Scream and be Free (Zac Hanson)

Chapter Five

still not sure anybody is even reading this, but I do enjoy writing it. if anybody is reading, anybody have any thoughts or feelings? maybe you just want to discuss the weather?

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"Jenna! It is so good to see you." Nikki beamed, hugging the younger woman tightly. "Isaac said you got in yesterday, you don't have to do this."

"Nonsense, it'll be fun." Jenna replied happily, letting Nikki into the house. "Hey boys." She greeted Everett and Monroe with a smile, as she ruffled both of their hair getting a giggle from Everett and a mock glare from Monroe. "Junia and Abe are in the playroom."

When Brielle had escaped the previous morning, before Isaac got to ask her about babysitting, Jenna offered up her services instead. She knew that since she was in the house, Junia and Abe would likely become her responsibility, why not take Everett and Monroe on as well?

"Be good!" Nikki called after her sons as they darted out of the foyer and in the direction of the play room where their younger cousins were said to be. Turning back to Jenna, Nikki's smile softened. "How..." she paused. "How are they?"

It had become a loaded question, one everybody wanted to ask. Jenna admired Nikki for not skirting around it and just coming out and asking.

"Brielle is at least talking, but not to Zac." Jenna informed with a shrug. Her voice was kept low; she never knew who would be around the corner. "Neither one seem to want to be near each other, although Zac did try again last night."

Jenna had made dinner, once Abe and Junia were returned home - thrilled to find their Aunt Jenna was visiting - Junia promptly asked Jenna to make her favourite cheeseburger macaroni. It was a simple enough dish, Jenna didn't mind and Junia could help her, in spite of Zac telling his daughter not to bother her aunt. Insisting that Junia helped her make dinner, Jenna sent Zac to go find his wife. Brielle had been MIA since the morning, when she'd left them sitting at breakfast. Not going too far from the house all day, Jenna knew that Brielle had ran errands and came back, avoiding Zac at all costs.

Explaining how she had sent Zac to find Brielle for dinner, Jenna told Nikki that when he had found her in her office, a room opposite of the living room, he had sat down trying to tell her about his short visit with Shepherd. While picking the kids up at Kate's, Zac had seen his oldest son for only a few minutes. Since there was nobody else to tell Brielle how it went, Zac felt it was the least he could do for her.

"All he did was ask Zac why he can't come home." Jenna spoke, her tone still hushed. Zac had told her that his oldest son just wanted to come home, hearing Zac tell her this broke her heart.

"Oh, Jenna." Nikki cooed, her hand resting on her chest. "They must be so upset."

Jenna shrugged, leaving out the fact Zac was in tears telling her this. "Zac was pretty upset. I don't even know if Brielle heard what Zac was saying. I hope she knows Shep misses her though."

Nikki nodded in understanding. It was rough watching this all play out. When Kate had asked Zac for the divorce, he had been completely dumbfounded, but complied. If she felt they had grown apart and no longer wanted to be his wife, he could live with that under the condition they shared custody and when Zac wasn't away, the kids remained with him. Nikki had suspicions that Kate's reasoning wasn't all that great for doing this, which bothered her more.

An eight year old boy needed his dad, constantly; he needed his family more than anything. It came as no shock that Shepherd was confused and probably hurt, as to why he was ripped away from his dad. As much as he needed Kate, he would also need Brielle. She was a part of his life; the little boy held a lot of admiration for his step-mother, something some children found hard. While discussing the situation one evening with her husband, Nikki had informed Isaac that if they were ever put into that position, she wanted their children to have a relationship with their step-parents.