Thomas Lord: Cloaked, Ch. 14

Todd opened his eyes still holding Blair and realized it had been a dream free night. She really had held the monsters at bay. His hand untangled from her tresses and she snuggled closer slowly awakening. He looked down into her eyes as they focused on him. "Good morning and thank you."

Blair shifted up onto her arm and a smile lit her face "You're welcome. Anytime you need me, I'm right here." she leaned forward and kissed him, sitting up she wrapped the sheet around her and started to get out of bed. "I've got a lot to do today. Momma and I have to check out the schools around here where the boys can go temporarily, and Starr will need someone to watch Hope while she checks out the University."

Todd grabbed her arm, "Blair, wait, I need to tell you something."

Blair sat back down and gave him her attention, "This has to do with your visit to Kym yesterday doesn't it?"

"When I went see Kym I found out she was poisoned," he saw Blair's alarm and spoke quickly to reassure her. "She's alive, but they're unsure who poisoned her or how. They've increased the guard to make sure another attempt doesn't happen. Blair, I figure Daimler got to her somehow because when she awoke she was terrified again, and unwilling to talk. I think he found a way to remind her that she was his property."

"Todd is she really safe, surely there's some way to get her out on bail and out of his grasp." Blair ran a hand through her hair trying to think.

"I'm doing all I can Blair, but if Daimler or his partners find out I'm the reporter writing about them; then all of you, not just Kym, will be in danger. Only a few of his men saw me that night, Sid is the one I worry about because I'm pretty sure he heard Kym call me Tom. Still, I think Sid believes I'm working for the Feds or something and he hasn't linked me to the Thomas Lord who wrote the article.

"Todd, you're seeing Kym as Tom, what if Gregor finds out. He's probably been in contact with his men and knows about the Tom that took down Sid."

"That's true, but I'm guessing Sid didn't tell his boss he was taken out by a blind guy in his forties. He would have led his boss to believe I was some sort of operative. The Tom who has been visiting his niece in the hospital is a middle-aged man who seems pretty mild-mannered. I'm counting on Gregor just believing it's a coincidence both men are named Tom. As for Thomas Lord, he's never been seen, so he's the question mark in this puzzle. Then again, I don't think Gregor would consider a reporter trouble, so he's going to be on the lookout for the 'Tom' Sid talked about. We both know 'that' Tom only comes out when pushed so Gregor won't find him easily." Todd stared ahead remembering his rage at the attack on Kym. The men responsible for hurting Kym would one day know that rage.

Blair recalled the "Tom" who took down Sid, she knew he wasn't sweet young Tom, Todd's Alter, rather he was that part of Todd that had recently made an appearance again courtesy of his revenge against Hesser. No, this Tom was cold and ruthless to those he found worthy of his fury. Sid, who had threatened Kym and the girls had incurred Tom's wrath and suffered the consequences. She looked over at Todd and saw his eyes turn cold for just a minute, and she shivered as once again she remembered her encounter with that man.

Out of the corner of his eye, Todd saw that shiver and turned to her "What's the matter, Blair?"

"It's nothing Todd, old memories resurfacing. Are you sure 'that' Tom is under control? I would understand if you're having a problem with this latest news about Kym. Please tell me if I can help you."

Todd leaned over and pulled her into his kiss, "You've already helped me, and believe me I'll continue to need your help I'm sure of it."

Blair let the sheet drop and Todd embraced her and let her know just how much he appreciated her help.

Todd and Blair finally rolled out of bed and got ready for their day. A little knock at their bedroom door came as a surprise and Todd opened it to find Sam and Hope looking up at him. "Well to what do we owe the honor of two such fine guests knocking at the dragon's door."

Sam quietly said. "Grandma told us to get you, breakfast has been delivered," he turned and took Hope's hand and walked away.

Todd frowned. Sam wasn't his usual perky self and Todd hated to see it. Jake had been turning into a pretty decent guy as the influence of the implants had been wearing off. Sam was too young to lose his dad. Todd knew he was going to have to get in touch with John and figure out how he was going to get into Llanview and testify, without alerting the assassins. He had to make sure Hesser was put away for a long time.

He and Blair joined the rest of the family at breakfast and the talk turned to finding a school for Jack and Sam. Jack immediately voiced his objection, saying they had thought they were on vacation for a little while, and now all of a sudden he had to think of school. Todd stared down Jack and he got quiet. "Jack, I know a lot has happened in the last few months and a lot of it has been traumatic, to say the least, but both your mom and I feel you need some structure in your life right now something normal and mundane, a school will fill that bill nicely. You, your Mom, and your grandmother will go looking at schools today. While we're here, we're going to live as normal a life as possible and that includes a school for you and your brother. Do you understand?" Todd looked at his son and Jack's eyes fell first. "Good, now that that's settled, I need to make some phone calls. I'll be here when you all return." Todd got up and headed back into the bedroom, he needed privacy when he talked to Nora and John.

He hadn't been gone long when Jack exploded at his mom. "Mom how come you're letting him call the shots, he just came back in your life and he was the one who walked off and left us in the first place."

"Enough Jack, he's your father and you're going to abide by what he says and I agree with him. You were spoiled and indulged far too long by Walker and you took advantage of your status to bully another boy who lost his mother because of your thoughtlessness. I know you're sorry it happened, but you also allowed Walker to get you out of trouble. I regret Walker's death, I know he meant a great deal to you but in reality, he handled everything badly."

Jack opened his mouth to speak and Blair stopped him before he started. "You know in your heart I'm right about Walker. Todd is your real father and it is his right to help raise you as much as it is mine. He was deprived of that right by Carlo Hesser and Ivan Kipling. You have no idea what your father has been through, you've only heard parts of his story. I know every scary and horrifying detail and I'm telling you now, you will give him the respect he deserves as your father. I know the reasons behind his abrupt departure and I know he never intended to hurt any of us. The problem with your father is that he loves us more than himself and he figured his leaving was better for us than his staying. Now go get ready to go out. I want to leave in the next half hour."

As she watched Jack enter his room, she found herself hurting for both Todd and Jack. They both had a long way to go to get their relationship back on track. Jack really had felt betrayed when Todd had left without so much as a goodbye. She glanced at her other son and noticed how quiet he was. Usually, Sam was one who talked a lot at breakfast. "Sam are you okay?"

Sam looked up at her. "Mom, can Dad come back like Samuel?"

Blair's eyes filled with tears. "No Sam, I'm afraid your dad won't be able to come back. But Samuel promised me he wouldn't go away again and he'll keep that promise. He's here for you to talk to when you miss your dad, Sam." She got up and walked around the table to hug her little boy. "Sam you still have all of us here too. Now let's go get ready and we'll go check out a new school for you too." She took his hand and they went to his room to get ready.

On her way to her own room to get ready. Addie stopped to knock at Todd's door. Todd answered, puzzled to find Addie outside."Addie, what can I do for you?"

"Todd, I'd like to talk to you about your article in today's paper. but I know you said you were going to be making some phone calls. So I thought maybe we could find a time to talk when Blair and I get back with the boys."

Todd had been distracted at breakfast enjoying the children and family around him he had forgotten all about the article. He wondered why Addie would want to talk about it, not that it mattered, he had been wanting some alone time with Addie to ask her about Gregor anyway. "Addie, I'd like to talk to you about that article and something else too. When you and Blair get back, you'll have my undivided attention."

Addie smiled "Good, I think a talk between us is long overdue."

Todd realized just how true that statement was, as he watched Addie return to her room. There were a lot of things long overdue.

Todd walked over to his computer and brought up the latest articles on the Hesser /Kipling case. He frowned as he realized John was right, Hesser was making headway with his poor me game and he had managed to plant a few good hits against the Llanview Police Department on his treatment by them the morning he was arrested.

Todd had put in a call to Nora right before Addie had knocked. He had been informed the DA was in Philadelphia for the day. Obviously, her son wasn't any better. Todd wondered if Nora was up to taking on Hesser and Kipling with everything on her plate. He prayed she would recuse herself before letting the two of them get the better of her.

Reaching for his phone he rang up John. "It's me, the family is here, any hits on the pictures Cassie sent you."

"'Bout time you called, I expected a call yesterday, of course, once I received Cassie's photos, I figured they arrived okay. So nice of you to check-in."

Todd smiled, John was being his usual acerbic self. "Hey sorry, I was otherwise occupied yesterday. Well,... what about the pictures? Were the Feds able to find some of them in their files."

"Relax man, they managed to pick up a number of them today. We know there are more still unaccounted for and the shooter is still out there, so don't let down your guard." John knew it was time to bring Todd home. Now they needed to discuss how they were going to accomplish that with the killer still in town. "I've been talking to Bo, he and Nora agree we want you to come in, give your testimony in a closed session, and then we'll whisk you out of town. We'll fly you into Pine Valley and I'll meet you. Nora will be with me and go over your testimony before you go to court. All the preliminary work has been done. They've been picking jurors for the last two days. Because of Todd Manning's death, the Judge has agreed to the closed session to protect you. Can you be ready for a flight early tomorrow?"

Todd was dismayed the court date was already set. He had hoped to have a little more time with the family before heading to Llanview, but he knew this trial needed to be completed. He was prepared for whatever the defense would ask him and he prayed his body would be up for it. After his talk with Amos, he hoped he could get through the testimony without another incident. "I'll be ready. John, I just have one favor, is Michael still in town? I'm not sure I should be asking this, but I think I might want to have Michael on hand just in case."

"What's going on Todd, is there a problem concerning the implants we should know about?"

"I can't say, but I think we should err on the safe side. Let's just say I'm cautious." Todd wrote down the info about the flight and started packing for a short trip. With everyone gone for a while, he decided to remove the ring and adjust to his blindness once more. He was determined to appear in court without the aid of the implants. Todd wanted the jurors to see exactly the condition he had been left in, courtesy of Carlo Hesser and Ivan Kipling's machinations.

