I had to take a break... wrecked my car and lost my will to right for
awhile... but I am back now! So where am I going from here? And why did
Bianca get her baby back so soon? Well to tell you the truth this story is
HOPEFULLY going to be more about Kendall and David... more romance... but don't
worry I will make it worth it... I HOPE... Serendipity
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It was so hard for Babe to admit her child was gone... standing there and staring Bianca holding the child that she had loved her as her very own.
Her heart was filled with such a pain that she didn't think she could bear it... every touch... every moment she had cherished had been a lie. All this time her child was dead, and she hadn't even known it.
Turning away she started to walk out of the cottage. Where was she going to go? How in the world would she explain this to JR? She felt like she was dying and when she told JR she knew the pain and hurt that would show on his face would be the final blow.
Tad had been watching her. He was glad that Miranda was back with Bianca but he knew how much Babe must be hurting. Stopping her at the door he pulled her into his arms.
"Babe... please..." Bianca wanted to look at every inch of her child... wanted to count her toes, smell her sweet baby smell, but having grieved for her child she knew exactly what Babe must be going through.
Giving Kendall a look she carefully handed Miranda to Kendall and walked over to her friend.
Tad released Babe and Bianca took hold of her friend's arms.
"Oh Bianca! You have to believe me... I didn't... Oh God! I swear I didn't know..."
"I know Babe... It's not your fault... this was not your fault..." Bianca wrapped her arms around her and held her sobbing form in her arms, "We are going to get through this... together ok... I promise... you are not alone..."
"I don't think I can take this... how can I tell JR that his child is dead... that my sweet baby is dead... Oh Bianca... my dreams... the memories of having a little boy... was my child a boy... I can't... I can't do this..." Babe couldn't hold back the tears... she finally just broke down and cried in the arms of the only person who understood the anguish she was feeling.
"We will figure it, ok? I am here and I am not going to let you go through this alone... ok..."
Kendall couldn't help it, the moment Miranda had been placed in Bianca's arms tears had started to fall down her cheeks.
Watching Bianca hold on to Babe had reminded her just how special, how beautiful inside her baby sister really was.
Looking down at Miranda she pressed a kiss on her niece's forehead, "Welcome home sweet angel... you are the luckiest baby in all the world... your mother is the bravest, most beautiful woman I know..."
Erica stood staring at her daughters and her granddaughter. They had all been through hell, but now maybe things would be good for them all... maybe the pain was behind them... and then looking at poor babe she amended her thought. Once Babe could begin to find peace too, the pain would go away.
David was happy for Bianca, sad for Babe... but more than anything was angry. He was angry with Paul Kramer and he would find that little weasel and make him pay or the hurt he had caused these young women.
Babe pulled back from Bianca, "What am I going to do?"
"Babe... you mean what are WE going to do?" She tenderly wiped a tear from Babe's face.
"Ok... What are we going to do? About JR... about everything?" Babe knew that if Bianca was there... just maybe she could get through this... maybe she could find some kind of strength to make it through this.
"Well, Babe, I think we should all go see my father... do another test... just for the record... and then we will all sit down and figure this out... ok?" Tad smiled an encouraging smile, even though he didn't feel it in his heart.
"Another test? I guess you are right... I just don't know... should I call JR now? What do I do?" Babe had no answers, at this point she felt like she was on the outside staring down at the whole scene.
"If you really think we should go Tad then we will all go... Babe, maybe you should call your mom... tell her to meet us at this hospital? We'll go from there. Then we can sit down and figure out how to tell JR. We are all in this together ok."
"My mom..." Scenes from the last month flashed before her eyes. Scenes where her mom was avoiding her... avoiding Bess... acting strange...
Tad knew the moment she realized the same thing he had figured out when the DNA test came back in the clinic.
"My mom..." That was all she could say as she turned and looked at Tad. All he could do was nod; he didn't have the heart to say it out loud.
Anger began to build in Babe, she felt so hurt and betrayed that her mom had known all this time that Bess was not her child... and she had kept it from them all. Oh, she would justify it by saying that she was doing it for Babe... but nothing would make it right.
Everyone stood there and waited for the two women to decide what they wanted to do. "Ok... we'll go. But, I don't want to call momma or JR... not yet... I need to think..."
"Ok Babe, whatever you want." Bianca said.
