Chapter 8- What Charlotte Found

Felicia arrived at the nurse's station out of breath. TJ, Molly, Chase, and Jordan were talking to Portia and Carolyn.

"Unfortunately, there was a malfunction last night and the surveillance cameras haven't come on since," Carolyn explained. "We don't have any footage."

"But did you notice anyone out of the ordinary go near Scarlett's room?" Jordan asked.

"I wasn't there last night," Carolyn said. "I've been focused on my grandson."

"Dr. Randolph was on duty last night," Portia piped up. "As well as other nurses."

"Okay, we'll need to question them," Jordan said. "If you remember anything or see anything, alert us right away."

"There is one thing," Portia said. "Esme Prince is missing as well."

Felicia stepped a little closer to listen in.

"Do you think she could've taken her?" Jordan asked.

"She has a history of instability," Portia said. "She framed my daughter."

"Then we'll question Kevin, Laura, and Spencer as well," Jordan said.

Jordan and Chase took off and Carolyn and Portia dispersed.

TJ wrapped his arms around Molly. "It's okay, we'll find her. And then we can apply to adopt her."

"I hope you're right, TJ," Molly said.

Felicia cleared her throat and walked over. "You're planning to adopt Scarlett?"

TJ nodded. "Thank you for helping take care of her. After we found out Lily died, we talked it over and decided we want to give Scarlett a good home."

Felicia smiled. "That's a great idea."

"As long as we find her." Molly pulled away from TJ and looked at him. "Do you think Esme took her?"

"She did not," Felicia said firmly. "There's no way she could have. I was with her all night when Scarlett disappeared. Esme didn't leave her son's room. Even when I stepped out, I was right outside the room. And I didn't use the restroom until Laura and Spencer arrived the next morning. I only left late morning and that's when Esme went missing."

"Then you need to tell Jordan," Molly said.

"I'm not telling Jordan," Felicia said. "Not yet. If I do, then they won't try to find Esme until it's been 24 hours."

"Okay, then why are you telling us?" TJ asked.

"Because I want to work with you to find both Esme and Scarlett," Felicia said. "Molly, will you call Sam and ask her to meet us here? I'll call Spinelli to do a deeper dive into the surveillance system."

Molly nodded and pulled out her phone. "Okay."

GHGHGH

Fifteen-year-old Esme arrived at Ferncliff in Port Charles, New York. Going against Maggie's wishes, she ran away on the bus to finally find Daddy. They'd be together at last and he'd also tell her who Mommy is. He just had to.

He was sitting in a padded room when she nervously walked in.

She smiled shyly. "My-my name is Esme."

He smiled back. "Esme. Come a little closer so I can see you."

She slowly approached the bed. "I-I'm your daughter. I've been wanting to find you for so long."

"My daughter…."

Esme swallowed hard and glanced around the creepy room. "Wh-why are you here?"

"Well, you see, Esme," Daddy said softly. "The people in this town are very evil and they've locked me up."

Esme frowned. "Oh. Why would they do that?"

He shrugged. "They've wronged me. And they will wrong you too."

There was a long pause. "Can you tell me who my mother is?"

He stared at her. "Of course, I will, Esme. But I need your help first."

"What kind of help?"

"It's a very important task," Ryan said. "I need your help to get out of here."

"Um, okay. I don't know how. But I'll try."

"Come sit." He patted beside him on the bed. "We have a lot of catching up to do."

She slowly went over and sat beside him. He wrapped his arm around her.

"Esme," Ryan said. "I'm going to toughen you up."

…"What is Spencer offering?" Daddy asked a few years later.

On the verge of tears, Esme responded in a choky voice, "The identity of my birth mother."

Esme turned as she received a text from Spencer telling her to get to the courthouse or no deal.

She jerked as Daddy snuck up behind her and ripped the phone out of her hand. "Not on my time." He deleted the message. "Well, thanks to your childish vendetta against the Robinson girl, Spencer now has a bargaining chip. Worse… his curiosity could lead him to discover that I'm your father."

"That's your only concern…." Esme took her phone back.

"You've been compromised, Esme. You're of no use to me."

"So, this relationship is purely transactional?" Esme took a breath. "Your brother Kevin told me that he feared that you could never truly care for another person and I'm starting to think that he is right."

"You know I care about you."

"Do you?" Esme asked. "Then why do you never ask me what I want?"

He sighed. "Fine. What do you want?"

"To know who my mother is."

"You can't be considering Spencer's offer," Daddy said.

"I need the truth," Esme said desperately. "If not from Spencer, then from you. Whatever it takes."

…"I could always just run away," Esme said.

"As if I'd ever allow that," Daddy said.

"And if I dare disobey you? What then?"

"Then consider yourself an orphan."

Esme's eyes welled with tears.

