Disclaimer: This is an original story based upon the characters of Gilmore Girls. No copyright infringement is intended and no profit will be made from this story.
Author's Note: Thank you all who read and reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate it. Your reviews are always helpful. Thank you for being honest and thorough. I hope you all enjoy this next installment.
The plane was dark as it was a night flight and slightly chilly. I couldn't sleep, but I pulled the blanket the stewardess had given me up and snuggled deeper into Richard's embrace. He wasn't sleeping either. He was looking out the window, watching the silvery clouds go by. The plane seemed to be crawling across the clouds, it felt like we would never get there. I reached up and took another sip of my ginger ale, hoping it would serve to calm my stomach. I knew though that what ailed my stomach could not be cured by ginger ale.
"Richard?" I asked and he turned to me.
"Yes?"
"Do you really think it's possible? Do you really think it could be Alicia?" I asked and I could see the same anxious lines on his forehead—he was wondering the same thing.
"I don't know Emily," he said.
"It just seems too easy," I sighed. "I mean…what are the chances? Out of all the neighborhoods in the world, they move into Missie's and Missie recognizes Alicia? Doesn't it just sound too easy?"
He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. "Emily, our daughter was kidnapped when she was two, you've been having nightmares for thirty-seven years, our granddaughters been missing for a week, in the last twenty-four hours, you've been shot at by a woman who just a month ago you thought was your friend, and we have a son-in-law in the hospital, I think we deserve an easy."
"But Richard—really, what are the odds? And…do you really think Missie could have recognized Alicia? She's only ever seen pictures. Do you really think it's her?"
He reached over and pulled the blanket tighter around me, "Try to sleep Emily," he whispered gently and I knew that he was struggling with the same feelings.
"Richard?" I said again after a few minutes
"Yes?"
"I don't think I'm going to able to stand it if it's not her Richard. I couldn't bear it." I said, turning my face into his chest.
His only answer was to bring his big hand up and rest it on the back of my head.
The next thing I knew, Richard was shaking me gently, "Emily? Emily we're here. Wake up,"
I sat up—amazed that I had slept. I stood up and once again holding hands, Richard and I walked slowly off the plane. We didn't hurry this time—our hope and adrenaline having left us awhile ago. The world seemed to be running by us as we slowly made our way down the main hallway. Why was everyone in such a hurry? What was so incredibly important?
We stepped on the escalator and I smiled slightly as I saw Missie at the bottom waiting for us. It never ceased to amaze me how much she and Lorelai really looked like each other. They could easily pass for sisters. And suddenly my thoughts went to the baby I had lost, the baby I had forgotten I was ever carrying. Had it been a girl? Would it have looked something like Missie? During the brief ride down the escalator, I tried to call back my mind to anything, anything at all I could remember about the child I had carried inside of me for six weeks. Did I know I was pregnant? Was I planning to break the news to Richard in France? If I knew…did I kill that baby by agonizing over the loss of my other child?
Okay, that's enough. Stop it right now
We reached the bottom of the escalator and Missie walked towards us. I opened my arms and hugged her to me.
"Emily, it's good to see you," she said.
"It's good to see you too Dear," I said, brushing a hand over the back of her hair.
"Richard," she said, turning to Richard and shaking his hand.
"Nice to see you again" he said cordially.
"We should go," she said and motioned us to the door.
On the drive to her house, Missie told us all about the people she believed had Alicia. They were a middle-aged couple, in their mid thirties. From what she had found out, he was an accountant, she was a high school drama teacher and after years of trying to have their own child, and then years of waiting on the adoption list, they had finally been able to bring home a baby. They had been living in the city but had decided to move out to the suburbs when they found out they were getting a child. His name was David and her name was Jenny. They named the child Abigail and called her Abby for short. They didn't exactly sound like people in the baby buying and selling business.
It was about three o'clock in the morning by the time we reached Missie's house. She led us into the guest room. Richard and I were too nervous to sleep—knowing that Alicia could just be a few houses away, but we knew there was nothing we could do until morning.
"What are you going to do?" Missie asked, sitting on the edge of the bed while Richard was changing in the bathroom.
