Author's Note:

Happy New Year! I hope everyone is off to a good new year and had a good holiday season. Thanks for the adds, emails and comments. I love reading them!

-Lisa

Chapter Thirty Five

Almost three weeks trailed on and there was no news. There was no sign of Alec or Tanya or Molly. It seemed like they just vanished into thin air. It hurt Bella that people were starting to put their lives back together. Carlisle returned to work while Jacob returned to New York. Seth went back to school. Renee was scheduled to leave Boston in just a few days, which would leave Bella alone during the day.

Renee was upset by Carlisle's treatment towards Bella. He is willing to do anything for her. One night he held Bella as she slept on Molly's twin bed. They both cried. Renee was trying to figure out what he wanted from her daughter. She thought that he cared for her but could he really be using her for something else?

Emmett and Rose were terrific. Emmett, being the cook in his house, made a bunch of food for Bella and the members of her household. Rose brought maternity clothes from her friend's boutique on Newberry Street so Bella would feel more comfortable. Bella could feel the weight gain in her small frame, however unless you knew she was with child, you wouldn't have known. She was still forgetting to eat, which worried everyone.

Bella had made two local press conferences concerning Molly's disappearance. During both she broke down and cried. Carlisle stood by her side and held her. She had also appeared on the Today Show as well as other cable news shows. Molly's story was shown on every possible news cast, which was what frustrated Bella. How could she be using all of these media outlets and still there was no new information?

Alice came over after work one day. She had bought Bella an outfit and brought over her favorite cookies. It was then when the conversation came up once more.

"Bella, I thought you'd like these. I know you like the chocolate and peanut butter mix. I hope you like them. I made them last night for you."

She took the cookies and broke one in half. She offered it to Alice. Alice sheepishly took it. Bella bit into the cookie and smiled. "Molly said you make the 'bestest' cookies."

Alice broke down in tears. "You'll never know how sorry I am Bella. It's my fault that she isn't home. I'm so sorry."

Bella offered her friend a sad smile. "Alice, it isn't your fault unless you arranged to have her go missing. I told you all ready, it seems like it is just circumstance. You need to stop. This isn't your fault." It's mine. I didn't want to leave her and I did anyway. She is missing because I am a bad parent.

Nodding Alice held Bella's hand. "She's going to come home again Bella. I know she will. She will be fine, I know she will."

"I hope so Alice, I hope so," Bella replied fighting back tears.

Bella was getting a glass of water when the door bell rang. Carlisle was working and Renee was off grocery shopping before she went to go back to Washington. Bella walked to the door. Her stomach twisted as she opened it. "Detective Ateara, hi. Can I help you?

"I don't know. I told you, just Quil is fine. Can I come in to talk?" He asked holding a bag in his hand.

"Of course, please come in. Would you like something to drink? I think there might be some cookies left somewhere."

"That's very nice of you Bella, but no thank you. It seems we might have a possible lead in finding Molly."

Slowly, Bella sat. She placed her hand over her mouth. "Really?"

Detective Ateara nodded. "It is pointing towards Tanya and Alec, but I don't want to speculate just in case. I'm not trying to give you false hope Bella."

Swallowing hard, Bella shook her head. "No, of course not."

"This was turned into us and I was wondering if it looked familiar to you?" He reached into the bag and pulled out a doll.

Recognizing it automatically, Bella nodded. Tears formed in her eyes. She took the doll gingerly and cradled her. She brushed the hair back and fixed her glasses. "This is Molly, the American Girl doll. Carlisle bought it for my Molly last Christmas because they have the same name. I know it's the same doll because of this," Bella said turning the doll backwards. She exposed a little section under the doll's hair in the back that had been cut. "Molly did this by mistake and was very upset by it. We were going to send her to the doll hospital but we just haven't gotten around to it." With a new batch of tears in her eyes, she looked at the detective. "Where did you find her?"

