David's POV

I stand frozen in shock for what seems like forever, Just staring at the beautiful young girl i've spent years searching for and now my prayers have finally been answered and she's standing right in front of me and I'm unsure what to say or do. My emotions are telling me to wrap my arms around her and tell her how much I love her and how I've been searching and praying for her all these years, but as much as I want to do that, she already looks terrified and unsure and I don't want to risk scaring her anymore than she probably is right now.

"We're looking for Carley Jones" Michael says interrupting my thoughts and I nod. "Y-yeah, s-she's in there. T-they w-we all are" I stutter trying to get my words out. "C-come in" I motion them and Michael turns to Leanne who's just silently staring at me nervously.

"Its' Leanne? Is that right?" I ask softly, and she nods nervously, still staying behind Michael. "Would you like to come inside?" I ask softly and she doesn't answer and looks at Michael. "It's ok. He's welcome too" I smile, moving aside and they both come in.

"What's taking you so long to answer a freaking door?" Carley says, coming out of the kitchen then stops in her tracks when she sees who's standing in our hallway.

"Leanne! Y-your here?" She gasps "I-im so sorry about what I said. I..."

"She knows" Michael cuts her off. "Randy told me he came over and what he said to you"

"I'm so sorry I lied to you" she croaks and moves closer to give her a hug, but Leanne nervously moves back behind Michael.

"We're just about to have dinner. Why don't you both join us?" I smile, trying to ease the tension. "If this is a bad time. We can go" Leanne mumbles, finally speaking.

"Of course it's not" I hear Kayde as he walks over to us. "My mom always cooks way too much. There's plenty to go round" he smiles and puts his hand out. "I'm Kayde"

"Leanne" she mumbles and nervously shakes his hand then he turns to Michael and introduces himself. "And I'm David" I smile, realising I hadn't introduced myself yet.

****
Leanne's POV

"Ok. Everybody sit down. Sofia... umm.. Leanne. Your seats right here next to Kayde and I'll just fix an extra plate for Michael" Carley smiles, motioning us all to sit at the table. "Did you tell her we were coming?" I whisper to Michael, confused.

"Nah.. She's always make a place for you at meal times and stuff" Kayde answers "why?" I frown confused. "Yeah, I always thought it was weird too" he shrugs "Kayde!" Carley frowns at him. "What? It's true" he shrugs "Me always keeping a place for your sister isn't weird. There's always been a place for you here" she smiles at me and I don't say anything, feeling really weird about her comment.

"Well on the bright side. We don't have to feed it to the cat this time" Kayde shrugs. "You have a cat?" I smile and he nods. "Yeah. She's upstairs at the moment though. She's just had kittens and she's kinda weird about leaving them"

"You can have one of you want? Their a little too young right now, but You can pick any you like" Carley cuts in. "Thanks, but we already have a cat" Michael smiles at her through pursed lips and she looks at him annoyed, but takes a smile at him.

"So.. I hear you two have a family" David cuts in"

"Mhm.. We have twins" I smile slightly. "That must be a handful" he chuckles slightly. "Sometimes. But we get alot of help from Janet"

"Is that your nanny?" He asks. "Kind of. She's my sister, but She takes care of the kids while we go to work" Michael replies. "What do you work as?" Kayde asks me. "Well Michael owns a hotel and helps out with his parents property building and I own a restaurant and help at the hotel sometimes too"

"You guys own your own businesses!? Wow! You guys must be hella rich!"

"Kayde!" Carley frowns then turns to me and smiles. "I'm sorry about him. He tends to get a little noisy"

"That's ok. What do you all do?" I smile slightly.

"Well David works for a construction company, building houses, Kayde's still at school and I'm currently looking for a job" she says and Michael looks around the kitchen awkwardly. I'm not sure if she was trying to throw a bitchy comment at him because he fired her, but he doesn't say anything and David asks more about his job to ease the tension and Kayde tells me about the things he does at school.