It was a bit of a jolt to suddenly lose his sight. He had been wearing the ring nonstop for the last several days. He had forgotten that sense of vulnerability it left him with. Thank God he had decided to go without the ring for a while. He needed this time to regroup and remember his training, then he remembered something else. It took him a minute to find his phone and call Blair. "Blair I need you to pick up a new cane for me. No, I've taken the ring off. I need to get readjusted to my blindness, I have to testify tomorrow...I know I wasn't expecting it either, but John's sending the plane for me. I need that cane to get around. Please, we'll talk later when you get back. You knew this was coming." Blair argued just a little longer and then agreed to get him a cane.

After hanging up, Todd went to work going through his practice sessions relearning how to maneuver with his limited sight. He had been working for a little more than an hour and soon was maneuvering around the room with ease. He left the room and headed for the kitchen when suddenly he was hit with nausea and dizziness, he stumbled against a chair fighting to keep his breakfast down. Todd sat down abruptly in the chair. He felt flushed all of a sudden and then chilled. He thought the infection was under control and this felt different from the fever he had sustained with the infection. He tried to get up and continue his walk to the kitchen but the dizziness made him topple over and he went down. It didn't help to close his eyes, everything still spun. Again his stomach lurched and he struggled to his knees, going he hoped, toward the bedroom. Todd collapsed, he couldn't figure out which direction he was moving in the dizziness was so bad. He clutched his head and laid where he fell unable to move any farther.

Blair opened the door to the suite and found Todd lying paces from the kitchen. "God, Todd, what happened? Momma, get me a wet cloth." she knelt down beside him, he was shivering and unaware she was there.

"Mom, what's the matter with him? " asked Jack

"I don't know Jack, he's been ill maybe he's had a relapse. I want you to help me get him to the bedroom." Jack helped his mom and they managed to get Todd lifted and supported between them. "Sam go open the door for us." Sam ran and opened the bedroom door and Blair and Jack got Todd to the bed.

Addie handed Blair the wet cloth and decided the boys needed to give Blair some space. "Come over here boys and give your mom room. I'm sure Todd's going to be alright." she silently hoped she was telling the boys the truth. Todd looked terrible.

Blair mopped his brow and noticed the shivering was lessening. Slowly his eyes opened, they didn't focus and after a moment he closed them again. "God, I feel like I was turned inside out and wrung out to dry."

"Todd tell me what happened." Blair was worried, his shirt was wet from sweat and yet he had been shivering when they found him, she didn't know if he had had some sort of heart attack or if the infection was back. There had been no signs he was getting ill again. "Tell me what happened."

Todd started to roll over but stopped himself as his world shifted for just a moment. He covered his eyes and told Blair what had occurred before he passed out.

"Todd if you've fallen ill again, you can't possibly go back to Llanview and testify. We need to call Nora and have her ask for a postponement." even as she said the words she knew what his answer was going to be.

Todd opened his eyes. "Blair, hand me the ring."

Blair reached for the ring Todd had placed on the nightstand and gave it to Todd. He slipped it on his finger and a jolt ran through him. As his vision cleared and he looked at Blair, his stomach settled down and he found himself feeling better. "Blair whatever it was, it's passing I'm feeling better already."

"Todd, I don't like this you were passed out and that is not alright. You said you had been practicing maneuvering without the use of the ring when you decided to go get a drink in the kitchen is that correct. Then as you neared the kitchen you got dizzy and nauseous. Why didn't you stop and take it easy?"

"That's just it Blair, I did. But when I got up to continue into the kitchen the dizziness and nausea increased and I felt like I was losing my sense of direction. I couldn't stop the feelings of nausea and my head was spinning out of control, I collapsed where you found me. I don't understand it any more than you do." Todd sat up and was surprised to find the dizziness gone. "Really Blair, everybody, I'm alright."

Blair frowned, something had happened to Todd, and the more she thought about it the more she worried it had something to do with the damn implants. Everything happened after he had removed his ring. Now he was showing no signs of feeling the worse for wear and the only thing that had changed was that he had put the ring back on. Still, he said he had worked for over an hour with the ring off and had gotten back into the swing of not seeing without any trouble. If it wasn't the ring what could have caused the problem. "I don't like this Todd and I'm going with you tomorrow. No, don't even say it. Momma and the kids are safe here. I'm sticking to you like glue until we return here safe and sound."

After agreeing to allow Blair to accompany him to Llanview, Todd informed the boys and Addie about the next day. Jack was upset they were both leaving, but when he found out it was because Todd was going to testify against the man responsible for Walker's death, he gave them his blessing but asked that they hurried home. After assuring both boys they intended to be back as soon as possible, Addie took the boys out of the room. Todd then turned to face Blair.

"Okay let's hear it. You're still thinking about what happened to me, aren't you? I can't explain it, but I'm really fine."

"You're not fine. In the last nine months since I found you, you've been a one-man walking disaster movie. You've been shot, poisoned, had seizures, and almost killed by artificial implants that have been in your head for eight years. Because of them, your heart is permanently damaged, you've lost your sight and you've died. What in God's name makes you think you're all right?"

Todd stared at his wife as she was running down the list of his ailments and couldn't help himself, damn if she wasn't right, he was a disaster movie. The thought was so out there, he couldn't help himself and he started laughing.

"Stop laughing, it's not funny," she walked to him getting angry, he was laughing and she was scared to death. She pushed him. "Stop laughing!"

Todd couldn't help himself the absurdity of the whole situation was just too much. He backed up, grabbing her hands when he realized she was going to hit him. "Hey, I'm not laughing at you. But you've got to admit from my perspective, everything you just said is hilarious," he grinned at her, watching her get even more riled. She was a regular spitfire when she got mad, it made her eyes sparkle and she would get breathless, she was quite a sight. "That's me you know, it's been my whole life, 'Todd Manning the Disaster'. "

Blair stopped at his words and couldn't help herself when he said it like that, it was funny. She wanted to stay mad, but she couldn't. "OOOh, Damn it, " she chuckled "Now you've got me doing it."

Todd pulled her into his arms, "I know you're worried but let's just face these days one at a time. We'll figure out what caused the problem, I'm sure we will."

Blair put her hands on his shoulders "Todd, I'm worried the implants are the cause of this latest problem, but I can't figure out how they could be since they're removed. What if something happens tomorrow when you're testifying? I won't be in the courtroom, only essential personnel will be there."

"I've got that covered, I've asked John to have Michael on hand just in case there is a problem. I've already begun to think the implants might still be messing with me. I had an incident the other day in Amos's office." At that, he sat her down and told her what occurred when he started to tell his story to Amos. Blair was frowning when he spoke of the ring zapping the back of his head where the pain had started. She recalled her chat with Michael about the possibility of something left behind in Todd's brain. If that was the case then Todd was looking at more surgery. Blair decided to make sure she had a chat with Michael when they arrived in Llanview.

They spent the next hour packing and strategizing their return to Llanview and how they were getting in and out. Later with Blair around, Todd removed the ring again and practiced with the cane Blair had brought home. He had put the ring back in the pouch around his neck deciding to keep both implants handy just in case. He had no more trouble the rest of the day whether he was wearing the ring or not.

That evening Cassie joined them at the hotel and brought the pictures of the men she took in Paris. Everybody was given a good look at them to make sure they would recognize them if they saw them anywhere around town. Cassie, Addie, and Starr promised to keep the boys out of trouble for the next couple of days.

While Cassie, Blair, and the kids caught up on family matters, Addie and Todd headed to her terrace for a little chat. They sat down looking out at the ocean for a few minutes then Addie spoke. "Blair told me all about you a long time ago and I knew then there was something about you that attracted my baby girl to you. I vaguely remember her telling me how she was going to marry you and everything was going to be alright. Then I met you and I admit you frightened me. You were so fierce-looking and so serious. I worried that Blair had made a mistake, but then she would come and see me and you were all she would talk about. You were making her happy. I could see that, and when we met again at Dorian's party I saw that you really loved my little girl."

Addie stopped and Todd looked at her. She smiled and went on. "You promised me one night you would give her the world and shower her with gold. I know you tried to keep that promise and I know that life has taken a lot out of you over the years. When the doctors found a medicine that enabled me to rejoin normal life, I had a chance to finally get to know my son-in-law. I read up on you and found out your whole story. I was alarmed when I found out about the rape and it brought a lot of memories to the surface for me, memories I had kept buried a long time. I pushed my memories away because they didn't have anything to do with you and I tried to see you with Blair's eyes. What I saw was a man who had done a terrible wrong but I also saw a man who over the years since that wrong, had worked hard to redeem himself. I liked that man."

"What about now Addie, do you still like that man?"

"I see a different man now. I see a man who can't forgive himself and one who is driven by something dangerous. I'm worried about that man and my daughter is too. Todd, I know about demons. They haunt your dreams and can steal your life away. I lost myself for a long time. Now I'm able to see life for the gift it is and I'm enjoying it to the fullest. When you are with Blair or your children I see the man my daughter loves. I love you, Todd, I want you to be happy, like my Blair. You make her happy, and she can do the same for you."

Todd had always felt a little uncomfortable around Addie when she was at St. Ann's, he had never been sure just how much Addie really understood from day to day, but he had known she loved Blair and her grandkids. It had been a shock when he had seen her for the first time walking and acting like any other sane person. Now as he listened to her, he realized that even when she had been in St. Ann's, she had seen through him. She was still as perceptive now as then. When she told him she loved him, it touched his heart. She considered him family right along with his children and Blair. Somewhere down the line, he had come to love her too. It was because of her that he and Blair had been blest with Starr. That one night had turned his life around more than any other.

