Miranda sat in the rocking chair that her grandmother Kane had helped her mother put together when her mother was pregnant with her. When grandmother Kane didn't even realize that her youngest daughter was even still pregnant with her rapist baby. Here Miranda was age sixteen holding her own son rocking back and forth. Tears fell from her eyes as she thought of how Adam had turned his back on his son. On her.
"Zachary Drew I promise that you will be the most loved child in the world. Even more than I was." Miranda kissed the top of her four month old son's head. "Why you all ready have my love, mom's love, Grandmother Kane's love, Aunt Kendall's love, Maggie's love. You have most of Pine Valley's love." Expect for your father and his family.
II
"How can Adam turn his back on his great grandson? I mean Chandler blood means everything to him." Dixie shook her head as she stared into Tad's eyes. "I know Adam and Miranda having their own child at sixteen wasn't part of the plan but Zachary Drew does exist. He needs to be loved by his family."
"Zach is loved by his family. Most of it that is." Tad reassured his wife. "The most important people of Zach's family loves that little boy."
"The entire Kane/Montgomery/Cambias family loves that sweet beautiful boy. No one on the Chandler's side does." Dixie shook her head.
"You love Zachary Drew Montgomery." Tad said softly. He wouldn't put 'Chandler' at the end or any where in Zachary's name because the Chandlers didn't deserve to have any credit in that little boy's life. "So does Babe. His grandmother Martin and his great grandmother Martin loves that little boy. That is the Chandler side of Zach's family."
"No that's the Martin side of the family." Dixie said tearfully. "You are part of Zachary Drew's family also."
"Thank you." Tad whispered with tears falling from his eyes.
"I can't believe that JR and Little Adam don't want anything to do with Zach. I mean how can they follow Adam's footsteps." Dixie said shaking her head. "I honestly thought that when I came back to "life" I could change JR's heart and soul back to the way it was before I faked my and Kate's death."
"JR decided how to live his life a long time ago. He didn't want to listen to my or anyone else's advice any longer. Once he allowed his anger to take over he found it easier to thrive in it. JR has yet learned the hard way that anger doesn't win in the end." Tad said.
"Why did Little Adam have to have feelings for Miranda if he wasn't going to follow through with them. I can't believe that he set out to hurt Miranda from the very beginning." Dixie said.
"Adam and JR taught Little Adam well. From the moment that JR got his son back into the Chandler mansion he started to work the Chandler demons right into the boy." Tad said with a deep frown. "Little Adam never had a chance."
III
"I don't want the Chandler's even near my great nephew." Zack said with a deep frown over his brow. "You make sure that Adam sr., JR, and Adam the third never even thinks of getting near Zachary Drew or Miranda ever again."
"Yes Boss." The young man said with a grim smile before he left Zack Slater's office at the casino.
"I could have handled that dad." Ethan said from where he stood looking out of the window.
"I know you want to take the rings of the Cambias estate and run with it on your own; but damn it Ethan while I'm still alive I'm going to protect my family." Zack said pounding his fists on his desk.
Ethan sighed deeply. He turned from the window and stared at his father. "It's been fourteen years now dad. How many times do I have to say 'I'm sorry' for trying to destroy you. God get over it all ready man."
"How long will it take Kendall to forgive you for lying to her!" Zack demanded right back. "You hurt her Ethan. You have never gotten over it; you have never forgiven yourself."
"Leave Kendall out of this!" Ethan said turning back to look out the window. Never. Kendall will never forgive my lying to her and not trusting her completely with anger towards my father Zack Slater; who's real name is Alexander Cambias jr. "I was trying to protect Kendall from all the violence of my soul; especially in the time when she herself was working through her own violence. She was coming out on the other side; dad; I didn't want to pull her back in to the violence with me." He turned back to face his father. "I wanted Kendall to be safe."
"Than why didn't you leave her alone than." Zack demanded jumping to his feet. "All you had to do was leave Kendall Hart alone; son; that was all. Than Kendall wouldn't have been hurt so bad by you." He shook his head.
"I know Dad. I know ok." Ethan run his hands through his hair. "God I'm still beating myself up for setting Kendall up like that. I honesty didn't set out to hurt her. I set out to conqueror my demons with her help."
"But you didn't allow her to help you." Zack said roughly.
Ethan pounded his fists against the wall in frustion.
IV
Adam Chandler the third stared hard into his father's eyes. "There is no way that I'm taking credit for a bastard baby who's mother is a child of rape. No child of mine will have that legacy!" He smirked. "Miranda's son is not my son. I don't give a damn what the DNA test prove that child isn't mine. He will not be a Chandler."
"I quite agree with you there son." JR said with a firm nod to his head. He was proud of his son; Little Adam had taken after him and Adam from the very start. A true Chandler boy Little Adam had always been. The pride and joy of all Chandlers.
Adam walked into the library. "Why the hell did you sleep with Miranda Mono Montgomery in the first place Adam." He demanded of his grandson. "You knew from child hood up that the Montgomery and the Chandler families were enemies. Have been since you and Miranda were little babies."
