-1Chapter Fourteen:
"My father?" Michael said in disbelief.
"That's right." He confirmed, moving closer to Michael to get a better look at him. He removed his wire rimmed glasses and peered at the young man in recognition. "My God, you've changed so much."
Michael shook his head in bewilderment. He couldn't believe that he was standing there talking to his father. It had been so long since they'd seen each other last, he didn't know how he was supposed to be feeling. The man standing in front of him could have been a virtual stranger as far as he knew. But something about the older man's hazel eyes held a familiarity that Michael couldn't deny.
"Why?" He managed to choke out, staring at his long lost father in scrutiny "After all these years, why did you come back now?"
"I heard you were looking for me." He explained, placing his glasses back on. "We get so many people coming to the estate who claim to be long lost relatives of mine, I just figured you were another con artist. But when I saw you leaving the property, there was just something about you that seemed genuine. So when Rupert informed me that you had claimed to be my son, I decided to pay a little visit to my old stomping grounds to see if I could track you down." Lowell smiled at Michael "That's when I learned of your legal trouble and figured you could use my help." He finished, glancing at his son to try and gage his reaction.
"Who's Rupert?" Michael asked in confusion, choosing not to address the issue of his incarceration for now. He was still trying to wrap his brain around things.
"My butler." His father replied casually.
"Oh my God!" Lauren gasped in realization. "You live at that huge plantation." She surmised, unable to hide her astonishment. The older man chuckled at her reaction.
"Why yes, I most certainly do." He confirmed pleasantly before turning his attention to her father. "Forgive me for not introducing myself," He apologized, offering his hand to the other man in way of greeting. "Lowell Baldwin."
"Neil Fenmore." Neil replied, eyeing the older man curiously.
"Ah, then you must be Lauren." Lowell determined, reaching out to shake the young woman's hand. "Your name was mentioned in the police report." He explained. She shook her head in confusion.
"But wait a minute, I thought that house belonged to William Baldwin?" Lauren asked suspiciously.
"It did." Lowell replied. "And now it belongs to me."
"William Baldwin," Neil repeated, stroking his chin in contemplation. "Why does that name sound so familiar?"
"Well, he was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the country." Lowell explained nonchalantly. "He was also my grandfather."
"Baldwin Petroleum." Neil concluded and Lowell nodded in confirmation.
"He was the founder, owner and CEO of BP Incorporated."
"That's a multi billion dollar company." Neil declared, impressed. The two men began talking business and Lauren moved to stand beside Michael. He had been quiet for a while, still too shocked by his father's sudden reappearance in his life to fully comprehend what was going on in front of him.
"Hey," She said softly, trying to get his attention. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," He replied distractedly, lost in his own thoughts. "This is just all so surreal. I guess I never really expected to see my father again."
"And now he's back," Lauren declared, glancing up at Michael in concern when she noticed how unenthused he was. "That's a good thing, isn't it? I mean, that is why we went to New Orleans; to find your father. And now here he is, alive and well."
"Yeah, he's here now. But where the hell has he been for the last fourteen years of my life?" Michael said bitterly, the contempt he felt towards his father evident in his voice. Lauren reached out to comfort him, but he moved away from her touch. "He's been sitting in some mansion while I've been stuck here fending for myself and dealing with the stepfather from hell."
"Son," Lowell said pleadingly, having overheard his conversation with Lauren. "I understand why you're feeling the way that you do, but if you would just let me explain…"
"Explain what?" Michael barked out in frustration. "How you walked out on me and my mother without so much as a word? Or maybe you'd like to explain to me how you could desert your family to go and live like a king while we struggled just to make ends meat."
"Leaving you and your mother was the hardest decision that I have ever had to make," Lowell defended. "But I just couldn't do it anymore, I couldn't deal with Gloria and her constant bickering. Nothing I ever did was good enough for her. She wanted me to make more money, to make a name for myself. All I wanted to do was be a good husband and father, but she wasn't satisfied with that. So, I started drinking…"
"Don't blame my mother for that, she didn't force you to drink. You made that decision all on your own." Michael said defensively, glaring at his father in contempt. "I may not remember much about my early childhood, but the few memories that I do have aren't exactly pleasant ones. You were a drunk. And a lousy one at that."
