My Brother's Keeper #6

         “Please don’t tell me you’re doing what I think you’re doing.”


          Damn Victor, now is not the time!  Todd stopped what he was doing and sat back on the couch.  Go back to sleep, whatever you were doing, just leave me alone!  He glanced down at Blair, who was looking at him with bewilderment. “Sorry Babe, someone just dropped in unannounced.” He mouthed the name“Victor”. “Talk about a ‘wet blanket’, you take the cake, Victor.” Todd reverted to talking aloud.  It seemed more natural than carrying on a conversation just in his head.

          Blair groaned, she and Todd had just been getting comfortable on the couch.  It figured Victor would be the one to interrupt.  Whoa, did I just think that?  My god, I did.  She looked at Todd and for the first time realized she believed he was talking to Victor.  He wasn’t acting crazy.  In fact, he was upset, just like he would have been if Victor had walked in on them.

          “Hey don’t blame me, I just regained consciousness. How was I supposed to know I’d go looking for you and get an image of... Let me tell you. I could have done without it.”

         “Next time, just try calling my name, before, as you say, you come looking.”

          At Todd’s words, Blair suddenly began to cover up. Surely Victor didn’t see what they were doing.

         “I’m just kidding, brother. I can’t see anything, any more than you can see me.  Let’s just say your emotions were pretty high and it wasn’t hard to figure out what would make you feel that good. I’m guessing, deeply passionate emotions fall into the same category as intense pain.”

         “You’re a riot, Victor.  It’s a good thing you can’t see, I’d have to have your eyes removed otherwise, and that might ruin your homecoming to Tea.  Still, I’m glad you’re alive.  Do you have any idea who beat you up?”

          "No, it’s like I told you, they still have me blindfolded and usually use some sort of voice modulator to disguise their voices.  Hold it!  I think I hear someone.”

          “Todd, what’s going on?” Blair finished buttoning up her blouse and looked at Todd waiting for an answer.

           He smiled sadly and lightly touched the top button. Since he was waiting for some sort of response from Victor he leaned over and gently kissed Blair, letting her know how much he regretted the interruption. When he broke the kiss, he answered her question. “It’s Victor,”

“I gathered that from your half of the conversation, but why have you stopped talking.”

“He said his captors have always talked to him with voice changers, but he thinks he might be getting a break. Blair, if he can even recognize one voice, we might have a clue who’s doing all this.”

“Even if he knows the voice, how is that going to help us find him?”

“Blair, think, if we can put a name to the voice, then we have someone to track down. In this day and age, technology is our friend and if your name is known, it’s a lot harder to hide. Hang on, I’ll try and get him to let me know what’s going on at his end.”

Blair couldn’t believe she was actually sitting there waiting for an answer from a dead man. But if Todd was right, his brother was very much alive. Tea and Jack would be overjoyed.  She had to admit it was fascinating.  It was like listening in on one side of a phone conversation except Todd wasn’t using a phone. “So is he saying anything else?”

“Victor, what’s going on?”

“No wonder Irene kept me instead of you, you were probably just as demanding as a baby. I think we just got a break. The guys made a mistake. They think I’m still unconscious. I can overhear two of them talking outside my room. One of them sounds French. He’s talking to some other guy. The Frenchman is saying the other guy knew what he was signing up for when he wanted to use his training in the war to help. Now the second guy is saying, he never signed up for framing a guy for murder.”

“Do you recognize either of the voices?” Todd felt a chill go down his back. Were they possibly talking about him?

“Hell no, I don’t know any Frenchmen. Wait a minute. I just heard a name. Don’t know if it means anything. I think the french guy said the name, Louis.“

Todd frowned. It couldn’t be. “Did he say, Louis or Louie?”

“Yeah, that’s it. Louie, isn’t that french for Louis?”

“Can you hear any more of the conversation?”

“No, they’re moving away. So I’m being held by some Frenchman.  What the hell do the French want with that thing Irene was trying to get from you?”

“I’m not sure why you’re hearing some french guy. What concerns me is the name of the other guy. I’ve been looking for a guy named Louie since your death.” Todd found himself looking into Blair’s eyes.

“Well, Louis or Louie, whoever he is, didn’t sound too happy. Do you think my guy and your guy are one and the same? Oops, I’ve got to go, I think someone’s coming in here. You’ve got to find me.”

“Victor wait. Damn, I’ve lost him. Blair, I’m wondering now if Irene was lying to me. What if she never had Louie?  What if I turned the gun over to someone who used it to set me up?”

“I don’t understand.  Do you think Louie shot Victor?”

“I don’t know what to think anymore. I gave the gun to Louie.  I’m still shaky on when I did that as far as time is concerned. We know he didn’t give the gun to John, maybe he gave it to the Frenchman instead.”

“So you think this Frenchman turned around and used it to kill Victor.  Okay, I could see that, but we have a lot of holes to fill.  Tea supposedly found Victor and he died in her arms.  Todd, we have to open that burial plot.”

He knew she was right. “Are you up for some grave robbing tonight?”

“Are you serious? You can’t just go dig him up. I was thinking along the lines of going to Bo and asking his help for an exhumation order.”

“Bo’s not going to help me. I am sure Nora has him convinced I killed Victor. That cemetery has to be one of the easiest places to get in and out of unseen. Look, we’ll dig him up, check the casket, and if there’s a body there, I’ll get something like hair that we can get DNA on. On second thought, you don’t have to come, this is my mess. It might be best if you were home with the kids. If I get caught, I’ll just explain that as his brother, I have a right to make sure it was really Victor in the ground.”

“You’re not going to that cemetery without me. I’ll be your lookout. If someone starts to come at least I can give you a warning. That way you won’t get caught. Like you said, Nora would like any reason to put you back behind bars.”

****

         It proved to be a miserable night, for what they had planned.  Much like the night Victor died, the rain was pouring steadily as Todd and Blair arrived at the cemetery. “Todd, I can’t believe you want to do this tonight.  We could be at La Boulaie sitting in front of the fire.” Blair wrapped her jacket around her tighter and pulled up the hood to hide her blonde hair.  I must be crazy.  I’m going to let Todd dig up Victor’s grave.  Even as she thought it, she looked at Todd and knew in her heart she was going to go through with it.  Todd was determined to find out who was in Victor’s casket, and when they made love earlier, Blair realized she would help him no matter what. But damn, why did it have to be pouring.

         “Yeah, I can see it now.  Just as you and I start to relax, Jack will come in and rip me a new one for being in the same house with you. I don’t think I’m ever going to make headway with my son until I can give him back Victor.” Todd had glanced over at her as he answered her.  He couldn’t help smiling. She was beginning to look like a drowned kitten, but she was still standing next to him ready to help.  He pulled her into his arms. “I’ll do this as quick as I can. You can get out of the weather if you stand closer to the Lord Mausoleum. You’ll be able to see me and anyone who might come out in this weather. By the way. I think you look great, even all wet and I promise you, I’ll find a way to warm you up when we’re finished.” He gave her a quick kiss, grabbed the shovel, and walked to Victor’s grave.

