"What’s going on?" she demanded. "Why isn’t she tied up?"

"Her legs are still tied. I had to move her. Laurie was scared," Greg said. "I don’t want her traumatized by this."

"Oh, get a grip on reality here Greg! You’re planning to take her with you this evening. Away from her mother. That’s going to traumatize her anyway. She’ll get over it." Ashlee set the bags of food on the coffee table, then picked up the ropes.

"Put ‘em down," Greg ordered.

"You’re crazy, you know that," she said. Nancy observed the pair silently, waiting to see what would transpire next.

"We’ll tie her back up before we leave," he said. "There’s no reason for the ropes now. Nancy’s not going to do anything stupid with Laurie here, are you Nancy?"

Nancy glanced at Ashlee. "Of course not. I wouldn’t dream of it. I wouldn't ever do anything to intentionally hurt my daughter.."

"Fine," Ashlee said. "I want a little insurance though." Disappearing into the bedroom, she came back holding a small pistol. Sticking it in the pocket of her jacket, she sat down on the chair. Nancy’s eyes followed her every move. She’d already decided that Ashlee was the dangerous one of the pair. She was the one to watch.

Greg opened the sack. "Laurie, do you want your happy meal?"

Laurie pressed herself up against her mother. She was so confused, still trying to figure out why her Uncle Greg had hit her daddy over the head earlier that day. Then he’d pushed Mommy into that van. Now he seemed to be acting nice, but she could tell by the way her mommy was acting that something was still wrong. And that thing the other lady had was a bad thing. A gun. Mommy had talked to her about those. Even shown her pictures. They could hurt people and you should never play with those.

Laurie shook her head no.

"Go on honey," Nancy whispered. She took the bag from Greg. Reaching in, she opened it, and took a bite first the fries, then a piece of the chicken nugget. "See, it’s ok. I ate some."

Reluctantly, Laurie reached out and took a fry. Shoving it in her mouth, she looked defiantly at Greg, then pressed back up against Nancy.

"Hmmph," Ashlee said. "And to think you want to take her with us. You don’t need her, Greg. She’s only going to slow us down."

"I’m not leaving without her," Greg said. "I waited too long to get a child to raise. She’s as much mine as she is Nancy’s now. I’ve been her only father for the past four years, and I’m not leaving her behind for some stranger to raise."

Nancy fought the urge to tell Greg off. She had to keep her temper in check if she wanted to come out on top in this. "When you leave," she said, "what do you plan on doing with me?"

"I don’t know yet," he said. "I wanted you to come with us. You and Kevin. Guess that's out of the question now."

Nancy thought for a moment. If she could convince him she'd changed her mind, she could get them out in the open; where there were other people....

"Well," she started. "I hadn't realized just how far you were willing to go for Laurie. I never knew you thought of her as your own daughter. Maybe..."

"Oh no!" Ashlee fairly shouted. "Do we look stupid to you? You're staying here. I will not have you alerting the cops at the airport just because he has a soft heart. If Greg wants to take the kid, fine. But you're not going!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" he asked.

"I know the best way to do it," she said, pulling the pistol out of her pocket. "That way we’d leave no witnesses."

Laurie’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the gun. She dropped the French fry she was holding. "Mommy?" she whimpered, grabbing onto Nancy. Nancy put her arms around her, and brushed her hair with one hand, attempting to soother her.

"Put that away!" Greg said sharply. "We’re not killing anyone! No one else is getting hurt!"

"I’m never going to toughen you up, am I?" Ashlee said. "You didn’t have the guts to get rid of Jennifer Price and you don’t have the guts to get rid of her." She pointed a finger at Nancy. "You should have gotten rid of her when you first decided that you wanted to keep her baby for yourself, rather than try to buy it from her."

‘So that was what was in the file on me," Nancy thought. ‘Greg wanted Laurie for his adoption business.’ Anger was beginning to seep in. If Ashlee hadn’t had that gun in her hand...

"Laurie needed a mother. A real mother. And keeping her around had it’s benefits. She’s been a good friend all these years, Ashlee. And she kept Kevin out of my hair when I needed to work without him around."

"I think I understand," Nancy murmered.

"Understand what?" Greg said.

"This isn't your show, Greg. This is her's."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Nancy rocked Laurie gently, trying to keep her calm. "You may have started placing girl's babies with new families, but after you met Ashlee, she took over. Completely. You just follow her orders."