"You're right. You're absolutely right," Lowell admitted regretfully. "And that's why I had to leave. I was no good to you in the condition I was in. But I never stopped thinking about you. I never stopped loving you." Michael rolled his eyes at that, not buying his father's sentimental declaration. "And that's why it hurt so much when you wouldn't return my phone calls or respond to my letters."
"What are you talking about?" Michael asked in confusion. "You never called me, and I sure as hell never got any letters."
"I must have sent over fifty letters those first few years I was gone. You're telling me you never received any of them?" Lowell asked suspiciously and Michael shook his head in response. "I can't believe her!"
"Who?" Michael asked, confused by his father's sudden outburst.
"Gloria. She must have kept my letters from you." Lowell explained, sighing in frustration. "Then I suppose she never told you about my offer either?"
"What offer?" Michael questioned, annoyed. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I wanted you to come and live with me." His father declared. The look of surprise on his son's face prompted him to continue. "About five years after I left Detroit, I got a phone call from my mother asking me to come home to New Orleans immediately. When I got there, she told me that her father had passed away and left her everything. I had never met the man before and my mother never talked about him, so at the time I had no idea that she was the sole heir of one of the largest estates in the country." He explained, pausing for affect. "I didn't find that out until she decided to give it all to me."
"So your mother's dead too?" Lauren inquired, assuming he meant that his mother had left everything to him when she passed away.
"No, not at all. My mother is very much alive." Lowell proclaimed. "When I returned to New Orleans, she explained to me how her father had disowned her when she got pregnant with me out of wedlock. So when he threw her out of the house at the age of seventeen, she packed up her things and never looked back."
"Wow," Lauren said, completely immersed in his story. "So she hadn't spoken to her father in all those years and he still inherited everything to her?"
"Oddly enough, yes." Lowell confirmed. "But she didn't want any part of it. My mother had never been able to forgive her father for abandoning her when she needed him the most. So when William died and she learned of her extraordinary inheritance, instead of accepting it, she decided to turn it all over to me."
"How very touching." Michael said sarcastically, unimpressed with his father's tale of rags to riches.
"Michael." Lauren chided, glaring at him disapprovingly.
"It's alright, dear. Let him vent." Lowell said softly, accepting his son's resentment. "He has every right to be angry with me."
"I'm not angry with you," Michael argued, the bitterness in his voice fading slightly. "I don't even know you."
"Well," Lowell said softly after a few moments of tense silence. "I know we can never make up for the time we lost, but I would really like if you'd allow me to be a part of your life now."
"It's too late." Michael said dismissively, but Lauren could tell that the idea of building a relationship with his father was appealing to him. He was just too damn stubborn to admit it. "Anyway," he continued, changing the subject. "I'm probably gonna be thrown back in jail soon if these kidnapping charges stick."
"They won't." Lauren declared confidently.
"You don't know that." He argued, glaring at her defiantly. She ignored him.
"Mr. Baldwin, isn't there something you can do to make Tom and Gloria drop the charges?"
"Gloria never listened to me when were married," Lowell said regretfully. "I doubt things would be any different now."
"Daddy." Lauren whined, pleading with her father to fix things.
"I'll see what I can do," Neil promised her, wishing that he could wash away her troubles with a pony or a trip to Disneyworld like he had done when she was a little girl. "I'm going to head over to Child Services to see if I can't get them to do something. If worse comes to worse, I'll call in a favor with the senator. He owes me one."
"Child Services?" Lowell asked in confusion.
"Apparently, there have been some instances of abuse in the home." Neil informed the other man somberly. "His step father…"
"He beat you?" Lowell asked, looking at Michael questioningly.
"Not really," He shrugged, holding up his hand to silence her before Lauren had a chance to contradict him. "Kevin got the brunt of it."
"That poor little boy," Lowell sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe Gloria would get herself mixed up with someone like that. Son, if I had known things were that bad, I swear I would have come back sooner."
"Well, you're here now." Lauren chimed in when it became evident that Michael had no intention of responding. "That's what matters, and if we all work together there has to be something we can do to save Kevin."
"Lauren's right." Neil declared resolutely. "I'll head on over to the Children's Aid Department to see if I can pull a few strings. Lowell," he directed his attention to the other man, motioning towards his car. "Would you like to tag along? I'm sure throwing the Baldwin name around wouldn't hurt."
