How I Met Your Mother: Mothers Day

It was one of those traditional Friday afternoons as far as the traffic was concerned. The speakers located in the door frames of the green Toyota SUV vibrated heavily to a pounding drum and baseline as Andrew Hargreaves pushing the volume dial upwards; while carefully navigating his way through the swell of cars and people carriers, he muttered something under his breath as a red Mini pulled out in front of him and made him slam the brakes on sharply.

Shaking his head, he resumed his progress towards the school. Taking a minute to check his watch at a set of traffic lights, he allowed himself a small smile as he realised he was actually going to be on time to pick up his children. As the light turned green, he gently applied pressure to the accelerator and made a slow left turn.

****

76 Burrow Street

The silver Golf pulled into the drive of the Hargreaves' house – a large three bedroom Georgian townhouse located at the end of Burrow Street in one of the quiet, leafy suburbs of the city. The engine of the car idled for a minute before Leah got out – the song on the radio was a current favourite of hers.

This Friday had been her first day off for four months from making arrangements for the forthcoming international summit and she had taken full advantage of it. Following her traditional workout at the gym this morning, she had met up with Alison for lunch and the pair of them had disappeared into the city to participate in some retail therapy. Having known each other for nearly fifteen years they knew each other's tastes inside out – and trusted each other implicitly.

As she pressed the small black box to engage the central locking system on the Golf, she could feel the soft buzzing sensation of her mobile from the pocket of her jacket. Scooping it up she could see the display was flashing Andy.

"Please tell me that you haven't forgotten the kids." Leah's statement was a mixture of half-truth and humour.

"Of course not – I'm just pulling up at the school now." he replied above the sound of the music in the car.

"What the hell is that you're listening to? Pendulum?" Leah asked as she managed to grab the keys to the house out of her handbag.

"Close – InnerPartySystem."

"Well it's better than that Flint Glass stuff you were listening to last week." Leah commented as she poked the key into the Yale lock. It jammed, prompting Leah to grit her teeth in frustration. "What do you want for dinner?"

"Not sure – what about pizza?"

"Okay, sounds good to me. See you in a bit." Leah switched the phone off as she struggled with the key once more. As it finally slid into the lock, Leah felt something hard and cold being pushed into her ribs.

"Don't make a sound and just go inside; otherwise I'll kill you on the doorstep." The voice hissed into her ear. "And we wouldn't want your husband and children to come home to that, would we?"

****

10 years ago

Andrew sat in the back of the cab and looked at his watch. He cursed under his breath as he realised he was going to be ten minutes late. He hated being late – his punctuality was something he prided himself on. As the black cab swung into the street where the journey was due to end, Andrew berated himself for getting distracted earlier at his publisher's office.

After paying the driver, he skipped up the stairs to the townhouse as he clutched a bottle of wine in his hand. Pressing the doorbell, he tried to stem the rising tide of apprehension in his stomach. A woman in her mid twenties with slightly angular features framed by a dirty blonde bob, opened the door. Dressed in black jeans and a blue tee shirt she looked at Andrew for a moment, before addressing him.

"Andrew, right?" She said. Andrew smiled at her.

"Yes – you must be Alison?" He presented her the bottle of wine. Noticing the label, Alison's expression changed to one of faint surprise, her eyebrows rising slightly.

"Come in," she stepped aside and gestured for Andrew to enter the house. "Can I get you a drink?"

****

After twenty minutes, Leah had introduced him to everyone there. Alison Irving was their host and Leah's best friend. It had taken Andrew all of thirty seconds to figure out that they worked together when Leah had hesitated to explain just how she had met Alison.

Andrew had to confess to a certain degree of trepidation before getting in the cab this evening. Leah had insisted on Andrew meeting Alison after they had started seeing each other upon their joint return from Australia four weeks ago, however his commitments to his publisher had kept him from having a free evening up to this point.

He was worried that it would seem like he had been avoiding the inevitable meeting and had tried to make a good first impression on Alison at the doorstep. So far, he wasn't sure which way the night was going as he noticed Alison looking at him with something of a critical gaze at times – it was like she was evaluating him.