"Addie you mean a great deal to me. I really am trying to do as you told me the other night, I'm trying to let Blair help me. I know you're right about the demons but they've been dragging at me for a long time and some days it's a real struggle. Blair is my lifeline and I'm holding onto her. I love her a great deal but you know that." Todd debated bringing up the subject of Daimler. Addie had already stated that she had memories she didn't want to explore. He didn't want to hurt her but he needed the answer for Blair.

"You told me this morning you had read my article. What did you think about it." Todd hoped by bringing up the article, he could direct the conversation to Daimler without hurting Addie.

"Your article was a very interesting one and I really felt for the victims you described Todd, but there is something about this story that has something to do with the danger I sense in you. What is it about this, that has touched a nerve? Are you feeling guilty because of the rape you committed all those years ago?"

"Addie you're still spot on when it comes to having it on the ball. My past has a lot to do with this story. I changed the life of my victim and I look at these girls and it's like looking at my sin multiplied."

"But Todd, you're not responsible for their plight, in fact, you're doing everything possible to change their lives, give yourself a little credit.  The men behind this ring are the ones who need to pay. Some of them were caught and I'm sure those men will get what's coming to them but don't let them force you into their game. It's not worth it."

"I hear you, Addie, the problem is one girl's life has touched close to home. I need to ask you something and this could bring up some of those memories you said you didn't want to revisit. if you want to stop this conversation here tell me, Addie." He reached into his pocket for Daimler's picture, now it was up to Addie.

Addie wondered what Todd wanted to ask her that might bother her. She shrugged "I won't know if it bothers me, till you tell me. Go ahead, Todd."

Todd felt uncomfortable just thinking about what he was getting ready to ask Addie to remember. He opened the picture of Gregor and handed it to Addie. "Do you by any chance recognize this man?"

She took the picture and studied the man in it, there was something familiar about him but she couldn't ever remember seeing him before. "He looks a little familiar but I don't think I've ever met the man. Does he have a name?"

"His first name is Gregor. That doesn't ring a bell, but you say he seems familiar. Addie, his whole name is Gregor Daimler." Todd let the name sink in and waited. He didn't want to influence her memory, it was important that she remember him on her own.

Addie sat there gazing at the picture and Todd's words sunk in. His name was Daimler. She began remembering another man named Daimler, he was young and beautiful but he scared her. She remembered a night when he made her feel things. It had been strange, she hadn't known what to do that night. She had wanted to stop him, but she had also wanted the things he was doing to her. She remembered crying because she thought she was being bad. He had laughed and kept making her feel strange. Then when he was finished that night he had told her she was a good girl. Addie recalled being afraid what the ones in charge would say if she told them about him, so she had kept quiet. He had come to her a couple more times and each time she had cried thinking it was wrong, but she was unable to stop him. The more she asked him to stop the more he kept doing things to her.

She became sick and the doctors were always whispering around her. But the young man stopped coming to her and then someone told her, she was going to have a baby. She remembered wondering if the reason the beautiful boy had stopped coming was that she had gotten sick. Addie thought he must have found her ugly as she got bigger with the baby. It had been hard and painful to have a baby, but they let her hold her beautiful baby. She had named her beautiful girl Blair. The doctors were surprised at her beautiful girl. She had asked about her beautiful boy right before her baby was born and the nurses told her he had left. She was sad and wished he had been around, she had wanted to show off her little girl. Maybe if he had seen the baby he might have come back to her. But he never came back and they took her beautiful girl from her.  Her little girl found her years later and took Addie from the place she had been most of her life. Then Blair had taken her to St. Anns and they had been good to her there.

Now she knew that Blair's father had been that beautiful boy and she knew he had raped her, but a small part of her had loved that boy, and she would never give up her Blair. Addie looked at the picture in her hands and saw that beautiful boy again. Her eyes filled with tears.

Todd saw her tears and knelt down next to her. "Addie I'm sorry, I didn't want to cause you any pain, forgive me for asking you to look at the picture."

Addie looked at her son-in-law and realized he had misunderstood the tears.
"Todd, I'm not crying because my memories are hurtful. I'm crying because you gave me back my memories. This man is Blair's father but my memories of him aren't bad. I know what he did to me was called rape. But that was because I didn't understand the act. I know he took advantage of me but you need to know he never really hurt me. I didn't understand back then, and what he did to me scared me because I didn't know how I was supposed to feel, but he also made me feel so wonderful and I didn't know how to tell him. Most of all you need to understand that he gave me the most precious gift I ever got. He gave me Blair." A tear dropped from her eye and trailed down her cheek but she smiled at Todd.

Todd reached up and wiped the tear from her cheek, he couldn't find it in himself to tell her that Gregor was behind the slave-ring. She had answered his question and he wouldn't spoil her memories. Gregor had taken advantage of a young girl and then he had twisted the power that he had gotten from his use of her and turned it into something ugly. He would handle Gregor. Addie was too dear to Blair and to him, to let Gregor hurt her. When the time was right and if he could get Kim free of Gregor then they might let Addie know what he had become, but it wouldn't be tonight.

"Thank you for telling me, Addie. I'm glad I didn't hurt you showing you the picture." Todd took the picture and put it away.

"Todd, you were afraid of hurting me and that means that Gregor has done something. I know you're not going to tell me what he has done and tonight I'm grateful. I appreciate what you've given me tonight. I don't want to spoil it. But I'm no longer fragile and there will come a time when I'll ask you what Gregor has done. I expect you to tell me when I ask. Promise."

"Addie when the time is right I'll tell you everything you ask. I promise but this isn't the time. You remember your beautiful little girl tonight."
Todd kissed her cheek and left her to her good memories.

Thomas Lord: Cloaked, Ch. 13

While Blair went to get the family, Todd spent the rest of the morning finishing his third article. "Human Slavery - The Forgotten".  He had been driven to write it because of Kym.  He told her story without naming any names.  Of course, it was the story of all the young women and children that had been taken and enslaved over the years. He wanted to get their story out there. People should be made aware of what was going on in their own backyards. The last couple of days had only managed to rescue a couple of hundred children from the clutches of these anonymous men. There were more out there and everyone wanted to turn a blind eye to their plight. It was easier to look the other way than to get involved. He posted it to Amos and then began looking into some financial information he had managed to bring up about Daimler.

He found an interesting item concerning some back debts that Daimler owed to a Company formed by a Mr. Uchen. As Todd studied further, he noticed that Mr. Uchen's name came up a few more times. It was possible Uchen was Daimler's contact with the Yakuza. Uchen was something of a shadow himself. He had appeared out of nowhere and engineered a big takeover of a top Japanese business and now that business had taken over a number of other businesses. One of those businesses was affiliated with the Daimler Corporation. Todd began to wonder if it might be possible to sever Daimler's ties with the Yakuza and inadvertently use them to help him get Daimler. Todd flagged the page to come back to it.

He headed into the kitchen area of the penthouse looking for some means to make coffee when he heard the door open. He smiled as he heard the children exclaiming about the size of the place, he had been a little surprised himself, there were only two penthouses in the hotel and they took up the whole top floor of the hotel. This particular penthouse had six bedrooms and baths, as well as a kitchen, dining room, and main room. Sam and Jack were both pressuring Blair for a particular room. Todd had laid something of Blair's out in their room and the boys had figured out that was where their mother was sleeping, so they were fighting over the remaining five rooms. Todd stepped out the kitchen door and watched the scene with interest as Blair struggled to bring the boys under control.
Sensing she might need a little help, he said. "Addie gets to pick her room first."

Silence fell over the room as all eyes turned to him.

"What! She's got seniority it's only fair," he grinned and suddenly Sam barreled into him hugging him fiercely. "Hey buddy, it's good to see you too." Todd got down and gave Sam a real hug, he saw the tears forming and knew it was because Sam was missing his dad. "It's okay, pal."

"My dad is gone, You're not going anywhere are you?" Sam looked at him as a tear dropped from his eye.

"No Sam, I'm staying right here with you if that's okay." Todd was rewarded with another hug and he picked up the little boy and held him as he cried. As if on cue Starr came and gave her father and little brother a hug, followed by Addie giving him a kiss. Blair and Hope joined the group, all of them talking at once and none of them getting any answers as Todd looked at his son Jack standing alone. "Okay, give it to me now. Get it out in the open and then we can get past it."

"You just left, no word, nothing, and now you come back and we're supposed to just be happy to see you and believe you want to be with us. I hate you! You don't care about us or you wouldn't have left. Where were you when Mom was crying in her bedroom? Where were you when my dad was killed?"

"Jack how can you say such things, you don't even know why he left?" Starr couldn't believe her brother, she knew he had really missed Todd and yet now he was acting terribly with him.

"It's okay Starr. He's right, I don't have a good excuse for leaving. At the time I left, I thought I was protecting all of you from me, but I know now I can't justify what I did. I'm sorry Jack, I should have been there for you when Manning died. If you need to hate me, you go ahead, and when you're ready I'll be here to help you any way you want."

Jack just stared at him, he was angry but what he really wanted was the same hug Sam had gotten. His eyes filled with tears and he turned his back on his father and family because he didn't want any of them to see his tears.

Todd put Sam down and took a moment to give a little comfort to Blair, then he walked over to his son. "Jack, I am truly sorry," he touched his son's shoulder and Jack turned around looking directly into his dad's eyes and saw only love staring at him. His face fell and Todd pulled him into a hug holding him and letting him know he was loved. Todd remembered another man who had once held him the same way and he felt sad that he would never see Sam again.

****

Todd released his son and turned to the rest of the family. "So I believe this all started with who got what room. Addie, do you have any preferences?" He moved to Addie and took her hand and drew her towards the rooms, giving his son time to compose himself. " Do you prefer morning sun or afternoon sun?" He walked her down the hallway giving her a tour of the amenities for each room. The last room was the room she chose because it had a private balcony that you could see the ocean from. "Ahh, an excellent pick, Addie. I'll leave you to unpack while I get the rest of the family situated."

