Six: Explanations and a new life
Plot: With it being their oldest daughter's fifteenth wedding anniversary coming up and their middle daughter expecting her first child any day now, on Valentine's Day Lydia and Edward finally explain to their teenage grandson of how his sisters came to be.
"You're up early," Lydia chuckled with a smile upon seeing Ricky and Sabrina yawn and rub their eyes.
"The baby kept kicking last night," Sabrina grumbled with a frown. "And Howie just now tells me that he has to work today."
"What did you expect when he brought his business with him all the way from Avalor two years ago?" Ricky joked, earning a glare from his pregnant aunt. "As for me, I tried to sleep but I had a dream of a man with Elena and Gabby's hair. I never met him and Mother or Father never talk of him so that kept me up."
Edward and Lydia looked at each other. They knew Ricky had asked questions about this for a long time. They always told him that they'd answer him later, but now that he was older, they knew they'd have to tell him soon.
"Richard, you're finally old enough to know the truth," Edward started. "Lydia, I think you should get Robert, Helen, and Madeline, and we'll tell you everything."
"Good idea. Sabrina could give birth any day now and I don't want to set her into labor," Lydia smiled, kissing Sabrina on the cheek.
"Thanks Mommy," Sabrina smiled, hugging Lydia close.
"Grandpa, what truth?" Ricky asked, becoming confused. "Father once told me that he wanted to help Mother with Ellie and Gab-gab."
"Richard, sit down," Edward advised. "You've wanted to know the truth about a few things, and today is the day we're going to tell you everything you want to know."
"You mean, no more brushing my questions off? No more 'not til you're older, Ricky?'" Ricky asked.
"That's right, Ricky," Bobby Lee said as he came in with Nell and Madeline. "Today's the day you get all your questions answered."
"How's the baby?" Madeline whispered with a smile.
"Thankfully quiet," Sabrina whispered back, smiling a little. "I'll be grateful to no longer call our baby a it."
"Hey you two wanted to be surprised," Nell smirked, musing her hair. "And speaking of a baby, maybe we should begin our talk about Elena and Gabby."
"You mean, we're finally going to tell Ricky the truth?" Sabrina asked.
"That's right," Nell agreed. "We've decided that today is the day that all his questions are answered."
"Should we get Zoomer for him? I know I'll need Howie and Madeline will need Butterfly after this," Sabrina murmured. She and Madeline still had the toy jaquins they bought when they took Ricky to Avalor for the first time, and sometimes used them for comfort.
"Only if he wants him...and you might want bring me mine!" Nell agreed.
"I'll take him!" Ricky yelled after Madeline who had left to go get the well loved toys.
"Good thing the girls are out for the day," Bobby Lee mused with a smile. "We wouldn't want Elena to start having a meltdown."
"Nell what did you name your kitty anyway?" Sabrina wondered for in the months of her pregnancy, she had forgotten most of the toy jaquins.
"Mine was named Bluebell, and I think Bobby Lee's was Sergeant," Nell smiled, recalling that Bobby Lee's jaquin was also the guards' mascot. "You have Howie, Madeline has Butterfly, Elena has Kitty and Pinky, Ricky has Zoomer and Greenie, and Gabby has Lily."
"Amber has Emerald," Sabrina remembered, "James has Zebra, and Sofia has Ella. I forgot what Roland and Miranda named theirs, though."
"Roland's was Regent, and Miranda's was Miss Paisley," Nell smiled. "When we bought them, one of the things we did when we checked out with them was to fill out an 'official' adoption certificate."
"Oh, yes," Sabrina agreed. "We loved getting Zoomer and Kitty new 'siblings!'"
Ricky came back a minute later. He gave Howie to Sabrina, handed Bluebell to Nell, and sat down with Zoomer and Greenie. "Just in case you might need them," he explained. "You always said you hugged your friends when you were scared or upset."
"And we'll definitely need to do that," Sabrina murmured, hugging her little orange and pink jaquin that she named after Howitzer, who had been honored to share his name with the toy.
"Thank you sweetheart," Nell cooed, kissing Ricky on the cheek.
Ricky rubbed the kiss away from his cheek, sitting down close to his mother and father.
"Nellie would you like to start us off?" Lydia asked, gently squeezing her hand. "I know it'll be fifteen years for you and Robert this year and I know you would rather think of that than the subject we'll be discussing."
"You don't have to worry, Helenita," Edward murmured, "Once you tell the story, you'll never have to think of this again."
"Thanks, Papa," Nell murmured.
