Toni looked down at Janet as she slept. It took a while, but she eventually fell asleep after being held. It broke Toni's heart to see the love of her life going through this. These last few years have been hell on Janet and she just didn't understand why. She's the sweetest person ever. Why would anyone want to do this damage to her?
Janet turned in Toni's arm and rested her head in her chest as she clung her tighter. She moved around and Toni could see she was starting to get agitated. So she rubbed her back and gave her little kisses on her forehead. "It's okay. I got you." She whispered to her. Janet started to calm down and just went back into her deep sleep.
It had been a few days since Toni had been staying with her. The facility made a special exception due to the circumstances because she was the only thing keeping Janet calm. So she was allowed to stay. She sometimes went with Janet to her sessions to hear her talk and she would also express some of her feelings, but she also let her go alone because she knew that Janet had a tendency to keep a certain layer of her feelings to herself. At first it offended Toni that Janet couldn't share that part of herself fully, but then she remembered that she's only known Janet for a small amount of time out of her whole life. So some habits she has are going to be hard to break and she was willing to be patient. They had a whole lifetime together to work on it.
Toni snuggled with Janet more and closed her eyes. She finally started feeling tired. Just like Janet, she couldn't sleep peacefully knowing that her daughter may not be. However, over the last couple of days, she's gotten a calmer feeling about the situation. Which was weird because you wouldn't expect to be calm when it came to your child missing.
Just as Toni felt herself falling asleep, she was suddenly awakened by Janet shaking her. "Toni."
"Hmm?"
"Toni, wake up." Janet shook her harder.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Toni sat up and looked around.
"Call the Detective Peters."
"Why? Wh....what happened?" Toni grabbed her phone.
"Just check to see if they have any information." Toni looked at Janet. Her eyes showed desperation and panic. Even though she didn't believe they would have any new info, she still made the call. She knew the Janet's connection to Gabby was a little stronger because they shared a body. Plus she believed that God tave mothers the ability to sense anything about their child. So if Janet is asking her to call about Gabby, she was calling.
"Hello, this is Detective Peters." He sounded wide awake.
"Hello, detective. It's Toni Braxton. I was just calling because my wife and I..."
"Oh my god. Ms. Braxton, we were just about to call you."
"Why?"
"A woman brought Gabby into the fire station and they're bringing her over." Toni sat up and grabbed Janet's hand.
"Are you serious? She just....she just came in?"
"Yeah, like not even a whole minute ago. Your timing is impeccable."
"That's amazing. We'll be right down."
"Great. Well fill you in when you get here." Toni hung up the phone and looked at Janet.
"Let's go."
"Go? What's wrong?"
"A woman brought Gabby to the fire station and we need to...." Janet jumped out of the bed and put her things on in, what seemed like, one swift movement. Grabbing Toni's car keys, she rushed out of the room. Toni rushed behind her with their things and had to practically run behind Janet to keep up with her. They left the building and jumped in the truck. Before Toni could even fully close her door, Janet was pulling off.
"Baby, be careful. Let's get to her safely." Janet nodded but didn't say anything. She didn't drive much anymore due to her mostly being home with the baby, but when she did, she really took charge of the road.
Without missing a beat, she moved through the cars and streets at moderately fast speed. She caught every green light and when it looked like the light was going to change on her, she sped up.
The whole ride, Janet and Toni were a bundle of nerves. How was Gabby doing? What had happened to her? Was she exactly the way they left her or had they done something to her? Had she eaten? Had she been changed? Was she cleaned? So many questions. Janet's stomach felt like it was in her butt.
They pulled into the police department parking lot and got out. Janet ran inside and to the front desk. "Hi, I'm umm...my daughter...she....the guy....Peters." Janet tried talking through her short breaths. The officer at the desk stood up.
"Mrs. Braxton, calm down. Take a deep breath. Come with me."
"Okay." The officer led them to a room. As they approached, Janet heard crying and knew it was Gabby's. They rushed in and saw a nurse trying to examine her, but she wouldn't sit still. Without hesitation, Janet went to Gabby and picked her up.
"Oh my god. Oh my god." She started crying. "Oh my god. My baby." Janet held her close and rocked her. "Oh my...."
Slowly, Janet began to fall to the floor. Toni grabbed a chair and sat her in it. Janet cradled Gabby and looked down at her. When Gabby opened her eyes and saw Janet, her cries turned to whimpers. She laid her head against Janet's chest and when she heard her heart beating she stopped whining instantly. It made Janet want to cry even more. Her baby truly missed her.
"Well, this is great." The detectives came in and saw the scene. "Told you she would stop when they got here." Toni stood and greeted the detectives.
"Thanks so much. For all the work you guys did." They shook her hand.
"We'd love to take the credit, but the woman just walked in. We didn't approach her or anything."
"Who was it?" The door opened again and Janet immediately got worried.
"What the heck?" She stood up. "Lauren?" Lauren looked at Janet. "Did you take her?"
"Of course not. I was coming home late and she was just there. On my front steps."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. I don't understand why or how. I turned all of my home security footage over to the police. I'm just as
confused as why and how she showed up there."
"Is she someone you guys trust?" asked the detective.
"Yes." said Janet. "She's been around since I was a baby. She wouldn't do this."
"Okay. We will require your help with this." They looked at Lauren.
"Of course. Janet's like a daughter to me. I will do anything for her."
"Good." They took Lauren out of the room to a questioning area. Now that Gabby was fully calm, their nurse was able to examine her to determine that nothing was wrong.
"Do you believe her?" asked Toni. Janet nodded
"I do. Lauren would never do anything like this."
"Then who would go this far as to take our baby?"
"Let's focus on that later. She's back with us now. That's all that matters."
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They got Gabby back!!! By the way, she was gone for over a week.
Wait until yall see where we going.
Thoughts???
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