Lost & Found
Lost
The blinding light dissipated and where it had been stood a beautiful woman. She was tall; 5'8" or 5'9" with dark brown almost black hair that went just past her shoulders and large dark brown eyes. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless knit top and black jeans. Clothes that were completely unsuitable for the current 40 degree weather. The woman looked down at her hand to see that she was holding a set of keys. She shivered. The woman looked around for a place to get warm. She was in a clearing in a woods, but saw smoke ahead. Instinctively she walked towards it. She walked through the woods to another clearing. This one had a pond and a cabin. She went to the cabin, tried the keys in the lock. None of them worked. The woman knocked on the door.
A man opened the door. He was average height and weight, with thinning brown hair. He was startled to see the woman standing there. "How did you find us?" the man asked.
The woman was confused. "Do you know me?" Her voice was low with a hint of an accent.
"Yes" the man began, but was interrupted by another man. The second man was tall, handsome with brown hair and beard and blue eyes. Blue eyes the woman thought, but they were not right. She knew that, but what was it about blue eyes….
"Kevin who is…what are you doing here?" the taller man said.
"Do you know me?" the woman repeated.
"Yes". Kevin said.
"Then, who am I?" asked the woman.
The two men exchanged a look. It was a look of both surprise and knowing. The woman's appearance and question were unexpected, but in this new world they were beginning to expect the unexpected.
"Your name is.." The first man began.
"Marguerite" finished the taller man. "Please come in. Kevin, why don't you get the lady some tea to warm her? I'll take her to your lab. She is going to need a physical." The tall man turned to the woman. "Kevin is a doctor. One of the most brilliant minds in the country"
The woman called Marguerite sat in the lab listening to the two men talking in the hallway. The one called Kevin was worried. He was worried about being discovered. The other man, Kevin called him Jordan, was trying to calm Kevin's fears. The woman couldn't hear everything, but she thought she heard Kevin say something about her. Although he didn't call her Marguerite as Jordan had. He called her Alana. Alana didn't seem familiar, but she preferred it to Marguerite. She wondered what she would call herself if she got to pick her name. She thought for a moment and two names popped into her head: Billy, Thomas. Of course she couldn't call herself either of those names, yet the names stirred a hint of something in her.
The woman had been at the cabin for almost a week. She had been poked and prodded to the doctor's satisfaction that she was healthy and "not dangerous". The doctor then set about trying to help her recover her memories, but nothing seemed to be working. Jordan kept insisting on calling her Marguerite, which annoyed her to no end. She also didn't like the things that Jordan was telling her. Things about a life with him that she did not remember and couldn't imagine being true. She was careful not to let her annoyance show. Kevin and a woman who was also living in the cabin, Tess, deferred to Jordan. There was something about this Jordan person, she wasn't exactly afraid of him, but she felt she always had to be on her guard around him.
Kevin and Tess were a different story. They were kind and very sweet. They were also both, eccentric was much nicer than calling them odd, but that was what they were. Just plain odd. Tess seemed to be almost crazy. Apparently she was in need of a medication that had run out. The three were in hiding but from what the woman didn't know and didn't ask. The woman was hiding something of her own. She was having dreams. Nightmares mostly, but they were vivid and there was something familiar about them. The doctor had asked her to tell him about any dreams she remembered, but there was so little to tell. They were all so vague; a car wreck, a room full of sickness, a flood and a man so sad it broke her heart to see him. The people in the dreams were only beginning to come into focus. She still did not recognize them. Yet the dreams came every night. She would tell the doctor about the dreams when there was something to tell. In the meantime she had found some paper and a pencil. She would try to fill in the faces that way. Especially since she had discovered that she liked to draw. She turned off the light and went to sleep.
They were in a large round room. The ceiling above seemed to go on forever. There was a table in the middle with a brilliant light above it. Around the edges of the room were balconies. The woman felt rather than saw the people that filled them. A man was there. She recognized him from the dreams she had been having. He was the man that seemed so sad, so lost. She walked up behind him. He was average height, with a slim, athletic build. He had blond hair. When he turned toward her she saw a face that could be seen as hard. Then he saw her. His face lit and softened and he was extremely handsome. He has blue eyes the woman thought….
"You're here," the man said. He walked over and put his arms around the woman. She felt should have resisted, but his arms made her feel safe. She hadn't felt safe in the week and a half that she could remember. "I miss you so much," the man said. "I keep looking for you, but I don't know where they put you, or when." The man seemed lost in his grief. She wanted to comfort him; wanted to stay in the safety of his arms. Instead she pulled away.
"I wish I could help you. I can't. I don't know where I am. Will you find me? Please."
The man held her face in his hands. There was such strength in him, but a tenderness also. "I will find you." The man was fighting back tears. "I promise I'll never stop looking for you. I love you Alana. I love you so much. They may have given you to me, but I won't let them take you away from me. Do you hear me?" He yelled at the unseen people. "I want her back! Now! If you want me keep helping the returnees and the survivors then I need her back! PLEASE!"
The woman woke with a start. She tried for some time to go back to sleep, but she couldn't shake the dream or the memory of the man. He was so lost. So alone. She got up, found the sketchpad and began to draw his face. She found that she had to draw both faces. The woman drew the man sad, then she drew the man in the instant that he had seen her. The look of joy on his face. She didn't know who this man was. She didn't know if he was real, but she hoped that he was. And she hoped that he would find her.
