Jess couldn't believe how much blood there was as she ran down the hallway. The child in her arms screaming with terror as she felt her mother gripping her tight against her body. God how could there be so much blood…Jess's mind screamed with confusion and fear as she ran down the stairs, her bare feet slipping in the blood that soaked the carpets of the house. She paused for only a few seconds, glancing behind her up the staircase then ran through the ballroom towards the kitchen.

A weapon…something…anything! Stopping in the middle of the room she glanced around her quickly, trying to catch her breath, trying to listen for them. As she moved towards the kitchen counter, her eyes searching for a knife, a weapon of some sort, she realized the screams had stopped. Both from the upstairs and from the child she held in her arms. Her fingers curling around a large knife handle, she quietly slid to the floor, crouching in a defense position. She set the knife next to her on the floor and gently moved the blanket covering the child's head.

Large violet eyes looked up at her as Jess brushed back the blond curls from the little girl's face, gently wiping away the spots of blood that had splattered across her cheek. "It's quiet Momma." The girl whispered softly. Jess nodded and kissed her forehead, "I know baby, and we have to be extra special quiet ok?" The little girl curled her body closer to her mother and nodded silently. "I'm not scared Momma, I'm a brave girl like daddy said." Jess trembled at the words, tears streaming down her face as she remembered what she'd witnessed upstairs. "Yes Taria. You're a very brave girl." Jess reached down a bloodstained hand down and picked up the knife, pulling her daughter close, watching and listening for them. She wouldn't let them have her daughter.

They had taken Nickolas.

They had taken their son.

They WOULDN'T take her daughter.