Central

by

Melanie Walker

 

 

 

 

 

Blair sat alone on the steps of the mansion. The house was empty once again. Todd had stormed out again after her confirmation that the baby she was carrying was his. He was angry, and if she was truthful with herself he had every right to be. Her lie had preceded all the damage that he had done. She couldn’t even remember now why it had been such a good idea to have Max on her side. He couldn’t have dropped the charges, she would still have to face a trial. If she had thought about it at any length she would have realized that having Todd fighting against her as opposed to fighting with her was a bad idea. Todd could do serious damage when he was angry. And he had. He still was.

 

He knew the baby was his now, of course he had already told Starr that the baby was Max’s. So now her daughter hated her as much as her father did. There was nothing holding her to this town now. In a self-deprecating mood earlier she had almost told Todd that she would give him this child and just leave. But she couldn’t bring herself to do that just yet. Just like she couldn’t forgive him for destroying their daughter’s dreams of a real family, for destroying her daughter’s trust in her. Starr had railed at her, screaming when Blair had tried to explain, Todd had railed at her finally storming out. She wanted nothing more than to sink into oblivion and forget everything.

 

A knock at the front door startled her from her thoughts. As she rose to answer it she squashed the hope that it might be Todd coming back to apologize, to tell her that he wanted their family to be real. No, Todd had told her in no uncertain terms that he never wanted to see her again. When the baby came they would figure out a custody arrangement. He would never come and tell her now that they would figure out a way to tell Starr the truth again, like she would believe a word out of her mother’s mouth at this point.

 

When she wrenched the door open she saw that it wasn’t Todd, it was a woman. A woman her age with chin length black hair, dark eyes. A woman that her mind screamed at her she should know, this woman was trouble. This woman wanted to hurt her for a betrayal.

 

“Can I help you?” Blair asked warily one hand gripping the door. She was racking her brain to come up with a name, to come up with a reason. It was like there was a block over that section of her mind. She had known in the past that there was stuff from her youth that she couldn’t remember. But everybody forgot things, right?

 

“You don’t remember me?” the woman cocked an eyebrow at her as she shoved past Blair to enter the mansion. “Nice house, not really you though,” the woman observed taking in everything, she looked at the top of the stairs at the portrait that Todd had hung. “Nice picture.”

 

“Do I know you?” Blair asked closing the door slowly before she turned around. Every instinct in her body was screaming for her to run.

 

“You should, you ruined my life. Ruined a lot of lives,” the woman turned facing her, hands on her hips, she waited for a sign of recognition. This wouldn’t be any fun if Blair didn’t remember her.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about… I think you should leave,” Blair said walking back to the door, jerking it open she waited.

 

“I don’t think so,” the woman pulled a small pistol from her jacket pocket. “Close the door, we don’t want any witnesses.”

 

Blair stared at her in incomprehension before slowly closing the door, she rested a hand on her stomach. Protect the baby at all costs, that was her only mission now.

 

“What do you want?” Blair asked moving slowly to the stairs. Maybe she could make a run for it. A thought nagged at the back of her mind about a knife, Blair dismissed it as absurd. Why would she ever carry a knife strapped to her leg? Because she didn’t like guns, she realized suddenly. Still absurd. A knife? It had been a gift from someone, a boy that she had cared about. Her big brother, her surrogate family when she didn’t have anyone.

 

“I want what everyone wants. World peace. But mostly I want things to be the way that they were before you betrayed us.”

 

“I saved us…”

 

“You saved yourself, and six others. You sent 230 of us up the river. But paybacks a bitch, and I’m here to collect on your account.”

 

“That wasn’t the way it happened,” Blair defended herself as images flew through her head. People that she had long since forgotten, things that she had done that she couldn’t believe she had ever done in the first place. Atrocities that she had committed in the name of friendship.

 

“So you do remember me… Good, what’s my name? I want to make sure you know exactly who’s going to destroy you.”

 

“You can’t destroy me Ginny, you would ruin all of Jakob’s grand plans.”

 

“Oh no, Jakob has given the go ahead. If I destroy you I get to take your place,” Ginny laughed her gun still trained on Blair.

 

“Take my place? That’s a joke, you don’t have the stomach to take the place that I held, to do the things that I’ve done...How did you find me?”

 

“Actually you can thank your ex-husband for that… what’s his name? Manning? He printed all those stories, complete with pictures. As luck would have it I was traveling through the area, reading the paper with my breakfast and there you were. Hair colors a little different, eye color’s different, but it’s definitely you. He must really hate you a lot to sell you out that way,” Ginny laughed sadistically.

