Forced Family 3

F I F T E E N

Sliding the blocks into the corresponding holes, Thomas giggles when he completes a full set. His vision drifted until he lazily stared at his sister across the room, she was going between reading and watching the boring news on TV.

Daddy rocked in his chair until he glances at the boy smiling in greeting, "What's my Tommy-boy doing?" he calls sweetly pulling Thomas closer to him so he's able to scoop him up to sit on his lap, Thomas giggles snuggling into the man with a happy hum in content. He truly loved his cuddles with his parents.

Annika even sighs in contentment moving from her perched position closer to Niall, she'd really grown fond of the man especially since she opened up about her older brother.

The family was having a quiet evening, warmness in the room, it's not until an uninvited tingling alerts itself when Liam's phone vibrates, Niall's following, before the house phone shrills loudly from its place on the wall, Niall and Liam locking eyes when it rings aloud into the room.

Adjusting Thomas on his hip, Liam stands crossing the room bringing the phone to his ear, "Hello?"

"Is this Mr.Tomlinson?"

"T-this is, why?"

"I-I'm so terribly sorry-" The line is cut, Liam froze with the phone still in his grasp, "Who was it?" Niall asks moving Annika to his lap completely tightening the hold on the girl, "I-I don't know, I'm going to call dad," Liam mutters setting Thomas on the sofa next to Niall grabbing his cellphone taking the call in the other room.

Thomas cries after his daddy sobbing when he was placed down, Niall tends to him, he moves Annika off his lap, the girl using this as her chance.

Ensuring Niall was completely distracted with Thomas she backs away from the room peaking her head into the dining room where Liam stands with his back to her, "Dad it sounded serious-"

"Liam it's probably a prank, everything is fine. We just got home, we're good here,"

Liam rubs the back of his neck anxiously, he brings the phone impossibly closer, "It concerns me, the timing of it, Annika just told Niall about Dylan, do you think it was him?"

Gasping, Annika slaps her hand over her mouth backing away from the room, tears pricking her eyes as she shakily exhales the room beginning to spin around her, these men knew about Dylan. More so, Dylan isn't dead, and these men knew that.

She's backing away so quickly she yelps when she hits something turning quickly she sees Niall with Thomas in his arms now settled, "Everything okay princess?" Forcing herself to nod, Annika swallows past the thick lump in her throat, "Y-yeah," she croaks.

"Everything is fine," Zayn assures, he glances at Harry that's rocking with Louis in the room, the Papa glances at his own phone he'd used to have the housekeeper on standby, "Thank God we thought of this ahead of time," Harry mumbles patting Louis' backside soothingly, the boy sobs attempting to push out the pacifier that had been secured in his mouth.

Ending the phone call with Liam, Zayn nods in agreement, "We owe Jack big time," he mutters kneeling in front of Louis, "We just don't want to scare big bubby now do we?" pushing hair from his temple he takes him in his arms laying countless kisses to his forehead, "In time sweetheart you'll thank us,"

Harry smiles fondly at the father-son duo, "When we teach you how to say that," he mocks sweetly.

Sheepishly bidding her parents goodnight that night, Annika winced when Liam bent down kissing her forehead, "Sleep tight sweetheart," nodding, she smiles at Niall, "N-night Papa," she calls, his oceanic eyes brightening, "Goodnight buttercup," he returns linking his arm around Liam pulling him from the room as he flips off the light switch.