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They were up early again the next morning, cycled through who used the shower, got dressed, and were downstairs asking questions again. "Today the Magic Kingdom has been historically the emptiest park so lines should be shorter, especially early in the morning. You understand the use of Fast Pass?" she asked them and then talked them through how to utilize Fast Pass to prevent standing in line for a long time for the more popular rides.
"From here you have your choice; you can take the monorail to get to the Transportation and Ticket Center or you can take a bus. From there you will decide to take a different monorail or take a ferry to reach the Magic Kingdom." They decided to go up one level and take the monorail to the Transportation Center.
As they walked down the ramp they watched a ferry just begin to dock so they went that way, hoping it meant no waiting. The ride across was quick and easy and the ferry felt less than half full and that was just on the lower level.
Still more walking got them to the security area where their bags were searched and then on to the gate where they inserted their card and placed a finger on the blue light. Walking through a short tunnel, they spilled out into what looked like a small city or town and everything was old.
Alexis found a stand that had maps and picked up one for everyone. "It says this is Mainstreet U.S.A." They looked around and took in what they saw. There were tracks in the ground a certain distance apart from each other. Alexis saw something off to one side and walked over to it. "What's this?" Alexis pointed at the small irregular shaped yellow things. "Popcorn," the woman replied without much emotion. "I'll try some, thanks." Alexis paid with a bill that was larger than she asked for and got change back along with a small box filled to overflowing with the stuff.
"It's called popcorn," Alexis said as her father looked at her with a 'What's that?' look on his face. "Popcorn!" Kate helped herself to a small handful and started popping one at a time into her mouth. "It's good stuff except that the salt makes you thirsty and parts of it get stuck in your teeth." She watched Claire walk over to an ice cream cart and come back with chocolate covered Mickey Mouse head. "What? I like these things," Claire insisted defensively.
They started walking and found nothing but stores for the most part. More items similar to what was in the Animal Kingdom as well as more food places. In front of them was the colorful Castle. Alexis decided on going left and they found open wooden gates that said it was Adventure Land. "It better not have dinosaurs," Alexis grumbled softly which earned her a short hug from Kate who had heard her.
Tinker Bell's Magical Nook, Swiss Family Treehouse (This was ingenious. Kate and Claire were impressed with how the water worked), The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Walt Disney Enchanted Tiki Room. "Mom this is your ride!" Alexis was anxious to get inside and see just how accurate their ride was compared to the real thing. Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean. Alexis couldn't help it; she sang softly to herself while they walked through the shop that was at the exit. "A pirate's life for me."
A quick stop to nurse little Rick and check his diaper and they were off again.
They heard a whistle and watched as something big went overhead behind them. Alexis searched her map. "It's an old-fashioned steam train. It goes all the way around the park." She was hooked, not so much about riding it but finding out how it worked.
Splash Mountain. It was another ride that wasn't for infants so they had to take turns. Kate and Alexis went first while Rick changed a diaper as his mother watched. She found it amusing about the role reversal. Alexis came skipping back to her father and grandmother. "That was so cool." Alexis clutched a photo of her sitting up front next to her mother who had her hands in the air while Alexis was screaming while holding onto the bar.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Yet another ride not suitable for infants which had them taking turns again. Tom Sawyer Island, Country Bear Jamboree.
The gates said Fantasyland. Prince Charming Regal Carousel, Mad Tea Party. Kate chose not to go and keep her son happy since so far he'd been a really good boy. Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
It was past lunch and Alexis read what they had already gone past and decided on The Crystal Palace. Not knowing it was loud and hard to get into, they got lucky and the restaurant had room. Since it was a buffet someone had to stay with little Rick. They watched a large orange and white tiger with black stripes make his way around with a fat yellow bear. They were followed by two really large chipmunks that stopped for pictures and signed books.
