Haunted

All My Heart - UNEDITED

Disclaimer: This chapter has not been edited from the original as posted on JBFF. There will be mistakes, typos, continuity problems and other issues.

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Two Years Later...

"Okay, don't look anywhere but at the kids faces," Brent whispered as he guided Maddox toward the kitchen, his hands over Maddox's eyes. "They worked so hard, just make them happy."

"Babe, I've got this," Maddox insisted. He knew the kitchen would be a disaster but if he'd learned anything in the past few years it was that you could cleanup even the most ridiculous messes. Still, he took a deep breath as he heard the little whispers in the kitchen that told him they were close.

Maddox had just gotten home from his latest tour. Brent had the kids waiting in the front yard when Maddox got there so they could all hug him but the kids had planned a surprise so they'd run ahead to see his face when he came in.

"Ready?" Brent asked.

"Yeah!" Chloe shouted.

"Okay," Brent took his hands away and Maddox opened his eyes. He looked right at Hannah who was biting her lip anxiously and then at Chloe who looked like she might start pinging off the walls if she bounced any harder.

"Suprise!" Colin shouted.

"Wow!" Maddox put on his best surprised face. "This is amazing!"

"Do you like it?" Colin asked. "You like it, Daddy?"

"I love it," Maddox told him. They'd decorated the entire kitchen with their artwork and a big banner that said "Welcome Home Daddy" on it. A very crooked cake was sitting in the middle of the counter with icing that looking like it was going to fall off any second. Naturally all the art supplies and tools they'd used for their creations were still lying everywhere too but Maddox tried not to see them. "Wow, you guys thought of everything!"

"We spent all day," Chloe said. "We made cards too and Dada bought you a stupid present."

"Chloe, shh," Hannah scolded.

"I didn't tell him!" Chloe insisted. "He doesn't know it's a picture frame."

"Now he does," Hannah sighed.

"Uh-oh," Aimee said. It was the first thing Maddox heard her say and he knew right away what was wrong. Sure enough, when he looked over at her there was a big wet spot spreading down her dress and across the floor.

"Ew!" Chloe shrieked. "Don't get it on me!"

"Chloe, enough," Brent shook his head. "Thank you, Hannah," he said as Hannah grabbed a rag from under the sink.

"I sorry," Aimee burst into tears.

"It happens, come here little one," Maddox scooped her up. He took her to the bathroom to clean up. "You did a great job with my party."

"Colored," Aimee said. "An helped."

"Yeah, I could tell," Maddox kissed her. "Let's go get Daddy a clean shirt and then we'll have some of that cake."

"Chloe did it," Aimee said. She tried to tell Maddox the story but she didn't quite know enough words to explain everything so there were a lot of pauses and ums.

Back in the kitchen, Hannah was cleaning up the many spilled ingredients and drops of frosting. Brent and Colin were putting away the markers andcrayons. Chloe was watching TV, already bored with Maddox's welcome home party.