Addie stopped him as he turned to leave. "Todd, you don't have to hide your pain with Blair. She loves you with all her heart.  Give her a chance to help you.  I'm glad she found you."

Todd smiled, "I'm glad she found me too." he kissed her cheek and left her to unpack. Todd walked down the hall back to the main room. "I guess that means Starr and Hope pick next."

Starr looked at her brother Jack and said, "You go ahead, pick the one you want."

Todd stood back letting his son take his pick of the remaining rooms. After Jack had disappeared into the room he wanted, Starr picked out rooms for her and Hope. Todd turned to Sam, "There's one room left. It's close to Blair's and mine, will that one do Sam." Sam looked up and nodded silently. Todd picked up his bag and walked to the room right next to the room he and Blair would be sharing. He placed the bag down and said "Do you need any help putting your stuff away" Sam shook his head no. "Good, when you're done, come back out, your mom and I need to talk to everyone."

Todd joined Blair back out in the main room, "It's not Dragonheart, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

Blair reached up and shushed him. "Dragonheart isn't going anywhere and you still have a few more articles to write. I want to be able to go home when it's safe. At least we're all together right now. I don't care what roof we're under. Cassie took some pictures of some of the men following Addie and the children. She was going to send them to John, maybe the Feds will be able to round up some more of these people, and Hesser"s partners will realize they should back off before their whole organization comes tumbling down."

Todd pulled her into a hug, "I hope you're right. I don't like the idea that there is a bullet out there with my name on it and all of you are in danger because I went after Carlo." he squeezed her gently and released her as Starr came out with Hope.

"Dad, we would rather be with you here than in Llanview wondering if you were alive or not. What happened to Walker was dreadful and Tea and Dani are having a hard time right now. But they were with him until it happened and I know they don't regret having all that time. If you had been killed before Mom found you, we never would have known. There would have been just the feeling of loss with no conclusion. We would have always been wondering."

Todd felt humbled by her words. Jack had been right, he hadn't considered them when he had left. Once again, he had taken the cowards way rather than face his demons and in doing so he had hurt them more than if he would have stayed. He had a lot to make up for. "I appreciate what you're saying Starr, but this is still an upheaval for you and the boys. Sit down. When the boys get out here, I'll try and explain what is really happening here." Rather than continue any more discussion, Todd began playing with Hope until the boys and Addie rejoined them.

He waited until they all were sitting and then he started. "I know you're all tired from the long airplane flights and I'm sorry it was necessary to put you through that. Because of what happened to Walker and because whoever killed Walker is still out there, I can't go home just yet. Right now, the killer doesn't have any idea where Samuel Toddman is and the longer we can keep them looking the better. Since the killer doesn't know I'm here, your mother and I decided to move you down here for the time being and before you all get upset, I'll explain why. But first, Sam perhaps you and Hope would like to go watch some tv in your room," he paused. Sam nodded okay and took Hope's hand and headed to his room.

As soon as they entered the room, Todd turned back to everyone else. Starr, in particular, was looking upset and he knew she was thinking of her boyfriend James and the college classes she was going to miss. "Starr, I know your objections, but this is important. I attempted to send your mother home to get you and prepare you better for this, but she refused to leave. So we had to get you here another way. A great deal of thought went into the plan to make Hesser's partners think all you were with your Mom over in Europe looking for me. We want them to believe I left the country. If they believe it they'll be looking over there when I return to Llanview to testify against Hesser and Kipling. If you are here, they won't be able to use you to get to me."

Starr frowned "But won't they just follow you back here after you testify?"

"I plan to get into Llanview under the radar, give my testimony and disappear again. Once Hesser and Kipling are sentenced, I hope the partners will drop the kill order. This is only temporary I promise you, once they put Hesser and Kipling behind bars permanently, I believe the partners will back off. They've already drawn attention to themselves by putting out the hits on Walker and myself, I'm sure they're starting to feel the heat of the Feds getting close. I'm going to guess they'll want to get out of the Feds sight to preserve their anonymity." Todd stopped talking looking at Starr, Addie, and Jack and wondering if they understood everything.

Addie looked at both Blair and Todd and remarked. "I understand your desire to keep the children safe, but you don't have to worry about me. I'll stick around to help you set up house and then I'll go back home and wait for you."

"Momma we don't want you to be alone in Llanview and I need you here to help me." Blair glanced at Todd and hoped he would say something to stop Addie from going.

Todd jumped in even before he saw Blair's look. "Addie, we need you. I know I can't make you stay, you're free to do what you want, but Blair and I would be worried about you the whole time especially now that Dorian has left town. The killer could try and hurt you just as much as the children because of your relationship to Blair and I would never forgive myself if I let that happen. Besides, I've been in need of a mother for a long time and you've always been good to me. Please stay."

Addie looked at Todd and knew he was sincere. He was worried about her welfare and didn't want anything to happen to her. She knew he had always tried to be good to Blair and she was touched by his words. She knew a lot more of his story now than she ever had before. She and Blair had talked a long time one night. When Addie had been released after all those years in St. Anns, Blair and Walker had just remarried and were fighting for custody of Sam. Addie had been brought up to speed about everything Todd had done over the years. Blair had felt a love for Walker but it had never been complete even when she believed he was Todd. Oh, she had thought for a brief moment that he was the love of her life when Tea returned to town but had ended up backing away when she realized Walker loved Tea. Addie was sure she had unconsciously known Walker wasn't her Todd.

When Blair had returned from Paris at the beginning of the year after meeting Samuel, her whole attitude had changed. Addie had known something was different about her daughter and the first time she met Samuel she had known what it was. It had taken one look to realize that Samuel was the Todd she had met long ago at her birthday party. She had known that night why Blair was walking on air again. Blair had found the love of her life again and this time he was the real thing. All she had ever wanted for Blair was for her little girl to be happy and Todd made her happy. Addie could see no reason not to stay if they really wanted her there. She had just wanted to make sure Todd was okay with it. She nodded. "Very well I'll stay. Todd, you better be sure, I might be more than you bargained for in a mother-in-law."

Todd smiled "You've always been more than I bargained for Addie, but you've always been on my side. I love you for that."

****

Jack had been sitting quietly taking in what his real dad was saying. It was hard to believe his dad the whole while he was growing up was dead. Just like that he was gone and Jack's mother and real father were missing when it happened. His real dad was saying they were going to stay in Savannah for a while and Jack thought it was great. He didn't want to be back home with Walker dead and Shane in his face. In fact, he didn't want to go back at all. He was so deep in thought he barely felt Starr poke his side with her elbow. "What?" he looked at her angrily.

"Dad wanted to know if you were okay with staying here for a while. You could at least answer him."

"Hey, I don't care. If it gets me away from Shane Morasco and where Dad died, then I'm fine with it. Can I go to my room now?" Jack didn't even wait for a reply but got up and disappeared into his room.

Jack's answer fell into the category of grudgingly given yeses. A moment later Jack slammed his door shut. When Starr went to get up and go talk to him. Todd stopped her and said."Let him be, he gave us his answer and that"s good enough for now." Todd stared at his daughter she still hadn't given him any idea what she thought about the whole thing.

Starr had been thinking hard about everything her Dad had just told them and she knew why they had made the decision to get them all to Savannah, but she was reminded of the time Walker had attempted to move them all to Hawaii, and how she had been convinced he was just trying to keep her apart from Cole. Now that she was older she realized Walker had been attempting to protect them from Lee Ramsey but Walker hadn't told them about it. At least her dad was being honest and telling them the reason for the move. She was an adult with her own child now and she didn't have to stay in Savannah but was wanting to be with James a good enough reason to put her daughter and herself in harm's way. Someone had killed Walker and they were ruthless enough to use family members if they were going to get Samuel. She wouldn't put Hope in danger so she would stay with the family for now. "We'll stay Dad, but I'm not sure it will solve anything unless John and the Feds can get the man who killed Walker."

"It might not Starr, and if something doesn't change after I give my testimony then we'll rethink the situation. I don't intend to live my life on the run from these people and I want all of you safe. This is temporary. Once the trial is over, I'm hoping things will go back to normal. Thank you for agreeing to stay.   I know it is going to wreak havoc with your college schedule but hopefully, you can transfer for a short time and not lose ground. I'm also aware this is going to put your relationship with James on hold, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry Dad. I'll give him a call and explain and I won't tell him where we are, just why I'm gone for now. We'll find a way to make this work, but now I need to ask. Are you alright? You look a little ragged."

"I'll survive Starr and I'm much better now that I've got Blair back and all of you are safe. The last couple of days have just been a bit strenuous, you know me always getting myself worked up, it's just put some strain on me. You look marvelous and I've missed all of you."

Starr stood up and walked toward her dad, "Well I'm glad it's just a little strain" and then she kicked her dad hard in the shins "Don't you ever leave again without saying goodbye. I can't take it anymore."

Todd staggered back, but he couldn't help laughing, "Oww, Okay you got it Shorty. I'll be sure and tell you the next time I go off the deep end."

He held open his arms and she went in for the hug, but she heard his intake of breath as she squeezed and stepped back quickly. "What's the matter you said it was just strain."

"Really it's nothing, I'm just a little bruised around the ribs." Todd looked to Blair to back him up.

"Starr, he's okay and he's right it's nothing to worry about now, Your dad just got a little too close to some action last week while he was working on a story."

"That's right you said you were working here. What are you doing?" Starr was curious. Back home, her Dad would have been running the Sun but she had to wonder what had brought her Dad to Savannah.