Tomorrowland Speedway. Only Rick and Alexis rode the ride. "This is a very interesting place. I've never seen anything like it," Claire commented. "Florida is the largest one. Disney in California is just the Magic Kingdom and it's surrounded by a city. I don't see it ever getting bigger," Kate told her.
"Have you thought about where you want to stay for the next two years?" Claire was curious. "Not much, no. I've got enough money for all of us for at least two years since I don't see myself ever coming back here." Kate was spoiled by having been out in space and she knew it. "I heard about your parents and I'm so sorry. I can't begin to truly understand your pain," Claire said gently. "It was a bad time in my life and I did things that I'm not proud of now. I'd be dead if Rick and Alexis hadn't found me. Dead from an overdose of a drug that I shouldn't have been taking and knew better than to take. I was hiding from my pain," she admitted. "I'm glad my son found you then. Alexis adores you. ...Meredith was such a mistake even if it did give him Alexis. He threw his life into raising her, now she comes to you," Claire had noticed.
"I'm not trying to replace Rick. Alexis may technically be my daughter because I adopted her, but she's still his. Little Rick is mine, ...ours actually," Kate said. "It's not a contest dear, and you don't get a choice in who Alexis gives her heart to. She loves her father and that will never change, but you're her mother now and it's going to be you who she turns to, who she tries to make proud of her," Claire told her. "Then I guess my job is easy since I'm already proud of her. You should have seen her on that planet. I was ready to panic – all those dinosaurs that shouldn't even have been alive were trying to kill us. I expected her to panic right along next to me, but she didn't." Kate really was so very proud of her.
Space Mountain. Turned out to be still another ride not suitable for infants though Alexis ran out, down the ramp, and right back in to ride it alone while Kate walked to the others. "I think we've created a monster." Kate started laughing. Astro Orbiter, People Mover, Carousel of Progress. She was almost embarrassed by this ride given just how far advanced Coruscant was compared to them.
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Kate and Alexis wiped the floor with Rick and Claire as they emerged from the ride and told each other their scores. Alexis, however, was the ultimate winner. "I don't think those guns have a clue how to shoot straight." Rick stubbornly defended himself and Kate had to admit that she was curious about that, yet she had compensated and Rick and Claire hadn't.
Stitches Great Escape, Monster's Inc Laugh Floor. "And what's the young girl's name? The one with the orange hair right down here in front?" one of the monsters asked and suddenly Alexis had a microphone in her face. "Lex." Kate bumped shoulders with her. "Lex! You must be rich to be named after an entire car manufacturer. Where are you from Lex the car?" he teased. Kate bumped her again. "Far, far away," Alexis answered, like really far away. "A Jedi, you're a Jedi!" He sounded excited. "The Sith don't stand a chance against a Jedi who owns an entire car manufacturer."
They went shopping on their way out. Alexis came out with a Pooh Bear. Kate emerged with two pins. Claire bought a top that had a giant Minnie Mouse on the back, while Rick chose a lightweight Tigger jacket.
They stopped at the front desk to make reservations for tonight since their Aloha dinner was tomorrow night.
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Rita answered her phone when she saw that it was Mike. "We're headed for car rental." Rita listened for a moment. "She can't make reservations without a credit card. Cash only takes you just so far." Rita was pissed. "We'll hit all of the car rentals while we're here, after that we're going to start with Disney hotels if the rental car comes up empty. It's the only other way to get around here." Rita listened for a while longer before hanging up.
"No luck on a credit card?" Kevin wasn't really questioning and watched Rita shake her head. "They're going to try and get into the DMV and find out what name she's using. She would need a picture ID to fly and a credit card to make a reservation," Rita said. "So will the people she was with, maybe they got everything at the same time," Kevin suggested which had Rita back on her phone giving all of that to Javi before hanging up. "Take the picture of all of them and let's hit the rental car places, maybe we'll get lucky. After that we'll go to the Disney hotels. I'll get us a room while we search." Rita wasn't worried about sharing a room with him since she was married and so was Kevin.
