They all nodded in agreement or said "okay." Each of them had a sheepish look on his or her face. Going to see how Timmy was doing was exactly what each of them had planned on doing.

*****

Shortly after Viki, Téa and Kevin left and headed for the lounge near Timmy's room, Eileen ushered Nora into Susannah's office.

"I think I can find the rest of the way myself, thank you," Nora quipped sarcastically when Eileen walked her all the way into Susannah's inner office. "Are you people going for some kind of speed record when you escort someone?" Nora added.

"Thank you." Susannah patted Eileen on the arm. As soon as the nurse left, Susannah turned to Nora. "I asked them to get you in here quickly in case Todd or an alter who would be upset by seeing you came out."

Nora smirked. "Yes, we would not want Todd or any of his alters to be upset by seeing me. Of course if you really want to see something upsetting, you might want to see a stab wound in your husband's gut or see your child placing herself in danger by working with a violent psychotic."

Susannah didn't take the bait. "Would you like some coffee?" Susannah offered. "I have some butter cookies."

Nora shook her head. "You always did like the butter cookies that came in those tins."

"So did you," Susannah reminded her. "You used to try to get to the tins first and take all the pretzel shaped ones before I had a chance to get any."

Nora laughed. "I did get them all too. Until that one time . . ."

"I remember," Susannah cut her off. She smiled. "I was looking through your desk for some loose leaf paper and I found your stash. My God, you must have had dozens of them, from several tins, hidden in that desk drawer."

"And you ate at least half of them. You probably would have eaten all of them if I hadn't walked in and caught you." There was a twinkle in Nora's eye at the memory of it.

"I probably would have," Susannah admitted, "if I hadn't of stopped eating and sat down to try to figure out why you took the cookies if you didn't really want to eat them."

Nora looked at her sister and smiled. "Always the shrink . . . always trying to get inside everyone's head. Mom and Dad always thought you'd grow up to be a vet because you were forever dragging injured animals into the house and nursing them back to health, but I think I always knew you were going to end up a shrink. Nora looked off into space for a moment. Then she looked into Susannah's eyes. "So did you ever figure out why I took the cookies?"

Susannah shrugged. "Maybe?" For a moment, Susannah's mind went back to Timmy and his feelings about Adam. "Maybe you resented me coming into your life and taking away what was yours, Mom, Dad our grandparents. So you got off on taking something that you knew I liked, even if you didn't especially want it."

The small smile that had been on Nora's face froze there. Her mouth still held the smile, but her eyes were no longer twinkling. They were angry and hurt. "I guess this is what they pay you the big bucks for . . . figuring out everyone's motives. I do think that this is a little beneath you. Just plain old sibling rivalry? Come on, Susannah. You can do better than that. I'm sure my motives were much darker and sicker."

"That can be a very strong driving force. Siblings can end up never being close or even enemies for life because of these kinds of unresolved issues."

"I can understand that," Nora stated coldly. "Sometimes the sibling may even grow up to feel so resentful that he or she places their brother or sister's child in danger just to get back at them."

"Nora." Susannah stayed calm despite feeling hurt by Nora's accusation. "I know you're frightened for Rachel and angry with me, but do you honestly believe that I would use Rachel that way?"

"Yes! . . . no . . . I don't know what to believe. Here I thought we were making some strides in patching up our differences and then you go and pull something like this."

"Rachel is a grown woman. I can't tell her what to do any more than you can."

"Don't underestimate yourself. She looks up to you. She has always respected her Aunt Susannah. Rachel was very young when she joined the 'isn't Susannah the greatest gift to earth' club." Nora realized what she sounded like. "Do you get some bonus points from the AMA for being right again?"

Susannah felt compassion for Nora. She knew that Nora didn't want to feel this way. "Rachel loves and respects you more than anyone. So much, in fact, that she never thought she could live up to you. She tried her best to be what she thought you wanted. That's why she went to law school," Susannah pointed out.

"And that's also why she became involved in drugs. Go ahead, why don't you add that!"

"Rachel is fine now. She's a strong young woman. She recovered and she has taken back control of her life. She might not have been able to do that without the love and support you, Hank and Bo gave her. Rachel still wants you to be proud of her and happy for her. Only now she realizes that the most important thing is being happy with herself and being proud of herself. That has to come first, Nora. No matter how good someone feels about us, if we don't feel good about ourselves and what we are doing with our life, it always feels like something is missing."