 

“Just do it Ginny, don’t just stand there talking about it.”

 

“Are you in a hurry to die Blair? That’s not like you.”

 

“I’m bored, I’m in a hurry to get this conversation over with… So do it, if you have the stomach for it. Jakob’s going to ask you to do a lot worse,” Blair said raising her arms up away from her body. Her mind was babbling that she was an idiot. She should never have let it get this far, she should have called the others months ago when things started falling apart. But she hadn’t remembered them then, why hadn’t she remembered them? What had happened to her past? What had happened to her memories?

 

“So be it. I’ll tell Brad hi for you,” Ginny said pressing the trigger. Blair felt the bullet as she stumbled backwards. The pain spreading through her shoulder and then through her body as she fell to the floor. The baby kicked as she rolled to her side, her hands clutching at her stomach convulsively. She heard the door shut as Ginny left her there to bleed to death. Jakob would never accept her as a replacement once he found out that she hadn’t waited to make sure she was dead. You didn’t leave when the job was only half done, Jakob had ingrained that into their psyches at a young age.

 

Central. How had she forgotten Central? Brad Davis, her surrogate big brother. Her best friend, her family. She had betrayed him, he had forgiven her once he had realized why she was doing what she was doing, but she had still betrayed him. Jade Harless, Scott Martin. Her right hand and left hand. Much like Brad and she had been Jakob’s. She remembered everything. What had she done?

 

She tried to pull herself across the floor, one hand still holding her stomach, as if she could save this child by sheer determination. She would not lose this baby, not after losing everything else. Tears that wouldn’t fall filled her eyes as she tried to drag herself to the phone and then finally collapsed falling into darkness.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

“What are we doing here?” Max asked as they walked from the car to the front door of Starr’s mansion. Gabrielle had gotten a phone call and then with a dogged persistence insisted that they needed to go check on Blair. Max had assumed the phone call was from Todd Manning, the two of them had been thick of thieves as they had plotted to undermine him and Blair. Gabby had been determined to take the baby that Blair was carrying, the one that she had assumed was his, away from him. Todd had wanted to punish Blair for betraying him by getting pregnant. When they had found out within days of each other that Blair was actually pregnant with Todd’s baby and not Max’s they had leapt on it.  Gabby and Asa had used it to destroy him, Todd had used it to annihilate Blair.

 

“Just wanted to check on Blair, she must be having a rough time of it. You know with Todd walking out and taking Starr with him. The stress can’t be good for the baby,” Gabby said stopping at the door.

 

“Why do you even care? You and Manning accomplished what you wanted. Blair’s destroyed, I’m destroyed…”

 

“Yeah well,” Gabby raised a hand knocking persistently.

 

“Maybe she went out,” Max commented leaning against the house as they waited for an answer.

 

“And where would she go? Kelly’s gone, Andrew’s gone. She has no where to go,” Gabby arched a brow at him. Max shrugged, he honestly didn’t care. To him Blair had set out to destroy him in much the same way that Gabby and Asa had. She had succeeded too. Finding out the baby wasn’t his, with Todd Manning looking on in amusement had not been the highlight of his life.

 

Gabby knocked again, then tried the door. The knob turned easily in her hand and she pushed the door open stepping inside. She walked further in, stopping suddenly with a gasp causing Max to run into her. He looked over her shoulder at what had caught her attention, the color drained from his face, his blood turned cold.

 

Blair. Lying on her side, hand to her stomach, blood pooling around her on the marble floor. Not moving, not making a sound.

 

“Oh my god,” Gabby whispered.

 

“Manning,” Max spat. Todd hadn’t been content to just destroy Blair emotionally, he had to physically destroy her as well.

 

“No, she was fine when he left. He would have said…” Gabby trailed off as she rushed over. Kneeling near Blair, keeping her body away from the blood she felt Blair’s arm for a pulse. Blair moaned deep in her throat. Her eyes fluttered open fixing with a foggy awareness on Gabby before closing again. “She’s still alive,” Gabby sighed a breath of relief. As much as Todd professed to hate Blair right now, he did love her. If she died, and this child died with her, he would blame himself.

 

“What happened here?” Max looked around as he dialed 911 on the phone and waited for the operator to pick up.

 

“I think she’s been shot,” Gabby said softly touching Blair’s shoulder gently. Blair moaned again and Gabby withdrew her hand.

 

“Shot?” Max asked incredulously turning around, “by who?”

 

“That is the million dollar question,” Gabby whispered as Max started talking to the 911 operator.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

“What do we have?” Larry Woleck asked running up with two nurses on his heels as the ambulance arrived.

