The house was being decorated for Christmas meanwhile the rest of us were being questioned by FBI about the disappearance of Little Blake. I was in Sam's room with Dad, Fallon, Kirby and Agent Harper when Sam walked in.
"This is Little Blake. I took it just a few days ago." Sam said handing Agent Harper a photo.
"And now nutjob Claudia Blaisedel kidnapped him." Fallon said.
"And that's the person you believe is the mother." Agent Harper said.
"I know you can't write this stuff." Fallon said.
"Who's the father?" Harper asked.
"Our son Hank. He left the baby on the door step along with a note telling us how dangerous Claudia is. Sam and my other son Steven were planning on adopting him. Agent Harper you should know this woman has a vendetta against my family." Dad said.
"It's true. I found a photo of her crashing our wedding in a hideous coat." Sam said.
"I think she targeted my son and I think that she was the one who shot my wife Cristal. Not Hank like we first thought." Dad said.
"I don't know this chick but she's obviously not a great Mom she left behind his favourite things. His pacifier and his teddy. I think you should put that in your report." Kirby said.
"Thank you Nancy Drew but we'll take it from here. Look respect to your windbreaker and everything but you have to trust us. Claudia has a case of the crazies and this baby is in serious jeopardy." Fallon said.
"Hey Harper, former nanny just arrived. Wilcox is handing it." An agent said walking in.
"Manny? I'm so glad he's here." Sam said.
"I should probably go say hi." Kirby walked out.
"You know that this an investigation not a mixer right?" Sam asked going after her.
"Do what you need to do. Just find this woman and find my grandson." Dad said.
"Don't worry Mr Carrington. I have a unit setting up checkpoints around the city perimeter so likely Mrs Blaisdel hasn't been able to get very far." Agent Harper said. Fallon, Dad and I shared a look.
I went up to my room and Austin walked in.
"We need to talk." I said.
"Can this wait? I've gotta get to work." Austin said.
"I'm a Carrington so I have trust issues which means you sneaking around is making me freak out. So if we're gonna be in a relationship I need you to be honest with me Austin. Where were you last night?" I asked.
"Out with my friends. You know the boys from football." Austin said.
"You weren't. I was playing video games with them all last night and I was on call with Spencer who was at home." I said. "Where were you?" I asked.
"Out. I can't say where." Austin said.
"If you're not going to tell me the truth I can't be in a relationship with you. I can't. We're done." I said taking off the promise ring and handing it to him.
"What? You're serious?" Austin asked.
"I've been lied to too many times. I don't tolerate liars. I'm a nice person not a stupid one." I said.
"Let's just talk." Austin said.
"Until you tell me were I don't wanna talk to you." I said.
"You're just being childish." Austin yelled.
"Then tell me where the fuck you were." I yelled.
"I can't Gabbie. I really can't." Austin screamed.
"Why?" I yelled.
"I just can't okay?" Austin yelled.
"Then I can't be in a relationship with you when you won't be 100 percent honest with me." I said. "Take your stuff and leave." I said.
"What the hell is going on?" Fallon asked walking in with Culhane.
"Nothing. He's leaving." I said.
"I thought you two were killing each other in here." Culhane said.
"I'm not capable of murder yet." I said walking out. I walked downstairs.
"Uh oh." Dad said.
"Jeez." Sam said grabbing me and pulling me into him. Fallon walked in after me.
"I can't believe you never told us the baby was left here by Hank." Fallon said to Mom.
"Yes Alexis, I'm curious. Why lie about something like that?" Cristal asked.
"Does she really have to be here? This is a family matter." Mom asked.
"You said there was a note. What exactly did it say again?" Cristal asked.
"Something along the lines of my name's Matthew, Claudia is my mother and she's crazy." Mom said.
"You march into this house 10 times a day telling us useless things but that you keep to yourself." I said.
"I didn't know who Claudia was. Look when Hank left the baby outside my trailer, I kept it a secret because I knew that Blake would send him away and I could bare the thought of loosing my grandson now I find out it wasn't even Hank's baby." Mom said.
