Warning: This chapter will be very disturbing at a certain place so please proceed with caution.   

AUTHOR'S POV

Silence has enveloped the Bourgeois home. Moments ago they returned from lunch that wasn't the joyful family time they were looking forward to and very much needed with the constant stares and incessant chatter from other restaurant patrons. As a result they had to cut their time short as avoiding it all was just no longer possible so they came home where the rest of the evening would be much better and far more enjoyable since it's with one another...only bad news was awaiting Laurent. Larry has been sitting in the same spot and in complete shock about the letter his love received from the university. So shocked that he couldn't even tell Larry. He just passed it to him then took off for the bedroom. In between the bouts of hard silence are the soft sniffs from Larry whose tears are just starting to settle. He's spent at least twenty minutes crying for his love because when Laurent is hurt...he's hurt. He looks in the direction of the hallway that leads to their bedroom and he can't imagine the state he's in behind that door but he will comfort and reassure him that they're in this together. He slowly re-folds the letter and places it on the nightstand then stands to his feet to make his way to the bedroom. The walk there is a very quiet one signaling that the babies are still sleeping which gives him them more time together. Once he's in front of the bedroom door he slowly closes his eyes as he takes in a silent breath and when he opens them he turns the knob and pushes it open. The image before his eyes completely shatters him. Laurent's back is resting against the headboard and his focus is straight ahead as tears are steadily streaming. Larry tried to mentally prepare himself because he knew this was a very likely possibility...but of course that doesn't make it any easier as seeing his love in pain hits Larry right in his heart. He steps inside and quietly shuts the door behind him then walks at a slow pace over to the bed. He's gentle in climbing in and he comes closer to him only Laurent's focus is still straight ahead. When Larry sees two more warm tears slide down his cheeks he takes his hand to delicately place on the opposite cheek and gently turns his loves head so he can look at him. Larry begins wiping those tears away and Laurent's saddened expression as he gazes at his love is as if he wants to ask why but his mouth just can't form the word. Larry's heart is sinking now and he leans forward to give Laurent soft kisses to his forehead before looking back into his eyes. Laurent finally finds his voice though raspy and filled with pain as he asks, "is this really happening"? Larry's head turns up towards the ceiling as he can feel his own tears building again but he quickly discovers that it didn't help because the moment his head drops tears fall. He looks into those weepy eyes as he whispers, "it will be oki baby". Laurent just belts out a sigh of despair and a few sniffs later... 

Laurent: "I worked so hard and it was taken from me". *sniff* "We have the kids and the house to pay for. There's so much that takes money and...."

Larry: "Shhh. Don't worry for that baby. I can go back to work anytime and we have savings if we need it. We will be fine my love". 

Laurent: "But I'm supposed to help take care of this family and I can't do that now". 

Larry: "It will work out baby. You're innocent and once detective Brunet catches the monster who took Kaylee from us you will get your job back. Or a better one". 

*brief pause* 

Laurent: "Why can't all this be a dream bebe? Just a really bad dream and why can't we just wake up and have Kaylee back? We lost her and now this". *deep sigh* "I can't deal for this bebe".

Laurent is full blown crying again so Larry pulls him into his chest and rests against the pillow holding on tightly as he listens to the man of his life cry uncontrollably. It's such an emotional moment that his own tears can no longer fight and they begin sliding down his temples. With Laurent wrapped in his arms, and wrapped in his love, Larry consoles him. In between gentle kisses he reassures him that they will be ok financially. Larry always knew how brilliant Laurent is and because he's been exonerated he also reassures him that he will go back to doing what he loves. Laurent hears these comforting words and knows that they're coming from a deep place of love. A love that only Larry can give and he just holds on tighter as he continues to cry into him. Larry knows that his emotional state isn't just about losing his job but how this family has gone through so much with losing their precious Kaylee at the forefront. The grief from losing her will last a lifetime...but it was just a short time ago that they said goodbye to her so that grief is at its peak. They're still adjusting to not seeing her beautiful smile first thing in the morning. Watching her take care of siblings and the times her and Emma were out in the always beautifully landscaped backyard running around with laughter belting from them. Larry's emotions becomes just as strong as Laurent's and with every cry he hears he just keeps him close. In between he reminds him in a sweet whisper that he has him and to hold on for as long as he needs to. Eventually Laurent's tears stop...but the exhaustion from it all put him into a deep sleep. Larry remains awake and when he hears the voices of mama and the kids he carefully slides out of bed and leaves his love to rest. He arrives at the kitchen and hears mama inside but it's when he looks in the living room that he sees something which melts his heart. Emma is watching cartoons with her back resting against the couch cushion and Ayden is resting the back of his head against her. Her arms are wrapped around him and his tiny hands are grasping his bottle as he sips from it. It's picture perfect and thankfully his phone is in his pocket so he's able to capture the sweet moment between big sister and baby brother. Emma eventually feels her papa's presence so she turns her head...