 

“35 year old female. Found shot in her home, you might want to get an Ob-gyn, she’s pregnant, baby might be in distress,” one of the paramedics said quickly as they wheeled the stretcher into the quiet ER.

 

Larry paused at the desk, “Find Conklin, tell her we have an emergency down here now,” he barked. He turned to head to the cubicle area when he saw Max and Gabby enter the ER both frantic.

 

“Max, Gabrielle? What are you doing here?” he questioned as he moved past them.

 

“We found her, is she going to be alright?” Gabby asked grabbing his arm to stop him.

 

“Found who?”

 

“Blair, she’s the one they just brought in,” Max said running his hands over his face.

 

“Blair? I didn’t know, I haven’t had a chance to get in there yet. I’ll let you know as soon as I know anything,” Larry promised walking away, turning to them before he entered the cubicle. “You might want to find a family member, Kelly or Andrew. She’ll need someone here with her for support once she comes around.”

 

“He thinks she’s going to lose the baby,” Max muttered staring after him. Gabby nodded as she pulled her cell phone out punching a series of numbers in she waited for him to pick up the other end.

 

“Its me, “she said briskly when she heard him bark his greeting from the other end. “There’s a problem, you should get to the hospital now.” She hung up the phone clutching it in her hand.

 

“She’s not going to want Manning here,” Max growled glaring at her.

 

“She’s not going to want any of us here, but right now we’re all she has.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Blair opened her eyes slowly. Her vision blurred she could just barely make out Larry standing over her talking to a nurse. Talking in quiet tones she couldn’t hear what they were saying, probably talking about her, or the baby. Her body felt numb, she touched her stomach with her hands, she didn’t think she’d lost the baby yet.

 

“Larry,” she croaked feebly reaching out a hand to touch his arm.

 

“Blair, just hang on. We’re getting ready to move you to surgery, okay?” Larry said reassuringly as he checked her IV and softly held her hand.

 

“The baby?” she queried weakly, her eyes felt heavy. They were probably pumping her full of drugs and other things she most likely didn’t want to know about.

 

“The baby’s okay for now, you’re our primary concern,” Larry reassured her. “Todd just got here, do you want me to go get him for you?” he asked. Todd had been causing a commotion in the lobby area, hospital security was standing guard over him. Maybe if they showed him that Blair and the baby were both still alive he would calm down.

 

“No, no, I don’t want to see him. Don’t let him in here Larry,” Blair said agitatedly, she could see the nurse moving over to one of the monitors motioning for Larry. She could hear the persistent beeps, she knew that her heart rate was skyrocketing, as was her blood pressure more than likely. She couldn’t deal with Todd’s recriminations, with his anger. Not now. Not when she had remembered everything. He had always thought he was the monster in their relationship. If he found out about her past, if he found out what she had done, he would know that she was the monster. She would never see her kids again if he found out.

 

“Okay, Blair I need you to calm down. I won’t let Todd in here if you don’t want to see him. Okay? Just calm down,” Larry said soothingly watching her heart rate slow to just above acceptable limits. The nurse affixed the blood pressure cuff to her arm and took her blood pressure, when she nodded to Larry Blair knew that it had lowered.

 

“I need… for you to call someone for me,” Blair started. Her eyes felt heavy, they were pumping her full of painkillers and they were causing her body to relax. She needed help, she needed her family.

 

“Whatever you need,” Larry promised. “I can have Kelly or Dorian here ASAP.”

 

“No, it’s not them… His name is Brad Davis. His number…. is 555-972-3754.”

 

“Brad Davis, 555-972-3754, got it. What do you want me to tell him?”

 

“Tell him that,” Blair fought against the darkness, she needed to do this, she needed them all here. “Tell him that the left hand is broken… He’ll know what it means. Tell him to come soon,” Blair whispered falling back into the oblivion once again. Not afraid this time, not afraid because she knew they would come.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Larry watched as the surgical team wheeled a still unconscious Blair away. She had phased in and out of consciousness as they worked on her, he wondered what type of person would shoot a woman so visibly pregnant. Obviously someone with nothing to lose. He glanced down at the sheet of paper in his hand, the nurse had written down the name and phone number that Blair had struggled to get out. ‘The left hand is broken’ sounded like code of some kind. Although for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why Blair would be speaking in code.

 

Through the windows of the ER he could see Bo Buchanan standing over a visibly distraught Todd Manning questioning him. Gabby sitting next to him, Max standing a few feet away. Blair’s reaction to his mentioning of Todd was bizarre. Through the town grapevine he now knew that the child Blair carried was Todd’s, why wouldn’t Blair want him near her? Unless he’d had something to do with the shooting which Larry doubted. If Todd had shot Blair she would have been screaming it from the rooftops, no there was something else going on. Looking at the number on the paper again he made a decision.