"It was left on an airplane. One of the attendants said they saw a little girl who fit Molly's description holding it. She said they hurried and left the doll on the seat. She tried to run after them but the man, who fit Alec's description, quickly said it wasn't his daughter's."

Bella began to shake. "She isn't his daughter! She's mine! Where was the plane? I want to go and look for her."

The detective shook his head. "Bella, you can't. We're going to gather some more information and then figure out where exactly they are. The area we think they are in are heavily guarded and the police know to look for them."

"They seemed to have slipped by all ready. How do I know it isn't going to keep happening?"

"You'll just have to have faith in us and let us do our job."

"When will I have my baby back?"

"Hopefully soon. We're working on figuring the whole thing out and I'm hoping we are there."

Bella nodded as she looked down at the doll. "Did the attendant say whether or not Molly was scared?"

"She said she was quiet and slept. It was an evening flight."

"Thank you. At least that gives me a little piece of mind." Bella held the doll out. "Can, can I keep this?"

"We took all of the finger prints off of it. If we need it again I'll just come back for it."

"Thank you."

He nodded his head as he stood up. "That's all I have for now. I'll call or stop by if I hear anything else." He watched as Bella just nodded. "I'll see myself out."

Bella wasn't sure how long she sat in the same spot when she heard the door open.

"Bella, are you here?" Carlisle called out.

"Living room," Bella replied mechanically.

He walked closer to the couch and sat with her. He looked at what was in her hands. "Is that?"

"It's Molly's Molly. Apparently she brought it with her on the walk. Quil brought it over. They found it on a plane but he won't tell me where the plane left from or where it went."

Carlisle squeezed Bella's hand that was gripping the doll. "Are you all right?"

"She's alive and there might be a new lead, so I'm okay for now."

He nodded as he fell back into the couch. He let go of Bella's hand and raked his hand through his hair. He looked at Bella. "Did you forget anything today?"

"I don't think so."

"Really? Nothing at all?"

Bella huffed. "I don't think I ate. Sorry about that."

Carlisle shook his head. "You're doctor's office called me. You had an appointment this afternoon."

"I did?" Bella asked trying to recall. "I thought that was next week."

"Yes you did and no, it was today. We were supposed to find out what the little thing in your stomach is."

"I totally forgot."

"We both did. The doctor's office said they had an appointment tomorrow that we could have. It's at two thirty. I'm going to go to work early so I can leave with no problem."

"You're coming with me?"

"Bella, it's our baby. I'm going to be there. I promised you last month I would go."

"Oh right. I'll meet you there."

"I'll just come and get you. It isn't a big deal."

Bella nodded and then stood up. She walked up the stairs and went back to Molly's room.

"I don't like that you aren't eating. You need to gain more weight too. The nutrition you take into your body now is so important for the baby's development. This is the most important stage of the development of the baby. If you aren't eating then the baby isn't getting the proper nutrients that it needs. Also, with your body going through so much stress, the probability of you miscarrying the baby is high. This is serious Bella, you have to take care of the baby and the only way you are going to do that is if you take care of yourself. I want you to gain at least another ten pounds by our next appointment." The doctor said as she stared at Bella. Not only had Bella not gained weight, but she had lost a few pounds.

Carlisle squeezed Bella's hand as the doctor told her what they both all ready knew. Hearing the news out loud frightened Carlisle. Bella looked unphased. Not that she didn't care, she just had a lot on her plate right now.

"Now," the doctor continued. "I need to do an ultrasound. Would you like to know the sex of the baby? You can find out today."

Bella looked at Carlisle for the first time with a small glimmer of hope in her eye. "Do you want to?"

He nodded and smiled as he squeezed her hands. "Yes, I would love to know."

The doctor took a few moments to set up the machine. First she listened to the heart beat. Despite Bella not taking care of herself, the baby's heartbeat was strong. It was healthy. "Okay, you are about twenty two weeks along. If you haven't you should feel the baby move any day now. And," she began to explain the different parts of the fetus that had grown since their last appointment. "Are you sure you want to know what you are having?" the doctor teased.

