Disclaimer: I don't own All My Children or it characters.
Story: This has spoilers in it for September, so just to warn you about that. Anyway Babe decided it time to reveal to a shocked Pine Valley that she gave birth to a boy and has had Miranda all along.
Pairing: Babe and Jamie
Babe's blue eyes glimmer from the tears streaming down her face, she was staring down at the innocent face of Bess—no she stop herself this was Miranda. A new face came into Babe's mind, the face of her deceased baby boy. She couldn't hold onto her son by keeping Miranda for herself. Babe knew what it was like to have the pain of losing a child; it was as if someone went into her soul ripping out half of it leaving her unbalanced. Sometimes late at night when she was rocking Miranda she would imagine her as the little boy that she had lost. But it was time, time to put Miranda back in the arms of her true mother. Babe wipes away her tears and gave Miranda one last smile before she walk into where Bianca was waiting.
Bianca look over at Babe with her trusting eyes, "Well Babe, at least you now know Bess will be safe even if you had to go through hell with JR." Babe took one more look at this version of Bianca for she knew in a few minutes this Bianca would be gone. The before Bianca who had fought tooth and nail to protect Babe and Bess from JR and pretty much the whole world. The before Bianca who had accepted Babe quick marriage to JR with genuine kindness; who went through pregnancy with Babe. The before Bianca who Babe could talk girl stuff with, laugh with, cry with, even share her soul with. That would all soon be gone and Babe began softly weeping again morning the closest truest best friendship she ever had. Bianca gave her a loving smile and hug her, Babe tears were coming harder now, "Hey now stop crying sweetie, things will get better I promise you." Bianca led Babe over to the couch and gave her a handkerchief, "I want you to know something, you are a bright, kind, and loving individual. Who deserves a man who will love you for all your faults and I know you really wanted JR to be that man. But your Prince Charming is waiting for you out there in the world and you just have to let him find you."
"I don't deserve a Prince Charming after what I've done" Babe choke on her words as the tears freely fell she didn't try stopping them or wiping them away.
"You are only guilty of loving a man who wasn't deserving of you. Yes you have done some un-honorable things, but you have risen above them. Babe do not let JR hatred make you think you are undeserving because then you will be playing right into his hands. I know things are horrible right now and JR will still fight you for custody, but if he wants to fight dirty we will too. I want you to know Babe that I will always be here to help you any way I can. Don't worry about a thing you will always have me to help you."
Babe couldn't take it anymore, the guilt was begging for releasing, "No you won't Bianca there is something very important I must tell you and it can't wait a moment longer! Sorry I didn't mean to snap, it just been a long day." The handkerchief finally finding Babe's face sponging up the dampness of her grief. "But what I have to say will not wait a moment longer. Here why don't you take Bess and I will tell you what I should have told you months ago." Babe took one more glance of Miranda giving her a gentle hug and whispering I love you to Miranda in her mind before handling her over. Getting off the couch she started pacing the floor a few moments searching for a proper beginning to her complicated story. Taking a few deep breaths she turns to finally face Bianca eye to eye. Slowly sitting back down Babe clear her throat, "I won't start at the beginning because you already know that. Rather I'm going to reinvent the beginning, you know all my dealings with Paul Kramer?" Bianca nodded her head in confirmation, "Well when I was pregnant I didn't know who the father of my baby was and I had to have it be JR so-- I blackmail Paul to make sure what ever happen to make sure the DNA test pointed to JR as the biological father of my child."
Bianca's expression didn't falter from that of comforting, "You did what you thought was best for Bess, I did the same thing for Miranda."
Babe shook her head, "No Bianca what you did for love I did for selfish gain. I wanted JR and if my baby got in the way of me keeping him then they just had to change to my plan. The thing is Paul never told me the name of my baby father, he simply said I wanted JR so I got JR. To this day I still don't know who the father is, it could be JR but it could also be Jamie. Though now I pray that the rightful father of my baby is Jamie."
Bianca look down at Miranda, "Well Babe you have to get another DNA test, if Jamie is Bess's father then JR has no grounds for custody. You should order one right now, I'm sure Joe wouldn't mind testing Bess again."
"No Bianca that won't be possible because this isn't Bess."
A confuse look came into Bianca's almond eyes, "Babe of course she Bess--"
Babe raised her voice, "Listen to me Bianca, after you gave birth to Miranda I felt a pain in my stomach. I knew we both needed medical attention so I did something stupid. Instead of calling someone like David or 911 I called Paul Kramer and he the reason the helicopter crash happened. He the reason you lost Miranda and I help him take her from you." The tears were coming for a second appearance, Babe attack them with the handkerchief.
With her free hand Bianca hug Babe again, "No sweetie don't ever think like that, that crash was never your fault. Now put that thought out of your mind, I wouldn't even have those few moments I had with Miranda if you hadn't been there to deliver her. I owe you so much."
Babe took hold of Bianca's arms, "No Bianca you deserve the truth and just like everything else about me I have been selfishly keeping that from you as well. Please let me continue my story," Bianca shut her mouth allowing Babe to continue. "What only my mother, father, Paul, and now you know is that I gave birth to a baby boy not a girl." Bianca's eyes widen in shock, but she said nothing, "I passed out after delivery and woke up very groggy we were outside and Paul had told me my son had died. I got up to find my baby but I was so weak I fell back down again."
Bianca nodded, "You had a horrible infection we almost loss you."