 

“Marie does this phone dial long distance?” Larry asked the nurse approaching him.

 

“I believe so,” Marie shrugged as she continued to walk.

 

Larry dialed the number, waiting for someone to pick up the other end.

 

“Hello?” a woman’s voice answered.

 

“Yes, may I speak to Brad Davis please?” Larry asked shoving the paper into the pocket of his white lab coat.

 

“I’m sorry Mr. Davis is unavailable at the moment may I take a message?”

 

“Yes… It’s kind of bizarre but…”

 

“What is your message sir?”

 

“It’s the left hand is broken,” Larry said sheepishly looking around, he felt like an idiot. Next thing he knew Candid Camera would be jumping out of the shadows. When he heard nothing from the other end he hesitated, “Does that mean something?”

 

“Can you tell me the name of the person who asked you to deliver this message?” the woman asked quietly.

 

“Blair Cramer.”

 

“Please hold sir.”

 

“Wait…” Larry heard the elevator music start as he was put on hold, “never mind.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

In Dallas Texas Colleen Wentworth stared in shock at the phone, then jumped out of her chair. Find Brad, find Brad her mind screamed at her. Last she knew he had been on fifth floor, she raced to the elevator pushing buttons frantically. When it didn’t come immediately she decided on the stairs. Taking them two at a time she raced up the flights pushing through the door at breakneck speed.

 

“Whoa Colleen! Where’s the fire?” she heard from behind her.

 

“Where’s Brad?” she asked breathlessly.

 

“Down in conference A… I think they’re still meeting in there,” she heard him call from behind her as she ran down the hall, pushing the door open 8 sets of eyes turned on her.

 

“Sorry,” she apologized, crooking a finger at Brad.

 

“Colleen can it wait?” Brad asked looking at his watch, “we’ve only got about 30 minutes left.”

 

“No! I got the call,” she said struggling to pull oxygen into her lungs.

 

“You got a call, that’s not unusual you answer the phone,” Brad shook his head at her, maybe she needed some vacation time. She was looking a little peaked.

 

“No, you don’t understand. I got the call,” Colleen said her eyes locking on his as understanding dawned on his face and he slowly rose.

 

“You’re sure?” he asked disbelief etched in the muscles, tension gathering in his limbs.

 

“It’s the one,” Colleen nodded.

 

“Gentleman, if you would excuse me,” Brad said grabbing the file that had been sitting in front of him and moving to the door Colleen was holding open for him.

 

“You’re sure?” he asked again as they ran down the hallway.

 

“It’s one of the codes that you and Blair set up years ago, you know that ones we used to pick on you guys about. The left hand, right hand crap,” Colleen said keeping pace with him.

 

“What exactly did she say?”

 

“It wasn’t her, it was a man passing the message along for her. And he used ‘The left hand is broken’ one. I don’t remember what that one stood for, but if I remember correctly it wasn’t a good one,” she said as they entered his office. She locked the door behind them. Brad picked up the phone on his desk his eyes meeting Colleen’s.

 

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she whispered, Brad closed his eyes as memories crashed over him.

 

“It isn’t good,” he confirmed. “This is Brad Davis,” he said.

 

“Mr. Davis, this is Dr. Woleck. Your secretary put me on hold…”

 

“Yes, she came to get me. What is Miss Daimler’s condition?”

 

“Miss Daimler? Oh you mean Blair, she hasn’t gone by that name in years.”

 

“Her condition Dr. Woleck?”

 

“I really shouldn’t be calling you before I talk to the police, but she was so adamant before she lost consciousness that I get ahold of you that… Anyway. Ms. Cramer was shot in her home this evening by an unknown assailant,” Larry said looking around the ER, everything was quiet now. But you never knew when someone was going to appear out of nowhere.

 

“Is she okay?” Brad turned to look out the window of his office hand gripping the phone even tighter.

 

“She’s in surgery now, there’s a good chance that she’ll lose the baby that she’s carrying but we’re doing everything in our power to stop that.”

 

“What’s your location Dr. Woleck?”

 

“Llanview, Pennsylvania… She told me to tell you to come soon.”

 

“If she comes around again, before I get there. Tell her I’m on my way, we all are,” Brad disconnected the call looking up to meet Colleen’s questioning eyes.

 

“Brad?”