          Blair looked after him, touching her lips briefly. Todd was just full of surprises lately. He had definitely become more demonstrative since his return. She wiped the rain out of her eyes, moved to the sheltered spot Todd spoke of, and watched as he began digging. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to be doing it that night. No one else would be crazy enough to be out in the rain.

          Todd dug like a man possessed. He knew in his heart there was an answer waiting for him in the casket. He just had to get to it. Although the ground was softened by the rain it also made it heavier. Soon he was covered from head to toe in mud. It didn’t bother him, he just recalled lying in the woods covered in blood and dirt after he had flung himself off the bridge at his mother’s cabin. He had survived that night and a number of others, all of them with injuries. At least this time he was injury-free and it was just mud, no blood in sight. He didn’t know how long he had been shoveling but suddenly he struck something solid. He had reached the casket.

The rain had begun letting up and Blair heard the thud as Todd hit the coffin. She crept over to the grave and pulled out her flashlight. She gasped as the light hit Todd, he looked like some wildman, primitive and dangerous, covered in mud. This was the man who had survived in the wilderness when he was on the run. He had so much more strength than most people gave him credit for. That was why he survived Irene.

“Blair, shine the light down here so I can find the latch.”

She moved to the edge of the grave and shone the light as Todd scooped mud from the side of the casket.  He finally cleared enough mud away from the side to reach the latches holding the lid closed.  Picking up the shovel he brought the edge down hard on them.

In the silence of the cemetery, the noise was deafening and Blair jumped at the sound. She almost dropped the flashlight, her hand tightening as it started to slip free. “Are we really going to do this?”

“Blair, I have to know. Here goes.”  Todd reached down and lifted the lid. 

"Oh my God!" Blair screamed and dropped the flashlight.

My Brother's Keeper #5

        From the look on Blair’s face, Todd knew she was about ready to call the men in white jackets. Somehow he had to make her realize he wasn’t crazy. Todd walked gingerly to the office couch and sat down. “Blair, like I said, I’m not crazy. Sit down, I’ll try and explain everything.”

        Blair wasn’t sure what was going on. “What happened just now? I thought you were having some sort of heart attack. Something really hurt you for a moment, but you appear fine now. Why did you say someone was beating Victor? Todd, that’s crazy talk.”

        “Don’t you think I haven’t thought that myself. When Victor first contacted me, I thought I was losing it. I was sitting in jail right after Jack had me arrested. I awoke from a strange dream about Victor and Irene and all of a sudden he was talking to me, in my head. I figured Irene had finally done it. She had finally driven me nuts. She had been badgering me all night, telling me I had accomplished my job. When I asked what she meant, she said I had succeeded in killing Victor. I told her I didn’t kill him and I had proof. That was when she mentioned Louie, and told me she had him and the gun. Then she told me if I said anything, all of you would be in danger.”

       “Yes, I know about this part of the story. She threatened to kill us all, that was why you had Starr help you break out. Where does Victor come into all this?”

       “After she threatened all of you, Bo sent his officer to get her for more questioning. That was when I had the dream. I woke up and suddenly Victor was commenting on the dream. Then he said he wasn’t dead but floating in some kind of fluid and that he wasn’t hurt at all. I even wondered if he was some sort of alternate personality. But he said there was no way in hell he was an alter of mine.”

       “So you’re just hearing him in your head. Todd, that’s not good. I knew something has been bothering you since the cabin. You were injured. Everything Irene put you through has to have had some effect on you. Why on earth didn’t you say something? I think you need to see a doctor.”

       “There’s more Blair. I’m not just hearing him, we have some sort of connection. Victor feels it’s an identical twin thing. He felt it when I was shot. He contacted me again in the cabin. That was when he said I needed to find him. The problem was, I wasn’t in such good shape right then. He doesn’t know where he is, just that several unknown people are holding him. They’re asking him about the damn chip, but he knows nothing about it. I had begun to think I had just imagined him since he hadn’t contacted me for so long but the afternoon I got my inheritance back, he reconnected with me. He described sitting in a chair and his wrists and feet were bound to it. The next thing I knew, it felt like I had put my finger in a wall socket.” Todd had been watching Blair’s face, he could see she was torn. He hoped she was at least giving him the benefit of the doubt.

        “But Todd, you said yourself, you wondered if he was just your imagination.” Blair was reeling. What if Todd was telling the truth and Victor was alive?

        “When I felt that shock and he described the chair, I knew something else was going on. I looked up anything I could find on the phenomenon that some identical twins share. One twin feeling something when an event happens to the other twin, it’s real. I’m not sure why our connection triggered so late, but we have it. Today was the first time since the shock that Victor reached me again. We were trying to figure out how he could get clues to his location when you came in.”

          Blair looked at Todd. The last time she remembered him so adamant about something was when he told her he didn’t rape Rebecca Lewis. Strangely enough, she was beginning to believe him. “But if Victor is alive out there somewhere, how do you explain the body that Tea held and watched die?”

         “I can't. Victor swears he wasn’t shot. I have to assume some sort of trick was played on all of us. It’s something that would be right up my mother’s alley. There’s no telling what my mother was capable of or what her group was experimenting with. I have something else to tell you.” He stopped. You love her, do you trust her enough to tell her the rest? “I have another problem. My mother’s been haunting me since the cabin. She says I killed Victor and now every time I turn around she’s in my face reminding me. The scary part is I keep seeing Victor fall and I’m holding the gun. Blair, I swear I don’t know what’s going on? Why do I keep seeing myself shooting Victor? He assures me he’s alive. After the things I’ve been experiencing, I believe him. If I didn’t shoot him, did I shoot someone else? I need your help. I need to find Victor and I need to know who or what is buried in Victor’s grave.” There, he had said it. He waited for it to sink in. Now it was all in Blair’s hands. She had just heard him confess to shooting someone. Would she turn him over to John?

           Blair’s mind was in a whirl. “Let me get this straight. You think you shot Victor because your mother came to you in the cabin and made you remember shooting him? Todd, you were pretty sick in the cabin. Why do you now believe you actually shot Victor?”

          “Because I keep seeing this scene in my head. It plays over and over. I’m standing there in Victor’s entrance hall, holding a gun and saying ‘You took my life now I take yours.” It seems so real.” He looked at her, “I really don’t know what happened. I’m so confused now, it’s ridiculous, and with Victor telling me he’s still alive, I’m barely holding things together. Tomas is breathing down my neck. He told Tea he’s going to find the murderer of her husband. I think he suspects me. The gun I stole from Dorian is supposedly in the river, at least that’s what Irene told me before I shot her. I don’t know if I want it found or not.” He got back off the couch and wandered over to the window of the office looking out over Llanview. “If my memory is correct, I killed somebody. Okay so it wasn’t Victor, it was still a person. I don’t want to go to prison. I just got my life back.”

           Blair got up and walked to Todd. He had already been through so much. “Todd, when you came over Halloween, you were all set to go out with Sam and I. What stopped you?”

          “Irene. She said I would lose you if I told you about Victor’s death. I panicked. I didn’t know how to tell you about my fears. Now you know. I suppose now you’re free to start hating me the way Jack does.”

