Title: Your Baby
Rating- PG-13
Summary: Babe finds the courage to tell Bianca about Miranda. After Bianca has Miranda, Babe, Kendall, JR, Adam, David, and the whole town bands together to find baby boy Chandler.
Disclaimer: I do not own All My Children nor it's characters.
AN: Takes place after the week of June 28th-July 2nd. Babe has fully recovered from her drug overdose. I don't know what else to call it, besides JR trying to hurt her.
Babe put a hand to the tiny cheek, feeling the soft skin. Her hand trailed to the little stomach where the baby's chest went up and down with each sweet, innocent breath. This beautiful little creature with rosy cheeks and a beautiful smile warmed her heart but it also made her ache with hurt, guilt, and regret. She knew she had to tell this horrible secret. It was killing her not to tell anyone.
"Sweet little Miranda." She whispered softly. "What am I going to do?"
It had been a couple weeks since Babe had been home from the hospital after the mysterious drugging incident. She still had no idea who would want to hurt her. Her father, David, she still couldn't believe it, had saved her and when she opened her eyes and saw him looking at her with this look of complete worry, she felt horrible. She also felt horrible for Bianca, who did not deserve to be put through this kind of pain. The pain of loosing a child. But she was right here, underneath her mobile, sleeping soundly, dreaming of the stars.
Babe went to the window and winced at the thunder. It couldn't be storming. It was too soon. She closed her eyes as she remembered handing Miranda to Bianca...watching Bianca look into her baby's eyes...giving birth to her own baby boy. She closed her sweater and folded her arms, trying to warm herself up from the cold.
She went to Miranda and started to pull her blanket up over her chest when Miranda's eyes opened and she looked at Babe with wide eyes. Babe let out a gasp. She could see Bianca in her eyes, her nose, her mouth, and her cheeks. A tear slid down her cheek.
She knew what she had to do. She could no longer hide behind her mother.
"Come on, angel. It's time to go see mama." She picked Miranda up and wrapped her up in a blanket. She went into her bedroom and wrote a quick note to JR before grabbing her jacket and bag. She left the mansion, wincing again as the lightning struck. Miranda let out a scared cry and Babe soothed her. "It's okay, sweetie. It's okay."
She got into the car and drove towards Maggie's apartment. She grabbed Miranda and went up to the door and knocked. Maggie answered, laughing at something Jamie said.
"Hey Babe! How are you doing?"
"Fine. Listen, have you seen Bianca?"
"She was here earlier but she headed over to see Kendall. Why, is something wrong?"
"No! I...I need to talk to her...about Miranda." Babe looked down at the baby.
"What about Miranda?" Jamie asked.
Babe shook her head. "It's a long story. I need to tell Bianca first, though. I'll explain later. Maggie, if she calls, tell her I'm looking for her."
"Sure, no problem." She watched as Babe walked off. Maggie looked at Jamie. "Miranda?" He shrugged.
Kendall opened the door of her condo and sighed. "Yes, Babe?"
"Is Bianca here?" Babe soothed Miranda when she started crying.
"You just missed her. Is something wrong?"
Babe shook her head. "Kendall, I'm so sorry. I should have told her sooner."
"Told her what? Babe, is this about my niece?" Kendall looked at her anxiously.
Babe let out a little sob. "I'm sorry, Kendall. I really am." Miranda started crying and Babe sighed. "Miranda, what's the matter with you?"
"Miranda?" Kendall looked at her accusingly. "Babe, you better tell me what's going on?"
"I have to get her to Bianca!"
"No you better tell me why you just called her Miranda, right now!"
"Because it is! I didn't mean to lie. But mama told me it was the only way I could keep JR."
Kendall just glared at her. "So you let my baby sister think her child was dead?"
"I didn't want to. I wanted to tell her so badly. I swear I did." Miranda kept crying and Babe tried to shush her.
"Let me take her." Kendall held out her arms.
Babe hesitated.
"She's my niece." Kendall said.