"I am proud of her." Nora sounded defensive. "I think working with kids with autism is fantastic. It's working with Todd that I have a very big problem with."

"I'm not going to tell you that Todd or Pete or any alter other than Adam can never come out. I can tell you that I will always be in the room when Rachel works with Adam and so will a tech and most likely Adam's family. The danger to Rachel is minimal.”

"Minimal! This is my child we're talking about! If the danger is one in a hundred million, it's not a chance I want Rachel to take."

"It’s a chance Rachel wants to take. Nora, this is an unusual case for Rachel. She is fascinated by DID. She wants to work with Adam not only because he has autism, but because he is and alter with autism."

"Look, Adam might be an innocent baby, but he lives inside a man who is a rapist, a stalker, and probably a murderer and he lives with other alters who have lost touch with reality to the point that they try to stab to death anyone whom they confuse with their father."

"I know Bo was trying to help Pete, but he never should have tried to take the scissors away from him. He should have let us handle it and Bo knows that. He doesn't blame Pete."

"Susannah, let me ask you something, my feelings and yours about our childhood problems aside. What if it had been Rachel who'd gotten stabbed? What if he plunged that scissors into her heart, or her eye or neck? Would you tell me that it was Rachel's fault because she should have known better?"

"I'm telling you that Rachel knows the risks. She was there and saw what happened to Bo. I told her that I cannot guarantee that she will never get hurt. Rachel wants to do this. She is qualified. She is very good at what she does. She wants a chance at this unusual case. I trust that she fully understood the warning I gave her and that she knows what she's getting into. I won't treat Rachel with any less respect than I would a stranger who came here to work with Adam, and I won't deny her this chance because of your fears." Susannah was adamant.

Nora was quiet for a moment. She swallowed hard. "She's really good at this?"

"Yes!" Susannah smiled broadly. "She is very good. I am so impressed with her. She knew what to do without much guidance from me. She responded well to Adam and got him to respond well to her. She was patient and she worked with him without any sign of fear. In some cases, beginners who work with typical children with autism are anxious and uncomfortable when they first start. Rachel wasn't. She was confident in her knowledge. Adam sensed no fear or anxiety from her and neither did I. Nora, I think Rachel has really found what she wants to do with her life, career wise." Susannah saw pride for her daughter shine in Nora's eyes.

"Rachel always was good with kids. I remember the kids she babysat with loved her and would always ask for her," Nora stated. "I think she gets that from you. You were always great with kids too and one of the most popular babysitters in the neighborhood. You always made way more money than I did."

Susannah smiled. "That's because you used to try to talk the kids into going to bed early so your boyfriends could come over."

Nora laughed. "Did those little rugrats tell you that?"

"They also told me that sometimes you would move the clocks up an hour to try to fool them into thinking it was their bedtime."

"You mean they were on to me?" Nora seemed genuinely shocked. "Then I guess it's a good thing I gave them a cut of my money to go to bed and not say anything."

"No wonder you always had to borrow money from me," Susannah joked.

"I always paid you back." Seeing the look Susannah gave her, Nora added, "Well, I did most of the time." Nora's expression turned serious again. "Susannah, I really am afraid for her."

"I know," Susannah admitted. "I promise you I will do everything within my power to make sure she stays safe. Honestly, I don't believe there is much risk. The children are sweet and gentle. Most of them are afraid of the world around them. Even Pete is usually not a danger. He wants to be loved more than he wants to hurt anyone. His rage has dissipated some since he's been here. So has Todd's, and physically none of them are very strong. They are all just starting to get their health back. I know Rachel would very much like your support."

"Yes she would." Rachel said angrily. Susannah had previously told her secretary to let Rachel come right in. That was before she knew Nora would be there. "I would like it, Mom. I don't need it. That's the part of me that I worked on. "You came here to try to talk Susannah out of letting me work with Adam, didn't you?"

"I don't want you to get hurt. Is that so difficult to understand?"

"No. I do understand it. What I don't understand is why you think you can still run my life."

"That's not what I'm trying to do." Nora needed Rachel to understand her feelings as much as Rachel needed Nora to understand hers.

