“well it looks like someone is feeling better.” He said putting his stuff down.

“I feel great still a little tired but, I have a question.” John looked at her and knew she was up to something.

“shoot,”

“ Uncle John, do you love me?” She raised her brow.

“of course I love you, what kind of question is that?”

“I’m not done,” John knew that was too easy.

“well see, Grandma and I, we went to the store to by some stuff and out front, they had these puppies for free, the woman who was giving them away said that she found them dumped on the side of the road and….”

“where is this leading too Abbie,”

“Grandma said I could have one.” She lead him to her room. John saw a large brown box with a fuzzy brown lump inside.

“he’s a German Shepard. Can I keep him?” She took him out of the box so John could have a look see. The dog was brown with some patches of black fur. He had dark almond color eyes. He looked scared and frightened.

“How can you say no to this face,” She said holding him up. She poked out her bottom lip.

“well, he’s goanna have to have a better bed than a box.” Her eyes lit up when John said that. She sat him down and ran up to John giving him a hug. This was the first time he’s ever gotten a hug from her. He always felt left out when it came to Abbie. She would spend more time with Evangeline than she would him.

“thanks Uncle John! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” She hugged him tighter. All he could do was smile.

“your certainly welcome. But he’s your responsibility.”

“o.k.” She gave John one more hug.

“have you decided what to name him?”

“Actually I’ve been thinking all day, Mason.”

“that’s a good one. How are you feeling though.”

“I feel fine, you already asked me.” she said sitting down playing with the bundle of joy. “when is Aunt Van coming home?” She questioned.

“Good question, I have no clue. Let me call her.”

“Alright. Hey tell her that we got a dog!”

“ oh, How could I forget.” They both went out of the room as Abbie went into the living room and John went to the bedroom to call Van.

“Evangeline Williamson,”

“hey,”

“hi,”

“Abbie was wondering what time you were coming home”

“Um, I think around 5. How is she? Is she feeling any better?”

“ Well she’s looking a lot better. She’s got some of the color in her face back. Yeah, she was wonder what time because she has something to show you.”

“ oh really, what is it?”

“well its furry and my mother did not consult me on this.”

“Its an animal?”

“a dog to be exact. A Germen Shepard.”

“but you don’t really like animals.”

“yeah well, I got sucked in by its cuteness.”

“and you called it Cute??? Man Abbie did a number on you huh?”

“what’s that mean?”

“you spoiler her,”

“I do not,”

“I think someone is in denial.”

“ I think someone isn’t. I just like to….give her something nice once in awhile. And this wasn’t me, this was my mothers doing.”

“o.k. O.k. what ever you say. I’ll be home in a couple of hours.”

John laughed. “O.k. bye.” He hung up the phone and went to the kitchen. He saw Abbie out side with Mason getting the mail. She came in and handed it to John.

“here. I got bored.”

“why thank you.” he flipped threw the mail.

“junk, junk, and oh look, more junk,cupons,…” he stopped and looked at the letter that had his name on it. Looked wet a little from the rain. He waited until Abbie was out of the room to read it. As soon as she was out he ripped the letter open.

So you tried to get Bo to dust for my finger prints. What a smart man you are John. I’ll give you that much. Just a little hint you better watch out for you niece. She is so beautiful, a child from god. I would hate for something to happen to her.

He re read the letter. He knew he had to do something and fast. He couldn’t let anything happen to Abbie. Scott would never forgive him if anything happened to her. He wouldn’t forgive himself if anything happened to her.

“uncle John?” Abbie came in the room. He quickly stuffed the letter into his pocket.

“yeah Hon,”

“why is there police officers around the house?” As soon as she said that there was a knock at the door. John answered.

“ Officer Todd,

“hi Lt. McBain, I just wanted to let you know that we have 5 police officers out side. two in the front and three in the back.”

“thank you sir.” he shut the door. He looked at Abbie. There was fear behind her crystal blue eyes.

“what’s going on.” She looked at him. Her facial expression demanded an explanation. He didn’t want to keep a secret from his niece. But he didn’t know if she could handle the truth. He might as well give it a shot.

“you might want to sit down,”

“Does this have anything to do with Dad or Braden?” She questioned. That’s the kind of person Abbie was. Caring about others before herself.

“no, not exactly.” She sat down on the couch and pulled up on leg. She grabbed aholded of the end of her pant leg and held it tightly.

“now, I’m going to tell it to you straight, I think your old enough to handle this.” he knew it was a lie but she wanted the truth.

“I have been getting letters in the mail,” he started off. He told her how the letter was threating him and his family which included her being the main target for right now.