           “I don’t hate you. I’m very confused by everything you’ve just told me. I’m not sure how much I believe that Victor is alive. It’s obvious you do. If that’s the truth then I’m going to help you figure out how to find him. I’m having more trouble with your second revelation. Something about it bothers me. You were so positive you didn’t kill Victor. I don’t believe you were lying. I think something else is going on here.”

          Todd turned to her puzzled. “You lost me. What else could be going on?”

           Blair reached for his hand. Touches had been few and far between since the premiere. Todd had backed off, unsure whether he should let his feelings be known. The closest he had come to moving forward with her was when he had come to her house, Halloween night. Now he had just opened up to her and she wanted to let him know it was okay. “Todd, I think Irene might have done something. You said you started seeing her after she shot you. Did she say anything to you before she died?”

           “Only that I’d never be rid of her, that she was in my soul and in my head. Boy, is that an understatement.”

            “That’s what I mean Todd. What if she did something to you when you were in jail with her. Maybe she planted some sort of suggestion. You were in her clutches for eight years, there’s no telling what she could have done. You only remember snippets of your time there and most of that involved her goons torturing you. I think you need to have a doctor check you out.”

           Todd was disappointed, “You mean a shrink don’t you? That’s what this concern is all about. You do think I’m crazy.” He pulled his hand free and started to walk away from her.

            Blair reached and grabbed his arm stopping him.“Todd don’t. I’m not saying you’re crazy. I think Irene found some way to hypnotize you or program you into believing you killed Victor. A psychiatrist might be able to find that out. But first things first. We need to find out who’s buried in Victor’s tomb. We can’t exactly ask Tea for help.”

            His eyes drifted from her arm back up to her face. She was looking at him not with pity but understanding and something akin to determination. Blair was working on some sort of plan. he could see it in her eyes. “Does that mean you believe me about Victor, after all?”

           “I don’t know but I think I’m beginning to. You’ve never shown much belief in things supernatural. In fact, you were always the first to scoff at my premonitions. So for you to actually believe in this twin phenomenon, I figure there must be something to it. Now any ideas on how to get into that grave without getting caught?” She smiled at the stunned look on his face. “Hey, don’t look so surprised, I know you. We’ve done many weird things together, and apart, to find out things we needed to know. I’m sure you’ve already been trying to figure out some way to find out the truth.”

           Todd raised his hand and cupped her chin. “I love you, Blair.”

            Now it was her turn to be stunned. She hadn’t expected that. “What did you say?” Her heart started beating fast. She realized she had been waiting to hear those words since he had gotten home.

           “I said, I love you and I want you back. I was going to tell you Halloween until Irene interrupted. It means more than you know, that you believe me.” He was gently rubbing his thumb absentmindedly over her lips as he talked and before she could say anything else he leaned in and kissed her.

           Her arms went up around his neck and she deepened the kiss. It felt heavenly and she didn’t want it to end. This was what she had been missing. They belonged together and there was no way she was going to let Irene ruin it.

My Brother's Keeper #4

        A couple of weeks had passed since the incident in the bathroom at the courthouse. Todd hadn’t heard from his brother at all and was beginning to think he had imagined the whole thing. He had been struggling to find a way to talk to Blair about what was going on, but every time he turned around Tomas was hovering. He was getting pretty frustrated with Tomas. Sure he had offered to take the rap for Irene, but in the end, Todd had let him off the hook and admitted to the shooting. Now when Todd was trying to make headway with Blair, Tomas had decided to try and pin Victor’s supposed murder on him. That was where it got confusing.

         He was still being haunted by his mother and the images in his mind of him killing his brother were as fresh as the day she had taunted him in the cabin. Yet he had talked to Victor and the jolt he had received the day they shocked Victor, couldn’t have been just his imagination. Victor had said he felt it when Irene had fired the shot that almost killed Todd and when Blair had dug out the bullet. It was obvious the phenomenon that identical twins sometimes shared thoughts and physical sensations seemed to have come true for both he and Victor, but how could he tell anyone that Victor was alive. No one would believe him, least of all Tea, his lawyer, and Victor’s widow. “Damn it, Victor, I wish you’d start talking to me again. I know that shock didn’t kill you.”

        “How the hell would you know that? Do you know what the bastards tried to do to me?”

         Todd felt a sense of relief, he wasn’t losing his mind. Victor was still alive. “So you survived. I thought for sure, you were just more of my imagination. Of course, I know what they did to you. You don’t know it, but that chair was our mom’s favorite means of torture. Now listen, I need you to describe the room you’re in.”

         “No can do, they blindfolded me again. This time I’m on a bed. I want to get back to what the bastards did to me. Are you telling me they did that to you too?”

         “I’ve spent the last few months trying to tell people they tortured me, but no one seemed to want to listen. You shouldn’t be surprised. You’re a product of our mother and what she did to us. Did they ask you anything before they lit you up? Do you have any idea what they want with you or why they’re making it seem like I murdered you?” There was silence and Todd wondered if he had lost the connection to his brother. It was getting weird. He never knew when Victor was going to pop in and since Victor couldn’t get a handle on where he was, Todd had no way to locate him. “Victor, if you’re still there say something.”

         “Man this is the pits. I don’t know where I am, but someone needs a lesson in what classifies as good music.”

         “I don’t believe you, is that all you’re concerned about. I’m out here suspected of killing you, and I already have one strike against me, because I killed Irene. You need to work on getting me something that tells me who’s got you, or where you are.”


         “I’ll try but don’t expect much. They’re keeping me pretty isolated, and when someone talks to me they use one of those weird voice modulators.”

         “Great, just what I didn’t want to hear. They’re afraid you’ll recognize their voice. But wait a minute, 
who might want to frame me, and keep you, hostage.” Todd was sitting in his desk chair with his back to the door and didn’t hear the door open.

          Blair had just dropped Jack off down in the copy room. There was going to be no more of young Jack Manning at the helm of The Sun until he earned it. He was going to learn what it felt like to really work, and he wouldn’t be able to use the paper anymore to hurt his father. After making sure he was introduced to the supervisor, she left him to begin work. Blair walked into the office, just in time to hear Todd’s final statement. She stopped and looked around, “Who are you talking to?”

         Todd whipped around. ”Blair?”

          “What’s up, Blair’s there?”

          Todd wasn’t sure how to respond he had been talking to Victor out loud for some time and it seemed strange to just think the words. Victor, shut up! Yes, Blair’s here, I can’t talk to you and her at the same time. “Blair I didn’t hear you come in. Did you ask me something?”

          “I asked who you were talking to? What did you mean? Who’s trying to frame you and who’s being held hostage?”

          “Uh.. you must have misunderstood. I was talking to myself about some changes I’m thinking of making around here. This contractor I was talking to told me they could build a bookcase for me that would give the impression of framing me when visitors come into the office and see me. Then he told me if I didn’t pay half upfront he would hold the work hostage until I settled. I was just going over my options out loud.” He looked up at her and then dropped his eyes, she was giving him, her ‘I don’t buy it look’.

