A/N: I had really hoped to have this chapter posted a lot sooner, but life got in the way. I also spent some time rewriting a few parts of this chapter. Sorry, it took so long. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own H50.
Day 2: Morning
Erika Turner sat on the couch in her living room sipping a cup of warm tea. She was watching a news report about the little girl, Grace Williams, who had been taken from her home the evening before. Angrily, Erika jammed her thumb down on her remote turning off the set. Everyone on T.V kept calling the girl Grace. Her name was not Grace. It was Cassandra and she belonged to her.
Cassie should not have been taken away from her the way that she had been. A mother and daughter deserved to be together, but circumstances and bad luck, according to Erika, had kept the pair apart for six years.
Erika had been on the beach yesterday, one of five year old Cassie's favorite places to be, and finally after six months of searching had found her. There was no doubt in Erika's mind that the little girl throwing the pink football back and forth was her daughter, Cassandra.
Erika sat down in the sand watching her little girl and the blond man she was with. They passed the football back and forth a few more times and returned to a beach blanket. Erika became angry with the man as she watched him re apply sunscreen to her daughter. Her anger turned to hurt when her Cassie kissed him on top of his head after spraying his back.
Erika had considered trying to take the girl when she got up off the blanket and headed toward a near by shaved ice stand. She quickly decided against that. There were too many people around. She didn't want there to be any witnesses. Erika saw that the little girl had left the hat she had been wearing behind on the blanket. Erika became brave enough to approach after the blond man rolled over onto his back with his eyes closed. She snatched the hat, tucked it away in her bag, and gotten into the shaved ice line right behind her unsuspecting child. It had been so tempting to reach out and touch her, but Erika hadn't wanted to draw attention to herself. So she settled for standing close behind her daughter in line.
Cassie had bumped into her after she had gotten her shaved ice order. The two had looked at each other briefly before she had gone back to the blanket with the blond man. Erika felt an instant connection as her daughter looked at her. She felt disappointed that Cassie hadn't felt it too and immediately recognize her. Erika convinced herself that it had just been a long time since Cassie had seen her.
Erika found a spot where she could observe the pair. It looked like they started a conversation after the shaved ice had been eaten. Erika would have given anything to have heard what her Cassie was saying. Then suddenly the blond man reached his hand over and squeezed the little girl's hand. Erika could feel her temperature rising with anger once again. That should be her doing that. As before her anger had turned to hurt when Cassie scooted closer to the strange man and gave him a hug around his neck. They had then leaned against one another watching the ocean.
Erika told herself that it wasn't Cassie's fault. After all her daughter had been forced to go live with this man after she had been taken away. Erika was sure that Cassie was just trying to survive until her real mother could come for her. The scheming woman started plotting out in her head what she was going to do to remedy the situation.
Erika saw the pair start gathering their belongs and getting ready to head out. She saw Cassie begin searching for something. Erika reached into the bag and squeezed the hat that she had taken. She had planned to keep it, but at that moment changed her mind. It would be an easy way to get close to Cassie again. It would also give her a chance to take a good look at the man she was with.
It had taken all of Erika's will power to stop herself from trying to take the girl away right then and there when she approached the pair in the parking lot. However, she got an eyeful of the blond man. There was no way that was going to work. He would have not problem over powering her.
After returning the hat, Erika had pretended to go in the opposite direction then hurried to her car and watched which vehicle the pair got into. She couldn't help but feel jealous as she watched them climb into the sleek black sports car. On the plus side it should be easy enough to keep track of especially as there there usually was traffic that time of day.
Erika kept the black car in sight as she followed it and breathed a sigh of relief when they finally pulled into a driveway. It had been a tense drive. If she lost track of the black car she knew she would probably never find it again. She parked one house over so the shrubberies that lined the driveway shielded her from view. Erika opened her glove box and pulled out her taser and a pair of surgical gloves.
These supplies had been purchased a few months back when Erika had started her search. She had been certain that when she found Cassandra that she would need to take her back by force. It looked like she had been right.
Erika got out of her car and peeked around the bushes. She caught a glimpse of Cassandra entering the house while the blond man pulled several items from the trunk. The irate woman had quietly snuck up behind her unsuspecting victim jamming the taser into the back of his neck. She put all of her anger towards him into the action. He hadn't seen it coming at all. A satisfied smile crossed Erika's lips as his body fell onto the porch steps. His head hit one of the steps with a loud crack. She didn't care. The son of a bitch had gotten what he deserved for trying to take her place.