"I do not. We work together. She's my sister. That's what siblings do. They work together. Just like your little Joe and his brother Frank. Working together to ruin my business and break up our home." He shook his head.

"Business? Is that what you call it? You buy babies from unwitting girls and basically sell them over the internet. For a profit. That's what you were going to do with Laurie, too. Until you fell for her." Nancy's arm tightened protectively around her small daughter.

"It was never for a profit!" he exclaimed, his voice rising with every syllable. "I was tired of the way the adoption system picks and chooses who can be a parent. This one doesn't make enough money; that one doesn't have a big enough house; this one's got the wrong color skin; that one's too gay! Yet any young tramp could go get herself in trouble and just throw the baby away. Literally throw it away! It's on the news on the time. They give birth and then abandon them - in dumpsters, people's cars, even in public toilets! And that's providing they didn't get rid of it earlier through an abortion. I just wanted to help out people like me; people who couldn't get a child through normal means."

"You BOUGHT them, Greg!"

"No, I didn't. So what if I gave those girls a little money? I'm not heartless. It was enough of a boost to give some of them a chance to get off the street. Not much, just a little helping hand."

"Oh, be still my beating heart! Such good deeds from such a fine man."

"Enough!" Ashlee yelled. She stood up. "I've had enough of your mouth. You need to learn to quit while you're still ahead." She went into the kitchen. Nancy could hear her rummaging around in the cabinets.

"That's where you're wrong," she called out. "I'm not ahead, yet. I'm getting there. When your mom died, you came back here with Greg. You discovered his little operation, and saw the potential. Suddenly the fees were raised; a flashy website was built; one that you could move from server to server; and - here's the best part - it didn't matter if you had a kid for every client. It was better when you didn't. Then you weren't out the hush money that was being paid to the mothers.

Ashlee returned, a roll of duct tape in her hand. "You know you're right. It was better. No silly, ignorant mothers in my way. No one to have to get rid of. Then my not so bright brother here sets up a meeting with your boyfriend. Oh, wait, ex-boyfriend, right? I recognized him immediately - from the pictures in Joe's apartment. That was one meeting that was never going to have a follow up!"

Nancy's eyes widened. "You were the mother Frank met?"

She smirked. "Yes. He still doesn't recognize me. I'm that good with makeup. Change the flesh tone, contact lenses, wig, some padding - a regular Hollywood artist!"

"Yes, you're quite talented, Ashlee. You've put those talents to good use. And they're really going to take you places - straight to prison."

Ashlee stepped in front of Nancy and raised a hand to slap her. As her hand flashed forward, Nancy's shot out and grabbed her wrist. Her other hand went for the gun in Ashlee's pocket, but Ashlee was too fast.

"I don't think so," she said pulling out the gun. Enough of this. Get over there in that chair."

"You won't get away. You'll never get on that airplane."

Ashlee just shook her head. "Yeah. Whatever." She glanced at her watch. "Well, not that it hasn’t been fun, but we’ve got to go. Flight leaves at 6. Take Laurie," she told Greg.

Greg pried Laurie off of Nancy as Ashlee held the gun in Nancy’s line of vision. Afraid to fight back for fear of Ashlee shooting, Nancy could only watch her daughter cry in fright.

"Now," Ashlee directed. "Sit down in that chair. Get those ropes and tie them around your legs. Make sure they are tight. I’ll be checking and you wouldn’t want me to have to shoot you in front of Laurie for not obeying, would you?"

Nancy did as she was directed. As soon as her legs were tied, Ashlee handed Greg the gun and tied Nancy’s arms to the back of the chair. Making one last test of the bonds, she placed a piece of duct tape on Nancy’s mouth and took the gun back.

"You can’t take that into the airport," Greg said.

"You’re right." She laid the gun on the couch. "It’s not like it’s going to do her any good anyway, is it?" She picked up their bags and ushered Greg toward the door.

Greg looked back at Nancy. "When we get to where we’re going, I’ll call Kevin and tell him where to find you," he said. "It’ll only take a day or so. You’ll be okay." With that, he turned and left, shutting the door behind him. The last thing Nancy saw was Laurie’s tear streaked face.

At Ashlee’s apartment, Frank, Joe and Kevin were having no luck finding anything that might lead them to Ashlee and Greg. After searching the last drawer in the bureau next to her bed, Frank slammed it in frustration.

