Once Delia had come to terms that Troy was not her "True Love" and only a cruel joke by the Genie, she fortified herself for what was to come and decided not to contact Troy again. She had already disrupted the poor man's life enough and wouldn't do more by insisting he be a part of her life.
She had raised more than one child alone so was no stranger to being a single mom and besides, she had enough money now that working would be secondary to giving her all to the life growing inside of her.
Delia went about her daily chores while she awaited the birth of her child. She didn't think of it as Troy's anymore. She wouldn't burden him with that. She decided that once the baby was born, she would leave Riverview and she and her child could start a new life somewhere else.
Delia checked the real estate listings and found some interesting cities that might be good. She narrowed it down to Lucky Palms. It was in the middle of a desert and far away from everything here. She put a deposit down on a house. In a few months she and her child would start a new life.
This was becoming an annoying habit. Why couldn't she just be normal? She knew so much more now than she ever had and knew this was why. Things were certainly not as they seemed to those that were 'normal'. She could hear her Mother's words:
Learn all you can about the supernatural. They can do you harm if you aren't prepared. After she and her baby settled in Lucky Palms, she would make this her life's mission. She no longer doubted her mother's sanity and vowed to never be surprised again by something 'unnatural' or 'supernatural'.
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In the meantime, Troy called Sherman to come to meet him after work at a new 'safehouse' he had just purchased. He had a plan that he needed his help and support with.
Troy was overjoyed to see Sherman drive up and rushed out to give him a hug. He needed to feel the comfort of his arms around his neck.
"Please, come inside. We need to talk," said Troy.
Sherman followed Troy inside and they sat down.
"What is this place Troy?" asked Sherman.
Sherman ignored him and started talking nervously, "I have been watching her house, Delia's house. She is definitely pregnant and I believe it is my child. The timing is right. I can't stand by and let my child be raised by a crazy woman. And let me tell you, she is manipulative and crazy. There is something about her. She is more powerful than she knows. I think she is a fairy or part fairy and part witch maybe. I am not sure she even knows."
Sherman sighed and looked at his lover. "I will support you in whatever you want to do. You are a very powerful witch and if you feel like this is your child, then we should help raise it. But again, what is this house?"
Troy pulled Sherman into an embrace. "Thank you for standing by me. You know that you are the only one. I was tricked by her. She cast a love spell on me. I was defenseless. I would never cheat on you."
"Stop it Troy. I told you already, I don't hold it against you. I love you and trust you. If I didn't know you were a witch, maybe that would be another story."
Troy continued, "Thanks Sherm. But you don't understand. I don't want to
help raise my kid. You and I are going to raise it."
"Yeah, right!" scoffed Sherman, "Delia's just going to hand her baby over to us. You know she won't do that."
"No. I will sneak in at night while Delia is asleep and take the child. I have the access code to her alarm system. Delia gave it to me when we ... um...the night you picked me up."
"What??? Kidnapping? I thought you meant joint custody," replied Sherman confused.
"No, it's my child. It's not kidnapping it," rationalized Troy.
"Okay, if you say so. I love you and it sounds like you are determined," said Sherman.
"Thanks for understanding Sherman. Without you, I am not so sure I would have even bothered. But now, we can be a family."
"This house? This is where you plan to hide the baby isn't it?" asked Sherman again.
"Yes, we will hide out here until it is safe. No one knows about it. I bought it under a shell company so it can't be traced back to me."
Sherman just sighed and leaned into Troy's embrace. He loved him so much and was so lucky to have found him. He would do anything Troy asked.
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Delia went into Labor. Even though she felt she was a 'pro' at this, it was still stressful. She managed to get herself to the hospital and resisted calling Troy. It would only cause stress. It wouldn't be long now before she could move. She already had everything set.
Delia delivered a little girl. She thought she was so beautiful that she named her Jewel. Jewel looked so much like her father and that made Delia happy. One day Delia would tell her daughter about her father, but only after she was old enough to deal with the circumstances.
The limo picked up Delia and her new daughter from the hospital and took them home. On the way Delia thought about how lucky she was to be able to have another child. Troy was a good man and didn't deserve all that had happened to him. She wouldn't do more to ruin his life.
When they arrived at home, Delia tucked Jewel into the crib that she had used for her last two daughters. That seemed like a lifetime ago. She teared up when she thought about the last child that had inhabited the crib and the memory of Vladimir so lovingly tucking her in. They were the reason Delia was even in Riverview. Victoria and her father who both now haunted her basement.
After she fed and tucked her daughter in, Delia went to bed happy but thoroughly exhausted.
