A/N: Happy 4th of July to all my American friends. He's the short conclusion to Maternal Instinct. Thank you so much for reading.

Chapter 29: Epilogue

Patrick William awoke one morning - earlier than was usually for him. Something had shaken him out of his dreams and back into wakefulness. It was still dark. The wind whipped and whistled around his house in the deepest parts of the New Jersey winter, and to his shock and surprise his wife of many years was not in bed with him. He shiver at the sounds and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Promptly, and struck with a worry that only a husband of that many years could know, Patrick jumped out of his bed, slipped on his slippers and house coat, and went in search of Veronica. He found her staring out her kitchen window, a steaming cup of tea in her hands as she silently watched the blizzard rage on outside.

"Veronica?" Patrick asked as he caught a glimpse of the time on the electric display of the microwave.

"Go back to bed, dear. I'm all right." Veronica whispered. "It's not fit for man or beast out there. Go back to bed."

"Something has happened." Patrick stated. "You're not all right."

"Daniel called," Veronica confessed.

"Daniel called, it must be urgent. He knows the time difference better than anyone. I didn't hear the phone ring."

"It was my cellular phone. It was on my side of the bed and only vibrated. I heard it and saw the display. To clarify, Daniel and Grace are find and well."

"Then what is it?" Patrick asked.

"Doris has left. She left several months ago and Steven has been looking for her ever since. Daniel called to warn me that Steven has been missing for several days. That nice, young, man - Toast they called him - went through Steven's computer and it looks like he's traveling in this general direction. I hope he shows up here. I hope I can help him."

"Daniel is worried?" Patrick asked.

"Of course he is, why would he call at that hour. It's like pulling teeth to get him to call otherwise."

"True."

"And rightly so." Veronica said with a nod. "His best friend has disappeared. Daniel said he could tell that the chain of events - he said something about Kono and Adam - had really put Steve into a tail spin, and then, when Doris didn't return, he found more evidence about her lying to him. I don't think it's lying as much as she's still keeping many secrets. I know there are secrets, but I don't know what they are - for my own safety, or so I've been told by Doris. I just wish I knew how to get ahold of her."

"Have you spoken with her since we left the islands?"

"A few times. She calls me. The number is always blocked and who knows where it has come from, nothing in recent weeks." Veronica confessed.

"Are you worried for Steven, or are you worried for Doris?" Patrick asked as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around his wife.

"Both, and Kono and Adam, and Daniel. He must be very worried if he's calling to warn me."

"He gets that from you." Patrick said lovingly. "But, both Daniel and Steven are big boys. I'm sure they can take care of themselves - granted, it's a little irresponsible for Steven not to tell anyone where he's going."

Veronica nodded and sighed. "There now, you know of my anxiety, I doubt you'll be able to fall back to sleep after that. You should have gone back to bed when I told you to."

Her husband chuckled.

"I need to do something," Veronica sighed as she turned away from the window and looked at her husband for the first time since he'd arrived. "What would you like for breakfast? It's all I can do at this time."

"Well, there isn't much more for us to do but worry and wait." Patrick stated and flicked the switch on the coffee maker. "I'm sure Steve will show up, and if he does, we'd best be ready to receive him. I'll have something hearty for breakfast and then I'll take on the cleaning upstairs. You should probably cook. He'll be hungry when he arrives." Patrick teased and his wife hit him with a tea towel. "You love to cook when you're worried, and waiting."

"It's something I can do." Veronica protested.

"And I'm sure he'll appreciate it." Patrick stated, pecked his wife on the cheek and turned to leave the kitchen.

"And where do you think you're going now?" she asked.

"I'll have a shower, to warm up, if you'd care to join me." He stated cheekily.

"Oh you!" She giggled and waved him away, but yelled after him. "You didn't say what you wanted for breakfast!"

"Eggs, dear, eggs with be fine."

End