Baby May

Birthday

October 1991

London

It's been eight long months and Alyssia is still missing.

The CCTV footage the police had from Heathrow Airport didn't get them very far. DCI Brookes managed to track what plane Alyssia and her kidnapper got on but they somehow managed to dodge all CCTV cameras at JFK Airport.

With no evidence to suggest where they went, the case has hit a dead end. They could have got a taxi heading for New York or boarded another plane but after long eight months of searching, they could be anywhere by now.

They also have no idea whether Alyssia is still alive or dead but with nobody, the case is now a cold one.

With Alyssia missing and Freddie's rapidly deteriorating, there's a large dark cloud looming over the Queen family.

Brian and Anita should be celebrating Alyssia's second birthday today but Anita has thrown herself back into work, needing something to focus her attention on and Brian either locks himself away in his home studio or spends the day in the garden.

But today, Anita decides that's not happening, she goes up to the studio ready to drag Brian out of the room if she needs to, "Brian, love. Get your shoes, we're going out."

"Where?" Brian puts his guitar down, following her to get his shoes anyway.

"Today is Alyssia's birthday. John is coming over later this evening to take us somewhere, I'm not too sure where but he obviously has something planned. Until then we are going to do something I don't care what but I've had enough of working 24/7 and you need to get out the house." Anita hands Brian his jacket and puts her own on.

"In the past eight months, we've hardly spoken to each other but I can't live like that because I love you, Brian. When Alyssia comes home, and I have every faith that she will, I want her to come home to two parents the love each other," Bottled up tears spill down her face, whispering the next few words, "Not broke ones."

Brian cups her face wiping them away with his thumb then leans down to kiss her lips and pulls her into a tight embrace, "I'm sorry I've locked myself away, I love you too."

Anita leans into his hold savouring the feeling she's so desperately missed, it doesn't fill the entire hole because that is there for Alyssia but it fills some of it.

They end up at the garden centre since Anita has something in mind. They walk past many flowering plants and bushes but she spots at a potted ivy plant, "The love, care and attention I want to pour into looking after Alyssia is building up and if I can't let it out in some way, I'm going to burst. A plant will never compare to looking after Alyssia but it's can help me relieve a little care and attention."

Listening to her words Brian nods along with what she is saying, "Why not something with flowers though?"

"There are so many different colours I wouldn't know what to pick. We haven't had the chance to find out Alyssia's favour colour yet so I can't use that but Ivy is her middle name..."

"Then it's perfect," He agrees. He knows how badly she wants to love and care for Alyssia again, every time Jimmy, Louisa or Emily comes over she throws it on to them but she's not their mum. A plant can work as a feeble substitute for a while.

On the way to the till, Brian spots a rack of birthday cards, one of which is a daughter happy 2nd birthday card, he picks it up to pay for it, "Why did you get that?" Anita frowns as they walk back to the car.

"Since we can't buy Alyssia anything for her birthday, I'm going to write an IOU for a birthday present put it inside this birthday card from us." He's pretty sure that if Alyssia was with them he would have spoilt her, "We'll do the same for Christmas if she's not home then continue to do that for every Christmas and birthday missed until she comes home. They can all go in a box then she can have it when she comes home, she can open them and then will get her a present for every IOU." He hopes she'll be back before too many can build up.