2000 miles away, Tom also woke with a start. He had dreamed about Alana again. He always dreamed about Alana. Yet this one was so real. For a moment he thought of the dream worlds she would create for him, then pushed that from his mind. He knew that Alana had to be there with him, touching him to take him to one of her dream worlds. But she wasn't there. The dreams were all he had of her. He sat up in the chair he had fallen asleep in, then went over to check on Shawn. His nephew was the same. There was no sign of Shawn coming out of the coma that that little bitch Isabelle had put him in. Tom didn't blame Isabelle. Not completely anyway. He blamed Ryland for turning Isabelle loose on Shawn. And he blamed Jordan Collier for not coming to Shawn's aide. Now that bastard Collier had his hooks in Kyle. Tom suddenly needed air. He kissed Shawn on the forehead and headed for his car. He jumped in and began to drive. He drove fast and a little recklessly with no destination in mind. Somehow, though he found himself back where this had began for him 6 years before, at Highland Beach.
Tom went to the spot where they had found Kyle unconscious. He didn't know why he was there. He began to pace and then he began talking. Anyone happening upon him at that moment would have thought him insane, but Tom didn't care. Tom didn't know if the people who took the 4400 were listening, but he thought if there was any chance they were then there were some things he needed to say. Suddenly there was the snap of a twig. Tom whirled around reaching for his gun when he saw Kyle walking towards him. "Jesus, Kyle. You know better than to sneak up on me like that! I could have shot you!"
"I'm sorry Tom. I didn't mean to startle you. We need to talk," said Kyle.
"OK. What's going…did you just call me '"Tom'??"
"Forgive me Tom. I forgot that you are seeing your son. I don't have much time. My superiors cannot know that I have accessed Kyle"
"Accessed Kyle?? What are you talking…who are you? Are you the woman who took Maia?"
"No. But we have spoken before. 3 years ago on this very spot."
"3 years…"Tom thought for a moment. "Wait. Didn't Lytell kill you?"
"He almost did. The doctors in my time were able to save me. It was a near thing. But that's not important. I came here to ask you not to turn you back on those with Promicin. The returnees and survivors as you are calling them. The future has been saved, but these people still are at risk from those who are afraid of the change that is happening in the world. They still need a protector, an advocate. They still need you. I know that you are considering quitting the fight, but you can't just yet. You are still needed."
"Well maybe you should have thought of that before you ruined my son's life". Tom spit back at the being that had taken over his son. "Maybe you should have thought about that before you dumped so much crap on all of us that you sent my partner into hiding half way around the world. Or put my nephew in a coma. OR TOOK MY WIFE FROM ME!!" Tom screamed.
The being from the future looked down at the ground. He felt as ashamed as someone from his time could. "I am sorry about Diana and Alana. Shawn was not our doing. Kyle's life is not ruined. It will just be different than it would have been. We didn't realize the toll that was being taken on Diana. That was a mistake. As for Alana, taking her again was necessary."
"Necessary? Why would it be necessary for you to take my wife?"
"Because something happened that should not have. At least not as it was meant to happen. Because even if we corrected things and put her back in the timeline the moment after we took her, Alana still would have been too much of a distraction to you at a time when you were needed the most. When those who survived the Promicin shots were coming into their abilities. And because," Kyle's voice lowered. "Because my superiors were displeased with you"
"They were displeased with me? Let me guess. Was it because I refused to commit murder for them? Because I refused to kill a defenseless human being?"
"Yes"
"Go to Hell!" Tom stalked off.
"Wait! Please Tom!" Kyle ran to catch up with Tom. "I know you are angry. You have every right to be, but please hold on just a little longer. I know things will work out for you soon."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that Shawn is awake. It means that the bond that you and Alana have has not been broken…." Kyle's eyes rolled back in his head and he began to shake. A blinding white light momentarily emanated from him and he stumbled a bit. Tom rushed to catch his son before he fell to the ground.
"Dad? What's going on? Where am I?" Kyle was having a frightening sense of déjà vu.
"It's all right Kyle. But I think you just got your ability" Tom said dryly.
It was three days later. Alana (she had thought of herself as Alana ever since the man in her dream called her by that name) was sitting at the edge of the clearing. The farthest spot from the cabin. She wanted privacy to finish her sketches. Alana was so absorbed in her work that she didn't hear Tess walk up.
"What are you doing?" Tess was having one of her better days.
"I'm drawing people that have been in my dreams." Alana had meant to lie to Tess, but she suddenly felt compelled to tell the truth.
"May I see them please?"
Alana handed over the sketchbook. Tess began looking through the drawings. There was an older couple, a man, a boy and…. Tess recognized the last sketches. "Will you come with me, please? I need to see Kevin"
Tess and Alana went to Kevin's lab. Alana waited outside while Tess spoke to the doctor. When they were done, Tess came out and returned Alana's sketches. She told Alana about a place that Alana might like to work on her drawings. Alana went to the place that Tess had directed her to and found herself near a road. It didn't seem like a good place to draw, but she sat down anyway and began to work. She was finishing the sketch of the boy when a truck pulled up. Kevin and Tess were in it. "We are going to town for supplies. Why don't you join us?" Tess suggested. Alana got in the truck. They drove in silence for a few miles. Finally Kevin spoke. "When you first came to the cabin, you asked if we knew you. Well the truth is that we all know you. Maybe not very well, but we do know you. And the first thing you should know is that your name is not Marguerite."
"I think I knew that," the woman replied with anticipation. She was almost holding her breath as she asked, "What is my name?"
"Your name is Alana. Alana Mareva."
Alana smiled to herself. Alana. That is what the man in my dream called me, she thought. If that is real, then maybe he is too.
