~*~ Chapter 16 ~*~
Scott pulled the car into the driveway. He quickly jumped out of the car and ran to the passenger side to help Karen out. Serena sat in her bedroom looking out of the window down over the sidewalk watching as Scott all but carried Karen to the house. "Great, the prodigal daughter returns," she whispered to herself.
"Dad, I'm not an invalid. I can walk myself…" Karen said to her father "I had surgery on my abdomen; they didn't cut my legs off."
"I don't want you to fall and break open your stitches, Karen."
"I'm walking into the house; I'm not running the 100 yard dash jumping hurdles."
"I know, I know, I just want to make sure you get into the house safely," he explained.
"Dad…I…" Karen started with a disgusted tone.
"Karen, quit arguing with your father and let him help you. I swear the way you two argue; sometimes I think you're both lawyers." Rhonda said getting frustrated and walking ahead of them to open the door.
"Here we go, Chateau Baldwin…" He said as they walked inside. "Your mother and your sister went to your house last night and got everything that you would need."
"We put everything in your room, honey." Rhonda said.
"My room?" Karen asked puzzled. "You mean the guest room."
"No she means your room, come on, take a look," Scott said as he took her hand and lead her through the kitchen. Off to the side she noticed a new door. "What's that?" she asked pointing to the door.
"Well go on…go inside" Scott said with the excitement of child on Christmas. Karen opened the door and walked into a beautifully decorated bedroom. It was fully furnished and had a bathroom to the left and a nursery to the right. The nursery was also furnished with the second set of furniture that she had picked out. Karen stood there in awe just looking at the room, until finally Scott spoke up.
"This is so that the next time I tell you to go to your room, you'll have a place to go."
"Oh my god…Dad…I don't know what to say…when did you have this done? It's wonderful." She exclaimed as she moved into the nursery.
"I started planning it a couple of weeks ago…but when you were in the hospital, I decided that when you woke up you were going to stay here. So, I called my contractor right away to put a rush on it. He got an extra crew together and they worked straight through until dawn. Serena is probably upstairs sleeping because the pounding kept her up all night," he explained as he followed her into the nursery. "Look here," he said as he opened the closet. "There is a small refrigerator and a small microwave, so that you can keep Nikki's bottles in here. That way, when she wakes up in the middle of the night, you can just come in here and heat a bottle for her."
"Nikki?" Karen questioned with a puzzled look and then a smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry honey…" he paused as memories flooded back to him. "I always called Dominique that when we were alone, she also hated it when I called her that" a faint smile painted his face as he thought of her. Karen gave him the greatest honor that she could have ever given him by naming the baby after her.
"No, don't apologize. I kinda like that…Nikki." She turned around and took in the entire room. "How can I ever thank you for this. It is absolutely wonderful."
"Anything for my little girl…" he said pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you so much, dad" she said as he nestled her head against his shoulder. She felt so safe in his arms. It was a feeling that made her believe that everything was going to be okay and Nikki would be home soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mac was sitting in his office going over Seth and Todd's statements again and again. He couldn't help but think that there was something that he was missing. He finally decided to set the folder aside for a while and work on something else, when an officer entered. "Commissioner, this Peter Lancaster guy that you are holding is asking to call his lawyer. Can we allow that?" the officer asked.
"Yeah, go ahead. Maybe he is finally ready to talk." Mac answered.
Mac walked out of his office to see Slimy Pete sitting at a desk. "So you want to call your lawyer huh? Does this mean that you're finally ready to give us some information that we can use?"
"Just let me call my lawyer. Will ya?" Pete said with a hint of disdain.
"Fine, there's the phone. Make your call."
Pete pick up the phone and dialed the number. After three rings, he finally heard the voice that he was hoping for.
"This better be good…" he heard.
"You need to get me outta here." Pete said in response.
"I'm working on it. I'm doing the best that I can."
Pete's anger was building but he was trying not to let it show. "You're not working hard enough. Use whatever clout you have and spring me from this joint. They keep pushing me for information that I don't have, if you understand my meaning."