At that point Miranda began to fuss and both women stepped forward to take care of her.
Babe flinched and stepped back, "I am sorry...Bianca... go and meet your daughter... you have been separated for way too long... and I can't change it... but I can step back and let you be her mother now..."
Bianca nodded and walked over and took her child from her sister's arms. "Well... I don't have a car seat in my car... Babe, can we go in yours? I am sure Tad will drive..." Looking at Tad she waited for confirmation.
"Sure... we'll go together... Erica?" He knew before even asking that she would want to go to support Bianca.
"If Bianca wants me to go..." Erica didn't want to step on her daughter's toes. A lot had happened in the last hour.
"Mom... of course, I need you to be there..." Bianca said without hesitation.
Kendall walked over and hugged Babe and then put her hand on Bianca's shoulder. "I am going to stay here, ok... get things settled for when you bring Miranda home, ok?"
"I'll give you a hand Kendall." David offered. He didn't have any business going with them, so he would stay and help Kendall in anyway he could.
After the crowd left in a somber mood David turned to Kendall and opened his arms. No matter what had happened between them he knew what she needed.
Kendall didn't even hesitate; she walked straight into his arms and started to cry... tears of happiness and tears of sadness... Miranda was alive and Bianca's life could go on happy... but Babe's hell had just begun... and it was hard to be happy when you saw a heart break before your very eyes.
After a minute, she gathered herself together and pulled back, "Thank you." That was all she could say... all she needed to say. "I would do it all over again... SO... what do you say we turn that empty guestroom into a nursery? We have maybe four hours... so we have a lot to do!"
Kendall laughed, "You're right... so we need a baby bed... formula, bottles, diapers... oh my... so many things... you think we could do it in four hours?"
Then Kendall had a plan, "Wait... I know what we need to do..."
An hour later, Jackson, Reggie, and Maggie stood in the living room of the cottage speechless.
No one could believe it... there were tears, questions, and a lot of confusion.
"So, they are at the hospital right now?" Jackson asked.
"Yes... and you can go up there if you want... but I really need your help. I need to make the guest room into a nursery and I have...um... maybe three hours to do it... can you help me?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Maggie laughed wiping the tears from her face and jumped up...
Jobs were delegated and assignments passed out. Maggie and Kendall would go and pick out the major baby accessories. Jackson, David and Reggie would move all the boxes and left over junk in the guestroom out to the storage shed. As soon as the girls could get back with the baby gear they would sit down and put it all together.
Sitting down in the lobby Bianca rocked her baby back and forth staring down at the tiny face that was peacefully sleeping. Then she looked up and stared at Babe who was standing and staring out the window.
She couldn't help feeling joy at holding her child in her arms, but her heart ached for Babe. They didn't have much longer to wait for the results... as if they were even in question, so Babe had called JR and asked him to come to the hospital. Poor Babe... and JR... lord knows how he would take the news with his Chandler temper.
It was at that moment that Krystal and JR rushed into the hospital.
"Where's Bess? What's wrong with my daughter!" JR rushed over to Babe and grabbed her arms, he hadn't seen Bianca sitting quietly next to Erica and Tad holding the baby.
Krystal noticed and saw Tad sitting there, "What in the hell is going on? Tad?"
"I think you might want to be asking me that momma...not Tad." Babe gathered her strength and stepped away from JR. JR looked from Babe to Bianca sitting there holding his daughter... What was going on here?
"Babe? What's going on?"
"JR... I don't know how to say this... please, just listen to me and I'll try and explain..." She began.
"Babe! Come on... what are you doing?" Krystal asked, but in her heart she knew that her daughter had figured out the truth.
"Momma... I love you, but this is none of your business... not anymore... JR... Bess is really Miranda... our baby...our baby is the one that died..."
"The HELL you say!" Adam may have been late, but he sure knew how to make an entrance, "That is just another lie...You've all gone crazy!"
"This is one sick joke... how can you stand there and say that to me... huh, how can you stand there and lie... you found out about the divorce right... and this is just another lie to ... to..."
"Divorce? What are you talking about..." Babe felt her heart begin to pound.
"JR... it's not a lie," Tad stood up and walked over to offer Babe some support.
"Martin... you did this... you pulled some scheme!" Adam shouted.
"I knew you were sick Tad Martin... but I had no idea!" Krystal joined in , she knew that as long as Adam was on her side she had a powerful ally.