"I don't know," I replied. "If they are involved with the cult, and know where Alicia came from then they will probably try to run. If they don't know where Alicia came from, if they are just two people who adopted a baby and thought it was perfectly legal, then we can't just barge in and say, 'Sorry, this baby belongs to us!' I don't know, I think Richard might talk to Detective Stevens in the morning and see if he has any connections down here that have worked on this case before and can help us out,"
"That's a good idea," she said and then stood up and kissed me on the cheek. I put my arm around her.
"Goodnight Emily," she said.
"Goodnight Missie," I said back and watched her walk out the door. I have missed her. She never took Lorelai's place in my heart and she never ever could, but she had her own place and it felt good to have her back again.
Richard came out of the bathroom and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"What are we going to do?" I asked him.
"We're not even sure it is Alicia yet," he said. "We can't just go barging over there. We have to be sure."
"Do you think we should call the police?" I asked.
"If it were up to me," he said, "I would go over there right now and tear off every door in the place until we found her and if it was her, then I'd grab her and not let her out of my sight again until she was seventy-two,"
I couldn't help but smile in spite of everything. "And if it isn't Alicia?" I prodded.
He smiled slightly himself and then shrugged, "Then I'm sure we can have a very nice life living somewhere in Cancun under assumed names."
I chuckled slightly and then sat down behind him and began to massage his shoulders, he leaned into the massage, and for the first time in a week seemed to actually relax. After I stopped I put my chin on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around him.
"Oh Richard," I breathed. "We could see her tomorrow. We could be holding her in our arms tomorrow."
He reached over and took my hand and led me around to face him. "Emily," he said, and suddenly his voice took on the tone it had all those years ago when he was in the hospital—the "Emily we need to be practical tone."
"Emily…if it's not her, we need to be prepared."
I looked down at the floor and bit my lower lip, "I know Richard, I know,"
"We are going to do whatever we can to find her," he said. "We'll help Lorelai and Luke out however we can, but we need to think about the possibility that we may never find her."
I swallowed hard and kept staring at the floor. I knew he was right, I knew we had to be practical—but I couldn't do it that night in the hospital and I couldn't do it now. How could I be practical when I thought about living life with out Alicia Emily Danes in it? How could I live the rest of my life without that beautiful baby girl? She was a part of me. Even if she could live out the rest of her life with a family that loved her, a part of me would die—a part of me that could never live again.
"Tomorrow Richard," I said suddenly looking up at him. "I'll be practical tomorrow. Just let me have tonight," I suddenly felt tears stinging at my eyes, "Please," I pleaded, "Just let me have tonight,"
He reached down and brought me up to him, and I buried my head in his chest. "Alright," he whispered gently, "We'll have tonight,"
We laid down on the bed, and I snuggled into his embrace. Just for tonight things were going to be okay. Just for tonight I believed that tomorrow I was going to be holding my granddaughter and I was going to hold her all the way to where I would deliver her to her mother's waiting arms.
It wasn't long until the first traces of the sun started peeping through the window. We had both drifted in and out of sleep but we as soon as we saw the day coming we both were up and dressed. It was as if both of us were trying to out run the practicality that was supposed to be with us when the day came.
Richard called Detective Stevens, who was very surprised to hear from us in Los Angeles. He offered to fly out as soon as he could and handle the case personally, as it was his home office, but knowing that we couldn't wait that long, he was going to send another officer in his division, a Detective Simms whom he trusted and a few police officers. He would call and brief Simms on the situation and we could expect them within the hour.
Richard and I ate a small breakfast with Missie and none of us could say anything. I was so nervous my fork wouldn't stop shaking enough to put any eggs on it. When the doorbell rang, all three of us jumped. Missie hurried to the door, and opened it. Four men stepped inside, the one dressed in a suit and tie extended his hand towards Missie. "Mrs. Bates, I'm Detective Simms" he said. She shook his hand and motioned towards us. "Nice to meet you, these are the Gilmores," she said.
Richard stood up and extended his hand, "I'm Richard, this is my wife Emily."
I shook the man's hand as well and then he motioned us to sit down in the living room. We sat down on the couch and he sat across from us.
