Chapter Twenty-One

Sunday 22nd December – 2pm

Aaron jogged through the hospital ward he realized he knew far too well. Upon locating Chloe's hospital room, he broke out of his jog awkwardly and placed his hands through his hair before leaving them on the back of his head.

Chloe glanced up from her hospital room bed at him, "Geez, bro, you look worried."

Aaron let out a sigh of relief, "Course I was bloody worried, Chlo."

Chloe shrugged, "I was only gone for a day."

"Took you long enough to call me to let me know you were here. It might've been nice to know several hours ago when you got here," Aaron scolded.

"Didn't think I'd be here long, certainly not admitted to hospital but the doctors dragged me in to check me over before I could even think to call you," Chloe told him.

Aaron entered the hospital room and sat down in the chair next to Chloe's bed, "Are you okay?"

Chloe held up a fluid IV plugged into her arm, "Apparently I forgot to drink water the past 24 hours what with the whole getting kidnapped and needing to escape so I'm dehydrated. Docs won't let me go 'til I get this bag of fluid all in me. Should be able to go home soon."

Aaron sat back in the chair, "I was more talking about being kidnapped by Finn but I'm glad to know you'll be discharged and get to come home with me soon."

Chloe reached out her hand and took her brother's hand, "Oh right, the kidnapping…that was a drag…not the best experience of my life. But I'll be back home soon and everything will get back to normal soon enough."

Except for the part where Elly kinda told me that she loves me and kissed me and I…did not deal with that at all…I can't wrap my head around it…I need to talk to her.

"Yeah, it will," Aaron squeezed Chloe's hand to reassure her, "You've spoken to the fam in Adelaide?"

Chloe almost rolled her eyes at Aaron, "Yes, I called them after seeing all the missed calls on my phone. I spoke to mum, Mark and Tyler. Thanks for sending them all into a spiral of worry for a day about me."

"You'd been kidnapped by a psychopath; I didn't know if we were ever going to see you again. The cops didn't appear to be doing much. I was going crazy not knowing if you'd be okay," Aaron admitted.

"I am okay," Chloe insisted, "It's nice to know that you care that much."

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief, "You really went through the ringer last night. Kidnapped, locked in a shipping container for an entire night…Elly had her baby…and you and Bea rescued them and you all got away from Finn but Finn disappeared into the day."

Elly and her baby…I miss them already…

"Do you know if Elly and the peanut are okay? I lost track of them when the doctors dragged me away from them to check on me. I told Elly I wouldn't be gone long. I don't want Elly worrying I went home without checking on her. I really need to see them as soon as I get the rest of this fluid into me and I can get out of here," Chloe told Aaron with an element of panic in her tone.

Aaron frowned gently at Chloe's demeanor, "I haven't been in to see them. I saw Karl at the front desk when I was asking the clerk which room you were in. Karl told me they were doing fine but Elly would need to stay here a few nights…what with the small amount of food and water she'd had for nearly two days…and the traumatic birth she went through. You were really there to help Elly give birth to her baby? What was that like?"

Incredible, amazing, beautiful, loving…it felt right…

Chloe smiled shyly at her older brother, "It was really special. Elly had a little boy. She's gonna make an amazing mum. I hope I get the chance to be there for them…"

Aaron chewed on his lip, unsure how to read Chloe's comment, "What's he like?"

Chloe pursed her lips, "He's gorgeous, has Elly's eyes. I didn't really get much of a chance to meet him…Elly was kinda protective of him understandably…she hasn't even let Bea hold him…unless she has since she got here. I haven't had a chance to make sure he's safe and healthy…"

On account of freaking out when Elly made her little love confession…

"I need to get out of here so I can go talk to Elly," Chloe declared.

"What about?" Aaron asked curiously.

That Elly loves me…possibly…

Chloe found herself staring into the distance in the opposite direction of Aaron, too busy thinking about the one thing that had been on her mind for hours on end – Elly.

Aaron interrupted Chloe's silent distraction, "How did Pierce take the news of your kidnapping and brief hospital stay?"

Chloe blinked in surprise then frowned at Aaron, "Oh I…haven't called Pierce…yet. Just a little dehydration, no point in worrying him when he's halfway around the world…besides time difference. It's too late to give him a call now. I'll call him in the morning."

Maybe…

"Chloe, you were kidnapped for an entire day and locked up in a shipping container! Pierce will want to know about that, he'll be worried about you like I was all last night. What's the time difference to New York?" Aaron frowned back at his sister for her lack of interest in her boyfriend.

