Disclaimer- See chapter 1.

Bringing Up Memories

 Chapter 4- Memories and Secrets

Susan awoke early the next morning. Instead of finding the sleeping form of her husband beside her, all that was in his place was cold sheets. She got up, and pulled on the old robe that Mark had lent her.

Jesse pulled the next photo album out of the box. It was pink, and titled "Princess Carley." Jesse smiled as he turned through the pages that held the pictures of Maggie while she was pregnant, and then the snapshots Nick Murphy had taken at the birth. There were pictures of Carley's first day home and her first steps, Carley eating, playing with her doll, fixing Maggie's hair. Carley at the Zoo, Carley at the beach. And Jesse could remember the day each one was taken perfectly.

When he got to the last page, he found a picture that he had helped Carley draw the day before her birthday. It was of her whole family, including all of her "aunts and uncles."

Jesse had labeled each person for her, and proudly hung it on the refrigerator to show Maggie later. Jesse held the picture and looked at it for a few moments. Susan came into the living room and sat down beside Jesse on the couch.

"She was quite an artist," she whispered.

"Carley drew this for me the day before she died," he said, with a smile. "After I helped her hang it on the refrigerator, I gave her a bath and helped her get ready for bed. I would read to her. She got to pick the book, and we read a chapter each night. That night we were reading 'The Wizard of Oz.' Carley was a Wizard of Oz nut. She loved it. I probably could quote the movie to you right now if I wanted.

"We had just finished the last chapter..." Jesse's voice broke, and he paused before going on. "For her birthday I bought her a new restored copy of the movie, 'cause her old one was something her grandmother taped off of TV, and it had all these commercials and stuff. I had given it to her before I went to take my test. When I got home, it was still running on the VCR." Susan anticipated that he would cry again, so she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Have you eaten anything?" she asked quietly. She could hear Mark coming out of his bedroom. He came down the hall.

"Good Morning, Jesse, Susan," he said. Jesse glared groggily at him.

"You tricked me," he said. "Again."

"I'm sorry," Mark said guiltily. He hadn't wanted to bring up old memories. Especially these old memories. "Let me make it up to you. Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes or so."

Jesse did look cheered. No one had ever known him to pass up food. Susan, Mark, and the newly awakened Steve made Jesse eat before he could start going through the boxes again. While Jesse was chugging a glass of orange juice, the doorbell rang and Amanda came in.

"Morning, everyone," she said cheerfully. "Jesse, I was at the hospital this morning, and Nick Murphy was looking for you. He said it had something to do with Ian Ritodowski." Jesse put down his fork and pushed his plate away.

"I'm not hungry," he said, standing up. The others followed, and watched as Jesse reached into a box. He smiled when he pulled out a shoebox full of pictures that Carley had drawn. Putting them aside to look at later, Jesse handed Amanda two file folders. "This is what Ian Ritodowski did to my family. I never want to see him again." Amanda picked up the top folder and opened it. She closed her eyes and passed it to Steve. He looked inside and saw a picture of the murder scene after the bodies had been removed. The TV was still playing a movie, and Carley's crayons were scattered across the floor.

Amanda looked down at the floor. Suddenly she remembered the case. She turned and walked out on the deck. Jesse was showing Susan various things that had belonged to his daughter, but Susan, Mark, and Steve shared a look. Steve turned and followed her out.

"Are you okay?" he asked uncertainly, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"No, I'm not. Not right now. Steve, I remember the case. I remember doing an autopsy on a woman named Maggie Travis. She died from a single gunshot wound to the chest."

"Wow," Steve said, not knowing what else to say.

"I feel terrible that I didn't remember until now," Amanda said.

"That's not your fault."

"Yes, it is. Jack told me that he was moving that day."

"You knew that he was leaving?"

"Yes. Jack said he wanted me to know. But that's not important right now. I was upset, and the autopsy just made the day worse. Steve, I found out something that even Jesse doesn't know. I remember collaborating with Detective Van Sickle. She thought that until the husband was emotionally stable, that we should keep it between us."

"What, Amanda?" Steve asked curiously.

"Maggie was pregnant when she died," Amanda said, sinking into a chair. Steve sat down beside her, surprised.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"I'm fine," Amanda said miserably, "It's Jesse I'm worried about. How can I tell him that?" She put her head in her hands and sat for a minute.

"Don't worry about it, Amanda. If it comes down to that, we'll ask Dad what to do."

"Steve?" Amanda asked, sitting up. "Who did Jesse say was Maggie's doctor at the hospital?"

"He said Dr. Stewart," Steve said, catching on.

"Do you think it's our Doctor Stewart? I mean, there were three other Stewarts at Community General."

