Brian didn't stop again until they were nearly in Colorado, and he picked up
some food for them in Kentucky Fried Chicken while Christopher went into the
bathroom. Again he was told not to try anything, that if he did it would be bad
for him. Little did he know that he was being followed, and when Christopher
walked out of the bathroom, which was out of sight of his dad, the woman he had
seen at the gas station was right there.
She motioned for him to keep quiet and follow her. He didn't know what to do.
If he walked away, that could mean more hurt for him. But what if she was only
trying to help him? She saw him hesitate. " I'm not going to hurt you." She
whispered. " I'm going to get you somewhere safe, I promise."
He swallowed nervously and followed her out the door. He caught a quick
glance at his dad as he walked out, who was grabbing them drinks. Rushing out to
the woman's car, she unlocked her doors and he got in. " Why are you helping me?
You don't even know me." He asked.
" I was once in an abusive relationship and my kids had the same look that
you had on your face earlier. I just knew you were in trouble, and I wasn't
going to just let him hurt you anymore than he already had." She started her
car, and drove off. " Now where are you from?"
" My mom moved us to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We're a long way from home." He told
her nervously, hoping his dad wouldn't figure out he was gone for a little while
yet.
" It's okay. Even when he notices your gone, he has no clue who you are with.
He can't get to you anymore." She looked his way for a moment, before pulling
onto the highway.
" Do you have a cell phone I can use? I want to call my sister. I want to let
her know I am okay."
" It's in my purse. Go ahead and grab it. I trust you won't go through it."
With a nod, he went into her purse and found it right away. He dialed his
sister's cell phone number. But it wasn't her who picked it up. " Hello." He
heard Taylor's voice on the other end.
" Taylor, it's me. It's Christopher. Why are you answering my sister's
phone?" He asked.
_______________________________________________________
Taylor was surprised to hear Christopher's voice on the line, and was in
shock. He didn't answer his question for a moment. When Christopher asked again
why he was answering his sister's phone, he found his voice. " I"ll explain
everything to you when you get back here. Where are you, Christopher?"
" Some lady is bringing me home. My dad was bringing me back to Colorado with
him, and on one rest stop I ran into her. She followed us, and told me I could
trust her. She said her kids went through the same thing, Taylor. She only wants
to help. I can tell."
" I hope your right, Christopher. We really need you back." He told him. "
More than you know."
" Is my sister okay? Please tell me, Taylor." He begged.
With a sigh, he told Christopher what happened. He told him about the
miscarriage. " Your sister needs you home more than anything. She is going
through a hard time right now. She is taking it very hard."
" I'm on my way. I promise. Just tell her I love her." Taylor could tell over
the phone that Christopher was crying.
" Of course I will. Now can I talk to this woman please? I need to talk to
her." Taylor asked.
He heard the phone being shuffled over to her, and her voice came over the
line. " I do promise you he is safe. I'm on my way to Tulsa now."
" Good. I want him back in one piece." Taylor told her. " I am going to give
you my address. Someone will be there when you show up. Please talk to the
police when you get there, so we can track Christopher's father down. He needs
to go to jail for this." He gave her the address, and then they hung up.Setting
the phone down on the stand by Arielle's hospital bed, he walked out of the
room. He sat next to Ashley, who hadn't moved from her spot. She looked up at
him, tears still running down her face. He rubbed them away, and smiled. " I
have some good news for you, Ashley."
" What is it? Did you hear something about Christopher?" She asked hopefully.
" Even better than that. He called Arielle, only I answered the phone since
she was sleeping. He is more than fine. Some woman followed Brian after running
into them once before at a gas station, and she is bringing him home."
Ashley threw her arms around him, a smile coming to her face. " That is
amazing news."
He hugged her back, and kissed her cheek. " I told you we would get him
back."
" Taylor, I... I know this isn't a good time to ask, but... what's going to
happen with us? I mean, I know your married. But... I don't want to live without
you in my life."
" Let's take this one step at a time, Ashley. We'll figure it all out later.
Right now, I want to give everyone else the news."
She nodded. " Can... can I be the one to tell Arielle? I know she doesn't
really want to see me, but maybe..."
" Go ahead. I'm going to the cafeteria to tell the others." He said, and got
up from his seat.