"We need to go shopping unless you want to wear the same clothes tomorrow," Kevin pointed out. "We'll stop after we get our car." She wasn't interested in wearing the same underthings the next day either.
Kevin was shaking his head when he found Rita again. "Right, shopping it is then." They went to where their car was located, showed their rental agreement, and got the car keys. The closest mall was where they went to get a couple of days' worth of clothes and other little things.
Rita paid to park at the Transit and Ticket Center. There they picked up a list of Disney hotels. "I'll take the All this and All that while you start with the main ones, the Grand Floridian and the others. We'll use the buses to get around. Call immediately if you get a hit. I've got us a room at the Port Orleans." Rita walked to the bus transit station while Kevin stood there briefly then turned to head for the monorail. "I wonder if I can write off a pass into Epcot on my expense report?" Kevin muttered to himself along the way. "Jenny will kill me if Sarah Grace doesn't beat her to it," he groaned.
Rita kept telling herself that if it was Kate she should be staying where it was the least expensive. It was likely why she chose that dive of an apartment. What she didn't understand was why she was with these other people. Rita pulled out her phone since she was all alone on her way to All-Star Music Resort. "Refresh my memory. We saw what we think was Kate being picked up by someone tall and someone short; that was six years ago. How old would the teenager be if you took six years away from him or her?" Rita questioned Mike. "Ten or eleven depending on when his or her birthday was," Mike replied.
"So six years later the little one is now a teenager." An idea was percolating in her mind. "I'll buy it, but why are they back and who's the third? And the first place they go is Walt Disney World?" Mike asked. Rita thought for a moment. "SHE'S ON VACATION! ...She's here to show them where she lived, show them our planet." Rita thought she was on to something. "With a baby?" Mike questioned. "She got pregnant and had a child." Rita answered like it was the most obvious conclusion. "This is kind of taking the Stockholm Syndrome a little far don't you think?" Mike insisted. Rita was silent for a time. "Brain washing?" Rita suggested even though it didn't make sense even to her. "Doesn't matter; we find her and we ask her. Keep looking, we're in the dark out here." Rita ended the call.
Kevin was glad Jenny wasn't with him for this. The Grand Floridian was just her kind of hotel and they didn't stand a chance of being able to afford to stay there. Maybe he would be back in two or three years after Sarah Grace was old enough and tall enough to ride most of the rides.
They may have been CIA but they weren't suppose to be working inside the States, yet they were. Kevin showed them his FBI badge and showed them the picture of the five of them including the baby Kate was carrying. "Have you seen these people? Possibly going by the name Katherine Beckett?" Kevin asked the desk clerk and watched him look up the name on his computer. "I don't have anyone by that name listed. You could try the ticket desk." He pointed to an area where an older couple were talking to someone.
Rita was leaving the All-Star Music Resort and was headed for the All-Star Movies Resort. She sent Kevin a text that she was strike one.
Kevin was ready to pull out his fake FBI badge to get these old people out of his way. The man wasn't asking questions anymore, he was telling the woman stories of his life. "Excuse me a moment. May I answer your quick question?" she called out over the elderly couple to Kevin.
Kevin showed all of them his FBI ID. "I'm looking for these people possibly going under the name Katherine Beckett." Kevin showed her their picture just as the elder couple slipped off to get away from an FBI agent. "I know these people! They went to the Animal Kingdom yesterday; today they're at the Magic Kingdom. I don't know their names and they didn't purchase their tickets here. They already had their Park Hopper Passes," she told him which had his heart hammering in his chest. He had them! They had been here and would likely be back.