"I'm sorry Grandfather; but Miranda turned my head for the time. I honestly thought she was nothing like her mother. But hell I was wrong. The moment we first did the deed she became all prossive of me. Wanting to change everything about me. Didn't want me to have anything to do with you or with dad." Little Adam shook his head.
"Bianca would do everything in her power to get back at me for keeping Miranda from her. Even use her own daughter to trap my son into early fatherhood and marriage. What a sick and twisted mind Bianca has." JR growled deep in his thoart as he walked over to the desk. He sat down in the chair and stared into his son's and his father's eyes.
"I'm just sorry that I feel for it. Even for a short time." Little Adam said. "You two have warned me about what state Bianca had been in since finding out that Miranda was in deed alive and mistaken for 'Bess'." He sighed deeply. "God I can't believe my own mother would steal her so called best friends baby and pass it off as her own. To lie to the world and her husband. What a sick and twisted thing to do."
"Look let's not dwell on the past for the moment. We must look into the present. We not only have the Kane and Montgomery families to deal with. But the Cambias's also." JR sighed deeply. "That's one hell of a powerful enemy to have son."
"I know dad. And I'm sorry about that." Little Adam said sitting down on the brown leather couch.
"No you are not." Adam stared into his grand son's eyes. "You are proud of yourself Adam. You son of a bitch you just permanently gained three powerful families as our enemies."
"We can handle it grandpa. No body can down size a Chandler." Little Adam glared up into his grandfather's eyes. "Hell grandfather I thought you would be proud of me. I took a major hit at Bianca and her slut of a daughter. They are never going to forget this powerful lesson that I single handed dealt them."
V
"Payback is a bitch. But payback is going to be so sweet this time around." Reggie said pounding his fists together. "Nobody hurts my family. They can live and tell about it; but they will tell mostly about their punishment."
"How is Miranda? I haven't seen her since her last run in with Adam the third." Danielle said looking up at her husband.
"She's not seeing anyone, expect for Bianca, Maggie, Kendall, and Erica." Reggie said with a deep sigh. "Miranda is too ashamed of the public humiliation at the hands of the Chandler men."
"I can't believe they are being so cruel. Not only to Miranda but to their own family member. Zachary Drew is a Chandler after all." Danni said.
"Zachary Drew is not a Chandler; he is fully Kane/Montgomery/Cambias." Reggie shook his head. "I much raghter have him be Cambias than Chandler any day of the week."
"Even Erica would agree with you on that." Danni said.
Reggie sat down in the overstuffed chair and glared over his wife's head as he thought about his adopted cousin and her son.
VI
"How could I not see this coming? How could I not protect my daughter from this?" Bianca asked Kendall with tears running down her checks. "I knew what JR was like; I knew he was raising his son to be just like him. I have seen into Little Adam's eyes and into his heart. I knew he had a hard heart even as a little boy. I knew Adam and JR all ready had poisoned him."
Kendall couldn't speak. She was just too angry and hurt to voice her feelings. Sides she didn't want Bianca to have to calm her down. Miranda was Bianca's daughter after all; Zachary Drew was her grandson. Kendall was here to support her sister; niece and great nephew.
"I love Zachary Drew; I'm so glad he's in our lives; but I wish he had another father. Just as I wish Miranda had another father." Bianca sobbed with her hands covering her face. "Why is life being so cruel to my family. What had I done to bring this pain to my daughter and grandson? Is it because I moved Miranda back to Pine Valley sooner than I thought I would."
"No Bianca." Kendall finally spoke. She gently put her hands over Bianca's and pulled them away from her sister's face. "Non of this is your fault, or Miranda's, or Zachary Drew's. It's all Adam's fault. He is the one who taught JR that revenge is sweeter than friendship; and JR taught Little Adam the same thing."
VII
Zachary Drew let out screaming as tears run down his face. Miranda tried to calm her son down but Zach wasn't having any of it. "I'm sorry Zach; I'm so sorry about this rough lot that you have to deal with so early on in your life. I'm sorry that I gave you a father who doesn't love you. I'm so sorry that I brought you into this world so soon." She held her son close to her face as her salty tears fell onto his all ready wet face.
"Here let me take him for a while." Maggie said softly as she knelt down in front of Miranda's shaking form. "You need to rest dear." She laid a gentle hand over Miranda's hands that touched Zach's shaking body.
Miranda opened her eyes and stared into the eyes of her mother's best friend, soul mate; Maggie Stone. "Thank you Maggie." She whispered hoarsely. "Go to your grandmother Maggie; Zachary Drew. Don't worry about mommy; she's going to just take a calming breath and than she'll be back for you." She handed her son over to Maggie and stood up. "Take my seat Maggie. Zach loves to be rocked and held close."
"I remember rocking you countless times when you were a little older than Zach's age right now." Maggie said with a soft smile as she took Miranda's place in the rocking chair. She began to rock gently and slowly and smiling down at the screaming baby boy in her arms. Zachary began to stop screaming and just whimpered as he got comfortable in Maggie's arms.
