Chapter 56- A Grandparent's Love

Spencer arrived at Wyndemere with baby Laura in the late afternoon. He had mixed feelings about returning. He loved staying with Aunt Alexis, but he knew it couldn't be a permanent thing. He still had issues with Ava, but Wyndemere was his home and he wanted it to be baby Laura's home too.

He was surprised by all the workers outside and asked about it right away.

"I've decided to make use of this land," Nikolas explained as he held his granddaughter. "I've hired workers to start making money off it for Cassadine Industries. They're planting crops and a cotton field. They're going to even get that old well working again. But they're going to have to clean it out first."

Spencer nodded. "That's a good idea. I used to love balancing myself at the top of that well when I was a kid."

"Also, Ava and Avery will be home for dinner," Nikolas said.

Spencer groaned at that.

Nikolas also introduced Spencer to Laura's new nanny, Azami. She was of Japanese descent but grew up in the U.S. Spencer noticed her pretty brown eyes and silky dark hair.

Azami took baby Laura to the nursery and Spencer headed to his room. He wasn't looking forward to dinner with Ava. It would be awkward at the very least. He pulled out his phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Spencer, hi!" Britt answered. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Britt. Can I ask you a favour? I'm back at Wyndemere now and I'm not looking forward to dinner with Ava. Can you join to make it less awkward?"

"Oh, I don't know. That does sound awkward."

"But you and Dad are friends. You can sit with me. It'll just level the playing field a bit."

Britt sighed. "Okay, I'll do it for you."

Spencer grinned. "Thanks!"

GHGHGH

Aiden stirred awake at some loud sounds. What was going on up there? It sounded like some sort of machinery. Would he be buried alive?

His heart raced faster. Was this his life now? Just laying in this well and fearing every noise he heard?

At this point he'd even take a day with Charlotte over a day in this well.

Aiden cleared his throat. Now was the time to draw attention. "Help me!" Mustering all his strength, he started screaming as loud as he could.

GHGHGH

Laura arrived at the hospital as soon as she heard about Cameron and Jake being found. When she walked in, Jeff and Carolyn arrived at the same time.

"How is he?" Laura asked as they joined Monica, Jason, Drew, and Elizabeth in the waiting area.

"He was just taken in for the procedure," Elizabeth said. "It can take up to six hours."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Carolyn asked.

Elizabeth smiled slightly. "Just being here means a lot. I just wish I could be in more than one place at once." She started choking up. "Cam's going to be fine, but Jake is fighting for his life, and I don't even know if Aiden is alive. I can't do it—I can't lose another child. When I thought Jake died…."

Laura hugged her. "Jake is going to pull through this, and the police are going to find Aiden. Soon their biggest concern will be acing the next math test and nothing more."

Carolyn reached for Elizabeth's hand and squeezed it.

Elizabeth shook her head and pulled away from Laura. "I can't do this. I can't just sit around and wait. I need to go find Aiden." She looked between all of the grandparents and Scott walked in with Liesl too. "Can you guys please stay here with Cam and Jake or take turns? And please update me on any little detail."

"Of course," Laura said.

Monica and the Webbers nodded.

"Liesl and I are here to help too," Scott said.

Jason cleared his throat. "Elizabeth, can I talk to you and Drew for a moment?"

Elizabeth squinted her eyes. "Sure…."

Jason went with them to an empty room. "I'd like to help you find Aiden, but I need to know more."

Elizabeth nodded and pulled out an envelope containing the ripped-up pieces of Aiden's threat and splayed them out on the empty bed. "Drew found this in Aiden's room."

"We're trying to figure out what spoon level means," Drew said. "Could he be at a restaurant?"

Jason stared at the pieces. "I doubt it has anything to do with kitchen utensils. Could he be at Spoon Island?"

GHGHGH

After leaving the hospital, Nina picked up Amelia and took her and Wiley to the Metro Court. There they met Sonny for an early dinner.

"How was school, buddy?" Sonny asked when their drinks arrived.

Wiley took a sip of his milk leaving behind a milk mustache. "I don't know. We went to see Mommy."

"And how's your mommy feeling?"

Wiley shrugged. "I want Mommy to come home."

Nina wrapped her arm around him.

"She will," Sonny assured him. "But I bet your visits brighten up her day."

"And I drawed her a picture." Wiley smiled. "Then Dr. Collins spoked to Grandma and said he can help her."

Sonny raised an eyebrow. "Help her with what?"

