Ooh, Nelle is kind of fun to write for. So, I was trying to remember back to when Nelle revealed she married Shiloh and got Oscar's ELQ shares but couldn't remember if she sold them to Valentin or someone else or if she just lost them at her "death" or what. But for purposes of my story, we'll just say she never sold them, and since she's "alive" they are her shares again. I'm just going to write her like she's filthy rich lol. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 68- Nelle's Stepdaughter

Everyone gaped at Nelle.

Willow dropped down beside Nina. "Mom? Mom, wake up."

"Will—Willow…." Nina slowly sat up. "I'm hallucinating. I thought I saw—" She looked up at Nelle and collapsed again.

Willow called over to the nurse's station. "Amy? Can you help Nina? I need to focus on Wiley…."

Amy hurried over and tended to Nina.

"What is this?" Michael asked. "Did you fake your death?"

"I never faked anything," Nelle said. "Those idiots just assumed they found my body. Now, can we get back to what's important right now? You allowed my son to get shot in the head? What is wrong with you?"

"Ava shot him," Carly spoke up.

"Oh…." Nelle turned to her. "Of course. That's right. You're going to blame all of this on Ava just like you did with Morgan's death. Because nothing is ever your fault."

Willow tugged on Michael's sleeve. "Can you just sign the consent form? We'll deal with Nelle after."

"Step aside sister." Nelle glared at her. "Did you not just hear me? I said no one and I mean no one is signing anything without me!"

Michael shook his head. "You lost custody of Wiley. Willow adopted him. You have no rights to him."

"Uh uh. Did you forget that you stripped Willow of her rights?" Nelle yanked out a piece of paper and handed it to them. "By revoking the adoption, you made it so much easier for me to reinstate my rights. And when we return to court, I'll be stripping you of your rights too, Michael."

Michael read over the paper. "You're suing me for custody of Wiley?"

Nelle grinned. "Yes, I am."

"This has to be some sort of joke." Carly yanked the paper from Michael.

"Now you can't consent to anything without me," Nelle said. "And I'm also granted unsupervised visitation with him."

"Can we please talk about this later?" Willow asked. "I don't care who signs the stupid papers. Just sign it right now so they can get the bullet out of Wiley's head before it kills him."

Michael nodded and signed the papers. "Nelle, just sign them, then we'll figure out the rest later."

"I need to speak to Wiley's doctor first," Nelle said.

Willow scoffed. "Every second we're wasting here, Wiley's condition is getting worse."

"Willow's right," TJ said. "We need to get him to the OR now."

"I'm not signing anything until I understand his condition and what the options are," Nelle said.

"Nelle, he has a bullet lodged in his brain and it needs to be removed," Carly said. "What else is there to understand?"

"I am definitely not taking your word for this, Carly," Nelle said. "Where is Dr. Drake? If he's the best in the field, then I need to hear it from him. I'm not just going to sign something blindly so they can put a scalpel through my son's skull."

Carly groaned and dropped her purse before sitting down on a chair.

"He's prepping for surgery," TJ said.

"Nelle, you're wasting time," Willow said.

"No, all of you are wasting time by barring me from talking to my son's doctor," Nelle said. "Now take me to him."

TJ nodded and led Nelle down the hallway.

GHGHGH

Esme arrived home to find Felicia, Maxie, Georgie, Anna, Robin, Emma, Lucy and two women she didn't recognize gathered around the living room.

"So, what are you guys taking in school?" Georgie asked.

"I just finished my major," the blonde sitting between Maxie and Georgie said. "I studied marine biology."

"And I'm taking cosmetology," the brunette sitting on the arm of the couch next to Georgie said.

Lucy wrapped her arm around the brunette and rested her head against hers. "Ah yes, Christina is taking after her dear old mom."

Felicia looked up. "Hi Frankie, how was your walk?"

"It was okay," Esme said and sat on the couch with Emma.

Felicia regarded their guests. "These are Lucy's dau—"

"Oh, Esme!" Lucy quickly prodded Christina over and sat her down between Esme and Emma. "This is my daughter, Christina. She's only a few years older than you. I know you'll be the best of friends." She smiled at Anna, who rolled her eyes. "And this is my other daughter, Serena. She played all the time with Maxie and Georgie growing up. They're just catching up on the time they've missed together. But when your mothers are very best friends it doesn't take long to pick up where you left off. And for you and Christina, I'm sure you'll hit it off right away. It's generational for us, you see."