"We're sure. We'd like to know," Bella answered as she held Carlisle's hand.

The doctor smiled. "Come July you two will be the proud parents of a son."

For the first time in weeks, a genuine smile formed on Bella's lips. She exchanged happy tears with Carlisle. She smiled as she held his hands and turned to him. "A boy. We're having a boy."

Carlisle kissed the top of Bella's head as the doctor printed the newer pictures of the ultra sound. She reminded Bella once more to eat and then left the room.

After she dressed, Bella and Carlisle made another appointment for the following month. Carlisle headed to a nearby café for lunch. Bella's head was spinning in every which direction she couldn't eat. Her stomach was twisted in knots. She felt guilty for feeling so happy about the son she was carrying while Molly was still gone. She picked up her fork and moved her salad around. Carlisle took notice and looked at her.

"You have to eat Bella."

Shaking her head, Bella didn't look at him. In fear of yet another lecture. "I'm not that hungry."

Trying to lighten the mood, Carlisle smiled. "You don't want your doctor to yell at you again, do you?" When he saw it didn't work, he began to beg. "Honey, please eat. If not for you do it for him," he said pointing to her stomach.

Frustrated, Bella leaned back in her chair as she folded her hands on her stomach. She was so sick and tired of everyone telling her what to do like they knew best. "What difference does it make? I'm a bad mother Carlisle. Maybe we should get an abortion so I didn't have a chance to screw this one up too," she cried. She couldn't believe the words had escaped her mouth until they were actually out. It wasn't how she felt at all. She couldn't wait to meet her new son, but she was stressed beyond the point of no return.

Carlisle looked at her with frustration. They had this conversation before. Bella was obviously depressed. It angered him that he can't do anything to change it. He's tried but can't. He tried really hard not to show his anger or frustration, but sometimes he can't help it. He looked at Bella who was crying and took a deep breath. "Isabella, you know that isn't true. You are a great mother and this isn't your fault honey. Let's go home and watch a movie. We'll put your pajamas on and pop some popcorn and just watch a movie. Or we can talk or read or do whatever you want. His anger turned to fear as he rubbed her hand. "Baby, you're scaring me like this. Please."

Not speaking, Bella grabbed her purse and stood up. She began to walk out. Carlisle placed a generous amount of money on the table and followed her out. They drove in silence until Carlisle pulled up to his house.

"I'll be just a minute. I have a few things I need to get."

"Can I come with you?" Bella asked quietly.

"Of course you can, this is as much my home as it is yours, come on."

They entered the house together. Carlisle runs upstairs to gather his belongs and some new clothes. When he turned Bella was sitting on the bed. She looked utterly exhausted. He is not only worried about her eating but her sleeping. She has napped since Molly disappeared but never really slept. He also didn't like how Renee was nagging at her. She certainly wasn't helping Bella's stress level. He placed the items in his dresser and walked over to her. "We're not going back to your house right now."

Looking confused, Bella looked at Carlisle. "What are we doing then?"

"You're taking a bath. A relaxing bubble bath."

"No thank you, I showered before we left for the doctors. I'm fine."

"You need to relax Bella."

Standing up, Bella walked to the other side of the room and looked at Carlisle. She didn't like that she was worrying him, but she also didn't want him to fuss over her. "Look, I think I'm doing the best I can. I'm sorry I can't eat on demand. I'm sorry I'm worried about being a terrible mother for another child, who, if he's anything like you, I'm sure he'll be wonderful. I'm sorry I'm not being the best girlfriend right now. I'm sorry that I've been so bitchy. I'm just-"

Carlisle walked over to her and held her as she let out a cry that vibrated the room. He ran his fingers through her hair and held her as close as he could. "You are wonderful Bella. This has nothing to do with you, it's all Tanya. All of it. We'll get through this, and with Molly. One way or another we'll have Molly with us at some point. I love you and I don't want to argue with you. Please get undressed. My robe is over there. I think yours is back at your place. We should get you one for here. Anyway, put it on and meet me in the bathroom."