Chloe shrugged, "Uh…sixteen hours I think…"

Aaron paused for a moment as he did the time zone math in his head, "But that's like…8pm New York time isn't it?"

Crap I was hoping Aaron wouldn't notice…

"Is it? Guess I didn't work it out correctly," Chloe lied, "Pierce will be busy working on his company and trying to save it from collapsing anyway. There's no point me telling him at this hour, he'll be worried all night long and won't get any sleep. Besides the last thing I need right now is Pierce rushing back home here cause I'm in hospital for dehydration."

And also, when I'm trying to figure out my feelings for Elly…I need to work all that out before I even speak to Pierce…

Chloe smiled politely at Aaron, then before he could argue, insisted, "I'll call him first thing in the morning so he knows I'm back home and I'm safe and I'm no longer in hospital…and…crap! Hendrix! I was supposed to look after him last night, I completely forgot about him whilst I was…"

Having Elly confess her love for me and kiss me…I mean…whilst I was kidnapped…

Aaron gently reached out to his younger sister once more to calm her, "It's all okay. I stayed at #24 last night on the couch watching out for Hendrix. He was really worried about you, Chlo. I was with him when I got your call, I should've brought Hendrix with me but I think he didn't want you to see how worried he was. But you'll be back tonight to look out for him…or I can always stay with the pair of you if you-"

"Actually, Azza, do you think you can get Hendrix to crash at ours tonight? Either on the couch or the sun room. I don't want to stay at Pierce's…at the moment, I just want to be at home with you guys. You shouldn't be put out at Pierce's away from David on account of…me, it's just for a couple days 'til Hendrix goes to Lisa's on Christmas morning. If you need me to explain to Hendrix I can," Chloe requested.

The idea of being at Pierce's after knowing how Elly might feel about me…I'm not comfortable with that…

Aaron reluctantly nodded, "Okay…I mean, I guess. I'll speak to Hendrix. I can make sure he's set up at our place for a couple nights…after we get you home, okay? How's that IV going? Nearly ready to get discharged and come home?"

"I've got to speak to Elly before I go home," Chloe reminded Aaron abruptly.

"O…kay…about anything important?" Aaron asked curiously, wondering if Chloe's talk yesterday of needing a break from Pierce with him being away, having spent the night with Elly whilst she gave birth to her baby, and now was desperate to talk to her was in any way connected.

Only perhaps one of the most important conversations of my life…

Chloe tried to downplay it to her brother, "I just wanta…check in on Elly and the peanut…make sure they are going to be safe before I head home…okay?"

Aaron nodded in agreement but couldn't help but be concerned there was more going on that Chloe wasn't telling him about her experience the last day.

An hour later, as Chloe was rushing her doctor into letting her be discharged and Aaron was trying to slow her down, Bea was with Elly, sitting on the edge of her hospital bed.

"How long do you think you'll be here, El? How's your son going?" Bea asked her older sister, having just being discharged herself.

Elly sighed, "Yeah the doctors said he's fine, they are just keeping him with the other newborns to give me a chance to rest for a few hours. They'll bring him back in a few hours for me to spend time with him, make sure I'm getting the hang of feeding him. Managed to when they first got me in here but it took some time. As for me, a few days my doctor reckons. I went through a lot with the birth…more than most mothers…plus the insubstantial amount of food and water over the last two days, lack of sleep…which I better get used to…I'll be lucky if they release me by Christmas. I don't want to be stuck here for Christmas. I want to spend the holidays with you, Suze, Karl…my son…"

Chloe…

"Don't worry about where you get to spend Christmas okay, no matter where it is, you'll have your family around you, most importantly your son," Bea reassured, "You just concentrate on resting up and getting back your strength back so you can be the best mum you can be."

Elly nodded before turning her head and staring off into the distance.

Bea pursed her lips before asking, "Has Chloe been in to see you?"

Elly felt a tear slip down her cheek, she tried to subtly wipe it away before addressing Bea, "No, been here for hours and she hasn't come in to see me. She doesn't want me…to talk to me. She probably went home hours ago…"

In the arms of Pierce already…I'm so jealous Pierce gets to be the one to support Chloe through…everything.

"I'm sure I saw the doctors drag Chloe away to check on her like they did with me. I only got the all clear not long ago. Maybe Chloe is still here too. Or the police could be talking to her about the report they are putting together on Finn. They're on the manhunt for Finn but they still need our reports of our experience. Susan and Karl were with me briefly when the cops questioned me over Finn before they got dragged away for…slightly more professional questioning down at the police station," Bea informed her sister.