"Now, you understand that I can't do anything until we know for sure that this is your granddaughter and we can't exactly go in there with three police officers."
We nodded. "What will you do?" Richard asked.
"Well, before we do anything, we need one of you to identify that it is for sure Alicia."
"How can we do that?" I asked.
The detective turned to Missie, "Mrs. Bates, we will need your help with this." She stepped forward, "Yes?"
"I understand you have already made contact with the people in question is that correct?" Detective Simms asked.
"Yes, I've introduced myself," she replied.
"We need you to go to the door and talk to them. Keep them talking, and if they don't have the baby with them, ask to see the baby," he said and she nodded, "Mrs. Gilmore," he said turning to me. "While she is talking, you and I will walk by so you can ID the child. It is critical that you get a good look at the child but that you are discreet. Can you do that?"
I nodded, "Alright,"
"Are you ready to do this?" he asked the both of us.
"Yes," we said simultaneously and I reached up for Richard's hand. He took and squeezed it.
"Let's do it," I said.
"Alright," he said. "Mrs. Bates, you go first. We'll walk around the block and pass the house."
"Mrs. Gilmore, do you have a some sunglasses?" he asked. I nodded, and took them out of my purse. "Why?" I asked.
"If the baby recognizes you, she could blow our cover. I know she is young, but we can't take any chances,"
"Alright," I said, putting my glasses on. Missie started out the door, turned back and winked at me. I smiled back at her.
One policeman was in the car and watching Missie as she walked to the house. After a minute, the policeman radioed, "Mrs. Bates has made contact the door is open,"
"Alright," Detective Simms said, "Let's go,"
I turned back for one last look of support from Richard and he smiled confidently and then we walked out the door.
The walk around the block seemed like a thousand miles. My heart was pounding. Finally we reached the house before and Detective Simms radioed to the policeman in the car, "We are in position does—do they have the baby at the door?"
"Copy that," the radio came back softly. "Confirmed, it is a woman at the door and she has the baby with her."
"Alright," Detective Simms said, taking my arm. "You won't have much time. If it is Alicia it is absolutely critical that you remain calm. Is that understood?" I nodded. I could hardly breathe.
"Just walk with me," he said, "Let's go." We started walking and I could hear Missie's voice as we got nearer. We walked in front of the house and feeling as though I was about to have a heart attack I looked over.
…and my heart completely stopped.
I turned and focused on the sidewalk ahead of me. Just a few houses until Missie's. With each step, it was harder and harder to breathe. Detective Simms reached out and lent an arm as he helped me up the stairs to Missie's house. We hurried inside and shut the door, once the door was closed, I leaned against it breathing heavily.
"It's…her," I cried out between gasps for air.
"It's her? Are you certain?" Detective Simms was instantly at my side. "Yes…I'm positive, it's her," I started to cry. "It's Alicia."
Instantly, he picked up the radio, "Confirmed, we have a positive ID. It is Alicia Danes. Repeat, it is Alicia Danes. We need a warrant immediately to take the baby,"
Richard came to me and gathered me in his arms. "What do we do now?" he asked.
"We wait until we get the warrant," he said.
And then suddenly it all came back to me—suddenly I was in that park thirty-seven years ago, and I had lost my baby. I couldn't wait for a warrant. I had to get my baby now.
"No!" I said, wrestling out of Richard's arms. "I have to go over there right now! I want my baby!" I screamed.
Richard grabbed me and held me close. "It's going to be alright Emily. They are going to get the warrant. We're going to get her back but we have to wait."
I turned into his chest and held onto him
The door opened and Missie walked in, and hurried over to me, "Are you alright?" she asked. "Is it her?"
I couldn't answer, I just kept my face buried in Richard's chest. "Yes, it's her," Richard nodded.
Missie put her arms around me. "It's going to be okay Emily."
The time waiting was agony. Richard and I sat on the couch, our hands practically plastered together. Every time we head a phone ring we jumped, every time we heard a car start we had a heart attack thinking that they were leaving. The clock seemed to be mocking us with every tick. Missie was going back and forth getting water and food for us and the police officers. Detective Simms, was pacing back and forth.
…suddenly his radio went off and all of us including Detective Simms jumped. "Yes?" he replied.