"It's possible," Steve said. "Maybe you should give him a call."

"Maybe you should do it," Amanda said nervously.

"I'm going to see if I can find Claire Van Sickle," Steve said. Amanda's look did not change. "Look, I'll call him when I get home, okay?"

"Yep," Amanda said, giving Steve a hug. "But listen, as much as I'd like to see Jack again, I don't know if now is the time for him to come visit. I don't want Jesse to feel left out or something."

"That's a given," Steve said, going inside. He told Jesse where he was going and picked up the case files. "Can I borrow these in case Claire's mind needs jogging?"

"Sure, and thanks, Steve," Jesse said. After the cop left, Jesse pulled one of the boxes over to the couch. Amanda, Mark, and Susan each sat nearby, unsure of what to do. "You know, y'all don't have to sit and stare at me. I don't mind if you help."

"Are you sure?" Susan asked.

"Yeah. I'm not really looking for anything specific. Just memories." Mark, Amanda, and Susan took various seats around the room and began to search through the boxes. Although Jesse was not looking for anything, Mark was sure that if he nosed around enough he would find a clue that would help solve the mystery one way or another.

"Jesse, why did you cut yourself off from your old friends?" Amanda asked.

"I really didn't mean to. At first I just wanted some space, you know, room to breathe. Then when we all came to Community General, I got really busy being Mark's trainee and I just lost touch." "I hear they've all done really well. Nick Murphy is an excellent cardiologist. And Annie Johnson is in ICU. Paige Sullivan is a very good private nurse. I've had patients who adored her," Mark added.

"Paige took it really hard," Jesse said, picking up a doll. "She was mad at me because she didn't think Ian was the murderer. But Detective Van Sickle thought so enough to arrest him."

"This is such a beautiful picture, Jess," Amanda said holding up a large framed photograph of Jesse, Maggie, and Carley.

"It was our Christmas picture in 1992," Jesse noted. "Maggie spent hours on Carley's hair. Every time she'd get the little baby headband on Carley took it off and threw it. She finally ended up with those flowery hairclips."

Jesse showed them through the photo albums, explaining each picture. Carley was always a smiling little bundle of energy. Many of the pictures had Ian Ritodowski in them. Then Amanda uncovered a box of home videos. Jesse smiled as he watched the different tapes. There was one of Carley and Jesse, when he was teaching her how to swim. They were at a pool, and Carley's feet were planted firmly on the edge.

"Come on, Baby-Girl, Daddy will catch you!" Jesse had called. Carley looked at him for a few minutes. Maggie's voice was heard from behind the camera.

"It's okay Carley. Go on, Sweetie." Carley look encouraged, and suddenly splashed into Jesse's waiting arms. The tape changed to a day at the zoo. Jesse must have been taping, because Carley was seen, pulling Maggie's hand over to the monkey island.

"They're just like the ones on 'The Wizard of Oz' Daddy!" she cried. The camera shifted into someone else's hands, because Jesse ran out from behind it, and picked her up, lifting her above his head.

"The ones who took Dorothy and flew her out to the Wicked Witch's castle?" he asked, spinning in a circle. Carley was shouting, and laughing.

"Daddy, you big monkey! I don't want to see the Wicked Witch. I just want to look at the monkeys!"

Another tape revealed Carley's first birthday. Jesse and Maggie had taped the entire day, starting when they woke the baby up, and ending with her good-night lullaby.

"Maggie's parents hadn't met Carley yet, and we sent them this tape," Jesse explained.

"Jess, you had a beautiful family," Mark observed a few hours later. He had been watching Susan, looking for signs of her discomfort. But if she was feeling any, she didn't show it. She just looked sympathetic, but happy that Jesse was laughing and smiling at the memories.

"Jesse, you really don't know that Ian did this, do you?" she asked. "I mean, look at him. He's holding Carley in at least half of these pictures. And that video you showed us..."

"I really didn't think he was capable of it."

"I think I'm going to have a talk with Nick Murphy. Maybe he can be insightful," Mark said, closing the photo album on his lap. "You guys don't have to leave. Just make yourselves comfortable. If Steve asks, I'm at the hospital."

"See ya later," Jesse said cheerfully.

"You seem happier," Amanda said. Jesse nodded.

"I'd forgotten how much I loved Carley," he said. "It's so good to hear her voice."

"How about some lunch?" Amanda asked. "I'll see what Mark has in the kitchen."

"I'll help you," Susan offered.

"Word of advice," Jesse said as they were leaving the room.

"What?" Susan asked.

"Raid Steve's refrigerator. There's better junk food in there. With Mark you never know what breed of fish heads you'll find."