"You're sure?" Kevin couldn't afford an improper ID of Kate. "Quite sure, they were easy to remember. She called her husband babe, the daughter called her... Mom even though she didn't look old enough to be her mother. The other woman didn't say much. The husband was handsome and his long silver hair and the daughter's long orange hair was striking, something I'll never forget. They were all tall, really tall with long legs that I'd kill for. The baby was being so good, nice and quiet. Are they in trouble?" she inquired. "Thanks." Kevin finally had something concrete. He took out his phone while walking away from her. "I've got them, Grand Floridian. They used the ticket information desk to find out which park to go to. She's not using her name if they have a room here," Kevin told her. "Stay there and keep your eyes open. I'm coming to you, might take me an hour." Rita hung up on him.
Rita was jumpy since she was stuck on a bus going to the wrong resort. Finding out that she had to go to one of the parks or Downtown Disney first to catch a bus to the Grand Floridian only pissed her off even more.
Rita ran from the bus into the Grand Floridian and immediately saw Kevin, his eyes glued on the front entrance and the bank of elevators. Kevin saw her stride right over to him and sit down next to him. "I haven't seen them. She must be using a different name if they're staying here. Not Kate Beckett or Serena Kaye. According to the ticket information lady," Kevin pointed at the desk, "she looked happy and was calling the male, babe. I've got positive ID on her, the male, and the teenager. Just not the other female. The teenager with the orange hair called Kate, Mom." Kevin saw the shocked look on her face. "Didn't make sense to me, either. I've been sitting here wondering if this really is a Stockholm syndrome gone too far. Relating to your captors and caring about them is one thing, but to change who you are and be called Mom by a teenager that isn't yours and have a baby with your captor? It may be stretching things a bit." Kevin wasn't convinced.
At that moment Rita's phone sounded off. "What have you got?" Rita saw the name Javi on her phone. "That friend of a friend has had another unidentified flying object show up a few days ago. It came in from the Atlantic and used the Hudson River to get into the city. They lost it around the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park. Mike's on his way out there and will set up a stakeout of the reservoir if he can find a vantage point," Javi told her.
"Call Jack and bring him up to date. We think we might have her at the Grand Floridian. We're waiting for her to show up again even if it means sitting here till after midnight." Rita hung up. "Another ship has landed in Central Park, same place as last time," she informed him. "Too coincidental," Kevin commented as she nodded in agreement.
It was hours later. "I'm hungry and thirsty. I'm going to try and find a vending machine," Kevin announced then stood up and stretched unobtrusively. "I'll take a diet Coke if you can find one." He found a combination snack and soda machine. "Christ, $3 for a soda, $2 for a 99-cent bag of chips, $3 for a bottle of water." He shook his head and pulled out his wallet. "I'm not even going to get a receipt to expense this stuff." Kevin was soon walking back with a diet Coke, a bottle of water, a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos, and a PayDay candy bar.
"Don't ask me what it cost," he grumbled as he gave her the diet Coke and bag of Doritos. "Thanks." Rita ripped her bag open and started eating. She was starving too, but they had to stay.
Kevin's eyes were heavy and except for alternating a trip to the restroom, neither of them had moved. Suddenly Rita slapped him in the chest which had him fully awake in a second. Right in front of them walked Kate Beckett pushing a stroller that looked to be more full of stuff than a baby. The man was right behind her and he was carrying the baby. Behind him was the teenager and finally the other woman. They were headed for the elevator so Rita and Kevin had to move fast. "Kate?" Rita called out after stopping not far away with Kevin next to and just a little behind her. Kate's head whipped around and the look Rita got was the one she had been fearing for years.
"YOU!" Kate snarled. She left the stroller and slowly made her way towards Rita. "You told me my parents were dead. What the hell do you want now? What more of my soul do you need?" Rita saw the blow coming and if it had been anyone else she would have stopped it, except Kate moved faster than she was giving her credit for. Her mind had only just starting to process if she could have prevented the attack. Rita felt pain and did nothing to stop it. Her heart told her that she deserved it. The pain was her penance for what she had done to her years ago. Her world came crashing down and went dark.
Kevin, however, tried to stop Kate. He actually tried to get hold of her, but what he saw next was a whirling streak of orange that seemed to blur in front of him before his vision went black.
