Author: Regency
Title: Careless...
Spoilers: None
Summary: Too short to bother
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Careless
Abbey’s freaked. She’s completely at the end of her rope. She’s been running around the Residence for an hour. She’s made three trips to her office and back. The boy is nowhere to be found. She sent the agents who were supposed to be watching her watch him back and forth. They’re as frantic as she is that he can’t be found. Where does a seven month-old get to under his own power?
She doesn’t want to be the one to tell his father that she’s lost him. He won’t forgive her for this. She’s been less than sweet to the boy since his arrival and now, he’s missing. He won’t believe she didn’t mean for this to happen. She barely believes it and she knows herself pretty well.
She sits down in the sitting room and swings her head around for some place that she hasn’t looked. She can’t think of single place. She’s never hated him, just what he stood for and now he’s gone. She’s trying to keep herself together but, by doing this she has done harm. Her Hippocratic oath is in the dust at her feet. Someone is going to have to tell him so that he can take the appropriate steps. At this point, she’s willing to entertain the notion that someone may have noted her lack interest in the boy and taken advantage of that. She can’t even remember when it may have happened. Her guard was never up. Jed never should have left him with her and she never should have agreed to watch him. It was a silly idea, but she refused to let him have the satisfaction of knowing how uncomfortable he made her. She wanted so badly to prove him wrong.
She’s looked in every relevant office, every room in the Residence. She’s looked in the kitchen, the guest bathrooms, the closets, under couches, and over fireplaces. He can’t be found. Her heart hammers in her chest and her angers beats with it. How is she going to explain this to Jed? She doesn’t want to. She doesn’t even want to think about it.
She slides to her knees and begins to pray for the stability of her family, the sanity of her husband, and the life her stepson. She can’t even pray for herself now, because to her mercy is lost. She is a mother. Above all, she should be aware of the value of a child’s life. When did that cease to matter?
She opens her eyes with a shudder and stills when she realizes the sight in front of her. The boy in question, her stepson rests on his haunches in a fresh outfit with his bottle in one hand and binky in the other. She pushes herself up and leans onto her elbows. He looks up at her with fathomless eyes and a naïve expression. He doesn’t even remember how badly she’s treated him. Babies are made that way. Every time you see them is a chance to treat them better.
“Where did you come from? Do you know I’ve been looking all over for you. Your father would have been frantic. I was frantic? I thought someone had you...I was so scared.”
She jumps as a voice rings from doorway. “I’m sure you were. You were scared that I’d find out he was missing and proceed to make your life a bigger hell than it already is. Believe me, you’ve made your point. You won’t get the chance to be that careless again.”