****
Carley's POV

I'm still trying to take everything in that Leanne is finally home and I still can't believe she's finally here. I've tried making conversation with her a few times, but she seems more interested in talking to Kayde and David and Michael hasn't really said much other that answer whatever random question David asks him.

I understand Leanne still having alot of anger towards me after the lie I told her the last time we met and I'm not sure if that's the reason she's barley talking to me, but nobody has brought it up or what happened that day at the hostpital. I do want to talk to her about in and explain what really happened and why I lied about it, but right now she's sitting happily talking with her brother and her dad and I don't want to risk her getting upset and leaving again. So I've been sitting quietly listening to everybody talking.

"Mom?" Kayde says, bringing me from my thoughts. "Hm?" I turn to him confused. "I said is it ok if me and Leanne go upstairs? I wanted to show her my trophies"

"Why don't we just let your sister finish eating her dinner first" I smile at him through pursed lips. "But, we've all finished" David looks at me confused "are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Sorry I was just thinking about something. I'll just clean all this up" I smile, getting up from my seat and start clearing the table.

****
Leanne's POV

I'm about to leave the room with Kayde and I turn and see Michael, still standing in the kitchen. "Aren't you coming with me?"

"It's ok. I'll be right here. I'm not gonna leave" he smiles at me through pursed lips and I nod nervously and go upstairs with Kayde.

We get to his room and I smile seeing all the trophies he's won from baseball. There's some from other things too, but mainly baseball. "Wow! Your must great at baseball" I smile. "I've been playing ever since I was little. I only got on the team last year though. I had to be 15 first. Did you play any sport when you were my age?... oh shit! I'm sorry. I forgot about you having to..."

"It's fine" I cut him off. "I didn't mean to say that" he mumbles. "Don't worry about it" I shrug. "I was on a baseball team though"

"Really!? Did you win many trophies too?" He smiles. "Not as many as you. Michael showed me how to play when I went to live with him. So I didn't start playing until I was 16. His brother coaches a team so I used to play for his team"

"You don't still play?"

"I had to stop because I got pregnant. I've thought about joining again, but I'm always really busy with the twins and work and stuff"

"It must be pretty cool having your own business and being married with kids and stuff"

"Yeah. It really is" is smile. "What made you wanna own a restaurant?"

"Well my mom worked in one and ever since I could remember, she'd always take me with her and we'd always talk about owning our own restaurant someday. The one I own is actually the one we worked in"

"That's really cool. What are your twins like?"

"Their 5 months and their the most adorable babies you'll ever meet" I smile and take out my phone and show him a photo. "That's Ryan and that's Annabelle" I smile proudly, showing him.

"Your parents most have been pretty amazing of you named your children after them" he smiles "Mhm" I nod and there's and an akward silence between us.

"It's ok" he shrugs. "I don't expect you to see us as your family and from the sounds of it. They took really good care of you and they made you happy" he smiles slightly and I do the same. "They did" I nod. "I was an only child so they always had time for me. It was great, but I always wish I had a little brother or sister though"

"Well looks like your wish came true" he smiles "and now your stuck with me" he chuckles making me do the same.

I'm about to speak and I hear I soft cry and turn towards the door. "That'll be the cats. You wanna see?" He asks and I follow him into the room next door and see a mother cat cuddled up with her kittens. "Their so adorable" I smile then notice another one further away from all the others.

"They pushed him out again" he sighs, picking it up and puts him back with the others. "Again?" I ask and he nods. "They always do it. We've had to start feeding him from a bottle because they always push him out of the way" he explains and I watch and see the other kittens, pushing the smallest one back out of the basket.

****
Michael's POV

It felt really akward when Leanne went upstairs and I was left in the kitchen with David and Carley and the whole time none of us have spoken and the three of us are looking at each other awkwardly.

"I'm sorry for I did" I finally say breaking the silence. "I know I shouldn't have tried to push you away and..."

