Eve looked at the babies in the nursery, gazing lovingly at her son. Just then, a man in a hat and trench coat comes into the nursery and goes over to the bassinet with her son. Eve watches helplessly as the man takes her child out of the bassinet and leaves the nursery with him.

“ SOMEBODY HELP ME! HE’S TAKING MY BABY! HE’S TAKING MY BABY!”, Eve screams as she bangs on the nursery window. But, her child is gone.

Eve wakes up to find TC sound asleep. Knowing that she doesn’t even want to go back to sleep, even if she could, Eve goes to the bathroom for a long shower.
 

Julian Crane was in the Crane Library when he saw the door open.

“ Mother?”, Julian asked the figure in white who was standing at the door.

“ Yes, Julian. It’s me, Mother.”

“ Why? How?”

” I came to talk to you, Julian.”

“ Why?”

” You’ve disappointed me, Julian.”

“ I know.”

“ You know what I asked you, on my deathbed.”

“ To look after Sheridan.”

” Yes.  I asked you to protect your little sister.”

“ And, I haven’t done a good job, have I?”

“ No, you haven’t. You’ve not been there for Sheridan at all. You haven’t protected her from the evil that surrounds her, Julian.”

” Father..”

” Among others. Don’t you see that she needs you? More than she’s ever needed you before.”

“ How can I help her? I can’t even get to her.”

” You’ll find a way.”

“ That means I’ll be going against Father.”

” Maybe, it’s time you did. Sheridan needs you, Julian. She’s needed you all along.”

Katherine Crane walks towards the door.

” Mother, don’t go.”

“ I have to. Keep your promise, Julian.”

“ Mother? Mother? Mother?”

Katherine was gone.

Julian sat up in his bed and looked at the clock.

“ What a way to start the day.”
 

“ Thanks for meeting me so early, Marlie.”

“ It’s ok, Luis. I’m usually up this morning, though I don’t usually do business at this time of the morning.”, replied Marliyn ‘Marlie’ Schoop, old classmate and lawyer for Luis.

“ So, tell me what you know.”

” Luis, I’m sorry, but it’s not good news. I warned you when you came to me that I didn’t think you had a chance. Sad to say, without the child that you and Sheridan had together, you can’t begin to present a legal challenge. You’re not her husband, and you’re not related by blood. Legally, you’re a stranger to Sheridan.”

” A stranger! I’m the man she loves.”

” I know that, but it has no legal standing.”

” They locked her away in a looney bin, against her will, and I can’t help her?”

” No. They have doctor’s reports.”

” Bought by Alistair.”

” Have you tried talking to your brother?”

“ He tells me that until Sheridan ‘comes back to her senses’, that he has no choice but to keep her locked up.”

” Sorry to hear that. And, I have some more bad news. “

” What?”

” This was delivered to my office last night, before closing.” She hands Luis a group of papers.

” What is this?”

” It’s a restraining order. You can’t come within one hundred yards of the Sanitarium. If you do, the security there is under orders to call the police and have you arrested.”

” Arrested?”

” Yes.”

” I love Sheridan. I will not let her be locked up like that.”

” Luis, I’m looking into your eyes, and I’m getting scared. As an Officer of the Court, I don’t think I need to know what else you’re thinking.”

” You’re right. You DON’T need to know. Thanks for all you’ve done.”

” I’m sorry I didn’t have better news.”
 
 

“ Luis, where are you?”

” You have to keep your eyes closed, Sheridan. You promised.”

“ I know I did. But, you know I’m impatient.”, Sheridan whined as she giggled.

“ Open your eyes.”

Sheridan opened them to see the gazebo turned into a menagerie of animals. Stuffed animals were everywhere. Balloons and streamers were all over the place.

” Luis, what is this?”

“ Well, I know that we have a party planned for Martin later, but I thought that this first birthday of his should be shared between the three of us. We need to have our own celebration.”

Sheridan looked down at the blanket. Luis had Martin sitting on the blanket, smiling up at his mother. There was a little cake in the middle of the blanket with a ‘1’ candle lit.

“ So…did I do a good job?”

“ Oh Luis! It’s wonderful. Perfect.”

“ I have to thank you, Sheridan. Thank you for knowing our baby. For making me believe that Beth had mistakenly gotten our child. He would have never been with us otherwise.” Luis kissed Sheridan.

“ Luis, I would know our baby anywhere. A mother knows her child.” Sheridan picks up Martin and kisses him. “ Mommy loves you SO MUCH!”

Luis looks around the blanket and hits himself in the head. “ How could I be so stupid?”

” What?”

” I forgot the video camera. We have to record him blowing out the candle. I’ll be right back.” Luis kisses them both and leaves.

Sheridan holds her son. “ I love you, my precious. I’ll always love you. Nobody will ever take you away from me again.”

“ You sure about that, Blondie?”

Sheridan turned around and saw the clown that held her hostage. But, it wasn’t just her. There were a bunch of clowns. And, then she looked around the gazebo. All of the decorations were gone, and now, she saw another pit.

“ You know the drill. Gimme the baby!”

” No! You’ll have to KILL ME to get my baby!”

“ That can be arranged!”, and the next thing Sheridan knew, she felt a sharp pain in her back. Being stunned by it, she let go of Martin, but the clown got him before he hit the ground. Sheridan felt a foot on her, kicking her, and the next thing she knew, she saw nothing but dirt.

“ Here, so you can finish the job!”, the clown yelled, as she threw an object into the pit next to Sheridan. Sheridan saw that it was a big knife, covered in blood. She looked up and saw a screaming Martin, trying to get out of the clown’s arms, but was unable to do so.

“ Take a look at the kid. It’s the last time you’ll see him.”

Sheridan began to scream.

” LUIS! LUIS! LUIS! SAVE OUR BABY! LUIS! LUIS!”

The two women looked into Sheridan’s room.

“ There she goes again.”, the first nurse commented.

“ This happens often?”

” Yes. I can’t believe that they’re STILL giving her drugs to keep her out of it. It’s obvious, and I’ve reported that the woman gets no peace in her sleep. Look at her wrists.”

The other nurse looked down at the restraints. There were obvious bruises.

” What happens?”

” She starts out peaceful enough, but it doesn’t stay that way. She has some sort of nightmare, and then the thrashing begins. I’m really beginning to be afraid for her. She is pulling at those restraints something awful. “

” They haven’t started therapy for her?”

” No. In order to have therapy, the woman has to be lucid. She’s been doped up on the heavy stuff since she got here. I’m surprised that you are here.”

” Why?”

” Because they have a set group of people that are allowed to be around her. Nobody outside of that group is supposed to be near her.”

” I wasn’t supposed to be here, but Lucille got sick.”

” Oh.”

” Does she say anything?”

” Only one word is clear. A name. Luis.”