"I think you can handle things on that end," Lowell declared confidently, nodding at Neil in gratitude. "I'll take the kids with me and head on over to the Fisher's. It's time for my ex-wife and I to a little chat."
xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Michael!" Gloria gasped when she opened the front door and found her eldest son standing in the hallway. "Wha…what are you doing here?" she stuttered.
"Hello, mother." he gritted out, glaring at her in contempt. "Miss me?"
"Of course I missed you!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I've been worried sick," she lied, pulling back to look at him. "When did you get out of jail?"
"Today," Michael informed her coldly. "No thanks to you."
"We're barely making ends meat, Michael. There was no way I could come up with that kind of money." she reasoned.
"Especially since you're the one pressing charges against me, " Michael spat out angrily. "Springing me free would kinda defeat the purpose, right?"
"Michael," she sighed, unable to defend herself against his accusations because they were true.
"Where's Kevin?" he asked abruptly, not interested in hearing anymore of her excuses.
"Out." she said dismissively.
"Where?" he questioned.
"So, who'd you get to pay your bail?" Gloria asked curiously, ignoring his question. "Was it that nosey little girlfriend of yours?"
"No, Gloria." Lauren declared as she walked around the corner and came to stand behind Michael. "I had nothing to do with it."
"Then who?" the older woman asked in confusion, glaring at Lauren distastefully.
"Hello, Gloria." Lowell greeted her casually, stepping passed Michael and Lauren as he entered the hallway and came face to face with his ex-wife. "Long time, no see."
"Lowell." Gloria choked out, her eyes widened in shock and it was as if she had just seen a ghost. Without another word, she quickly moved to slam the door in his face.
"Not so fast," Lowell sneered, slamming his hand against the door to prevent it from closing. "What's the matter? Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Get out of here, Lowell!" she spat out in contempt, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly. "I have nothing to say to you."
"Good, then you can just shut up and listen because I sure as hell have got something to say to you." Lowell declared, brushing passed his ex-wife to enter the tiny apartment he had once called home. Michael and Lauren followed closely behind him.
"Mikey, you're home!" Kevin shrieked excitedly as he peered out from behind the couch and saw his brother standing in the middle of the living room.
"Hey buddy!" Michael exclaimed, throwing an angry glance in Gloria's direction. "C'mere and give a hug." The little boy ran over to him anxiously and Michael bent down to lift him up in his arms, holding him close. When Kevin pulled back slightly, Michael looked down at the cast covering his tiny arm.
"Do you wanna sign it?" Kevin asked, smiling up at him happily.
"Sure." Michael choked out, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. He was gonna kill Tom for this.
"You too, Laur!" Kevin instructed her. She stepped closer to Michael, reaching out to ruffle the little boy's hair playfully.
"Yes, master." She teased, smiling at him warmly. Her eyes met Michael's and she held his gaze for moment before looking away.
"So where's Prince Charming?" Lowell questioned, glaring across the room at Gloria as she stood by the front door looking around the room nervously.
"I don't know," she replied truthfully. "He didn't come home last night and I haven't heard from him all day."
"How convenient." Lowell muttered bitterly, not believing her.
"Look, I don't owe you any kind of explanation alright?" Gloria said defensively. "What the hell are you doing back here anyway?"
"I came to see my son," Lowell explained. "Something you've kept me from doing for far too long."
"I never stopped you from visiting, you knew where we lived." Gloria argued.
"You made it sound like he wanted nothing to do with me, and now I find out that you didn't give him any one of the letters that I sent." He glanced at the injured little boy that Michael still held in his arms and shook his regretfully. "Now I know why."
"Say what you want about Tom, but at least he stoke around!" Gloria spat out accusingly. "I couldn't take care of Michael on my own, I needed someone and so did our son."
"I offered to let him come and live with in New Orleans and you turned me down, so don't you dare stand there and say that you hooked up with this creep for our son's sake."
"He's Kevin's father," she muttered quietly. "He needs his father."
"Look at your son, Gloria." Lowell instructed her, but she refused. "Look at him!" Reluctantly, she brought her gaze up to peer at Kevin and her eyes instantly filled with tears when she took in the sight of his various injuries. "Tom Fisher isn't a father. He's a coward. And you're no better than he is if you allow this to continue."