"I read you loud and clear. And don't worry, the situation will be resolved within 48 hours," the voice finished before hanging up the phone. Pete continued to speak as if there were still someone on the line. "It better be. I expect to see you here in the morning so that we can get this matter cleared up," he finished and hung up.
"All finished?" Mac asked as he approached.
"My lawyer will be here in the morning." Pete announced.
"That's great. We're looking forward to it. Officer Wilkins, take this man back to his cell."
"Yes, Sir," The officer said escorting slimy Pete out of the office.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At the firehouse, Scott was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper while Serena sulked in her bedroom and Karen took a nap. He put the newspaper down, when he finally heard Serena coming down the stairs. "It's about time you join the world of the living," he said before he turned around to look at her and notice that she wasn't sticking around.
"Where are you going?" he asked when he finally saw her.
"Out," She said simply.
"Oh no…I'll be damned if you're walking out that door…just so you can go get in more trouble with your friends." He said as he began to raise his voice.
"What is it with you? Just because you don't like a couple of my friends you think that every teenager on the other side of that door is just waiting to hook me on drugs," she shot back. "I would like think that you were a little smarter than that."
"I don't trust any of those kids you call your friends. All those kids are going to do is get you in more trouble. Go ask your sister how easy it is for your friends to get you into trouble," he shouted unaware that he had awoken Karen. Hearing the shouts, she got up to investigate but she stopped at the door between the kitchen and living room when she heard Serena begin shout back.
"When are you going to get it? I'M NOT KAREN!!!" Serena shouted as she grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the door.
Scott stood there for a minute dumbfounded. How did things get so out of hand with Serena? He put his head down and turned toward the kitchen when he heard Karen enter the room.
"Dad? Are you okay?" she asked with concern. Scott just looked up at her and shook his head. "She's right, you know…she's not me. She wouldn't make the same mistakes that I made."
Scott sat on the couch has he mumbled to himself "I wouldn't bet on it."
Barely hearing what he said, Karen moved next to him. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"Nothing…you two are just more alike than you realize."
Karen looked at him and raised one eyebrow, "care to elaborate on that?"
Scott smiled as he realized that this was his opportunity to turn this serious discussion into a lighter hearted one as he got up and moved toward the television. "Sure, you both have a great dad, and you are both beautiful women who love to give me problems."
Karen smiled back with a laugh "you love it and you know it. Speaking of women problems though, where's Janelle?" she asked.
"Oh she went shopping or something. I really wasn't listening to what she said when she left. It's hard enough to keep tabs on you girls. If I had to keep tabs on Janelle too I'd be locked up at Ferncliff by now." He said with a grin as he put a movie in the VCR and sat on the couch and put his arm around Karen.
"But that's what I like about you; you're my crazy old dad," she said as she curled up in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Hey now…watch it. I'm not old, I'm in my prime," he said as be noticed Karen begin to fall asleep in his arms. He reached for a pillow and laid her head down gently. He lightly stroked her hair as he sat there and watched her sleep only taking his eyes off of her when he heard the front door open.
He turned his head just enough to see Janelle enter with groceries in each hand. As Janelle walked toward the kitchen, she stopped when she noticed Karen asleep with her head on Scott's lap. "It doesn't matter how old they are; your children always look so sweet and peaceful when they're sleeping like that," she said with a smile.
Scott carefully lifted Karen's head enough that he could maneuver himself off of the couch. He looked down at Karen with a smile "Yeah…like a little angel," he said in agreement. "My little angel."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slimy Pete paced back and forth in his cell rehashing the phone conversation that he had earlier. He knew that phone call was his only chance, but he had to wait for 48 hours. As the guards made their final evening rounds, he finally heard them call for lights out. He stopped pacing long enough to get ready to crawl in bed just as a bullet pierced through his cell window striking him in the temple. The crashing of the glass window in the cell alarmed the guards who switched the lights back on, only to find a single bullet hole carefully placed between the bars and wire that's laced throughout the window, and Pete laying on the cold cell floor… dead.