           Blair couldn’t believe her ears, Todd really was off his game. That was the most asinine explanation she had ever heard. “Todd, what’s going on? You’ve been acting strange ever since the cabin. I thought we were making progress when you came forward about killing Irene. You let Tomas off the hook, but I feel you’re hiding something from me now. Why?”

Todd met her eyes. “If I told you, I don’t think you would believe me. No one seems to believe me these days.”

“Why don’t you give it a shot. I’m willing to listen.”

“This is going to sound crazy, but Victor isn’t dead.” He looked up at Blair and knew he had made a mistake.

Blair couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Todd, I saw the body bag being taken out of Victor’s house. Tea was a mess. She watched him die before her eyes. How can you be so cruel to even say something like that?”

            Todd left his chair and walked to the window of the office. She was upset with him now. He couldn’t face the hurt he knew to be in her eyes, so he stared out at the view. “See, I knew you wouldn’t believe me. I don’t know how it happened, but I’m telling the truth. I’ve talked to him. I‘m not crazy. Although for a while I thought I was. We’ve been trying to figure out who’s holding him prisoner.”

          Blair couldn’t believe what she was hearing and it frightened her. “What do you mean you’ve talked to him. Todd, he’s been dead for several months. Are you alright?”

         “Hell, I don’t know. One minute I’m talking to Victor and the next my mother pops in for a visit. Of course, she’s just here to keep reminding me about what I did. None of it makes sense. I couldn’t have done what she said, because he’s not dead. Yet I keep seeing it.” Even as he said it the image of him standing over his brother’s body again flashed into his head.

           He was babbling and not making sense. Blair walked over to him. “Todd, look at me. What are you talking about? You just said your mother pops in for a visit? She’s dead. Todd. You killed her.”

Todd blinked and came back to the present. “What did you say, Blair?”

“I’m concerned about you. You said Irene’s been popping in and out. That makes no sense. Why did you say Victor’s alive?”

“Because he is, that‘s what I been trying to tell you. I can’t explain it, but I know he’s out there somewhere. It’s a twin thing.” He could see Blair wasn’t buying it. Suddenly he doubled over. It felt like someone had just slammed a two-by-four in his side. In his head he heard a cry of anguish then Victor went silent again.

Blair watched astonished as Todd dropped to his knees in pain. "Todd!"

"Victor, what's going on. Talk to me!" Todd held his side as he used the wall and staggered to his feet. He was intent on finding out how Victor was and didn't realize he had gone back to speaking to his brother aloud. He had forgotten Blair was even in the room as he felt another blow almost drive him to his knees again. “Shit. Victor, are you alright!” God, if he was feeling it this bad, Victor must be in agony. His link to Victor ceased and Todd had an idea his brother had passed out.

“Todd, are you ill?” Blair was shocked, Todd was talking to Victor and seemed to be oblivious to her. He was in obvious pain. “What the hell is happening?”

Todd leaned against the wall, his ribs felt tender but he could breathe. He suddenly heard Blair’s question. “Someone was beating the crap out of Victor. It was bad, I lost him again.”

“This is crazy. I think you need to see a doctor.” She was worried now. It couldn’t be possible. Todd really believed he was in contact with Victor.

He could hear it in her voice. She didn’t believe him. “Blair, I know it sounds crazy, but I need you to trust me. I’m telling you the truth.”

My Brother's Keeper #3

        He couldn't believe it. He had gone to Blair's to tell her how he felt and instead had been blindsided by Irene again. The woman was unstoppable. It had been a chilling experience because as she talked he began to see these pictures in his head, pictures of him doing the deed. He couldn't believe what his mind was telling him and he had tried to force the thought away. Hell, he had even turned himself in for killing Irene. Nora had released him for that, but the images of Victor's death wouldn't go away. Even if Victor was right and he was alive out there somewhere, Todd still couldn't get past the feeling he had killed somebody. What else could go wrong?

          He should have known there was more to come. He looked at the summons and at his sister Vicki. "Does this mean what I think it does?" Could things finally be looking up?

          Todd was dumbfounded. The judge just said Victor's will would stand and everything he owned suddenly became Irene's. To make matters worse Irene's will left everything to Tina. This day was getting bleaker by the minute. "I knew you hadn't changed. Not one little bit," he growled. Tina had just proven him right once again. Then she surprised them all by turning the inheritance down and giving it back to Todd. Now he knew the world was upside down. He wrapped his head around the idea finally something had gone his way. The Sun and the investments were all his again. Todd turned to Tea, "You and Danielle will always be well taken care of."

         "I don't want Victor's money, I want the man that killed him and Tomas is going to see to that."

         "Tomas?"

         "Yes he promised to find Victor's killer and I believe he will."

          Todd watched as Tea departed. So much for his sunny turnaround. Todd found himself staring into the mirror in the bathroom at the courthouse. Great, he had his possessions back, but with Tomas on Victor's case, he was going to lose it all over again. It was only a few days earlier that he had looked into the mirror and talked to Irene. Victor had been silent since his second chat with Irene in the cabin. "You're losing it, Todd. Victor's voice was in your imagination. He's as much a ghost as Irene and both were telling you the same thing. You killed your own brother."

         "Oh come off it, I already told you I wasn't dead."

          "Damn, Victor, you got to stop popping in like that. You're going to give me a heart attack. Besides, how do I know you're real?" Todd turned on the water and splashed his face, but the voice continued
.
          "I guess you'll have to take my word for it. Man, I'm starving, they came and moved me. I'm blindfolded and I'm strapped to a chair. They won't even talk to me, just move me around. I'm not sure what's going on, but I think I overheard someone saying something about plans being changed. I'm telling you, brother, this is getting old. I wish you could do something. This chair is damn uncomfortable. They've even bound my head and legs to it."

          "Victor, what did you just say?"

           "Hey open your ears, brother. I said I'm bound to a chair, why does that bother you? I'm definitely not going anywhere anytime soon. Someone's coming, hang on."


        Todd felt a chill run down his spine. It hadn't been that long ago he had been bound to a chair and it had been no picnic. Surely Victor wasn't being held a prisoner by the same agency that had held him. Hell, Irene had been in charge of that compound and it had been shut down. Could there have been more than one compound? Suddenly Todd felt like he had put his finger in a light socket. God not again!

        Bo entered the bathroom and spotted Todd stretched out on the floor. "What the hell! Hey, Manning are you alright?" As he reached him Todd started moving and began to slowly sit up. "What happened?"

        Todd shook his head the last thing he remembered was hearing Victor talking in his head. He realized he was sitting on the floor and Bo was looking concerned. Todd got slowly to his feet "It's nothing Bo, I just got a little faint. Must be leftovers from the shoulder wound. I just bent over to tie my shoe and I guess I blacked out. I'm fine." Todd gripped the sink trying to focus on Bo. He couldn't tell him the truth. He had just received a jolt of what his brother was receiving somewhere else. They were all convinced Victor was dead. How the hell was he going to prove Victor wasn't?

         "You sure you're alright you look a little green around the gills, Manning."