"No it's Matthew's." Fallon turned to Blake. "So why did you lie to the FBI?" Fallon asked.
"The FBI wouldn't look for a woman who's taken her own baby especially when you don't have any blood ties." Dad said.
"I'm sorry why wouldn't they look for a woman that tried to kill all of you last thanksgiving?" Cristal asked.
"Oh Daddy didn't tell you? He didn't report it to the cops instead he paid to lock her up in a loony bin. Don't worry they had a craft room." Fallon said sarcastically.
"I can't believe it the child I planed on raising belongs to Claudia." Sam said.
"He belongs to you and Steven. Claudia is not equipped to raise a child. She's a murderer." Dad said.
"You don't know for sure that she killed Cristal." Fallon said.
"Makes sense doesn't it? Cristal was killed with a gun taken from my gun room and Claudia's broken in there before." Dad said.
"You'd think we'd change the locks." I said.
"Who knows maybe Claudia and Hank are in kahoots. Well she's not gonna get away with it. I'm gonna hire my own security team. I'm gonna go on tv and I'm gonna offer a reward." Blake said.
"No, you are not. You are going to let the FBI do their job. I mean you're kind of an emotional wreck right now." Fallon said taking Dad's phone.
"You don't know what you're talking about. I have a plan." Dad said.
"Oh really, because not to long ago I was kidnapped from the joint and if my memory serves me correctly it was og Cristal that had me found because she defied your plan and the police were able to do their job." Fallon said.
"So I will go see if Claudia's had any communication with Matthew's family. I will get to cover security at the gate, I mean you never know if that lunatic is going to show back up and try and kill us all again and nobody does anything without going through me first. Got it?" Fallon asked as the doors opened and the Christmas tree was brought in.
"Happy holidays." Fallon said. Austin walked downstairs and out of the house. I went upstairs and lay in bed emailing people. Sam grabbed my arm and pulled me downstairs where Dad and Mom were doing a tv interview.
"Fallon's gonna flip." I said. Fallon rang me. I walked away to answer it.
F: Hey. I need your help.
G: Sure. What's up?
F: Do you still have that contact at Northend Memorial hospital?
G: Yeah. Why?
F: Can you ask him if Claudia Blaisedel has been prescribed an meds recently and ask him the name?
G: Sure. I'll keep you posted.
F: Thanks bye.
G: Bye.
Fallon hung up
I texted Caleb and asked him. I waited for a response. I found Fallon in Dad's study.
"Claudia was given these meds." I said showing Fallon a text from Caleb.
"That's what I found at the apartment." Fallon said as I opened one of Dad's desk draws.
"What are you looking for?" Fallon asked.
"A cigar." I said.
"What?" Fallon asked.
"I screwed up a lot while you and Steven were in college. I fell in with the wrong crowd at Pentley. Started drinking a lot more than I should of. Smoked and got high a couple times. Dad being dad said if I was gonna smoke it would be these." I said pulling a cigar out.
"And you didn't think to tell me because?" Fallon asked.
"How fast would have came home and screamed at me? You would have killed me. In the end I got expelled and Dad said if I didn't get my act together he was gonna cut me off and send me to rehab." I said. Fallon took the cigar off me and put it back in dad's desk.
Timeskip
We got a call saying Claudia was staying at a motel on the outskirts of Atlanta. We all rushed to motel.
"I'm Blake Carrington did you call my hotline?" Dad asked.
"You got $100,000?" The receptionist asked.
"Yeah you'll get your money. If it's her." Dad said.
"Oh it's her alright. So are you going write me a check cos I prefer cash?" The receptionist asked.
"Oh my god." Dad said.
"Sir we have visual on her." Dad's security team said.
"What room?" Fallon asked.
"She's not in a room. She's on the roof." The security guy said.
"Elevator'a broken." Receptionist said.
"Of course it is." I yelled as we ran up to the roof.
"Claudia." Sam yelled. He spotted her near the edge. "No what are you doing?"
"Why won't you all just leave me alone?" Claudia yelled holding the baby. "You just wanna take him away from me. Don't you? Like you did my husband but you can't take my baby."
