Nicole and Micky sat in silence as they watched Davy. He was still sitting in the same position, eyes shut. After a few minutes he opened his eyes.
"She's okay," he said, turning his face to look at Nicole. She sighed, relieved.
"Where is she?" she asked.
Davy shut his eyes for a moment. "In a pipe," he said, without opening his eyes. Nicole gasped in shock. "She's in a drainage pipe. It drains the water from the factory into the ocean," he continued. He frowned a moment.
"I can't tell which factory, but it isn't too far," he said. "I don't know where Pleter is. He isn't anywhere near her." Nicole sighed in relief.
"Thanks Davy, I really appreciate it," she said. Then she and Micky rushed out to save the child's life.
When they returned to the Pad, Mike was waiting. He wanted to know where they'd been all morning. They'd left before he'd awakened and he'd been getting worried.
When he found out about the baby being found, he was just as thrilled as the rest of them and fussed over her just as much as Micky and she had when they'd found the baby.
After the joyous celebration, Nicole took the baby home where the food, clothes, and the baby's crib were. She went inside and through her bedroom to the room they'd set aside for the baby. She sat down in the large rocking chair in her bedroom, rocking the child to sleep when she noticed that something was in the bed.
Holding the child close to her, she stood up out of the chair. Startled, the baby began to cry. Whatever was in the bed was starting to move....
Nicole took a step back and tried to make the baby stop crying but it didn't seem to work. The baby could tell that she was nervous and upset, and that made it nervous and upset.
The person in the bed sat up and turned around.
"A...a...b-baby?"
Nicole's eyes grew wide. "P-Peter?" she asked. "I-is that really you?"
Slowly, Peter pushed the covers off of him and stood up, shakily. His face was covered in soot and he resembled a chimney sweep.
"It's me," he said softly.
Nicole was still hesitant. The baby still cried. She took a few steps forward and looked into his eyes.
"How can I be sure?" she asked.
Slowly, and carefully, to show that he meant no harm, Peter raised his arms out to her. He was asking for the baby. Nicole hesitated but then released the baby into his arms. He looked into the child's eyes. Then, he took one of his hands and placed it on the baby's chest. Immediately, she calmed down and stopped crying. Then, slowly, her lids shut and she fell asleep. Peter smiled weakly and gave the baby back to its mother. Then he placed an arm on her shoulder.
Nicole felt something warm and soothing go through her and the pain in her was lifted. She looked down at the now sleeping baby and smiled happily. This was really Peter.
She set the baby down carefully in its crib and returned to the soot-covered man in the bedroom. She looked at him for a few moments and then threw herself into his arms. Relieved that he was accepted, Peter returned the hug.
With tears starting to stream down her face Nicole wrapped her arms around Peter and squeezed as hard as possible. Her face was buried in his dusty, dirty shirt and her tears were starting to soak it, but she didn't mind. All she cared about was that he was there. It had been almost a year since she'd seen him last and she didn't care about anything else at that moment.
Peter wrapped his arms around her with equal vigor. It had been a year since he'd seen her, a year since he'd held her in his arms, a year since he'd kissed her, a whole year. He saw that she was soaking his shirt, but he didn't care either. After all, it probably needed to be cleaned anyway. Probably? Who was he kidding? He looked like he'd fallen down a chimney and he wasn't going to worry about her messing up the shirt which already looked horrible.
After what seemed like forever they finally released each other and took a step back. It had been almost one year, Peter thought to himself, and he would never again be tired of looking at her.
"Peter, it's really you?" Nicole asked again. Of course it was, she knew, but she had to make sure. He didn't mind the inquiry. He nodded, smiling, and sat down again on the bed. He didn't want to stand another minute.
Nicole took a step back and looked at him. He looked about the same as when he'd left, except for a few minor details. He was dusty and dirty and he looked a little skinnier. She reached out to touch his face and felt the beard that had begun during the past few months. It wasn't visible under the soot, but it was definitely there.
"Peter what happened to you?" she asked, looking him over. He smiled weakly.
"It's a long story," he began. But before he could utter another word, a low growl came from his stomach.
"You need to eat," Nicole said, standing up. "How long has it been since you ate your last decent meal?"
"Almost a year," Peter said, grinning slyly. "Since the last time I tasted something you cooked."
"You haven't changed a bit," she said, grinning at the sweet remark as she headed down to the kitchen to get him something to eat.
Overwhelmed by curiosity, Peter stood up and went into the nursery where the baby was sleeping. He picked her up and held her in his arms, curious. He examined the baby. For all anyone knew it could have been his, judging by the looks. But he knew it wasn't his. He'd been gone for a year, there was no way it could be his. Jealousy filled his veins and made his blood boil.
But he couldn't really blame her, could he? After all, he'd been gone for almost a year. And he'd been replaced by a man who looked exactly like he did. How could she have known? Peter knew his double had to be powerful, and seeing as how he resembled him, he definitely couldn't blame her.