Blair looked at Todd proudly and said "He's an investigative reporter for the Savannah Herald and is currently writing a terrific series for it. By the way, your dad is currently going by the name Thomas Lord, no one here knows him as Samuel Toddman and it has to remain that way. Remember Samuel Toddman is supposed to be somewhere over in Europe."

Starr turned to her Dad, "Hey that's great Dad so you're back in the newspaper business again. I think I'll miss the Artist, though. How are Tom and my other uncles."

"They're still here Shorty. They're just taking a back seat for the time being. You probably want to go get Hope settled, we'll order in pizza for lunch and everyone can relax. Is that agreeable?" as they all nodded, Todd walked to the phone to make the order. After lunch, Addie and the children crashed as the two flights finally took their toll. Todd looked over at Blair."I have to go see Kym. She saw the lawyer last night I need to make sure everything is okay."

Blair saw something in his face and got worried. "Do you think there's going to be trouble for Kym?"

"I'm not sure, I've just got this feeling I should check on her." Todd wanted to make sure Blair knew why he was concerned. Ever since finding out that Daimler was Kym's father as well as her "master", God, he hated that word, Todd had been worried Daimler might be upset to learn that Kym was receiving outside help and he might try and reassert his control over her. "I worried about Daimler and his control over Kym, Blair. Since he's so powerful he's probably been told that Kym's "uncle" has shown up and he'll be doing everything he can to find out about me. I need to keep him in the dark about me as much as possible. I'll be back soon I promise."

"You better be Mr.Lord, I won't lose you again. You know I'll come looking for you, so hurry home."

"I promise Blair, I just need to make sure she's alright." Todd gave her a quick kiss and left, determined to see Kym and get back to Blair and the family as soon as possible.

****

Todd got to the hospital in record time and gave his name to the guard on the ward. He made his way to Kym's room but wasn't prepared for what he found. Kym was hooked up to an IV and had a nurse watching her. "What the hell happened to my niece?

"I'm sorry sir, we were unable to reach you. Your niece was fine when her lawyer arrived, but a couple of hours after he left she was found on the floor and had apparently overdosed on a drug. It is uncertain how she even got the drug but it almost killed her and if we hadn't found her when we did, she would have died. Right now, the Doctor has her on a suicide watch and we're still investigating how she got the drug and why she tried to kill herself."

"Wait a minute why would you think she tried to kill herself. Couldn't someone else have tried to hurt her? She was fine when I saw her yesterday, just what kind of drugs did they find in her system?" Todd was beside himself, this was the bad feeling he had been having. Somehow Daimler or his associates had decided to cut their losses and thought Kym was a liability. She wouldn't have tried to kill herself, at least he hoped not. Just what had happened after the lawyer left?

"I'm sorry sir, I don't have that info, you'll have to speak to the doctor. I've just been instructed not to leave here and to monitor her. I believe her doctor is still on the floor. Perhaps someone at the desk can tell you more."

"Did she say anything?"

"As far as I know she hasn't yet woken up. She is stable at the moment. If you leave your contact number at the desk I'm sure they'll call you."

"I'm not leaving here without some answers, I'll talk to the Doctor." Todd left Kym's room, he was incensed. He had thought for sure that Kym would be safe in the ward at the hospital, but he had been wrong. Either someone gave Kym the drug or someone worked on her mind and she took it because of her training. One thing was certain Kym wasn't suicidal. Todd was able to track down the doctor and found out that the drug in Kym's system was some obscure Asian poison. The fact that the drug had no origins in the hospital had forced the doctor to come to the conclusion that someone had indeed attempted to harm or kill Kym and as such he had notified the police about the attempt on her life. The doctor told Todd additional security was going to be provided for Kym and until then a nurse was to be with her at all times.

Todd walked back down towards Kym's room, his mind racing. Was Daimler aware that his partners had tried to take out his daughter? Would it even bother him if they did? Since he treated Kym like a piece of property, Todd had good reason to believe Daimler might have had something to do with this himself. Perhaps he had known she would be found before she died. Maybe he was trying to get a message to Kym to be silent or more might happen. Todd was more determined than ever now, he had to get Kym released into his custody and get her some proper protection.

He walked into the room and went up to the bed and looked down on her. She had never asked to be taken by the slavers, she had just been a child and had survived the only way she knew how, by doing as she was told for all those years. Now she was so close to freedom and Daimler was pulling her back in, showing his power. Todd saw she had opened her eyes. "Hey don't try and talk. You're alright, but it was a close call. You should just try and sleep right now. No one else is going to hurt you, when you're up to it you can tell us what happened."

Kym shook her head no, and Todd saw the fear on her face. Daimler had succeeded. Kym was terrified of her father. He had gotten to her somehow, and all the progress she had made to break free from him had just fallen all the way back to zero. Todd leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Kym don't give in to him. It's not all hopeless. You have a sister out there who is waiting to meet you. You need to try and fight him and his control. I'll help and so will she. Please believe me."

When he told her about her sister, he saw a small glimmer of hope appear in her eyes. "That's what I want to see. It's true Kym, fight him and you'll meet your sister. I promise, and you know I've kept my promises so far. We can beat him." he reached and squeezed her hand, "They're going to be watching over you all night and you'll have extra guards tomorrow. This won't happen again." Todd nodded to the nurse, "Take care of her. This was no suicide attempt, this was a murder attempt. You'll be getting help watching her soon. Kym, I need to go now, but I'll be back tomorrow."

Todd arrived back at the hotel. He had pretended to doze off in the taxi because it had been necessary to have a chat with Pete. Pete had wanted to track down Daimler and string him up and as much as Todd wanted to give in to his urges, it was clear he had to attack Daimler a different way. Todd had finally gotten Pete to settle down and was grateful to see the hotel right in front of him when he opened his eyes.

Letting himself into the penthouse suite, he noticed Starr and Jack engrossed in something on TV.  He walked over to the bar and got himself a drink, a stiff one. He took his drink and went and sat next to Starr.  A drink and some mindless entertainment were what he needed at that moment and he was spending it with his daughter and son. When the show ended Starr and Jack left to go to bed and Todd closed his eyes reliving the moment when he walked into Kym's room. He really didn't want those thoughts his head was pounding. Just then, he felt Blair's hands begin to rub his temples and he let himself relax just a little more. Her hands were working miracles and he felt his tension subside. He reached up and grabbed her hands and gently kissed the inside palm of each, then released them and looked up into her beautiful face. "I love you."

Blair walked around and stood in front of him and held out her hand. "I love you too. Let me show you just how much."

Blair had watched Todd enter the suite and when he went straight to the bar, she had known something was wrong. When he sat down next to Starr, she figured he would start to relax and enjoy the show with the kids. Blair had said goodnight to Addie, and checked on Hope, then had tucked in Sam, reading one of the books he had brought with him. They had talked about his dad and then she had held him until he fell asleep. Blair heard Jack and Starr go into their rooms and she wandered out to the sitting room noticing Todd still sitting on the couch. He looked so tired and upset and she couldn't resist helping him. She stood looking down at him, her hand outstretched. As he took it, she pulled him to his feet and led him toward the bedroom.

Blair led him to the bed and sat him down and slowly began undoing his buttons and peeling his shirt off. She climbed on the bed behind him and began massaging his broad shoulders, shushing him when he started to talk. "Let me do this. Just enjoy it." she felt his muscles all bunched up and slowly kneaded the kinks out. Then she began to caress his chest and arms, as her tongue and lips played across his back. With each kiss, his muscles twitched and she knew he was slowly getting turned on. She had started her hands wandering down towards his belt when he grabbed them and slipped out of her arms, turning to face her.

Todd had taken as much as he could but when her hands had begun drifting south his passion roared to life and he had to take control. He caught her hands and moved from her embrace to stand facing her as she knelt on the bed. Her lips were moist and her tongue flicked out to wet them some more. She looked at him, begging him to continue the dance she had just begun. Todd reached over and took hold of her blouse and lifted it slowly over her head then he carefully reached behind her and removed her bra, letting her breasts free, cupping them and kneading them the way she had kneaded his muscles. She arched in pleasure at the sensations beginning to well up in her at his ministrations.

Laying her down, Todd removed her slacks and snagged her delicate panties slipping them free of her perfect body. Then as she gazed at him avidly he finished undressing and joined her on the bed, capturing her moist lips and meeting her tongue playfully with his own. While his lips were so engaged, his hands began fondling her gorgeous body, caressing all of her beautiful curves, feeling her quiver beneath him. His hand delved between her legs and found her ready for him. But instead of taking her, he rolled her on top of him, letting her take back control.

Blair took control and rode him like the wild stallion she had once ridden. They were galloping faster and faster to what seemed like heaven reaching the height together and then he caught her as she collapsed in his arms happily spent. She nestled in his arms gently caressing his chest with her fingers as his hand played with her hair. "Thank you," Blair said sleepily and she slowly drifted off.

Todd continued to stroke her hair and hold her close almost afraid to fall asleep in case this was all another dream. His monster had stirred for a short time this evening just after he had left the hospital. It had been wanting revenge against Daimler for hurting Kym. He had barely gotten it under control when Pete had demanded his attention. By the time he had arrived at the suite, he had been barely holding it together. Somehow Blair had known he was on the edge. God he loved her. She was the only one keeping his monster at bay. He had to make sure neither Daimler's nor Hesser's goons came anywhere near Blair or his family. Pulling her tighter into his arms he let himself drift off to sleep.

Thomas Lord: Cloaked, Ch. 12

Todd was leaving the prison ward when Blair saw him, something else had stressed him out and he looked like he needed a distraction. Blair tucked her arm around his and pulled him close. She smiled at him and was rewarded with one of his rare ones. That spoke volumes to Blair, Todd was really upset and his need to keep it from her made him try to hide it behind a smile. She had seen almost all of his various expressions during their tumultuous relationship, so she knew whatever he had found out from Kym was bothering him a great deal, but he wasn't ready to talk about it.