Bella followed Carlisle's orders. She walked into the bathroom just a few minutes later to see the lights were off and Carlisle had lit candles all around the room. The tube was filled with bubbles. She dropped her robe and climbed in. Carlisle knelt at the side of the tub and pulled her hair up in a messy pony tail. He began to wash her gently and lovingly. As he did so Bella let the tears escape from her eyes. She broke down in the tub. Carlisle reached for her and pulled her into him. She held him until she looked panicked.

"You're soaked. I'm sorry. I can't even hug you right. My god, what the hell am I thinking?"

"It's just water and they're just clothes Bella. I can go and get some more. We are at my house, remember? I have more clothes down the hall. I don't care about them, I care about you."

She nodded. "Will you sit with me?"

Carlisle quickly shed his clothes and joined her in the tub. He held her until she stopped crying. She was cuddled into his chest. Once the bubbles had dilapidated and the water turned luke warm at best, Bella sat in Carlisle's arms.

When they were done, Carlisle got out first and helped Bella out. He wrapped her in a towel and then gave her his bathrobe. He rubbed her shoulders to warm her up before kissing her on her head. Next Carlisle grabbed another towel and placed it around his body as they walked to the bedroom.

Bella got discouraged because none of the clothes she left there fit any more. Carlisle gave her a pair of his sweats and another sweatshirt. He kissed her and smiled. "What's mine is yours Bella." She quickly got dressed and met him downstairs. He was cooking something from the freezer. She sat down on the bar stool and watched them. When he was done he sat with her and ate. He was relieved when she ate bites of the chicken Parmesan.

Bella twirled the last bite of pasta when she looked at Carlisle. "Thank you for taking care of me. I know I've been a big mess and-

"Don't think me. I love you and this is what we do for those we love. I just wish you'd take care of yourself a little more. Our son needs food Bella and you're the only way he is going to get it. I know you're upset but you need to try baby, okay? Just try?"

"I can try."

"That's all I can ask you to do. We should get going. I'm sure your mom is worried about you."

Carlisle cleaned up the mess from dinner while Bella rested on the couch. She picked up an old magazine that was sitting on the coffee table. He finished gathering his belongings and told Bella he was ready. A few moments later they were greeted at the door by Renee.

"Where the hell have you two been? I've tried calling both of you."

"I had my doctor's appointment and then Carlisle needed to get stuff at his house."

"That was over four hours ago! I was worried!" Renee shouted.

Carlisle looked at Renee. "It's fine. I'm sorry we left our phones in the car. I didn't even think of calling. Bella and I had dinner and she just relaxed a little."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, Quil called and said you need to call him back."

Bella walked over to the kitchen counter where she kept the cordless phone. She picked it up and dialed the detective's personal line. "Hi, this is Bella Swan."

"Bella, I hope everything is all right. Your mom sounded a little worried when I called."

"She over reacted. I had a doctor's appointment and then we went over to Carlisle's house. What is going on with the case? Where is Molly?

"I can't give you exact details but I wanted to let you know the leads we are following are getting warmer. They are still in the country and every airport in the country has pictures of Molly and Tanya and Alec. There is no way they will get out of the country. In addition, border patrol has their pictures too. The Amber Alert is in effect where they are now. It is only a matter of time."

"That sounds hopeful. Do you know when my daughter will be home with me?"

"I can't give you a time table but I can let you know she is safe and she is being watched over. I'm sorry I can't give you more details than that Bell."

"No, a little something is better than nothing, right? Thank you."

"I'll be in touch Bella. Take care of yourself."

Bella relayed the information to her mother and Carlisle. They both seemed like they were content with what develops, no matter how vague, were given.