"Oh Momma! Shut up! We wouldn't be going through this now if you hadn't messed with the last test... so don't start... JR... I am not lying... I didn't know... I didn't..."
"You... you expect me to believe you... that my child is dead... my daughter..."
"It was a boy JR! The baby was a boy... I knew it, remember I told you and you said it was all a dream... I just..." Babe started to break down again.
"A boy? I can't... this is a lie... it's got be... get away from me! Just... get away... I can't even look at you." With that he turned and stormed out of the hospital.
"I can't believe you... you lying little tramp!" Adam started to go after Babe.
"You leave her alone... she's right Bess is Miranda... I switched the tests... she had no idea... Babe and JR's baby died the night of the crash!" Krystal couldn't let that man attack her baby for something that was not her fault.
"Well... If I were to really believe this nonsense... then I guess you realize your free ride is over... If I see you anywhere near my house... In fact I am sure that laws were broken... you will pay for this..." Adam followed the path his son had taken... he didn't want to face the fact that his grandchild was really dead... he would except it when hell froze over.
Babe broke down crying and Krystal tried to comfort her, "Oh baby doll! I am so sorry..."
Babe pushed her away "How could you momma? How could you not tell me my sweet little baby was dead? I just can't... please go... I can't deal with you... right now..."
Krystal turned to leave and struggled with wanting to comfort her daughter, but she knew now was not the time. Shooting a look of hate at Tad she turned and left.
Turning Babe looked at Bianca, "What do I do... Where... What am I going to do?"
"You are going to come home with me. I have room and I would love to have you come and stay..." Erica stood up and walked over to Babe, "You not only brought my grandchild into this world, but you took care of her until... until now... so please come home with me."
Bianca stood up and walked over to Babe, "Mom is right... Babe, please stay with her... we are going to figure things out, I promise, it's just going to take some time. Besides everything mom said... she forgot to mention that you are family now... and as your family... we are going to be there for you and take care of you... ok."
Miranda let out a little noise and Bianca and Babe laughed, it was so cute and they couldn't help it. It was as if she was agreeing to it...
Babe agreed and the group decided that the results could wait... what mattered was that the truth was known... but inside their minds they each wanted to know why this had been done to them... and the only way to figure that out was to find Paul Kramer.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
It was so hard for Babe to admit her child was gone... standing there and staring Bianca holding the child that she had loved her as her very own.
Her heart was filled with such a pain that she didn't think she could bear it... every touch... every moment she had cherished had been a lie. All this time her child was dead, and she hadn't even known it.
Turning away she started to walk out of the cottage. Where was she going to go? How in the world would she explain this to JR? She felt like she was dying and when she told JR she knew the pain and hurt that would show on his face would be the final blow.
Tad had been watching her. He was glad that Miranda was back with Bianca but he knew how much Babe must be hurting. Stopping her at the door he pulled her into his arms.
"Babe... please..." Bianca wanted to look at every inch of her child... wanted to count her toes, smell her sweet baby smell, but having grieved for her child she knew exactly what Babe must be going through.
Giving Kendall a look she carefully handed Miranda to Kendall and walked over to her friend.
Tad released Babe and Bianca took hold of her friend's arms.
"Oh Bianca! You have to believe me... I didn't... Oh God! I swear I didn't know..."
"I know Babe... It's not your fault... this was not your fault..." Bianca wrapped her arms around her and held her sobbing form in her arms, "We are going to get through this... together ok... I promise... you are not alone..."
"I don't think I can take this... how can I tell JR that his child is dead... that my sweet baby is dead... Oh Bianca... my dreams... the memories of having a little boy... was my child a boy... I can't... I can't do this..." Babe couldn't hold back the tears... she finally just broke down and cried in the arms of the only person who understood the anguish she was feeling.
"We will figure it, ok? I am here and I am not going to let you go through this alone... ok..."
Kendall couldn't help it, the moment Miranda had been placed in Bianca's arms tears had started to fall down her cheeks.
Watching Bianca hold on to Babe had reminded her just how special, how beautiful inside her baby sister really was.
Looking down at Miranda she pressed a kiss on her niece's forehead, "Welcome home sweet angel... you are the luckiest baby in all the world... your mother is the bravest, most beautiful woman I know..."
