Claire felt she's been floating here and there. She knows she's been in and out of consciousness for several times. She knows she is already safe for can hear voices of her parents', her brothers', Penny's, Beatriz's and even Lucas'? - all urging her to wake up and fight whatever battle she is at the moment. Though she tried to open her eyes like the first time she did, wherein, someone probed a light into her eyes, she cannot fully do so. She feels that her lids were made of leads which made it difficult to open it. So instead of forcing it, she just let herself be lulled into a dreamless state where she cannot feel anything at all - no pain, no worries.

However, consciousness sometimes seeps through and she can feel that someone is sitting beside her, only sitting in silence, while continuously holding her hand. There was one time even, that she heard that someone weeping, that the tears are falling into their clasped hands. She tried to wake up, say that she is alright and to comfort that person, but still, her body refuses to do so.

At last, she finally woke up, it maybe due to the incessant beeping she's been hearing that it is starting to annoy her. She wanted to lash out to whomever or whatever is making that noise. She still found it difficult to open her eyes and she felt weak, it took her so much to even move a finger and finally, to open her eyes. When her view came into focus, she saw white ceiling, and when she roam her eyes into her surroundings, she saw an IV which is connected to her left hand and the beeping noise came from the monitor on her right side which shows some numbers. It is clear she is at a hospital, she tried to remember how she came here but her mind is muddled which made her panic and in turn made the monitor beeped more frantic. The frenzied noise made someone in uniform rushed towards her.

"Mrs. Harrison, we are so glad you are awake. Just relax and I will call your doctor, okay?" Her calm voice and demeanor made her relax, and she only nod her response for her throat feels raspy.

She only left for a minute and came back with a glass of water, with a straw and offered it to her.

"Here, take a sip, only a sip, okay?" She did what she was told at first but took several more sips before she finally release the straw. The water healed her parched throat and she finally found her voice.

"Where am I? How did I came here?" She asked.

"You are in a hospital, specifically, at the ICU. The police brought you here." The nurse answered her truthfully.

"How long was I out? How long have I been here?"

"You've been here for two days already. You've been in and out since you were brought here. We know you've been conscious every now and then for we can sometimes see you move, but you never opened your eyes. Do you remember what happened to you?" The nurse asked which made her probe her memories, though still murky, some snippets came but it feels as if it was a clip from a movie. She tried to connect it like a puzzle, but linking it together and trying to remember everything, made her head ache. The nurse saw her clasping her head and made a comment.

"Do not force yourself to remember everything. Just relax, okay?" She nod and just then a female in white coat came and went beside her bed.

"Hello Claire, glad that you are awake. I'm Dr. Kelly, I am an OB, I am in charge of your well-being during your hospitalization since you are carrying a child." The female doctor introduced herself. Her hands immediately went to her stomach when she heard the word OB, and she felt immediate relief when she noticed that her baby bump is still there.

"Your baby is safe Claire." The doctor offered when she saw her action and asked kindheartedly after. "Well Claire, how are you, in general?"

"I feel fine, though my body feels weak. Is my baby really fine?" Claire asked, worry filled her voice.

"Yes, the baby is fine, really."

"But?" Claire proded, she can feel that something is bothering the doctor.

"Let me check you first okay? Then we will talk." The female doctor dodged her question efficiently which made her nod for she cannot refute what the doctor wanted to do and she is only doing her job.

She was physically assessed while being questioned whether something hurts while being checked. When the doctor is satisfied that nothing really is amiss with her, physically, at least, for emotionally, she is about to burst, and she knows that the doctor can see it.

"Okay Claire, so, I cannot see anything wrong. But I want to ask you something with regards to the baby. Did you experience any bleeding, heavy or otherwise while you were held captive?"

It hurts to revisit the memories, that she forced herself not to let her emotions get the best of her.

"No, nothing like that happened. Not even a spot. Is there a problem?"

"It is good to hear that. I just wanted to make sure." The doctor answered with a smile. "Claire, though I already checked, I wanted to ask you a very sensitive question." When she just stare at the doctor clearly waiting for what she is about to ask, she proceded. "Did he in anyway, harrassed you, sexually?"

Though she was taken aback of the sudden query, she answered truthfully. "No, he did not. I was just held there captive, I was alone most of the time."

She saw that her answer brought great relief to the doctor that is clearly shown on her face.

"Another thing Claire, this is not that grave, I just want to inform you. Your baby is small when we first check, it maybe due to the fact that you were left there without anything to eat, but it can still be remedied by eating well, having enough rest and not stressing yourself out. Okay Claire?" When she nodded her answer, the doctor continued. "You will be transferred to a regular room later, as for now, I will let your relatives in for I know they are already quite agitated outside waiting for me to finish here up. You have a very nice family Claire, remember that." With a wink, Dr. Kelly left, and after sometime, her loved ones came in, although, one by one for they are not allowed to crowd her inside the ICU. They are not allowed to stay for more than several minutes as well, because according to the nurse, she needed rest, and true enough, for even before all of their turn ends, she already felt tired and her eyes started to fall.

She woke up next inside a regular room, the monitor is gone, so the constant and annoying sound is not there. She is alone as well. She wondered where they are? They wanted to smother her when she was still at the ICU and now there were nowhere to be found. But she welcomed the silence, maybe she got used to it, or maybe it is because she is really not alone. At the thought, a smile suddenly formed on her lips and her hand automatically went to her belly and started to caress it while humming a lullaby.