After eating what Renee had made for dinner, Bella had a bowl of ice cream. Both Carlisle and Renee were both happy that she was eating again. That evening was the first night since Molly's disappearance that Bella slept in her bed with Carlisle. She took Molly's doll and cradled it in her arms. After Carlisle was ready for bed, he watched Bella laying with it.

"You know when she comes home if she wants twenty of those dolls she will get them. She'll get whatever she wants. I will make sure of that."

Bella smiled as she focused on the doll. "I hope she isn't scared. Molly usually calms her down. She's been her safety blanket for a while now. Where ever she goes this doll usually follows."

Carlisle crawled into bed. He leaned right into Bella and draped his arms around her. "I think she is feeling confident. She's your daughter; of course she is going to be strong."

Bella chuckled as she leaned into Carlisle. "You know I love my mother but I'm happy she's going home tomorrow."

Me too. You have no idea. "You'll see her again probably soon. We can go out to visit her if you want after Molly comes home. She's probably going to come out here after the baby is born. It isn't like it will be goodbye forever. It'll be nice to get back to somewhat of a routine with us."

Bella nodded. "I'm going to start working on school stuff tomorrow too."

Carlisle kissed the top of her head. "I'm happy you are jumping back into a routine. Things will be okay Bella."

She nodded. She was about to fall asleep when she felt something. She nudged Carlisle. "Hey, are you awake?"

"Yes. What's up?"

She took his hand and held it to her stomach. "Can you feel that? Can you feel those taps?"

Carlisle giggled. "That's him! He must been active because he has energy because you ate. He's moving around quite a bit."

Smiling, Bella replied. That was the first time she had felt him move around. She smiled as she began to fall sleep again in the safety of Carlisle's arms.

At four am the next morning, the phone rang. Bella rolled over and reached for the phone on its fourth ring. "Hello," she answered still half asleep.

The line was quiet at first and Bella almost hung up. Then she heard a soft voice on the other end. "Mommy! Mommy!"

"MOLLY!" Bella said as she dropped the doll she was holding onto the bed. She bolted up. Next to her she felt Carlisle sit up too. He rubbed her shoulders. "Molly is that you?"

"Mommy, she has me. I don't want to be here. I want to go home."

Bella was overwhelmed as tears fell from her eyes. She continued to talk and try to stay strong for her daughter. "Who has you Molly? Who took you baby?"

"The lady in the park with the pretty hair. She said she knew you and Carlisle. She said you and Carlisle didn't want me because of the new baby."

"Baby, that isn't true. We want you here. We love you."

"I know that but she made me go with her. Mommy we've been on a lot of planes and she changed my name. I want to be me. I want to be Molly again. She made me call her mommy. I didn't want to but she made me. You're my mommy and I love you. "

"You will always be Molly and I will always be your mother. Where are you now?"

"I-I don't know. We drove past Mickey Mouse's house. It's big. At least the parking lot was."

Bella thought for a moment. She narrowed it down to either Florida or California. "Molly, is there anything else you can tell me?"

"It's hot. I don't like it so hot." Molly paused. Bella could hear a voice softly talking in the background. "Mommy, I have to go she is coming back. I love you, and Carlisle and even the baby."

"We all love you too honey. We'll see you soon baby. I love you Molly. Keep being brave honey."

"Love you too. Bye mommy," she said as she hung up the phone.

Carlisle stared at Bella as he held her. He smoothed her hair and calmed her down. When she is finally calm, he looked at her. "I'll call the police station."

As Bella puts the phone back into its cradle, she notices the flashing light. One new call: 407-555-6121. Not even thinking, Bella walked over to the lap top and turned it on. She quickly typed in the phone number. It was a hotel in Florida, Orlando to be more specific. Her heart began to race. She went on another website and looked up other information while Carlisle was downstairs talking to the police. Bella walked from her room to Molly's gathering things she needed. She places Molly's doll in the pile.

"Okay, the police would like to talk to us now. And-" he paused to look at what she was doing. "Bella, I hardly think this is time to go away on a trip. What are you doing with your suitcase and all these clothes?"