She knew that even though she was close to being thirty three, Edward would always protect both her and her sisters.
"Nell come on," Sabrina encouraged, feeling a kick from her stomach. "The baby wants you to."
"If you keep that up, we'll have a Valentine's Day baby!" Madeline teased with a smile.
"All right," Nell took a deep breath. "Madeline, Sabrina, and I had been abducted by a man named Jimmy McDonald and his two sons, Beth and Robby. We had been out doing some errands for Mama, and I heard Jimmy whistle at me. I tried to ignore it, since I'd never seen him before, but when he whistled again, I came and asked if he needed help with something. He said he'd never seen such a pretty girl before, and wanted to give me a present. I said no, and tried to run, but he grabbed me. I screamed for help, and Madeline and Sabrina ran out of the shop they were in. They tried to help me, but Beth and Robby grabbed them as well and threw us in their wagon. When we didn't come home that night, Mama and Papa started looking for us."
"Mother, I'm sorry to interrupt, but you said this person had a son named Beth?" Ricky asked.
"Yes. I was surprised as well," Nell smirked at the memory. "Jimmy was hoping for a girl but got a boy instead."
"Please for Mommy don't you dare be a boy!" Sabrina hissed to her kicking stomach, clenching her teeth.
"Go on Nell," Madeline muttered, squeezing Sabrina's hand.
"Madeline and Sabrina took off their necklaces and left a trail of beads so someone might be able to find us," Nell continued. "It worked until they ran out of beads. Luckily, nobody noticed the beads dropping out of the wagon."
"Sorry, Nell..." Sabrina murmured.
"It's not your fault. It was a good idea," Nell smiled. "Anyway, Jimmy saw that there were two more girls, not just me. He locked me in his room and sent Madeline and Sabrina out to do chores. He didn't want them to hear me screaming as he started kissing me."
"He kissed you?!" Ricky growled, crossing his arms. "I'm getting sick of him already!"
"Calm down buddy," Bobby Lee muttered, stroking his hair. "We haven't gotten there yet."
"He didn't just kiss me, he treated me, Madeline, and Sabrina like maids," Nell remembered, "We were the only women in the house, so we had to do all the cooking, cleaning, and mending."
"Didn't anyone look for you?" Ricky blurted out.
"Of course we did, Ricky," Edward assured him, "Lydia and I asked all over the marketplace when Nell, Madeline, and Sabrina didn't come home. We found the girls' necklaces and followed the trail until the beads ran out."
Ricky sighed in relief. Though he wished that someone at the marketplace had done something sooner.
It was because of their kidnapping that the marketplace was stricter when it came to children under eighteen Nell recalled softly, seeing Sabrina not let go of Madeline's hand.
Pregnant or not Sabrina looked ready to cry, just as she always did whenever that part of her life was brought up.
"Didn't you try to escape?" Ricky asked.
"Believe me, Ricky, I wanted to escape more than anything," Nell murmured. "But Jimmy told me the first night, if I ran away, he'd hurt Madeline and Sabrina. Madeline was a bold little spitfire at that time, just like now, and she shouted at Jimmy that she didn't care what he said; we were all leaving. Robby grabbed her, burned her with his cigarette, and told her that there would be more where that came from if she ever spoke out of line again."
Madeline started to cry when she remembered that. Between sobs, she said, "They didn't let us out except at night. We ate their leftover food, but Nell did hunt for us and got us berries."
"Any time we tried to escape, we'd get beaten," Sabrina shuddered. "I was even locked in a closet from time to time. Once it was for a whole day. And that was because I had an accident."
"You were little. You didn't have a sense of control as I tried to explain to them," Nell recalled, not wanting Sabrina stress herself out. "While you were in the closet, I had to strip out of my clothes right in front of Madeline."
"I didn't get much sleep that night," Madeline muttered, clutching on to Butterfly as tight as she could. "I got burned many times for talking back that I lost count."
"You had to strip?!" Edward and Bobby Lee asked Nell in surprise, wishing Jimmy wasn't dead so they could kill him.
"He wanted me to show him my body," Nell shuddered. "He said he was going to teach me more about my body than I'd ever learned before. When I was undressed, he took me to his room. Beth and Robby guarded the door so Madeline couldn't help me. They wouldn't even let her get Sabrina out until they went to bed."
"Can we please just tell me how my sisters came to be?!" Ricky hollered, standing out of his chair in shock and disgust. "I'm sorry for what you've went through Mother, Aunt Sabrina, and Aunt Madeline but I'm starting to get angry about these men!"