_________________________________________________
Zac and Kate were alone in the cafeteria now. They sat there talking about
how much they actually missed Christopher's attitude, and how they would rather
take that any day over not having him around at all. It was weird not having him
around, bugging them for something to do to keep busy. Or just to watch him play
around on his gameboy.
Taylor came into the cafeteria, and spotted them sitting there. " Hey, where
is Ike and Nikki?"
Zac swallowed a sip of mountain dew and looked up at him. " Their in the gift
shop wasting time. How is Arielle?"
" She's resting right now." Taylor sat at the table, and smiled. " I do have
some good news. It's about Christopher."
" Has he been found?" Kate asked.
" I talked to him myself. Some woman ran into him at a rest stop followed him
and his dad due to apparently knowing just by looking at him that he was in
danger. He's on his way home with this woman now."
Zac smiled. " That is great news. I... did he sound okay?"
" Yeah. He was sad when I told him about Arielle losing the baby. I wasn't
going to tell him over the phone, but he knew something was up. He had called
Arielle, but I answered since she was sleeping."
" How far away is he? Did Brian get very far with him? And who is this woman
that saved him?" Kate badgered him with questions.
Taylor laughed. " They were almost to Colorado I think, that's where
Christopher said his dad was taking him. So he probably won't be back until
late. I'm not sure who this woman was, but apparently she was in an abusive
relationship herself. She knew about his situation and that's why she helped him
out."
" I'm so happy he is on his way home. Does Ashley know?" Zac asked, taking
another sip of his mountain dew.
" Yeah. She is thrilled." Taylor smiled. " I told her she could be the one to
give Arielle the good news. I know Arielle doesn't really want to see her, but
she has to give her a mother a chance at some point to redeem herself."
Kate nodded. " I suppose she deserves that chance, but she better not pull a
move like that again and leave her kids behind. I don't want her to hurt them
like that again."
Zac got out of his seat. " I'm going to tell Ike and Nikki the news. Want to
come with me, Kate?"
" Actually, I think I am going home to greet Christopher. I know it will be
awhile, but..."
" Go to my house, that's the address I told her to drop him off at." Taylor
told her, getting up from his seat.
Taylor went with Zac to go tell Isaac and Nikki the good news, and Kate left
for Taylor's. She didn't think she could be more happy to hear the news. He may
have been a pain, but she was ready to see him again.
some food for them in Kentucky Fried Chicken while Christopher went into the
bathroom. Again he was told not to try anything, that if he did it would be bad
for him. Little did he know that he was being followed, and when Christopher
walked out of the bathroom, which was out of sight of his dad, the woman he had
seen at the gas station was right there.
She motioned for him to keep quiet and follow her. He didn't know what to do.
If he walked away, that could mean more hurt for him. But what if she was only
trying to help him? She saw him hesitate. " I'm not going to hurt you." She
whispered. " I'm going to get you somewhere safe, I promise."
He swallowed nervously and followed her out the door. He caught a quick
glance at his dad as he walked out, who was grabbing them drinks. Rushing out to
the woman's car, she unlocked her doors and he got in. " Why are you helping me?
You don't even know me." He asked.
" I was once in an abusive relationship and my kids had the same look that
you had on your face earlier. I just knew you were in trouble, and I wasn't
going to just let him hurt you anymore than he already had." She started her
car, and drove off. " Now where are you from?"
" My mom moved us to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We're a long way from home." He told
her nervously, hoping his dad wouldn't figure out he was gone for a little while
yet.
" It's okay. Even when he notices your gone, he has no clue who you are with.
He can't get to you anymore." She looked his way for a moment, before pulling
onto the highway.
" Do you have a cell phone I can use? I want to call my sister. I want to let
her know I am okay."
" It's in my purse. Go ahead and grab it. I trust you won't go through it."
With a nod, he went into her purse and found it right away. He dialed his
sister's cell phone number. But it wasn't her who picked it up. " Hello." He
heard Taylor's voice on the other end.
" Taylor, it's me. It's Christopher. Why are you answering my sister's
phone?" He asked.
_______________________________________________________
Taylor was surprised to hear Christopher's voice on the line, and was in
shock. He didn't answer his question for a moment. When Christopher asked again
why he was answering his sister's phone, he found his voice. " I"ll explain
everything to you when you get back here. Where are you, Christopher?"
" Some lady is bringing me home. My dad was bringing me back to Colorado with
him, and on one rest stop I ran into her. She followed us, and told me I could
trust her. She said her kids went through the same thing, Taylor. She only wants
to help. I can tell."
