Chapter Thirty-four – Altered Path

Mike rubbed his now well healing wound absentmindedly as he waited for the prisoners to be led in. He had been wanting to speak to Alex for some time, because there was still something that was bothering him. Why had they not returned Willow to her parents? Maybe they didn't know who she was, but it seemed so unlike Bobby and Alex to not even try to figure out where she came from. Or at least simply contact the local police. They wouldn't have had to break cover – it would have been easy to simply explain that they were suspicious of her origin. There must be something Mike was missing.

This was the reason he was waiting to speak to her now. Both of them were recovered from their respective surgeries long enough to be released from the hospital – Alex in her own separate cell this time.

At first, Mike almost told the unfortunate woman who sat on the other side of the glass that she was at the wrong place. Then he realized that this was indeed the person he had been waiting for. "Alex," he gasped.

Her hair hung limp around her almost unrecognizable face. Black turned sharply into blonde where her hair had started growing back in. She was looking at him through swollen eyelids. Both her eyes were surrounded by dark shadows, from the blows she had received and lack of sleep. Her eyes seemed sunken down into her face, almost hidden by the swollen, blackened lids and dark fringe hanging across her face. Purple/green bruises in multiple stages of healing marked different places along the visible skin of her arms and face. Her prison-issue jumpsuit hung off of her thin frame. Naturally a rather small woman, she now looked as though the slightest wind could have knocked her to the ground. Mike thought that it was probably a small miracle that she had been able to walk from the cell to here.

Mike picked up the phone receiver without looking at it; his eyes were still taking in the state of his friend. She did the same on her end.

"Alex," he repeated. All the questions he had been meaning to ask slipped out of his mind. She made no response. "Alex," Mike tried again. "They haven't attacked you again, right?"

She shook her head.

Mike nodded absentmindedly. "I wanted to ask you some questions," he said. "We're trying to figure out how to get you out of here, but first I want to make sure we have all of the facts."

She made no response, but stared intently at him. Her eyes almost seemed to be pleading with him, like she wanted to ask an important question herself. "What is it?" Mike asked.

She didn't answer, but instead trailed a hand over her jaw while making a small, unintelligible sound at the back of her throat. "Oh my God," Mike muttered, realization dawning on him. Her mouth was wired shut. This was the best way to heal a broken jaw, but it left her unable to communicate.

"Guard!" Mike called, getting the attention of the correctional officer standing on his side. "She just had jaw surgery recently and can't speak," he explained, indicating Alex on the other side of the glass, "Can you give her a pencil and paper so she can write something?"

"The prisoners aren't permitted to have sharp objects," the guard replied in a bored tone, probably having stated this on multiple occasions.

"A pencil is hardly a sharp object," Mike scoffed.

"Anything that can break the skin is a sharp object," the guard repeated in the same bored tone.

"Make it a dull pencil then," Mike replied, annoyed. "And take it away before you send her back to her cell."

"That would be against prison policy."

Mike turned away angrily, allowing his eyes to settle back on Alex. It was simple enough to figure out what she was asking.

"Rebecca's doing okay," Mike assured her. "She misses you of course, but she's starting to do better again." He thought it best to leave out the part that the small girl barley slept for fear of nightmares – nightmares that caused her to wake up screaming every night. "Bobby's off the psych hold now. They finally took the restraints off, but it doesn't really matter yet at this point because he's still sedated most of the time. I haven't been able to bring Rebecca in to see him yet because they won't let kids in the ICU. I think it'll help her to be able to see the two of you again."

At this, Alex shook her head rapidly. She dropped the phone to cover her face with both hands, still shaking her head. There was no way she wanted her baby to see her like this.

"Okay," Mike assured her, realizing. "Okay!" He struck the glass with a flat palm to get her attention. "I won't bring Becky here," he assured her when she picked up the phone. Alex nodded gratefully. "But I do need to ask you about Willow."

Alex visibly stiffened on the other side of the glass. She clenched the receiver in her hand, then nodded.

How she was supposed to answer, Mike wasn't sure. He tried to think of a way to ask for the information he desired in a yes or no fashion. "Did you know who Willow was before… before the arrests were made?" Mike asked.

Alex shook her head. Her eyebrows drew together in frustration. She needed to tell Mike. She had fully intended to tell someone about this information as soon as she left Bobby at the hospital. But then she had been arrested, and in the commotion of being arraigned and remanded, it had slipped her mind until it was too late. Being in isolation, she hadn't even been able to write yet.

"Did you even consider bringing her to the police?" Mike asked, a note of sharpness entering his voice.

Alex nodded earnestly, making another sound that was unable to turn into the words she wanted to say.

"Did you ever go?" Mike asked.

Alex eyes darted from side to side, then she banged her fist on the table in frustration.

"It's a yes or no question," Mike reminded her. "If you went to the police it would probably help your case."

BANG! Alex smashed her hand into the table again. Then, a thought occurring to her, she leaned forward, tracing her fingers over the glass.

At first, Mike was at a loss, but then he realized what she was doing. "Wait, start over," he instructed. She began again, tracing her finger slowly and purposefully across the glass. "T," Mike stated. "T, o…" They continued in this fashion until she finished the word. "Townsend," Mike stated aloud. "As in Angus Townsend? They have him in custody Alex; but what does he have to do with Willow?"

Now she was shaking her head no. Mike was starting to get as frustrated as she was. "No what?" he demanded.

