One week later:
Nick rolled over and looked at his clock. It was already nine thirty in the morning. How the hell had he slept that late? How the hell had Aidan let him sleep that late? Sleep didn’t come easily anymore to a father of a two-year-old. Aidan was up no later then eight every morning. But this morning…nothing. Confused, Nick rolled out of bed and threw on a t-shirt. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and made his way down the hallway to Aidan’s room. Maybe he was just tired and still sleeping. It was something that had never happened, but, hey, there’s a first time for everything.
Nick glanced in Aidan’s crib and noticed he wasn’t there. He shook his head, laughing. The little munchkin climbed out again. “Aidan?” He called, making his way down the stairs. “Where are you bud?” There was no answer. Nick repeated himself. Still no answer. His amusement suddenly disappeared. She wouldn’t dare. He marched over to the phone and angrily began dialing the numbers.
Katelin swore that her phone wasn’t ringing at nine thirty in the morning. Hadn’t anyone ever heard of sleep? She glanced at the caller i.d. and rolled her eyes, almost deciding not to answer it. Figuring it might be important, she hit the ‘talk’ button. “What do you want, Nick?”
“Are you out of your mind?!” He exclaimed. “You can’t just do that without telling me!”
Katelin sat up in bed, rubbing her tired eyes. “Do what without telling you? Nick, it’s nine thirty in the morning. What could you possibly have to yell at me about now?”
“Did you take him this morning?” Nick had calmed down somewhat but he was still livid with what she had done.
“Take who?” Katelin was thoroughly confused. What the hell was he talking about? “Take Aidan? Nick, I’m in bed. I haven’t been over there. Look around your house. I’m sure he’s just playing hide-and-seek or something. He did that to me a couple of weeks ago. I thought you had taken him with you but he was down in your studio hiding.”
Still holding the phone to his ear, Nick walked down to his basement. He glanced around his studio seeing no one. Sighing he walked back upstairs, not realizing the gravity of the situation yet. “Aidan? Come on out bud. Daddy can’t find you.” He reached the top of the stairs and glanced around his kitchen. It was at that moment that his whole life shattered, the phone crashing to the ground. Nick’s patio door wasn’t closed all the way and the lock was broken.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Ang reached over and grabbed the phone, hoping she got there in time before the answering machine picked up. “Hello?”
“You are the hardest person to get a hold of!” She heard on the other line.
“Brooke?” Ang’s face lit up. She hadn’t talked to Brooke in weeks. “How are you? Where the hell have you been?”
“Me?!” Brooke exclaimed. “I’ve been calling you everyday for the past week. At the house. On your cell. You are the hardest person to get a hold of.”
Ang laughed. “Sorry. I changed my cell number. Some crazy shit has gone on around here.”
“I know,” Brooke admitted. “It’s all over the news. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Ang smiled, glad to know she had such great friends. “I’m fine. AJ’s fine. Becca is going to prison. Everything’s finally going to go back to normal.”
Brooke smiled to herself, relieved. “Thank God, Ang. I was really scared for you when I first heard everything.”
“Well, you don’t have to be,” Ang told her. “We’re all going to be okay. Anyway, how are you doing? How’s J.C., Mrs. Chasez?”
Brooke blushed. “He’s fine. Great actually. I don’t know…it’s so weird. I mean, six months ago, I would’ve laughed if anyone told me that this was going to be my life.”
“It is kind of strange,” Ang admitted. “But as long as you’re happy, then I’m happy.”
“Thank you,” Brooke said, sincerely. “I know that you’re close to Kevin. And I know that I hurt him when all of this happened. But everything was so out of control. And I think it’s better for him…for all of us…”
“Me too,” Ang agreed. “Of course he was hurt. But I think he was to the point where he realized that everything had changed. Things happen for a reason, Brooke. Everything will work out perfect in the end.”
“I know,” Brooke smiled, thinking to herself at how lucky she was to have such great friends. “Listen…I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Shoot,” Ang told her, making herself comfortable on the bed.
“I think that JC and I are going to have a real wedding,” Brooke began. “Where our friends and family can be there. I was wondering if you would be a part of it?”
“I’d love to!” Ang cried, excitedly. “Oh my god…that reminds me…I have something to tell you.”
“What?” Brooke questioned.
“Brian and I are engaged!” Ang announced, glancing down at her hand so she could admire her ring.
“Congratulations!” Brooke exclaimed, genuinely thrilled for her friend. She had known that Ang had been waiting for this for such a long time. And finally, it was all coming together for her. Her nightmare was over and now she could begin the rest of your life. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks,” Ang felt tears come to her eyes, realizing the great friends she had…the great life she had. “And I would love to be a part of your wedding. Just let me know when and where.”
