Tiffany loves the month of December, how the world seems magical and full of possibilities. It didn't feel like a magical December this year. Sean was convinced they would have found Faison by now. But they hadn't. With each passing day, Sean is increasingly captivated by the case and Tiffany is left alone without Sean to accompany her to her monthly checkup. His distance grows as her belly grows, a constant reminder of the short time they have left to track down Faison. The only bright spot is the arrival of Cheryl and Shep later today.
Tiffany is currently fluffing pillows on the couch and stealing glances at Sean as he studies the latest report from the WSB on their case. He takes a sip of his coffee before taking his pencil from behind his ear and circling something on the report. She hears him mumble to himself before she speaks up.
"What are we going to do Sean? I wasn't going to tell Cheryl about this business with Faison till we had more of a lead. And all the WSB has been able to tell us is that he hasn't been spotted in the states? What kind of organization can't find one man? And Cheryl, what are we going to do about Cheryl? She seemed so hopeful on the phone. Excited by whatever she has to tell me. And Shep? He didn't say anything when I tried prying the news out of him. Sean, are you even listening to me?"
He looks up closing the folder of paperwork with a sigh,
"I heard you. I've been hearing you for the past month and half. I'm doing the best that I can," he ran hand through his hair disheveling it out of place. "We are all doing the best we can. I don't know what to say about your sister coming because I'm focused on keeping you safe, not her wild goose chase with Shep."
Tiffany can practically feel the frustration pouring off of him. The video was the last time they had any leads to Faison's whereabouts or contact. His silence scares her more than the gifts or video did, as does Sean's surliness. She places a hand on her stomach as the baby rolls a somersault in affirmation. She recalls how ecstatic Sean had been when he first felt the baby kick and catches him gazing at her now. He has a melancholy air about him that she wishes she could make disappear.
"I'm sorry about what I said and for snapping at you. I'm just so frustrated that we haven't been able to find Faison. I love you more than life itself. You are the most important person in the world to me. I'm sorry that I've been distant. It's just…" he gestures at the empty air. His words are filled with apologies.
It was on the tip of her tongue to say he had nothing to apologize for that this was just another challenge they would overcome together, but she couldn't. There were too many unknowns, too many what-ifs constantly running through her head. What if they couldn't find Faison in time, would he really try to take their baby? Was it even safe for them to be considering her delivering at General? Yet, she doesn't want to worry him more especially when he is staring with such longing it makes her heart ache.
"Things aren't going the way we want." She finishes his sentence before coming over and standing in front of him. He places his head on her stomach. She gently runs her fingers through his hair. She wonders what she could say or do to put their fears aside for now. She settles for;
"I love you too Sean Henry Donely. Forever and a day." Their silence is interrupted by the ringing doorbell.
"That'll be Cheryl and Shep." Tiffany says going over, pasting on a smile and opening the door to their guests.
"Tiffany, you look wonderful. Pregnancy suits you." Shep says, greeting her with a quick hug and wave to Sean. Cheryl follows suit, smiling at her baby bump.
"Thank you and I must say you are looking well too. I just hope you've been treating my baby sister right."
"Tiffany…"
"What? I'm allowed to worry about you. Now come on. Let's sit down and you can tell us why you sounded so excited on the phone yesterday." They move, sit and make themselves comfortable. Sean places his files in the desk before coming and joining Tiffany placing a steading hand on her knee.
"So what is it that you wanted to tell us? There has to be some other reason for you to show up for the holidays two weeks early. Did you find ?" she questions her sister. She senses that whatever is about to be said is going to be serious and it makes her feel uneasy.
"We came so close to finding him we even made it the whole way to Cape Cod only to discover that he had died. I was devastated and about to call you with the news when we got these," Cheryl reaches into her purse, unfolds a stack of papers and hands them to Sean and Tiffany. Tiffany peers at the top of the photocopies and notices a list of names, and signatures and prices. Sean takes them from her and flips through them rather quickly; they both speak at the same time.
"What am I looking at exactly?"
"Who gave you these?"
Sean's voice overlaps Tiffany's question. They share a look before she nods for Sean to continue.