"You should have been able to rock me way before that Maggie. You should have been rocking me from the moment I was born. My mom should have been rocking me after she got me out of that cabin." Miranda said softly. She frowned through her tears. "Only if that bastard Paul Cramer hadn't kidnaped Adam; and lied to everyone about my "death" than non of this would have happened."
Maggie sighed as she looked into Miranda's angry and hurt eyes. "I'm sorry about the past Miranda. More sorry than you ever will know. But we can't dwell in the past for too long. It will destroy us if we do. We must tend to the present and the further." She smiled softly down at Zachary Drew who was looking up at her.
"What type of further will my son have with a father who doesn't want to acknowledge him. A father who doesn't want to love him." Miranda demanded softly so not to scare Zach. "Ethan told me how he felt when Uncle Alex denied him repeating; how when Ethan held a gun point blank at Uncle Alex; Uncle Alex told him point blank straight in the eye that he would deny Ethan again."
Maggie didn't have anything to say.
"What type of further will my son have when I have to tell him what his father did to me. How Adam Chandler the third tricked me into thinking that he loved me; how I gave myself to him only to be thrown in the gutter like piece of trash. Like I was worthless. Like I was nothing." Tears steamed down Miranda's checks. "How do I tell my son what type of monster his grandfather Michael was. That he never would have been created if Michael hadn't raped his grandmother Bianca. If Bianca hadn't decided to have me. If Bianca had decided to abort me than he would never have been created. How do I tell my son these things."
"I don't know Miranda." Maggie whispered. She flashed back to when Bianca had to go through these same questions during her pregency with Miranda. How was Bianca going to tell her baby what her father did to her mother; how her mother killed her father.
"How do I tell my son his father's legacy. How lucky he actually is that his father doesn't love him or want him in his life. How he is better off without his father." Miranda stated flatly. She wrapped her arms across her stomach. "I love my son very much Maggie; don't get me wrong; I will die for Zachary Drew Montgomery. I will fight the Chandlers and anyone else who wants to hurt my son. But I wish I had waited to have him when I was older; when I met my true Prince Charming. I want Zach to have both a father and mother who love and cherish him."
"I know Miranda. That is going to happen." Maggie said reassuring.
"How Maggie. How is that going to happen when I'm not going to trust my heart ever again." Miranda shook her head. "No, it's just Zach and me from now on. My son is all I have and need in life." She smiled softly down at her son who was happily playing with Maggie's shirt buttons. "I'm telling you one thing Maggie; Zachary Drew is going to have the happy ending in life. He's going to fall in love; get married; have children. Raise his children with both a father and mother who loves the children."
"You are going to have a happy ending also Miranda. You are only sixteen years old. You have a lifetime ahead of you." Maggie said softly holding Zach a little tighter to her.
"No I'm not. Because I will not allow another man to walk all over my heart." Miranda said. She looked straight into Maggie's eyes. "Nor a woman. I'm done with putting my heart out there just to have it being stomped on Maggie. I can't survive another attack like this." With that she turned and left the nursery.
Maggie looked at the empty doorway where Miranda had just been. She looked down at Zach after he made a cooing noise. "Don't you fret non Zachary Drew; your mommy is going to find the love of her life and she will be living happily ever after. You both will. I promise." She cooed softly down at the baby boy.
VIII
"Adam is going to pay for this." Erica said as she stared into Jackson's eyes. "With his life. There is no more playing nice to Adam Chandler, or any Chandler man ever again."
"I agree Erica; but we can't kill Adam. We need to stay out of jail for Kendall, Bianca, Miranda, and Zachary Drew's shake." Jackson took his wife's shaking hands into both of his. "Darling there are ways to make the Chandlers pay for what they have done to both Miranda and Zach. Legal ways."
Erica nodded her head. "We will kick Adam, his son and his grandson out of Pine Valley for good; out of Pennsylvania for that matter."
"We can't do that darling. But we can make damn sure that none of them can come even a thousand feet to Miranda or Zachary Drew for the rest of Zachary Drew's life. They will not be able to write or call Zachary Drew ever." Jackson said firmly and steading looked Erica in the eyes. "I had the papers drawn up when Miranda first told us she was pregnant. When Zachary Drew was born I redrew them up to put HIS name on it."
"You knew that it would get to this point." Erica wasn't shocked at Jackson's news.
"Everyone knew." Jack said with a tight nod of his head. "Ever since the Chandler 'Adams' found out about Miranda's pregnancy they did everything in their power to force Miranda to terminate it. When that failed they had vocally attacked Miranda and her baby in public." He jumped to his feet and stormed over to the big bay windows. He glared out of them as he thought of his great niece and great great nephew; his adopted granddaughter; and great grandson. "Travis isn't here to protect his granddaughter and great grandson. So I'm going to do it in his stead."
Erica got to her feet and made her way to stand behind her husband. She wrapped her arms around his front and leaned her check against his back. "I love you Jackson. Not just for that; but for everything that you mean to me."
END PART ONE