Sitting next to Alison was her fiancé, Eric Douglas. From what Andrew could gather he was some sort of stockbroker and seemed to fancy himself as something of a wizard at constructing cocktails, yet he constantly seemed to be referencing the value of various items in the house or the house itself.

The other couple at the table were Leah's cousin and his wife, Dennis and Marie Lane. Andrew found himself warming to them as the evening progressed – Dennis in particular seemed to have a similar sense of humour to Andrew.

"So, Leah tells me that you're a writer Andrew," Alison asked as Eric opened the bottle of wine their guest had bought for them. Andrew pushed his empty plate to one side.

"Yeah, you could say that." Andrew replied, feeling Leah's hand on his thigh. "Mainly low-brow horror dross, nothing too earth shattering."

"I don't know," Marie said. "I've read some of your books and I couldn't get my head around them."

"Do I need to make good on my dust jacket promise of a full refund for anyone who doesn't like my work?" Andrew asked with a pained expression on his face. "Because I have my wallet on me if needed."

"No, no, nothing like that – I just found it a little dark." She replied.

"They're horror stories, what did you expect?" Dennis asked. "I mean, I don't buy cook books and expect them to teach me the inner mysteries of the universe."

"No, you buy cook books and use them to prop up the dodgy bookcase in the bedroom." Marie shot back at him with a knowing smile on her face.

"But what does la Cth…thuuu…whatever mean?" Dennis directed his question to Andrew.

"You mean la! Cthulhu fhtagn, right?" Andrew's pronunciation of the phrase seemed to startle Eric and Alison in particular. "It means anything from Cthulhu sleeps to Cthulhu waits, Cthulhu dreams, Cthulhu lives – whatever you want really. As long as you tack it on to the end of something spooky sounding uttered by the Esoteric Order of Dagon it seems to punctuate things nicely."

"When's book number six due out?" Leah asked. Andrew shrugged his shoulders.

"I think the publishers are aiming for an October release date – Diane, that's my editor, wants to have one last read through before it's submitted." He said.

"So, anyone for dessert?" Eric asked. "We have cheesecake or apple pie…"

****

After they had finished eating, Andrew scooped up several plates and took them through to the kitchen, trailing Alison by several seconds. He placed the dirty crockery on the sideboard by the sink.

"Okay, what do you want me to do, wash or dry?" He asked as Alison closed the kitchen door behind her. "I'm more amenable to washing up – my Mom thinks it's something to do with my tendency to be a perfectionist…"

"Right – here's the best friend speech," Alison interrupted him, moving to within a foot of Andrew. "Leah's told me that she's let you in on her little…secret."

"Oh yeah, the whole Jane Bond thing, right?" Andrew replied. Alison nodded.

"Good – then that makes this a lot easier." She pushed herself up against him. Andrew could feel her breath against his ear as she whispered. "She's my best friend and we've been through things together that have made us closer than you can possibly realise," she paused for a second before resuming her whispered statement. "And I can tell that she really, really likes you. If you hurt her, if you break her heart then I promise you I'll break your neck – are we clear?" Alison stepped back from Andrew – who surprisingly had a big smile on his face.

"See, when I told my kid sister's boyfriend that, he just laughed at me – yet with you, I can quite easily believe it." He said. Alison was momentarily confused by his flippant response – almost as if he had been expecting it. "However, you can rest assured, I have absolutely no intention of hurting Leah – I'm completely and utterly besotted with her, so yes, you are crystal clear."

"Good." Alison said as she picked up a tea towel and tossed it to him. "You can dry – I'm also abit of a perfectionist when it comes to doing the washing up."

****

As they walked in the cool night air, Leah grabbed Andrew's arm and pulled him towards her.

"You were fantastic in there." She said, her voice sounding uncharacteristically gleeful.

"Really? I thought I was getting abit geeky when I was talking about writing..."

"No, you were great – you could see the passion you have for it burning in your eyes," Leah said. "It's the same when you're in bed…"

"Oh no, no you don't – don't try and distract me with that ploy," Andrew joked. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation here…" He stopped in his tracks and held both of Leah's hands. "Look, Leah, I need to tell you something, and it's really important – I'm really, really crazy about you and…and I think I…I should…" He felt Leah's fingers press against his lips.