"Are these adoption records from 's clinic?" He asks Cheryl.
"They are."
"And most are signed release forms from the mothers but these," he flips toward the end of the stack."These just have initials and amounts. CS is Cheryl."
"I don't understand Sean, what does it mean?" she asks her husband.
"What it means sweetheart is that someone or some person convinced to illegally sell your nephew and told us he had died."
Tiffany turns from him to her sister, never believing that Cheryl's son is actually alive. She has no idea how to react but she sees her sister smiling for the first time in forever and she can't feel anything else but pure happiness for her and the miracle they have been handed.
"Oh God, Cheryl. He is really alive. I'm so happy for you." Tiffany is struggling to stand up and hug her when Cheryl jumps to her feet and bends down to embrace her. They tightly hug each other before breaking away and settling back onto the couch.
"I'm so happy Tiffany. But whoever slipped these documents under our hotel door either doesn't want to be found or…" her sister's smile drops off her face and she looks to Shep who has been silent since greeting Tiffany at the door. Tiffany notices them sharing a look of uncertainty before Shep speaks.
"It really is wonderful news. But there is someone who doesn't want us to find him. Whoever Esther is has the answers we need. She is listed on every single one of those forms. But if this is an illegal adoption scam. We need your help Sean. Tiff."
"Will you help us?" Cheryl adds with a hopeful air.
" Oh." Is the only thing Tiffany can say.
Cheryl has no idea about the pressure she and Sean were under. How could they possibly help when their own lives were being threatened. She thought this Christmas they would be discussing baby names and preparing the nursery. It never crossed her mind that she would be in danger or that they would be searching for her sister's 15-month-old child. Tiffany gets up from the couch with Sean's help and exhales sharply. She turns and looks around at them.
"I don't know..I don't know. No, I do know. I would love to say that Sean can help you but." She stops unsure how to continue. She looks at Sean silently pleading that he will take the lead on this.
"What Tiffany means to say is that we would love to help you track down Esther but we can't. And it's not because it's too dangerous or we don't believe what you've told us or shown us. It's because there's been a threat made against Tiffany."
"What kind of threat? Are you ok? Is there anything we can do?" Shep and Cheryl ask together.
"Look, I don't want to involve you in our troubles," Sean said, squaring his shoulders. "I'm focusing all my time on preventing any harm from coming to Tiffany or the baby. We don't have a lot to go on right now, just some unsettling gifts and a videotape sent by an old colleague of mine looking for some revenge."
"And yes, I'm fine." Tiffany said. "Dr. Morgan says that everything is going perfectly and that my pregnancy is as run- of- the- mill as it can get. It would be a joyful time if not for this danger hanging over us. Robert and Anna and Robin have been trying to keep me distracted. Keep us distracted. But enough about me. Right now, we need to think of someone who can help you find my nephew. That would make my Christmas if he was found and reunited with us all." Tiffany smiles at her sister picturing next year with both their children enjoying the festive season.
"Honey, I think you gave me an idea. Why don't I give Robert a call. He is the police commissioner and has just as many ties to the WSB as me. If anyone can get us a lead on Esther and help us it will be him."
"Do you really think he will help me Sean? We didn't part on the best of terms after our breakup." Cheryl asks hesitantly.
"No matter what animosity you feel towards each other because of your break-up, he will do this because he cares deeply for Tiffany and her well-being. Helping you is just an extension of that. And while he comes over, I am going to take my beautiful wife out for the rest of the day. I've been a bear towards her lately and it's about time I amend that." He mouths an I love you to her while he waits for Robert to pick up the phone.
Two-weeks have passed since Cheryl had dropped her bombshell on Tiffany, and Robert has reluctantly agreed to help locate her son. They are all currently gathered at General Hospital for the annual reading of the Christmas Story.
"Next year we'll have Willa here with us." Sean says, handing her a cup of punch. He places a hand on her back as they watch the pediatric care unit children open their gifts from Santa.
"Willa? Do you really like it? Willa Donely." Tiffany says it a few times to herself and scrunches her face at Sean. He winks at her over his punch cup. She narrows her eyes at him pitching her voice low enough that only he can hear her;
"And here I thought you had your heart set on Wren? That was at the top of your list along with Fletcher."