 

“She’s alive,” he said in wonder, he picked up a picture on his desk. A torn, tattered picture that had been everywhere he had been, every place that he had searched. A picture of him, Blair, Jade and Scott back when they had been only kids. Back when they didn’t believe that monsters existed. Back when they didn’t believe that they could be the monsters. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, there would be enough time for walks down memory lane once they had her safe again. “Call Scott and Jade, have them meet me at the airport. We’re bringing her home.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Todd Manning tapped his fingers angrily against the arms of the chair he was sitting in. Bo Buchanan, Commissioner Buchanan was going to try to pin this on him. He just knew it.

 

“Todd you need to calm down,” he heard Gabby whisper to him as Bo turned away to exchange words with Max. “You’re only making yourself look worse by being so belligerent.”

 

“Please, they’ve already got me convicted of this anyway… Isn’t that right Bo? Will I even get a trial? Or are you going to just electrocute me now?” he asked snidely. The anger was a front, for now, for the anguish that he felt inside. If he stayed angry he wouldn’t fall to pieces, he wouldn’t remember the last conversation they’d had where he’d told her that he would fight her for the baby’s custody, that he never wanted to see her again. It was eerily reminiscent of the fight they’d had the first time she’d miscarried. Angry words spoken, baby lost in the crossfire.

 

“We just want the truth Todd,” Bo said turning back to him.

 

“Well the truth is Blair and I had words, I left, I called Gabby to go check on her and that was it. She was fine when I left, she certainly hadn’t been shot.”

 

“Bo,” Larry said walking into the waiting room. All heads turned to face him, Todd standing suddenly, Gabby grabbing his arm to keep him from confronting.

 

“Hey Larry, how is she?” Bo asked pulling a notebook out of his pocket.

 

“They just took her up to surgery now.”

 

“What’s her condition, will she make it? Did she say anything about who did this to her?” Bo asked glancing over at Todd when Larry did.

 

“She didn’t say much at all, she was pretty out of it. When she comes out of surgery we should be better able to tell what her chances are.”

 

“What about the baby?” Todd asked quietly his eyes locked on Larry’s face, he would know if he was lying.

 

“The baby is still alive, it’s not in distress. Blair is our primary concern right now, she’s lost a lot of blood. I don’t know how long she was lying there before Gabby and Max found her but…”

 

“But the baby is okay?” Todd visibly relaxed. If the baby was okay then Blair would be okay. Once they figured out what had happened he would protect her like he promised her he would. They would figure out a way to tell Starr the truth, again. He would figure out a way to repair the relationship that he had destroyed between mother and daughter.

 

“For now.”

 

“I want to see her,” Todd said moving forward standing in front of Larry.

 

“She’s in surgery now Todd, once she gets out we’ll see about visitors,” Larry looked away.

 

“There’s something you’re not telling me,” Todd said coldly studying Larry’s body language, the way he refused to make eye contact.

 

“Larry?” Bo asked moving up next to Todd.

 

“She refused to see you Todd. I offered when she regained consciousness to get you. I hoped that it would calm you down if you saw that she and the baby were still alive, but she became agitated. Her heart rate skyrocketed, her blood pressure rose,” Larry said studying the floor.

 

“What else?” Todd asked folding his arms over his chest.

 

“She gave me a name and number to call. Someone that she wanted me to get here. He was the only person she asked for,” Larry said his sympathetic eyes raising to meet Todd’s angry ones.

 

“He?”

 

“Brad Davis, it was a Texas number.”

 

“And you called him? Told him to come here?”

 

“Yes, he’s on his way. He’ll probably be here before she gets out of surgery.”

 

“Larry,” Bo shook his head putting his notebook away.

 

“Look I did what Blair wanted, I promised to get him here and for the good of my patient I made a judgment call,” Larry defended looking between the two men. Bo looked pissed and Todd just looked mean as they glared at him.

 

“And what if he’s the one responsible for her condition?” Todd snarled, “If he is, you just delivered her to him on a silver platter.”

 

“She wouldn’t have asked for him if he was involved, she acted like he could help.”

 

“If he puts her in more danger…” Todd said walking away shaking his head. Davis? The name didn’t sound familiar, Blair had never mentioned it before. Who was this guy? This guy that she wanted to see more than him.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Brad sat between Jade and Scott on the private jet hurtling its way towards Llanview. His wife of ten years, Sandy sat across from them. Her father, who had been out of town, had been called. He would be on the next flight to Pennsylvania.

 

He only hoped they weren’t too late. Ginny had obviously found her first. But if they could get there before she realized that Blair was still alive there was a chance that she could be saved. He knew he should have gone with his gut and put men on Ginny. But he had let Scott talk him out of it. Scott had reminded him that she didn’t have the stomach to kill anyone.