"Andy, it's okay," She said, smiling at his flustered attempts to convey his feelings towards her. "There's something I need to show you."

****

An hour later, Andy found himself standing inside a small lock up garage located about twenty minutes away from Leah's apartment. As he stood there in the small pool of light provided by the single electric bulb suspended from the ceiling, he found himself at a loss for words.

He was surrounded by a unique combination of items - ranging from a high-powered motorcycle, form fitted suits of what looked like body armour to a selection of weapons and ammunition. As he marvelled at the items on display, Andrew realised that Leah was holding a key in her hand and seemed to be offering it to him.

"Andy, I'm being really honest with you here – you know what I do for a living and you know it's a dangerous job," she said. "There's a risk that I might not come home one day, or that someone might try to get to me through you, so I need to know that you'll be safe."

"And this place is what? Your own personal arms bunker?" Leah smiled at his skewed sense of humour.

"I also need to be able to warn you if something is wrong so you can always get away or get here if need be, and vice versa." She held her hand up as Andrew began to open his mouth, silencing his anticipated statement. "We need to agree a safe word or phrase that we'll both know means that there's a serious problem."

"Okay," Andrew said. "Any thoughts?"

"I have actually – I was thinking that we should use the phrase your Mom called, your Dad isn't well. Can you call her? But that's just too…cumbersome." Leah remained silent for a moment as she watched Andrew taking in the information. He slowly nodded. "I know it was abit presumptuous of me, but I've never known my Dad and I know the situation regarding yours, so I've come up with something else." For a moment she was worried that she'd seem insensitive to his feelings.

"Okay, shoot."

"Did you remember the milk pumpkin?"

"Pumpkin?" Andrew said. "Pumpkin? You know, I never really considered myself a pumpkin before."

"Which is why I figured it might work." Leah replied.

"Right – I can go with that then." He nodded towards the key. "So, what's with that?"

"Alison and I have keys to this place, now I'm giving you one." Leah replied. "It doesn't mean we're engaged or anything like that…" her voice trailed off as Andrew took it from her grasp.

"You've been watching Aliens again haven't you?" Andrew, referencing Leah's favourite film said as he looked at the key.

"Yeah – did it show?" Andrew's nodding head gave her his answer.

"That was Hicks to Ripley when he gives her the little strappy locator beacon thing." He stepped towards Leah and kissed her. "So, you ever had sex in here?"

"No," she said as she returned his kiss with a smile. "Has anyone ever shown you how to fire a gun?"

****

76 Burrow Street

Standing in the hallway of her home, Leah slowly turned around to see a squat pistol nestled in the right hand of the stranger aimed squarely at her chest. Granted, its stopping power was minimal beyond thirty feet, but at this close range it would be devastating. She looked at the man standing before her, holding her at gunpoint. Maintaining eye contact with him, she found him to be instantly forgettable.

Of course, she mused, that's what they want these days. Holding her hands where he could see them, by her sides with her palms facing outwards, she decided to make the first move.

"What is it that you want?" she tried to remain calm, given the fact that she knew Andrew would be home shortly. If this John Doe had been able to find out where she lived then it was a safe assumption that he wasn't operating alone today.

"You've been co-ordinating the security arrangements for the Summit." The intruder said. "I want those details."

"That's going to take time," Leah said. "I could take you to…" The gun was suddenly raised and pushed towards her – although not close enough to affect any kind of disarming manoeuvre from Leah's perspective. It was more of a means of emphasising that John was currently in control of the situation.

"Stop stalling for time – I know that you have access to the data here." His voice was calm and even, telling Leah all she needed to know.

"Okay – but I'll need to get it for you from my laptop." She said, trying to put him at ease. "Which means I'll need to go into the dining room."

"I'm sure you can manage that by walking backwards," John Doe replied before waving the gun at her to indicate that Leah should move.

