Two Perfect Wrongs

The Morning After

Nikki stumbled down the stairs refusing to acknowledge what happened the previous night. It was stress and an overwhelming need to numb the pain. It wasn't going to happen again; it couldn't happen again. She would go to a meeting before visiting Victor; no one would ever know. Those plans went out the window the moment she entered her living room to see that Vodka bottle sitting on the counter.

"Nikki, are you okay?"

Nikki looked up to see her stepson staring at her with a concerned look. He looked as wrecked as she felt.

"I'm fine. What are you doing here?" Nikki haughtily asked to change the subject. She took a closer look at him; he was wearing clothes that looked like sleeping wear. "Did you sleep here?"

Adam sighed; he was too tired to deal with Nikki. "I didn't have a choice. My house is a crime scene. I'm not allowed to stay there."

"What do you mean crime scene? What did you do? And why couldn't you stay at a hotel?" Nikki huffed in frustration.

"Why were you staring at that bottle of Vodka like it's going to solve all your problems?" Adam fired back. The two stared at each other in a stalemate. Softening as all of yesterday's events came back to him, "Where you drinking?" Adam asked.

"No." Nikki curtly replied. She wasn't going to confide in Adam of all people. "I admit I felt an urge, but I resisted."

"Good. Good." Adam replied, not knowing what else to say.

"You never answered me. What did you do to make your house a crime scene?" Nikki asked to flip the attention back to Adam.

"Why do you automatically assume I did something?" Adam groaned in frustration. Nikki raised an eyebrow. "I didn't do anything. Sally was kidnapped while I was at the emergency board meeting from hell. I came home to a trashed living room and a missing Sally."

Nikki gasped, "Oh God Adam that's awful. I'm so sorry. Do the police have any leads?" The hostility was slowly falling.

Adam let out a dark chuckle alarming Nikki. "Oh, they have a lead alright. Chelsea. Chelsea slipped through Victor's ace security, hit my fiancée over the head with a lamp, and dragged her unconscious form to her car."

"How do you know?"

"I had security cameras installed after her disappearing act. Saw the whole thing. I'm done making excuses for her. Connor be damned, she's going to pay for this. One way or another, she's going to suffer."

Nikki stared at her step-son eyes wide in shock. He sounded so detached, so determined. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that he meant every word he said. Chelsea better hope that the police were the ones to find her because she didn't think Adam would let her live.

Thankfully, before she could respond her phone pinged. It was a message from Nate telling her that Victor had woken up. "It's Victor. He's awake, I have to go."

Adam nodded in understanding, "Of course. I should go check in with Paul anyway. Tell Dad I'm thinking of him."

Nikki gave a slight smile. "I will. Good luck."

"Thanks. Same to you." Adam responded. He watched Nikki leave before heading upstairs to get ready himself. Paul better have some leads for him.  

Paul was discussing a lead with his deputies when he heard his name being called. "Oh Chief!" He closed his eyes in exasperation. He knew that voice. Honestly, the police chief was surprised he waited this long to barge in.

"Hello Adam" Paul put his customer service voice on. He knew exactly why Adam was here.

"Hello." Adam nodded. "Any updates on Sally's whereabouts?"

"Adam, it's only been twelve hours. We haven't even released your house back to you." Paul sighed. "I know that you're frustrated and scared, but I promise I will personally call and update you when we have a lead."

Adam could sense the brush off, but took what he could get. "You better. Thank you, Chief Williams." He left the station and Paul breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, some leads turned up soon, Paul didn't trust that Adam could stay away. He took more and more after Victor every day.

Adam beat his steering wheel in frustration. Sally and their little girl were in danger and it was all his fault. He should've known better than to get involved with Sally. Now she was suffering because Chelsea wanted him to suffer.

His phone rang; Nick was calling him. "Hello." He tiredly answered the phone, already knowing what his brother was calling about.

"Adam where are you?" Nick asked as a greeting. Day one and Adam had already let him down; he didn't know why he was surprised. "I took a leave of absence from my nonprofit to help you out and you can't even show up on time. God, you're so selfish."

Adam sighed. Yep, he was right about Nick's call. "I'm sorry Nick, I was at the police station. Sally was kidnapped last night."

Nick was startled and suddenly felt very guilty. "Oh God, Adam I'm so sorry. I had no idea. Do you have any leads?"

"Chelsea. Chelsea broke into my house, kidnapped my pregnant fiancée and took her God knows where. Sally better be okay or..." He trailed off.

"Adam you can't go there. You have to think positively." Nick preached. "Sally needs you to stay strong and positive. And so does your little girl."

"You're right, you're right." Adam exhaled. "Me falling apart isn't going to do anyone any good."

"That's right Adam." Nick responded suddenly feeling like his brother's life coach. "Are you sure it's Chelsea?" Kidnapping a pregnant woman didn't seem like something Chelsea would do in Nick's opinion. But he guessed he didn't know her as well as he thought.

"I've got it on tape. I'm sure." Adam firmly stated.

"Have you thought about what you're going to tell Connor?"

"No, my head is so jumbled I don't even know what to say." An event concerning Connor suddenly came to the forefront of his mind. "Shit, I have that meeting with Mr. McCartney today at Walnut Grove."

"Adam, you need to reschedule that meeting." Nick demanded. While he felt absolutely terrible that his nephew was being bullied, this meeting was a bad idea on a good day, but now it was a disaster waiting to happen. "Seriously, you are not in the right mindset for this. You could inadvertently get Connor expelled."

The younger brother scoffed, "God, Nick how out of control do you think I am? I'm not going to get my son expelled. Honestly, I could use the distraction right now. And besides, Connor's been feeling neglected enough, if he finds out I skipped the meeting about his bullying I don't think he'd ever forgive me."

"Fine. Fill me in when you're done. In person. Work could be good for you too." Nick sighed knowing that he was beat. Adam agreed and hung up the phone. The older brother leaned back in his chair letting out a deep exhale. Why did everything have to be so complicated all the time?