"Oh!" he shouted. "Something has to give here!" He kicked the bureau, which resulted in more shouts and exclamations as pain blossomed from a stubbed toe.

"That’s it," Joe said dryly. "Take it out on the dresser, Frank. It’s a hardened criminal."

"Do you ever shut up?" he asked.

"Nope. But then you know that already." Joe raked a hand through his blond hair, looking around. There’s got to be something more that we’re missing. Something..." His eyes lit on a small key hanging from a chain over the mirror. "Her safety deposit box!" he cried, grabbing the chain.

"What?" Frank asked.

"She has a safety deposit box at the Nation’s Bank branch about 6 blocks from here. If she owns any property at all, the deeds might be in there!"

"How do you know this?" Frank asked.

"Asked her about the key one night when I was un....,’ Joe stopped, feeling his face flush. "She, uh, had it around her neck, you know, and it was ... It doesn’t matter how I know, I just do."

Kevin grinned. "All right, Joe. Whatever you say, buddy!"

"Will they let us in her box if your signature’s not on file?" Frank asked.

"They will if we get in contact with that police detective friend of Nancy’s and explain the situation to him. He can help us."

Kevin looked up. "I've met him a couple of times. Let me do the talking on this one."

Joe felt like he’d broken every traffic law in the book in an effort to get bank before it closed. A skeptical Detective Rodgers met them after a lengthy cell phone call from Kevin. After hearing their story, and taking time to verify Frank’s badge; he convinced the branch office manager to open the box. Inside, Frank found a will, various financial papers, and the deed to a small cottage, left to Ashlee by their mother, about 20 minutes away from Los Angeles International Airport.

"This has to be it," Frank said. "Where else could they have taken them on such short notice?"

"It seems too easy," Kevin said.

"I agree," Frank said. "But it’s worth a try. We have no other leads."

After Frank put the papers back in the safety deposit box, Detective Rodgers radioed for a squad car to follow them as they made their way to the address on the deed. Frank prayed silently that this was the right place. And that he wasn’t too late.

Nancy sat, dwelling for a few minutes on the mess she was in. ‘Snap out of it,’ she thought. After much wriggling and contorting, she managed to free one wrist. With further tugging and pulling, she gave the ropes enough slack to pull her other hand free. Wincing at the pain from the rope burns on her hands and wrists, she turned her attention to the ropes around her feet. Finally, she was free.

She reached up and pulled the duct tape loose, ignoring the severe sting that the quick motion caused. Wasting no time, she grabbed the gun Ashlee had abandoned on the couch. Checking the chamber, she saw that it really was loaded. Good. She may not have cared much for guns, but if it came down to it, she knew how to use one. And she would fire it if necessary.

Just as Nancy reached for the door, she heard a sound outside. Holding the gun in a position to fire, she stood her ground as the door opened. Detective Rodgers entered. Seeing the gun in Nancy’s hands, he ordered her to drop it.

"Jonathon!" she cried in relief, lowering the gun. Eyes widening, she say Frank and Joe come in behind him. Rodgers reached for the gun and Nancy handed it to him. Frank pushed past and put his arms around Nancy, hugging her close.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded.

"They got away with Laurie," she said, holding back tears that now threatened to flow.

Frank closed his eyes and cursed softly under his breath.

"How long ago?" Joe asked.

Nancy shook her head. "I don’t know. Fifteen, twenty minutes..."

"Any idea where they were going?" Frank asked.

"The airport. Ashlee said they had a 6 o’clock flight."

Frank looked at the detective. "Any chance of calling the local airports, having them check any outbound 6 o’clock flights or them?"

"We can try," he said. "It would help if we knew their destination."

"How about the East Coast?" Joe asked. "That’s where their clients are. One or both of them are bound to have a residence of some kind there. Probably bank accounts too."

"Good thinking," Frank said. "Have them check East Coast flights leaving at 6:00." He checked his watch. "And tell them to hurry."

He turned back to Joe. "You get her to a hospital. I want her checked out; make sure she’s okay."

"No!" she said.

"No?" Frank asked.

"No," she said. "I’m going to the airport. LA International is nearby and I think that’s where they’ll be."

"What makes you so sure?" he asked.

