Rebuilding Our Empire

I Gotta Find My Baby

Haven's Room

Cookie sat in the rocking chair that resides next to Haven's bed. She rocked while holding the stuffed Nala close to her chest. Jamal walked into the room, spotting the small guitar that sat in the corner. Haven was a hungry busy body, but she was still a Lyon and quite the entertainer. She would grab her guitar and mic stand and rock out, singing whatever flew into her little mind. Jamal smiled, thinking about the last time she entertained him. Cookie watched her middle son stroll around the room, wanting to talk to him.

"I remember when she climbed up this bookshelf for the first time. She asked me if I would catch her when she fell. I told her I'd catch her no matter how far or how hard she fell, because that's what big brothers are for. She climbed her little ass up there so quick and jumped off when she reached the top shelf. I think at that moment she felt so free, like she could do anything and no matter what, someone would be there to catch her. Too bad she was let down today," Jamal spoke out into the room, not directly at Cookie.

She went from smiling at the memory, to frowning at her son's visible disappointment. "Mal, I didn't know Renee was planning to take her. I don't even see what the point in doing that would be. It's not going to do anything but activate Lucious' itchy trigger finger. He's ready to kill her and I don't blame him. I've kept her alive all this time by keeping her at a distance. I'm done protecting her," Cookie confessed. Jamal walked closer to the bed, picking up her little pillow and sitting on the floor with it clutched to his face.

"I remember when we finally got this bed for her. That was the longest 3 months ever, trying to get her to sleep in it. She didn't want to be a big girl. Always wanted to be under somebody-" she was interrupted. "Mainly dad," Jamal added. Cookie laughed out loud. "Yeah, especially Lucious. And she is a major cock block, worse than you were. It's like she just knows that Lu and I are-" "Ok, don't need to know that. She probably doesn't want any more siblings. Somethings you just pick up on that you don't understand as a child," Jamal explained.

Cookie wiped more tears. "Why did you believe that Renee wanted to help Carol? She doesn't care about anybody. Every time I talked to her, she just expected me to spill tea about you or dad," Jamal asked as sincerely as he could. "It's Carol. She gets on my nerves, but I've always looked after her. I couldn't just leave her like that after finding out she had been with Renee," Cookie explained. Jamal pulled his phone out his pocket. He pulled up a text from Candance. "Look at this, Ma," He said, placing the phone in his lap. 'Have you seen Carol? She went out for a walk yesterday and hasn't been back. Don't tell Loretha, I don't need to hear her loud mouth about not keeping tabs on Carol.' Cookie's eyes got wide.

"Wait, she was still living with Candance?" she questioned. Jamal nodded. "You never asked Aunt Candance. She never left for good. She probably went for a walk then went to talk to Renee. I bet money, wherever Haven is, Aunt Carol is too," he confessed his thoughts. Cookie jumped up, grabbing her phone to call Thirsty. "Thirsty! I know how to find Haven! I have a tracking device on Carol, that's if she wore it. Hurry up and come by the house. I have to find my baby before she has an episode," Cookie quickly spat out, running to her and Lucious' bedroom to get her laptop.

Carol and Haven's Location

Carol and Haven sat in the corner of the room, furthest from the door. Carol looked around, trying to find something that would help her pick the lock on the chain, but it was no use. There was nothing sharp, or even with a slight point. For once, she didn't even have a bobby pin in her hair. She swayed with Haven fast asleep on her chest. It was eating her inside to know that Cookie was laying on the floor. Who knows if she had been found yet. If Lucious wasn't there, then that meant he was at work, and if Renee had Midnight knock Cookie out, then most likely Juanita was knocked out too.