Babe came to a stop outside the Solomon home. It was a larger sized white house. It seemed way too big for just Helen and Jack to live there all alone. It seemed like it should have been a house that was filled with children. Babe did remember that Helen had said that Emily had two brothers. But if it was true and Babe was in fact the missing Emily, she wanted to know it all. She now had this burning desire to know everything about her birth parents, he biological family.
She paused a moment before ringing the bell. She took a deep breath, not knowing why she was so nervous. Her palms sweat and her heart beat just a bit faster than usual. But she paused to compose herself as the front door swung open.
"Emily." Helen said but then stopped, correcting herself. "Babe... please, come in. Make yourself comfortable. My husband should be home soon. He's doing a favor for my son."
Babe smiled as she stepped inside. "I... I'd really like to know about him." Babe said. "I mean... if I really am Emily... I have a family that I shoulda known growing up. I have two brothers, right?"
Helen didn't even hesitate. "Yes. JJ and Mark."
"Well what do they do?" Babe asked curiously.
"Mark... is a student. He goes to Llanview University."
"And JJ?" she asked. "What about him?"
Helen's heart sank and Babe could see that. "JJ... JJ was killed about four years ago... in a car wreck."
Babe cried freely, arms wrapped around herself. "Oh my God..." she said.
"After that day, I had lost all three of my babies." What happened to Mark?" Babe sniffled.
"He shut down," Helen explained. "He went away to school and... we hardly saw or heard from him. Not even on holidays... birthdays. Not at all."
"But you're close now, right? I mean... you live closer now than you used to."
"Mark got hurt a little while back. It's what brought us here to Llanview. It's gotten a little better between the three of us since then."
"Is he OK now? Mark?"
"Yes," Helen replied. "He's recuperating slowly. He's in therapy now for his motor skills." She paused. "But now a friend of his is in the hospital and it's not very good."
"That's horrible," Babe said.
"I just hope that someone got in touch with the boy's family. Family is important to Nick now."
"So he and Mark are friends?"
Helen nodded. "He sat with Mark when he was in the hospital. All the time."
"They sound close," Babe smiled as the front door opened. Both women looked back as Jack stepped inside.
"I didn't know we were having company," Jack said removing his coat. "Was I supposed to know we were having company?"
"Oh... no sir," Babe said. "I don't... I don't think so. I'm Bella Carey. Babe."
"Don't you recognize her, Jack?" Helen said. "It's our baby. She's our Emily."
>>>>>>
John's office was silent. So silent that he could have caught up on most of the sleep he didn't get the night before from working a case. He jumped at the sudden sound of knocking at his door.
"Yeah..." John straightened up in his seat. "Yeah, come in." Michael entered slowly. "Mike. What's up?"
"I need to talk to you," Michael said taking it upon himself to sit.
"Sounds serious," John tried to make light the situation.
"I told her,"
"Told who? What?" John said unsure.
"Marcie," Michael responded. "I told Marcie about what happened... with Aidan. I told her what I did."
"Jesus, Michael," John said. "What the hell... Where is your head!"
"I had to tell her..."
"Do you know what happens if anyone finds out about this?" John said. "We will go to jail. Jail, Michael. You can say goodbye to your job and your life and Marcie. And you, me, and Shannon will end up behind bars."
"Shannon didn't do anything wrong" Michael said.
"It doesn't matter now!" John said. "She was part of covering it up." He shook his head. "It's not just your ass on the line here Mikey."
"Marcie won't tell anyone," he said "I know she won't."
"You better hope not," John said. "And you keep your mouth shut about this. I am not going to lose everything because I covered for you. Do you understand me Michael. Drop the whole thing. Forget it happened. Forget it."