"Alright I think it's time to get you some food, you're looking a little peaked. I'll catch you up on the follow up I was able to get you from some of the girls' families. Some of it was downright heartbreaking. There are a couple of girls who haven't been seen by anyone and they aren't telling the doctors anything. They keep saying they want to go back. Todd, it's so sad."

Todd walked Blair down the hallway and as soon as they were alone, he turned and pulled her into his embrace burying his face in her silky hair. "The next time I start to walk out on you, you have my permission to shoot me in the leg. I don't think I want to exist anymore without you by my side. Keep me sane Blair." he shuddered and his hold tightened around her.

Blair held him tight until he stopped shaking, as his hold loosened she tried to view his face, but it was unreadable. He really had been thrown by something and for now, that was all she was going to know. Even as she gazed at him, his look changed and he got that incredible look in his eyes that would send the chills down her back. His smoldering looks melted her heart and always made her feel like the most cherished person on the earth. He captured her lips and took away her breath but at the sound of someone coming down the hall, he quickly broke their hold, stopping just briefly to touch her cheek gently. Then he steered her toward the floor that Lily was on.

Lily's face lit up as they entered the room and they noticed she was wearing street clothes. Todd had forgotten to remove his ring before entering so he noticed she seemed much more relaxed. Lily's sharp eyes picked up on the fact that her great uncle was able to see and she squealed with glee. "Ali! You can see!"

Todd smiled and said "It's a little bit of magic I conjured just so I could see you. It'll only last for a limited time, but I hope it'll last long enough for me to also see your brother Chase. Is he coming with your grandfather and dad to pick you up?"

Lily laughed, "Yes they should be coming soon." she walked up to him and touched his cheek and said. "I'm so glad you came to help all of us. I saw a few of the other girls and I know they are happy to be home with their families also. I had a chance to talk to them when we had a group session and I told them about you, and they told me to thank you too."

They sat down and listened to her babble on, seeming so much better than just a few days before. Todd looked over at Blair and clasped her hand in his, giving a gentle squeeze. The door opened and Chase came walking in with Joshua, both were astonished by the fact that Todd could see. Todd told Chase it was a simple case of a magical spell that gave him the opportunity to see what young Chase looked like. He also told them what he had told Lily. He let them both know it was a temporary spell that he had to use sparingly, or he might lose its use altogether.

Joshua had looked at Blair because he was baffled by Thomas's statement. If he was indeed in possession of something that allowed him to see, why was it temporary. Blair asked Joshua if he would like to get some coffee with her and he accepted, he had a feeling he would get the story from her if he went with her.

Todd watched as Blair and Joshua left the room, he knew Blair was going to tell Joshua the full story and he really didn't want to think about how temporary his use of the implants was. The incident in Amos's conference room had scared him enough to know another surgery was in his future. He knew he was going to have to give up the use of the implants soon. Todd wandered out to the nurses' station and asked the nurse if he could have several sheets of paper and a pencil and then he returned to the room. He had Chase and Lily sit together on the bed and began sketching. They watched avidly from the bed until he showed them the finished drawing and then they clapped with joy at the picture he had made. He had perched them both on the branches of an old peach tree. Lily was sitting on a big branch with her skirt pulled up above her knees holding a basket on her lap, her legs dangling on either side of the branch. She was laughing as she watched her younger brother Chase hanging upside down from a branch above hers, beginning to drop a peach into her basket. Todd signed the picture Ali and told them to give it to their father when he arrived.
By the time Joshua and Blair arrived back at the room, Todd had finished two self-portraits of himself in genie gear, one protecting young Lily and another of himself looking mysterious and menacing for Chase.

Joshua marveled at the man who sat in front of him. Thomas Lord was indeed a puzzle. He was a reporter and an artist, he was dangerous and kind. It was a shame some of his demons had robbed him of his eyesight. Blair had informed him the sight was only an experiment and that Tom was seeing on borrowed time. From his drawings, it would be a shame when the loss was once again permanent. Still, from what C.J. said, his blindness hadn't impaired him on the dock. The night of Lily's rescue, he had been blind and still outmaneuvered the men guarding the warehouse. Thomas Lord wasn't going to let blindness keep him from succeeding, that was for sure.

C.J. walked in on the tableau of his uncle Todd performing as Ali and describing the adventure when he met C.J. and Sarah. He noticed right away that his uncle was sighted that day, but he expressed surprise when the children told him about it. It was then a simple matter of gathering the few things they had brought for Lily and they prepared to take her home.

C.J. turned to Todd. "The police have asked me to stay handy and available to be a witness against Frank and his bunch and I've gotten permission to take Lily home for now. It seems they are trying hard not to use any of the children as witnesses so they are grateful for anyone who has had eyewitness proof these men were involved. They asked me if I knew the reporter who was there the night of the raid, but I told them no. It seems even his boss won't give him up to the police." C.J. winked and shook his uncle's hand and gave Blair a kiss, giving them the address for the Farm and getting a firm answer that they would be out soon to visit.

Todd and Blair walked them out and headed to get a taxi back to Todd's hotel. As luck would have it their friend Emil picked them up and soon he was chattering away about all news concerning the children rescued on the docks. Todd evasively answered Emil's questions about Blair's and his involvement that night. He also asked that Emil keep the fact that he picked them up that night from the docks a secret between them. Todd tried to let Emil know it would be safer for him as well as them. Emil had nodded his agreement to that and dropped them off at the hotel.

Todd and Blair made their way to the room. Blair insisted he rest before sitting down and writing, and she would order them some lunch. He tried to rest but soon found himself sitting back at the desk pulling up any more information he could find on Daimler. Blair, knowing it was futile to protest, sat down and pulled open her own notebook and began checking for any news from Vicki and Star. The knock on the door indicated the food had arrived and Todd reluctantly left the computer to join Blair for lunch. Daimler would have to wait.

****

Gregor closed his phone and silently cursed. The Feds still hadn't released the Odyssey. He had a business to run and it looked bad to his legitimate business partners that the Feds had temporarily confiscated one of his ships. Uchen and his associates were looking into any possible leaks in the organization. Once they found the leak, whoever it was would be silenced permanently.

The lawyers had been slowly sealing leaks among the crew picked up on the dock that night. As long as they kept their mouths shut, they would be allowed to live and possibly be cleared of all charges. Unfortunately, several people had come forward to the police about some of the men and it appeared they were going down for the crime. The men who had been guarding Kym and her charges deserved to be hung out to dry. Their ineptitude the night before the raid was unforgivable, and Gregor had been generous allowing them to help guard the children. Of course, even there they had failed to alert the guards about the assault force, and they had been captured quite easily.

The capture of one of his best men still bothered Gregor. According to the lawyers, his head mercenary had been captured by an unknown party who had also managed to injure him in the process. That was a pretty good feat given Sid's battle record. Sid's report stated the man had been in Wilmington the day before and when he showed up at the Savannah site Sid and his men had captured him and had incapacitated him. They had also captured a cop. Somehow the two men managed to escape and the stranger got the drop on Sid. One of the other things Sid reported was that he thought he heard Kym acknowledge the man by name. It was that last bit of info that had Gregor upset.

Who was the man and how did Kym know him. She hadn't known any men except those he allowed her to service and she knew her place. Kym couldn't have known the man but why would Sid even say it, if it hadn't happened. Gregor made another call, it was time he found out what happened to his daughter.  A few calls later he had the information he needed. She was under a doctor's care and still being held because of her involvement with the children. It appeared someone claiming to be her uncle had insisted on the care and was also getting her a lawyer. Although he had lost track of Kym's mother, it didn't mean she couldn't have a brother out there. Was this uncle for real?

Gregor felt his anger stirring. Kym was his to do with as he would and the idea that there was an uncle out there who was aiding her was sacrilege. First, he had to deal with Kym. He had obviously been a little lax lately reminding her of her place. That was going to be quickly remedied. His contacts had been ordered to find out what they could about this uncle and when the time was right, Gregor would deal with him. In the meantime, he had to see someone else.

Addie had spent the better part of the morning arguing with Jack and struggling to get everyone packed. Starr had packed for her and Hope but was still a little unsure why they were traveling all the way to Paris. Starr hadn't liked the idea of leaving Tea and Dani alone to face life without Walker, but she had agreed that Jack and Sam needed something to take their minds off his death and a trip to Paris was at least a diversion. They needed to get back together with their mom. Addie was so grateful her granddaughter had such a good head on her shoulder. Starr had quickly gotten the boys organized and they were finally headed for the airport. Addie hadn't had a chance to tell Starr where they were really going but hopefully, it would all become clear in Paris.

Gregor's limo followed the car as it left La Boulaie. His interest was purely subjective, both Blair's mother and daughter were too old for his taste. He was watching perhaps out of nostalgia. Addie had been a pretty young thing, the night he had taken her. He had been an exchange student back in those days and had worked part-time at a mental institute. He had discovered early on, that the night shift could get away with just about anything and he had started taking full advantage of all the young girls. So many of them had been left by their parents and forgotten and it had been easy to show just a little interest in them and they would fall all over themselves trying to keep your attention. There were many nights when he and Uchen had the place all to themselves. When they found out they both liked the young ones, they had formed a pact. Each would take their turn while the other kept watch for a stray nurse or Doctor.

Gregor had been keeping watch for Uchen when he noticed Addie getting too curious at the noises coming from the room next to hers. Just before she entered the room he intercepted her and began to try and put some moves on her. She was a little afraid of him and Gregor realized he like the thrill it gave him, it was a feeling of power. He began to tease her and watched as she got more confused and frightened.