Emma: *smile* "Look papa. I'm holding Ayden". 

Larry: *smile* "Yes you are my love and I took a picture". 

Emma giggles then turns her focus back on cartoons while Larry continues to look at them together. Mama comes from the kitchen and smiles when she sees Larry looking at them but he feels her presence so he turns to look at her...

Mama: *smile* "She wanted to hold him while they watch cartoons together". 

Larry: *smile* "It's beautiful". 

Mama: *smile* "Yes it is". *pause* "I'm making a light dinner tonight of chicken and veggies since we had such a big lunch". 

Larry: *nods* "Oki. Thank you mama". 

Mama: "Welcome son". 

Larry's expression then goes from a smiling one because of the sight of Emma and Ayden to now worried as well as a bit saddened. He knows it will be difficult for Laurent to tell her so he decides he will. Mama is confused by this sudden change in mood as she's unaware of Laurent's letter and that he just spent time comforting him because of it. Since the babies are comfortable but also in their view to watch them mama suggests that they sit and talk. She thinks that he's still upset about their lunch outing. She's in no way prepared for this...

Mama: "You still thinking about lunch"?

Larry: "No ma'am". *pause* "Laurent got a letter from the university. They know about his arrest so he can't teach there anymore". 

Mama can't even say anything. She just closes her eyes and drops her head as she's completely hurt for her son. Almost instantly she's in tears so Larry extends his hand to take hers. Moments later they feel a presence so mama raises her head as Larry turns around and standing there is Laurent. Larry is shocked to see him because he wasn't asleep for long...but he imagines it's because he's too upset to sleep. The expression on his face reads that he knows Larry told mama what happened and when she gently lets go of Larry's hand to walk over and hug him that confirms it. She tells him that she's sorry but also assures him just as Larry did that it will be ok. She then pulls away to look into his eyes. Though he's not crying he's still extremely down and mama can also see the worry behind his eyes...

Mama: "Please don't stress, my love". 

Laurent: "I'm supposed to help provide for my family mama". 

Mama: "My love, you have always provided for your family and you will work again. Maybe not there but somewhere". 

Laurent's eyes then cut over to Larry who told him the same thing. Larry is gazing softly at him then puckers his lips to blow him a soft kiss. Laurent gives him a small smile then looks back at mama...

Mama: "This feels like a setback, I know, but your innocence is what will make it ok and get you back to providing for your family".   

Laurent: *nods* "Yes ma'am", he replies softly. 

Mama gives him another comforting hug and when they release Laurent wipes away his remaining tears then asks if the babies are still napping. Mama tells him they're on the couch then Larry comes over to lead Laurent towards the living room so he can witness the precious sight he did. The moment Laurent sees the closeness of their babies his mood is instantly lightened. Now he and Larry are watching Ayden drop his bottle then tilt his head to look up at Emma. She smiles then looks down at him before giving him a soft kiss to his forehead...

Larry: "How beautiful is this baby", he asks softly. 

Laurent: "It's so beautiful. The way he's looking at her melts my heart".

As they stand back and watch them they notice that Ayden's eyes begin fluttering. He just woke up not too long ago but he's been so comfortable being close to Emma that he's now asleep again so they look at each other and chuckle a bit then Laurent walks forward so he can take him to his crib...

Emma: *smile* "Hi papa". 

Laurent: *smile* "Hey my love". 

Emma: "I'm holding Ayden". 

Laurent: "Yes you are princess and he's asleep now".

Emma looks down at her sleeping baby brother then looks back up at her papa. With a shocked expression and a small gasp...

Emma: *smile* "I put him to sleep", she whispers. 

Laurent: *smile* "Yes you did bebe. He feels safe with you", he whispers back. 

Emma smiles at her adorable baby brother again then she hears her papa whisper to her that he's going to put him in his crib. Ayden moves a little when he's picked up but he remains sound asleep and as Laurent begins walking towards the nursery Larry walks over to their princess...

Larry: *smile* "You were so soft and sweet with your brother princess. It made your papas very happy". 

Emma: *smile* "Thank you papa". 

Larry: *smile* "Welcome baby". 

Emma: "Papa? Can I have some fruit"?

Larry: "Of course you can my love. I'll be right back". 