"Claudia, please give me LB." Sam said. "Please."
"His name is Matthew." Claudia said.
"Claudia, we wanna help you and Matthew." Dad said.
"No you don't. You just wanna shoot me." Claudia said nodding at the security team.
"Just, step back." Dad said. "Okay?" One of Dad's security guards reached for his gun.
"Don't come any closer." Claudia screamed.
"Dad, why don't you tell Santa's little helpers to stand down?" I asked. Fallon nodded.
"She's right. They're scaring her." Cristal said.
"Okay. Back up. Back up." Dad told security.
"Claudia just listen to me. We can talk this through." Dad said.
"You should of tried talking to me before you locked me in a padded cell for 6 months." Claudia said. "It does crazy things to a person. It's a miracle I even had this baby and that it was okay. After the hell you and your wife put me through. May she rest in piece." Sam's face changed.
"It was you wasn't it? You killed my aunt." Sam said. Claudia nodded.
"And I would do it again if it would bring Matthew back but it won't." Claudia admitted. I put my hand on Sam's arm and Fallon did the same to Dad.
"Claudia, we both lost someone. I know how that feels. You're scared and you're alone and you don't know what the future holds. You don't even know if there is a future." Dad said.
"But there is." Cristal said.
"Who the hell are you?" Claudia asked. "And sure there's a future for Blake Carrington. He can buy anything that he wants. But what about me?" Claudia asked. "And what about Baby Matthew?"
"Futures aren't made with money they're made with decisions and choices." I said.
"Well that's just it Claudia, he's your future. He's the last part of Matthew that lives on. The only part and he would want what's best for him. I know you want that too. Don't you?" Fallon asked.
"I just love him so much." Claudia said.
"Of course and the best thing for him right now is for you to come with us. Okay? So just come here." I said. Dad stepped forward.
"Yeah. Just give me the baby." Sam said softly.
"No. No. You're lying. None of you care. You're lying." Claudia screamed before stumbling and dropping the baby off the roof. We all screamed and yelled. Sam broke down crying in my arms. He fell to the floor pulling me with him. Cristal crouched down next to me and tried calming him down. I looked over to Fallon and Dad who both stood in shook.
Claudia dropped a doll not a baby. Sam was in hysterics in my arms. Dad took him off me.
"Sam, Sam, Sam, it wasn't a real baby. It was a doll." Dad said.
"What?" Sam sobbed.
"It was a doll." Dad repeated.
"Thank god." Cristal said.
"But wait if Claudia doesn't have the baby-" Sam started.
"Then who the hell does?" Fallon and I asked as my phone rang.
"Who is it?" Dad asked.
"Kirby. She sos'ed me aswell." I said. I answered.
Kirby: The baby is safe back at the manor.
"Guys. The baby is safe at the Manor with Kirby." I said.
"What who took him?" Fallon asked.
Kirby: Manuel the manny took him. Revenge for Sam firing him.
"It was Manuel." I said.
"Alright we're on our way." Dad said.
Timeskip
Fallon, Kirby, Anders, Sam and I were sat in the sitting room while Sam fed LB.
"The FBI, a trained security team, our entire family all after this baby and yet it was Kirby who figured it out." Fallon said. "This is a low point for me."
"Now you know how I felt growing up with you and Steven. You pair of nerds." I said. Fallon put her arm around me.
"Are the FBI on their way?" Sam asked.
"Mr Carrington is on the phone to the FBI and the authorities should be her soon." Anders said.
"Yes and that psycho is in the study being watched by security." Fallon said.
"Well, I guess this is a big win for team down stairs huh?" Kirby asked.
"As much as it pains me to say this thank you." Fallon said. I looked at her.
"Kind words from Fallon Carrington. Does this mean we're friends now?" Kirby asked.
"Calm down." Fallon said.
"I'll go get his teddy." Kirby said walking off. Anders went after her.
"Didn't realise you liked babies." I said to Fallon.
"Shut it." Fallon said. "Besides I got stuck with you didn't I?" Fallon said.
"Are you doing okay?" Sam asked.