Babe gulped and handed Miranda over to Kendall. Kendall held Miranda close to her and she rocked her. She hummed a bit and Miranda quieted down.
"H...how did you do that?" Babe asked.
Kendall looked at Babe. "She recognizes me I guess. I talked to her all the time when she was inside Bianca's belly."
Babe's lip trembled. "I need to find Bianca. But she's so peaceful, I can't take her from you."
"I'll watch her for you. Is it all right if I call Erica? She needs to be acquainted with her granddaughter."
Babe nodded and handed Kendall the baby bag. "Keep her safe, Kendall."
Kendall nodded and watched Babe walk away. Kendall looked down at Miranda and tears fell. "Oh Mimo. You're really here. I hate to say this to you and Bianca will kill me but...you just helped me win. Now let's get you reacquainted with your Auntie Kendall." She closed the door to her condo before going inside.
Babe checked everywhere she could but could not find Bianca. Where was she? She finally grabbed her cell phone and dialed Bianca's cell number.
"Hello?"
"Bianca? Where are you?"
"I'm at the crash site. Babe, is everything all right? Where are you?"
"I'm on my way there. I need to talk to you...about that night."
"Okay. I'll be here."
Babe hung up and wiped her face. When she got there, she went over to where Bianca sat staring into the river. Bianca looked at her and smiled. "Hey."
"Hi. Why are you here?"
Bianca shrugged. "The lightning led me here. I bet it's going to rain. It hasn't rained since..." She looked away.
"Bianca, I have to tell you something. I've been avoiding it forever and...it's not fair to you, Kendall, Erica, JR, or Miranda."
Bianca looked at her curiously. "Miranda? What do you mean it's not fair to her?"
"Bianca, I remember everything about that night. I remember leaving you and that beautiful baby to find help...I remember calling Paul Cramer, which was the STUPIDEST thing I ever did...and I remember giving birth to the most beautiful, precious baby boy."
Bianca looked at her like she was crazy. She shook her head. "No. No you had a girl. You had a baby girl...Bess."
Babe shook her head. She sat down across from Bianca. "Paul...he told me my baby died. He told me I lost my baby. But at the hospital, everyone told me I had a girl and that your precious baby girl passed away. But then I found out. I found out Tad had done a DNA test and my mother switched our names on the samples. I see you everytime I look at that beautiful child."
Bianca just stared at her before getting up and walking a few steps from her.
Babe got up and looked at her. "Bianca, believe me I wanted to tell you. Watching you hold her was the hardest thing. But my mama told me I had to keep it a secret...to keep JR. I'm so sorry Bianca."
"How long?" Bianca asked coldly.
"How long what?"
Bianca turned angrily. "How long have you known?"
"A couple of months."
Bianca looked at her in shock. "And you kept this from me?"
"I didn't want to, believe me! If I could, I would go back to that night and instead of calling Paul, I would have called 911 like I was supposed to." She reached for Bianca but Bianca backed away.
"Who else knows?"
Babe gulped. "My mom, David, he's only known a couple weeks mama won't let him tell you and he's been trying to! Kendall, Ryan, and Greenlee had their suspicions. I just took Miranda to her; Kendall was so upset with me. Miranda was scared of the storm and Kendall got her to calm down real fast. Kendall said she was gonna call your mom and tell her."
Bianca closed her eyes. "I can't believe you. How could you do this to me? I thought you were my friend! I trusted you!"
"I'm so sorry, Bianca! I'm a horrible person you can hate me forever. But I am so sorry. It killed me keeping Miranda from you. That's why I wanted you near her all the time but JR has been such a pain and...I couldn't subject you or Miranda to that."
Bianca was in tears and the rain that started falling didn't help. "Babe, she's my baby girl! I missed three months! THREE months! She'll probably cry and I won't know if it's because she's hungry or she has no idea where her mother is!"
"She will know! She knows. I don't know how but somehow she knows. You're her mama. You're the person who should be holding, caring, and loving her."
