurent gulps hard before whispering, "amen". Then he stands up to gently rest her back on the pillow. He kisses her forehead then whispers...

Laurent: "That was so beautiful princess. I love you". 

Emma: "I love you too. Goodnight papa". 

Laurent: "Goodnight bebe". 

Laurent quietly but quickly leaves the room. Otherwise, Emma will see his raw emotions pouring out. He isn't aware that Larry has been standing outside the door listening the entire time. His back is pressed against the wall and his emotions have already gotten to him. Laurent steps in front of him and they sadly gaze at each other...nearly frozen until they push forward to embrace... 

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A/N: I imagine Laurent's plea at the press conference was hard to read but I'm sure Emma's prayer pulled at everyone's heart strings the most. That was tough for me to write but please share your thoughts and I'll be replying very soon. Love you guys. ❤️