In this AU, the boys are in modern day Texas. Sarah and Adam are still alive. We hope that we've set down a good foundation for others to build on.
We began this AU to explore the relationship between Chris and his family, in an effort to see Chris Larabee as the loving father and husband we believe the series was trying to portray him as. And to see how the boys would interact with Sarah and Adam. We welcome other writers who can share that vision and invite you to build on what we've started. We hope you can respect the premise of the AU.
The boys don't belong to us, dangnabit! Thanks to Mirisch, Trilogy, MGM, TNN, CBS, Hallmark Channel for bringing them to us. And many thanks to those seven wonderful actors for giving them life.
And eternal thanks to Rowan for her beta and her suggestions and remarks. (but we will continue to spelled it 'alright'!!). And thanks to Setcheti for giving the story a read and giving us her opinion before we posted it.
Chris wearily walked in the front door of the ranch house. After the near miss with the car bomb and the abduction of his son, he thought it best to move Sarah out to the ranch. Two Rangers were keeping an eye on the grounds. Not only would she have the protection of the Rangers, but the ranch hands were keeping a close eye out as well.
He set his keys down on the side table inside the door and walked into the living room.
"Sarah," he called. Not getting a response, he headed back to their bedroom, hoping his wife had been able to rest. He never made it that far. As he passed the door to Adam's room, he heard crying. Quietly pushing the door open, he looked around.
Sarah sat on the floor next to Adam's toy box. She was slowly putting the toys away, picking them up and running her hands over each one before gently placing it in the box. A sad smile graced her lips. Chris felt his heart break.
"Sarah."
She looked up, hope in her eyes. He shook his head.
"Nothing so far. How are you doing, honey?" he asked as he joined her on the floor.
"I'm holding up, I guess. I finished the laundry this morning and brought Adam's in to put it away. I saw all the toys on the floor. And I remembered one of the last things I told him...was to put them all away after he got cleaned up. But he never got the chance. I...I thought I'd get everything picked up for when he got home."
Chris smiled and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He envied her that confidence, even though he knew it could be fleeting. Both of them had been alternately confident and despairing during the agonizing hours since the kidnapping.
"Every Texas Ranger I know, and a hell of a lot more that I don't know, are working on this case in some way. We will find him."
She sighed and leaned back against his chest. "How come you're home? I thought you were going to stay at Ranger Headquarters." She caressed his forearms with the fingers of each hand.
"I needed to be with you." He tightened his hold around her, laying his head on her shoulder. He breathed in the scent of her perfume, a light rose scent. "Sarah, I am so sorry I haven't been here with you. I wanted so badly to find this guy, that I totally pushed aside what you were going through."
She turned to face him and placed her hand over him lips. "Never, never apologize to me for loving our son so much that you would search day and night for him. I can see how exhausted you are. I love you, Chris. And I know how much you love our son. Never apologize for that love. As much as I want you with me, Adam needs you more right now." She leaned toward him and touched her lips to his.
"I love you, my beautiful Sarah," Chris said, running a hand through her auburn hair. "I need you so much. I need your love and your strength. I could have lost you and Adam both the other day. And now Adam..." his voice broke and he found himself wrapped in his wife's embrace. Tears spilled down both faces.
They sat on the floor for a long time, both crying and comforting each other, before Sarah pulled back and moved to stand.
"Come on, handsome. I'll fix you a sandwich and then I want you to lay down for a bit. You need to rest or you won't be strong enough to get back to work and catch the bastard that took our son."
"Will you lay down with me?" he asked.
"I think that can be arranged."
Chris looked at the hand that reached down to him. His eyes traveled up and settled on Sarah's face, her green eyes still red-rimmed, but beautiful nonetheless. He placed his hand in hers and got to his feet. Hand in hand, they walked out of Adam's room.
Tanner watched Fowler closely as he once again brought food and water to the captives. Vin looked for a weakness to exploit, but Fowler was careful. He never got too close and he kept a gun trained on them at all times. He left after dropping the bag on the floor. Vin and Adam spoke softly while that ate their meal of sandwiches and bottles of water.
An hour later, Fowler returned to collect their dishes, sneering at the pair as he told them to sleep well. Vin vowed to get out of the room with Adam, the next time Fowler came in. He figured that would be the next morning, as a glance at his watch told him it was after ten. Adam was already asleep, but Vin's mind just wouldn't slow down enough for him to join the young boy.