         "Yeah, just give me a minute, a little dizzy." He wanted to zone out to talk to Victor, but he had a feeling Victor wasn't going to be doing any talking anytime soon. He turned away from Bo and splashed some more water on his face. Then he straightened up and gave him a look that basically said "I don't want to talk about it" and exited before Bo could say any more.

          Todd was glad to get away from the commissioner's concerned stare. He knew Bo and Nora still considered him a suspect in Victor's death and now thanks to his own personal ghost, even he was questioning it. Still, the jolt he had just received told him that Victor was very likely alive, and they both were experiencing what the other was going through.

         "Okay Victor, if you can hear me, you need to hang in there. I'm not sure how I'm going to get anyone to believe me, but I'll see what I can do. Sounds like our mother's goons have you in another undisclosed location.   I'll start doing some research. Victor, if you're my brother, then I know you're as stubborn as me. Don't give in. I'll find you." He got no answer back, but he really didn't expect any.

        Todd hadn't heard anything out of Victor and he remembered how hard it had been to get his thoughts together after one of those electrifying sessions with Baker. "Where are you, Baker? You disappeared off the radar when they caught my mother. Are you the one making it look like Victor is dead?" Todd swung around in his chair and typed in the name of the agency on his computer. It was like he feared, Irene had hidden the agency too well. Todd reached into his pocket and pulled out the small computer chip. He hadn't turned it over to Bo because he was hoping it would give him leverage later on if somehow everything ended up pointing to him as Victor's murderer.

           His mother had made a fatal mistake when she tried to blow up his family. "You underestimated me, Mother. Once I remembered the chip, I couldn't seriously hand it over to you. You were going to kill me because you thought I threw it away. That's where you made your mistake. You had me at your mercy but you had to gloat about killing my family. Never give your opponent time to think Irene. You're dead Irene and you can haunt me about killing my brother but I know he's alive. You lose all around. Now rot in hell." Todd got up and put the microchip in his safe and locked it. "Now Victor, how am I going to get you free?"

           Todd was sitting at his desk when Jack arrived. After their usual getting nowhere conversation. He begged. "Jack, I just want a chance to get to know you."

          "You want to get to know me, why don't we get to know you. Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't kill my father." Angrily he flung items off Todd's desk and said again. "Tell me you didn't kill my father."

          Todd looked his son in the eyes and said with all honesty. "I swear I did not kill your father." Of course, to be truthful, he was Jack's father so he could say that with impunity and not be telling a lie but he was grateful at that moment he didn't have to lie about Victor either. Naturally, his words fell on deaf ears and Jack stormed out of the office. Thanks to his recent conversations with Victor, he knew his brother was still alive out there somewhere. Now he just had to find Victor and until he did, Jack would continue to hate him.












.

My Brother's Keeper #1

        Todd lay on the bunk. Once more he found himself behind bars, and this time his own son had put him there. A long time ago he had told Marty that he felt Fate had it in for him, and today was one of those days when that was certainly true. He wasn't sure why he had gone to the cemetery. When he had walked into that chapel, it had just been weird. Staring out at the room, the huge picture of his brother held dominance. That sounded so strange, his brother. He had had an identical twin brother and hadn't known it. Todd wondered what his life could have been like if their father had acknowledged them. It didn't really take much imagination to know it probably would have been a disaster. Todd covered his eyes as he lay there and before he realized it, he was drifting asleep.

         He and his brother were racing to the house. It never failed, Victor had found another shortcut and had pulled ahead of him but only for a short time. Todd soon overtook Victor and reached the front porch first. He stood there trying to catch his breath, then his brother barreled into him causing him to fall roughly to his knees on the front steps.

       "Hey why did you do that? Look, you tore my slacks." Todd exclaimed turning to confront his brother.

       "Get over it Todd, you should know better than to beat me. Don't worry, Mom only has eyes for me, she knows you're hopeless when it comes to the finer things in life. A pair of torn slacks won't phase her, she'll just make sure that Father keeps his eyes on me. See she's coming now, she won't even notice I bet." Victor turned his back on Todd and swaggered to meet their Mom. Todd looked down at the tear and shrugged his shoulders. Vic was right about their mom, she definitely looked on him as the favored of the two. It didn't matter to him, no matter what his mom did she couldn't seem to get their dad to pay much attention to Victor. Todd was the favorite son, torn slack and all. Of course that wasn't saying much. Their father was a cold fish and his whole mantra was 'Be strong you're a Lord'. He had little love for weaklings and that was why Victor rarely found favor. Victor tended to cry foul a lot and his mother was always babying him. Todd usually let his brother get away with things, it made his life simpler if the attention was focused on Victor. Be it good or bad.

          Todd wandered closer to his mom and watched as she stroked his brother, much like a master stroking a pet cat. Then she turned her eyes on him and they got hard. Her face took on a grimace as she frowned, taking in his torn slacks. "I should have known you couldn't even keep one pair of slacks from getting ruined. It seems the only thing you're good at is ruining things, just like you ruined your brother's chance to be the sole heir. You pushed your brother aside to get out of me, now you've pushed him aside and taken your father's attention too. You should have died at birth."

           Todd stepped back, his mother had never been that mean before. What had happened. Then a hand landed on his shoulder. He recognized that hand and the ring on it. From behind him, he heard.

        "Enough Irene I told you to leave. Take your spawn with you, the one you're so fond of, and don't worry this one won't miss you. I have big plans for this one." his hand dug into Todd's shoulder. Todd looked at his twin in disbelief, the hatred he saw directed at him from both his mother and brother was palpable. He didn't want this but even as he tried to tell them that, he found he couldn't talk.

          All he heard as they walked out of sight was his mother's final statement.
"On your father's grave, Todd, you'll regret what you've done and Victor will have everything he deserves."

         Victor suddenly spoke in Todd's head, "See brother, it was always supposed to be mine."

          Todd jerked awake, for one moment he was sure Victor was standing next to him. Victor's last line was probably part of the dream but it had seemed so real. Todd sat up on the bunk. That had felt so strange. Like a new voice in his head and it wasn't one of his alters. He had heard stories of identical twins having a connection but he had never experienced anything like that. Why, now that Victor was dead, would he feel like he was connected to him?

          "You know, I've been asking myself the same question. Why now are we connected and you know what, I think it's because for the first time we're on the same wavelength. Both of us hate our mother. So now you're stuck with me brother. " Victor began to chuckle.

          Todd shook his head, this wasn't happening. Things were bad enough, he was facing prison for killing his brother, his son hated him and his Mother had the proof he was innocent but wouldn't help. Now he was hearing the voice of his dead brother. Was he going crazy?

          "Relax, you're not going crazy and I don't think I'm dead but we definitely have a problem," replied Victor.

         Okay, that was enough. Todd closed his eyes and decided to see if he could talk to this imaginary voice. "Alright hold it right there. What do you mean you don't think you're dead? They buried you yesterday."

         "They did huh, nope, don't think it was me. I can't see a thing, but I know I'm somewhere. I was sleeping and found myself dreaming of you. It was strange. So I thought what the Hell might as well put my two cents worth in to see if you were paying attention, and presto here I am. This is kinda cool actually."

          Todd could almost hear the smile in his brother's voice. Could it be true, was Victor alive out there somewhere? "You say you were sleeping and dreaming, what was the dream about."