"I'm going to Orlando."

Carlisle looked at her with a confused expression. "You can't. I mean you don't know for sure."

"I looked up the number and I'm calling the hotel right now. I'll tell them about Molly and I'll email a picture of her but don't let her leave the hotel. I'm telling them to call the police and then I'm flying down to get her."

"Bella, it doesn't work that way. Let the police-"

"Screw them! I'm tired of waiting around for them to do their fucking job! I want my daughter Carlisle. It has been a month. A month without Molly home. Thirty three days. A month that she hasn't been under this roof. I'm not playing anymore."

"Bella, don't be haste. You could get yourself killed."

Shrugging her shoulders, she shook her head. "I don't care about me. I want to save Molly. I want to bring her home."

Growing irritated, Carlisle spoke back sternly. "What about him? Bella, it just isn't you I'm worried about. It's the two of you. What about our baby?"

"I might not be acting like it but I love this baby too Carlisle and I love you but Molly is my child too. I want to save her. I'm her mother I'm supposed to protect her!"

Silence filled them both. Carlisle watched as Bella frantically packed. She walked from her bag to the closet and then into the bathroom. She was all over the place. Carlisle stressed just watching her. "Have you booked your ticket yet?"

"I was just about to. I wanted to pack first."

Carlisle didn't know if he would regret what he was about to say. Obviously there was no changing her mind. He shook his head. "Book two. I'm not letting you go alone. On second thought, call the hotel and talk to them and I'll book our flight."

Bella talked to the hotel and emailed them pictures of Molly. The receptionist said they recognized Molly. The receptionist said they were contacting the police. Bella said she was on the way to talk to the detective in Boston and then she was flying out.

Carlisle made the reservations and they were leaving at noon. Renee needed to be at the airport for ten. This would work out perfectly.

Bella woke up Renee and told her that they had to go to the police station. Carlisle brought down their bags. They weren't going to tell anyone they were heading to Florida.

Surprisingly enough, Quil was all ready in his office when Bella and Carlisle arrived.

"Molly is in Orlando at a Days Inn. She called me this morning. I all ready called the hotel and told her Molly was a missing child. I sent them pictures of her and they are contacting the local police."

"Damn it!" Quil shouted at her.

"Hey, don't yell at her. She was doing what she thought was best. You have certainly not been forward with the information," Carlisle intervened.

Quil ran his hands through his hair. "I wish you would have waited to talk to me before speaking to the hotel."

"I didn't want to risk them leaving," Bella defended.

"I understand that but-"

Bella cut him off. "But nothing! It isn't your daughter who isn't in your home! With all due respect, my daughter has been gone for over a month and you and your team have been extremely vague. I took matters in my own hands to try and-"

Bella was interrupted by the phone ringing. "I should take this, excuse me please," Quil said excusing himself from the room.

Carlisle squeezed Bella's hands. "I think what you did was brave."

"I just went with my gut."

"Well, it was a good call. I think you acted with good intentions and used common sense. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, it's nice to hear that someone is."

Quickly, Quil entered the room again. "Well miss Swan, it seems like we have a problem."

Carlisle shook his head. "Damn it! They ran, didn't they? This is what Bella was afraid of."

"I wish it was that simple. There is a hostage situation over at the Days Inn in Orlando Florida. Two gunman, well, a gunman and a gun woman. Seems like they are using a four year old child as a human shield. Two confirmed dead so far." Quil paused as he yelled. "This is why you should let police do police work!"

Carlisle stood up and got into the detective's face. "I told you all ready to stop yelling at her! She is under enough stress and doesn't need yelling from you!"

Quil backed down and sat in his seat. "Well, she should have kept her nose out of it! We knew they were there. We knew it. We have been waiting for a good time."

Bella looked at him with curiosity. "A good time for what? I blame you and your team for this too! How long have they been at this hotel?"

Quil was silent at first. He threw his cell phone on to the desk and looked at Bella as he spoke quietly. "Eighteen days."

