Chapter 16: Hope

Recap: Amber and Nat bonded over the predicament and then she had to leave as Amber was prepped. As Natalie was walking away from the room a syringe was plunged into her neck. She awoke to find out she'd had twins, and one of them was stillborn. She and Amber named their babies together, Emily and Elizabeth after twins Natalie used to care for. Matthew Brown went home and we learn that he has a grandson whose mother (Matthew's daughter) is no longer around because of something Natalie did. Three weeks later Natalie was looking in Liz's baby book when a piece of paper fell out. Natalie told John that she might be responsible for their son's death after reading it; then suddenly realized that her baby might not have died. She told John the story behind what she had done to Michael (the doctor, who had changed his name), and her theory that Emily might be their daughter. He had a DNA test done and they just got the results that Emily is Natalie's child. He called Bo to get an arrest warrant.

Matthew Brown woke up that morning to the sound of the baby's cries. He cursed under his breath and got up, walking to the small crib that was in his grandson Eric's room. The tiny newborn continued to cry when he picked him up, but he had just eaten and been changed. He walked around the room, bouncing him up and down in the way that had always been a sure way to calm Eric down when he had been a baby. It didn't seem to do the trick for Nathaniel, however.

"Here, Doctor Matthew." The nanny, Katalina had arrived and she rushed to take the baby. She hummed quietly and bounced the baby, who immediately quieted. "Sometimes they need a woman's touch." He smiled at her. "Thank you." Just then the doorbell rang. "I'll get it." He opened the door to see five uniformed police officers outside his door. "Can I help you?"

The woman in the forefront held up an official looking paper. "We have a warrant to search your house, and also one for your arrest." She pulled out handcuffs. "Matthew Salazar, you are under arrest…" "You are crazy!" "You have the right to remain silent," she continued, undeterred.

Katalina came down the stairs still holding the baby. The woman's eyes narrowed. "Ma'am, is that a little boy?" She nodded. "Yes, Dr. Brown adopted him. Why?" "We're going to need you to come down to the station. We have reason to believe that child's mother thinks him dead." She gasped. "No, the doctor wouldn't do that!"

"Yeah, thanks for the heads up." John hung up the phone and smiled at Natalie. "Good news?" she asked. He nodded. "They found a 3-week old baby boy at Salazar's house. According to the nanny he told her and anyone who mattered that he had adopted him. They're running a DNA test right now." "Oh, thank god." She threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly.

Amber was on her way over with Emily so they could tell her the truth. Natalie pulled back as a question entered her mind. "It'll take forty-eight hours, right?" she asked slowly. "Yeah, that's the norm." "So should we tell her that her son might be alive? It'd be so cruel if the baby isn't hers." "She needs all the facts. It may hurt more in the end but she'll be glad that we gave her the whole truth."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Natalie swallowed and opened the door. Amber stood there with Emily in the carrier, and she smiled uncertainly as her friend stood aside and let her come in. They walked into the living room and she set Emily down on the floor beside the couch, taking a seat. "So what's so urgent?" John reached out to give Natalie's hand a gentle squeeze. "We have some big news." She took a deep breath. "Emily—Emily is my daughter, Liz's twin."

Amber started laughing. "You had me really worried there for a minute. So there's no urgent news?" She shook her head. "You guys have a sick sense of humor." "Amber, we're not kidding." John silently handed her the DNA report, and she read the relevant part. Her jaw dropped and her eyes frantically searched their faces, trying to find some clue that this was all an elaborate, cruel joke. In her heart she knew it was the truth. John and Natalie weren't the type of people who would do something like this, and a sob ripped from her throat before she could stop it.

"Amber—" "So my son is dead? Is that what you're telling me?" Her voice was eerily calm, and Natalie exchanged a worried look with John as she moved to sit beside the younger woman. "That's the thing. Dr. Brown is the one who gave you Emily, and the police arrested him this morning. There was a nanny there with a three-week old little boy." A slight gasp escaped Amber's lips as her eyes lit up with hope.

"They're doing a DNA test right now. It'll be forty-eight hours before we know anything unless Matthew decides to do the right thing." Just then the phone rang, and all three of them looked over at it uncertainly. Natalie was the one who finally stood up and walked over to the small table, answering it. "Hello?"

TO BE CONTINUED