Second Chance Ch. 09

*Thank you to all that have patiently waited for an update. Sorry it took so long. Hope you enjoy it! Special thanks to MaaddMaaxx - Thanks for helping me out and listening when I need you to. ~CinderLaw

When they got to the penthouse Olivia spent some time actually looking at the building and was surprised to find technology and design intermixed together. On the outside it looked like a normal apartment building but just inside the door you saw how very secure it actually was. In the entry way there were chandeliers hung to light every corner, and mirrors placed so that you had a good look around the room no matter where you were. There were elevators that were hidden from anyone unfamiliar with the building. Cameras lined the ceiling and there was a security desk smack down in the middle of the lobby.

She was shown how to get Jared's apartment first. He showed her their private entry code to the elevator and gave her a key that she would have to use. "Without this key someone has to open the elevator door for you on the inside. Just so you know, security and Jason have a master key which means if they want in - nothing is going to stop them."

When the elevator doors opened up she began to really look at her new home; the modernized look that everything had. Even though she had been here before this time she was looking through the eyes of a mother looking at her new home. He seemed to use metal, glass, and darker colors to decorate in. "It is really nice but ..."

"Whatever you want to change you can - I am not attached to anything."

"I love the colors they are very earthy but we are going to have to get rid of the glass because it is a bitch to keep clean with kids and the metal all have sharp edges so it has to go also. Maybe some wood and fabric covered frames on the furniture?" she looked at him.

He walked over to her and pulled her in his arms leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the lips saying, "Whatever you want dear."

After they dropped off their bags , he took her on up to Jason and Laysea's apartment. Chloe had been taken up to Jason and Laysea's place so Olivia could be given the security walk through without interuptions. She got to experience "knocking" on someone else's door from an elevator. When the door slid open there stood Jason,

"Well now that the honeymoon is officially over and mom isn't around to smack me in the back of the head, I have a few things to tell you both about my experience with Chloe! Do you know that no matter what Chloe asks you, you always give the wrong answer and she always knows the correct answer but ask anyways? She also wants chocolate cake all the time! And she literally falls asleep in the middle of a sentence. However on the up side at least she does not call me Jared 2 now. She has settled on Uncle Jason." With that he let out a long pent up breath. "You owe me big time Jared."

"Oh Jason, let them in, you would think that you had never been around a child before." Laysea came up behind him.

"Children - yes but they don't interrupt 'adult time' Chloe seemed to not just interrupt but know when I was trying to initiate it!" he said.

"Oh, did you not get some last night? Poor baby - how are you going to be able to get through the day now?" Jared taunted him.

"Jared you know I could be a real ass..."

"Yes you can Jason." Laysea cut him off. She walked up to Olivia and gave her a hug. "So did you get the crash course in the security or did they actually show you how to use everything Olivia?"

"They must have had some extra time on their hands because they were very complete in there training. Was she really bad?"

"No she was typical. Jason is just cranky. Especially after Stan made Jason and I take her at nighttime. He said it was because we had the twins but Jason thought Stan was trying to torture him." She replied with a chuckle. "It really was no big deal." The sounds of the children playing from the nursery wafer into the room.

A few minutes Jason's cell phone rang after a brief conversation he hung up and looked at Jared. "Sorry, but we gotta go deal with this."

"Don't worry about Olivia, I will help her if she needs anything." Laysea offered.

"Actually, as energetic as Chloe and the twins seem to be maybe we should take them to a park or something." Olivia offered.

"There is a Gym-4-Kid a couple of blocks over." Laysea said sounding encouraged. "Since Maxie is at the doctor with Ty then we can take the children over there."

Jason leaned down and kissed Laysea, "Have a driver drive you and take your cell phones." He said as he walked toward the door he looked pointedly at both of them like he knew they both hated the damn phones.

Jared leaned down and gave Olivia a kiss, "Be back soon, have fun." He said. Then he tried to follow Jason out the door but was attacked by an upset Chloe.

"Daddy you forgot me!"

He threw her up in the air and caught her giving her a big hug until she squealed then he gave her a noisy kiss putting her back down saying, "Be good."