She began writing out the letters again. "Townsend, yes, Angus Townsend," Mike repeated irritably. She shook her head rapidly. "Not Angus Townsend… A different Townsend?" Alex bobbed her head.

"Another Townsend involved in the case?" Mike asked. "One who had something to do with Willow?" Alex nodded eagerly. "Okay," Mike said. "We'll check for another Townsend."

Alex sat back onto the chair, finally relaxing slightly.

After Mike left, Alex walked back to her cell thinking of the day she and Bobby had gotten Willow…

"What are we supposed to do now?" Alex asked.

"I don't know," Bobby said heavily.

Alex pulled her hands back into the cell and rubbed the back of her neck, replaying the entire conversation in her mind. They had been trying to make the best choice out of only bad choices.

"I am not okay with this."

"Neither am I. But it's all we've got."

It wasn't until later that night that they had discussed their earlier conversation. Alex lay down and pulled the thin blanket over herself, remembering.

Alex pulled the blanket over herself. She and Bobby lay with their backs to each other. "Bobby?" she asked. He made a sound to show he heard. "We can't do this; can we?"

She felt him roll over, and she turned to face him. "We have to get Willow back to her parents."

"I know."

"It might mean that we lose Rebecca."

"I know."

Alex squeezed her eyes shut tight, forcing her fears back. "We have no right to get our daughter back if it means stealing someone else's," Bobby whispered into her hair.

"We aren't hurting her," Alex repeated her same argument. "We'll keep her safe. It's to try and save all of them…"

"A crime committed with the best intentions is still a crime," Bobby reminded her.

"I know that," she snapped irritably. "I just wanted her to be Rebecca… I want our baby back!" She swiped a hand over her eyes, attempting to halt the tears that threatened to fall.

"We'll find a way," Bobby whispered.

Alex had stayed with Willow that morning while Bobby went to the police station. How guilty she now felt for the anger she had for the girl at the time. She was constantly fighting it back, all because Willow wasn't the child she was hoping for.

But then Bobby had returned, and the information he brought changed their plan. It was that morning that had lead them down the path to where they were now.

Bobby lay staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. He had plenty of time to think now, when he was awake anyway. He lifted his arms up as though to conduct, and then dropped them back down, simply grateful for the freedom of movement.

Medical doctors and psychiatrists breezed in and out of his room on occasion, but mostly he was alone. He had had plenty of time to think, and reflect on the decisions he and Alex had made ever since the day Rebecca had been taken.

Thoughts of Alex and what she must be going through now caused him to clench his fists in anger. She wouldn't have had to go to the extremes she had if her hand hadn't been forced. In any case, she wasn't the corrupt cop…

"It's just that my wife and I have been hoping for a child for so long," Bobby explained. "We want to make sure that nothing could jeopardize Willow's adoption."

"Of course," the officer replied. "If you could just wait here, Mr. O'Donnell." The officer indicated a chair, which Bobby sank into.

The officer closed himself into the captain's office. Bobby frowned at this sight. Surely an anxious new parent questioning his new daughter's records wasn't something to see the captain about?

Bobby looked at the now closed door, noticing the words proclaiming: W. Townsend, Captain. Bobby's concern deepened. Townsend… One of the men had mentioned an Angus Townsend at the last meeting… could this man be related? Did he know something about the case? Bobby was grateful no one else could hear the blood pounding in his ears as his heart rate increased. They couldn't get found out now…

"Mr. O'Donnell." The officer left the captain's office, and was approaching Bobby, who stood up. "As far as we can tell, everything seems to be in order. We'll have a look into it and confirm though, if you're really concerned."

"That's alright," Bobby replied, still suspicious. "I was just worried; we don't want to lose our little girl because the adoption agency messed up. We're probably just concerned about nothing."

"Quite understandable," the officer replied. He and Bobby bid each other good day, and parted. Bobby circled back before exiting, following the officer back towards the captain's office. The door remained ajar just enough for him to catch the end of their conversation.

"Do you think he knew?" Townsend demanded.

"I don't think so," the officer replied. "He didn't ask about any kidnapping stuff; just about the adoption agency. It's lucky he came to this station."

The captain snorted derisively. "You think he'd really rely on luck? We have the girl's missing person report flagged, so it'll get reported to me if someone found her."

"Still, even if you knew; what could you do about it?"

"Show up to inform everyone involved that I will ensure the safe return of the girl to her parents. She goes home with the O'Donnells for one more night; and I supposedly contact authorities to get her parents here."

"And then return her to her parents?" the officer asked, confused. "That still doesn't frame them for kidnapping."

"Right," Townsend confirmed. "If they get too suspicious for the kidnapping frame-up to work out; we frame them for murder."

Bobby slunk away before anyone would notice him eavesdropping, not waiting to hear the response. This changed everything.

Back in her cell, Alex heard Bobby's words echoing in her mind.

"We can't bring Willow back. There's nowhere we can take her that they won't find her. We don't have enough to prove conspiracy yet."

"Conspiracy for what?" Alex asked.

"Someone wants to frame us for kidnapping."

"Who?" "Alex demanded. "Why?"

"I have no idea," Bobby muttered darkly. "But we have to keep her with us."

"I thought we agreed that-"

"If they suspect that we know anything," Bobby interrupted, "They're going to kill her."

To try and bring Willow back would have risked everything. Losing all of the other girls, losing Rebecca, even losing Willow. Who knows if Townsend would have brought others as back up? They might not have been able to protect the little girl they did have; and would risk losing everything at the same time.

There really wasn't any other choice.