" I hope your right, Christopher. We really need you back." He told him. "
More than you know."
" Is my sister okay? Please tell me, Taylor." He begged.
With a sigh, he told Christopher what happened. He told him about the
miscarriage. " Your sister needs you home more than anything. She is going
through a hard time right now. She is taking it very hard."
" I'm on my way. I promise. Just tell her I love her." Taylor could tell over
the phone that Christopher was crying.
" Of course I will. Now can I talk to this woman please? I need to talk to
her." Taylor asked.
He heard the phone being shuffled over to her, and her voice came over the
line. " I do promise you he is safe. I'm on my way to Tulsa now."
" Good. I want him back in one piece." Taylor told her. " I am going to give
you my address. Someone will be there when you show up. Please talk to the
police when you get there, so we can track Christopher's father down. He needs
to go to jail for this." He gave her the address, and then they hung up.Setting
the phone down on the stand by Arielle's hospital bed, he walked out of the
room. He sat next to Ashley, who hadn't moved from her spot. She looked up at
him, tears still running down her face. He rubbed them away, and smiled. " I
have some good news for you, Ashley."
" What is it? Did you hear something about Christopher?" She asked hopefully.
" Even better than that. He called Arielle, only I answered the phone since
she was sleeping. He is more than fine. Some woman followed Brian after running
into them once before at a gas station, and she is bringing him home."
Ashley threw her arms around him, a smile coming to her face. " That is
amazing news."
He hugged her back, and kissed her cheek. " I told you we would get him
back."
" Taylor, I... I know this isn't a good time to ask, but... what's going to
happen with us? I mean, I know your married. But... I don't want to live without
you in my life."
" Let's take this one step at a time, Ashley. We'll figure it all out later.
Right now, I want to give everyone else the news."
She nodded. " Can... can I be the one to tell Arielle? I know she doesn't
really want to see me, but maybe..."
" Go ahead. I'm going to the cafeteria to tell the others." He said, and got
up from his seat.
_________________________________________________
Zac and Kate were alone in the cafeteria now. They sat there talking about
how much they actually missed Christopher's attitude, and how they would rather
take that any day over not having him around at all. It was weird not having him
around, bugging them for something to do to keep busy. Or just to watch him play
around on his gameboy.
Taylor came into the cafeteria, and spotted them sitting there. " Hey, where
is Ike and Nikki?"
Zac swallowed a sip of mountain dew and looked up at him. " Their in the gift
shop wasting time. How is Arielle?"
" She's resting right now." Taylor sat at the table, and smiled. " I do have
some good news. It's about Christopher."
" Has he been found?" Kate asked.
" I talked to him myself. Some woman ran into him at a rest stop followed him
and his dad due to apparently knowing just by looking at him that he was in
danger. He's on his way home with this woman now."
Zac smiled. " That is great news. I... did he sound okay?"
" Yeah. He was sad when I told him about Arielle losing the baby. I wasn't
going to tell him over the phone, but he knew something was up. He had called
Arielle, but I answered since she was sleeping."
" How far away is he? Did Brian get very far with him? And who is this woman
that saved him?" Kate badgered him with questions.
Taylor laughed. " They were almost to Colorado I think, that's where
Christopher said his dad was taking him. So he probably won't be back until
late. I'm not sure who this woman was, but apparently she was in an abusive
relationship herself. She knew about his situation and that's why she helped him
out."
" I'm so happy he is on his way home. Does Ashley know?" Zac asked, taking
another sip of his mountain dew.
" Yeah. She is thrilled." Taylor smiled. " I told her she could be the one to
give Arielle the good news. I know Arielle doesn't really want to see her, but
she has to give her a mother a chance at some point to redeem herself."
Kate nodded. " I suppose she deserves that chance, but she better not pull a
move like that again and leave her kids behind. I don't want her to hurt them
like that again."
Zac got out of his seat. " I'm going to tell Ike and Nikki the news. Want to
come with me, Kate?"
" Actually, I think I am going home to greet Christopher. I know it will be
awhile, but..."
" Go to my house, that's the address I told her to drop him off at." Taylor
told her, getting up from his seat.
Taylor went with Zac to go tell Isaac and Nikki the good news, and Kate left
for Taylor's. She didn't think she could be more happy to hear the news. He may
have been a pain, but she was ready to see him again.