It did not take too long for Olivia and Laysea to work together to get the children all ready to go to the Gym-4-Kid. Then it just took a couple of minutes for the driver to get them over there - even thought they had to take two vehicles. By the time they got the children inside and out of their jackets they were so excited they hardly could wait for the woman to get their shoes off. However when that was done off they went.

A woman that was standing nearby laughed at seeing the children's excitement. "It's amazing how much they want to go play on the colorful equipment." She said.

"Yes, I personally am happy that this is here otherwise they'd have to play outside in the weather at it's worse." Laysea said.

"Or worst yet, inside the apartment and destroy it in the process." Olivia said.

The other woman laughed, "Oh, I have had to experience that - and then you spend half of the night cleaning it up to get up early so they can do it all over again! My name's Callie." She said to them holding out her hand.

"Laysea and this is Olivia." They both shook hands with her.

"Which one is yours?" Olivia asked Callie.

"The little boy with the curly black hair climbing up the ladder behind the older little girl that came with you. His name is Bret."

"That is my daughter Chloe." Olivia offered.

"So are the little ones cousins or twins?" she asked.

"Twins and they're mine, the boy's Dylan and the little girl's Trista." Laysea responded.

"Trista? Wow that is an unusual name - although I do know one. I was friends with her back when I was in high school but I have never met another... until now I guess." She chuckled softly.

The three women were on their way to being friends bound together by their children's ability to play well with each other. They sat on a bench watching the children play for a couple of hours talking about everything from kids to life in general. When it came lunch time Callie invited them to join her and Bret for lunch. They had packed a picnic lunch basket and had more than plenty for everyone. They agreed on a couple of stipulations, Laysea could buy everyone dessert and Olivia bought everyone a drink. So they all sat down on the ground near one of the wall size windows. Callie had brought a blanket to sit on and began to pass the food out. She had fried chicken that had been removed from the bone and cut into little bite size pieces, potato salad and raw vegetables. After lunch and dessert the children went back to playing for just a little bit before they all headed back to their homes to give the children a needed nap. Callie had given them her number and both Laysea and Olivia had given her theirs so they could make plans later this week to come back and let the kids play again.

After spending most of the morning together they knew that Callie Donovan was a single mom who had just moved back to town to take care of her ailing mother. Bret's dad was not a part of his life but not by his choice - Callie said she freaked out when she found out she was pregnant and ran away from the city. She did not even tell her mom until Bret was 3 and he was now 5 because she would have bugged her about telling him.

"Do you plan to contact him now that you are back?" Olivia asked.

"Maybe, now I am just scared of his reaction to me not telling him all these years. He was a really good guy - better than anyone that I have met since."

"I can't believe that you two could ever be single parents! I don't know what I would do if I was alone." Laysea said.

"You do what you have too." Olivia told her. "That is why I stripped to make ends meet for Chloe. All I thought about was what was best for her and I was able to go on stage every weekend."

Callie said, "When I found out I was pregnant I knew what would happened if I stayed around, that to me was far scarier than being a single parent."

"I just don't..."Laysea started.

"Where are the children?" Olivia cut her off. She got a chilling feeling in the pit of her stomach as she took off running toward the other side of the playground area, "Chloe? Honey where are you?"

Callie caught up with her faster than the pregnant Laysea; both were looking all over the area to see if they could see the four little faces. Laysea saw a white envelope sitting up on a bench on the backside. As she walked closer she noticed it was addressed to "My Raven" on it. Olivia walked up beside her, "Oh my god!" she said as she grabbed the envelope and tore it open:

My Dearest Raven,

I warned you that there were consequences to your actions. Yet, you bluntly ignored me and married the bastard! That disregard of my directive can't go without punishment. So I have decided to teach you a lesson. Don't worry Chloe is safe with me as are Jason's twins and little Bret. I will be in contact, please do not disappoint me this time.

Love,

Tom

P.S. I always believe in bringing a family closer together so, ask Callie who her child's father is - I am sure that you and Laysea will both know him.

A cold chill ran through Olivia as the letter sunk in. "Callie?" Olivia said with an even tone thinking back to the curl black hair and the familiar silver blue eyes. "Who is Bret's dad?"