 

He idly wondered what Jakob had offered her to do this, Jakob had been searching for Blair as long as he had. Blair was the jewel in Jakob’s crown, he wondered when the decision to terminate her been made? Jakob had always wanted her alive before. He figured if he got Blair back that Brad would follow along. He should know by now that they all made their own decisions. Especially him and Blair.

 

“Blair can take care of herself,” Jade said quietly flipping unseeing through the pages of her magazine. She wasn’t reading it he realized it was upside down and she hadn’t even noticed.

 

“We don’t know what she’s been through, she might not be able to anymore,” Brad said stretching his legs out in front of him, his eyes meeting his wife’s. She smiled reassuringly at him. She knew how he felt about Blair.

 

“Please,” Jade snorted, “If there ever was someone who could take care of herself it was Blair. She couldn’t have gone that soft.”

 

“Jade’s right,” Sandy said. “Remember, she was able to kick Adam’s butt, he was twice her size and had a knife.”

 

“Adrenaline, plus she just barely beat him. He cut her twice on the shoulders and got her once in the gut. She had over 72 stitches from that,” Scott laughed. But his boss hadn’t backed down. If anything once she had seen who Jakob planned to pit her against she had been disappointed. He had always thought that she had planned on dying that day. Adam just hadn’t been enough of a challenge for her.

 

“Relax,” Sandy said leaning forward taking one of Brad’s hands in hers.

 

“I just want her to be alive when we get there,” Brad said softly stroking her hand with his fingers.

 

“She’s going to be fine, this is Blair. She’s a fighter, she took on Central and won.”

 

“And she’s been on the run ever since,” Brad muttered. “I wonder if she thinks it’s been worth it.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Todd tapped his foot impatiently against the floor as he waited. Once Blair had been moved to surgery Larry had recommended that they move up to the waiting room in the ICU, which is where Blair would end up.

 

Max had left, thank god, at Gabby’s insistence. Bo had returned to the station with his young officer in order to file a report, one that would probably name him as chief suspect. Gabby had stayed, sitting a few chairs away she seemed to be studying her nails.

 

“You should relax, Larry said she would be in surgery a while and that he would let you know when she got out,” Gabby said softly. She didn’t want to like Todd Manning, he was a rude, brusque, impossible man. But he loved his family. Even when he was destroying Blair he loved her. She wondered if Max had ever loved her like that.

 

“I want to know who this creep is that she wanted to see. She’s never mentioned no Brad Davis to me before. If he thinks he’s getting in there to see her before I do he’s got another thing coming,” Todd muttered darkly. If this was a lover that she had been keeping a secret he really would destroy her.

 

“Todd she doesn’t want to see you.”

 

“She’s pregnant with my kid, she’d better damn well want to see me!”

 

“Why? So you can tell her that you’re going to take the baby away from her like you took Starr away from her?” Gabby scowled at him as he frowned at her.

 

“He’s still not going in there before I do… Who the hell is this guy anyway? If he was important Blair would have mentioned him.”

 

“I don’t know who he is, but Larry said that he thought he might be able to help. Maybe he’ll be able to shed some light on what happened.”

 

“Unless he’s responsible.”

 

“I…” Gabby looked up as Larry entered the waiting room, Todd stood moving to him.

 

“Well?” Todd asked hands fisted at his side.

 

“She’s out of surgery, both she and the baby are doing fine for now. She’s still unconscious and in recovery but…”

 

“Dr. Woleck?” a male voice asked from the doorway.

 

Larry turned and Todd frowned at the man standing there.

 

“Can I help you?” Larry asked.

 

“Yes, sorry to interrupt,” he said apologetically, “one of the nurses said I could find you here.”

 

Larry glanced over at Todd and then focused on the man standing in the door, “What can I help with you?”

 

“I’m Brad Davis,” Brad introduced himself moving forward to shake Larry’s hand, “you called me about Ms. Daimler?”

 

“Oh yes, sorry. I didn’t think you’d get here that fast,” Larry smiled. Gabby jumped up and grabbed Todd’s arm as Todd made to move forward to confront him.

 

“How is she doing? Is she okay?”

 

“She and the baby are both doing fine. She’s out of surgery now although she’s still in recovery.”

 

“You said baby before, on the phone… is the father unavailable to make decisions for her?” Brad asked frowning. A baby was a development he had been unprepared for, he had hoped that he had heard him wrong on the phone, but it was a development that he could work with. If she were married as well as pregnant, that would definitely complicate his plans, and he would have to alter them to fit new parameters.