"I'm doing okay." I said.
"Really? Because you were screaming bloody murder earlier." Sam said.
"Fallon's future brother in law's a prick." I said.
"Oh. You broke up?" Sam asked.
"Probably for the best. Having trust issues and being in a relationship isn't a good mix." I said.
"Wow 21 really did something to you. Should I be concerned?" Sam asked.
"Definitely." Fallon said. We watched as Atlanta PD cuffed Claudia.
"What? You said you were gonna help me." Claudia said.
"And you said you killed my wife. Everyone up there heard it. Look I am helping you. Helping you understand the pain that you caused me and my family. By taking away what you love." Dad said. "I know it's cruel. He's only a baby. Will it make things equal? I don't know but it's a hell of a start." Dad said.
"Oh no. You can't do this to me. You can't keep my baby. You are gonna pay for this you hear me?" Claudia yelled getting lead out in handcuffs by two officers.
"Claudia's right." Sam said.
"Words that have never been spoken before." Fallon said.
"We can't keep this baby. The thought of giving him up is killing me but he's not ours to keep." Sam said.
"I don't think they have daycare in Jail." Mom said.
"It was never Hank's baby. He was Matthew's. And Fallon found his parents." Sam said.
"But Sam." Fallon tried.
"We've had our own share of Christmas miracles. Now it's their chance to be with the one piece of Matthew that lives on. He needs to be with his real family." Sam said. "And that's not us." Sam walked away. We stood in silence.
We all gathered around the Christmas tree as it lit up for the first time. Fallon had her arm around me. We broke off into little groups. Dad and I stood together until Fallon came over with three glasses of Scotch. She handed us each one.
"Is this your way of apologising?" Dad asked.
"Don't know. Never had to beside Gabbie and 20 bucks always seems to work." Fallon said putting her arm around me. "Fine. I'm sorry. You were right. The only reason we found Claudia is because of you. Your charm and wit on tv won over America's hearts. You should host a day time talk show." Fallon said.
"And most people would assume we haven't got hearts." I said. We clunk our glasses together and took a sip.
"Thank you. But I wasn't right about everything. You're not responsible for Cristal's death. Was a low blow and I never should of said that." Dad said. "I was angry about a lotta things."
"Well are you still made that we sold CA? Because if tonight has taught me anything it's that I'm not always right and I don't know. Maybe selling the company was a huge mistake." Fallon said.
"Actually that you were right about. Apparently stealing Fortune 500 companies teaches some valuable life skills to some people." Dad said looking at me.
"We're Carrington's we don't do normal and I'm glad because it's certainly not a good look on us. Beside imagine how boring having a normal family would be." I said.
"Wow. A Christmas gift I didn't need to unwrap." Fallon said.
"I always said that family and the company were the same thing but took me loosing the company to realise that was never the case. Loosing Carrington Atlantic was the best thing that ever happened to this family. It allowed me to get my priorities straight. So thank you." Dad said.
"Is that your way of apologising?" Fallon asked.
"Well I wouldn't know. I never had to except you. I owe you a lot of apologies." Dad said to me.
"I'd be more concerned if I got an apology from you so you're good." I said.
"You know Steven asked me to keep the family together while he was gone and I think I've done a pretty good job." Fallon said.
"Yeah. It only took a baby being kidnapped by a crazy lady for you to do so." Dad said.
"Well you know what they say you wanna make a purse you gotta kill some pythons." Fallon said. We laughed.
" I guess that Steven's coming back you can hand over those reins to him. He should be here now shouldn't he?" Dad asked.
"Yeah. And Culhane too. He said he'd be back for dinner. He promised." Fallon said.
"Well I'm sure he's out doing some last minute Christmas shopping." Dad said.
"Yeah." Fallon said.
"Anders is everything alright?" Dad asked.
"Sir I just had this very disturbing phone call with the head of Steven's foundation in Paraguay. Apparently Steven didn't get on to the flight back to Atlanta." Anders said. "He's missing." We all shared looks. Dad's phone rang.
"Maybe this is him calling." Dad said.