Fowler had at least supplied them with blankets, although they did little good on the cold floor. Adam's head lay in Vin's lap, a blanket wrapped around him. He seemed to be resting comfortably for the moment, although he was shivering slightly. Vin awkwardly spread the second blanket out on the floor beside him. He pulled Adam up against his chest and moved over onto the blanket.
The boy stirred but didn't wake as Vin lay back. He then reached for the blanket that had been wrapped around Adam and draped it across them both. Adam sighed and snuggled closer into Vin's chest. Tanner kept his arms loosely around his young friend to prevent him from sliding off his chest. He figured at least one of them should stay warm.
The sound of the door being opened woke Vin. He was momentarily confused about his location, until he heard that voice.
"Well, it's that just the picture sweetness. You and young Adam becoming close friends there, Mr. Tanner?"
"Fuck off, Fowler."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Such language in front of the child. But then I supposed it won't matter in a couple of days. He'll be hearing much worse where he is going."
"Over my dead body."
"That can easily be arranged. In fact, it is being arranged. My client wants to make a statement with your death, Mr. Tanner. What do you think? Should we leave your burned carcass on the steps of the Ranger Headquarters? Or should we be more personal, and leave your head on a stake on the front lawn of Larabee's house?"
"Hope you've got some help, Fowler. Cuz you're gonna need it if you plan on getting Adam away from me while I'm still breathing."
"Trust me, Mr. Tanner, when I say that whether you continue to breathe or not isn't a concern to me. The only reason you're not dead already is because my client doesn't want you dead yet."
"And who would your client be?"
The other man smiled. "Sorry, I don't divulge information on my clients. They pay very well to keep their anonymity. I'm not about to endanger my paycheck."
Fowler dropped a bag onto the floor. "You'll be happy to know that I'll be meeting my client today and will be learning exactly what your fate will be. I'll be sure to share that information when I return." He laughed and stepped back into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him. Vin heard the lock click.
"Damn it!" Vin cursed softly.
"Vin?"
Tanner looked at the young boy. "Sorry, Adam. I didn't mean to wake you up."
"You didn't. That man did when he came in."
"He woke me up too. I didn't hear him coming this time."
"I have to go to the bathroom, Vin."
"You okay to go by yourself?"
Adam nodded. As the boy went to relieve himself, Vin reached for the paper sack. He opened it and pulled out the sandwiches and water bottles inside.
Adam came back over and sat down next to Vin, both leaning their backs against the wall. "Do you think my dad will find us today?" he asked, reaching for the half-sandwich that Vin handed him
"I don't know. I hope so." Vin opened one of the bottles of water. "I sure hope so." After they ate half of the food and drank one bottle of water between them, Vin decided to do another search of the room. He didn't really expect to find a way out, but he needed to check anyway.
Thirty minutes later, Tanner slid back down against the wall. He was frustrated. And Adam was bored...and scared. The only window in the room was small and high up on the wall. Adam would easily fit through it, but Vin wasn't sure that his larger body would. But he was getting desperate and knew they had to try something.
"Adam, I think we need to try to get out of here."
"How?"
"You see that window up there?" Vin asked, pointed at the window. Adam nodded. "Well, I think we should try to get out that way."
"Okay." Adam looked up at Vin trustingly. Tanner just hoped he was worthy of that trust.
Vin had decided to try to leave right away. Vin hoped that he and Adam would be able to get a fair distance away. He packed up the sack with the extra food and water and wrapped it up in one of the blankets. He tied a knot in the ends of the blankets so that it would be easy to carry over his shoulder.
He moved over to the wall, dragging the second blanket with him. Wrapping the blanket around his fist and turning his head to the side, he punched out the glass. With the cloth still around his hand, he brushed away the loose glass. He unwrapped his hand and shook out the blanket to get rid of as many glass shards as he could.
He then laid the blanket in the glass-less window frame. He walked back over to where Adam stood against the wall. He picked up the blanket with the food and then reached for Adam's hand.
"You ready to get out of here, Adam"
With wide eyes, Adam nodded his head and placed his hand in Vin's. They walked to the far wall. Vin set down this bundle and lifted Adam into his arms. He pushed the boy through the window, being careful not to cut him on any remaining glass fragments. Adam crawled out onto the dirt outside the window. When he was clear, he turned back around.
