Remember When - Ace Merrill (BOOK 3)

I see a treehouse...

As they left the hospital, half the team left to go continue searching for the children, while the other half went with Connie and Oceane to get Ace out.

Oceane felt herself almost being pulled down the street as she followed Connie and Billy. Though she had been letting them lead the way, something told her she already knew.

Quickly she pushed herself in between them as she ran down the street. The others rushed off after her as they knew it was a good sign she felt confident in knowing which way to go.

Oceane was first in that station as every officer stared up at her.

"Ma'am I think-" one started as he stood up from the desk.

"You better let him out now I swear to God I will bring down every military personnel this country has to this station and this ceiling will be blown off." Oceane threatened each officer.

The others stepped back slightly. Whether she remembered him or not, the threat was enough.

Ace Merrill was released.

Oceane refused to be inside the station when he was. Eyeball and Billy stayed in to wait for him and to tell him it was actually her that got him out.

He raced outside as he saw Austin, Salvatore and Hugo standing with Connie as they looked on at Oceane.

She was standing in the exact same spot she had all those years ago when her dad and Jordan first came to take her home.

Ace slowly walked up to her as his cobras joined the others.

"Thank you..." he mumbled as he stood in the exact same spot they had said goodbye in.

Oceane couldn't look up at him as she shrugged slightly. "I don't remember you..." she mumbled.

Ace shook his head. "That's fine, we'll sort it out."

She finally looked up at him as their eyes met.

It felt like the first time all over again. He was completely entranced as their entire history flashed through his mind.

When they first met.

Their first kiss.

When they had AJ.

When she said yes.

When they finally got married.

When they had Salvatore.

When they had Hero.

Every lazy weekend and busy weekday flashed through his mind.

She gave him a small smile. "You make me kinda nervous." She mumbled.

Ace tried not to laugh. "You said that last time."

She almost held back a laugh herself. "I did?"

Ace nodded as he held up his hands. "You had like this nervous habit where you would twiddle your fingers together like this." He tried doing it how she used to.

Yet he stopped as he looked down and saw her fingers were already ticking against each other.

She looked down and quickly pulled her hands apart.

"Apparently we have kids..." Oceane mumbled, still looking down.

Ace nodded. "Three."

Oceane was silent.

"I suppose we better go find them then..." Oceane finally spoke.

"What do you mean, go find them? They're back at the house?" Ace asked as he looked over at the guys.

"The kids are back at the house right?"

Austin and Salvatore quickly came over as Oceane let Austin pull her away while Salvatore faced Ace.

"What? Where am I going?" Oceane asked as Austin led her back to the others.

"Trust me sweetheart." He spoke softly as Eyeball reached out to her.

She flinched slightly but allowed him to cover her ears as he kept her faced away from Ace. Austin turned to Salvatore and nodded as Salvatore finally turned to Ace and broke the news.

Eyeball kept his hands tightly pressed over Oceane's ears as he kept eye contact with her, keeping her focused on him while Ace lost his temper behind her.

None wanted Oceane to get even more scared of Ace as Austin kept himself close to her.

"There, all better." Eyeball said with a smile as he pulled his hands away from her ears.

"What happened?" She looked around blankly.

Ace had gone.

"Where is he?"

"He has gone to look for your children ma'am." Salvatore answered as he returned to her side.

"Don't I need to go?"

"You need rest ma'am." Hugo replied.

"But I-" she started but stopped as Connie reached out and took her hands.

"You need to rest Oceane," she gave her a small smile. "You've got the best guys out there looking for them."

Oceane nodded at her slowly, for some reason she seemed to be oddly comforted by Connie's presence. Maybe they had been best friends.

Connie gently led her down the street with the other guys following as they headed back home.

*****

"MY DAD'S GONNA KILL YOU YOU KNOW!" AJ shouted as he kicked at the door.

Salvatore scoffed as he sat down on the small chair. "You just had to want the cookies didn't you?" He snapped sarcastically as he looked down at his sister.

Hero stared up at him, her mouth full of cookies.

"MY MUM WILL RIP YOUR BLOCK OFF!" AJ continued to shout.

Salvatore sighed as he looked over at his brother. "Leave it alone! He's not coming back!"

AJ kicked at the door again. The same way his dad had kicked the door down at the B&B. Only difference being AJ didn't have his father's strength yet.

"Where the hell even are we?" Salvatore mumbled as he got off the chair and walked over to the small window at the very top of wall.

He could just about see the grass, telling him they were in some kind of basement.

"Let me get on your back and see." AJ said as he came over to him.

Salvatore shook his head. "Let me get on yours, I'm lighter."

AJ groaned as he got down on his knees. Salvatore held onto the wall as he climbed up so he was standing on his brother's back.

"See anything?" AJ asked in a strained voice.

"I see a treehouse." Salvatore managed to say before he wobbled back and fell off his brother onto the floor.

Hero just laughed as she pointed at him.

"It's not funny." Salvatore scoffed as he got up and snatched one of her cookies.

Hero's face dropped as she began to cry.

"See how funny you find that." Salvatore snapped as he stuffed the cookie in his mouth.

"Great job." AJ grumbled at him harshly as Hero began to scream and cry a lot harder.