“Well, it actually won’t be for a while,” Brooke explained. “We wanted to take a little while and plan one. Make it the perfect, fairytale wedding that I’ve always wanted.”
“That sounds perfect.” Ang heard her other line beep. “Hold on a sec, Brooke. That’s my other line.” She pressed the ‘talk’ button and clicked over. “Hello?”
“Hey babe,” Brian said. To Ang, he sounded like something was definitely wrong. “I just a call from AJ. We need to get to Tampa. Someone took Aidan.”
“What?!” Ang thought she felt her heart stop.
“Aidan,” Brian repeated, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. “He’s been kidnapped. I’m on my way there now. Nick’s a mess. Katelin’s even worse. We just need to get over there.”
“I’m on my way.” Ang was already throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. “Bye.” She clicked the phone back over to Brooke. “Brooke? I gotta go. There’s an emergency over here.”
“Is everything okay?” Brooke asked, concerned.
“No…” Ang felt tears slip down here cheeks. “Oh god…Brooke…someone took Aidan.”
“Go,” Brooke told her. “I’m hanging up. I’m on the first flight out of here.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
***** ****** ***** ***** ***** *****
“He’s gone…” Katelin whimpered, hugging her knees to her chest as she rocked back and forth on the couch. “Just like that…my baby…” She turned as she saw Nick enter the room with one of the detectives and AJ. “How Nick? How did someone get in this house?”
Nick barely even heard her. He was lost in his own world. He had no idea how something like this could have happened. “I don’t know, Kate…I don’t know.”
Before anyone could do anything, Katelin flew off of the couch and launched herself at him, her fists flying into his chest. “How the hell could you let this happen? How you could let them take our baby?”
She was hysterical now. Nick just stood there helpless as AJ pried her away from him. Finally, she stopped squirming and just looked at him, her blue eyes cold and detached. He couldn’t even look at her anymore. The hatred that emanated from her. All towards him. He had lost their son. The whole thing felt like his fault and the guilt was suffocating him. “I’ll be outside,” he whispered to no one in particular. AJ was in the process of trying to get Katelin to sit back on the couch because she looked like she might collapse right there on the living room floor. Nick didn’t even notice as the door flew open and in walked Howie, Christine, and Brian. He just kept walking towards his back deck. Through the door where his son had been taken.
Brian walked into the living room seeing AJ trying to get Katelin to drink something. “Jay.”
AJ’s head whipped around and he was grateful to see his other friends there. “Oh thank God…Things are a crazy over here. I don’t know what to do for them anymore. She’s hysterical…Nick’s a mess…I can’t get in touch with Adrienne. I need some help man.”
“Any word on Aidan?” Brian asked, sitting down next to Katelin and wrapping his arms around her.
“He’s gone,” she whispered, pitifully, leaning her head on Brian’s shoulder. “Whoever did this…they just took him out of his crib…out of this house. Nick didn’t even hear them.”
Brian looked at AJ, as he rubbed Katelin’s back. “Did you try Kevin’s? Adrienne might be there.”
“I’m on it,” Howie jumped in, pulling his cell phone out of her purse and walking out of the room.
Christine sat on the other side of Kate and pulled the younger girl into her arms, nodding at Brian and AJ that she’d take over on this end so they could go talk. Brian detangled himself from Katelin, stood up and followed AJ out of the room. “How the hell did this happen, Jay?” Brian asked, sitting on a stool in Nick’s kitchen. The place was in the process of being set up as a command center, just in case they received any news from the kidnapper.
“Nick woke up this morning and Aidan wasn’t in his crib,” AJ explained, leaning on the counter across from Brian. “Apparently, he does that a lot…climbs out of his crib, I mean…well, he thought Kate might have come and gotten him this morning and I guess he called her all pissed off but she was still in bed. Then, as he’s searching the house for him, he notices the door in the kitchen is part way open and the lock is broken.” AJ sighed, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to do for him…or her…I mean, they’re both a mess and they’re not helping each other at all. Kate’s gone off on him at least twice now and he just stands there and stares at her with this blank stare on his face. Like it’s not even registering what’s going on.”
“Do they have any leads?” Brian asked, standing up so he could get himself a drink.
AJ shrugged. “I don’t know. Nick explained the custody battle and everything to the police when they got here. I guess that’s where they’re starting. Or it could just be some crazy fan. I don’t know, Bri. They’re bringing the Feds in.”
“FBI?” Brian’s eyebrows raised. “Why?”
“Kidnapping, Bri,” AJ answered. “They always bring the Feds in on kidnapping cases. By now, Aidan’s most likely across state lines.”
Just then, Howie appeared back in the kitchen. “I called Kev’s. Adrienne’s not there and he hasn’t talked to her all day. He’s on his way.”
“Hello?” They heard a voice call.