 

“Hell no I’m not unavailable,” Todd said angrily, shaking off Gabby’s arm he moved to confront Brad, a bulky blonde moving to intercede.

 

“It’s okay Scott,” Brad waved Scott back and motioned for Jade and Sandy to enter the room his eyes never wavering from Todd’s face. “Dr. Woleck I don’t understand why you would call me if,” Brad waved a hand in Todd’s direction, “her husband was prepared to make decisions for her welfare.”

 

“Oh Todd and Blair aren’t married. Not anymore. And I called you because Blair specifically asked me to.”

 

“I’d like to see her then,” Brad said studying Todd’s defensive posture. Todd could be trouble, he would have to talk to Blair and figure out how she wanted to handle her ex.

 

“Let me see if she’s been moved yet, if she’s awake I’ll be back,” Larry said nodding in his direction he left the room leaving Todd and Brad squaring off against each other.

 

“You can go now, I can take care of Blair and our baby without any assistance from the likes of you,” Todd growled softly.

 

“Yes I can see you’ve been doing a great job of that… Do you know what happened to her?” Brad asked calmly, he took a seat stretching his legs out in front of him as he watched the anger radiate off of Todd.

 

“She was shot, when she tells me what happened I’ll protect her,” Todd said coldly, he scowled as Brad laughed. “What?!”

 

“You don’t know… do you?” Brad asked as he linked his hands together behind his head. This was an interesting development. He had always assumed that whoever Blair married would know all about her.

 

“I don’t know what?” Todd asked suspiciously, he suddenly got the impression that there was more going on here than he knew about. He glanced over at the women that had taken seats near Brad and noticed that the brunette was armed. He could see her gun in its holster when she leaned over to the side the way she was.

 

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with. Blair doesn’t need you to protect her, at least not the Blair that I know. Granted it’s been a couple of years, but you don’t lose your instincts that quickly.”

 

“What are you talking about, what instincts?” Todd narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

 

“Instincts honed by being a cold blooded…” Brad trailed off as Larry re-entered the waiting room.

 

“She’s awake now, and she’s asking for you again Mr. Davis.”

 

“There is no way that he is seeing Blair alone,” Todd stated angrily as he cut Brad off at the door.

 

“Todd, I already told you…”

 

“It’s okay Dr. Woleck, let him come,” Brad said softly, he made a slight motion with his head at Scott and followed Larry, Todd stalking after them.

 

“She’s still groggy, and we’re only going to allow you in there for a few minutes. She’s needs to gain strength quickly, especially being pregnant.”

 

“That’s fine. I think she just wants to see that we’re here,” Brad said softly as Larry stopped in front of a door. He glanced over at a sullen Todd who was following quietly and then pushed the door open allowing Brad and Todd to enter then letting the door close behind them.

 

“Stay here,” Brad said quietly as he moved forward, Todd snorted in disbelief and followed him. He came to a halt suddenly when he saw Blair lying on her side on the bed, hand caressing her slightly protruding stomach, looking fragile and pale. Brad moved closer touching Blair softly on the arm.

 

Blair opened her eyes looking straight into Brad’s, they filled with tears that didn’t drop, tears that she blinked away because they were a sign of weakness and you didn’t show any weakness, ever.

 

“Hey little sister,” Brad whispered softly, Todd gaping in shock at him, “I hear you’ve got yourself into quite the predicament.”

 

“You came,” Blair breathed softly her gaze never wavering from his.

 

“Of course I came, you finally called and asked for me,” Brad chuckled softly, stopping when she looked at him with a pained expression. Her eyes flicked from him over to Todd and then back again. “It’s okay, he’s not going to hurt you,” Brad touched her cheek gently his eyes reflecting pain as he watched the heartache in hers. She loved him, it was evident from the way her eyes moved between them, lingering on Todd before re-focusing on him. Why hadn’t she told him everything then?

 

“I…” Blair closed her eyes, “I didn’t remember you until Ginny,” she whispered, if she kept her eyes closed than she wouldn’t be able to see the disgust on Todd’s face when he found out the truth.

 

“Ginny did this to you?”

 

“She said… that Jakob offered her… my place. I thought,” Blair trailed off as a tear escaped her closed eyes. “I don’t understand, he’s never wanted me dead before.”

 

“I don’t know either. But I’ve got people working on it. We’ll get to the bottom of it,” Brad promised as he kneeled by the bed.

 

Blair opened her eyes, focusing her attention on Brad. “My memories, my past it’s all gone. I don’t remember things.”

 

“What do you remember?” Brad asked reaching out and gripping Blair’s hand as he studied her.