Kevin continued, "What Jordan told you about you having a life with him isn't true. I have no idea why he has been doing that. A lie like that will not help with your memory"
"Isn't it obvious Kevin?" Tess interjected. "He's telling her lies hoping that she will believe them because he wants her. Kevin, I love you, but you can be a little dense sometimes"
Alana laughed. "Well the lies weren't working. I don't think that Jordan is my type"
"How could he be anyone's?" Tess gave a little shudder. "He is a little creepy"
Kevin quickly redirected the topic. "Alana, I have tried to help you regain your memories, but nothing I'm doing has worked. So when we get to town, Tess and I are sending you to Seattle. There is someone there that may be your best hope of getting your memories back. You don't have any i.d. so we have to send you by bus. When you get to Seattle, go to 240 Park Side Avenue. Give the person there that envelope." Tess handed Alana a legal sized envelope. "They should be able to take things from there. I can't guarantee that this will work, but it is the best I can do.
"Thank you." Alana said. "I don't know how I will ever repay all your kindness, but I will try. I promise."
Four long, boring days later the bus pulled into Seattle. Alana tried to find a cab that would take her to the address that Kevin and Tess had given her, but she couldn't find one. She was looking around wondering what to do when a black man who had been on the bus with her approached her. "Do you need some help?" he asked hesitantly.
"I need to get to 240 Park Side Avenue but I don't know how to get there and I don't see any taxis."
"So you're going…home?" The man was confused by her answer. He was also confused by the fact that she didn't seem to know who he was. After all they had almost been related albeit by marriage.
"I was told that I need to go to that address." Alana replied.
"I can take you there. If you like," said the man. He wasn't sure that it was the smartest thing, but he had always liked Alana and she seemed to be in some sort of trouble. Besides he owed Tom Baldwin for what his daughter had tried to do to Tom and what she had done to Shawn. Maybe this might make up for some of that.
"Thank you." Alana was genuinely relieved. "I'm sorry. I don't know your name. I don't know much of anything," Alana said under her breath.
"Just tell the person at that address that someone said that they were glad to hear that Shawn is going to be all right." the man said cryptically.
Alana walked up the steps of the house at 240 Park Side Avenue. She had thought that Kevin was sending her to a clinic, but this seemed like a normal house in a normal neighborhood. She pulled the keys that Kevin and Tess had given back to her out of her pocket and tried them in the door. This time the keys worked. She walked in and began to look around. It was a nice house. Comfortable, if a little messy. Like someone had been too busy to do much housekeeping. She didn't have much time to look around because she heard a car pull into the drive. She froze. What if she wasn't supposed to be here? But she had keys she reminded herself. That must mean something. Would Kevin have let the person he had sent her to know that she was coming? There wasn't time to think. She summoned up her courage as a key turned in the back door.
"You?" Alana couldn't believe it. It was the man in her dreams. But she was no more shocked than Tom was to see his wife standing there. Tom felt his jaw drop and couldn't seem to move. He momentarily convinced himself that this was just another dream. Alana continued to speak, although more to herself than to Tom. "They sent me to you? Why would they send me….are you a doctor?" she asked Tom.
"A doctor? Alana what…?"
"Can you help me with my amnesia?"
"Oh God." Tom felt a large cold lump in the pit of his stomach and realized that he wasn't dreaming. "You don't remember…?"
"Anything before 2 ½ weeks ago. Dr. Burkhoff said that you might be able to help me with my memory. He said that I should give this to the person at this address." Alana handed the envelope that Tess had given her to Tom. Tom opened the envelope and glanced at the contents, but all he could concentrate on was Alana. He realized how tired she looked. He took her to the living room and had her sit down. Tom's mind was racing. Alana didn't remember him so he was going to have to gain her trust. He also had to keep her safe. And figure out a way to cure her amnesia when Kevin Burkhoff couldn't. "Are you all right? Is there anything I can get you?" he asked her.
"I'm just really tired. I didn't sleep much on the bus. I have been having these dreams. Some of them have been…intense. I didn't want to frighten anyone if I had a nightmare."
Tom smiled. "Of course you didn't. Why don't you lie down for a minute? I'll find a hotel that you can stay at tonight. Then in the morning we can start working on getting your memory….Damn!" Tom remembered something from a briefing earlier in the week. "I just remembered that the hotels are booked with survivors." There was a questioning look on Alana's face, "the people who took the Promicin shot & lived. The original 4400 are back to being called returnees." He tried to think of a place Alana could stay where she would be safe. He didn't want to let her out of his sight but asking her to stay, even in the guestroom, was out of the question with her mind the way it was. There was no way he was taking her to NTAC though. A thought came to him, "of course the gallery!"
"Excuse me?"
"Y'", Tom almost said you, but no, he couldn't push her. "My wife owns an art gallery. There is a studio apartment above it. She lets artists stay there when needed. It's not much, but it's furnished and there is a good security system. You'll be safe. No one will bother you. If you can give me about an hour to make sure the heat is on and there is food in the fridge, I'll take you there." He hated leaving her, but it wasn't going to take long. "Just stay here and don't answer the door or the phone. I'll be right back."
"Wait," Alana called after him. "Your name?"
"Tom. Tom Baldwin"
"Alana Mareva." Alana shook Tom's hand somehow knowing that this had happened before. "Or so I'm told. Thank you"
The man Tom left and Alana lay back down on the sofa. She knew she was healthy, but she had been so tired the last week or so. She would just close her eyes for a moment. Alana slept.
And slept so soundly that she didn't wake when Tom returned. Tom sat on the edge of the coffee table watching her sleep for a bit, marveling at the fact that she was home. They would figure out her memory together. Their bond was still there. Tom didn't need some idiot from the future to tell him that. The important thing was that she was here in their house. Tom tried to wake Alana. She rolled over, pushing his hand away. Like Kyle used to do when he hadn't wanted to get up for school. She only got like that when she was exhausted.