"Then why did You?" Carley frowns. "She's our daughter. Do you have any idea how we..."

"Carely" David cuts her off. "Just let him speak. "I'm sure you have a good reason?" He asks and I nod. "She's been hurt enough already and I didn't want her getting hurt anymore and..."

"And you think that's what we'd do? She's our daughter and..."

"And what else?" David steps in again and I continue. "You already know what happened to her with Mary and stuff and.."

"And how you met her" Carley mumbles under her breath. "Do you want me to tell you or not!? Because I can just take her home right now. I didn't have to tell her about Randy or bring her here tonight!" I frown and she doesn't say anything.

"I'm not saying what Ryan and Anna did was ok, but they adored Leanne and they loved her and raised her like their own and they meant everything to her and her memories of them is what kept her going through everything. You may not think you'd hurt her, but you already did. Maybe not physically, but she was already messed up and traumatised enough and she was finally getting better an I knew her finding out about you would hurt her and it did and..."

"What are you talking about? She's happy here. You saw how happy she was talking with her brother and being with her parents and..."

"Carley, will you let the man fucking speak!" David snaps at her. "Do you know what she did the day she found out?" I frown. "She ran away to her parents home. The home she grew up in and felt safe all life and then when she got there all she felt was pain from what happened to them there what what her parents did and she cut her wrists. That's how much all this hurt her!" I frown and this time Carley doesn't say anything.

"What happened there?" David asks and I tell then about how her parents died.

"They were murdered!?" He gasps and I nod. "That's how she ended up with Mary. She was Ryan's sister. She was The one that killed them"

"W-what? W-why? Why would she kill her own brother?" He shakes his head in disbelief. "Because with Ryan and Annabelle gone. Leanne had nobody else left and that's how she got her"

"She wanted Leanne? S-she Did this so she could force her to.." he pauses and shakes his head "but she was 15! She was baby"

"It didn't matter to her. She was young and beautiful and Mary didn't see her as a niece or a child. Just something that could make her alot of money"

"Because of men like you" Carley scrunches her face. "I didn't know how old she was or that she didn't wanna be there. I asked her. Over and over and she always said yes and told me she was 18. I didn't force her and when I found out. I did everything I could to help her"

"Yeah, Like buying her like she was just some cheap toy for you to play with" she frowns. "No. Because I loved her and even if I didn't love her I still would have done the same thing" I tell her honestly. "And I didn't buy her. Paying Mary was the only way I could get her out of there"

"And how much did you pay for her? How much was she worth?" She scrunches her face and shakes her head at me.

"Does it really matter?" David cuts in before I can answer. "She's safe now" he says then turns to me. "Was she happy about staying with you?" He asks and I nod. "She was scared at first. She was so traumatised when I first brought her home, but eventually she started trusting me when she realised I wasn't gonna hurt her or send her back to Mary. All I wanted was to help her and keep her safe" I tell him honestly.

"And what's the other reason you didn't tell her about us?" He asks and I look at him confused. "I just told you why"

"You told us why she came to live with you and the main reason you didnt want her to know about us. You said you didn't tell her because you loved her and you wanted to keep her safe and away from getting hurt again"

"Which is the truth"

"And I believe you. You love her and what you did, you did for all the right reasons, but there's another reason you didn't want her to know too isn't there?" He says and I nod.

"What I just told you is the truth and that was the main reason I didn't tell her.. and the other was because I was being selfish" I mumble that last part. "In what way?" He asks and I don't say anything for a moment.

"The other reason was because I was scared she'd leave me. Is that what you wanna hear?" I sigh heavily. "Ever since I met her, I've been all she's had and I've been the one to take care of her and I was the only one she trusted and I was scared that if she knew she had another family then she wouldn't need me anymore and leave" I tell him honestly and he nods and neither of them say anything for a moment.