         "Pure fantasy, you had just beaten me in a footrace. Would never happen pal. Then you got upset because I messed up your clothes. Then dear old dad kicked mom and me to the curb. Was he really that much of a bastard?"

         "You should know, you've been living my life for the last eight years.

         "Hey, it wasn't my idea. You've met her. She's wacko our mom."

         Todd's head was spinning, maybe the shock of returning after all these years had split him once again and Victor was really another Alter.

        "Hold it right there brother, I'm not one of your alters. Those guys are yours alone. I got to admit I thought they were faked, but hey if you believe them, and from what I've seen of Vicki and Jessica,...well I'm sorry brother, but you're welcome to them. Listen, I tell you I'm not dead, but I have no idea where I am so you got to get out of there and come find me."

        "You're serious. You expect me to believe I'm sane and talking to my not so dearly departed brother, even though I'm in prison for his death."

       "Sure why not, have you got a better explanation. We're identical twins, maybe it took this kind of trauma to connect us. I don't know. I need help. You free me. Then that frees you. So, are you willing to help your brother? Once we're free, we'll figure out who really deserves Victor's millions."

       "What have I got to lose. You got any bright ideas on how to get me out of here to look for you."

       "You'll get out, you're good at that. By the way, when you see mom tell her, Victor sends his love, that ought to shake her up."

        Just like that, the voice was gone. Todd opened his eyes and made another contact. "Tom, any of you guys, tell me the truth, do I have a new alter?"

        Pete replied, "Are you crazy! Where did you get such a cockamamie idea? I know those shocks were rough but the four of us did all we could to help you keep it together. You're stuck with just us and be thankful there aren't more."

        Todd heard a door clang open and realized Irene was coming back from another talk with John. As they locked her door he stared at her. Was Irene capable of staging Victor's death from here in jail? Hell yeah, she was. He looked his mother straight in the eyes. "I've got a message for you. Victor sends his love."

My Brother's Keeper #2

       "Well this is just great, I'm stuck God knows where, and now you're on the run. Just what did you hope to accomplish when you broke free? Look at you, you're wounded and almost dead. I had hoped you might stick around longer and find me, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen."

        "Victor, get out of my head. I don't need this right now. I'm a little preoccupied at the moment. I just killed our "dear" mother so that's makes finding you a little harder, not to mention you're right she wounded me and I'm half dead. Give me a break." Todd was alone for the first time since Blair had found him. Tea had been hovering and told him he couldn't get Starr out of trouble and now here comes Victor putting in his two cents worth. "You know this makes absolutely no sense, I'm on the run because you're dead, but you keep telling me you're not. How do I know you're not haunting me the way Irene is."

      "Whoa, Mommie Dearest is haunting you. Is she as bad in death as she was in life?"

        "I would think you would know Victor, she claims she's with you and you're both holding me a place in hell." Todd reached over carefully and added another log to the fire. "Tea was just here. She's looking for your murderer. For some reason, she really loved you."

         "Of course she loved me. I'm the lovable twin after all. Is she really alright?"

          "NO, She misses you and I don't think she wants any sympathy from me. She resents the fact that I came home and spoiled your lives. How do you think Irene did it?"

         "Did what?"

          "How do you think she pulled off this death of yours, Victor, there was a body. Whoever it was, was still alive when Tea arrived home. She watched you die, man. Tell me, have you been shot? I mean did Tea just think you died? Believe me, if you've been shot, you would feel it. God, my wound hasn't stopped hurting."

         "I don't know how Irene did it, but it wasn't me who got shot, you're right gunshot wounds hurt and I don't feel anything. I mean nothing on me hurts, I just feel like I'm floating. It actually isn't all that bad since I found out I could talk to you. For a while there I thought I was going crazy."

          "Join the club, this whole time I've been worried about doing just that. I'm not so sure you aren't just another figment of my imagination." Todd looked at the picture he was holding. It was a picture of his brother and Tea. "Say how did you know I was wounded."

          "I felt it. Everything was still and dark and suddenly this pain ripped through my shoulder and then it was gone. I'm guessing just like this two-way speak thing we have going on, that whole if one twin is hurt the other feels it thing also kicked in."

           Todd had just been wondering about that himself. "This isn't really working, you know that, Victor? For all I know, the infection is taking hold of me again and I'm delirious. How can I help you, I'm in worse straits right now? If Irene is behind what's going on with you, then we're up a creek. She's dead and she's not going to be telling me anything. So how do you propose I get you out of whatever mess you're in when I'm in deep shit myself?" There was silence. Victor had apparently left the building. "I knew it, I'm talking to myself. Which I guess is preferable to talking to dead people." He got up off the hearth and went in search of some water. That was when he heard that creak again. Why did it sound like someone was in the cabin?  He had to stop that, he was getting paranoid. He was the only one in the cabin. CREAK Damn it, there it is again. Todd wasn't sure what to do next, he sure as hell wasn't going to go looking for whoever was creeping around the cabin. Standing back up carefully he grabbed a log with his good arm and went to hide. Maybe whoever it was would just leave the way they came in. The way he was feeling, he probably wouldn't be able to put up too much of a fight.

           He thought back to that encounter he had with Irene when he first arrived at the Cabin. It had been horrifying, but nothing had happened since. Todd's shoulder was beginning to ache again and he felt tired just holding the log. He hadn't told Blair about Irene haunting him, she was already mad at him for involving Starr in his escape. He had to do something about that and soon. Tea should have just taken him back to jail. Starr had only been helping him because Irene had threatened the family and it hadn't been an idle threat. He really had lost it when Irene had gloated about killing his family. When he shot her it had seemed the right thing to do.  Hell, the law already thought he killed Victor and he certainly couldn't tell them that Victor was talking to him. They were convinced he had killed his brother out of hatred for stealing his life. If they knew about his conversations with Victor, Nora wouldn't think twice about having him shipped off to St. Ann's.  He hoped he wasn't crazy. Todd felt a cool breeze blowing behind him and he turned expecting to find the window opened, but what he saw chilled him to the bone. God not again.

New additions

To my readers:

         I'm aware that some of you have been reading my little novella " My Brother's Keeper" at the Real Todd Manning Fanfic Hub.  This is to let you know I'm bringing the novella here. A new update is also finished.  I hope you enjoy #4.

New Book at The Real Todd Manning Fanfic Hub

Please come and read my new book, Port Charles Chronicles: Chapter 15 is now up at The Real Todd Manning Fanfic blog!

I hope you'll join me for this new novel!  And, while you're here, please check out some of my previous books and feel free to start one of those as well!

Thanks!

Karena

New Book at The Real Todd Manning Fanfic Hub!!!

Please come and read my new book, currently in progress, Port Charles Chronicles - Chapter 14 at The Real Todd Manning Fanfic blog!

You can also go to the start of this book at this link:

Port Charles Chronicles Chapter 1

I hope you'll join me for this new novel!  And, while you're here, please check out some of my previous books and feel free to start one of those as well!

Thanks!