"We understand sweetie but they're not here anymore. They were executed long before you were born," Lydia explained softly, never seeing her grandson that upset.
"I don't care! I wish I could strangle them to death for what they did! I wish those idiots at the marketplace had done something sooner!" Ricky yelled before slamming the door as hard as he could.
"Ricky, come here, sweetheart," Lydia murmured. She guided him to the bed and sat down with him. She took him in her arms just like she used to with Nell, Madeline, and Sabrina, and started stroking his hair. "It's all right. They're safe now. And we all wanted to tell you about this."
"This is my fault, isn't it?" Ricky asked, leaning into her embrace.
"No, buddy, it's not your fault," Bobby Lee assured him. "We all knew you were curious about this and had questions, but we didn't want to answer them until you were older."
"But they were monsters. It took Aunt Sabrina a year to accept her marriage and Aunt Madeline isn't dating anyone because of what they went through," Ricky sighed, starting to cry. "And I'm gonna grow up to be like them!"
"Richard Edward Johnson the second, come to Mommy," Nell beckoned as Lydia released him from her arms.
"M-Mommy?" Ricky sniffed, looking up at Nell's caring eyes.
"Ricky, come here," Nell murmured as she took him next. "This is not your fault. You're not going to grow up to be like them. And we understand how you feel. Believe me, I cried every night after what Jimmy did to me."
"I searched for them every day and night for two years," Bobby Lee agreed, patting his back. "Buddy, I felt the same way you do. I wanted to do everything I could to find Nell and her sisters."
"How did you find them?" Ricky asked.
"We'll tell you, Richard, but only if you want us to," Edward said as he patted his back.
Ricky sniffled, but he smiled when Lydia slipped Greenie into his lap. He took comfort in the little green and yellow jaquin toy, whom he referred to as 'Zoomer's little brother', and nodded. "Okay. I'm ready."
"Good boy," Nell smirked, musing his hair.
"Mother could I call you Mommy instead? And Father Daddy?" Ricky asked with a soft smile. "The twins do."
"Of course," Nell smiled, kissing his cheek before hearing a whimper from Sabrina. "Bri?"
"I'm okay," Sabrina assured them, "I just want to finish the story."
"You're right," Nell agreed. "We'd been missing for two years until we were finally found. And we can thank Madeline for that."
"How?" Ricky asked.
"Even though she was always told not to escape, she liked to wander away from Jimmy's house," Nell smiled. "She made it to the edge of the woods where someone finally found her. She tried to tell them that she needed help, but Robby had chased her and dragged her back."
"The person went right to King Roland and Queen Miranda and told them where we were," Sabrina added. "Daddy went with them, even though Mommy said it would be dangerous."
"I don't often do things I should do?" Edward grinned.
"It was easy to find us," Nell smirked at her father, "All they had to do was follow the sounds of Madeline crying and Sabrina's and my screaming for Robby to stop. Jimmy saw people coming and tried to tell us to be quiet, but we kept screaming our heads off."
"And screamed until they were hoarse!" Bobby Lee chuckled with a smile.
"Nell, Mommy, Daddy, I'm sorry for being rude and not letting everyone finish but I think Sabrina's baby is ready to come," Madeline frowned, hearing her twin in pain.
"On Valentine's Day?" Ricky asked, his pupils shrinking in fear for birth wasn't something he had been apart of or witnessed before.
"Surprise!" Bobby Lee grinned. "But don't worry, buddy, the doctor's here, and as he helps Sabrina, we'll continue the story."
"Okay," Ricky agreed. He held Sabrina's hand, and held up Greenie so she could focus on him. "So what happened next?"
"Well, Edward told me to get Helen, Madeline, and Sabrina out of there," Bobby Lee started. "We got Helen out quickly, and found Madeline, but we didn't know Sabrina was in a closet again. We heard her screaming just as we were about to start searching for Jimmy and his sons. One of the guards took her out to the others, and Edward and I went after Jimmy."
"And I would have killed them all by myself, if it wasn't for the guards around me," Edward added.
"Yes you would have," Nell smirked, hugging him close.
"Nell how did you do this twice?!" Sabrina wondered as a wash of pain started to show on her face. "Because it really hurts!"
"I know it does but once he or she is out, you'll be better," Nell assured her, stroking her hair.
"No I won't," Sabrina whimpered, trying to focus on Greenie.
"Trust us, baby girl, you will," Lydia assured her, and she started to sing the old lullaby she used to sing to her, Nell, and Madeline to calm her down.