"Oh, put a sock in it, Lucy!" Anna said.

Lucy set her hands on her hips. "You're just jealous, Anna."

Felicia laughed.

"How long are you in town for?" Georgie asked.

"Indefinitely," Serena said. "I got a job at the local aquarium."

"And I'm transferring to PCU," Christina said.

"Finally." Lucy smiled. "I couldn't believe it when you told me the news.

GHGHGH

Kristina and Molly arrived at Sonny and Carly's house and found Spencer and Avery on the couch with the screaming babies, sitting across from Jordan.

Spencer sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I could really use some help. And I should get Ace out of here." Spencer scooped Ace up and left.

Kristina knelt in front of Avery. "Are you okay?"

Avery hugged her and cried on her shoulder. "Mommy's dead."

Kristina rubbed her back. "I know. I'm so sorry."

Molly picked up Amelia.

"Are one of you able to take Avery and Amelia home with you?" Jordan asked. "At least until Carly or Michael can take them. The house will be under surveillance for probably a few days at least."

Kristina nodded. "Yeah, I can."

"I'd like to try to ask her more questions first though," Jordan said. "But it might help if she has some time with you before that."

"Where's Donna?" Kristina asked.

"I'm assuming she's with Carly," Jordan said. "There were only four children here when we arrived."

Kristina lifted Avery's chin. "Is Donna with Carly?"

Avery shook her head.

"Where is she?" Kristina asked.

Avery pointed upstairs.

Jordan's eyes widened. "She's here?"

Avery nodded.

"Do you know where upstairs?" Kristina asked.

"In her room," Avery said.

"She must be hiding," Jordan said. "Chase was up there for a while searching the room for clues."

"Will you be okay if Molly sits with you while I go find Donna?" Kristina asked.

"Okay."

Molly sat beside her and held Amelia on her lap.

"Avery, are you ready to talk about what happened?" Jordan asked. "What were you and Donna doing with Wiley? Were you playing?"

Avery nodded.

"Were you playing with toys?"

"Kind of," Avery said.

"What toys were you playing with?"

"Daddy's."

Jordan raised an eyebrow. "You were playing with Daddy's toys? What do you mean?"

Avery started crying again and hugged Molly.

Upstairs, Kristina entered Donna's room. "Donna? It's Kristina, your big sister. Are you in here?" Kristina checked the closet first, then looked under the bed.

Donna was in a fetal position behind a few toys, staring off.

Kristina smiled. "There you are. I know this was very scary for you, but you and Avery are safe now. Molly is downstairs with Avery and Amelia. Do you remember Molly?"

Donna continued to stare off.

"Molly's your cousin," Kristina said. "We're both really worried about you. I was just talking to Jordan, and she thought you, Avery, and Amelia could come home with me until your mommy comes back. She's just with Michael and Wiley right—"

Donna screamed.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Kristina lay on the floor and reached for her hand. "It's okay. You're safe, Donna. But you know what? There's yellow tape around your room and this is where the scary stuff happened. I think you'll feel a lot better if we go to my home. What do you say? Want to come give me a big hug and we'll go?"

After a few moments, Donna crawled out and clung to Kristina.

GHGHGH

After everyone left, Felicia helped Georgie to her room then went back out to the living room with Esme.

"Don't worry, Spencer should be dropping off Ace in a little bit. Christina seems nice. I haven't seen her since was really little."

Esme nodded. "I saw someone at the park and she said she's been helping me win custody of Ace."

"What? Who?"

"She said her name is Nelle, but I've never met her before. Have you heard of her?"

"I did know of a Nelle, but she died," Felicia said. "Did she say what her last name is?"

"No. Just that she has a lot in common with me and we're both about to go through custody battles with our sons. I asked her how she knows so much about me. She said the question I should be asking is how she is helping me."

"That's strange."

"Yeah, then she took off in a hurry," Esme said. "She received a phone call telling her someone got shot."

"Hmm. Thank you for telling me, Frankie. Just tread carefully if she approaches you again. Something sounds very off."