Daddy slowly moved over to her, his face barely inches from hers and he wrapped his arms around her. "My brother is wrong. I'm not an unfeeling monster. Your mother meant everything to me." He pulled away slightly, face close to hers again. He cupped her chin between his finger and thumb and stroked her hair. She shivered. "And so does our daughter. But that time in my life was very painful. You know your mother was the only person I could completely be myself with. And then she walked away from me. And that's why I can't bear the thought of you doing the same."

Esme swallowed hard. "I would never do that to you. I would never leave you and I would never betray you."

Daddy smiled, stroking her chin. "I know that my sweet girl. Besides…." He leaned in closer, his mouth touching her ear as he whispered, "There's no place that you can go. No place you can run. No place on earth that I wouldn't find you." He kissed her temple.

Esme tensed up.

"One day we will be reunited with your mom," Daddy promised again and held her close. "But right now, we have more immediate concerns."

Esme's eyes shot open. Her head pounded and she stared around the room. The same room wherever it was with Heather. Her mother. Mommy, who she desperately wanted to find all these years. She dreamed of this moment. To be safe under her roof and away from the Princes.

But why did it feel so wrong and why was she so scared?

She sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.

Her head jerked when she heard crying. She jumped up and went to the door. She squinted. Heather said she brought Ace here, but Esme knew his cry. That wasn't Ace. Unless she kidnapped two babies. Her heart sped up. She had to see her baby.

She tried opening the door. Locked. She pressed her ear to the door. All she could hear was the baby's cries. No hint of Heather calming her down. Did she leave?

Esme sized up the door and glanced around the room. She could probably reach the window if she stood on the bed. She pushed the bed towards the wall and almost keeled over. Her head spun. Whatever Heather drugged her with still hadn't worn off. But she had to get back to Ace.

She unplugged the table lamp and stood on the bed. She threw the lamp at the window and it cracked open. She reached up and screeched when the broken glass cut her hand. She grabbed the pillow and laid it over the glass. Her hand wouldn't stop bleeding but she managed to pull herself up.

GHGHGH

Laura paced the waiting area and kept checking her phone.

"No word on Charlotte?" Kevin asked.

Laura shook her head. "Nothing. Valentin is trying to find Charlotte and he said he'll keep me posted. I wish I could be in two places at once."

Kevin rose and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. Valentin and the cops will find Charlotte. Ace needs you here until Esme comes back."

Spencer, who'd been staring out the window, turned to them. "Ace is better off without Esme."

Laura sighed. "Oh Spencer. Not this again. Okay, let's not talk about Esme anymore right now. Let's just focus on Charlotte and Ace. How come we haven't heard anything on Ace yet?"

"We will," Kevin assured. "Bypass surgery does take quite a while to perform, but that's a good thing. The doctors need to be delicate and not rush it. Especially when it's performed on a baby."

GHGHGH

"I still don't understand what's gotten Mom so busy that she won't answer her phone." Maxie grudgingly tucked her phone away as she and Cody trekked through the snowy woods.

"I don't know," Cody said. "Must be important."

"But I thought I was important to her."

"Of course you are. That's obvious to everyone."

Maxie sighed. "Sorry. I suggested a hike to help clear your head and I'm just going on about me and Mom." She smiled. "You're Mac's son! How are you feeling?"

"Shh…." Cody glanced around. "I don't want too many people knowing yet until we figure out the legal stuff."

"Oh, there's no one around. You're good. But speaking from experience, you're very lucky to have Mac for a dad. He's been more a dad to me than my biological father, and he's the best."

"Yeah. It's just a lot to process."

"Well, I'm glad you don't have to process it alone now," Maxie said, the snow falling on them. "I don't know about you, but I wouldn't mind a rest. And I'm getting thirsty. How far have we walked?"

Cody pulled out his phone. "I don't know, but it's already been an hour. Want a break at that cabin? It looks abandoned. Maybe there's water there."

"Good idea."

They made their way over to the cabin.

"Locked," Cody said and he knocked. "Anyone there?"

Maxie scrunched her face. "Is that a baby crying?"

"I'm breaking in the door." Cody stepped back, but before he could kick the door down, they heard crunching sounds.

"Is someone there?" Maxie asked.

From around the corner, a very pale Esme wobbled towards them, then collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from her hand.

GHGHGH

"I want to go back home," Charlotte mumbled as her grandfather led her through the halls of a mansion.

"You are home now, dear," Victor said. "You will get used to it soon. In the meantime, I'd like you to meet your new roommate."

"But I don't even know if Jake is okay. Why did you let your men beat him up?"

"I'm sure he's fine. It was something I had to do. Family comes first."

He took her to the basement and unlocked the door. "I will send for you at dinner time." He prodded her into the dark room, a dim lamp the only light, and he locked her in.

She squinted and scanned her surroundings.

"Hello?" a woman's voice called out before stepping out from the other side of the dresser.

"Wh-who are you?" Charlotte asked.

"My name is Georgie Jones."