"OK Honey. You can stay here tonight." He went upstairs to ready the guestroom for her, then thought better of it. Their room was bigger; had its' own bathroom. She would be more comfortable there. He could take the guestroom. When everything was ready, he carried Alana up to bed. He laid her on the bed and kissed her gently. "Welcome home my love" he said softly. Alana smiled as if she had heard him. And maybe subconsciously she had. The subconscious. An idea started to form. Tom remembered the dream he had a week or so before; how it had seemed like one of Alana's dream worlds. What if it was, he thought. What if her subconscious had been reaching out to him? After all, when Alana took him into that first dream world when they had first met they had been on opposite ends of the same building . Then her ability had been lessened by the Promicin Inhibitor. Alana's ability was still there. It had to be. What if it could be used? Then someone could show Alana her life and hopefully trigger her memory. Like Alana had done for Jordan Collier. She just had to relearn how to use her ability. Tom picked up the phone and called Heather Tobey.
Later that night Tom woke to Alana crying out. He ran to their room and woke her from a nightmare. The dream had thoroughly frightened Alana and without thinking he took her into his arms. After a moment he remembered himself and apologized. "I should be the one to apologize for being such a bother," said Alana. Tom assured her that she was no bother and started to return to the guestroom, but Alana stopped him. "Would you stay? Just until I'm asleep again? It's silly, I know, but…"
"Of course I'll stay". He sat down on the chair by the dresser. The morning would find him there.
Tom was awakened by the smell of bacon. He looked down to see that a blanket had been put over him. He followed the smell to find Alana in the kitchen. She was dressed, her hair still wet from a shower. Alana smiled when she saw Tom and his heart skipped a beat like it always did whenever he saw her smile. "I hope I didn't wake you", she said. "I thought cooking breakfast was the least I could do for imposing myself on you last night"
"There was no imposition, Alana." Tom assured her. "Of course my wife might not be too happy with you for feeding me bacon. She doesn't think it's very healthy." Tom knew Alana wouldn't understand the teasing. Not yet anyway. Still, he couldn't resist.
"Where is your wife? I hope she won't be upset that a strange woman stayed here last night."
"My wife has been….away, but I think she will be back soon. At least I hope she will. I don't think she will be upset by your staying here. She's always wants to take in strays; puppies, kittens….hey she took me in," Tom said grinning. "Listen I think I may have figured out a way to get your memory back. There is a 4400 named Heather Tobey that I think can help you."
"She called. I brought the phone downstairs while you were asleep. I didn't answer it, but her name was on the caller i.d. She left a message. Can she bring back memories?"
"Thanks. I'll call her. No, Heather can't restore memory. Her ability is to bring out ability in others. It could be art, music, an athletic ability, or helping a 4400 control their ability."
"So how does that help me?" Alana was a little confused.
"You are a 4400. Your ability is to create alternate realities. You do this by using your mind to tap into another person's mind. All of their mind even their subconscious. Now I'm pretty sure that your memories are buried in your subconscious. I'm hoping that if Heather can teach you how to use your ability then someone close to you, who knows you really well can show you enough of your life to trigger the memories that are buried."
"And that will work?" Alana was a little skeptical and more than a little nervous about the idea of looking into someone's mind.
Tom shrugged. "It's the only thing I've been able to come up with. If this doesn't work, I'll try to come up with something else. There are a couple of people that might have other ideas, but I would rather not involve them if I don't have to. Alana, you were taken twice. The people I work for at the very least are going to want to question you, maybe put you in quarantine. Now I'm not going to let them lock you away, but I'm going to need time to keep that from happening. So the less people who know you are back the better."
Alana listened to what Tom was saying and tried not to be frightened. What was it about this man, she thought that made her believe everything he was saying? She didn't know why, but she trusted this man completely. She hadn't trusted anyone she had met so far, but this man she trusted. "So is there someone that I can use this ability of mine on. That can show me my life?"
"Yes. You don't have a lot of family. But you have some friends that you are very close to, that are practically family to you that live here in Seattle. They wouldn't say anything and would be more than happy to help you get your memory back. I can call them once you can control…."
Alana interrupted. "What about you?"
"What about me what?"
"Could you show me my life?"
Tom hesitated. He didn't want to pressure her. He didn't want her to someday think he had manipulated her. But he didn't want to lie to her either.
"You know me don't you? Alana was saying, "I know you do. I can feel it. I think I might know you too, but…I just can't remem….I want to remember….I think….I think I want to remember you."
"Yes. I do know you. I can show you your life…if you want me to."
Tom went into the next room to return Heather Tobey's phone call. Alana began to clean up after breakfast. Tom returned and told Alana that Heather would be coming by later that morning during her lunch break. "I didn't tell her much. Just that I needed her help with a 4400 that is having trouble controlling their ability. I wasn't even sure she could help adults. When her ability first manifested itself she could only help children"
A few hours later Heather Tobey arrived. Tom kept Heather in the foyer while he explained why he needed her help. Her face registered delight when Tom told her about Alana's return and she assured him that she was more than willing to help her friend and promised that she would keep their secret. They went into the living room. Heather explained to Alana how her ability worked and what to expect. She then took Alana's hands, focusing on the light she saw in Alana's eyes. When Heather was done she turned to Tom. "I think it worked," she said, "but we may want to test it."
"Alana, why don't you try to go somewhere with Heather" Tom said. He thought that would be safer. If Alana tried her ability on him before she could completely control it there was no telling what their combined subconscious would come up with.
"Where should we go?" Alana asked.
"How about lunch in Florence" Tom suggested. He knew that Heather hadn't traveled much although once Alana had used her ability to take Heather to Paris for lunch. Alana had been to Florence, but not Heather. If they could go there, it would be Alana's memories taking them. Then Tom would know that his idea would work. Alana placed her hands on either side of Heather's head. Tom held his breath while Alana and Heather seemed to fall into a trance. After a moment the spell was broken and both women were grinning.
"It was unbelievable!" Alana exclaimed. "We decided to skip lunch and went on a tour of the city. There were so much amazing art. I wanted to cry it was all so beautiful. Heather, thank you so much for showing me this place!"