Nina shrugged it off. "Oh, he's Nelle's new psychiatrist. I just told him I have a lot going on right now, so he offered to help anyway he can."

"Hmm…. He was actually assigned to be Morgan's new psychiatrist too, but I sent him away. He's acting strange today."

"Oh, he's probably got a lot going on too right now," Nina said. "I saw the Amber Alert for the Webber boys."

"Who is Nelle?" Wiley asked.

Nina buried her face in her hands. She had promised Willow she wouldn't talk about Nelle with Wiley.

Sonny rubbed Nina's back.

"Who is she?" Wiley repeated.

"Nelle is a special person," Sonny said. "So… Wiley, tell me about the picture you drew for Mommy."

"I drawed Bluey and me and Mommy and Grandma and Amelia and Auntie Isla."

Sonny smiled. "Very nice."

Wiley started to frown. "But I don't see Daddy anymore. And Mommy is too sick to play with me."

"I know, buddy," Sonny said. "But Grandma and Grandpa will play with you."

"No! I want Mommy and Daddy to play with me!" Wiley pushed his milk over causing it to spill over the tablecloth. It spilled over onto Nina's lap.

Nina sighed and started cleaning it up.

Sonny took a deep breath and bent closer to Wiley's level. "Wiley, I understand you've been through a lot—"

Wiley threw his fists down on his chair. "I want Mommy and Daddy to come home now! Now! Now! NOW!"

"I know, buddy, but Mommy is sick—" Nina started to say.

"No!" Wiley kicked the table and Nina jolted. "I want Mommy! I don't want her to be sick! I want to go home with Mommy and Daddy!"

Nina burst into tears and left the table.

GHGHGH

Elizabeth, Jason, and Drew met Britt on the launch. Britt was in complete shock to find Jason alive, but Jason still didn't explain what happened the past year and a half. Everyone was too focused on Aiden. They got off the launch and met Nikolas, Spencer, and Ava in the living room at Wyndemere.

"Jason?" Nikolas gaped at him then shook his head. "I don't know why I'm surprised."

Spencer hugged Britt.

"Aiden is missing and we think he might be here on Spoon Island somewhere," Elizabeth cut to the chase.

"Is there anywhere underground he could've been taken?" Drew asked.

Elizabeth showed him the ripped-up note.

Nikolas rubbed his chin. "Could he be in the catacombs?"

Drew nodded. "We can start there."

"What are those workers doing outside?" Elizabeth asked. "What if Aiden is out there?"

"They're planting crops," Nikolas said. "I'll get them to stop and they can look outside while we check the catacombs. It'll be better if we split up and take different entrances."

"Spencer invited me for dinner, but I'd be happy to help," Britt said.

"Me too," Ava said.

"Okay," Nikolas said. "Spencer, you stay back with Avery and Laura."

Spencer groaned. "I can help."

"Spencer, please, stay back with them."

"Fine."

"Ava and I will go through the stables," Nikolas directed. "Elizabeth, you and Drew take the south entrance. Jason and Britt will take the north entrance."

GHGHGH

Cameron had trouble keeping still in his hospital bed. He felt completely helpless. He wished he could do something to help Jake and Aiden.

He looked up when Emma walked in wearing her scrubs. "Hey," she said. "How are you feeling?"

He shrugged. "Fine. Have you heard anything about Jake or Aiden?"

"Well, Jake was taken to the OR not too long ago," Emma said. "And I think your mom left to go look for Aiden."

"Good," Cam said. "I want to go outside and wait for word on Jake. I don't see any reason why I have to stay in this bed."

"Dr. Randolph said you have to wait for the chloroform to leave your system."

Cam sighed. "But I'm fine. Can't I just go out to the waiting room?"

Emma hung her head back. "Okay, maybe if I get you a wheelchair you can hang out with your grandparents for a bit. You have I don't know how many grandparents here. They're taking up the whole waiting room." She laughed a little.

"Okay, let's do that."

"But if you feel dizzy or anything, you have to come right back here."

GHGHGH

Laura shoved her phone away and groaned.

"Still can't get a hold of Kevin?" Monica asked when Laura plopped down beside her.

"No," Laura said. "I've been calling him all day. I know he'd want to be here. He loves those boys like they were his own grandsons."

"He's probably just busy with a client," Monica assured. "I know Alan would be here too if he could."

"Are you okay?" Jeff asked, rubbing Carolyn's back.

Carolyn sighed. "If anything happens to those boys… I'll blame myself."

"How is any of this your fault?"

"Because we brought the threats here."