“Adrienne?” AJ jumped up and ran out into the foyer. As soon as he saw her, he grabbed her in his arms. “Thank God you’re here. Kate needs you.”
“What the hell is going on here?” Adrienne asked, looking back and forth between Brian and Howie, who had just joined them, and AJ. “I was coming to pick up Aidan. Why are there police crawling all over this place?”
“Oh God, Adrienne.” Howie shook his head, sadly. “Aidan’s been kidnapped.”
“WHAT?!” Adrienne exclaimed. “Why the hell hasn’t anyone called me? Where’s Kate?”
“She’s in the living room with Christine,” AJ replied. “We’ve been trying to get in touch with you for almost two hours now.”
Adrienne reached into her purse and pulled her cell phone out, rolling her eyes. “Of course. It’s dead. Now where the hell is Kate?”
Howie grabbed her by the arm and dragged her into the living room. “Kate?” She acknowledged her, sitting down with she and Christine.
“Adrienne?” Katelin hiccuped. “Oh God. He’s gone.”
“Shh…” Adrienne soothed, wrapping her arms around her and rocking her back and forth. “They’ll find him, Kate. I promise.”
“I think one of us should go check on Nick,” Brian suggested. “I don’t want him out there alone for too long.”
“You go, Rok,” AJ shoved him towards the door. “I’m going to go talk to one of the cops.”
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
“Hey.” JC walked into the hotel room and saw Brooke throwing things into her suitcase. “What the hell is going on? Where are you going?”
Brooke looked up and almost laughed at the terrified look on his face. “Aw baby…don’t worry. I’m not running away. Just…there’s an emergency at home.”
JC, visibly relieved, sat down on the bed next to her stuff. “What’s going on?”
“You know how Nick has a son, right?” Brooke asked, still throwing clothes into her suitcase. JC nodded. “Well, he was kidnapped during the night. I was on the phone with Ang when Brian called and told her. I want to be there for them.”
“Of course,” JC agreed, standing up. “Do you want me to go with you?”
She smiled at him, tenderly, reaching up and brushing his hair away from his forehead. “You’re the best, you know?” JC shrugged, a shy smile on his face. “I would love for you to come with me. But you have a show tonight. The tour’s almost over and you can’t miss anything. Plus, I’m sure…you know…Kevin’s going to be there and everything…I don’t want it to be awkward. Especially at a time like this.”
He pulled her into his arms, placing a light kiss on the tip of her nose. “I love you, Brooke. And you’re right. I think it would be awkward and I don’t want to be in the way. Plus, I’m sure the rest of the guys would have my ass if I wasn’t there tonight.”
“Okay,” She wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed tightly. “I love you too, by the way.”
“Thanks,” he laughed and released her. “Let me just grab my jacket and I’ll go with you to the airport.”
“You don’t have to do that, Jayce,” she told him, closing up her suitcase and pulling it on to the ground. “You’ll just get mobbed and I need to get going. My flight leaves in an hour.”
JC’s shoulders dropped in defeat. “Alright, fine.” He pulled her back towards him and gave her a kiss. “Give my best to Katelin and Nick. I love you.”
“I love you too,” She smiled up at him, kissing him softly on the lips.
***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
“The Gerhart’s story checks out,” Officer Davis explained to AJ. “The FBI up in New York brought them in for questioning about an hour ago. Besides the history of the relationship with the child, we have no reason to believe that they have anything to do with this. Legally, we can’t do anything unless we have some sort of hard evidence against them. I’m afraid that’s a dead-end right now.”
AJ shook his head, trying to wrack his brain. “The only thing that I can come up with is a fan. Nick is a very well known entertainer. It must be someone out for money.”
“That’s where we’re leaning right now,” Officer Davis told him. “But then again, this is a private, gated community. Someone had to know how to get in here. We’re counting on a ransom note or call coming soon. If what they want is money, we’ll get that phone call.”
AJ stuck his hand out for the officer to shake. “Thank you for all your help. I think I’m going to explain this all to Nick.”
Just as he said that, Nick and Brian appeared in the doorway. “Explain what to me?” Nick asked, looking back and forth between Officer Davis and AJ. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing Nick,” AJ answered, sitting him down in a chair and explaining to him everything that he had just heard.
“So what the hell do we do?” Nick asked, his eyes tired. “I mean, where the hell do we even start? I have absolutely no idea.” He glanced over at Katelin, who still had yet to stop crying on to Adrienne’s shoulder. “Look at her, Jay. I mean…she’s a mess. And it’s all my fault. She won’t even let me near her.”
AJ made Nick look at him straight in the eye. “This is not your fault, Nick. You had no idea something like this could happen. Even if it is a fan. Just because you’re famous doesn’t give them the right to fuck with your personal life like this. With the people that you love.”