"We have a warrant to get the baby, on the way to the house right now with backup,"
Richard and I stood up instantly.
"Copy that," Simms said into his radio. "We'll be waiting,"
He then turned to us. "Mr. and Mrs. Gilmore I know how hard this is for you but it is critical that you stay here while this happens."
We both nodded and again the time seemed to stop, as we waited for the policeman to arrive with the warrant.
He pulled up outside the house, this time in a fully recognizable police car.
"Okay, now—stay here," Detective Stevens ordered as he headed outside. Richard and I watched as they headed down the street and we both ran outside to the front of Missie's house.
They walked up to the door and though I couldn't see the person behind the door, the door was open and I could see them showing the warrant. Then one of the police officers reached over and they had Alicia,
Then I could really hear what was going on,
"Abby! Abby!" the woman was screaming, reaching out for Alicia, "What are you doing with my daughter? She's my daughter!"
The policeman with Alicia started walking away and then the husband was there, trying to take Alicia back.
I can't explain it, I can't explain what made me start towards them but before I knew it I was running down the sidewalk.
"Wait!" I yelled, "Wait, they didn't know! Don't do it like this!"
Richard started running after me, calling my name but I wouldn't stop.
"Mrs. Gilmore, go back!" Detective Simms called out. I hurried closer to the house. The husband was trying to get Alicia back, and the wife had collapsed into a sobbing heap on her porch.
"Stay there Mrs. Gilmore!" Detective Simms ordered, when I was at the gate of the house.
He turned back towards the couple. "Mr. and Mrs. Cole, this child is Alicia Danes. She is the daughter of Luke and Lorelai Danes of Stars Hollow Connecticut. She was kidnapped seven days ago."
"What?" Mrs. Cole cried. "That's impossible! We adopted her. It was my Christmas present! We've been wanting a child for so long. Abby came along like a miracle. She's our baby! We adopted her,"
"I'm going to need to see those adoption papers," Simms said.
"They're not finalized yet," Mrs. Cole cried, "There was some more paper work my husband said. But she is our child! They told us she was abandoned. They told us nobody wanted her."
"Who did?" Detective Simms asked.
"I don't know!" Mrs. Cole cried out. "My husband worked with them. She was my Christmas present! He told me I would sign the papers I needed to sign after the holidays."
Instantly Simms, the policemen, Richard and I turned towards the Mr. Cole. He had stopped fighting the policeman. He had turned completely white.
He walked towards Detective Simms, his head hanging. "They told me no one would ever know. They told me that they had taken her from a bad place. They told me the parents would never find her," he whispered hoarsely.
"David Cole, you are under arrest for accessory to the kidnapping of Alicia Danes…."Detective Simms started as another policeman handcuffed him.
"David!" Mrs. Cole shrieked wildly.
He turned to his wife and shook his head. "I'm sorry Jenny. I'm really sorry,"
"Wait!" I suddenly called out and started towards them again. "Wait…I want to drop the charges. I'm the grandmother, I can do that right?"
"Yes, you can," the detective said.
"Then I drop the charges," I said. "Against him—I drop all charges against him."
"Mrs. Gilmore…" Simms started, "He was an accessory to your granddaughter's kidnapping."
"No—he wasn't," I said. "I just want to take Alicia and go home. Leave these people alone."
Detective Simms waved his hand and the policeman uncuffed David. He instantly took his wife in arms and they both started to cry.
I turned and walked towards the policeman holding Alicia, my own heart burst as I gathered her in my arms and held her to me.
"There you are Sweetheart," I cooed as tears streamed down my face. "There's Grandma's little angel," Richard came and put his arms around both of us, kissing the top of Alicia's head. We started walking back towards Missie's when we heard Mrs. Cole cry out to us.
I turned towards her and saw that her arms were wrapped around her husband, who had buried himself in her embrace.
"Why…why did you let him…?" she asked with a sob.
"Because I know what it's like to want a child," I said and then turned and once again leaned into Richard as we clung to our girl.
"We're going home, Baby girl," I whispered in her ear. "We're going home."
It ain't over yet! I think that's the longest chapter I've ever written!