While doing this, an image suddenly struck her, it was the last thing she remembered when she is still at the ICU before finally sleep took over, it is of Lucas who came last and went beside her bed, took her hand, placed his other hand on her belly and whispered something, if she really heard it right, something that goes along this line: "Welcome back sweetheart, I love you, both of you."

Her heart suddenly filled with warmth at the thought that he love her as well, but instead of feeling elated, it made her sad. For if he really said it, did he really mean it or was it just because of guilt that he said those words? Her depressing thoughts made her sigh, instead of dwelling further into being despondent, she willed herself to be happy - for the sake of her child.

Her attention was caught by the opening of the door, her parents came inside and her mother immediately went beside her bed.

"How are you Claire? How do you feel?" Alessa asked after kissing her forehead.

"We're fine mom. Thank you."

"We are glad that you are both fine, that you are already with us." Nathan spoke with misty eyes.

"I am also glad dad and thankful that you have found us, finally. I thought I will never leave that place. I've been hopeful the first few days but not after the horror that I saw that it extinguished every courage and that glimmer of hope that I so hold unto." She said slightly sobbing. Alessa gathered her into her arms and rocked her, comforting.

"Mom, I want to ask you something." She said after sometime. She continued when Alessa released her, a questioning look on her face. "Did you know that my mother - Lizzie, was also taken captive by the same man who took me?"

"No, I..what are you talking about?" Alessa asked bewildered.

"That man, he said something when I was there. He took me because I look a lot like my mother, which according to him was able to escape from him with someone's help, that she was held there against her will when she was still pregnant. I do not know if she was carrying me at that time or I have a younger brother or sister. Do you have any idea about this matter?"

She saw her parents look at each other first before Alessa opened her mouth, but words failed her. So Nathan answered instead.

"We do not know anything about Lizzie being held captive as well, that is the truth Claire. All we know is that she is running from someone, so she left you with us with clear and specific instructions to keep you safe, from whom, we do not know." She saw her father took a deep breath before speaking again.

"We took you and abide with that promise. We receive the news of her death several months after. According to the medical officer who signed her death certificate, she died giving birth together with her child, that at that time is only seven months. We did not tell you anything about this for we want you to live normally. But by doing so, we failed to keep that promise to your mother."

"We also felt guilty because we did not dig further with why she left you with us, why she is running and from whom." Alessa finally spoke but with tears continuously streaming from her eyes. "Maybe because I want to have you, for I wanted to have a daughter for a long time. Or maybe because I chose to be selfish at that time. We are not in good terms you know, me and your mother - my twin sister, though we grew up together, we've never been close, especially after we met your father. She already set her eyes on your father when we were still on our teens, that is why maybe I chose not to ask anything when she came knocking on our doorstep with you in her arms. Deep within me, I do not want her to be close with my family. She already did something before, in order to break me and your father apart, and I do not want that to happen again, nor do I want to give her any opportunity to do something again. I am sorry for that Claire, please forgive me, for I chose myself and my family over your mother. I've been so selfish at that time that cost the life of your mother and your sibling." Alessa said still sobbing while Nathan is holding into her hand.

"Mom, I will never accused you of anything, nor I will let you carry that guilt and burden that you've been carrying for so long. I will only be grateful for you showered me with so much love, you and father - no all of you, you have treated me like your own. If you are telling me that you have been so selfish, you should have treated me differently for I know that you can see my mother in me. So please, put down the guilt mom, free yourself from it. I know that my mother doesn't want to cause you further pain that is why she chose to leave and did not ask for any help from you except to take good care of me. Maybe she felt remorseful for what she did to both of you that is why she did not demand anything at all."

"Let her rest mother, I know that she is thankful to all of you for looking after me, I know she is. She will be happy once you let go of the guilt you've been feeling all these years. She can feel what you feel mom, it is a fact, isn't it? You are twins after all."

Alessa smiled at her quipped. "I should be the one comforting you, not the other way around."

"I love you Claire, like you are my own." Alessa said wholeheartedly.

"I know mom, I know, and I love you too, all of you." She said while hugging both her parents, who returned it with equally loving hug.

"Where are the others, by the way?" She asked after sometime.

"Your brothers are arranging everything about the case. Beatriz and Penny are helping each other with your store for they both failed to do their work at the store since the day we knew you are missing; and your husband just settled a very important matter with his business. Something that he keeps on ignoring while you are missing." Alessa answered her query lenghtly which she answered with a smile.

A knock on her door took all of their attention and Lucas went inside, a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"Good afternoon Nathan, Alessa. Hello, Claire." He greeted them while Alessa took the flowers and put it in a vase on her table.

"We are going, Claire. We will come back later, okay? Rest if you can." Alessa said, kissed her forehead and left pulling Nathan along with her.

The way her mother left with her father in tow brought a smile on her face. It's a good thing that the issues and questions about her mother have been put to rest. Though she knows it will be a long time in order for her mother to forgive herself, she is on her way to it.

Setting her eyes on Lucas' face, she sighed inwardly. Now, another thing to handle, this thing with her husband, she just hopes that it will be as easy as her mother's.

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Thank you so much for reading everyone and for being so patient. Several chapters left.

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