Erica stood staring at her daughters and her granddaughter. They had all been through hell, but now maybe things would be good for them all... maybe the pain was behind them... and then looking at poor babe she amended her thought. Once Babe could begin to find peace too, the pain would go away.
David was happy for Bianca, sad for Babe... but more than anything was angry. He was angry with Paul Kramer and he would find that little weasel and make him pay or the hurt he had caused these young women.
Babe pulled back from Bianca, "What am I going to do?"
"Babe... you mean what are WE going to do?" She tenderly wiped a tear from Babe's face.
"Ok... What are we going to do? About JR... about everything?" Babe knew that if Bianca was there... just maybe she could get through this... maybe she could find some kind of strength to make it through this.
"Well, Babe, I think we should all go see my father... do another test... just for the record... and then we will all sit down and figure this out... ok?" Tad smiled an encouraging smile, even though he didn't feel it in his heart.
"Another test? I guess you are right... I just don't know... should I call JR now? What do I do?" Babe had no answers, at this point she felt like she was on the outside staring down at the whole scene.
"If you really think we should go Tad then we will all go... Babe, maybe you should call your mom... tell her to meet us at this hospital? We'll go from there. Then we can sit down and figure out how to tell JR. We are all in this together ok."
"My mom..." Scenes from the last month flashed before her eyes. Scenes where her mom was avoiding her... avoiding Bess... acting strange...
Tad knew the moment she realized the same thing he had figured out when the DNA test came back in the clinic.
"My mom..." That was all she could say as she turned and looked at Tad. All he could do was nod; he didn't have the heart to say it out loud.
Anger began to build in Babe, she felt so hurt and betrayed that her mom had known all this time that Bess was not her child... and she had kept it from them all. Oh, she would justify it by saying that she was doing it for Babe... but nothing would make it right.
Everyone stood there and waited for the two women to decide what they wanted to do. "Ok... we'll go. But, I don't want to call momma or JR... not yet... I need to think..."
"Ok Babe, whatever you want." Bianca said.
At that point Miranda began to fuss and both women stepped forward to take care of her.
Babe flinched and stepped back, "I am sorry...Bianca... go and meet your daughter... you have been separated for way too long... and I can't change it... but I can step back and let you be her mother now..."
Bianca nodded and walked over and took her child from her sister's arms. "Well... I don't have a car seat in my car... Babe, can we go in yours? I am sure Tad will drive..." Looking at Tad she waited for confirmation.
"Sure... we'll go together... Erica?" He knew before even asking that she would want to go to support Bianca.
"If Bianca wants me to go..." Erica didn't want to step on her daughter's toes. A lot had happened in the last hour.
"Mom... of course, I need you to be there..." Bianca said without hesitation.
Kendall walked over and hugged Babe and then put her hand on Bianca's shoulder. "I am going to stay here, ok... get things settled for when you bring Miranda home, ok?"
"I'll give you a hand Kendall." David offered. He didn't have any business going with them, so he would stay and help Kendall in anyway he could.
After the crowd left in a somber mood David turned to Kendall and opened his arms. No matter what had happened between them he knew what she needed.
Kendall didn't even hesitate; she walked straight into his arms and started to cry... tears of happiness and tears of sadness... Miranda was alive and Bianca's life could go on happy... but Babe's hell had just begun... and it was hard to be happy when you saw a heart break before your very eyes.
After a minute, she gathered herself together and pulled back, "Thank you." That was all she could say... all she needed to say. "I would do it all over again... SO... what do you say we turn that empty guestroom into a nursery? We have maybe four hours... so we have a lot to do!"
Kendall laughed, "You're right... so we need a baby bed... formula, bottles, diapers... oh my... so many things... you think we could do it in four hours?"
Then Kendall had a plan, "Wait... I know what we need to do..."
An hour later, Jackson, Reggie, and Maggie stood in the living room of the cottage speechless.
No one could believe it... there were tears, questions, and a lot of confusion.
"So, they are at the hospital right now?" Jackson asked.
"Yes... and you can go up there if you want... but I really need your help. I need to make the guest room into a nursery and I have...um... maybe three hours to do it... can you help me?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Maggie laughed wiping the tears from her face and jumped up...