Karena

Don't Shoot the "Messenger", Ch. 65

Blair lay in Todd’s arms looking over at the nursery. She was now safely into her eighth month and so far so good. The partitions had been backlit and were providing a warm glow to the room. She looked over and really studied them, noting something in them she hadn’t noticed before. Every partition had a small black dragon in it. In one, he was flying over Sleeping Beauty’s castle as the prince led his princess into the courtyard. In another, he could be seen keeping a watchful eye, just inside the trees, on Snow White as her prince awoke her. Amazingly, he sat curled atop Cinderella’s coach as she went to the ball, and lastly he was depicted as the Beast in the panel of Beauty and The Beast. Todd had once again put his own spin on his fairy tales. She giggled softly as she remembered his fractured fairy tale the night she lost it over Max. She snuggled closer and drifted off to sleep.

It was early morning, Todd awoke suddenly when he felt Blair jerk in his arms. “Babe what is it?”

Blair felt a contraction hit her. “I think I’m in labor.”

“What! No! It’s too early. Are you sure the contractions are for real? Maybe it’s just one of those Braxton Hicks things.” He gasped as her hand suddenly grabbed his side tightly.

“I don’t think it’s them. God!” She panted quietly through gritted teeth and then took a deep breath. “ We need to go. Now! There’s still time. My water hasn’t broken yet.” She rolled over and climbed out of bed. Grabbing her robe. “I’m going to alert Starr. She and Cole can stay with the boys. Get Williams.”

Todd jumped into his jeans and grabbed a t-shirt, picking up his cell at the same time. “Williams bring the car around it’s time.”

Starr was hugging her mom and encouraging her to be calm as Todd exited their suite. “Mom, don’t worry about a thing. I’ll get the boys up and we’ll be ready to drive down when Williams gets back here. Now take it easy and remember your breathing.”

Todd insisted on taking the elevator down, he didn’t want to hurry the labor any faster because Blair walked the stairs. The doors had just closed when Blair reached for his arm clinging to it as she had another contraction in the elevator. Todd decided it was time to start counting how many minutes were between each one. They headed out the door and found Williams waiting with the door open. “God Blair, I can’t believe this is happening again. Why can’t your babies ever wait until the right time?” He said as he lowered her into the car.

Blair looked at Todd, astonished. “They come when they’re ready to come. Do you think a couple more weeks would have made this less stressful?” She shook her head and grabbed his hand again as he settled next to her. “Here comes another one. I think we have time to make it to the hospital.”

“Babe these contractions are only about four minutes apart. At this rate, we won’t even make it off the mountain.” Todd shook his hand as soon as Blair released it. Seeing her look, he commented, “Hey you just don’t realize your own grip.”

Blair gave him a glare then thought better of it. He was doing his best. “Just don’t panic. You’ve already delivered your son. I trust you if something happens and you have to deliver this one.”

Todd paled at the thought and reached for the liquor cabinet.

“Don’t you dare Mister. I need my husband sober. We’re going to be alright, just tell Williams to pick up the pace a little bit.” Blair bit her lip, as another wave hit her, and couldn’t quite stifle a groan.

“You heard her, Williams, drive as fast as you can and still get us there safely.” Todd sat there patiently timing Blair’s contractions. He had decided the best way to save his hand was to give her his arm to grip instead. He helped her breathe through the next two noting the time between was getting closer. “ You’re doing fine Blair. That last one didn’t seem as bad.”

“Speak for yourself. I’m getting the feeling your daughter is anxious to make an appearance.” To prove her point, she gripped his arm again and began her breathing She was using Todd’s dragon watch as a focus point, as she rode the contractions from start to finish.

Seeing that the contractions were now only two minutes apart, he decided to put in a call to John to see if they could get a police escort once they hit the city. “John, sorry for the early call. We’re on our way into town. The baby is coming and she’s not wasting any time.. Can you help?” He listened and then closed the call. “John will have a police car meet us as we enter the city. That should expedite the lights.”

They just cleared the mountain when water gushed out, soaking the limo floor. “Oh, God, we’re not going to make it.” Blair cried as a hard contraction took her. They were coming every minute now and Blair was almost hyperventilating as she tried to breathe through them. They had picked up the escort but were a good twenty minutes still from the hospital. “Todd, I’m sorry.”

“Babe, what are you sorry about? We’re almost there. Just hold on, it won’t be long now.”

“Todd, there is no more time, the baby’s coming. You’re going to have to deliver her.”

“Damn. Williams pull over now. Get Llanview hospital on the phone and tell them what’s going on. You’re sure, Blair?”

“I’m sure, Todd. I want to push, it’s time.”

With the limo stopped, Todd went to work. He reached into the liquor cabinet and grabbed out the whiskey and took out his pocket knife. Luckily, he had grabbed his good pair of shoes, so he took out one of the laces. Using the liquor, he sterilized both the lace and his pocket knife and then help Blair get comfortable on the bench seat. As he covered her from view he heard a knock on the window and opened it.

“Is everything alright in there? Why did you pull over?” It was Officer Fish.

“Everything’s fine. Fish, see if you can find me a something clean I can wrap the baby in. She’s coming now.” Todd didn’t wait to see if Fish understood him or not. He turned back to Blair. She had been breathing hard, trying desperately to avoid pushing until Todd told her to. Todd looked and saw his daughter’s head crowning. “Okay Babe, push when you’re ready.”

Relieved to be able to push, Blair gave her daughter a shove.

“Okay Babe, her head is out, and here comes her shoulders. One more push, Blair.” As she pushed, Todd’s daughter dropped into his hands. He caught her gently, wiping her nose and clearing her mouth. She started making small little cries as her lungs filled. The sound was clear as a bell. He laughed and looked at Blair. “She’s here, you did it.”

She was tiny and perfect and she was breathing on her own. Todd cut the umbilical cord and tied off both ends then laid his daughter on Blair’s tummy. “She’s beautiful. And so is her mother.” He reached up and smoothed away Blair’s tangled lock of hair from off her face. “I love you, Mrs. Manning.”

With her hand on her child, Blair replied back. “I love you, too.”

Fish arrived back, obviously out of breath, but handed a nice clean tablecloth into the limo. They could hear the ambulance in the distance. “How is it going?” He asked.

“Great, she’s here..” Using water from the bar, Todd cleaned off his daughter the best he could and wrapped her up. Then he laid her in her mother’s arms. Once the ambulance pulled up, Todd took his daughter back and let the EMTs remove Blair to the ambulance. There they worked on Blair making sure all afterbirth procedures were covered. Once she was settled, the baby was checked out and placed in the incubator for transportation to the hospital. As they left, Fish offered to still provide an escort for the limo and Todd made it to the hospital right on the tail of the ambulance.

Less than an hour later, Todd and Blair were allowed to see their daughter. She weighed in at four pounds, eight ounces, but she was breathing on her own. The doctors insisted she spend at least one night in the NICU nursery just so they could monitor her if any problems arose. The moment they mentioned problems, Blair had gotten alarmed. But her fears were quickly laid to rest, when the nursery staff told her they “didn’t really expect any trouble, the baby was doing fine.”