"Isn't that what James says, music makes everything better?" Ricky asked, leaning against Lydia, since Nell would also sing this to him.
"That's right. Anyway, Lydia and I took the three of you to the doctor right away," Edward continued. "We knew Jimmy, Beth, and Robby were going to the castle dungeon, but you were more important."
"They were so skinny that your mother was almost thought of as a little kid," Bobby Lee shuddered a little as Ricky's arm started to get tired.
Ricky frowned, clenching a fist as Sabrina continued to scream in pain. He knew he couldn't get furious with her since she was in labor but if he ever met Jimmy in his dreams again, he would slap him.
"I know exactly how you feel," Edward assured him, "I had many pleasant dreams of murdering that monster and his worthless family for what they did. But when we learned that Helenita was pregnant, I had to put my anger at them aside and help her."
"How long were you along with Elena and Gabby?" Ricky asked.
"Two weeks," Nell sighed, looking at Edward in shame. "I threw up on Papa's shoes and then the floor."
"Shoes could get replaced. Children can't," Edward smiled, kissing her cheek. "Besides you were terrified when you found out."
"I thought I ate something that didn't agree with me," Nell shrugged, gently advising Sabrina to breathe.
"We took Helen to the doctor where we learned that she was pregnant," Lydia added. "Edward and I were thrilled. We told Helen that we'd all help raise the baby, and he or she would grow up to be loved and respected."
"And imagine how we felt when we learned that she was having twins!" Edward grinned.
"Did you hug and kiss everyone in the room too?" Ricky asked, recalling how Nell told him about Bobby Lee's reaction.
"Of course I did! What kind of question is that?" Edward grinned, mussing his hair.
"A curious one," Madeline smirked, instructing Sabrina to push.
"I can't! It hurts so bad!" Sabrina sobbed, tears of pain going down her close.
"Sabrina, I'm close to seeing a head. You need to push," Madeline urged, having er squeeze Howie.
"Push 'em out! Push 'em out! Waaay out!" Edward, Bobby Lee, and Ricky shouted.
"Papa!" Nell couldn't help but laugh. "Anyway, continuing with the story, it was getting close to my due date when Jimmy and his family were finally led to the gallows. They'd been found guilty of everything they did to me, Madeline, and Sabrina, and they were sentenced to death by hanging. We wanted to execute them quickly, so Jimmy wouldn't be able to see his daughters."
"But didn't he speak to you?" Lydia asked.
"Yes," Nell admitted, "Jimmy apologized for everything that happened. He told me that Bobby Lee and Papa were the only men Elena and Gabby would know as their father and grandfather."
"At least he had some common sense," Gabby muttered with a shake of her head. "We're sorry for coming back early but—"
"We had to deal with some unpleasant men," Elena interrupted, trying to wipe away a cut she had on her face.
"Elena! Gabby! Girls, what happened?!" Nell gasped.
"Who did that to you?!" Bobby Lee demanded.
"After the baby comes, let's get whoever did that to you!" Ricky added.
"Aunt Sabrina's in labor?" Elena gasped, not worrying about herself for the moment.
"Is it a boy or a girl? Does she need a towel?" Gabby added, looking around the room.
"You have cuts on your faces and arms and your shirts are torn and you're worried for your aunt?!" Nell laughed, musing their dirt streaked hair. "I raised you well."
"First things first," Gabby quipped.
"But what happened?" Bobby Lee asked.
"Dad! We have a baby coming! We'll explain once Aunt Sabrina pushes it all the way out!" Elena pouted, crossing her arms.
"Sabrina, you're almost there. Just one more!" Madeline yelled, hearing Sabrina's scream of pain that could put Elena's meltdowns to shame.
"It looks like a girl!" Ricky gasped, hearing the baby cry.
"It is a girl!" the doctor smiled, "Congratulations!"
The little girl was cleaned up and wrapped in a blanket. When she had been laid on Sabrina's chest, Bobby Lee kissed her forehead, then turned to Elena and Gabby. "All right. Now that the baby's here, what happened?"
"Girls, whatever happened you can tell us," Nell assured them with a smile.
"So Daddy and I can hunt them down," Ricky added, seeing Sabrina's little girl try to grab Greenie.
"I was teaching Elena how to ride a flying horse," Gabby started, "We did pretty well, but you know landings have never been easy for me. Anyway, we fell into some bushes and these two men came up to us. They seemed nice as they helped us out..."
"It always starts like that," Nell muttered.