****

One of the reasons why Andrew and Leah had chosen this area when they moved shortly after the twins turned two was the plethora of good schools in the area. They had both been impressed by the local primary school and despite reservations at the prospect of one of them making the school run twice a day, the decision had been made overnight that this would be the area they would raise their children in.

As Sylvia Evans, the headmistress of the school, sat stern-faced across the desk from Andrew, Scott and Cassie, he found himself wondering if they'd made the right decision made five years ago.

"I'm sure you can appreciate the situation Mr Hargreaves," Sylvia said. "We've had complaints from several parents about the effect the…material your son bought into school has had on some of the more sensitive children."

"I'm really, really sorry Mrs Evans," Andrew said as he picked up the large book from the table. "Ordinarily, this sort of thing is tucked away on the top of a bookcase where little hands can't get hold of them." He glanced down at Scott, who was studiously examining his shoes. "And I can assure you that this won't happen again."

"Oddly enough, I can understand Scott's curiosity – his reading age is several years ahead of his peers, but I simply can't allow reading matter like that in the school in this age group." Sylvia said as her stern expression began to crack slightly. "But I'm happy now we've had this little talk."

"Thanks again Mrs Evans – like I said, I can assure you that there won't be a repeat of this incident."

After scooping up both children, Andrew guided them through the school and into the car park. Making sure they were both buckled into the back seat before getting in the car himself, Andrew took a moment to think about what he was going to say.

"Sorry Dad," Scott beat him to it, his voice sounded suitably contrite.

"What were you thinking?" Andrew asked him, turning in the driver's seat so he could see his son's face. "Why did you take the Malleous Monstorum into school?"

"Rob Nolan said that only babies were scared of monsters, so I thought if he saw some of those monsters he might change his mind." Scott replied. "Turns out he doesn't like spiders…or worms…" Cassie giggled in the seat next to him.

"Scott!" Andrew admonished him. "That's not fair – how would you like it if Rob made you look at pictures of dead dogs?" He shook his head. "And how did you get hold of it? That book is on the top of the book case – you could have killed yourself climbing up there to get it."

"I'm sorry Dad; I just wanted to prove him wrong." Andrew turned the key in the ignition. "Besides Cassie helped me…oww!" Scott cried out as a small fist hit his arm.

"Cassie, is that right?" Andrew asked. Cassie looked at her father and sheepishly nodded. "Right, when we get home you two are going straight to bed." Sliding the gear stick into first, Andrew prepared to pull away. Something at the back of his head made him stop. "I'd better tell your Mom we're going to be late – she'll be worrying otherwise."

****

As her fingers danced across the keys of the laptop, Leah was trying to formulate a plan in her mind. With John Doe standing behind her he could clearly see what she was doing on the computer – which ruled out either e-mailing the office or sending any sort of instant message to garner assistance or support. Again, he was standing around ten feet away from her so her options were limited.

Then again, she thought, if he's a professional then I'm dead at the end of all this anyway.

There was a shrill ringing coming from the kitchen. For a moment Leah's mind failed to register what it was. As she realised it was the home phone a though occurred to her. She twisted her body slightly to the left.

"Leave it – finish what you're doing."

"It's probably my husband – if I don't answer it he'll know there's something wrong." Leah said, turning her head to look at the man behind her. The phone continued to ring.

"Okay – but try anything funny and I'll make you watch while I kill them all."

Leah slowly got up from the chair in the dining room and walked to the kitchen, with John Doe trailing a safe distance for him behind her. As she picked up the phone she hoped that her guess was accurate.

"It's me, we got held up at the school…" Andrew's voice filled her with relief – at least her family were nominally safe at the moment.

"I forgot to check with you earlier," Leah said, interrupting her husband. "Did you remember the milk pumpkin?" There was silence on the other end of the phone, followed by three whispered words before the line went dead. "Mmm…yes, yes, that will be fine – I'll see you later." Leah continued for a moment before replacing the handset on the base unit. She then looked at John Doe. "Okay, shall we continue then?"

****

Andrew could feel the blood drain from his face as she said the phrase that they'd discussed a decade ago in a lock up garage. Unfortunately, he knew that he wasn't in any sort of position to help out and had more important things to take care of.