GHGHGH

Amy helped Nina sit up and she walked over to Willow. "I just had a strange dream. I dreamt that Wiley was shot and that Nelle was alive."

Willow turned to her. Her eyes welled with tears. "It wasn't a dream."

"Wh-what? Nelle's alive?"

Willow nodded.

"Where is she? Is she okay?"

Willow squeezed her eyes shut.

"What about Wiley?" Nina asked. "Is he in surgery now?"

"No," Willow said. "Because Nelle is being difficult."

"There's my purse," Carly said when she, Michael, and Josslyn returned from the cafeteria. "I knew I left it here."

"What are we going to do if Nelle doesn't sign off on the surgery?" Michael asked.

"Then I'll lock her on the roof again until she does sign," Carly said.

"Oh no you will not!" Nina shouted. "You're not hurting either of my daughters again."

They all turned when Nelle walked back in. She sat in the far corner, grabbed a magazine, and crossed her ankles on the table as she flipped through the pages nonchalantly.

They walked over to her. Nina's hand went to her mouth when they got closer.

Willow threw her hands up. " Well?"

Nelle eyed Willow over the top of the magazine. "Wiley's in surgery."

Everyone sighed in relief.

"Thank God," Willow said.

Nelle set the magazine down. "You know, I'd really prefer it if all of you left. The reason he is here is because of every single one of you. You too Mommy dearest." She glared at Nina.

"Y—y—you know?" Nina asked.

"Yes, I know," Nelle said. "I've been keeping tabs on all of you."

"How on earth is this any of our faults?" Josslyn asked.

Nelle laughed. "You can't be serious. Are you really that blind? Maybe you should go find a guide dog and leave me and my son and my stepdaughter alone."

Nina raised an eyebrow. "Stepdaughter?"

"He is my son, Nelle," Willow said. "Who do you think has been caring for him all along? Who feeds him and plays with him? Who has been up with him through the night if he can't sleep or has a nightmare?"

"Well, of course he's having nightmares," Nelle said. "That bullet in his head is living proof of the violence you have exposed him to. I would have been there for him all along if all of you didn't gang up on me and take him from me." She looked at Nina again. "Including you, Mother. You testified on Michael and Willow's side and look what happened."

"Nelle… I—I'm so sorry." Nina held her hand out. "Why don't you and I go somewhere and we can talk?"

"No, thanks," Nelle said. "I know where your loyalties lie. Now none of you will have a place in my son's life."

"You really think you deserve Wiley after you switched him with my baby," Willow choked up. "My dead baby. You lost your rights the minute you gave Wiley to Brad and Lucas."

"Wow, you are such a hypocrite, Willow," Nelle said. "You literally did those very same things."

"Excuse me?" Willow asked.

Nelle pointed to her head. " Think, Willow. You gave your baby to Brad and Lucas because you wanted to protect him from Shiloh. I did the exact same thing. I gave Wiley to them because I was threatened with jail time. I knew Wiley would be safer with Brad and Lucas than with Michael's psychotic family. And you switched our babies too when you replaced your son with Wiley. Here you've been playing house with Michael and Wiley for four years when you never even took the time to grieve for your real son!"

Willow's mouth dropped slightly.

"Forgive me if I don't like that you used my son as a replacement!" Nelle said. "And you must be really pathetic and have such a low self-esteem that you would let Carly use you like that to get her way. She hand-picked you to be Wiley's perfect mommy and now she's discarding you because you don't fit in her deck anymore. As for not being there for Wiley these past four years, I've been working at building a life for him, Esme, and me." She smiled. "I have lots of money now."

Carly scrunched her face. "Esme?"

"How?" Michael asked. "Did you steal it?"

"No," Nelle said. "I inherited all of it from my three late husbands."

"Three?" Carly asked. "There was Shiloh and Julian…."

"Yes and I inherited all of their assets and I expect to inherit something from Ava too, since I was married to her late brother."

"I'm not sure that's how it works," Michael said.

"What other unlucky man did you marry?" Carly asked.

Nelle grinned. "Ryan Chamberlain."

Nina gawked at her. "Ryan Chamberlain? Nelle… why?"

"We married when we were in prison together," Nelle said. "We just didn't tell anyone. All of his assets were frozen, but when he died, everything went to me. Through that, I've started my own business. Anyway, point is, none of you will hurt us again."