"First off.. Thank you for being honest with me and second... You don't have anything to worry about" he says softly. "We're not gonna try and turn her against you or push you out in any way. Your her husband and the father of her children and it's clear to me that you love her and would do anything to protect her" he says and I nod, not saying anything

"Thank you" he smiles at me through pursed lips "For what?" I look at him confused. "For saving her, keeping her safe and the main reason for bringing her back to us. You could have kept what your brother did a secret from her, but you didn't. You brought her here and I know that must have been one of the most hardest things you've done and I'm assuming apart of you didn't want to tell her. Am I right?"" he asks and I nod. "So why did you?"

"Because she's been lied to and betrayed by enough people and I didn't want to do that to her" I mumble. "And what about tonight?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is this a one time thing? Or are we gonna see her again?"

"That's up to her?" I shrug. "But you can change that very easily. You know as well as I do that you could easily turn her against us and keep her away from us. Will you let us see her again?" He asks again and I nod. "If that's what she wants"

"Will she want to see us again?"

"Of course she will! she's are daughter and..."

"Carley. Let him answer. He knows her better than us" he cuts her off then turns back to me. "If you give her the choice. Will she want to see us again?"

"She'll be thinking on it alot and try and talk herself out of it at first, but she does want to get to know you all. Just don't bring up what happened that day or try and replace her parents"

"But we are her.."

"But your not" I cut Carley off. "She doesn't know you. In her eyes Ryan and Anna are her parents and always have been. Your strangers to her. I know it's sounds heartless but regardless of what you think of them. They were her parents and if you try and push them out or try turn her against them then she'll leave and she won't want anything to do with you. She's not gonna betray her parents" I shake my head.

"But if we give her time and let her come to us? She'll want to see us again?" David asks and I nod. "It might not be tomorrow or the next day, but eventually she'll want to"

"But not as her family?" Carley mutters under her breath. "Because we're not" David says to her softly. "You just heard what he said and he's right. She may not see us as her mom and dad, but she's still letting us in and letting us be apart of her life. Isn't that what's more important?" He says and she doesn't say anything and we hear Leanne and Kayde talking on the stairs as they come down.

"Is everything ok?" Leanne asks, sensing something. "Everything's great" David smiles. "Michael and I were just getting to know each other" he says and she looks at me and I smile at her through pursed lips and she nods.

"Um.. we should probably get going soon. I don't wanna leave the twins with your mom too long. They'll be getting ready for bed soon" she says and I nod.

*****
Kayde's POV

After we say our goodbyes and they leave. My mom turns to my dad and frowns. "What the hell was that!?" She snaps. "What?" He frowns confused. "You and Michael! After everything we've been through. You just stood there and thanked him!? Have you forgotten what he did? And your standing there being nice to him and acting like his friend and you even agreed with him when he said we weren't her family! How could say that?" She shakes her head in disbelief.

"Of course I haven't forgotten what he's done! I'm not condoning what he did when he met her or that he tried to stop us finding her, But have you forgotten everything else he's done? He got her away from that evil monster who forced her to.." he pauses and shakes his head.

"But he got her away from her and he kept her safe and he brought her here tonight. He didn't have to, but he did and can you really not understand why Leanne doesn't think of us as her parents? We're strangers to her, but thanks to michael we can finally have her in our lives and get to know her"

"Which she wants" I cut in and they both turn to me. "She told you that? She said she wanted to be apart of our family?" Mom asks hopefully and I shake my head. "No, but me and her switched numbers and she said she'll take me to a baseball game next week. Her old team is playing on Saturday" I smile then look at her confused. "Why are you so mad?"

"I'm not mad, but how do you expect me to feel when you spend all your time sucking up to Michael" she points at my dad "and you" she turn to me. "What did I do?" I frown confused. "You were talking to her non stop and then took her upstairs"

"So? I was showing her my trophies" I shrug "And stopped me and your father getting to know her better. Everytime I tried to talk to her, you kept changing the topic and..."