"Alana, I didn't show you Florence." Heather said smiling. "I couldn't have. I've never been to Italy"
"But you have." Tom informed Alana. "Our experiment worked."
Found"Are you sure you want to do this?" Tom asked Alana. Heather had left only a few moments before. "There are probably other ways that will help you regain your memory more gradually."
"Don't you want me to remember?" Alana asked.
"Of course I do. But your life hasn't always been easy. Remembering everything at once will be difficult. You are strong. You're the strongest person I've ever known, but everything at once" Tom paused. "I just don't want you to be overwhelmed. I want to do what's best for you."
"Knowing who I am is what's best for me." Alana said forcefully.
"All right then. Let's do this." Tom was almost shaking with anticipation. He didn't know if he was more excited about the prospect of Alana remembering him, or afraid that this would be too much for her. Alana placed her hands on either side of Tom's face……
A moment later Alana flew away from Tom. "Oh my God! Billy!!" she sobbed. "Thomas why would they do this to me? Why would they make me forget my little boy?!?"
Tom had stumbled back against a wall when Alana pulled out of the dream world so abruptly. Now he slid down the wall to the floor, his face crumbling. All the walls he had put up to keep the pain of losing Alana at bay were now in ruin. He began to sob uncontrollably. A single thought kept repeating in Tom's mind.
"Thomas what is it?" With all they had been through, Alana had never seen Tom fall apart so completely.
"You called me Thomas." was all Tom could get out.
And Alana understood. "Of course I did," she said gently. "You're my Thomas. That is what I've always called you." Alana went to her husband and helped him to his feet. She held him close as she walked him to the couch and they sat down. She kissed him tenderly. Tom could no longer control his longing for Alana. The kiss became more and more passionate. He leaned Alana back on the couch, his hands beginning to move over her body. Alana responded to Tom's passion in kind. But then Tom pulled away. "Wait." He said breathlessly. He was reaching into the pocket of him jeans.
"Wait? For what?"
"This." Tom had found what he was searching for. He pulled his hand out of his pocket. He held a diamond ring between his fingers. It was the engagement ring that Alana had worn in their first dream world. Tom had been looking for it ever since he and Alana had left that world.
"My ring!" Alana exclaimed with glee. "You finally found it!"
"About three days after you disappeared. I've kept it with me ever since. I thought" Tom looked down, a little embarrassed. "I thought if I kept it with me that… I don't know. I guess it has been a sort of talisman for me. Giving me hope that I would find you some day." Tom drew a long breath and moved so that he was kneeling next to the couch. "And now I have. So this is yours, if you still want it. Will you marry me, Alana? In this world?"
Alana smiled "Of course I will marry you Thomas. In this world or any other." She leaned down and kissed him as he put the ring on her finger. "Now why don't we go upstairs and shut out this world for awhile."
They spent the rest of the day in bed, making love, talking some, but mostly just holding on to each other. Alana wanted to know everything she had missed in the year that she was gone. Tom told her about his new boss at NTAC and how Diana had returned for a few weeks only to leave for Europe again to go back to Ben. He told her about how Shawn had recently come out of his coma, yet that the doctor's could not explain why. He suspected that Kyle had snuck a shot of Promicin into Shawn's room and given it to Shawn, which was what brought Shawn out of his coma. He then told Alana the plan that he had come up with to keep his bosses happy when he took Alana to report to NTAC, but to also keep them from locking her away in some basement forever or worse, turning her over to Dennis Ryland. Alana in turn told him about the time she had spent with Jordan, Kevin and Tess and how Richard Tyler had helped her get from the bus station home. She tried to get Tom to talk about the pain he went through while she was gone but he wouldn't. Tom didn't want Alana to feel guilty about something she had no control over. Every time she tried to bring it up he would change the subject or stop her questions with kisses. In a desperate attempt not to let Alana see his emotions, Tom told her about how Kyle had taken the Promicin shot.
"He WHAT?" Alana was livid. "How could he do that? How could he risk his life like that? Didn't he know what it would do to you if that shot had killed him?!?"
Tom tried to apologize for his son; "His heart was in the right place. He thought that he would become a healer and be able to wake Shawn."
"Why would he think that?"
"Because Shawn originally was taken in his place."
"That is Jordan Collier filling his head with crap. Kyle was never supposed to be a healer. Didn't you tell me that on Highland Beach, when you found out that the 4400 had been taken to the future, that you were told that Kyle was meant to be a channel to communicate between you and the ones that took us?"
"Yeah. And it turns out that is the ability that he got."
"See. He risked his life for nothing. I swear the next time I see him, I'm gonna…"
"What?" Tom couldn't help but laugh at Alana for being so protective of him.
"I don't know. But believe me. I'll think of something!"
The next morning it was Tom that was fixing breakfast while Alana slept. He had showered but was not completely dressed. He was wearing jeans, but had yet to put on a shirt. He smiled as he listened to Alana moving upstairs, singing as she got out of the shower.
"Dad?!? Are you here?" Tom heard Kyle call out with concern in his voice. "I went to see you at work and Diana said that you called in sick the last two days. Are you OK?" Tom looked down the hall towards the front door so that his son saw him. "Well you don't look sick," Kyle observed walking into the kitchen. "In fact you look better than you have in a long time. What, are you are playing hooky or something?"
At that point Alana came downstairs clad only in one of Tom's shirts. "Kyle!" she squealed. "You're here!" She ran to the young man and hugged him fiercely.
"Jesus! Alana! You're home! Dad, why didn't you tell me? OUCH! What was that for?" Alana had let go of Kyle enough to smack him on the back of the head.