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Troy excitedly called Sherman, "Sherman, come over, quick. I did it. I have the baby, a little girl. Delia aptly named her Jewel; she is precious and beautiful.....Come now. I am going to put some enchantments in her room so that no one will be able to see her or get into the room. Hurry!"
After Troy hung up the phone with Sherman, he did just as he said he was going to do, he got out his wand and began the incantations that would protect his child and keep her safe - and more importantly keep out Delia.
Troy didn't feel bad about keeping Jewel from her mother. He knew he and Sherman would be able to care for her and see to it that she grew up shielded from the wickedness that was her mother. He wanted to be sure his daughter was never exposed to her mother's twisted ways.
"Don't cry little Jewel," Troy cooed to his daughter after casting the spell, "at least your mother gave you a name that was indeed worthy of you. You are my Jewel and always will be. Here you go, drink up sweetheart. Your other Daddy will be here shortly and I want you to be good for him. He will surely love you as much as I do."
As soon as Troy finished feeding his daughter, Sherman arrived at what they were calling their 'safe house'.
"Isn't she beautiful," said Troy as he handed Jewel to Sherman, "she is perfect in spite of having such a sick, controlling and manipulating mother."
Sherman held the baby like he might break her and just looked at her. "Yes," replied Sherman, "she is beautiful, like her father. But, Troy, I was thinking - we just committed a Federal offense. Kidnapping is punishable by life imprisonment. Maybe we need to return her."
"Don't worry about it. I have connections. Let me see what I can do."
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Later that afternoon as Sherman was getting ready to leave for work Troy called him over. "I have everything taken care of. My City Hall connections came through - with a bit of witchcraft. They won't remember anything. I had Jewel's birth certificate changed to show that I am her biological father and that a surrogate carried the child to term. It also states that you are her adopted father - just one thing - we need to get married. So no worries. And with your military connections, we have nothing to fear."
"I don't know about getting married," stammered Sherman, "that is a big step. We hadn't really talked about it."
"Circumstances have changed! We didn't talk about having a baby either! Are you going to back out now?"
"No. No Troy, let's do it, but I have to leave now. I am sorry Troy. This is so overwhelming. We can talk this evening when I get off work."
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Delia woke with a start. Things were way too quiet. She lay in bed for a minute trying to remember why then realized what was wrong. It was daylight. She had slept too long and hadn't heard Jewel cry. She jumped up and ran to Jewel's crib - her heart pounding in her chest and fearing the worst - that something horrible might be wrong with her baby and praying that she was just a really good baby and was quietly lying in her crib.
What Delia didn't expect to see was an empty crib. She was horrified. Delia just stood and stared, willing her baby to appear. But there was no one in the house. It was deathly quiet.
Nothing was disturbed,but Jewel was definitely missing. Babies don't disappear into thin air. Somehow someone had kidnapped her daughter. She grabbed her phone and called the police.
The only person she could think of that would do this was Troy. But he didn't believe that she was even pregnant. She never called him again after that horrible night and he hadn't tried to contact her either. As far as she knew, he didn't believe she was even pregnant and even more didn't believe it was his if she was.
She had no idea. No one had a grudge against her as far as she knew. She was an architect, nothing more.
A little later the detective arrived to take her statement. She explained what had happened and then he asked to see where the baby slept.
Delia took him into her room where the empty crib stood making her heart break once again as she looked at it hoping to see her baby inside.
"No. The alarm was set. I don't know how anyone could have bypassed it. My son knows the code. He is a firefighter, perhaps you know him. Lucas Schlick?"
"Anyone else at all, help, friends,
the baby's father, boyfriends that might have your access code?"
"Umm," she said as she suddenly remembered having given Troy the code in good faith, "No - no one else." Delia knew this was something she would have to deal with carefully. Troy was very high up in the local government. He would have ways to block any investigation.
"I am sorry Mrs. Schlick, but we need to know who the baby's father is so we can question him. Usually these cases are relatives unless you receive a ransom call."
"I, I am embarrassed," she lied, "I was drunk - it was a one night stand and I never got his name or saw him again."
The detective sighed. She couldn't tell if he didn't believe her or just thought she was a slut. "Please let me know if anyone calls. It could very well have been a well planned kidnapping or just the father wanting his child. We will put taps on your phones and station an undercover cop to keep an eye on your property."
The detective shook her hand as he was leaving and said, "Let me know if you hear or see anything unusual."
Delia's heart sank as he left. She knew...it was Troy. It had to be but she couldn't tell this to the detective.
Delia knew who she was going to make help her get her baby back.
She still had two wishes and she was gonna make them count! And she didn't have much time. She needed to find her daughter before the cops tapped her phone and started watching the house. She had to find Troy. She was pretty sure he wasn't stupid enough to have Jewel at his house.
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