Elly glanced back at Bea with worry, "Susan and Karl are at the police station?"

Bea reached out for Elly's hand, "Don't worry, it's all good, Karl called Toadie and he was to meet them there. The police…just want to get as much info about Finn from our Aunt and Uncle down at the Station. They did agree to house Finn as part of his court order. It's not like any of us knew Finn's memories had returned. You did…or you suspected they had. Karl and Susan aren't gonna be responsible for not knowing that or any crimes Finn has and will commit. I think Karl just felt better having Toadie on their side in the interview. I take it the police haven't swung by your room to take a statement from you?"

Elly shook her head, "Not yet, suspect they are giving me a few extra hours before they question me over…what Finn did to us and…"

Bea swallowed gently, "Maybe this whole thing with Finn is…if I could just have a chance to talk to him maybe I can make him see that being the old Finn isn't the way he can live his life. Maybe I can remind Finn of all the good he's done this last year, that he has a nephew to live a better life for. I mean I'm not expecting us all to forgive and forget the kidnapping but he hasn't done anything so terrible that he can't come back from it…"

Yeah Finn has…I just haven't told Bea yet…to think Bea believes a simple conversation with Finn will change him back…she's in denial that her boyfriend has turned into a monster…she still loves Finn…I get Bea can't just switch that off in a matter of hours…

Finn's never going near my son ever…I refuse to let him…

Elly reached out and took both of Bea's hands in her own, "I have to tell you something…about Finn. I didn't tell you earlier cause…I didn't know how. No amount of love that you still have for the man Finn once was…will change him for the better. Finn has his memories back and he's never going to be guy you love again, Bea, he-"

Bea interrupted, "Elly, he could change, I know what he did was horrible but he loves me, I truly believe that and if I can just talk to him I can-"

"Finn murdered Shaun," Elly suddenly blurted out, then grimacing as she had wanted to tell Bea in a much calmer way.

Bea pulled her hands out of Elly's grasp, "What? Finn didn't…Shaun…it was accidental…the report on Shaun's abseiling accident it wasn't…"

"I'm so sorry, Bea," Elly apologized, "I know you don't want to believe it but Finn's a murderer…he admitted it to me the other night after I woke up in the shipping container. It wasn't an accident. The guy that ruled it an accident with Shaun's equipment…Finn paid him off to change the report."

"But why?" Bea asked quietly.

"Cambodia…Finn never got over Shaun being released when his parents paid the ransom for Shaun but not him. I guess…he thought Shaun could've done more. Then there's me…Shaun's the…was the father of my baby…I'm Finn's obsession. The idea of his little brother starting a family with me…he didn't want that so he killed him," Elly revealed.

I didn't want that either…no offence to Shaun…he was a nice enough guy despite the initial blackmail to get Finn out of jail and I did want our baby to have Shaun in his life…in a 'live overseas, come visit once or twice a year for a month or so' kinda way…I want Chloe in my son's life…

Bea blinked wildly, reeling from the revelation, "Are you sure?"

Elly reached out and brushed Bea's hair behind her ear, "Finn admitted it to me. When I make my statement to the cops…I need to tell them, okay? They'll do their own investigation into the claim that Finn paid the guy off who ruled Shaun's death an accident…and if it's true…Finn will be charged with his murder…when he's caught, of course."

Bea chewed on her lip.

"I know you still love him, Bea," Elly whispered.

"How can I…after this?" Bea asked.

Elly stared at her sister with concern, "Cause you don't just fall out of love with someone in an instant…even learning what Finn has done…you need time, Bea. You're not alone in dealing with any of this…we're here for you, okay?"

"Thanks, I think I'm going to need you all. I want to hate Finn for everything he did to us the past couple days…you weren't even meant to give birth for another week…he was going to lock us up there for like a week until you did. Now knowing what he did to Shaun…I do hate Finn for all of this but…" Bea trailed off.

"You still kinda love him too…or the man that he was," Elly finished for her.

"Yeah," Bea agreed, "It might take me a while to come to terms with my feelings on all this…I guess you know what that's like because of…"

Chloe.

Elly sighed, "Yeah, I do…I'll be okay…I've got you by my side and we can support each other through all this. You don't need Finn and I don't need Ch-"

A knock at the hospital room door interrupted Elly. Elly and Bea flung their heads toward the door.

That was a lie, I do need Chloe.

"Hey…can we talk?" Chloe asked nervously.