"Mom, it might not be what you think you're trying to do, but it is. I don't want to make you worry about me. I'm sorry if my working with Adam will cause you pain. I wish you could be happy that I'm getting this opportunity and I wish you could see what terrific kids some of the alters are. Don't forget, I hated Todd too. I've gotten past that." Rachel went up to Nora and took her hands. "Mom, what's the one thing you've always wanted most for me?"

Nora looked into Rachel's big brown eyes. She smiled. Nora pulled her right hand away and stroked Rachel's cheek. "I've wanted you to be happy."

Rachel smiled back. "I am, Mom. I really am."

Nora looked deeply into Rachel's eyes. "You are, aren't you?"

Rachel's smile got bigger. She nodded.

"Susannah says you're very good at what you do. You're gonna make a difference in the lives of children. You'll help them and change their lives' for the better. That's one of the best ways I can think of spend your life."

Rachel hugged Nora tightly. Susannah looked on. She was happy for both of them. She knew that Nora was still not happy with her for getting Rachel involved in this and that she would still worry herself to death every time she knew Rachel was with Adam. Susannah also knew that Nora may never forgive Todd, but she was finally giving Rachel her wings. Susannah was proud of her sister.

Rachel was just about to tell Nora that she was staying with Téa for a few days when they all heard Timmy scream.

"I WAN DOTA HAMEN! I WAN DOTA HAMEN! NO! NO DAYWOOM! NO! I WAN DOTA HAMEN! DOTA HAMEN GO WAY! THEE WEAVE ME!"

"Excuse me," Susannah said as she rushed past Rachel and Nora.

When she got to the hallway, she found Timmy sitting on the floor near the dayroom, crying his eyes out. Sam, Viki, Téa and Kevin were with him, but apparently his head count came up one short.

"Timmy, I'm right here." Susannah knelt down beside him.

"You thay you be dhere when I get cweaned up. I cwean and you go way," Timmy sobbed.

"Timmy, I'm sorry. I did say I would be there. I was only in my office. I didn't go far."

"You go way foweber."

"Nooo, shhhh. Sweetie, I'm right here. I didn't go away forever. I'll never go away forever."

Timmy reached out for a hug. Susannah took him into her arms and held him tightly. She rocked him gently for a few minutes. Finally he sat back. “I wan ba-ba."

"What do you want in your ba-ba?" Susannah asked.

"Pineaddle duice."

"How about we all go into the dayroom for some of that alphabet spaghetti and I'll have someone bring you your ba-ba in there?"

Timmy nodded.

"Timmy, I just have to tell someone who's in my office that I can't talk to them any more right now. I'll be right ba . . ."

Before Timmy had a chance to get upset again, Nora walked down the hallway toward her sister and Timmy. She and Rachel had been watching from a few feet away. Timmy's pitiful cries compelled Nora to see him.

Sam and Viki moved forward. Their first instinct was to protect Timmy from Nora.

Kevin and Téa also believed that Nora was there to start trouble. They too moved closer.

"Timmy." Nora knelt down to Timmy's eye level. She looked into his large innocent eyes. She noticed they looked brown. She remembered Todd's eyes being lighter in color. "Doctor Hanen doesn't have to leave you to go to her office. She can say goodbye to me right here."

"Who you?" Timmy started to suck on his fingers.

Nora could see she, being a stranger, frightened him. "My name is Nora. Doctor Hanen is my sister and Rachel is my daughter."

"Viki my thister, but thee my mommy dow. I wike Wadhel. Thee thad and cwy."

Nora had to think about what he was trying to say for a moment. Then it came to her. "Rachel was sad and she was crying?" Nora looked up at Rachel.

Timmy nodded.

"Wadhel do thomething bad to thomeone and thee thad and cwy. Her daddy don pumish her. So dow thee not thad and thee thtop cwying. I habe alpabet paghetti for wunch. Kebin pway alpabet paghetti game wid me. Tee and Mommy and Daddy and Dota Hamen pway too."

Timmy's smile tugged at Nora's heart. This confused her. First Adam got to her and now Timmy. She was not ready to let go of her feelings about Todd. "Well, you have a nice lunch. Alphabet spaghetti sounds like a lot of fun."

Timmy nodded. He began to suck his thumb.