"I can't…" Gloria started to say when she was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Oh, what now?!" She yelled in frustration, wiping away the tears in her eyes that had yet to fall before turning around and wiping the front door open. Neil Fenmore stood in the hallway, two police officers stood beside him along with the social worker who Lauren had spoken to when she had arrived in Detroit the day before.
"Daddy!" Lauren exclaimed in relief, moving away from Michael and Kevin to greet her father at the door, grinning at Gloria triumphantly as she brushed passed the older woman to welcome her father and the authorities into the home. "You're just in time."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
An hour later, the mood in the tiny apartment had changed dramatically. Neil had used his connections with Senator Jackson to convince Child Services as well as the local police department to make Kevin their top priority. After reviewing statements given by teachers and doctors that described Kevin's various injuries over the years, as well hearing a detailed account from Michael about the abuse that he and his brother had suffered at the hands of Tom Fisher, the social worker determined that it would be in the best interest of the child to remove him from the home immediately. The police also issued a warrant for Tom's arrest and advised Gloria that it would be in her best interest to co-operate with them and persuaded her to drop the kidnapping charges against Michael. In return, they agreed not to charge her with endangering the welfare of a minor.
"Thank you for your time, officers." Neil said warmly, smiling in gratitude as he ushered them out of the apartment.
"We should get going as well." The social worker announced, standing up from the couch as she began gathering up her things.
"We?" Michael asked, glancing at Lauren in confusion.
"I'm taking Kevin with me," she announced nonchalantly. "He'll be placed in foster care for the time being."
"What?!" Lauren choked out, her arms tightening around the small boy seated in her lap.
"Mikey, I don't want to go with her." Kevin whispered to his older brother, grabbing hold of Lauren's forearm and holding on for dear life.
"I hope you're happy, Michael." Gloria muttered under her breath as she continued pacing the room.
"Can't he stay with me?" Michael asked pleadingly. "I'm over eighteen, I have a stable job…"
"I'm sorry, but I have to follow protocol." the social worker informed him, smiling apologetically. "Once your brother's been entered into the system and you've found a new permanent residence suitable for you both to live in, you can petition the court to have Kevin released into your custody but until then I'm afraid he'll have to stay in foster care."
"What if they were both to come and live with me?" Lowell suggested, getting up from the couch to stand in front of the younger woman.
"That would definitely improve Michael's chances of being awarded custody, but Kevin would still need to be placed in foster care for the time being." She informed him regretfully.
"In that case, I'd like to apply to be a foster caregiver." Lowell declared authoritatively. "I'm aware that there's a screening process, but surely you can make an exception."
"I'm sure Senator Johnson would really appreciate it if your agency would co-operate with us on this matter." Neil chimed in. The social worker nervously glanced between the two men before sighing in resignation.
"Very well, Mr. Baldwin." She conceded. "I'm releasing Kevin Fisher into your custody. I'll also make sure that the paperwork on your foster care application is put through as quickly as possible."
"Thank you," Lowell smiled in gratitude. "Here, let me walk you out." he declared politely, ushering her towards the front door.
"So, does that mean I get to live with you, Mikey?" Kevin asked anxiously, jumping out of Lauren's arms to stand in front of his big brother. "I get to live with you?"
"Yep," Michael declared, smiling warmly at the little boy before wrapping him up in a hug. "You get to live with me." Lauren watched the two brothers embracing, smiling in relief as she wiped away the tears that were spilling down her cheeks.
"Lauren too, right?" Kevin asked hopefully, turning towards her with a look of apprehension in his eyes. "You're gonna live with us too."
"Kevin, I…" Lauren stuttered, wishing that she could tell him what he wanted to hear. Her eyes met Michael's, he was gazing at her apologetically, but she saw something else flicker across his face momentarily. Maybe Kevin wasn't the only one wishing that things could go back to the way they were in New Orleans. Lauren swallowed around the lump that had formed in her throat, her breath hitching as she took a deep breath and prepared to break both their hearts.
"Hey, buddy." Neil said gently, bending down beside the couch so that his face was level with the little boy. Kevin looked up at him nervously, inching closer to Michael. "Lauren has to come back home with me so that she can finish writing some tests for school or else she won't be able to graduate." Her father explained, glancing at Lauren sternly. She smiled sheepishly in response. "But as soon as she's finished with school, I'm sure she'd love to come and visit you in New Orleans over the summer. Would you like that?"