 

“I remember you, and Jade and Scott. And I remember Central,” Blair whispered. She closed her eyes when she heard Todd’s sharply indrawn breath. “I remember our childhood, but I don’t remember anything past my leaving until I came here. Why?”

 

“I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out.”

 

**************************************************************************************

 

“Central? Blair was a part of Central? You’re joking right? This is some elaborate scheme of hers to get back at me for what I said, right?” Todd asked incredulously once he and Brad were back in the hall.

 

“Blair was part of Central,” Brad confirmed, glancing at his watch, “an integral part of Central.”

 

“Central was a mob run, crime organization that supplied assassins and enforcers to various mob families. And you’re telling me that Blair was a part of that?!”

 

“How do you know about Central Mr.?”

 

“Manning. Todd Manning. Who doesn’t know about it, it made all the fucking newspapers! ‘Central falls from the inside!’ ‘Enforcer sings like a canary on the stand, brings down entire organization’ as well as three of the four families that were running it. And you’re telling me that my Blair was involved with that?!” Todd said loudly drawing attention from the nurse walking past who shushed him.

 

“I don’t particularly care what you believe Mr. Manning. Blair is my only concern here,” Brad said forcefully.

 

“So what did she do? She’s pretty bad at defending herself, she didn’t even know how to throw a punch until I taught her. She can’t shoot a gun because if she could we would be happily married because her ass of an ex would be dead. So what could she possibly have supplied to Central that made her so valuable?” Todd crossed his arms across his chest.

 

“Contrary to what you might believe, Blair can defend herself, she can shoot a gun and as to what makes her so valuable to Central well that’s something you’ll have to ask her.” Brad said stiffly, “Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go set up security for her in case Ginny decides that she wants to try again.”

 

Todd stared after him as he walked down the hall, he faced Blair’s room again and found her looking out the glass at him. He walked up to it, pressing a hand against the cold glass, trying to grasp what was happening. Blair seeing the confusion on his face, in his eyes, turned away, resting her head on her arm.

 

**************************************************************************************

 

Brad stopped in the hallway several feet away from Todd as Jade approached him.

 

“Well?” she asked studying him.

 

“You’re armed, right?” Brad queried, when Jade pulled back the side of her jacket nodding, he smiled. “Of course you are… I was going to have Scott sit with her until I got back but you’re even better.”

 

“Well I’m flattered, but why?”

 

“Because you’re a female so you can do that female bonding thing with her.”

 

“Female bonding?” Jade frowned at him, “Blair and I have never been female bonding type people.”

 

“Well try, see if you can get her to talk to you about the past.”

 

“Why?” Jade asked puzzled by the request.

 

“She said she couldn’t remember things, I want to find out exactly where her lapses are. See if we can figure out what happened to her.”

 

“Okay…What about him?” Jade asked gesturing towards where Todd was leaning against the glass window.

 

“Let him be for now, I don’t think he’ll bother you. He’s probably just trying to process the stuff he just heard. Keep an eye out though, she verified that it was Ginny who hit her,” Brad said as he walked away.

 

“Ginny? I didn’t think she had it in her.”

 

“Neither did I, but I knew somebody would try something. I had just hoped we got there first.”

 

Jade watched as he walked away, head held high, she could see the tension lining the muscles of his body. He was on edge, ready to lash out. She hoped it was at Ginny. If ever someone needed to be brought down a peg or two it was Ginny.

 

She moved towards Blair’s room, pausing as she pushed the door open to glance at an unmoving Todd. He was on edge too. She hoped he and Brad didn’t blow at the same time.

 

“Hey boss,” she said softly as she entered the room, the door closing softly behind him. Blair looked up at her, her eyes connecting with Todd’s for a moment before focusing on Jade with a small smile on her lips.

 

“Jade… You don’t have to call me that anymore. I haven’t been your boss in a long time,” Blair said softly.

 

“You’ll always be my boss, regardless of where we are,” Jade said pulling a chair over near the bed and sitting back in it crossing her legs she reclined back her arms braced on the arms of the chair.

 

“Still…”

 

“So… Brad says you’re having some problems remembering things.”

 

“He did, did he?”

 

“Is he wrong?”

 

“No…” Blair said softly.

 

“Then why don’t we figure out where things flicker out for you, okay?” Jade asked leaning forward in the chair.

 

“Brad put you up to this didn’t he? To see how soft I’ve gone, how much I’ve forgotten,” Blair stated quietly.

 

“He asked me to get you to talk, so we’ll talk… What’s the earliest memory you have?”

 

“My earliest memory? I remember us,” Blair said softly closing her eyes. “I remember our family.”

 

 

Next Page