A Daughter's Gift (She's Mine to Protect Sequel)

Voices

   Breakfast the next morning was quiet after all the kids except Bella had gone off to start their morning adventures; Celes to paint seashells with her grandmother, Toby to search for worms with Jack for their upcoming fishing trip, and the twins to continuing digging the hole they had begun behind the greenhouse which hadn't yet been discovered by any of the adults on the property. They didn't really have a goal for this hole, other than to make it deep, but it gave them something to do that would be enough amusement for the two boys to last them a few hours at least.

Meanwhile, Bella was picking at the pancakes and bacon on her plate which, any other day, she would have wolfed down in minutes. Her dazed eyes never left the table, staring at the wood as if it had her in a trance. Lucas and Chrys sat beside each other, across from their daughter, and watched her with worry. She hadn't spoken a word to anyone since the night before and only gave a few nods or shakes of her head when asked anything. Lucas was reluctant to bring up the event of her running into the woods since he didn't want her to be more upset than she clearly was, and he hated to see his little girl sad.

Even if he had meant to bring it up, Bella suddenly pushed her chair away from the table and began sauntering out of the kitchen before he could say anything. Chrys looked down at her daughter's still half-full plate and frowned.

"Bella, are you sure you don't want any more of your breakfast?" Chrys called to her. "Pancakes are your favourite!"

The little girl mumbled something that sounded like "o anks" as she turned the corner and thudded up the stairs.

"Something's not right with her." Lucas said, taking the initiative to state the obvious.

"She hasn't said a word all morning." Chrys added. "I hope she doesn't feel bad for making us go out in the middle of the night."

"Then why would she do it in the first place? It can't be just because of what happened at supper." Lucas remarked.

"And why not?" Chrys asked, staring at her husband in disbelief.

"Dad was staring at somethin' in the woods las' night." Lucas responded, his eyes now staring off into space. "I caught him doing it just after he showed up with Bella." Saying this earned him a confused stare from his wife.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She exclaimed.

"I dunno...maybe I'm just paranoid."

"You said that last night too. You're not still thinking about Eveline, aren't you?"

"I got a weird feeling, s'all. I'm gonna go talk to Dad before I head off for today's jobs." He said as he heaved himself up to his feet and planted a kiss on his wife's forehead, tipping her chin up to do it.

"Just don't cause any mass hysteria in the family, and don't electrocute yourself at work, please. I enjoy having a husband...most days." She said with a smile, half teasing him.

"Can't make any promises for either of those things." He laughed and then grabbed his toolbox which was sitting on the counter and made his way into the front hall. Chrys chuckled to herself as she listened to him drop down onto the bench at the front door and fumble with his shoes, trying to put them on. She knew he preferred shoes without laces, simply because of how much quicker they are to put on, but she had bought the pair of sneakers anyway because she thought they might've been better for work. It made her feel guilty knowing he only wore them to make her feel better about buying them for him.

"There, finally!" Lucas groaned when he finished tying the laces. Happy with himself, he stood up from the bench and turned towards the door.

"Brotherrr!" A familiar voice whispered enticingly, seemingly from behind him. Lucas whirled around to see...nothing.