He gives her a warm smile as he sets down his cup and slowly lifts her hand towards his lips, his eyes catching hers as he kisses her wedding and engagement ring. Tiffany had known he was kidding when he had placed Fletcher on the list of names he had given her last night at Anna's Christmas party.
He had spent the majority of the evening sitting with Robin, asking her input on names for the baby. The majority of the list included names he absolutely had no intentions of considering but seeing the spark back in his eyes and his laughter when Robert, Anne, Shep and Cheryl all started tossing out their picks was a memory she would never forget.
"I would love to know what names are on your list, Tiffany. I saw you and Anna and Robin talking before we left. You have been awfully secretive about it and I thought we didn't have any secrets, sweetheart."
"Normally we wouldn't but I did promise Robin that it would be a surprise," said Tiffany. "And I'd hate to break a promise to her. Speaking of…"
"Merry Christmas, Sean. Merry Christmas, Tiffany." Robin gives each of them a hug.
"Merry Christmas Sweetie. How are you enjoying the party?"
"It's so much fun. I'm glad that I got to be an elf this year and help pass out the presents. That's why I came over. There is one on the tree for Aunt Tiffany. It was too high for me to reach but I figured Uncle Sean must have placed it there for you to find." Robin says pointing at a gift with an all too familiar dark blue ribbon around it.
Ice-cold dread comes over Tiffany. All of the gifts from Faison had been tied with that ribbon. She feels Sean tense up beside her and he places his arm in front of her gently putting her behind him as he walks over to the tree and untangles the gift. He walks back over to her and Robin.
"Pumpkin, could you go and get your Mom and Dad and have them meet me and Tiffany in the waiting room?"
"Sure." Robin runs off to where her parents are in deep conversation with Frisco and Felicia.
They wordlessly leave the conference room and head to one of the more remote waiting rooms on the 4th floor. Tiffany sits down as does Sean placing the gift on the table in front of them. They sit in silence staring at it as if it will bite them.
Tiffany can feel the cold icy dread leaking into her vision. All the joyful noises of the nurses and families celebrating are fading and darkness is creeping in. She should have known their happiness of the past few weeks would be ruined. She feels foolish for hoping that Faison's radio silence would hold. But now, all she can see is that awful box, with that awful ribbon tied around a name tag addressed to her.
"So it looks like our old friend just had to come and ruin Christmas?" Robert states pulling Tiffany out of her dread.
"Looks that way." Is all Sean says. Robert picks up the box and gives it a little shake and then intently studies the box turning it upside down and back again in his hands. He studies the tag and the red ink that was used to write her name. He hands it over to Anna who does a more gentle examination of the box before she places it back on the table in front of Tiffany.
"It's not ticking but that doesn't mean he didn't put something more nefarious inside. I could go and get Steve. Have him x-ray it before we open it." Robert suggests to the group.
"I don't think that will be necessary. Faison was never one for the obvious when it came to harming people. He enjoys his mind games too much." Sean bitterly says.
"Well, which one of us is going to open it?" Anna asks, taking the seat across from Tiffany. Robert perches on the armrest beside her.
"I'll do it." Tiffany reaches out, taking the box in hand. She pulls the ribbon off and opens it to find a sprig of Holly and a card:
A little smile, a word of cheer,
A bit of love from someone near
A little gift from one held dear,
Best wishes for the coming year…
I do hope that Holly is on the list. It is such a lovely name. I have some of my own favorites. Hope you will call.
Caesar.
Tiffany flips the card over and sees that he has left a number. Surely he must be baiting her. Baiting them into calling. She hands it over to Sean and doesn't even touch the sprig of Holly. She hates Faison but hates him even more for sending her the gift that Robert's wife used to send him while she was still alive. Holly, who was the best of them, who brought out the best in Robert, who deserved to be alive and not be an ache in all of their hearts.
"I'm sorry Robert." Tiffany says looking up at Robert. He smiles at her but it doesn't reach his eyes,his hurt is evidently written on his face.