Dr. Conklin checked on Blair and said she too had come through the delivery with flying colors. Later, Blair and Todd sat in the NICU nursery taking turns holding their little girl. One of the nurses came over and told them their other children had arrived. Todd picked up the baby and moved to the window so all of them could see her. Through the glass, he heard their remarks.

“Dad, she’s beautiful,” said Starr. She looked at her dad standing there so proud, knowing this was the first time he had truly been in this position. He had missed her birth and fumbled Jack’s, but this time everything was as it should be. ‘ I love you” she lip-synced to him. He nodded back with tears in his eyes.

“Wow, she’s sure is tiny. Will we get to hold her?” asked Sam.

“Sure Sam, but you’ll have to be very careful.” replied Starr.

Jack looked at his little sister and was glad she had arrived okay but he couldn’t help feeling a little sad as he recalled what he had been told of his birth, and how it had played out.

Todd saw Jack’s face as he looked at his little sister and then watched it change from happiness to sadness. He knew instantly what Jack was thinking about. He kissed his daughter’s forehead, smiled at his kids and walked the baby back to Blair. After a few words to her and the nurse, he headed for the door of the nursery, shed his gown and went outside to talk to them directly.

“The nurse said if you gown up, you can go in and see the baby. She’s allowing it since we’re the only ones here this early. Starr, why don’t you take Sam in and help him. Jack and I will be in there next.” Todd said.

He waited until Starr and Sam were through the door. Then he turned to his son. “You were a big help to me today.”

Jack looked at him in surprise. “What do you mean?"

“I had to deliver your little sister. If I hadn’t delivered you all those years ago, things could have gone a lot different. I just kept remembering everything I did to bring you into the world and it calmed me down. When you were born, I was a basket case. Sam and Doctor Troy MacIver talked me through it by phone. I thought your mom was going to shoot me because I was so inept.” Todd met his son’s eyes. He knew his had unshed tears in them. “You were a beautiful baby, Early, like your sisters. I didn’t know that at the time. If I had, I might have known you were mine. I can be pretty dense when it comes to common sense.” He took a moment to wipe the tears out of his eyes with the back of his hand. “I can’t take back what I did. It happened and I’ll always regret it because it cost me all of you for a long time. But, Jack, you’re my flesh and blood and you’re now a big brother to a little sister. You have my permission to be very overprotective of her. Remember, you helped bring her into the world.”

Jack swallowed hard, fighting his own tears as he listened intently to his father. He had been feeling down, but now he actually felt a little cheered up. Even though his birth hadn’t turned out the way he would have liked, it now had been turned into a reason to be happy. He had helped his little sister be born. Wow. “Can we go see her now?”

“Sure, let’s go.” Todd puts his arm around his son’s shoulder and walked back into the nursery with him.

***

A couple of days later the house was filled with activity as all were preparing to welcome Blair and the new baby home. Everyone was busy when the doorbell rang. Todd happened to be coming down the stairs and went to open it. “Yes?

“Delivery for Mr. and Mrs. Manning.”

Todd looked at the object the man was holding. It appeared to be a picture judging by the shape of it. Who would be sending a picture to them? Maybe, Tomas, he had finally gotten his gallery reopened. Todd reached for the picture, setting it inside and handed a tip to the delivery man. Todd hated surprises, even if this might be from Tomas. Todd was going to check it out carefully. He lifted the picture and headed for his office. Once inside he shut the door and took his time looking at the wrapping around the picture.

"What’s the matter, Todd?” Samuel inquired.

“I don’t know. Someone sent this, but I’m getting a creepy vibe from it.”

"You don’t think it’s safe?"

“After this last year and a half, would you?”

“I guess not. But this is a happy day. Leave it until tomorrow. Go get your wife and new baby. We’ll deal with the picture later.”

“You’re right. I don’t see any wires or anything. What kind of harm can a picture do?”

Todd stepped away from the object and glanced at his watch. “I’m late, Blair’s going to have my head.” There was a knock on his door.

“Dad, you better hurry,” Starr said as she opened the door. “By the way, I found this envelope sitting on the floor in the front hall.” She handed it to him . “Don’t forget Mom’s waiting.”

Todd looked at the envelope and a chill ran down his back. Opening it, he pulled the note free of the envelope.

My Dear Sir,

My congratulations. Your latest plan was faultless. Once again I underestimated you. I understand your lovely wife has given birth to a new daughter, please accept my humble gift to celebrate the event. I look forward to our next encounter.

Sincerely,
C. H.

Todd crushed the letter in his hand. It can’t be. He’s supposed to be in jail. Todd tore open the paper covering the picture. His heart lurched as he recognized the portrait. That son of a bitch. He stared at the painting Samuel had done of Blair crying over an empty cradle.

"My God, Todd, he didn’t?" Samuel whispered in his head.

"Damn right he did! That bastard just threatened my daughter. I don’t understand how he got out of jail, or how he got his hands on this painting.  This used to be in the vault gallery that Jake set up.  If Carlo had access to that, then someone in my organization is still helping him.  There’s no way I can let Blair see this."

You’re right. You need to get rid of it. Give it to Williams and have him dispose of it. There’s nothing we can do about him right now. Blair’s waiting for you.

God, Samuel, you don’t think? ...I’ve got to get to Blair. Todd recovered the portrait and took it with him to the car. He had Williams put it in the trunk and gave him his instructions regarding the disposal. Then he got in the limo. The whole ride down the mountain his heart was racing.

"Todd, you need to calm down."

I can’t. What if he already made good on his threat? Am I going to get to the hospital and find out my child is missing?

Blair would have called if there was a problem. Carlo wants to scare you. You can’t play his game. Seriously, he’s not going to make his move right now. With everything that’s happened with Mitch, I think it’s safe to say he’s decided to take a backseat for now. We’re lucky he has such an ego. Forewarned is forearmed. You know he’s out now. Before we had no idea.

Todd realized Samuel had made some good points. Carlo had obviously been out for some time and hadn’t done anything. You’re right. He loves dramatic gestures. This was his way of getting under my skin and making me get careless. Thanks, Samuel, Blair and the baby are fine. They’re coming home.  I’ll handle Carlo the same way I handled Mitch if he even comes close to my family.

The limo pulled up in front of the hospital and Todd left Williams waiting at the entrance, he practically ran down the hall trying to get to Blair’s room. Relief washed over him as he stood in the doorway looking at his wife and baby. She was sitting on the bed, holding the baby, talking to some official looking person. He smiled, there was no way her homecoming was going to be ruined by Hesser.

           “One last thing before you go. What name do you give your daughter?” Said the registrar.

            Blair smiled over at Todd. “You made the decision You get to tell her.”

            Todd walked over and stood next to his wife and child. “Her name is Belle Kymberly Manning.” He held out his hands and Blair handed him his daughter. She was so tiny in his hands, he marveled at every perfect little part of her. For someone so small she had fought to survive right alongside her mother. “ Belle,” he whispered close to her head, “it’s time to go home.” Holding his daughter close to his chest, he held out the other hand to her mother. “Are you ready to go, Blair?”

            Blair took his hand. “With you? Always, Todd.”