Erika dragged him and the things he was carrying into the house. She was convinced that once Cassandra saw that she no longer had to pretend to like the blond man then Erika would appear and rescue her. The pair would leave hand in hand and enjoy the rest of their lives together. Erika heard some movement on the other side of the living room wall. Quickly, she hid herself in the kitchen thinking she would pop out and surprise Cassie.
To Erika's disappointment not only did Cassandra start to cry when she saw the man, but she had also called someone. Her body became consumed with rage. Before she knew what she was doing she had creeped up behind her daughter and pressed the taser into the back of her neck. Erika immediately regretted that she had had to hurt her, but it was for Cassie's own good.
Erika quickly switched off the cell phone and moved Cassie so she no longer was laying on top of the blond man. As she did so the older woman noticed that Cassie had changed her clothes. This reminded her that she didn't have any clothes for her daughter. None of Cassie's old clothes had been kept. Not that it mattered as she would have out grown them all anyway.
Erika went to the kitchen, found a few garbage bags, and went in search of Cassie's room. She stuffed the bags full of not just clothes but books, art supplies, and a few other odds and ends that she liked or thought she would need. She carried them into the living room setting them down next to the unconscious pair.
Erika then hurried outside and pulled her car into the driveway. She kept an eye out for nosy neighbors as she brought out the garbage bags. Next she brought out Cassie, put her in the backseat, and took off as fast as she could.
Erika's heart soared with triumph realizing she had done it. She had found her precious Cassandra, and the two of them were going to be a family again. It wasn't until the child in the backseat started to show signs of waking that Erika became nervous. She remembered that the little girl hadn't recognized her at all when they had been face to face in the shaved ice line and when the hat had been returned. It was then Erika realized she wasn't out of the woods yet. After such a long time she would need to convince Cassie of who she was. Erika decided this would be a lot easier to do at home.
Erika had bought the flu medicine on a whim thinking she might be able to use it to make Cassie's adoptive parents fall asleep so she could take her. Like with the taser, Erika didn't think she would have to use it on her own daughter.
It was dark when Erika pulled into the driveway of her house. That suited her just fine as there was less of a chance that someone would see her carrying the little girl inside. After the plastic bags were brought in Erika had quietly put the items she'd taken from the bedroom at the other house away. She was mad at herself for dropping that lamp. It would have looked so cute on top of the dresser. Erika then left her sleeping girl by herself deciding it best to go to bed as well.
Erika continued to drink her tea hoping it would calm her nerves. The news report had really shaken her. She hadn't expected to see her daughter's face in their top story. It meant she would have to keep Cassie out of sight until she could get both of their appearances changes. Nothing that a box of hair dye and scissors couldn't fix and maybe a bit of make up. Erika smiled at the thought of teaching her little girl how to put on make up.
The excited feeling left as more concerns entered Erika's mind. What would she do if Cassie resisted her? Fought her? Tried to escape? No. . . Erika wouldn't let that happen. She would strap Cassie down to the bed or lock her in her room until she accepted Erika for who she was and that was her mother.
Erika drank the last of the tea and went into the kitchen to rinse her cup. As she was returning to the couch she heard movement in her daughter's room.
H50
Grace's eyes slowly opened and she looked around the room. Some sunlight was peeking through the closed blinds. Grace sat up and a jolt of pain ran through her head and neck. Groaning, she lay her head back down on the pillow covering her eyes with her arm. She lay there a few minutes hoping her discomfort would subside some.
Grace's head was still throbbing when she pulled her arm away and looked at her surroundings. The bed she was laying on was in the middle of the room with the head pushed up against the wall. To her left was a closet and immediately to her right was a dresser. Her bed was parallel to the wall with the window. Under the it was a shelf that contained some books and toys.
Fighting against against her aching head Grace pulled back the covers and got out of the bed. She saw a light switch by the door. She felt slightly dizzy as she stepped forward to switch it on. Grace looked from the closet to the dresser before turning to the door and placing her hand on the knob. To her surprise it started twisting on its own.
"Good morning sleepy head," said the woman that opened it.
