Taste it

Natasha gave a light scolding scoff as she found her phone laying on the ground right next to her bedroom window.

Natasha put down the teacup in her hand on the tray, she painfully got out of bed as her face contorted into a deep frown as she had stood up too quickly and she felt light headed.

She took a moment to regain her balance and she walked to pick up her phone and she went straight back into bed.

She remembered that she had switched off her phone in the midst of her despair yesterday night and she was sure that her phone would have been bombarded by several missed calls by now.

Natasha switched on her phone as she saw that she had fifteen missed calls from Grandfather... to be honest that was very low for him, she had expected over fifty, and there was a missed call from Agent Dians and two missed calls from Pete.

Natasha frowned as she looked at Pete's missed calls... she ignored it and searched through her call log and dialed a number.

...

"I love blueberry pancakes!!!" said Joy happily as she giggled.

"And I love them as well, mom makes the best blueberry pancakes!!" replied Lulu as she joined in Joy's glee and giggled.

"You can say that again, I can't remember the last time I've enjoyed pancakes so much" said Charlie as he was busy stuffing his mouth as usual and both Lulu and Joy looked at him and giggled.

The truth was that Lulu agreed with him a hundred percent, she too could not remember the last time she had eaten her mother's lovely blueberry pancakes, she had forgot how much she missed her mom's home cooked meals.

If there was one benefit of them staying here to give Natasha and Dom some time and space it was definitely the fact that they were eating such classic good food that could not be passed up for anything.

"Ben you're not eating your pancakes?" asked Lulu as she looked at Benjamin who had not touched his pancakes at all, they remained there, stacked up deliciously on his plate.

"I'm not hungry" replied Benjamin casually.

"Great then, more for me" said Charlie as he greedily reached out to take more pancakes from Benjamin's plate as Lulu slapped his hand away, he had not even finished with his own pancakes.

"That's a lie, you were eating bread a moment ago, why aren't you eating don't you like the pancakes?" asked Lulu as Benjamin was just tired, spending one to two hours with Lulu was bearable, but spending an entire day and night with her and her family was just too much... she was pestering him way too much and he couldn't leave, from what he knew there was still no word of what was happening in Natasha and Dom's house.

"I don't like fruit mixed with other things" replied Benjamin as he told the truth.

"Oh come on Ben you can't be serious, these pancakes are good, trust me" said Lulu enthusiastically as Benjamin didn't look convinced.

"Just try one and you'll see that I am right" said Lulu as she offered Benjamin a pancake and he shook his head.

"Come on..." said Lulu as Benjamin shook his head.

"Just taste it or I will shove it in your mouth whether you like it or not" said Lulu as Benjamin frowned, knowing fully well that she would really do that, so he reluctantly took a bite of the pancake and the look on his face was hilarious.

Joy and Lulu laughed at the mix of disgust and annoyance on Benjamin's face as it contorted.

"It feels lumpy" said Benjamin as he frowned.

"Oh please, you're nothing but a big baby Ben" said Lulu as she laughed in amusement.

"She's right Benji, you should learn to appreciate culinary cuisine the way I do" said Charlie as Joy and Lulu laughed at him and in the same moment the sound of a phone ringing could be heard.

"Ah it's mom's phone" said Lulu as she saw her mother's phone on the other end of the dining table.

"I'll go give it to grandma" said Joy as she excitedly rushed from her seat got the phone and ran out of the dining room into the kitchen.

"Grandma your phone is ringing" said Joy as she smiled and walked into the kitchen where Margaret was cleaning the kitchen.

"Oh thank you my lovely" said Margaret as she smiled and took her phone from Joy as she answered the call without looking as who was calling first.

"Hello" said Margaret as she answered her call with a smile.

"Good morning aunt" came Natasha's tired sounding voice from the other side of the line.

"Oh Natasha my dear, good morning" said Margaret in surprise, she had not expected to get a call from Natasha not at all.

"How are you?" asked Natasha.