"Because Ashlee’s in charge and she's pretty smart. She'd chose the biggest one she could get to in the shortest amount of time. The bigger, the better. If the crowd’s large enough, it will be easier for them to blend in."

Twenty minutes later, they found themselves anxiously scanning the crowd at Los Angeles International Airport. Nancy bit her lip as she searched for her child. She watched Detective Rodgers give orders to several officers; then observed as they fanned out.

"Which terminals are the East bound 6:00 flights leaving from?" she asked.

Frank shook his head. "I don’t know yet," he said. "I..." he stopped as he caught a flash of bright pink. "She was wearing pink, wasn’t she?"

"Yeah," Nancy said. "A hot pink jumper over a blue turtleneck. Bess must have bought it because I’d never seen it before today. Why? Did you see her?"

"Maybe." Frank motioned for Joe’s attention, pointing in the direction he’d seen the familiar dress go by. Slipping through the crowd, he spotted Greg. He held Laurie in his arms. Ashlee stood next to him, checking her ticket and keeping an eye on the bags. She spoke to Greg, who put Laurie down to stand, still holding onto one hand.

Frank waited until he saw Joe in position to spring. "Hey!" he shouted. "Hey! That’s my kid you’ve got there! Somebody grab him! He’s kidnapping my kid!"

Greg jumped, startled. Eyes wide, he looked in Frank’s direction. He grabbed Laurie’s hand to pull her along just as Joe tackled him. Laurie shrieked and turned to run, but Ashlee was faster. Grabbing Laurie by the arm, she shouted out. "Back off, Hardy. You want to keep her in one piece, you’ll do what I say."

Frank froze in his tracks.

"Get off him, Joe. Now." she demanded. Joe slowly got off of Greg. Ashlee began to back toward the exit, taking Laurie with her. Laurie looked frantically around, searching for a way to get loose and run to her daddy or Uncle Joe.

"You won’t get away with this," Frank said. "There is security everywhere, Ashlee. Let her go. Maybe the law will go easier on you if you don’t add kidnapping to your list of crimes."

"That’s what you think," she said. "They won’t go easier on me. This is my only chance. Sorry, kid," she said, looking down at Laurie. "Come on Greg."

Greg got to his feet and began to slowly make his way over to her, warily eyeing the Hardys and the security officers. As he reached Ashlee, he turned toward Frank.

"See you later," he said, never noticing Nancy come from around the corner. As Ashlee motioned for Greg to hurry, Nancy aimed her right leg in a karate kick.

As her foot made contact with the small of Ashlee’s back, she spoke through gritted teeth.

"He said let her go. Are you deaf?"

As Ashlee went down, Greg sprang toward Laurie. Eyes wide, Laurie acted on pure instinct. Screaming, she put one arm over her eyes and threw herself down to ground in a faint. Greg missed grabbing her as she went down, and stumbled forward only to be caught by one of Detective Rodger’s officers. Frank rushed for Laurie.

"Laurie!" he cried, picking her limp form up in his arms. "Laurie!"

She moved her arm slightly, peering out from around it. "Did I do good, Daddy? Did I?"

Frank nearly choked, a mixture of both tears and laughter attempting to escape at the same time. "You did great baby. You did great." He held her close.

Nancy leaned against the wall as the security officers took care of Ashlee. Joe went over to her. "How about you? Gonna make it?"

"Yeah," she said, her eyes on Laurie. "I’m fine. I need to see about her, though"

Joe laid a hand on her arm. "Let him take care of it, Nan. He needs this." She paused, then nodded, realizing Joe was right.

Frank was still holding Laurie close to him. So this was what fatherhood felt like, he thought. He could already feel the gray hairs beginning to form. He held his daughter close, relishing the warmth she gave; trying to push back the thought that he’d almost lost her. So close and yet so far. How many times had he and Joe put their own parents through this type of worry? He made a mental note to apologize for all the stress they’d put them through, case after case, over the years.

"Daddy?" Laurie asked.

"Yes, baby?" he replied.

"Can we go home now? I want to go home."

He kissed her forehead. "Yeah, we can go home."

"Is Uncle Greg a bad guy, like in stories?"

"Yeah, he is. But he’s gone now. The police have him and Ashlee. And I have you. And I promise, I’ll keep you safe. Your mother and I will keep you safe."

"Good," she said. "Let’s go home, Daddy."