His eyes got wide. "Vin! Look out!" he yelled.
The warning saved Tanner from a crippling shot to the back, but he felt the bullet slice through his right upper arm. He dropped down to his knees.
"No!" Adam yelled from the window.
Vin looked up in time to see Fowler line up another shot. He lunged forward, hitting Fowler around the knees, causing the man to fall back. As Fowler's arm hit the floor, the gun went skittering across the room. A swinging fist caught Tanner on his wounded arm. He jerked away.
Both men staggered to their feet. Fowler frantically searched for the weapon he'd lost. Vin charged him, slamming him against the wall. Fowler grunted as his back connected solidly with the concrete. Vin brought his knee up, trying to catch his foe in the groin, but the other man twisted away, swinging a fist that smashed into the side of Vin's face.
Vin lost his hold and staggered back a couple of steps. Shaking his head to clear it, he looked up just in time to avoid a kick from Fowler's black leather boot. A raised arm deflected the blow, but pain radiated up Vin's arm as he realized he'd used his already injured limb.
The arm went numb and refused to obey when he reached for Fowler. The kidnapper slammed a boot against the side of Tanner's knee. Vin fell facedown on the floor, Fowler dropped down on top of him.
Vin felt an arm wrap around his neck from behind, cutting of his air. Vin's vision began to blur as he tugged at Fowler's forearm. He swung his elbow back, trying to catch the other man in the stomach, hoping he could loosen the vice-like grip on his neck.
Fowler pulled harder on Vin's neck, bending the bounty hunter backwards. Tanner barely registered the angry, yet tiny, scream that echoed around the room. But he did feel the grip relax slightly around his neck. He heard Fowler cuss, than heard a small thud and gasp. He knew the scream was from Adam and longed to check on him, but couldn't afford to take his attention from Fowler. Using the distraction, Tanner was able to break free from Fowler's hold and quickly rolled onto his back.
Bending his knees, he pulled his legs up, then kicked out, catching Fowler in the stomach with both feet. Pressing his advantage while still trying to draw in a deep breath, Vin moved onto his knees. Fowler was staggering to his feet. Vin grabbed him around the knees and took him down to the floor again, the other man's head bouncing off the floor.
Fowler was dazed, but not enough to take him out of the fight. Still on his back, he swung his arm up, catching Vin in the ribs, causing a sharp pain, which gave Fowler the chance to get the advantage. He reached up and wrapped his prosthetic hand around Vin's throat. The hand felt like steel.
For a second time Vin Tanner found it difficult to draw a breath. He smashed a fist down into Fowler's chest, but the metal hand only loosened a little bit. Three more times he punched Fowler, the last one catching the other man in the face, shattering his nose. The grip around Vin's throat lessened. But he could tell Fowler wasn't out of the fight yet. Then he saw movement to the right.
A tiny, steel-toed boot blurred as it struck Fowler in the side of the head, just above the left ear. Although there wasn't enough force behind it to incapacitate the man, it distracted him enough for Vin to land a debilitating blow.
Fowler went limp, although he was still breathing hard. Vin unsteadily moved off his nemesis, panting, trying to draw enough air into his lungs to keep from passing out. He glanced over to his pint-sized rescuer.
"Adam, are you okay?" he asked, checking to be sure that Fowler was unconscious. Keeping a close eye on the man, he pulled the young boy toward him.
"My arm hurts a little. And my leg hurts." Adam said, rubbing his right arm. Vin gently took the arm and ran his hands along the length.
"Can you move your arm around?" he asked. "Make a fist." The small boy tightened his hand into a fist. "Does that hurt?"
"Just a little."
"Well, I don't think it's broken, but you be careful with it until your folks can get you to the doctor, okay? What happened to your leg?" he asked as he checked the injured limb.
"I hurt it when I jumped back down from the window."
Vin looked up at the small face. "That was very brave, Adam. You saved my life. Thank you."
The young boy beamed with pride, his aches forgotten.
"Are we going home now?"
"Yeah. We're going home." Adam's ankle was slightly swollen, but also didn't appear broken. He just hoped he would still be able to walk on it, at least until they could put some distance from them and Fowler. He hoped that Fowler had left a vehicle nearby.