Emma smiles with a glow in her eyes then thanks him before putting her eyes back to the TV. Once Larry is in the spacious kitchen he steps over to the sink to wash his hands then retrieves a small bowl to put in a handful of Emma's favorite fruit medley of fresh raspberries, apple slices and grapes. On the way to take it to her he sees Laurent stepping out of the nursery then heading back for their bedroom so after giving Emma her snack he tells mama that he's going to check on his love. She replies to him to take their time and she has the kids. Now at the bedroom door he pokes his head in first and sees him on the bed with the back of his head resting on his hands. His focus is on the ceiling and he appears to be in deep thought...but of course he feels Larry's presence so he turns his head to look at him then sweetly tells him to come in. Larry asks if he's sure he doesn't want to rest and Laurent answers that by patting the spot next to him. Larry shyly smiles then walks around to his side of the bed. Laurent extends his arms signaling to Larry that he wants to hold him so naturally Larry is quick to lie down and snuggle into him. It's quiet between them at first but Laurent wants him to know something...

Laurent: "One of the reasons I love you so much is because you always motivate and support me. No matter what I tried before figuring out what I really wanted to do as my career you always motivated me. You always told me that I can do whatever I put my mind to. This hurt me a lot...but you. My love, my heartbeat. Your support means everything and I want you to know how much I appreciate you". 

Larry: "I'll always support you. You're my heart". 

Laurent: "I love you". 

Larry: "I love you too and don't worry baby. You're so smart and you're so good at teaching. This won't last so believe and hold onto that". 

Laurent: "Oki my love", he whispers. 

Larry raises up and looks down into those gorgeous eyes. He then takes his finger to lightly stroke Laurent's bottom lip then lowers his mouth to plant a soft kiss on them. The kiss gets deeper before they release and Larry goes back to snuggling into him. He then feels Laurent's fingertips stroking his arm and it's incredibly soothing. With the surrounding silence they begin to feel tired and after a big yawn from both they fall asleep...

~late evening~

After some much needed rest Laurent was in much better spirits for the remainder of the day. It was also thanks to mama and his loves encouraging words. Watching Emma and Ayden bonding earlier was in his mind so that helped as well. The Bourgeois family spent the rest of the day enjoying time and dinner with one another as they always do. Bedtime came so Larry and Laurent got the kids ready for bed and kissed mama good night before retreating to their rooms to get some sleep. Across town is a typical scene at a popular bar where several conversations are held in loud voices as they all compete with the music that dominates the atmosphere. The crowd is a mixture of college students and older people unwinding after a long day of work. The bartender has been serving a particular patron for some time now and he's inebriated so he walks over to ask if there's someone he can call to pick him up...

Bartender: "Hey buddy. Is there someone I can call for you"?

"No I'm good". 

Bartender: "I don't think you're in a condition to drive".  

The drunken stranger just belts out a huff as he picks up the shot glass and guzzles the brown liquor. He practically slams it on the bar then pushes it forward and demands another one. The bartender is hesitant to oblige his request but then he hears, "another one" and his tone is louder so it causes several people to turn in that direction with confused looks. The bartender looks around and when he notices a few men looking at him as if they're silently asking or through Morris Code if he's ok he raises his hand as if to say he's fine. He reluctantly obliges the customer but already has it made up in his mind that if he can't call someone to come and pick him up he will call an Uber. He's back quickly with the bottle of alcohol and pours him a shot while keeping eye contact on him. When he reaches for it the bartender can't help but notice a disturbing wound on his arm that hasn't quite healed. He studies it carefully and the more he looks at it the more he's certain it's a bite mark...but what's really disturbing is it appears to be a small one as if it were from a child. Pretending to start a casual conversation so he doesn't sound suspicious he asks, "what happened to your arm buddy"? The strange man looks at his arm then chuckles in an creepy, sinister way. He then replies, "she bit me". The bartender's face scrunches in confusion and though he's not expecting him to answer his curiosity only gets the best of him so he asks, "who bit you"? The man chuckles again and the bartender isn't expecting to be given an answer in such detail...but will be completely floored by what he's told...

"It was daylight but it was so easy. She was playing with her friends on the playground and I snatched her up. Just like that. No one saw anything. She tried to fight and get out of my arms but I wouldn't let her and I covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. I put her in the back of my van then got in and drove away. I heard her in the back crying for her papas but I just kept driving. I took her to my house and locked her in a room. She kept crying and I wanted her to shut up so I went in there to put duck tape on her mouth but she bit me. That pissed me off so...I took care of it". 