“am I in danger?” Is all she said. Staring off into the floor. John could tell she was scared. He put his arm around her and tried to calm her down.

“not while I’m protecting you. I promise.” he kissed her on the top of her head and pulled her up.

“why don’t you rest awhile. You look a bit tired. Even though you do feel and look better, you really shouldn’t be up and about.”

“o.k.” she slowly walked back to her room with John behind her.

“could you to something for me” she said leaning on the door.

“sure,”

“could you call Braden and see if he’s alright, I’d…I’d just feel better knowing that he’s o.k.” All he could do was smile and think of what an amazing person she was. After everything he just said, about her being in danger and she was worrying about someone else. He was proud of her.

“o.k. you just get some rest. Here,” he said bringing in Mason who was curled up in a ball when John picked him up.

“take Mason with you. And for now, he can sleep on that bed with you, how does that sound?” She smiled at him while she took the dog.

“thanks Uncle John.” He shut her door for her. Before he called Braden, he made a call to Evangeline. He wanted to make sure she was alright.

“didn’t you just call me?” She answered. It scared John a little because she always answered her phone with “Evangeline Williamson,”

“well something important came up and I just wanted to know if your were o.k.”

“I’m fine John, what’s going on?”

“well, I got another threat in the mail today”

“what did it say?”

“just to watch out for Abbie saying that she is a target.. And well I asked Bo earlier before I got the letter if I could have some of the guys come in and watch the place, just until I find who’s up to this and well, Abbie was wondering who they were and…”

“and what,”

“she pulled the truth out of me basically.”

“oh John, is she alright?”

“Van she will be fine. I’m here and I’m not going to let anything happen to her. Or you. Do you think you could come home early?”

“yeah sure, I’m on my way.”

“thanks Baby,” He hung up his phone, he felt a little safer knowing that Van was coming home soon. He made a call to Braden.

“yo! Braden in the his-house what’s cracken??”

“is that how you answer you phone on a daily bases because of you do,”

“Uncle John, What’s up?” His voiced stuttered as he cut him off.

“nothing hey I was wonder has and Body guard people,”

“yes they have, some old guy that was wearing suspenders came and told me everything.” John thought he was talking about Bo.

“o.k. that’s good,”

“Just to brighten your day, Shannon tried to ditch hers.” John thought something like that was going to happen.

“well that doesn’t surprise, how did she attempt?”

“well first she told him she had to use the rest room so he waited outside the door. She tried to sneak out the window and…”

“I can figure out the rest.” John laughed

“how is Abbie, is she doing any better?”

“as a matter of fact she is. She wanted me to call you to see if you were o.k.”

“that’s like her to do that.”

“very sweet of her though.”

“yeah, Listen I’ve got to split, I’ve got class in 10 minutes can I let you go?”

“yeah sure,”

“hey, tell Abbie that I love her and thank you for remembering me.”

“no problem.” He hung up the phone and when he went to go tell Abbie, she was already fast asleep with Mason cuddled up to her. His cell phone rang,bringing him out of his thoughts.

“McBain,”

“John, its Bo,”

“I’m just going to take one guess and say that you don’t have any finger prints for me.”

“how did you,”

“I got another letter and it said that it was a nice attempt to try and do that.”

“John you have to do something about this.”

“I know, I’m coming to the station as soon as I can, I’m not leaving Abbie by herself with all these Body guards. She’s already scared. I don’t want to do anything to upset her.”

“alright, but come as soon as you can with the letter.”

“bye.” He hung up and sat down on the couch, bringing his hands under his head and letting out a heavy sigh. He didn’t even hear Evangeline come n the door and sit next to him. She kissed him lightly on the check.

“hey,” he smiled. Pulling her into him, letting her lay on his chest. They Stayed there for a couple of minutes, enjoying each others comfort,untill John realized he had to go to work. He didn’t want to leave but he knew that he had to in order to catch this Creep.

“I have to go to the station,” he said starting to get up. Van didn’t argue with him She didn’t want him to go either.

“o.k. But don’t be to late,” she said getting off the couch and pulling up John into a kiss. They made it last since they weren’t going to see each other for a while.

“Abbie is in her bed resting, Mason is with her.”

“Mason? Oh you mean the cute ball of fluff?” She laughed

“yeah ha ha,” He rolled his eyes and smiled at her. He loved the way she laughed. He kissed her one more time before leaving. He made his way to the door quietly. Van laded down on the couch.

“what are we going to do?” she thought. They couldn’t keep living there life like this. She decide to rest for awhile. Trying to get all the things that were on her mind, off.