"Because she didn't wanna talk about it and you were making her uncomfortable. Why don't you quit acting so selfish?" I frown. "What are you talking about?" She frowns confused. "He has a point" my dad shrugs. "Incase you forgot. You've already met Leanne and gotten to know her for months and this is the first chance me and Kayde had"

"Not as her mother though. She didn't know who I was then" she shakes her head. "But you still met her and spent time with her. And has it occurred to you that maybe she was happy just getting know Kayde? She can't talk to everybody at once and..."

"And I'm just a selfish bitch! I got it!" She snaps. "I'm not saying that! All I'm saying is..."

"Whatever" she sighs and leaves the room and I hear her storm up the stairs.

"Why is she so mad? I thought we wanted Leanne to come home?" I turn to mad dad confused and he sighs heavily. "It's nothing you've done. she was just expecting things to go different is all"

"In what way?"

"I think she was expecting Leanne to want to talk to her more and be more closer to her"

"Well she did lie to her. She should have known she'd still be upset. Should I not go to the game with her in Saturday? I don't want mom to feel worst?" I mumble and he smiles at me through pursed lips. "Of course you should go. I saw the way you two were together. I always knew the two of you would bond instantly" he smiles and heads upstairs to talk to my mom.

****
Leanne's POV

"So how do you feel?" Michael asks on the car ride home. "I'm not sure about the others, but Kayde seemed really nice though" I smile "Yeah, you guys really hit it off" he smiles back. "I'm sorry for leaving you downstairs. I should have stayed with you" I mumble. "I took you there so you could meet them. You don't have to be sorry for talking to them" he chuckles slightly. "I hope you don't mind about me inviting Kayde to the baseball match on Saturday?"

"Baby, it's fine really. And I think it's great you invited him and I'm sure it meant alot to him too" he smiles slightly and I don't say anything for a moment.

"Did they say anything to you when I was gone?" I mumble and he nods. "They asked me if you were happy and why I didn't tell you about them straight away"

"What did you say?"

"The truth?" He smiles at me through pursed lips. "What were you and Kayde talking about?"

"Nothing much. Mainly baseball and stuff" I shrug. "I got to see his cat and it's kittens too. I felt really bad for one of them though. All the others kept pushing him away. They even have to feed him with a bottle because they always push him away"

"That tends to happen alot. Especially with cats and dogs. I'm guessing he the smallest one?" He asked "Mhm.. he was tiny" I nod, not saying anything and turn and look out of the window.

"Leanne?" He says suspiciously.
"Why do I feel like there's more to this story?"

"Like What?" I say inoccently. "Like why your jacket keeps moving and making a strange purring sound?" He raises an eyebrow. "No reason" I shake my head and he pulls over to the side of the road and gently unzips my jacket.

"I couldn't leave him there. He was being bullied by the others" I explain "We can't take him back now" I shake my head. "Yeah, I know" he smiles, taking the kitten from my jacket. "They do know you took him right?" He asks and I nod. "Of course. Kayde said I could have him. And Carley even said at dinner, I could pick any I want too remember?" I smile and he doesn't say anything for a moment.

"Looks like we have a new family member then... He really is tiny" he smiles and I can see in his eyes that Michael has already fallen in love with him.
.

****
Michael's POV

I was unsure about whether or not it would be a good idea to tell Leanne the truth about what Randy did and I was scared it would set her back again, but I'm glad I told her. There's been enough lies told to her and it actually turned out ok. She's still unsure about how to feel about David and Carley which is understandable and I knew they'd have something to say to me which is why I stayed downstairs while she was upstairs with Kayde so she didn't hear whatever they had to say to me.

I was really nervous about what they were going to say to me, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and even though she's still unsure about how to feel towards David and Carley, Leanne seemed to have bonded really quickly with her brother and even called him that and she's really excited about seeing him again.