"Tiff, you have nothing to be sorry about. This is his MO. He knows our weaknesses and knows how to use them against us. He is right on one thing though. Holly is a lovely name."
"Yes, it is." Tiffany forces her eyes away from him,back to the holly sitting on the table in front of them all. Funny how a plant meant to offer protection and good fortune now represented grief and despair. She reaches out and places the lid back on the box looking over at Sean who is intently studying the phone number on the greeting card.
"I guess this means I have a very important phone call to make."
"Honey," Sean interjects.
"Sean, don't even say it." She knows she could handle this call with Faison. In fact, she was certain of it.
"Tiffany, I know what you are going to say. I know you could do this but let me make the call. Please? With any luck we can track his location. And if I can get that for you, for us. We can end this nightmare." Sean says.
Tiffany presses her lips together, trying to not say something she would regret later. She glances at Anna and Robert trying to gauge what they have to say on the matter.
"Give us two days Sean." Anna finally says.
"I can pull a few strings with the WSB and get us all the pieces for the phone tracking in place by the 27th." Robert states as he picks up the box and places it in his inside jacket pocket.
"I'll run a quick analysis on the box at the station and tag it into evidence."
He wipes his hands on his pants and offers his hand out to Tiffany helping her out of her chair. Sean and Anna follow suit walking slowly towards the pediatrics party. She and Robert follow behind linking arms.
"There isn't anything else we can do right now besides go to the party and salvage what we can of our Christmas. Try not to worry too much Tiffany." Robert says, giving her arm a little squeeze.
She wishes she could say she wouldn't but that would be a lie.
Two days later the penthouse is a bustle of activity as Robert and Sean set up the phones for the call to Faison. With any luck, they will be able to use a new phone tapping system to track his whereabouts and arrest him before the new year. Tiffany tries to understand how the system worked, but quite honestly, it was all a bit over her head and she had gladly retreated upstairs leaving the boys to their mission.
"Ok Sean. We are all ready on my end. Are you ready to make the call?" Robert asks from behind a desk filled with equipment. He nods his head 'yes' before sitting down. He waits for Robert to place headphones on and flip a switch before he picks up the phone and dials the number on the back of the card Tiffany had received at the Christmas party. It rings and rings and rings before he hears the familiar Danish accent of Faison say:
"Hello Sean, I must say I am disappointed that you didn't allow your lovely wife to call me. She has such a lovely accent and way with words. How is her pregnancy going? Is she well? Tell me everything."
Sean takes a deep breath to keep himself from speaking before thinking through his next move. He's filled with anger and to an extent regret. If only, they had taken care of Faison back in May when they had the chance. He wouldn't be sitting here schooling his thoughts and calling to memory every WSB tactic he knew about keeping a mark talking. He imagines the phone call in every possible situation and tries to analyze which way to go. The important thing was to not let Faison catch on to their plan. He knows for certain that this wouldn't succeed if he blew his cool. Stay calm, Sean there is too much at stake. You can do this for Tiffany and for the baby.
He thinks of the distant future: Tiffany and the baby visiting him at work with lunch, because she had missed him and insisted their daughter or son had too.
I can do this. He schools his face to a blank expression and speaks:
"Where shall we start? I know, should we start with all the gifts you've been sending my wife or the little videotape you sent threatening her?"
"Is that what she thought, Sean? I was just extending my congratulations on your new addition. I meant no harm. Tiffany is just as dear to me as Anna is."
"You listen to me Faison and you listen to me very carefully. If you come within a mile of this city, within a mile of my wife. I will kill you."
"Ah but that's where you are wrong my old friend. I don't think you will. I have a score to settle with you. And I'm eager to get the ball in play. It would be a shame if anything were to happen to Tiffany, especially in her current condition. I'll be in touch, Sean." The phone clicks in his ear. He looks expectantly at Robert waiting for confirmation that they were able to pin-point a location in time.
"Nova Scotia." He says taking off his headphones and breaking out into a grin.
"Nova Scotia." Sean replies, pulling him into a hug. He couldn't wait to tell Tiffany that they had finally located Faison.