"No, we didn't," Jeff said. "Elizabeth told us she received a threat before we even came to town."

"I just wish we could be in the OR to help Jake."

Liesl massaged Scott's hand. "The boys will be all right. They are very lucky to have you."

Scott nodded. "They better be all right. I think of them as my own grandsons."

"I know you do. I've grown to care for them as well."

Monica's phone rang and she pressed it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Hi Monica, I want to speak to Jason," Carly responded.

"Oh, Jason went with Elizabeth to find Aiden."

There was a long pause. "Oh okay. Where did they go?"

"They didn't say."

"Okay, well have him call me when you see him." She hung up.

Emma wheeled Cameron into the waiting room and set him beside Scott.

Cam glanced around the room at everyone. "Wow… I didn't realize we had this many grandparents."

Laura smiled sadly at him. "I know Kevin will want to be here too as soon as he can."

"How are you feeling, Cameron?" Carolyn asked.

Cam locked eyes with her for a moment, then kept his gaze on Laura instead, still unsure whether to trust his mother's parents. "I'm okay. I just need an update on Jake and Aiden."

GHGHGH

Wiley started crying after Nina left the dining room. "I made Grandma cry."

Sonny lifted him onto his lap. "Grandma is sad right now but it's not because of you."

"But I was mad, and I spilt milk on her and I scared her. Now she's mad at me."

"You didn't scare Grandma," Sonny assured. "And she's not mad at you. She just has a lot going on right now. You had a little outburst and Grandma is also having a little outburst." He sighed and glanced around the room hoping Nina would come back.

Olivia walked in and spoke to one of the waiters.

Sonny waved her over.

"Hi Sonny," Olivia said. "Hello Wiley."

"Olivia, can you do me a favour?" Sonny asked. "Nina is upset, and I don't know where she went. Can you stay with Wiley and Amelia so I can find her?"

"Uh, yeah sure."

GHGHGH

Ryan arrived at the Metro Court in hopes that Nina was working. He headed down the hallway but stepped back when he noticed Nina running into the lady's restroom. He inched forward and pulled the door slightly open to peek in at her crying over the sink.

GHGHGH

Nikolas and Ava entered the catacombs via the stables. He spoke to one of the workers to have them spread word to stop working and to look for Aiden.

The catacombs were obviously dark, so Nikolas provided lanterns for everyone. He and Ava made their way through the tunnels.

"This is like a maze," Ava said and scrunched up her nose at some skulls on the wall. "And creepy too."

"It is a maze," Nikolas said. "Finding Aiden in here will be like finding a needle in a haystack. I just hope he doesn't fall into the underground water systems."

GHGHGH

Jason and Britt had been travelling through the north entrance of the catacombs for a good twenty minutes now. The tunnels had tight turns, and no sign of light.

"So, what happened?" Britt asked. "We all thought you died."

"We need to focus on finding Aiden right now," Jason said. "I made a promise to Jake."

"But why did you return? Did you return for Carly?"

Jason breathed in deeply. "Let's just focus on Aiden."

They reached a fork and came to a halt.

"Which way do you think?" Britt asked.

Jason shrugged. "We can try right and if it leads nowhere, we can turn around."

They headed to the right which did a huge loop into a dead end.

Jason stood back and watched as Britt stepped closer to a plaque on the wall.

She squinted her eyes and held her lantern closer to the plaque. "Wrong way—"

She screamed and the floor went out below her.

Jason stepped closer, but he was too large to fit through the hole.

GHGHGH

"It's hard to believe that Jason is back," Drew commented as he and Elizabeth made their way through the south end of the catacombs.

Elizabeth exhaled deeply. "It is but it isn't. He has survived worse before."

"Well, I'm happy for his kids. And I'm also happy for a chance to know him… outside of his memories implanted in me." He laughed.

She sniggered.

"I know how important he was to you," Drew said. "And you to him."

Elizabeth nodded. "That was a long time ago."

They turned through a passageway into what looked like a cave. In the distance, water flowed through the wall into what looked like a river moving rapidly.

"How can a place be so intriguing yet creepy at the same time?" Drew said.

Elizabeth's heart sped up. "You don't think Aiden could be in there, do you?"

"We can't assume the worst."

They stepped closer to the water that seemed to move endlessly past the room they stood in.

"Why don't we head back and take the other direction?" Drew suggested. "I don't think we'll find him in he—"

Elizabeth screamed when a colony of bats flew at them. They both tried to swat them away. Elizabeth stepped forward but they pulled her backwards and she dropped into the river.

