Chapter 17:

"Andrea... is that..." Miranda's voice broke through the silence that had taken over the room once the tape was stopped.

Andy nodded slowly, stood, and started pacing the room, "I can't believe this. Why would he do this?" she said quietly her voice low, deadly, and laced with anger.

"So you both know who this man is?" Olivia asked as she stopped the tape and looked between Miranda and Andrea.

Andy nodded once and continued pacing the room her steps hard and quick, "The asshole's name is Christian Thompson... last time we saw him was a book store in Paris, France. He has an old vendetta against Miranda... but he didn't even get the chance to actually meet Lexxi. I mean I am sure he saw her when we were checking out but his run in was with myself... Rory was with me but he only glanced at her a few times... then Miranda showed up. What reason would he have to take my little girl?" she replied staring at the tape player still lying on the table.

Miranda sighed and shook her head, "It doesn't make sense." she whispered her eyes focused on the wall the look in the distance.

"What is it Mira?" Andy asked moving over to her lover placing a soft hand on her cheek.

Miranda shook her head slightly, "The man has an obsession with you... why would he take your child?"

"There is another man on the tape perhaps a partner or maybe the person in charge. Listen carefully we believe he was on a cell with speakerphone." Jo told them pressing the play button on the recorder.

There was the sound of more traffic and then Lexxi's soft whimpering getting louder as if she were moving closer to the microphone. Andy stiffened and clung to Miranda the sound of her daughter's anguished call for her mommy, breaking her spirit and causing a clawing ache in her chest centered over her heart. She could feel trembling taking over her body as her oxygen intake became restricted. She couldn't get the oxygen to her lungs and they started to burn she felt her legs tremble and Miranda's arms tighten around her.

"Andrea, darling, you have to breathe." Miranda's softly whispered words met her ears and she used all the brain power she had to remember how to do just that. She felt the older woman's lips on hers and although she was confused her lips parted and she felt air being blown into her mouth. She inhaled sharply clutching her chest as she started gasping for air, "I... want... my... daughter... and... I want that bastard dead." She managed to hiss between pants her eyes narrowed and staring straight into those of her lover.

Miranda just nodded and Andy leaned her head into the other woman's neck sobbing softly as the voices on the tape slowly drifted to her ears. She stiffened for a moment and spun around quickly a feral look in her eye as she stared at the tape player, "Oh that mother fucker has gone too damn far. When you find that bastard I want the book thrown at him!" Andy hissed her eyes and skin burning with a fiery rage.

She felt someone else move near her and found herself wrapped in the familiar arms of her mother. The soft familiar humming and comforting fingers running through her hair gave her tremendous comfort and allowed her to reign in her anger. She took a few calming breaths and sighed heavily, "I'm sorry Momma." she whispered.

"Shh... it's alright dear heart. You're in pain, we understand. Who is the second man... he sounds familiar." Isabella asked her hand moving in slow calming circle across the young woman's back.

"That's Nate... the prick! Do you remember the guy that grabbed her at the opening here in New York?" Andy said moving from Isabella's embrace.

Isabella nodded, "Ah yes... I thought I had heard that voice before."

Andy paced the floor a few times her mind running over every encounter she'd had with Nate since arriving to New York. Her eyes widened and she turned to stare directly into her lover's eyes, "I know where to find them." she whispered her heart pounding in her chest and her breathing rate increasing, "There's a cabin that his uncle owns... somewhere up north. He used to talk about going up there when he just needed to hide from the world. It was in a secluded area... no one would ever notice him arriving or leaving. No one would ever notice Lexxi." she explained falling into a chair and turning off the tape player.

"His name is Nathan Cooper... check with Lillian... mm... Thomas I do believe, she may give you something else on him if she's at risk of arrest for obstruction." Miranda told the detectives as she moved to take her young lover in her arms.

The detectives nodded and Olivia stood moving from the room her cell phone attached to her ear quickly giving out orders.

