Safe and Sound (Book 4 of "The Story of Us" series) [Completed]

Chapter 5 - Face to Face

[Harley]

Nick and I went to a hotel because frankly, I had to have some alone time. Every time the police said was eating me up inside. Child pornography and molestation? Really? Ella could have been forced into those things, if this was Ella. Even if it wasn't Ella, no child should have to deal with that stuff.

I thought I had it bad as a child because my father was out gallivanting around. I guess I had it pretty damn good.

I fell asleep around seven and slept through the night until Nick woke me up the next morning, telling me Chief Roberts called and they were going to give the little child a blood test, to test against our DNA that they were getting from Atlanta. I could tell he hadn't slept. He looked so tired. He had bags under his eyes.

After telling me about the blood test, he crawled into bed, wrapping his arms around me, whispering to me that everything was going to be okay.

"Even if that's not her, Nick, imagine what she's had to go through," I whispered, snuggling my face in his chest. "I hope it's not her now. I don't want to think that..."

"I know," Nick whispered as his cell phone rung. He reached over, grabbing it. "Hello? Really? Yeah. We'll be there at two. Thanks."

"What was that?"

"They're doing the blood test now, but apparently the family services people say that Isabella asked why she's giving blood and they told her," Nick said as I stared at him. "She wants to see us."

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I mean, what could it hurt? What if it's her? They said the test won't be in until tomorrow," Nick said as I sat up in bed. "Maybe if we see her, maybe she's got like green eyes bright red hair and we'll know she's definitely not our kid. I mean, we know what Ella looks like. She's got that curly hair like Sadie, your hazel eyes, just like we both have always pictured."

"You're right and if not, maybe we can go buy the kid something to make her feel better and show her not everybody is evil," I said as Nick nodded. "We can go by and buy her a doll or something before we go, some balloons or something."

"That's a good idea," Nick smiled, kissing me. "We can go get some lunch first before heading over."

Nick was right. We could tell by looking at the little girl if she could be Ella or not.

"Oh, you brought the girl something," Chief Roberts said as he walked out into the lobby a little while later. "She'll enjoy that. She's back in one of the waiting rooms. We had her tested so as soon as we get the results, we will let you know."

"Thanks," I said, holding a big pink bag that had a few dolls in it and pink balloon tied around the handle. "Is she okay?"

"I think she was just excited someone wanted to see her," Chief Roberts said as we walked towards a door. "She's very quiet though. She's been through a lot."

Nick and I nodded as he opened the door and walked in. "Isabella, this is the couple that's looking for their little girl that wanted to meet you," Chief Roberts said as he moved out of the way and we saw her standing there.

Long, straight blonde hair, blue eyes and she was tall. I dropped the bag, staring at her as Nick jumped, grabbing the bag and looked at me.

It was her.

"You're Nick Carter and Harley Carter," she said, walking up to us. "You're looking for your little girl?"

"You know who we are?" Nick asked as he squatted down, looking at her. Those eyes. I knew those eyes. They were Nick's eyes.

"I have Harley's poster in my bedroom. I've loved her since I was little and my Mom likes the Backstreet Boys and you on 'Blue Bloods'," Isabella said as she looked at the bag and then looked at me. "Is that for me? It's not my birthday. I just had my birthday."

"Yeah, this is for you," I said, squatting down to hand her the bag. She smiled, reaching inside to see the dolls. "I don't know if you like dolls or not."

"Sure, I love any kind of toy," she said, staring back at me. "You look just like you do on TV," she said, reaching over to touch my face. "You're so pretty. You're like a Barbie doll."

"Hey, why don't you three go sit down," Chief Roberts said as we walked over to the table and sat down. "I'll leave you three in there alone for a few minutes," he said, walking out of the room.

"So you're looking for your little girl?" Isabella asked. "They took my blood with a needle and said that a couple was looking for their little girl."

"We are," Nick said, looking at her. He looked at me and I could tell he saw it, too. "So why did you want to meet us? Did they tell you who we were." Isabella shook her head. "Then why?"

"They always told me that I wasn't there real baby, that their real baby died and they couldn't have anymore," Isabella said. "So when they said that someone was looking for their little girl, I thought maybe it was my real Mom and Dad. I didn't know it was Harley Carter and Nick Carter."

"They told you all of that?" I asked as she nodded. "The police guy told us what they did."

"They're mean," she whispered to us. "I like it better with the people I live with now."

"How long have you been away?" Nick asked as she shrugged. "Before your birthday?"

"Before Christmas," Isabella said, tilting her head to look at us. "You have a little girl and boy don't you? I saw your pictures in a magazine once. Where are they?"

"They're back home in Nashville," Nick said as she took one of the dolls out of the bag. "Hey, do you mind if Harley and I walk out to talk for a minute and we'll be right back, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise," I said as Nick took my hand, leading me out of the room. We walked out to see Chief Roberts standing there. "That's her, Nick. I know it is. She's you made over. She's like Noah, except for blue eyes."

"Did you know that?" Nick asked, looking at Chief Roberts.

"When they brought her around here this morning, I saw her and saw how much she resembled you, I knew it had to be her," Chief Roberts said. "If it comes back that she is your child, they will also be charged with kidnapping."

"She said that the woman was a Backstreet Boys fan," Nick said, looking at me. "That had to be why Ella was chosen. They knew who she belonged to. Oh my God, I'm going to kill them," Nick said, getting pissed off as I grabbed his arms, looking at him.

"Calm down, just, I'm 99.9 percent sure that's Ella in there, Nick," I said, looking at him to see that he was about to cry. "She doesn't look like we always thought, but it's her. I know it is. I can tell that it's her, Nick. She looks like you."

"Why don't you two go back in there with her for a little bit," Chief Roberts said as I nodded, taking Nick's hand and leading him back into the room where Isabella sat, brushing one of the dolls hair.

"I thought you weren't coming back," Isabella said as Nick and I sat back down across from her. "You don't think I'm your little girl, do you?"

"I think you are," I said as Nick looked at me. I knew I shouldn't have said that, but I couldn't help it. "You're tall and slender like I was when I was your age and you look like Nick."

"My bad Mom always said I did, too," Isabella said. "What happens if I am?"

"If you are, you're gonna come home with us," Nick said as I looked at him. "Where you should have been all along and we're going to get you the best doctors and..."

"I don't like doctors," Isabella said. "They touch me in weird places."

"To examine you? Because of...." I said as she nodded, looking down. "You know, we named our little girl Ella and your name is Isabella."

"Your little girl's name is Ella?" she asked as we both nodded. "I like that name. The bad people called me Issie but I didn't like it."

[/Harley]

[Nick]

We stayed in there thirty more minutes, just talking to Isabella until the family services people came to take her back to her foster home. When she left, Harley and I sat there in the room for the longest time, not saying anything.

I wasn't sure to say. I had this aching feeling in the pit of my stomach that she was Ella. Harley was right, she looked just like me. She reminded me a lot of my sisters, especially BJ. She had my eyes, my smile and Harley's nose. She was everything I never expected Ella to be.

"It's her," Harley whispered as I looked over at her. "It's Ella, I know it is. I can feel it, Nick."

"Me too," I whispered, reaching up to put my hand over my mouth. "They bought her from that doctor because she was my kid. How did they know it? You kept it a secret."

"Someone sold us out or they stalked me," Harley said as I looked over, seeing tears forming in her eyes. "Ella's not dead, Nick. She's been alive all this time and being hurt."

"Come here," I whispered as Harley moved over, sitting across my lap and wrapping my her arms around my neck. "When we find out for sure, we're going to make sure she's okay and we're going to take her home."

[/Nick]