As one can imagine the bartender is in shock at the story this stranger is sharing. It then hits him that he's seen a news story about a young girl being kidnapped from the playground at her school. Between hearing the initial story and catching all the updates it isn't difficult to put together that this is the culprit who took her. He wishes he had someway to get this on record. While he can't do that he knows what he can do with this information...but he wants to see if he will actually confess to the unthinkable so he asks, "what do you mean you took care of it"? It's hard to stomach what he's been told so far but he needs to hear this...only he won't get the opportunity because the creepy man just picks up the shot glass and guzzles the liquor then sets it down before standing to his feet. He asks the bartender how much then takes out a wad of cash and flips through it before pulling out the amount plus a tip. He tosses it on the bar, looks at the stunned bartender, gives him an evil smirk then merely turns around to stumble his way out of the bar. It doesn't occur to the bartender that he's shaking now until he picks up the wad of cash. He takes a grasp of his hand and begins soothing it to try and control the shaking...but this was too much. There's a saying that a drunk man never tells no tales so it's nearly impossible to stop shaking from the horrid story that just filled his ears. He goes over to put the cash in the register and now he's left with the task of trying to get through the remainder of his shift with this sickening confession of a kidnapping. It will be difficult to be upbeat while serving his customers knowing this...but he also knows exactly where to take this shocking information...

~the following afternoon~

Detective Brunet has just arrived back at the precinct after going to the drug store to follow up. He showed the cashiers the screenshot photo of the new suspect and asked if they had seen him prior to the day of the kidnapping. Perhaps he's a regular customer, but neither of them had seen him before. He also was able to check footage on the outside of the store to possibly determine the vehicle the suspect drove away in. When Brunet noticed that he walked far away from the store he knew that he parked out of view which only increased his suspicion that this is the one to go after. Before he goes to his office to get back to work on the case he stopped to have a discussion with an officer. He doesn't see someone walking in but this unknown person approaches the front desk where two officers are...

Officer: "How can I help you"?

"I have some information about the kidnapping from the school playground and I need to talk to the detectives on that case". 

Before the officer can reply detective Brunet's eyes widen then he quickly turns away from the officer to look directly at him to reply, "you can talk to me about it". An instant look of relief comes over the man's face and he replies, "ok". He's over to detective Brunet in a flash who leads him to his office. The shaky man sits down when he's politely instructed to and Brunet takes his seat...

Brunet: "I'm detective Brunet, and your name"?

My name is James. Do I have to give my last name"?

Brunet: "No you don't have to". 

James: *soft sigh* "Ok", he replies softly. 

Brunet: "So what can you tell me about the kidnapping"?

James: "I'm a bartender at La Bombe and last night I was serving a customer. He had way too many drinks and I asked if I could call someone for him but he just asked for more shots. The last one I poured for him is when I noticed a wound on his arm. It really looked like a bite mark but not from an adult". 

Detective Brunet's eyes widen as he was hoping that forensic evidence would be discovered once they found the suspect and dental records can be used to easily identify bite marks...but he continues to listen intently...

James: "I asked him how he got the wound. I didn't think he would actually tell me but he started telling me things like it was broad daylight and he was able to snatch the little girl with no one seeing him take her. He talked about putting her in the back of his van and how she was crying for her papas. He then said he took her to a room in his house but she wouldn't stop crying so he was going to cover her mouth with duck tape. That's when he said she bit him and it made him mad so he took care of it. I asked him what that means but he just paid his tab then left. I couldn't believe that he confessed all this. He was drunk so maybe he didn't realize it but that little girl deserves justice so here I am".  

Brunet: "Thank you for coming down to share this. I've been hoping that someone will come forward with information".  

James: "Yeah no problem". 

Brunet: "Describe the suspect to me". 

James: "I'd say he's about 6 feet tall and he has black, curly hair. I think he's trying to grow a goatee but it hasn't started filling out yet". 

Brunet: "So you could more than likely identify the suspect if you see an image of him". 

James: "I'm certain that I can and with or without the goatee. It would be very difficult to forget someone that frightening".  

The picture is in Brunet's hand in less than a second and he holds it up to him then asks, "is this him"? There's a short pause as James eyes turn from the detective to the photo and not even a second goes by before he replies, "yes, that's him". Brunet gazes at him and can't utter a word as this is the major break in the case he's been hoping for...

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A/N: Alright my loves. It seems the not so suspect now has told on himself and with this positive identification detective Brunet will get on the ball with hunting him down. Does anyone think he will run into any hiccups? Please share your thoughts. Love you guys. ❤️