Bella couldn't speak. Her mouth hung open.

Carlisle jumped in and began to yell. "Eighteen days! You couldn't have let Bella at least know her daughter was safe? You never said you knew exactly where they were and you've been watching them for eighteen fucking days? This is over. Bella get your jacket we are leaving. We have to take your mother to the airport now." He helped Bella get her jacket on. He is supporting her as she shakes. He led her outside of the office as Quil yelled to them.

"So, we'll be in touch then."

Feeling cocky, Carlisle yelled back. "Our lawyer will contact you."

As they got into the car, Bella just sat. She sat with her head in her hands and cried. "Oh my god, what have I done? Carlisle! She's going to get killed and it'll be my fault!"

"No she isn't. I'm calling your mom to let her know we are on our way to get her. Then we are still sticking to our plan and we are going to Florida."

In what seems like a flash, Carlisle drove to Bella's house. Renee was outside waiting for them. Carlisle helped Renee with her suitcase and placed it in the trunk with his and Bella's. They drove silently to the airport until they hit traffic.

"What happened this morning? Neither one of you have said anything," Renee asked.

Carlisle spoke up. "We don't know anything more. Bella got a call from Molly this morning and that's why the police wanted to speak to us."

Renee's eyes grew wide. "What? Where is she?"

Before Bella could speak, Carlisle spoke up. "She didn't know, but the police are investigating it." Carlisle didn't know if many people should know about where Molly was and hoped Bella wasn't mad at him for lying. He glanced at her and she looked like a wreck.

Renee also saw her daughter and didn't ask more questions. She saw how upset Bella looked and left it at that.

When they arrived at the airport, Renee insisted that Carlisle take Bella home to rest and eat. She looked terrible. She hugged her daughter and told her to call her if she needed anything. She also said she'd be back in a flash if she needed anything. Bella kissed her goodbye and watched her walk into the airport.

Carlisle drove his car to the long term parking. He took a breath and looked at Bella. "Are you ready?"

Bella nodded. He grabbed both of their bags and wheeled them to the door. He lead Bella to a seat and sat her down. Once she was situated, he pleased with the airplane company to have their flight switched. He explained that Bella's daughter was the child in the situation in Florida.

"We bought these tickets this morning after she was contacted by her daughter. The situation has escalated and has gotten worse. I don't care about the fees I have to pay to get it switched. I'll even sit in the cargo with the suitcases if I have to, but please, if there is any way we could take an earlier flight, it would be appreciated."

"I'm sorry sir," representative began to explain. "I don't have any seats available for that flight. I'm sorry for your troubles and what you are going through but my hands are tied right now. I wish I could help you. "

Feeling defeated, Carlisle walked away from the counter. He was stopped by an elderly couple.

"We couldn't help but overhear your conversation. That little girl they have been showing around here missing for weeks is the same child in Florida? In that terrible hostage situation?" The woman asked.

Carlisle nodded. "Yes. She is my girlfriend's daughter. She's so stressed out and she's pregnant. I'm really worried about her." He paused. "I'm sorry. I was just babbling. Sometimes I don't know when to stop. It's been a stressful month."

The couple nodded. "This is terrible. You know, we are on that earlier flight that boards in twenty minutes. Our children are grown but we have grandbabies about the same age. We can't imagine what you two are going through. It's just terrible. We talked to each other when that nasty woman was speaking to you. We have decided to give you our tickets. Florida will still be there when we get there at noon. Here," the older man said to Carlisle. "Take these and good luck bringing that little girl home."

Over come with emotion, Carlisle shook. "Please, let me pay you for the difference or something."

"No, that's all right. Like he said, we have grandbabies her age and god forbid, I don't know what I would do. Take these. Bring that little girl home."

The three went over to the ticket booth and explained to the representative that they were going to exchange tickets. It was allowed. Carlisle grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her.

"Where are we going? Our flight isn't for another hour."

"Wrong. We're going now. Let's go."