Jobs were delegated and assignments passed out. Maggie and Kendall would go and pick out the major baby accessories. Jackson, David and Reggie would move all the boxes and left over junk in the guestroom out to the storage shed. As soon as the girls could get back with the baby gear they would sit down and put it all together.
Sitting down in the lobby Bianca rocked her baby back and forth staring down at the tiny face that was peacefully sleeping. Then she looked up and stared at Babe who was standing and staring out the window.
She couldn't help feeling joy at holding her child in her arms, but her heart ached for Babe. They didn't have much longer to wait for the results... as if they were even in question, so Babe had called JR and asked him to come to the hospital. Poor Babe... and JR... lord knows how he would take the news with his Chandler temper.
It was at that moment that Krystal and JR rushed into the hospital.
"Where's Bess? What's wrong with my daughter!" JR rushed over to Babe and grabbed her arms, he hadn't seen Bianca sitting quietly next to Erica and Tad holding the baby.
Krystal noticed and saw Tad sitting there, "What in the hell is going on? Tad?"
"I think you might want to be asking me that momma...not Tad." Babe gathered her strength and stepped away from JR. JR looked from Babe to Bianca sitting there holding his daughter... What was going on here?
"Babe? What's going on?"
"JR... I don't know how to say this... please, just listen to me and I'll try and explain..." She began.
"Babe! Come on... what are you doing?" Krystal asked, but in her heart she knew that her daughter had figured out the truth.
"Momma... I love you, but this is none of your business... not anymore... JR... Bess is really Miranda... our baby...our baby is the one that died..."
"The HELL you say!" Adam may have been late, but he sure knew how to make an entrance, "That is just another lie...You've all gone crazy!"
"This is one sick joke... how can you stand there and say that to me... huh, how can you stand there and lie... you found out about the divorce right... and this is just another lie to ... to..."
"Divorce? What are you talking about..." Babe felt her heart begin to pound.
"JR... it's not a lie," Tad stood up and walked over to offer Babe some support.
"Martin... you did this... you pulled some scheme!" Adam shouted.
"I knew you were sick Tad Martin... but I had no idea!" Krystal joined in , she knew that as long as Adam was on her side she had a powerful ally.
"Oh Momma! Shut up! We wouldn't be going through this now if you hadn't messed with the last test... so don't start... JR... I am not lying... I didn't know... I didn't..."
"You... you expect me to believe you... that my child is dead... my daughter..."
"It was a boy JR! The baby was a boy... I knew it, remember I told you and you said it was all a dream... I just..." Babe started to break down again.
"A boy? I can't... this is a lie... it's got be... get away from me! Just... get away... I can't even look at you." With that he turned and stormed out of the hospital.
"I can't believe you... you lying little tramp!" Adam started to go after Babe.
"You leave her alone... she's right Bess is Miranda... I switched the tests... she had no idea... Babe and JR's baby died the night of the crash!" Krystal couldn't let that man attack her baby for something that was not her fault.
"Well... If I were to really believe this nonsense... then I guess you realize your free ride is over... If I see you anywhere near my house... In fact I am sure that laws were broken... you will pay for this..." Adam followed the path his son had taken... he didn't want to face the fact that his grandchild was really dead... he would except it when hell froze over.
Babe broke down crying and Krystal tried to comfort her, "Oh baby doll! I am so sorry..."
Babe pushed her away "How could you momma? How could you not tell me my sweet little baby was dead? I just can't... please go... I can't deal with you... right now..."
Krystal turned to leave and struggled with wanting to comfort her daughter, but she knew now was not the time. Shooting a look of hate at Tad she turned and left.
Turning Babe looked at Bianca, "What do I do... Where... What am I going to do?"
"You are going to come home with me. I have room and I would love to have you come and stay..." Erica stood up and walked over to Babe, "You not only brought my grandchild into this world, but you took care of her until... until now... so please come home with me."
Bianca stood up and walked over to Babe, "Mom is right... Babe, please stay with her... we are going to figure things out, I promise, it's just going to take some time. Besides everything mom said... she forgot to mention that you are family now... and as your family... we are going to be there for you and take care of you... ok."
Miranda let out a little noise and Bianca and Babe laughed, it was so cute and they couldn't help it. It was as if she was agreeing to it...
Babe agreed and the group decided that the results could wait... what mattered was that the truth was known... but inside their minds they each wanted to know why this had been done to them... and the only way to figure that out was to find Paul Kramer.