"That's for risking your life by taking that stupid Promicin shot. I don't care how pure motives were you should have never risked your life like that! Don't you know that losing you would destroy your father?!?"
"I guess so." Kyle was horribly ashamed. "I hadn't heard that you were missing when I did it. I never wanted to hurt Dad. I guess I thought that I would be OK since I was supposed to be taken"
"Well just don't go taking a chance like that again. And in the meantime, get used to this," Alana smacked Kyle on the back of the head again "because I'm going to be doing this on a regular basis as your punishment"
"OK." Kyle said laughing.
Tom changed the subject to something that Kyle had said "Did you say you saw Diana at NTAC?"
"Yeah. She said that she got back a couple of days ago, but that this was her first day back at work. She came back because of something to do with her sister. She said to tell you that you had better feel better tomorrow because she's not going to be able to put up with Garrety as a partner for more than a day or two. Gee Dad, it looks like your women are finally coming back to you" Kyle teased.
"She doesn't get to complain about Garrety". Tom said. " I got stuck with him for almost a year. But yeah it does look like my life is getting easier again. Now if you would just get a new job." Tom quickly changed the topic before Kyle could get mad at Tom for hassling him about working for the 4400 center. "Listen, don't tell anyone about seeing Alana just yet. Not even Shawn. I want to be able to protect her from NTAC and especially Ryland. What I'm thinking of may take a couple of days to pull off. I'll let you know when you can start telling people."
"Sure, but I told Diana that I would let her know how you are feeling."
"Just tell her that I have some sort of virus and I'm going to see a friend of Alana's that is a doctor. That will buy us a few days and it will be truth enough since I'm taking Alana to see him to get checked out. I want to make sure that she is fine before I take her to the doctors at NTAC" Tom explained. He turned to Alana, "And we're going to be late so go put some of your clothes on and give me back my shirt." Tom pulled Alana to him and kissed her laughing.
Kyle rolled his eyes in mostly mock disgust. "Guys? How many times do I have to tell you? No kissing!!"
Tom and Alana sat in Dr. Peter Grant's office waiting for him to return with the results of her physical. Although Alana knew from the work up that Kevin had done that she was fine, she was still a little apprehensive. Alana knew her body very well and she knew that something was different. She remembered feeling that way before she was taken. She hadn't told Thomas, but the feeling had been strong enough that she had decided to see Dr. Anapurn when the future saw fit to snatch her again. Peter came into the room and looked at Tom and Alana a little nervously. "Well the good news is that Alana, you are very healthy," he announced. "But I'm going to go ahead and send you to see Juliet."
"Juliet? Why?" Tom asked. Juliet was another friend of Alana's that was a doctor, a gynecologist.
Peter looked at Alana. "Alana, you know I love you, and that I would do just about anything for you. But Paul was my best friend and you were his wife. And I'm just not going to go there. Literally. So I'm sending you to see Mary." Alana smiled at the reference. Peter, Paul & Juliet had been best friends throughout med-school and their respective careers. Juliet had become Mary to those closest to the three.
"So this is just routine?" Tom asked. He knew Alana was nervous about seeing a doctor and he thought there was something that Peter wasn't saying.
"Yes and no." Peter replied. "Alana does need to have a complete physical, but there is something else."
"What?" Tom and Alana said in unison.
"You're pregnant." Peter said grinning as a look of utter disbelief spread over Tom's face.
Tom and Alana drove to Juliet's office in a heavy silence. Finally, Alana spoke. "Thomas, you know that I would never betray you..." her voice trailed off. "At least not that way." She finished.
"I know. But you knew, didn't you? That you were pregnant?"
"No! At least I don't think so. I knew there was something, even before I was abducted again, but I wasn't sure what. Although being pregnant explains some things."
"What things?"
"Well you know how tired I've been. My stomach has been a little upset too. I thought I had picked up a bug on the bus to Seattle. But a virus didn't explain all the junk food I've been wanting?"
"You want junk food?" Tom said incredulously.
"Hard to believe isn't it? When I first got back, when I was with Kevin and Tess, I didn't know any better. Then when I got my memory back, I tried to explain it by telling myself that I had been subconsciously missing you and eating all the bad stuff that you love, but now I realize that it was a symptom of the pregnancy."
"Did you crave junk food when you were pregnant with Billy?" Tom asked.
"No. Not really, but you know that really bad Mexican place over by the space needle?"
"Yeah. It's awful. Even I won't eat there." Tom said laughing.
Alana smiled. "Well Paul loved it. It was his guilty pleasure. When I was pregnant with Billy, I loved it too. I couldn't get enough of it. After Billy was born, I hated it again. But Billy loved it from the second he could eat solid food."
"So when you were pregnant with Billy, you craved food that Paul liked that you normally don't?"
"And now I'm wanting all the junk that you shouldn't be eating. So I guess that means that you got me pregnant, not the bastards that took me."
"Then why did they take you again?" Tom thought aloud.
"Unless they wanted to do something to the baby, make the baby like…."Alana looked at Tom. She had never been more frightened.
"No!" Tom knew where Alana's thoughts were heading. "Our baby is not going to be another Isabelle." They had reached Juliet's office. Tom parked the car, and pulled Alana to him. "Our baby is going to be fine. He will have a normal happy childhood. We will teach him to be a good person. I promise you that Alana."
"He?" Alana asked her eyes dancing.
"Or she." Tom conceded. "But remember, my sister is the only girl in four generations of Baldwins. C'mon. Let's go see what Juliet has to say."
Later that evening Tom and Alana were curled up together on the couch. They had spent the rest of the day insuring that Alana's life was getting back on track. Alana had reviewed the financial reports from the gallery and had even managed to sneak into the gallery for a little bit. For the most part everything was in good shape. There were some changes that Alana wanted to make. For one she couldn't wait to go back to introduce herself to the new sales girl. But that could wait. There were other more important things to take car of first.
