At all costs (The Legend of Tarzan)

A dark night

Jane walked into her bedroom, silently closing the door behind her. She smiled as she sat down next to John on the bed.

'You can stop worrying, John. Lizzie is fast asleep, and she doesn't seem affected in the slightest way by the accident this morning. She seems perfectly fine to me.'

John looked up from his book, and stared into her eyes. 'You know I rarely stop worrying about you or the children, Jane. It's just what I do.' He smiled slightly. 'I was raised as part of a family, a pack. Looking out for my family is all I've ever known.'

'Well, she is soundly asleep, safe in our home. So you can stop worrying, and go to sleep.' Jane smiled, knowing he would not stop worrying anyway.

John looked at her with a smile. 'I will, after I checked on her, one last time.' With a slight grin he got out of the bed and walked to Elizabeth's room. On the way, he popped his head into Christopher's room, making sure he was fast asleep, as well. Silently, he walked into Elizabeth's room, and sat down on the edge of her bed. He gazed upon her as she slept. Her hair pulled back into 2 braids, her arms clutched around the light brown teddy bear, given to her by George when she was born. Her chest was slowly rising and falling as she breathed.

'My beautiful girl.' He whispered as he softly brushed his hand over her cheek. 'Sleep tight my love, and have beautiful dreams. Your mother and I will watch over you while you sleep.' He bent over and softly kissed her head, before getting up, and silently leaving the room.

'Are you satisfied, darling?' Jane asked as John walked back into their bedroom, and lay down on the bed. 'Do you feel our little girl is safe?'

'Are you done jesting me, my love?' John asked, as he climbed under the blanket and moved closer towards his wife.

'Yes, I am. Now can we please just go to sleep love? Anthony is quietly sleeping.' John looked at the crib by the end of their bed, where his son was sleeping soundly. 'I want to feel my husband's strong arms around me.'

At that John smiled. He pulled Jane as close to him as possible, as he lay down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her neck. 'Sleep tight, my love.'

'Good night, my dear John.'

It was past midnight when John woke up due to strange sounds coming from down the hallway. He sat up in his bed, every muscle in his body tensing, and some of his more animalistic instincts started to kick in. He got out of the bed, as quietly as possible, and pressed his ear against the door, trying to hear what was going on outside in the hall way.

'We've got him, now let's get the other one.'

John heard a door close, and his eyes widened. He quickly opened the door and ran out into the hallway, no longer caring about being quiet.

'John?!' he heard Jane yell behind him, surprise obvious in her voice, but he paid her no mind. His entire mind was focussed on the noise down the hall, the rooms down the hall, and his children in those rooms.

He ran down the hall way, when he heard Elizabeth scream. He threw open the door to her bedroom, and saw two men standing on the balcony of her room. One was holding a sleeping Christopher over his shoulder, the other, was holding Elizabeth over his shoulder, her hands and feet tied up. He looked into her eyes, seeing a look of pure fear.

'Daddy!' she screamed, and John started to run towards her, but before he got close enough, the two men threw his children over the balcony and followed themselves, jumping over the edge. When he finally reached the edge of the balcony, he could only watch as a carriage, and a wagon with his children on it, riding of into the night.

He yelled out, the sound not far from a growl. 'Elizabeth!' He yelled out, sounding more human again. 'I will find you, I promise you.' His knees started to shake, and as he kneeled down on the balcony, tears escaped from his eyes.

Within seconds, Albert, one of their maids, Jane and George ran into the room and out onto the balcony. 'What happened?' Jane asked.

'They took our children. And now they are off to who knows where.' His voice shivered as he spoke. His sadness and tears audible in every word.

'I'll find out where they went. I'll get a horse and follow them.' George said.

'Thank you, George, but hurry, or you won't be able to follow them any longer.' Jane said.

George nodded and ran out of the room. Soon, John and Jane watched as George followed the Carriage and Wagon down the road.

Jane sighed sadly. 'What do we do, John? How will we get our children back?'

John sighed and slowly stood up again, regaining his posture. 'We will wait for the news from George, as soon as we know where they are going, I will follow them, and get our children back. I will not rest until they are back safely with me.'

'I will come with you, John.'

'Jane, it would be dangerous.'

'I do not care if it is dangerous, John. I want to fight for my children, just as much as you do. I am not a damsel in distress. You knew that when you married me, and I will not be one now.' Jane screamed slightly as she spoke, her voice hitching slightly in her throat as she fought back tears.

'Then who will watch over Anthony?!' John tried his best not to raise his voice, he didn't want to hurt his wife more than she already was. But he was frustrated too, and was not the best at hiding his emotions. 'He is only a week old, Jane. We cannot leave him without his mother!' John was aware that the servants had left the room, leaving him and his wife to argue in privacy.

Jane slowly started to cry. 'John, please, don't leave me behind. I know someone needs to look after Anthony, but it would kill me, if I had to wait here for my husband and children to come home. Wondering if they ever would come home, or if Iwould be left waiting for the rest of my life.'

John embraced her as he saw the tears on her face. 'We will figure it out when we hear from George again. We will figure it out, Jane. Don't worry.'