"What baby?" Daphne asked blankly and a kernel of worry started to form in the pit of my stomach.

"The baby. My baby. The entire reason I'm here. I'd like to see her." Deciding the joke had gone far enough, I pressed the b.u.t.ton to call the nurse.

"Whoa, maybe you should take it easy." Parker took the call b.u.t.ton away from me, but not before I saw the little light go on. "They said she might be loopy, didn't they?"

"Yes, but she's been out of recovery for a while now," Daphne frowned, and I lost it.

"Would you two stop talking about me like I'm not here? I want to see my baby and I want to see her now." If I had to get up and search for her myself, I would. In fact, it didn't sound like a bad idea at all. I started to pull back the covers as the nurse came in. "Oh, thank G.o.d," I breathed in relief. "Can you please have them bring my baby in? I'd like to see her."

"You know, we really don't encourage you to bring babies in for visiting time because of all the germs. But as long as you keep it short, I don't see a problem with it." The nurse looked to Parker and Daphne as if they'd be the ones to fetch said baby.

"You don't recommend newborns visit in the maternity wing? On the tour they said we could keep her with us the whole time once all the initial tests were done."

"Well sure, on the maternity floor." Her smile grew puzzled. "But we generally don't bring them down here."

I think I exercised my patience pretty well as I found my calm voice. "Why am I not on the maternity floor?"

"Why would you be? You had a tonsillectomy."

"Is everyone high? I was nine months pregnant when I checked in." Everyone laughed and I felt like my eye was about to explode in its socket if someone didn't take me seriously pretty d.a.m.n quick. "h.e.l.lo? Do not tell me you screwed up my chart and lost my child. You'd better find her fast or you're gonna have one h.e.l.l of a lawsuit on your hands, lady." My eyes blazed with anger and frustration and it took everything I had not to summon the sword to get her attention.

"I think maybe I'd better get the doctor," the nurse murmured, backing away.

"Please do," I glowered, falling back against the pillow when she left the room. "I can't believe this. You hear about c.r.a.p like this on TV, but you never expect it to be true."

"Merce, lie back and take a breath." Parker picked up my hand. "I'm sure they'll sort everything out."

"How can you say that when she's missing? When's the last time you saw her? Daphne, can you go down to the nursery and see if you can find her please?"

"Mercy..." Daphne sat on the edge of the bed instead of doing as I asked. "You know we love you, but we don't know what you're talking about. There is no baby. The nurse was right, you're here to have your tonsils out."

"That's crazy. I had my tonsils out when I was fourteen. Parker, tell her..."

"Maybe you're having a bad reaction to the anesthesia?" He shrugged and a ribbon of fear sliced through me.

"No... this isn't happening..." What the h.e.l.l was going on?

"Whoa, where do you think you're going? You're supposed to stay in bed." Parker blocked my path the moment I swung my legs off the side of the bed.

"I have to find her. She's somewhere in this hospital and if neither of you will help me, I'll have to do it myself. Now get out of my way."

"Be reasonable..." He started to protest and I physically moved him aside. I wasn't up to full strength yet, but it was definitely enough to overpower him.

"Mercy, calm down," Daphne pleaded. "We'll help you, okay? Just lie back down."

I recognized the ploy for what it was, and I wasn't in the mood. Unfortunately, the doctor picked that moment to show up, some guy I'd never seen before.

"I understand we're having a bit of disorientation, is that right?" He smiled condescendingly and I ignored him, looking for my clothes, but they were nowhere to be found.

"She's a little off kilter today," Parker replied. "Is that normal after a routine surgery?"

"Why don't you have a seat and let me take a look at you?" The doctor laid a hand on my shoulder and I brushed him off.

"Thanks all the same, doctor, but unless you can point me in the direction of my baby, I'm not interested." I couldn't find any clothes, so that meant I'd have to hope the crossover flap stayed closed on the thin robe. Not that I cared all that much though, my first thought was for finding Bunny.

"Doc, she doesn't, ah... have a baby." I heard Parker say, sotto voce and I lost it.

"Don't say that!" I yelled, a sob rising in my chest. I didn't know why none of them remembered my pregnancy, but I knew in my heart I wasn't delusional. "I will find her and then I'll show you."

"Ma'am, you need to get back into bed." The doctor motioned and a male nurse appeared in the doorway.

"You can't keep me here, I know my rights."

"They're just trying to help you, darlin'." Parker took their side as Daphne looked on, her face creased with worry. "Get back in bed and we'll get you checked out."

"I told you, I have to find her." It was like talking to a stone. And then the three of them advanced on me. "Get away from me, I don't want to hurt you." But I'd be d.a.m.ned if I let them keep me there against my will.

"No one wants to hurt you," the doctor replied, but I felt multiple hands on me, urging me towards the bed. I shoved at them, my angelic strength easily outmatching theirs, until I felt the p.r.i.c.k of a needle and I knew I was screwed.

"Please, don't do this," I pleaded with Parker, whose face suddenly loomed large before my eyes. "I have to find her."

"Mercy, they're gonna help you, I promise."

"You promised she'd be okay," I sobbed as I fought against the drugs, but they walked me back to the bed and there wasn't much I could do about it, save fighting my way clear with a sword, which was impossible.

"Ma'am, if you'll just calm down..." the doctor insisted, but all it brought was a surge of panic as I felt the darkness tease the edge of my vision.