"Oh my dear, I should be the one asking you that, how are you? How are you doing? Do you feel alright?" asked Margaret as her tone of genuine concern made Natasha smile softly.

"I'm alright aunt, and I feel fine, thank you for asking" said Natasha as she smiled.

"Oh my dear, I am so sorry, are you sure you are alright? Do you need anything? Do you need me to come over because I can" said Margaret.

"No, aunt, that is not necessary at all, I am doing fine, very fine, actually I want to speak to Joy, is she with you?" asked Natasha.

"Yes she's right here" said Margaret as she smiled and handed her phone to Joy.

"Hello my darling" said Natasha.

"Hello mommy!!" said Joy as her excited voice made Natasha's face light up.

"How are you doing my love?" asked Natasha as she smiled.

"I am very fine mommy, I am having lots of fun here with Aunt Lulu and everyone and also Grandma made blueberry pancakes and they are very delicious" said Joy as she giggled.

"I am very glad to hear that my darling, I am glad that you are having fun" said Natasha as she smiled.

"Me too, are you done being busy mommy?" asked Joy as she smiled.

"I am done being busy my love and your daddy and I are going to come pick you up this afternoon" said Natasha.

"Really??" asked Joy as she could not wait.

"Really my darling" replied Natasha with a smile.

"Yayyyy, I can't wait mommy" said Joy as she smiled, as much as she loved it here, she missed her parents, she had not seen them since yesterday morning.

"Me too my darling, but for now continue having fun and I love you" said Natasha as she smiled.

"I love you too mommy" said Joy as she smiled and gave Margaret her phone as she rushed out of the kitchen back to the dining room.

"She's so excited now" said Margaret as she laughed and Natasha chuckled.

"I am glad that she's still fine, we will be coming over in the afternoon to pick her up" said Natasha.

"So soon??" asked Margaret in surprise.

"Yes aunt" replied Natasha.

"But are you sure that you want her home? I mean you need some time and rest and just some peace and quiet after what happened..." said Margaret.

"I know what you mean aunt, but honestly there's no point, I would prefer it if Joy was back home, she gives me more comfort than any silence will" said Natasha.

"That is true dear, well alright, you have made your decision, we will be expecting you in the afternoon" said Margaret as she smiled.

"Thanks aunt, see you soon" said Natasha as she smiled and ended the call with a sigh.

...

Lia sighed as she took a deep breath and walked out of her room for the first time since yesterday.

She was sure she looked terrible with her puffy swollen eyes and red runny nose, but she couldn't care less about what she looked like right now, she just wanted to see Pete and thank him for being here.

As if he could read her mind the same moment that she stepped out of her room Pete was stepping out of the guest room right across the hall from hers.

Lia and Pete both looked up and their eyes locked as Lia rushed to him.

"Good morning" said Pete as he smiled and Lia embraced him with a warm hug.

"Good morning Peter" said Lia as she smiled.

"How did you sleep?" asked Pete as he smiled and returned her hug.

"Better than I thought I would and you?" asked Lia as she looked at him a smiled.

"Good" replied Pete as he smiled.

"I'm glad" said Lia as she smiled.

"Glad enough to finally eat something?" asked Pete as he smiled and Lia sighed as she looked at him, she was honestly not hungry, but she knew that if she didn't eat it would make Pete worry and she didn't want him to worry.

"Maybe only a little" said Lia as she giggled lightly and Pete smiled at her as they both heard footsteps coming up the stairs as they looked in that direction only to see Cecil on his way up to get something from his study.

Cecil stopped at the top of the stairs as he saw his daughter and a strange man he had never seen before standing close to her.

Lia looked at her father, she did not know what to say, they both just stared at each other until Lia summed up some courage to say something.

"Good... morning daddy..." she said in a carefulness and longing as her hope was crushed, Cecil did not even reply to her, he just looked at her once and went on his way as Pete and Lia heard the door of his office closing softly behind him.