Rachel wanted to explain to Nora why she was crying. She also wanted to tell her that she would be working with RJ and staying with Téa. Then Rachel wanted to take Téa back to her hotel room. Rachel turned to Susannah. "Since you're going to be having lunch with Timmy, would it be all right if I took Mom to your office so we can talk?"

"Sure, honey. Here are the keys." Susannah handed them to her. "If my secretary is out to lunch by the time you leave the office, please lock the outer door and then bring me back the keys."

Nora took one more look at Timmy. She could not believe that she so clearly saw a child, the way she had with Adam.

"Bye, Timmy. Maybe I'll see you later?" Rachel knelt down and stroked his head.

"Bye Wadhel," Timmy opened and closed his hand, the way a baby waves bye-bye.

"Yes . . . um . . . bye Timmy." They could all see that Nora felt awkward.

Timmy waved bye-bye to Nora too.

Rachel and Nora headed for Susannah's office and everyone else headed into the dayroom, for lunch.

*****

During lunch it was even more obvious that Timmy had some cognitive impairment. Once Kevin saw Timmy could no longer spell even the simplest of words, he quickly changed the game. He saw that Timmy could still recognize the letters so Kevin told him what letters to fish out and Kevin spelled the words on the spoon. Timmy refused to feed himself. After each word had been spelled out, Kevin fed him the spoonful. Timmy did hold his bottle of juice by himself as he drank from it. For dessert Kevin fed him some chocolate ice cream. Even Sam was impressed with the patience and tenderness Kevin was displaying. Sam once again hoped that Blair was wrong about Kevin still hating Todd and about him having an affair with Téa.

*****

Rachel and Nora sat in the club chairs in Susannah's office. Calmly and with self-confidence, Rachel told her mom that she was going to work as a hostess at Club Indigo. As expected, Nora was not thrilled. Nora knew that some of RJ's friends and business associates were not the type of people she wanted Rachel associating with. She voiced her opinion to Rachel. She kept herself from asking Rachel not to take the job. Rachel appreciated that. She did her best to assure Nora that she was not a naive little girl and she now had enough sense to know whom to stay away from. She also reminded Nora that her uncle RJ loved her and no more wanted her to have anything to do with the less savory aspects of his life than she did. Nora saw the truth in that. She told Rachel she only wanted the best for her and would do her best to support her in whatever made her happy. Rachel believed her mom. She hoped that it would last and that Nora's fears for her and feelings that she was still her little girl would not eventually get the best of her and once again drive her behavior.

When Rachel told Nora she would be spending a few days at Téa's, Nora was again not too pleased. "You just got home. Why don't you ask Téa if she would like to spend a few days with us instead?" Nora suggested.

"Mom, it's only for a few days. I promise. I'm not moving in with her. I don't think Téa would be as comfortable as she would be in her own room."

Nora did see the reasoning behind that. "You will come to spend the first Passover night with us?" Nora asked hopefully. "Téa is more than welcome to join us," she added.

"Yes, Mom. I'll be there. You know I've always loved that since I was a kid. I wouldn't want to miss it."

"I did invite Susannah and Bill. She said his kids would be in town. I guess they should be coming in tomorrow or the next day. Have you met Bill?" Nora asked.

"No. I can hardly wait to, though. From what you, Bo and Susannah have told me he sounds like a great guy."

"He seems very nice. I liked him immediately. Grandma would love him. I think she'll be happier than anyone if Susannah ever tells her about him."

"Mom, I hope you're respecting Aunt Susannah's wishes and not saying anything to Grandma and Grandpa Hanen."

"Don't worry," Nora assured Rachel. "You know I think I'll head back to the dayroom with you. I want to ask Susannah if she knows by now if she's able to make it or not."

The two of them left Susannah's office. Rachel locked the door as promised and the headed down the hall with her mom.

*****

Nora and Rachel entered the dayroom quietly, in case Timmy was no longer out. Nora didn't want to admit it, but she wanted to see Timmy again. In some strange way she was drawn to the children that lived inside the man she hated.

Both Nora and Rachel exchanged glances and then smiles. Téa was sitting on the couch. Timmy was lying back in her arms drinking from his bottle, as he had earlier, only this time Téa rested her arm against the arm of the couch for support. Téa was singing to him again. They felt the love emanating from her as she looked down at Timmy and sang to him softly. Timmy stared into Téa's eyes as he drank. Timmy held the bottle with one hand and with the other he reached up and twirled a strand of Téa's hair around his finger. His eyes were getting heavy with sleep.

