Avenoir

Avenoir - Laura

Laura

I watch Kristen take off, hot-footing it towards Marlena's office I have no doubt, and I make to follow her, but instinct diverts me away from the elevators. Because I have a problem. David Robbins won't back up my theory, Kristen has obviously silenced him with threats of the long reach of the Famiglia DiMera. Stefano might try and make out that he is a legitimate businessman now, but we all know that he will never stop the more nefarious dealings that have brought him the power he wields. Money talks, but his money speaks in the language of threats, blood, and revenge. And of course, kidnapping and brainwashing.

Any sensible person who falls within the orbit of the DiMera family must escape before they are sucked into the hellish vortex of their black hole of morality. Or they will eventually have to pay the piper and succumb to the inevitable blackmail or threats that will have them become the tools that Stefano and his children wield in pursuit of their twisted wants and obsessions.

So, if David will not be of any help, I will have to try and find the one person who can corroborate my theory. A theory that, without proof, will make me sound even loopier than everyone already thinks I am. Without that proof, Kristen will just laugh off my accusations and she will probably somehow twist my words to make herself seem the victim of the crazy woman.

I owe my dear friend more than that. If I can unmask Kristen as the liar and fraud that I know she is, if I can prove that it was not her in that hospital bed giving birth, if it was not her that John married, then he is free to be with Marlena. They can be together with no guilt, and no way for Kristen to inveigle her way between them once again.

As I turn the corner to the nursery, I am relieved to see that my prediction is correct, and the mousy buck-toothed southerner is back at the window staring at her baby—John Jr. Or rather, Elvis Jr.

I come up quietly behind her and stand at the window next to her.

"Hello again," I say quietly.

"Oh!" The other woman starts and glances at me, her brown eyes wide with fear.

"It's okay," I say, laying a hand on her arm. "I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I want to help you."

"Help mee?" she asks in a high, squeaky voice. "Haow can yah hay-elp me?"

"If you help me," I say, "if you tell the truth about what happened when you gave birth to your baby, I can help you get him back." I watch her face go through a myriad of emotions. Fear, hope, and sadness all struggle for a foothold on her ever-so-homely face.

"Susan, someone has taken him from you. I think they have tricked you into something you think you can't get out of." I see her look back at the baby that the nurse has taken out of the crib. The baby that Kristen is claiming is hers. Little Elvis Jr.  Her gaze softens and she looks wistful and scared.

"That's your baby, isn't it?" I say, pointing to the baby that has the name John Black Jr. affixed to his wrist. "Kristen DiMera has forced you to give up your baby to her."

"No!" Susan's reaction is immediate and telling. "No! I cain't! Them mean ol' vampires will get meh!"

"I won't let the vampires get you, Susan," I tell her softly. "If you help me, if you tell the truth about your baby, about what Kristen forced you to do, I'll make sure you have all the help you need to keep your baby and look after him."

"That mean, mean, mean 'ol Kris-tan DiMera and the vampires, they won't let me," she says, cowering back in fear.

"John will make sure they do," I tell her. "Once John Black knows the truth, he will make sure you get to keep your baby. He will make sure Kristen and the vampires get locked away for a long, long time." I'm not one hundred percent sure who the 'vampires' are that she's talking about, but I'd lay good money on Stefano being involved. And probably Vivian and Ivan given how much they've been hanging around the DiMera mansion of late. This woman is a few fruit-loops short of a breakfast bowl but if she's capable of taking care of her baby, and I have no reason to doubt that she is, then she shouldn't have that right taken away from her by Kristen and her cronies.

Besides, I have walked on the wild side of sanity a time or two, so who am I to judge?

"Mr. John Black?" she asks, suddenly perking up. "He's dreamy, ain't he?"

"He is," I nod.

She leans forward so close that I can see her revolting teeth in all their yellowing glory. "Ah'm married to Mr. John Black," she says confidentially before her mouth stretches into a wide smile, exposing those unsightly gnashers.

YES! I do an internal tap-dance on Kristen's imaginary grave.

"Well, I am friends with Mr. John Black," I tell her, "And I promise you that if you tell him the truth, he will help you keep your baby and he will make sure that Kristen and the vampires can't hurt you ever again."

"If he's a friend of yours, do you think there's a chance Mr. John Black might fall in love with poor ol' me once he knows about Kris-tan?" she asks hopefully, and definitely deludedly.

"Oh Susan," I put my arm around her shoulders, guiding her gently away from the window. "He is a very kind man, but I am afraid he is already in love with another very good friend of mine. Kristen has been keeping them apart and I need to make sure they finally have the chance to be together. Do you understand?"

She looks at me, crestfallen for a moment but then a smile crosses her face. "As long as it's not that mean, mean, mean ol' Kris-tan!" she says firmly.

"It's not," I smile back.

"Is she a good person, this freend of yours?" Susan asks as she pulls at the edges of her ugly cardigan sweater.

"She is absolutely the best person I know," I tell her honestly. "And she deserves to be happy. Just as much as John does." I have guided her a little way away from the window. "Now Susan, do you think you can help me?"

She looks thoughtful, raising her dark, bushy eyebrows and sucking on her lower lip. After a moment, she seems to come to a decision. "Ah think ah can. What do you want me to do?"