While Alana was at home going over business reports on the computer, Tom began working on his plan to protect Alana from Ryland. He pulled together everything he had on the bad blood that existed between Dennis Ryland and his family. Tom then went to the federal courthouse to try to get a minute with the new federal judge. He was hopeful that if the judge would see him that he could get restraining orders against Ryland and limiting NTAC's access to Alana and the baby. Tom just didn't know if judge would see him or not. Once upon a time Judge Douglas had been a cop in Seattle. As a rookie he had been partnered with Tom's father. Tom remembered his father's opinion of Aaron Douglas and had a sneaking suspicion that the feeling was very mutual. Tom just hoped that Judge Douglas's reputation for fairness extended to the sons of men he had no use for.
Judge Douglas kept Tom waiting for two hours; sending his clerk periodically to remind Tom of just how busy the judge was. Tom remained in place. Finally, Judge Douglas agreed to see Tom.
"Well you're as stubborn as your father was," the judge said as Tom sat down.
"Hopefully, that's all I have in common with him." Tom answered.
"I thought I had I heard that you are a cop."
"OK. That too." Tom smiled nervously. "Judge Douglas, I know my father was horrible to you. But that was who he was. A miserable rotten guy, who never got where he wanted to go and blamed everyone but himself for his lousy life. I'm not my father. And I'm hoping that you will not hold your grudge for my father against my family."
"So exactly what do you think I can do for your family?" the judge asked. Secretly, he was impressed that Tom would come to him at all.
Tom explained the situation. He went into detail about just why Dennis Ryland hated Tom and especially Alana. Tom implicated himself in everything that he was involved in but made sure to leave Diana and Marco out of the tale. He was willing to be punished for what he had done if it meant protecting his family, but there was no way he was taking his friends down too.
"That's quite a story." the judge said when Tom had finished. "Any decent lawyer would advise you that you are a fool for telling it to an officer of the court."
"All that is important is that my family is safe." Tom replied.
"Well there are certain procedures that need to be followed. Forms that need to be filled out. Fortunately, you can find everything you need on the internet. You've been on the job long enough you should be able to figure out how to word them. Fill them out and get them to me. I'll give them the proper consideration." The judge paused for a moment then continued. "Dennis Ryland is a mean and nasty bastard. Always has been. Glad you finally figured that out. He should be in jail for causing all those deaths." Judge Douglas began to laugh. It was a deep rolling giggle. "I'd love to see the look on that S.O.B's face when Haspelcorp's lawyers tell him that you have beaten him once and for all!"
Deep in the night Alana lay awake next to Tom unable to sleep. She kept thinking about the baby. She was overjoyed about being pregnant, but Thomas….she tossed and turned restlessly a million thoughts turning over in her mind. Tom stirred, rolled over and snuggled close to her. "You all right?" He murmured.
"I'm fine." Alana said. "Go back to sleep." Alana lay awake a while more and tried not to move while Tom was holding her, but finally she turned to face him. "Thomas?"
"Mmmm?" Tom said sleepily.
"The baby?" Alana began haltingly
"What? Is something wrong?" Tom was awake instantly.
"Everything is fine. I didn't mean to frighten you. What I was going to ask was," Alana took a deep breath. "Are you sure you're happy about the baby?"
"Alana, of course I'm happy about the baby! Why would you think I wasn't?" Tom was caught of guard by the question and a little hurt by it.
"It's just. Well, Kyle is grown. Out on his own. When I left you were talking about retiring from NTAC in a few years. Now with the baby…"Alana's voice trailed off. She was ashamed of the questions but she had to be certain.
"I was thinking about retiring….in maybe 10 years or so." Tom said. "So now it will be 20. Or maybe I'll go ahead, retire in 10 years, and do security for the 4400 center. Shawn can pay me and I can draw a government pension at the same time. Honey, it will work out. And yeah, Kyle is an adult. So what? You know that Kyle being an only child was never my idea. I always wanted more children. Linda never wanted another baby. I told you that. You're the only person I've ever told that."
"But in all the time we've been together you never brought up children."
"I thought it might be hard for you, because of Billy. I didn't want to cause you any more pain."
Alana laughed "well if nothing else the little one has us talking about things we should have discussed years ago"
Tom reached down and pulled Alan's nightgown up so that her abdomen was visible. He kissed her belly and said "I don't know if you heard any of what your Mommy and Daddy were just saying, but don't pay attention to them this one time. We were just being silly. We both love you very, very much. Right Mommy?"
"Right!"
Tom laid his head on Alana's stomach. Alana began to stroke Tom's hair. "I wonder what his ability will be," Tom said absently.
"Ability? Thomas the baby won't have an ability. Children only have Promicin if both parents have Promicin." A thought occurred to Alana, "Thomas please tell me you didn't take the shot while I was gone."
"Don't worry. I didn't. But you know the baby will have an ability because… Wait! I don't think I told you."
"Told me what?" Alana asked.
"While you were on the run, do you remember hearing about one of Ryland's super soldiers that went crazy and began killing people?"
"Yeah. He was killing people that had some sort of odd DNA that made it possible for them to have babies with abilities if they had children with a 4400? Is that right?"
"Exactly. The DNA was odd because of a mutated gene. But the mutation was not a natural one. It was caused by a defective radiation machine that was used at Seattle Presbyterian during the late '60s and early '70s"
"Seattle Presbyterian? Isn't that where you?"
"Got treated when I broke my leg when I was a kid and they found that tiny spot of bone cancer. Yeah. When I found out about the Starzl mutation and the lawsuit that was filed a conversation that I overheard when I was a teenager finally made sense. My parents were talking to some guy in a suit and Dad was saying how I was fine. I didn't glow in the dark and hadn't sprouted another head so the guy could just stick his lawsuit. Not being part of the lawsuit kept me off a hit list."