He had distracted her enough that Uchen was able to slip out of the room he had been in. Gregor signaled him that he was going to take Addie. He wheedled Addie back into her room and began getting her hot and bothered. She was frightened by the feelings he was making her feel and she kept trying to tell him to stop but it only made him want it more. He finally trapped her and forced her down on the bed, Addie had never been with a man and her confusion only added to Gregor's high. He took her as she struggled, scared of what her body was doing, unable to stop herself. When he was finished with her, he patted her on the head and told her she had been a good girl. Then he told her she shouldn't tell anyone because they would think she was lying and punish her. Addie was one of the girls who didn't want to cause trouble so she promised not to tell anyone. After that night, Gregor switched to the more fragile girls working on their fears enjoying the high it gave him to dominate them.

When Addie began showing signs of being pregnant Gregor decided he and Uchen should get lost before the big wigs got wind of who might have gotten her pregnant. Knowing Addie wouldn't point him out, he convinced Uchen to leave first. Then when the doctors discovered Addie's pregnancy they assumed she had been raped by Uchen. Gregor left shortly before the child was born, but he found out Addie had a daughter. Naturally, his daughter was obviously not Asian but by the time she was born, there had been a number of other orderlies let go, so they were unable to determine just who had impregnated Addie. Since Addie complained that she missed Gregor they decided to give his last name to the child to appease Addie.

Gregor's phone rang, "Hello, ... What do you mean the Uncle is a ghost? If he's seeing her, the hospital should have a name. She refers to him as Uncle Tom, are you kidding me? I want to know who this guy is? If this is the best you can do, I'll find someone else. You have 24 hours. Get me his name!"

This was getting ridiculous. Someone had disrupted his slave-ring and now was sending messages through his daughter. The man was calling himself 'Uncle Tom', after a civil war book on slavery. Was that his way to announce, he knew of Gregor's involvement. The man appeared to have some knowledge of Kym's involvement, he was obviously trying to use Kym to get to him. Too bad he didn't realize that Kym was expendable. Still, Gregor was angry about the Odyssey still being held, and if this Ghost had anything to do with that then he had bitten off more than he could chew. When the car carrying Addie and the children turned into the Airport, Gregor instructed his driver to take him to his waiting Jet. Uchen was meeting him back in Savannah later that night, plans were being put into motion to reestablish the ring as soon as possible, his lawyers assured him the Feds could only hold the Odyssey another day. A number of the children were being moved this evening to a new port for delivery in several days. If the Ghost was their only problem and they could find no other leak in the organization then they could get back on track. If the latest shipment left on time they would know the leak was short-lived and the small dent could be filled in. Then he could dispose of this so-called Ghost

***

Blair had given Todd the information she gathered from the girls and their parents. She had been thorough and had gotten enough information to write several columns, but Todd chose to write two articles. The first was entitled "Human Slavery - The Found", in it, he told of the joyous reunions of the children reunited with their families. But he tempered the joy by revealing the struggle all the children would have as they had to readjust to their lives back home. They were no longer the innocents they had been when taken, and as such their lives were forever changed. He touched on the parents who had searched and been rewarded with the return of their children. Their joy was also tempered by anger, as they had to cope with the changes in their daughters and the frustration as they realized they could only help them so much.

Blair sat reading the article and was amazed as she realized how much Todd empathized with the parents. He had started out sitting quietly as she began reading, then he had gotten restless waiting for her approval or disapproval and had started pacing. Something in the plight of these girls had struck at Todd's heart and she knew why. Todd's own past was driving him, although his rape of Marty was different, the outcome was much the same. His violent act toward Marty had changed her life permanently, Marty might have been able to make a life for herself, but she had never been free of the rape.

The girls had all been changed by the training and actions they had been subjected to. The eight girls who had headed for the ship that night had all been subjects of rape although they had given themselves to it. They had been so indoctrinated and brainwashed that they had no free will anymore when it came to the act. They were performing as they had been taught. Now free of the slavers they would have to come to terms with the reality of what they had done.

Even more devastating was the knowledge that several of the girls rescued had no families looking for them and instead of being happy to be free, they wanted to return to their captors. The hospital staff was in a quandary as the girls proved to be inconsolable and also continually tried to serve any male on the floor. The hospital had to make major changes in their nursing staff so that only women were on the floor where the girls were being treated. Blair had seen, first hand, one of the young girls throw herself at the father of another girl, she was like one addicted. By the time, the young girl had been sedated, all who witnessed it were in tears. The father whom she had approached had been mortified and later enraged as he realized his daughter was just barely holding it together herself.

When Blair had told her story, Todd had listened impassively. He hadn't said much, but she had seen the sorrow and then anger play across his face. For one moment, she had even seen Pete staring at her and had known Todd was working hard to keep a firm grip on his alters during her story. She stopped his pacing as she said. "Todd this is excellent. I know you're feeling frustrated and angry at the moment, but you've done all you can for those girls. This story will go a long way to educating the public about the real story out there. I'm proud of you."

Todd looked across the room at her remembering the early years just after he had found out about his real parents. They had been on top of the world, she had been expecting their child and he had decided to make something of a rag called the "Intruder". He had named the paper "The Sun" and had worked hard to make it a legitimate paper. She had been there, right alongside him, when they had faced the opposition of Kevin and the Banner. Sure he had done some cutthroat things to get the paper off the ground, but it hadn't fazed Blair. That was what was so amazing about her. When everyone in the town had reviled him she had been his friend. He had gotten past the hurt when he found out she played him for a fool because, in the end, he loved her. She was his other half and after everything they had been through, that fact remained. They completed each other.

She was trying to make him feel better, he heard it in her voice. She was concerned for him. She read him like a book and knew why this story was hitting home. That was just more proof of how connected they really were. He was keeping part of the story from her and she deserved to know everything.  Nothing was going to make it easier, but if she was forewarned and the truth was revealed the way he feared, at least she wouldn't be blindsided. He walked back to her and sat down. "Blair, I'm angry but not just at the circumstances these girls face. I'm angry at the man who might be behind this. I've been doing some investigation into the owner of the warehouse. He's a pretty big mucky-muck in the business world, but he's got some shady ties to the Japanese mob. You were there the night of the raid. Three men boarded the ship, but they escaped capture. Two of them were Asian and one wasn't. I found out today after talking to Kym, the third man was Kym's master and boss. That man is the owner of the warehouse and to my horror, he's also Kym's father."

Blair sat there for a moment, then Todd's words sank in. "My God Todd, are you telling me this man raped and enslaved his own daughter."

"Yes," Todd recalled his own horror when Kym had succinctly told her story. "She was bought by him after being trained by the organization and performed as she was ordered, then he told her about their connection. Kym had no idea how to react and because she was so conditioned, she accepted it and loved him because that was how she had been trained. The whole time Kym talked I kept seeing Vicki being told how beautiful and dutiful she was by my father, all the while he raped her." his voice broke and he closed his eyes trying to erase the memory of Vicki's face the night she told him what Victor had done.

Her eyes full of tears, Blair reached over and drew Todd into her embrace simply holding him, allowing him time to get his thoughts and feelings under control. She felt him take a deep breath and released him. As he slipped free of her hug she tenderly touched his cheek. "You care so deeply about things and only show a few of us this part of you. You're not like your father Victor or Peter and you never will be."

He looked into her eyes and saw her love. Todd leaned in and captured her lips savoring the sweet taste then he withdrew and took her hand. "Blair there's a little more you need to know. This man I've been researching is named Gregor Daimler. I know you saw the name of the ship in the port. It belongs to his company. Daimler is here in the States according to Kym. He is very dangerous. I noted he had the same last name as you and I thought it curious at first, but Blair, Kym told me something else. Daimler told Kym he has another daughter, but his bio lists him as unattached and never been married. It's a complete long shot and I pray I'm wrong, but Blair, he might be your father."

Blair's eyes widened in horror at the suggestion and she shook her head. "No! He couldn't be my father, it's not possible. You yourself said he's rich and powerful, according to the reports on my birth, the man who raped my mother was an orderly. They couldn't be the same man." Blair got up and went to the mirror she looked at herself and saw fear in her eyes. There were suddenly knots in her stomach. God, she thought, it couldn't be true. All her adult life she had harbored a fantasy that her father wasn't really all that bad. She knew he had raped her mother but she had wanted to believe that maybe her mother had really loved the man and that he had left the hospital unaware that he had fathered a child.  She had always hoped that one day she and her mother could have a chat about him. Her mother would tell her about their love and when Blair found him, he would welcome her with open arms, happy to meet the daughter he never knew about. Now that dream went up in smoke. If Todd's suspicions were true then her Father was as vile as his own.

Todd walked over to his wife and held her, he knew the thoughts running through her head. She had always had a wild imagination and he knew he had shattered one of her fantasies. She turned in his arms and it was his turn to console as she cried. When she calmed down he drew her back to the bed, "Shh, I shouldn't have told you until I knew for certain. Blair, he might not be your dad. I wanted to talk to Addie before I told you anything but when Kym said she had a sister, my heart kind of sunk."

"I know you're trying to protect me, but I can tell you think he really is my father, and it's not just because of what Kym told you is it? There is something else." Blair sat there and knew she was right. Todd's expression said it all. "What is it?"

Todd walked over to the table and retrieved the picture and returned to Blair, handing it to her.

She looked at the face of Gregor Daimler and knew without a shadow of a doubt she was looking at her father. She had seen that face just moments before staring out at her from a mirror. There was no denying the traits they shared but she also saw something of her son Jack looking back at her. The Daimler traits were definitely dominant in her family.  She squared her shoulders. Alright he was probably her father but she didn't have to know him and neither did her family. Suddenly it hit her, she had a half-sister. A sister currently in the same situation as those eight girls. No wonder Todd had looked so devastated at the hospital. "We've got to get Kym away from him." Blair looked at Todd.