Scott pulled the car into the driveway. He quickly jumped out of the car and ran to the passenger side to help Karen out. Serena sat in her bedroom looking out of the window down over the sidewalk watching as Scott all but carried Karen to the house. "Great, the prodigal daughter returns," she whispered to herself.
"Dad, I'm not an invalid. I can walk myself…" Karen said to her father "I had surgery on my abdomen; they didn't cut my legs off."
"I don't want you to fall and break open your stitches, Karen."
"I'm walking into the house; I'm not running the 100 yard dash jumping hurdles."
"I know, I know, I just want to make sure you get into the house safely," he explained.
"Dad…I…" Karen started with a disgusted tone.
"Karen, quit arguing with your father and let him help you. I swear the way you two argue; sometimes I think you're both lawyers." Rhonda said getting frustrated and walking ahead of them to open the door.
"Here we go, Chateau Baldwin…" He said as they walked inside. "Your mother and your sister went to your house last night and got everything that you would need."
"We put everything in your room, honey." Rhonda said.
"My room?" Karen asked puzzled. "You mean the guest room."
"No she means your room, come on, take a look," Scott said as he took her hand and lead her through the kitchen. Off to the side she noticed a new door. "What's that?" she asked pointing to the door.
"Well go on…go inside" Scott said with the excitement of child on Christmas. Karen opened the door and walked into a beautifully decorated bedroom. It was fully furnished and had a bathroom to the left and a nursery to the right. The nursery was also furnished with the second set of furniture that she had picked out. Karen stood there in awe just looking at the room, until finally Scott spoke up.
"This is so that the next time I tell you to go to your room, you'll have a place to go."
"Oh my god…Dad…I don't know what to say…when did you have this done? It's wonderful." She exclaimed as she moved into the nursery.
"I started planning it a couple of weeks ago…but when you were in the hospital, I decided that when you woke up you were going to stay here. So, I called my contractor right away to put a rush on it. He got an extra crew together and they worked straight through until dawn. Serena is probably upstairs sleeping because the pounding kept her up all night," he explained as he followed her into the nursery. "Look here," he said as he opened the closet. "There is a small refrigerator and a small microwave, so that you can keep Nikki's bottles in here. That way, when she wakes up in the middle of the night, you can just come in here and heat a bottle for her."
"Nikki?" Karen questioned with a puzzled look and then a smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry honey…" he paused as memories flooded back to him. "I always called Dominique that when we were alone, she also hated it when I called her that" a faint smile painted his face as he thought of her. Karen gave him the greatest honor that she could have ever given him by naming the baby after her.
"No, don't apologize. I kinda like that…Nikki." She turned around and took in the entire room. "How can I ever thank you for this. It is absolutely wonderful."
"Anything for my little girl…" he said pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you so much, dad" she said as he nestled her head against his shoulder. She felt so safe in his arms. It was a feeling that made her believe that everything was going to be okay and Nikki would be home soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Mac was sitting in his office going over Seth and Todd's statements again and again. He couldn't help but think that there was something that he was missing. He finally decided to set the folder aside for a while and work on something else, when an officer entered. "Commissioner, this Peter Lancaster guy that you are holding is asking to call his lawyer. Can we allow that?" the officer asked.
"Yeah, go ahead. Maybe he is finally ready to talk." Mac answered.
Mac walked out of his office to see Slimy Pete sitting at a desk. "So you want to call your lawyer huh? Does this mean that you're finally ready to give us some information that we can use?"
"Just let me call my lawyer. Will ya?" Pete said with a hint of disdain.
"Fine, there's the phone. Make your call."
Pete pick up the phone and dialed the number. After three rings, he finally heard the voice that he was hoping for.
"This better be good…" he heard.
"You need to get me outta here." Pete said in response.
"I'm working on it. I'm doing the best that I can."
Pete's anger was building but he was trying not to let it show. "You're not working hard enough. Use whatever clout you have and spring me from this joint. They keep pushing me for information that I don't have, if you understand my meaning."