"That was nice of you father. But are you certain that you have the mutation?"
"Yeah. I quietly had myself tested right after that. I wanted to know so that I could let Kyle know someday…." Tom began to laugh. "Kyle. He is going to flip when we tell him he finally gets to be a big brother!"
Tom and Alana spent the next two days running errands and deciding how they were going to let the rest of their friends and families know that Alana was back. Tom worked on and delivered the applications for the restraining orders to Judge Douglas. As he had hinted Judge Douglas granted the orders. Meanwhile, Alana finished planning the gathering of friends and family. She enlisted Kyle's help to deliver the invitations and gain the assurances that all would be in attendance. She did call one person herself. Teresa Mackenzie was her oldest friend Alana rationalized. She lives in Tahiti and needed time to travel to Seattle. And she had the dress that Alana wanted to wear that day.
The day of the gathering arrived. Tom and Alana's friends and family began to assemble at an inn on the coast. Ben pulled up to find out where to park. As the van came to a stop, Maia made a small sound and jumped out of the van. "Maia! Get back here!" Diana shouted after her daughter.
"Don't worry Mommy, I'll find you!" Maia shouted back. Maia ran through the lobby, upstairs and down a hallway to the door she was looking for. She didn't bother to knock as she burst into the room past a surprised Teresa Mackenzie. "Alana! You're back! I missed you so much!" The girl cried as she ran to Alana. Alana caught the girl in a hug swinging her around. Maia started to say something else, but Alana had an idea what it might be and stopped her. "Whatever else you may have seen. Don't say anything. We aren't telling anyone yet." Alana said softly so that Teresa couldn't hear. "Oh and Thomas and I want to be surprised. So no spilling the beans on if it is a boy or girl. Now go find you mom"
"You're no fun." Maia said. She began to leave, but went back to Alana and whispered in her ear. "You don't have to worry. The baby is going to be fine."
Alana felt a wave of utter relief wash over her. "Will you do me a favor? Go across the hall and tell Thomas. But just that and nothing more OK?"
"OK."
Maia rejoined Diana and they made their way to a terrace that overlooked the ocean. It was a somewhat small gathering. Diana recognized Tom's family and others as Alana's closest friends. There were only a couple of other people from NTAC. Just Marco and Nina. No one seemed to know why they had been asked there. Only that Kyle had been insistent when he delivered the invitations. Heather Tobey was there too and winked at Maia, which caused the girl to convulse with giggles. Diana noticed that two of Alana's friends fought to keep from smiling when they heard Maia giggling. Something was going on, Diana just couldn't figure out what. Someone from the inn came out and asked everyone to find seats. When everyone was seated, Tom, Kyle and a woman emerged from the stairs that went down to the beach. Tom and Kyle were dressed in suits. The woman had on a spring dress. She was tall with shoulder length brown hair, bangs and large brown eyes. She looked to be in her early 60s. The woman was attractive, but would be more accurately described as handsome than pretty. The woman reminded Diana of a medieval queen.
"Who's the woman?" Marco leaned over and asked, at the same instant Ben asked, "What's Teresa Mackenzie doing here?"
"Is that who that is?" Diana asked. Ben nodded.
"Who's Teresa Mackenzie?" Marco asked.
"Teresa Mackenzie is one of the richest women in America." Diana explained. "A real blue blood; sits on the boards of most of the best charities. She's a friend of Alana's. They met when Teresa and her husband retired to Tahiti when Alana was a teenager. They are very close. When the 4400 were first returned, I'm pretty sure that Teresa is the person Alana put down to contact. If Teresa is here, then this has to have something to do with…" Diana was cut short by music beginning. Diana was watching Tom. Something behind the group seemed to have caught his attention. Diana turned to see what Tom was looking at and….
The crowd gasped as they saw Alana walking toward them. Kyle laughed at the response from the group and squeezed his father's shoulders. Tom absently patted his son's hand, but could not take his eyes off the vision in white that was coming towards him. He thought about how quickly his life had changed in the last few days. It was only Monday evening that he had found Alana waiting for him at home. Tuesday had brought her memory back and Wednesday they had found out about the baby. Thursday they had gotten the marriage license and Friday the restraining orders had been approved. Now Saturday had come and he and Alana were finally getting married. They had long ago decided on this date when they realized that their anniversary would be on a Saturday. Alana had most of the plans in place when she was abducted again. Tom had never canceled them. He hadn't had the heart to. It was just a matter of confirming the plans and getting everyone there. The ceremony was simple and traditional. Tom and Alana were only aware of each other and the minister as they said the familiar words. Kyle groaned and whispered "kissing again" in jest when Tom and Alana's kiss was more then the traditional peck on the lips.
The minister said, "What God hath joined together let no one ever put asunder". Tom and Alana turned to face the crowd. Alana caught Maia's eye. She remembered something that Maia had told her when the 4400 were first returned and still in quarantine. Alana had been missing Paul and Billy. Wondering if they understood why she had not been to visit their bench or their graves. The little girl had walked up to her, climbed into her lap and given her a hug. "Don't worry," Maia had said. "They will help you find him."
"Who are they and who are they going to help me find?" Alana had asked indulgently.
"The ones that took us. They are going to help you find your knight in shining armor. And you will live happily ever after…mostly," Maia answered. Alana had not believed the girl then. Then no one had known about their abilities. Even after Alana had learned of the 4400 abilities, she had still thought of what Maia had told her as a girlish fantasy. But as Alana looked at Thomas she knew that Maia had been right all along. Maia was always right. So Alana knew that she and Thomas would have their happily ever after. The minister was speaking.
"Ladies and gentlemen I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Baldwin." And the guests cheered.