"But they tried to check us over to make sure we were okay," Elena continued, "We told them that we were fine, and to go away, but they wouldn't listen. Lucky for us, I screamed, and a nearby guard came and took the men away. He escorted us back here, and here we are!"
"No fair!" Ricky pouted, crossing his arms.
"He really wanted to help you two out but you destroyed that dream," Bobby Lee smirked, musing their hair.
"Sorry little brother. Maybe one day," Gabby smiled, stroking his hair.
"Sabrina any names for your little girl?" Madeline asked with a smile. "Because she has your eyes."
"Howie and I were thinking of the name Isabella, or Cassandra," Sabrina smiled.
"But what if it was a boy?" Ricky asked. "You do know that all boys aren't bad, right?"
"I know, Ricky; I actually didn't care what it was, but I was so caught up in our story that I wanted a girl," Sabrina admitted. "But if it was a boy, we thought of Francisco or Gabriel."
"I think Isabella would be better," Elena smiled, flapping her hands. "You could have a Isa of your own!"
"True," Sabrina muttered with a smile. "And it would cheer up Queen Elena..."
The room went silent for a moment in honor of Queen Elena's grandfather who, from Queen Elena's last letter to Elena, had recently passed away.
Only to get interrupted by a hungry Isabella.
"Okay, Isa, I hear you," Sabrina smiled. "And we'll have to write Queen Elena a letter saying that our little Jaquin family needs a new member!"
"Isabella can share Greenie until her kitty comes," Ricky offered, remembering how Elena had shared Kitty with him until Zoomer came.
"And when she's old enough, we can get her a real kitty from the stables!" Elena grinned.
"That's right," Ricky smiled. "Briar Rose and Tiger will love a new friend!" He remembered Elena's first kitty, Snow White, but after her death, she adopted a new one in the form of Briar Rose, which was Princess Aurora's nickname. His first kitty was Stripe, but after he died of old age, he found a new kitty in Tiger.
"It's a tradition now right? A kitty is held in front of a woman in birthing and the baby falls in love with the kitty?" Edward joked, seeing Isabella put Greenie's paw in her mouth.
"Daddy!" Sabrina laughed, feeling Isabella latch on to her. "Oh Isa I wish you could see your daddy right now."
"He'll be along tonight, Sabrina," Lydia smiled. "He'll love Isabella as much as we do."
"That's true," Sabrina smiled.
"Happy Valentine's Day love."
Sabrina rubbed her eyes sleepy as she glanced down at a sleeping Isabella. Had it really been six hours since her birth?
"Howie, you're home early," Sabrina breathed with a smile. "But why? Where is everyone? What about the bakery?"
"Mama said she'd finish up the last few orders," Howitzer smiled as he sat down. "I had a feeling you needed me, and I'm glad I came."
"I'm glad you're here too," Sabrina smiled. "I've got a special surprise for you. Meet Isabella."
"Well, this is an extra special Valentines' Day surprise," Howitzer smiled, stroking her hair. "And she already has her first friend!"
"That's Ricky's jaquin Greenie," Sabrina smiled. "He held it up for me to focus on, and he was the first thing Isa saw when she was born."
"Oh, yes; you told me about your family's tradition with holding kitties in front of a woman in labor, and the baby falls in love with the kitty!" Howitzer chuckled.
"That's just what Daddy said!" Sabrina laughed.
"And I am right," Edward mused, coming into the room with Ricky.
"Sorry Aunt Sabrina and Uncle Howitzer," Ricky muttered, taking Isabella in his arms. "But I want a turn with my cousin."
"Any ideas for a full name?" Howitzer asked Sabrina with a smile. "And I wonder who does our Isa look the most like?"
"She has my hair," Sabrina smiled. "And she has your nose, Howie."
"Well, it looks like we'll be getting her a nose job when she's older!" Howitzer grinned.
"No, she's pretty enough," Madeline smirked, stroking her hair.
"You're right," Howitzer smiled. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Sabrina?"
"She gave us so much help before and after Isa was born, and truth be told, we'd be crazy not to do it," Sabrina smiled. "Isabella Madeline?"
"I love it!" Howitzer grinned.
"She did help you two get together years ago and helped you propose Howitzer," Ricky remembered, smiling a little. "But Grandpa I'm sorry for all the questions I asked over the years about my sisters."
"Ricky, remember, we wanted to tell you about it," Edward smiled, pulling him into a hug. "We just wanted to tell you when you were older. We're sorry you were upset before, but it was a hard time for us too."
"And now that we've shared that part of our past, girls, we can move on," Nell added. "We'll never have to think of those three again."