"I read you loud and clear. And don't worry, the situation will be resolved within 48 hours," the voice finished before hanging up the phone. Pete continued to speak as if there were still someone on the line. "It better be. I expect to see you here in the morning so that we can get this matter cleared up," he finished and hung up.
"All finished?" Mac asked as he approached.
"My lawyer will be here in the morning." Pete announced.
"That's great. We're looking forward to it. Officer Wilkins, take this man back to his cell."
"Yes, Sir," The officer said escorting slimy Pete out of the office.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At the firehouse, Scott was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper while Serena sulked in her bedroom and Karen took a nap. He put the newspaper down, when he finally heard Serena coming down the stairs. "It's about time you join the world of the living," he said before he turned around to look at her and notice that she wasn't sticking around.
"Where are you going?" he asked when he finally saw her.
"Out," She said simply.
"Oh no…I'll be damned if you're walking out that door…just so you can go get in more trouble with your friends." He said as he began to raise his voice.
"What is it with you? Just because you don't like a couple of my friends you think that every teenager on the other side of that door is just waiting to hook me on drugs," she shot back. "I would like think that you were a little smarter than that."
"I don't trust any of those kids you call your friends. All those kids are going to do is get you in more trouble. Go ask your sister how easy it is for your friends to get you into trouble," he shouted unaware that he had awoken Karen. Hearing the shouts, she got up to investigate but she stopped at the door between the kitchen and living room when she heard Serena begin shout back.
"When are you going to get it? I'M NOT KAREN!!!" Serena shouted as she grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the door.
Scott stood there for a minute dumbfounded. How did things get so out of hand with Serena? He put his head down and turned toward the kitchen when he heard Karen enter the room.
"Dad? Are you okay?" she asked with concern. Scott just looked up at her and shook his head. "She's right, you know…she's not me. She wouldn't make the same mistakes that I made."
Scott sat on the couch has he mumbled to himself "I wouldn't bet on it."
Barely hearing what he said, Karen moved next to him. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"Nothing…you two are just more alike than you realize."
Karen looked at him and raised one eyebrow, "care to elaborate on that?"
Scott smiled as he realized that this was his opportunity to turn this serious discussion into a lighter hearted one as he got up and moved toward the television. "Sure, you both have a great dad, and you are both beautiful women who love to give me problems."
Karen smiled back with a laugh "you love it and you know it. Speaking of women problems though, where's Janelle?" she asked.
"Oh she went shopping or something. I really wasn't listening to what she said when she left. It's hard enough to keep tabs on you girls. If I had to keep tabs on Janelle too I'd be locked up at Ferncliff by now." He said with a grin as he put a movie in the VCR and sat on the couch and put his arm around Karen.
"But that's what I like about you; you're my crazy old dad," she said as she curled up in his arms and laid her head on his shoulder.
"Hey now…watch it. I'm not old, I'm in my prime," he said as be noticed Karen begin to fall asleep in his arms. He reached for a pillow and laid her head down gently. He lightly stroked her hair as he sat there and watched her sleep only taking his eyes off of her when he heard the front door open.
He turned his head just enough to see Janelle enter with groceries in each hand. As Janelle walked toward the kitchen, she stopped when she noticed Karen asleep with her head on Scott's lap. "It doesn't matter how old they are; your children always look so sweet and peaceful when they're sleeping like that," she said with a smile.
Scott carefully lifted Karen's head enough that he could maneuver himself off of the couch. He looked down at Karen with a smile "Yeah…like a little angel," he said in agreement. "My little angel."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Slimy Pete paced back and forth in his cell rehashing the phone conversation that he had earlier. He knew that phone call was his only chance, but he had to wait for 48 hours. As the guards made their final evening rounds, he finally heard them call for lights out. He stopped pacing long enough to get ready to crawl in bed just as a bullet pierced through his cell window striking him in the temple. The crashing of the glass window in the cell alarmed the guards who switched the lights back on, only to find a single bullet hole carefully placed between the bars and wire that's laced throughout the window, and Pete laying on the cold cell floor… dead.