Vin walked to the doorway and took a quick look around. Spotting some ratty curtains on one window, he pulled them down. Tearing them into strips, he walked back into the room and froze.
Fowler was just beginning to stir. Adam had moved over to the side of the room and picked up the gun and was at that moment raising it up to aim it at Fowler.
"Don't move," he called out. Vin's eye widened in surprise and a small grin fought for a place on his lips. He quashed it though and moved into the room. Staying to the side, not wanting to get between the gun and Fowler, he spoke quietly to the boy.
"Adam, I'm going to tie him up. It's okay." Vin carefully moved closer to Fowler, who was still not completely aware of his surroundings. He quickly rolled Fowler onto his stomach, pulling his arms behind his back and binding them with the strips of fabric. He then did the same to Fowler legs, binding them at the ankles and the knees. Using another strip he bent Fowler's legs up behind him and attached his wrists and ankles together, effectively hog-tying him.
Using his teeth, he tore the last strip in half. As he pulled Fowler around, he could feel him struggling to free himself.
"Goddamn bastard! I'll kill you for this, Tanner!" Fowler snarled. "I'll kill you, then I'll kill that kid. Then I'll go after Larabee myself."
"You know Fowler, I wouldn't be too quick to go after Chris Larabee. Hell, you can't even handle Adam Larabee and he's only five!"
When Fowler opened his mouth to argue, Tanner stuffed it with the bundled up fabric. He took the last piece and wrapped it around Fowler's head, securing the gag in place. He glanced at Adam.
"Adam, put the gun down now." He smiled as Fowler's head jerked over to where the young boy still stood with the gun pointing at his kidnapper's head. Adam slowly lowered the gun, then walked over and handed it to Tanner.
"My arms were gettin' tired," he commented.
Vin smiled as he took the gun from Adam and stuffed it in the waist of his jeans at the small of his back. Then he searched Fowler's pocket. He knew that had to be a distance from town and he was looking for Fowler's car keys. Finally, he found them in a front pocket.
"You ready to get out of her, kiddo?" he asked as he got to his feet. Adam just nodded and reached up a hand. Vin grasped it and they left the room, but not before Vin grabbed the blankets from the floor. He could feel Adam shivering and figured the extra warmth would be needed.
He pulled the door shut behind him and searched for the key that locked it. The loud clunk when the deadbolt slid into place brought a smile to his face.
He looked down at the trusting boy standing next to him. "Let's git!" As they walked from the building, he thought about Chris and Sarah Larabee. He hoped Sarah was okay. He'd noticed that she was bleeding as she ran after her son. He couldn't imagine what they were going through, not knowing where their son was. It had to be a parent's worst nightmare. Fowler had given him little in the way of motive, only that it was personal. Probably someone Larabee had arrested.
Vin wasn't sure if Fowler's boss had demanded a ransom or if whoever it was only did it to hurt Chris. He only knew that the bastard had planned on the Larabee's never seeing their child again.
He didn't want to think about what Fowler had told him would be the young boy's fate. He just knew he had to get Adam back to his family. He looked down at his small companion and smiled. He reached down and picked the boy up. Adam wrapped his legs around Vin's waist, his arms circling the bounty hunter's neck.
"Let's go home," Vin said. He was careful moving up the steps. He hadn't heard anyone else in the building, but didn't want to take any chances.
They made it all the way to the outside. Vin saw a vehicle parked in front of the building. They were halfway to the vehicle when Vin suddenly stopped. He stood listening for several seconds then cursed. He whirled and quickly lifted Adam into his arms, wincing at the pain, and carried him away from the vehicle and the building.
"Vin, what's wrong? Aren't we going in the car?"
"Company's coming, Adam. We have to hide."
"Oh." The voice was so small and so fearful, it caused Vin to falter. He tightened his hold on the boy.
"I won't let them get you again, Adam. I promise. We may have to walk a bit, but we have to keep away from Fowler and his men."
The pair made it into the woods quickly. Vin turned back to see a pickup truck pull up in front of the building, followed by a four-door sedan. Six men exited the vehicles and made their way into the building. Vin knew he had to put some distance between them. He turned and hurried away, going further into the forest that surrounding the site.
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