Todd nodded grimly "I'm already working on it. We'll free her, Blair, and you'll get a chance to help her. She's going to need you."

Blair held out her hand and he took it. "She's going to need us both.".

****

Amos was just getting ready to shut things down when Lord's article came into the office. He proofread it and sent it immediately down to make the early edition. Once again, Lord had written a fine piece and Amos liked the fact that he was working on the public's sympathy to generate a backlash against the perpetrators. It was necessary to keep the plight of these children in the public eye if they were going to win some kind of satisfaction against their abductors. The first article had generated great sales and had made the public aware of the problem right in their own backyard.

Just as Lord had said, the local government had received all sorts of flack over the fact that they had allowed this to take place and hadn't moved quickly to stop it. Some of the local politicians had been making a number of angry calls to his office wanting Lord to back off the story and let it die. Amos had told them that they couldn't stop the write-ups and if they tried, he would make sure the voting public would know which ones of their politicians were trying to cover things up.

Amos recalled his conversation with Lord the previous day and knew Lord wasn't going to stop until the public outcry forced the slave traffickers to leave U.S. soil or be prosecuted. He just hoped the man was being careful. Lord was writing about some mighty powerful people.  The calls from the Feds wanting to know where Lord was getting his information were indicative of some high-profile people getting involved with this story. Amos closed down shop and turned off his light, tomorrow was another day.

****

Blair rolled over and slipped out of bed, Todd had had another rough night and she knew he was still struggling with his demons. Everything he had learned about Kym had just brought all his hatred for his own father to the front and with that came his own self-loathing. She knew the only thing keeping Todd from sinking was his love for her. Blair was determined to find a way to help him wade through the sickness that inhabited him. Victor Lord and Peter Manning were the bottom feeders and it looked like she could add another name to that list, Gregor Daimler.

Blair shook her head, she didn't want to think of the man who had raped her mom. Blair sat down next to Todd, reaching to move his hair off his face. He stirred and looked up into her eyes. He had the most beautiful hazel eyes, they were windows into his soul. She knew so many people peered out of his eyes. Tom, Rodd, and Samuel had all seen the world through Todd's eyes even Ms. Perkins. Pete would say they all looked at the world through rose-colored glasses and only he and Todd saw the world with all its ugliness. She feared Pete was probably right. As a result, Todd struggled every day to find something beautiful to glimpse for even a moment, it was the only way he could find balance. She leaned over and kissed him."Good morning. We have a big day today and we're not going to think about work. Momma and the kids are arriving today." His eyes lit up at her words and he reached up and pulled her into his embrace.

A short time later while Todd was getting ready, Blair admitted the bell boy with breakfast and opened Todd's copy of the Savannah Herald. Thomas Lord's story was on the front page. She read it once again and noted that Amos had left it intact. She felt proud that Amos thought the article needed no editing. Todd was an excellent reporter and Vicki would be so proud of him.

Todd walked out of the bathroom and looked at Blair, she was still tousled from their morning love session and seemed very pleased with herself.
"What's got you so happy?"

"I'm admiring my husband's article and feeling so proud of him. Todd, you should continue to write. When we finally do return to Llanview I think you should do some of your own reporting. Llanview needs to know what you're capable of. It's time they found out you're so much more than your past." she slid off the bed and came up to him buttoning the rest of his shirt. " People know that Samuel is an Artist, but they don't know you can paint too. You've always taken a back seat to your reporters and when you were starting out you were rough around the edges with your editorials and articles. But your writing has grown in leaps and bounds and I want Llanview to realize you're more than a rich man's son playing at being a newspaper publisher. They need to know you're a serious journalist."

Todd grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes, "Blair, I don't really care if they ever find out. The first time I came here, I got the job to find out if I was capable of writing something Vicki would be proud of and I did. It didn't change me though, I went back to Llanview and made the same mistakes all over again. It's not what I can do that's going to make a difference with those people back home. I have to find a way to change the part in me that continually destroys my life. If I can conquer myself then I'll be able to prove I've changed to the citizens of Llanview." he smiled at her expression, he had actually surprised her.

"You better finish dressing the Limo will be here to get you soon. I'm having our stuff moved to the penthouse suite upstairs so we'll be able to accommodate everyone," he shoved her toward the bathroom and sat down to eat, grabbing the paper at the same time. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her enter the bathroom and smiled to himself. In reality, he was very happy that Blair was proud of his work, it felt good to be a voice for those girls and children. He knew he was treading on some nasty toes and he had to be careful not to tread too heavily. His main goal was to get them to back off and leave the States, but he wasn't sure he had enough power to do more than cause them some irritation. Still, he actively wanted to get Daimler. The man had made a mistake coming to oversee the delivery this time and as long as he was in the States, he was fair game as far as Todd was concerned. Todd stood up and walked over to the picture he had shown Blair the night before. He was very distinguished on the outside but on the inside, the man was rotten to the core. Todd was going to get Kym free of him and then he was going to find a way to get rid of Gregor permanently.

****

Cassie had watched the first group of decoys leave with Adriana and noticed that they indeed had someone following them, she snapped a picture of the men following them, making a note to send the photo to John McBain the first chance she got. Then she noticed another group of decoys exit the airplane and head off down the concourse looking for another plane. She was watching and sure enough, another group of men followed them she took a picture of them also. As planned, the crew exited the plane, and she watched one more group of men depart leaving the area, getting their picture as well. The three pictures would no doubt help the Feds round them up. Cassie had been standing at another gate so she wouldn't be connected to the one Addie and the kids were on. Suddenly she watched Addie and Starr and the children exit escorted by a flight attendant, she moved forward to intercept Addie.

At the sight of Cassie, Addie became confused."But I thought Adriana was meeting us."

"Addie, the plans changed slightly. If all of you will follow me you'll be seeing Blair in no time." She took Hope from Starr and led them to a special exit that took them down to the tarmac where their luggage was being transferred into a limo. They all entered the limo and it took them to a private airstrip where a jet was waiting for them. Both Starr and Jack groaned. Starr turned to Cassie. "Just what is going on. I thought we were going to Mom. Isn't she in Paris?"

Cassie smiled, "I know you don't want to hear this, but we have to take another flight. Believe me, I'm as tired as you, but this is necessary to protect all of you. This private jet is much more comfortable than the commercial jet so the children should be able to sleep on this flight. It will all be explained by your mother when we see her."

Jack grumbled all the way up the steps but when he saw the interior of the plane he shut up. The private jet had many amenities, and Jack soon was happily ensconced playing a game console that wouldn't interfere with the operations of the plane. Sam and Hope were fed and bedded down shortly after the flight took off and Cassie sat down to fill Addie and Starr in on what she knew.

Starr was finally grateful for some explanations. From the moment they had entered the limo outside La Boulaie, things had taken a strange turn. A federal agent had informed them that there would be decoys that looked like them boarding the plane and when they had arrived at the airport they had been instructed to exchange clothing with one of the groups. Jack had been told they were taking the precautions because they might have been followed and Sam was told he was playing a game. They were escorted to the plane and boarded separately from the rest of the passengers so no one would see them arrive as a group. Then they had again been delayed from exiting until both decoy groups had left, in fact, they had been taken into the cockpit area, for the few minutes it took to empty the plane, so that no one would see them. The Pilot and co-pilot had allowed Jack and Sam to sit in the flight chairs and the boys had been ecstatic. Now here they were winging someplace else. "Cassie why are the Feds so concerned about us all of a sudden."

"Starr ever since Todd's death, the Feds have been keeping tabs on you. They're pretty sure the killer or killers looking for Samuel have been watching all of you in the hopes you'll lead them to Samuel. Your mother wanted all of you out of Llanview, but she doesn't want Hesser's men to know where you are. So with the help of John McBain, and his friends in the FBI, this elaborate plan was put into play. Since Samuel appears to have disappeared it was feared someone might try and hurt one of you to get Samuel to come out of hiding."

Addie looked at Cassie, "Well then, where is this plane taking us?"

"We're going to my house in Savannah, that's where Blair is."

"You're kidding, we just flew all the way to Europe only to turn around and fly back to the States." Starr was astounded. "Mom was that afraid for us?"

"I'm not sure of all the reasoning behind the elaborate charade, Starr, but I think it may have something to do with your father."

Starr looked at Cassie hopefully, "Has Mom found Dad?"

Cassie smiled and nodded, "I believe she has. I haven't seen him, but the last time your mom and I talked, as we set this whole thing up, I got the distinct impression that your father is the reason your mom wants you all in Savannah."

Starr looked over at Addie. "If it's true, then all this is worth it." She looked at her daughter sleeping peacefully. They might be seeing her dragon very soon.

They all soon fell asleep and were awakened by the attendant telling them that they needed to buckle in for the landing. Starr was busy getting Hope together, when Sam said, "Mom's here. She's waiting for us. "

Jack rushed to the window and sure enough, a Limo was waiting as the plane came to a stop. His mom was waving, standing alongside the car.

As they departed the airplane, Starr noted that her mother was definitely happier than when she had last seen her. Cassie was right, her mom had found her dad. Starr couldn't help but feel butterflies that they might be seeing him shortly too.

Blair was giving hugs to Sam and Jack, as Hope and Starr got to the car. She then hugged Starr and gave her granddaughter a kiss. After hugging her mother, she said,"Momma, I'm so glad all of you are here. I've been so worried since I heard about Walker's death. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for the funeral."

Sam's little hand took his mom's and Blair looked down at her son and realized just how much he had lost recently, she hugged him tightly again and urged everyone to get into the car so they could go to their temporary new home.  It was as if a shadow crossed Jack's face at her mention of Walker's death and she knew he was hurting too. Both her boys were in need of some loving and now that they were with her she could give it to them. She hoped the surprise they had awaiting them would fill some of that emptiness.