Grace gave her a frightened look and slowly backed herself up against the wall.
"Please don't be scared," the woman said softly taking a few steps toward her.
Erika could see the startled expression clearly on her face. She had desperately hoped that Cassandra would recognize her when she woke up.
"Where am I?" Grace asked quietly feeling her heart begin to pound within her chest.
A frown appeared on the woman's face as she continued to approach.
"You're home, honey," came the response.
Grace's face wrinkled in confusion at the words. She looked around the strange room again and then back to the woman who had stopped less than a foot away from her.
"This is where I live?" Grace asked looking around the unfamiliar room again.
The woman nodded in response.
Grace didn't let herself relax at all as she mustered up the courage to ask another rather important question.
"Who. . . . who am I?" she asked.
Erika couldn't keep her jaw from dropping as the question came out. She stood there and stared at the little girl for a few seconds. Grace studied her reaction and waited for a response to her question.
"Oh my poor baby," Erika said finally in an overly done concerned tone.
The woman approached the little girl holding out her arms to her. Grace moved to the side avoiding Erika's attempt hug her. Grace saw her face begin to turn slightly red. Erika struggled to push her temper back. She didn't want to be upset with her daughter. Grace's head pounded forcing her to have to close her eyes for a minute.
"You're my daughter," Erika whispered trying to get her attention back, "I'm your mother. . . .Don't you remember me?"
Grace slowly opened her eyes and made eye contact with Erika. She studied her features. She searched for something, anything, that would help her to remember the woman in front of her. Nothing came.
"I don't remember you," Grace said back, "I don't remember anything."
Before she knew what she was doing Erika launched into an on the spot made up story about how the evening before she had heard a loud noise coming from the bathroom.
"I found you lying on the floor unconscious. There was a wet spot on the floor. You must have slipped and hit your head. I couldn't get you to wake up so I brought you in here."
Grace thought about what this unfamiliar woman was saying. It would explain the head and neck aches that she had now.
"Are you sure you don't remember that, sweetie?" Erika asked tentatively.
Grace shook her head.
In Erika's mind this was perfect. She should have no trouble convincing Cassandra of who she was. It would be like the past six years never happened. All she had to do was make up a past life for her and her daughter. Erika was good at making up stories and lying. She had been doing it since she was a kid in an attempt to keep herself out of trouble when she made poor choices.
Erika had to force herself not to start smiling. She focused on keeping a look of concern on her face.
"I'm going to help you remember. Okay, sweetheart?" Erika said reaching for Grace with a single hand.
Grace did not try to move out of the way as Erika stroked the side of her face. Although she was being gentle the physical contact made Grace feel uncomfortable. Despite the uneasy feeling Grace nodded, but continued to examine the stranger in front of her hoping to suddenly get a glimmer of recognition.
"Mom?" Grace questioned trying out the name on the woman.
Smiling, Erika reached out taking both of Grace's hands into hers. It was the first time someone had called Erika that in years. It gave her a warm feeling inside to hear it again. However, for Grace, it didn't seem right.
"What's my name?" Grace asked hoping that this would spark something in her head that would help her remember.
"Cassandra," came Erika's voice softly.
Again, it didn't seem right, but if she had hit her head and that caused her to not remember then perhaps it would just take a little while. Grace forced herself to smile back at the woman and nod her head.
Relief flooded through Erika seeing that she was going to have a much more cooperative child than she had expected.
"Come on," the older woman said, "Let's go have something to eat."
Erika placed an arm around Grace's shoulders. This also felt a bit awkward, but Grace allowed the woman claiming to be her mother to guide her out of the room.
Later, Erika found a pair of kitchen shears while Grace was in the shower. She walked over to the back of the television and cut the power cable. No point in confusing the already confused girl Erika had reasoned. It would spoil the woman's plans if her daughter saw her picture on the news.
A/N: I really hope this is not going to be confusing from here on out as Erika is going to be referring to Grace as Cassandra, but since I chose to write this story in 3rd person I still call her Grace. I hope it's clear that when she is being called Cassandra that Erika is saying it or it's thoughts in her head. By the way this chapter was not part of the dream that inspired this story. It was originally just about Erika mistaking Grace as her own and Grace trying to convince Erika that she was not. Grace did not have amnesia in my first mental draft. But the change worked out really well. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review.