"Andy is there anything more you can tell us about either of these men that would speed up the process? Any details could help... if neither of them have a record they will not be in our system. Physical description, make and model of any cars you know they own, last known address? We could go through DMV records but that will take a while." Jo asked watching her partner for a moment before turning her eyes onto Andy and Miranda standing together near the rear wall.

"I have Nate's address somewhere in my study along with all the other legal forms my lawyer. Oh... would a social security number help?"

The hours following the initial review of the tape were pure uninterrupted misery for Andrea. She found herself pacing silently in Rory's room waiting for someone to return and let them know what was happening. After Olivia called in the names and gave the little information they were able to come up with, she and Jo left to see an ADA about getting warrants and such at such an ungodly hour. The fact that everyone now knew who she was and what was happening with her child along with the fact that she had The Miranda Priestly also pushing things from her end gave her a small comfort. They would need a judge to sign the warrants and the few judges she was acquainted with were on the distant side of the world.

With a heavy sigh Andy pushed away her thoughts and paused at the foot of her oldest daughter's bed and watched as she slept. Her mind officially shut down for now she enjoy the peace that had been alluding her since Cassidy stormed into her studio, with Caroline and Rory, in tears gasping about Lexxi, a car, running, and something about lights. For the first time in a week she felt a small glimmer of hope. She refused to let herself get too excited or hopeful just in case things led them to another dead end. She knew the men on the tape were Nate and Christian but she couldn't figure out why they would take Lexxi and not ask for a ransom. She had no word from them and no idea if her baby was still breathing.

She forced her mind away from those thoughts quickly and started pacing again. The more she thought about Lexxi not coming home the emptier she felt and the sharper the pain in her soul became. Some part of her, the maternal part she would guess, knew that her baby girl was still alive. She couldn't really explain how she knew but her instinct or intuition was telling her that Lexxi was alive and she would hold on to that knowledge for as long as the feeling was present. Sighing she ran a hand through her too long hair and sat down by the window staring up into the night sky wondering when the detectives would call with the information. She was getting antsy and she knew that was not a good thing.

"Oh Lexxi... where are you baby? Mommy needs you home with her." she whispered pulling her knees up to her chest wrapping her arms around them. With her chin resting on her knees Andy did something she hadn't done since she lived in Ohio with her parents. She prayed. She prayed to every deity she could think of, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. She watched the changing color of the sky and listened to the soft breathing of her oldest daughter. Andy turned to look at Rory curled up under her purple Bratz blanket sleeping peacefully for the first time in a week. Sighing she stood and walked over to tuck the young brunette's leg back under her blanket and kissed her head gently.

"Mommy?" Rory's softly whispered question reached her just as she was going out of the bedroom door to find Miranda.

She turned around moving back to Rory's bed swiftly and sitting next to the little girl, "I'm here Monkey. Mommy is right here baby." she whispered softly running her hand over the girl's hair.

"I had another dream about Lexxi. Mommy when is she coming home... I... I don't like this... I miss my sissy." Rory said her voice broken up by tears.

Andy felt her heart clinch and inhaled deeply tears burning her eyes, "Shh baby" she whispered pulling Rory into her lap, "We're going to find Lexxi soon baby. Olivia and Jo came by tonight while you were sleeping..." she said softly and slowly, "they found a tape they think your sister made that had her and the people that took her talking on it. I recognized the people and the police are looking for all the information they can and then we go find them and bring Munchkin home. You rest now my angel. I promise to wake you up as soon as Lexxi gets here."

She felt Rory's small nod and smiled a little as her breathing evened out again and she quickly fell back to sleep. She held her daughter on her lap softly humming to her and staring out the window again. With a sigh she laid Rory down on her bed, tucked her in, and kissing her lightly on the head before standing and moving to close the curtains. Before she closed them completely she blinked rapidly trying in vain to stop the tears, "Sergei... watch over our little girl." she whispered dropping the curtain and silently leaving the room.