Morning came with a massive headache. 

Brandan sat quietly on the bar stool in front of the kitchen counter, a mug of coffee before him. That was it, he just sat there with that mug in front of him not bothering to have a sip of that much needed tension reliever. He just stared at the slow, steady steam going upwards in the most laziest way to collide with the ceiling. 

Last night still felt like a dream which he had to watch with wide open eyes, very much awake and with sharp consciousness. 

He tossed and turned in bed wide awake, staring at the white ceiling above. Emma hugging Sarah and Sammy, Sammy calling Emma mommy -- the scene kept replaying on and on in his mind. 

At last he gave up when the clock read three in the morning, the last hours of darkness before finally the ever bright sun flamed up the horizon. Brandan found himself pacing in his room in those early hours. Countless questions jammed up in his mind, topping themselves up with a number of thundering emotions. 

Who was the children's father? Was he too late in finding Emma? 

Minutes later he was standing in the balcony shirtless, shivering in cold. But the bite of cold on bare skin helped cool down his turmoiled mind a little.

Then he hopped into the shower and stood under the icy cold water for a long time. In the mirror he watched his eyes having dark rings around, providing him a look of a disheveled, sick man.

And like the heavens felt pity on him, just one phone call from his private investigator made hope to rise in him like never before. The world came to a standstill when he was informed that Emma was indeed still very much unmarried, and no, she wasn't in any kind of relationship as well.

He thought about Sammy's resemblance with him, how creepily Sammy and he shared so much similarities. What about that? And the pull he felt towards Sarah?

Was there any chance that they were ... ?

Elated and completely out of his mind with anticipation, he did the first thing that came to his mind.

Frantically knocking the door of the old woman's house whose name he apparently came to know was Savanah, he felt like he would burst out of his skin.

The door opened slightly, just like last night. Brandan had to crane his neck, almost like a freaking pervert like Savanah told him he was... to have a glance into the house and maybe see Emma or the children... anyone. But the overly smart woman stood firm, blocking his view purposefully.

Damn it. 

"What do you want now? We're trying to have some breakfast over here and seems like you won't let us even do that in peace and let me remind you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Don't tell me that your mom didn't teach you that !"

Now, she was being completely cruel. Brandan here was almost getting faint in excitement, his stomach flipping like crazy.

"Ma'am, I really don't want to annoy you anymore than I already did but ... ."

 He paused for a second to take a much needed breath, " ... I really need to talk to Emma right now, I know she's in there."

Savanah tapped her feet on the wooden floor, her expression very grim. "No."

The door slammed shut on his face not even giving him the scope to process her sharp denial or should he say - insult.

He pounded furiously on the door now with a very red face.

"What now!! Do you want me to call the cops on you ?" Savanah practically almost spit those words on his face opening the door in question again which he would have pushed open applying force but Shavanah didn't open the chains and locks, unfortunately the woman had some brain somewhere in that nutcase which was called her head. 

Brandan's voice boomed dangerously. "Listen ... I really do respect you and I'm deeply apologizing for disturbing you but lady ... I seriously need to see Emma. Now. And no, I'm not taking no for an answer, even if that means that I've to break down this damned door than I'll do exactly that." 

There was a long pause. Neither Savanah nor Brandan blinked, they were as if in a staring down competition.

"This is not my choice considering the woman in question obviously has no interest in hanging out, with you." Her voice came out clear and calm, too calm for this situation.

She continued in the same tone, "So break down this door if you want to. I'm going to be on the other side of this door with my husband's gun in my hand and ... to enhance your poor knowledge let me tell you that I've a fantastic aim and I intend to send you straight to my husband six feet under the ground. Ross's a very lonely man down there."

With a vicious boom the door was shut upon his face. Again. 

Frustrated, Brandan banged his forehead on the door multiple times. What did she mean by - this was not her choice ? Then he replayed her sentence again in his mind and turned around pressing his back on the evil door with a heavy sigh. 

Emma didn't want to see him, that was clear but he couldn't just let it leave to just that.

"I've to do something quick.", he said to himself but easier said than done.

And so after who knows how long he was staring at his coffee mug while suffering in silence.

Brandan didn't know how much time had passed but at some point, Oliver barged in through the door opening it with his spare keys. He stumbled in looking like shit and was walking past the dining hall to the stairs.

Brandan didn't look up, he didn't even realize a second man's presence. Oliver was about to go upstairs when his eyes fell upon the steel looking Brandan.

"Hey, buddy. What's up ?" Oliver asked.

Looking up Brandan squinted his eyes, he took in Oliver's appearance. Oliver hadn't returned from the bar last night, might be a girl he met ... Brandan guessed. 

Brandan answered back with a question, "You got lucky last night ?"

Oliver sighed and took a sit on a stool beside him. "Yes and no."

Brandan finally pushed the coffee mug away which was still untouched. " Explain ... ."

Oliver placed his elbows on the counter in a thoughtful way. "I met this really hot girl and we went to her place."

Brandan raised a brow as Oliver continued. "She was hot man but ... I passed out before the best part even started."

If it was any other time, he would have laughed at Oliver but now was not that time as Brandan's lips set into a thin line deepening his earlier grim look. Oliver now looked properly at Brandan and made a double take. He looked like a terrible scarecrow who was once a human. 

"But what the hell happened to you?" Oliver asked concerned.

"Emma. Emma happened." Her name came out of Brandan's mouth now with a faint smile. There was relief and stress both mixed in his expression.

Oliver sighed sadly for his poor friend. "Listen, Brandan. How many times I have to make you understand that Emma is ... she is no more, you have to move on man."

"She's alive Oliver." He gulped down the emotional ball blocking his throat again. 

"She's alive and lives at the house across the street, in front of our's ... ." There was so much hope sparkling in Brandan's face now, saying those words aloud made it dawn on him that fate had brought her back to him and he was no way going to let her go away this time. He wouldn't let anything or anyone mess this for him... not even himself. 

But first of all he needed to see her, talk to her and ask this one question that he needed the answer of from her mouth and no one else's.

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I'll upload chapter 17 soon. Take care till then and please vote, comment and share if you have enjoyed reading this story. Constructive suggestions are always welcome with open arms, so feel free to talk to me.

- Lara.