Bianca covered her eyes and she started sobbing. She fell to the ground and Babe held her in her arms. Bianca wrapped her arms around her, both girls crying for two innocent lives.
After a few minutes, Bianca wiped her eyes but the rain still beat down on them. "Wait a minute. Babe, if Paul told JR that Miranda was Bess, why would he tell you that you lost your baby boy?"
Babe shook her head. "I don't know. I really don't know."
"Then there's a chance. There's a chance your baby is alive."
"Bianca, don't do this!"
"He LIED Babe! He lied about Miranda, why wouldn't he lie about your baby boy?"
"Because he told Adam and JR that I had a baby girl and they were forcing him to tell them where the baby was."
"Still. It does not mean he didn't lie."
"Bianca. Oh God..." Babe held her friend close.
"Well?"
Erica looked at Kendall and nodded. "I'm sorry. I just went back to when Bianca was a baby. She looks just like Bianca did."
Kendall gulped. "So...this is Miranda?"
Erica smiled. "I suppose so. Oh she's so beautiful. How could I have been so...hateful to this precious child."
Kendall sighed. "Listen mother...about what I said at the intervention..."
"It's water under the bridge. And besides, you spoke from the heart. You didn't know Miranda was alive."
Miranda cooed and Kendall and Erica laughed.
There was a knock on the door and Kendall went to answer. She gasped seeing two drenched young women.
"Babe! Bianca, get in here before you catch a cold. Oh my God!" She shut the door and ran to get some towels.
Erica turned. "Oh honey, are you all right?"
Bianca nodded. "I'm fine." Her eyes were focused on the child in her mother's arms. Kendal rushed over and handed a towel to Babe before wrapping one around Bianca.
"Here you go. I'll get you guys some warm clothes, okay?"
"Kendall, you don't need to do this." Babe said.
"Do not argue with me." Kendall warned her. Babe smiled and Kendall went into her room.
Bianca broke out of her stupor. "Mom?"
"Yes, darling?"
"It's really her, isn't it?" Bianca bit her lip.
Erica nodded. "It's her. I see you in her. It's like holding you all over again."
Bianca smiled weakly. Kendall came back with some clothes.
"I managed to find some sweats and t-shirts that would fit."
"Thanks Kendall. I'll change in your room." Bianca headed over to that area. Babe smiled and went into the bathroom.
Kendall looked at Erica. Erica grinned.
"Did you see how badly Bianca wanted to rip this child from my arms?"
"Yes, mother." Kendall gave Miranda a soft smile. "The last time she held her was in the cabin."
"I don't think that's true, Kendall."
"Well no she has held Miranda. But she didn't know."
"You look happy Kendall. Why?"
"This may sound insensitive. It has to do with Ryan and...the whole Cambias fortune thing."
Erica nodded in understanding. "Don't forget, Bianca has the power for now. She might be generous."
"I know! I know! But still, it'll be nice to rub it in Ryan's face."
"Kendall." Bianca gave her sister a knowing grin. "Are we scheming again?"
"Of course not! Now Bianca, will you please take your child and begin bonding!"
Bianca was too glad to oblige. She went over to Erica and gently took her baby into her arms.
"Oh...my beautiful, sweet Miranda." She sat on the couch and held her close. "You have no idea how much I have missed you." Thunder struck and Miranda let out a cry. "Sh, it's okay angel. Mommy's here and she's going to keep you safe and sound. When the rain is pouring, I will bring you warm chocolate and hold you close. When the sun is hot and bright, I'll dress you in a beautiful summer dress and feed you all the ice cream you want. When you're sad, I'll kiss your tears away and when you're happy, I'll laugh right along with you. And when you're scared, I'll make the monsters in your closet go away and I'll shower you with hugs and kisses." Bianca sniffled. "I love you so much. I have wished and prayed that you would come back to me. And now you have."
Erica sat beside her daughter and wrapped an arm around her. Kendall noticed Babe standing at the bathroom doorway, crying softly. She walked over and hugged her, soothing her quietly.
TBC