"Elizabeth!" Drew shouted, but she disappeared quickly from his view.

GHGHGH

Nina couldn't stop sobbing. She stared at her reflection. Her mascara streamed to her cheeks.

She jerked a little when the door opened.

Sonny walked in and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay."

"No! It's not okay!" She cried into his shoulder.

"This is long overdue," he said softly. "I'm actually surprised you've held it in this long."

"I just can't take it anymore, Sonny. I don't want to watch Willow and Nelle suffer. And I don't want to watch Wiley in pain either. And Amelia doesn't know what's going on, but I know she misses her mommy too. When she cries, she's not crying for me, she's crying for Willow. And all I keep thinking—were Willow and Nelle crying for me and missing me when they were babies like Amelia? Or didn't they know the difference?"

Sonny rubbed her back. "I know. I know."

Nina pulled away from him. "And what about when they were Wiley's age? They didn't know who I was, they would've wanted the Millers and the Bensons when they were upset or scared. But were they even there for them at all? I know Nelle's father abused her, so who was there to comfort her and help her through it? And what Harmony did to Willow, taking her across the country from cult to cult and eventually using her as a se x slave? I haven't even asked her about her father, what was he like with her?"

"You will have the chance to ask both of them all of these questions once they're better."

Nina patted her chest. "It should've been me. I should've been the one there for them. And Silas. But my mother… I don't even want to call her my mother anymore… Madeline robbed me of that. She robbed all of us of that."

Sonny nodded sadly. "But you're there for them now and you are going to get them through this."

"But I just feel like this second chance isn't going to last. Willow still has a long battle ahead of her and Nelle doesn't know up from down. I feel like if I help one daughter it will hurt the other. I truly believe that Wiley is the key to helping Nelle remember. But that will hurt Willow. She loves Wiley like he's her own."

"But you said that Willow is softening towards Nelle a bit, right? I know you want to be the one to save both of them, but maybe they are destined to save each other. Nelle's bone marrow is saving Willow, and maybe once Willow spends more time with Nelle, she'll start seeing that she's not a threat and she'll be the one to bring Wiley to see her. I know waiting is hard, but I think this needs to be a time thing. You just need to be patient with them."

Nina sighed and reached for the heart necklaces around her next. Then, she smiled. "Maybe you're right…. Maybe this isn't about me at all. But maybe there's something I can do to help the process." She glanced down at each half of the heart. "Madeline might have meant this necklace for her and Nelle, and I always thought it was to connect me and my daughter…. But maybe… maybe it's supposed to keep Willow and Nelle connected."

GHGHGH

Drew raced through the tunnels to try to find where the river led to. How could he just let Elizabeth fall like that? He should've reached out to her or something.

He darted around the corner and ran smack into Britt.

"Drew!" Britt said with wide eyes. "Where's Elizabeth?"

"She fell in the river. Where's Jason?"

"We got separated."

GHGHGH

Jason made his way through the tunnels. He had no idea how to find Britt. Hopefully she wasn't trapped somewhere. He had tried calling to her through the hole but there was no answer.

He noticed in the distance, a river. Could she have fallen in there?

He made his way over and looked out at the rapids.

He stayed there for several minutes, just staring at the water. She must be somewhere else. And he'd probably find her back at Wyndemere after. He needed to get back to searching for Aiden.

He started to turn away when he heard screaming and saw a set of arms flailing from the water. He rushed to the edge and seized one of the arms.

When he pulled the arm, he realized it was Elizabeth, but her eyes shut. He quickly pulled her from the water and laid her on the ground.

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth!" He touched her cheek, but she didn't wake up.

He pressed on her chest with both hands, then did mouth to mouth. She coughed up water and looked up at him. "Jason…."

Jason swallowed hard. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. Thank you for saving me."

GHGHGH

Azami had listened in on Nikolas and everyone talking about Aiden. Shortly after, Spencer relieved her and said he wanted to spend time with Laura and Avery. So, she decided to go for a walk. She headed through the Wyndemere grounds and passed all the men searching for Aiden. She stopped when she reached the well. She peeked down at Aiden laying there helplessly.

Aiden looked up when he noticed the young woman peeping down at him. "Help me! I'm Aiden Spencer and I'm trapped in this well! I want to go home! Help me!"

Azami grinned. "I can't do that. Not when this has only begun." She glanced around her and found an old piece of wood. The workers were busy with their search in the distance, so she lifted the wood and used it to cover the opening to the well.

"No!" Aiden cried when everything went dark. "Please, get me out of here!"