"Yes those were horrible moments, but when I got better JR starts telling me we have a little girl. Something in the back of my mind was telling me that something was wrong but I accepted the baby placed in front of me. But I kept having dreams that didn't fit; I could hear a little boy voice crying out for me. Each time I would wake up in a cold sweat and rush into the baby room to find her still there. Finally a few months ago it came back to me when I went to the crash site. Everything flashing in my head like a high speed trailer: my delivery, my beautiful baby boy, and then the most horrible moment in my life when Paul telling me that my perfect baby boy was permanently gone. And I fell on the ground and wept until I was dry and could produce no more tears. And then it dawn on me how I had a baby girl, see out of fear of JR and Adam, Paul did something beyond horrible and I can't condemn him. Because I did the same thing only I did it for slightly different fear. Though my fear was of losing JR and my life with him, Paul was just worried about what harm would be done to him."
Bianca agree but with a different change in her voice then before, "We both know him to be a coward and a slimly excuse for a human being."
"Do you remember when you thought Miranda was Bess and you took her from the hospital?"
"Yes, I remember it clearly Babe." Babe could see that Bianca was starting to put things together in her mind and the new coldness couldn't escape her voice.
"Well you didn't take my baby since he was wash away in the flood; no Paul gave JR and Adam the only remaining baby around. He gave them--"
"Miranda" the single name gave Bianca's voice a new found texture; she sat still for a long pause.
When Babe could no longer stand the silence she spoke, "You knew right away in the hospital that she was yours and you simply were taking your daughter home to meet her grandmother. I know that a trillion apologizes for my selfish act can not give you back the months with your daughter that I stole from you. I told myself that I kept her from living the life of being the product of rape, I kept her to replace my deceased beautiful baby boy, but mostly I kept her for a man who wanted to destroy me."
Bianca broke her meditation state, "And if JR hadn't shown his true colors?"
Babe answer truthfully, "I would not have told you the truth."
Anger flash deep in Bianca's eyes in a flash she slap Babe hard across the face with her free hand. "After everything I did for you, you were keeping my daughter from me! My daughter Babe! MY DAUGHTER! Mirada doesn't suddenly become yours with the wave of a magic wand." At the loud noise of Bianca voice, Miranda started to cry, Bianca took her into the other room to put her down. A few minutes later she came back not losing her steam, "I was rape to conceive her; I didn't get to conceive her out of love, but out of fear and pain. I was the one who had to go through the agonizing choice to keep her or abortion. Do you know I almost had an abortion, that would have ruin your little plan to snag JR wouldn't it? No fall back baby to cover for you losing your son, he better off then having a selfish slut like you for a mother!"
Babe was crying again, "Bianca I know you are upset--"
Bianca didn't let her finish "I felt her growing inside of me and I had to keep her a secret. Did you know that secret killed me inside each day? I wanted to go up to the roof and shout I'm pregnant, I'm going to be a mother, I am so happy about this child growing inside of me. But I wasn't allowed that! No, I wasn't allowed a doting husband taking care of me; Michael told me he was going to take Miranda as soon as she was born right before he try to rape me again!" Bianca stop for a second her, the moments before she killed Michael were still a painful memory for her to digest. She began again with deep pain wallowing in her strain voice, "And I wasn't allowed a loving mother, who gave me all kinds of advice about my pregnancy because my mother couldn't handle me carrying Miranda because it took her right back to her own rape pregnancy."
"I know this and I am so sorry Bianca you have to believe me." Babe was pleading to be heard, but Bianca rage was thundering out all sounds of remorse.
"After you figure out that you had Miranda you saw how much I missed her and still you kept your mouth shut. You let me hold her, feed her, change her, and then you name me Godmother of my own daughter! All the times I told you how I missed her and cry on your shoulder out of grief, you just lied to my face keeping me in the dark to further your gold digging scheme. I will never forgive you for this as long as I live!" Bianca began to get her things in order to leave.
"Bianca please!" Babe grab Bianca's arm to stop her.
Bianca flew out of Babe's grip, "Don't you ever touch me! You betray me far worse then you ever betray JR or Jamie, now I am getting Miranda and we are going home."
Babe follow Bianca into the room where Miranda lay playing with her toys. Started Bianca found everything but the basics of Miranda things were already pack up for departure. Babe came up behind the speechless Bianca, "I knew you would want to leave right away so I pack everything up for you. I also put a car seat in your car while you were getting the tea ready."
Bianca turn around, "Is this suppose to make me forgive you since you made it easier for me to take Miranda home with me."
Calmly with her face dry of tears Babe shook her head, "No, I did it because it was time for Miranda to go back to her real life." Bianca said nothing, but pack up Miranda's remaining items and went to pick up her daughter. "I take those things out to your car for you, so you don't have to put Miranda down." Again Bianca said nothing as she watch Babe collect all of Miranda things and head to Bianca's car. Bianca follow suit still utter not a single word as Babe loaded her trunk. Nothing was spoken between them as Bianca firmly secure Miranda in her car seat. As Bianca put on her seatbelt into it holder with a click, she drew a breath of air letting herself calm from her anger.
"Listen to these words Babe for they will be the last kind words you hear me tell you. I am sorry for your loss of your son; every child is innocent and deserves a chance at life. Also I want to thank you for keeping Miranda safe, taking good care of her, and for finally telling me the truth. Now that I have utter these words you will hear nothing repeated like this from me again, goodbye Babe." Bianca started the car and put it into gear.
Babe moved to get out of her way, but then changed her mind as she approach Bianca's window, "Goodbye Bianca you were my best friend I could ask for even if I wasn't to you. Now I will get out of your way." Babe move to the left as Bianca's foot hit the peddle sending the car out into the street. Taking Bianca and Miranda back to the life that they deserve and to be out of Babe's life forever.