"Yeah." Kevin replied softly, but his expression remained sorrowful. Neil offered him a reassuring smile, trying to ignore the feeling of guilt that had washed over him at the boy's reaction. "Lauren, we should probably get going." Neil informed her, standing up straight and heading towards the door. "I need to get back to work and you need to study. Plus, you've got your senior prom coming up…"
"I'm not going to prom." Lauren said softly, still seated on the couch beside Michael and Kevin.
"Why not?" Her father asked, obviously surprised by her declaration. "You've been talking about it for months. Years even! In fact, I remember when you were a little girl and you used to…"
"I'm not a little girl anymore, daddy." Lauren whispered, her eyes glued to the floor. The pain in voice tore at his heart. He had never seen his daughter this upset before. He couldn't bare it.
"No," Neil choked out in agreement. "No, you're not."
"You two getting ready to head out?" Lowell asked as he re-entered the room, oblivious to the scene he'd just walked in on.
"Lowell," Neil said, clearing his throat as he threw one last glance at the three melancholy kids. "Can I speak to you outside for a moment?"
"Of course." Lowell agreed, and the two men stepped out into the hall.
"I guess this is goodbye." Michael said softly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the room.
"I guess so." Lauren agreed, looking up from the floor to meet his gaze. "There's so much I want to say to you." she whispered, her voice cracking as she fought back tears. "I just…"
"I know," He assured her, reaching out to stroke her damp cheek with the pad of his thumb. "No more tears, okay?"
"No more tears," She repeated, nodding her head in agreement. She turned her attention to Kevin, offering him a warm smile. "Well, come on. Gimmie a hug." The little boy flung himself into her arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck. She rubbed his back soothingly, reaching out to Michael with her other hand and entwining their fingers together.
"I'm gonna miss you." She whispered into Kevin's hair, her eyes never leaving Michael's. Just then, someone cleared their throat and all three of them jumped at the sound. They turned to see Neil and Lowell standing near the front door smiling conspiratorially.
"Mr. Baldwin and I have a proposition for you." Neil announced vaguely.
"It's regarding our move to New Orleans," Lowell began, directing his attention to Michael and Kevin. "It's going to take me a little while to get everything in order, so in the meantime…" He paused for affect. "How would you two like to go and stay in Genoa City for a little while?"
"At Lauren's house?!" Kevin exclaimed excitedly. Neil chuckled at the boy's reaction, nodding his head in affirmation.
"But, I do live there too ya know." He teased. Kevin giggled, leaping off the couch to stand in front of his brother.
"Mikey, we get to live with Lauren!" He declared enthusiastically, placing his hands on Michael's knees as he jumped up and down in excitement. "How cool is that?!"
"Very cool." Michael said quietly, smiling at Lauren before turning his attention to her father. "Are you sure about this, Sir?" He asked, his eye nervously darting away from the older man's intimidating stare. "I mean, I know I'm not exactly your favorite person in the world."
"I've learned never to judge people solely on first impressions." Neil declared, smiling at him reassuringly. "You're a good kid."
"Daddy," Lauren sighed, smiling at her father in gratitude as she got up from the couch and hugged him tightly. "You're the greatest!" An awkward silence developed between Michael and his father as they watched Lauren and Neil interacting. Michael stood up from the couch and held his hand out to the older man.
"Thank you," Michael said sincerely, frustrated by the inaccuracy of the words. "For everything."
"I only wish I'd done something sooner." Lowell declared, brushing off his son's praise. "Where's your mother?" he asked, glancing around the room and noticing her absence for the first time. Michael shrugged.
"Probably in her room sulking."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Tom? It's me." Gloria whispered into the phone's receiver as she sat on the edge of her bed, listening intently to the sounds of excitement coming from the living room. She scowled in contempt.
"What do you want?" He sneered in response and Gloria could hear his girlfriend Candi in the background. "I told you never to call me here." She hated him for cheating on her, hated him for never loving her the way she wanted him to. But he was all she had left now. She had to warn him about the police. She'd already lost her sons, she wasn't about to lose her husband as well.
"Something's happened."