Nora and Rachel didn't call to Susannah. They didn't want to disturb Timmy. They waited until Susannah noticed them by the door and motioned her over. Rachel handed her back the keys.

"I remember when Rachel used to do that when she was going to sleep in my arms," Nora remarked as she kept her eyes on Timmy. "How is it possible?"

Susannah knew what she meant. "Timmy is a four-year-old. He may live inside Todd's body, but he is a four-year-old and right now he's a very regressed four-year-old."

Nora sighed. "This is all too much for me to take in. I came here today ready to raise Hell over what Pete did to Bo and instead I find myself . . ." Nora shook her head as if she were trying to shake the tender feelings she had for Timmy out of it. Nora quickly changed the subject. "Susannah, I was wondering if you knew yet if you and Bill were going to be coming for the first Seder night?"

"I'm hoping to be able to. Bill's kids are going to be coming in day after tomorrow. If it seems like something they'd like, I would love to bring them. Even if Bill and his kids can't make it, I'd still love to come and spend the holiday night with all of you."

"Uncle RJ and Dad are going to be coming," Rachel told her aunt.

"I hope they don't get into one of their heated discussions," Nora joked.

"Maybe they'll be on their best behavior if there are some young children at the table, so tell Bill's kids they'll be doing us a favor if they come," Rachel kidded.

Talking about children made then all glance in Timmy's direction. They saw that Téa had fallen asleep and Timmy had also fallen asleep, in her arms. Viki sat reading a magazine. Kevin was making some notes for an article he was working on. Sam sat staring off into space, as had become his habit. Jeff and Steve sat off in a corner of the room talking quietly to each other. They were ready in case they were needed.

"Let's step outside," Susannah suggested. She left the dayroom door ajar so she could hear Timmy if he called to her.

*****

Rachel and Nora filled Susannah in on their discussion. Susannah was happy that Nora was making a real effort to accept that her child had grown up and that Rachel was able to understand her mom's fears. Nora remembered that she never asked Rachel why she had been crying. Without mentioning Pete, Rachel told Nora that she had been thinking about the night she killed Georgie.

"Rachel." Nora tried her best not to sound like she was trying to run Rachel's life again. "Maybe being around Todd, even if it's not Todd who's out, brings back too many painful memories?"

"I did kill a woman and her baby, Mom. Those are memories I'm going to have to learn to live with. Staying away from Todd and his alters will not take away that night."

Nora knew there was truth in that. She would gladly take Rachel's pain onto herself is she could.

"I know you'll find a way. You've always been a very strong young woman," Nora reassured her daughter.

*****

They all looked toward the dayroom when they heard Timmy cry out. Timmy had been having a bad dream.

A big purple, dragon like monster was ripping pictures of Timmy's mommy off the wall. As had once actually happened to Timmy, months before, Timmy watched the pictures of his mother fall to his feet. "Your mommy's never coming back," Timmy heard the monster growled. The monster had long arms with claws at the end of each one. Timmy looked down at the fallen pictures of his mother. He looked up at the monster. He tried to run. He couldn't get his legs to move.

"Mommy! Moooommmmyyyyy," Timmy cried out.

Susannah rushed back to Timmy's side. Hearing the anguished cries of a child made Nora and Rachel look into the dayroom as well.

The sound of Timmy's cries had woken Téa up with a start. For the moment she was dazed. Timmy's legs were moving as if he were tying to run. His arms were flailing. Steve, Jeff and Susannah quickly pulled him off of Téa before he accidentally hurt her or himself.

Timmy's eyes were open. He was struggling with them. He was caught between reality and his nightmare. Kevin rushed to Téa and pulled her up off the couch. He too was trying to protect her against any accidental injury. Still slightly dazed, Téa tripped. Kevin caught her before she fell, but not before the part of Timmy that was conscious of what was going on in the room saw Téa start to fall.

From where they stood in the doorway, Nora and Rachel's eyes opened wide when they heard the child in Steve, Jeff, and Susannah's arms shriek with pain and start screaming for them not to touch him.

TO BE CONTINUED