"You calm the f.u.c.k down. Adamiel!" I screamed for the one person who might help me. The one person who might still remember the child that drove a wedge between us. "Adamiel!" I screamed again. At least I thought it was a scream. As the drugs took hold of me, everything faded into oblivion.

I expected to wake up in a padded cell, my wrists strapped down with Velcro restraints, but it was the same hospital room when I opened my eyes. Parker slouched in a chair in the corner, pa.s.sed out cold. He looked exhausted, or maybe just worried, even in his sleep.

Careful not to make a sound, I lifted up my gown, examining my abdomen closely. There had to be some way I could prove I'd carried a child for the past nine months. With the way the delivery had gone I'd a.s.sumed I was headed for an emergency c-section when they wheeled me away, but I found no sign of a scar, not even any stretch marks. With my angelic healing, I wasn't sure what that meant. The only indication I'd been pregnant at all was a few extra pounds I'd gained around my midsection, but that could be from overeating. No... I wasn't about to go there, I wasn't crazy.

I did have a baby, and I had to find her. The only trouble was... I had no idea how to go about doing it.

It was like someone hit the reset b.u.t.ton and put everybody back to where they were before Christmas. I wondered if Daphne or Parker remembered anything about fallen angels or my Grace? What would I do if it had all been wiped clean?

No threat of demons trying to kidnap me, no Azazael hijacking Ben... was Matty still married to Oriana? What about Nelo? Would I find him living in our bas.e.m.e.nt? Our bas.e.m.e.nt... did I still live with Parker or was I back in my apartment again in that reality? If nothing supernatural touched my life anymore, I could go back to being regular old Mercy. Bartender, lover of showtunes and sunscreen. Life could get back to normal.

Only I wasn't normal.

I was still me, Grace and all, and somewhere out there was my baby, whether they remembered her or not.

First things first, I had to get out of the hospital before they had me committed. It was a safe bet I wouldn't find Bunny in the nursery. Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to spin the new reality, and the only way to find her was to find out who was behind it.

"Hey, you're up." Parker straightened in his chair. "Feeling better?"

There was such concern on his face, I at least knew one thing hadn't changed. "Yep, I am. How did the surgery go, did my tonsils come out okay?" I offered a bland smile.

"Yeah... it went smooth as clockwork." He left the chair, coming to the side of the bed, clearly still worried about me. "You don't, ah... remember waking up after the surgery?"

"You mean in the recovery room? No," I lied smoothly. "Hey, is there any water? I'm so thirsty."

"Sure, darlin'." Parker gave me a relieved smile, getting up to fill a plastic cup from the tap.

"You know I had the funniest dream. I dreamt I was here to have a baby and they lost it," I forced a laugh. "Crazy, huh?"

"That's some crazy dream alright," he chuckled, sitting on the side of the bed to hold the cup for me. "Was it mine?"

"That'd be kinda rushing things a little, don't you think?" I raised a brow, taking a long sip, trying to gauge where things stood between us.

"A little," he agreed, setting the cup aside when I was through. "But someday maybe." Parker picked up my hand and gave it a squeeze.

So, we were definitely together, good to know. "I thought Daphne would be here when I woke up. Is she around?"

"You just missed her, she had to take off for work. Listen, are you really feeling alright?"

"Yep, I feel fine. Why?" I searched his face, wondering if he'd tell me, but instead he shook his head.

"No reason, I'm just glad you're alright."

"My throat is a little sore, but I'm sure I'll be healed up in no time."

"That's true, you sound normal, not hoa.r.s.e or scratchy at all."

"You know, I'm feeling so good, I think maybe I'll check out instead of staying overnight."

His face instantly clouded with worry. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. They have those guidelines for a reason. If it's the money..."

"No, that's not it." I cut him off before he offered to pay for my bogus surgery. "But you know me... if I stick around they may start to ask why I'm healing so fast." It was a calculated risk. If he didn't remember anything about angels or the Grace, he'd think I'd stepped off into the deep end again. Luckily, he seemed to know exactly what I meant.

"I can see how that might be a problem. Okay, I'll help you with this prison break," he winked. "But we go straight home and you go right to bed, no arguments. Deal?"

"Deal," I smiled, letting out a long breath once he turned away. I hated to use him like that, but I had to get out of there and it was the best way I could see short of jumping out the window.

I sat there with a placid smile on my face while the doctor came to examine me, feigning total ignorance of the earlier "episode". With Parker on my side promising round the clock care, he reluctantly signed my release papers. And then it was a quick forty-five minute wait until they finally wheeled me out of the room.

My toes tapped with impatience the entire time, but I did my best to keep my cool, vowing not to deviate from the plan until I was in a safe place. Parker drove me to his house, confirming we definitely still lived together, and once again I wondered where the line was drawn. What other parts might be scrubbed from his memory?

Chapter Twenty-Two.

It felt good to be up and around again when we got to the house, and the soreness I experienced quickly faded. Still, I let Parker take my arm to help me up the stairs and I accepted his offer of a cup of tea once he had me settled in our bed in my own PJs. The moment I heard him reach the bottom of the stairs I was out of bed like a shot, creeping down the hallway to Bunny's room.

The room was still painted a pale blue, but the crib, the changing table... all the baby things, they were all gone. Only the rocking chair still sat by the window, looking forlorn without its stuffed penguin. A lump rose in my throat as I resisted the urge to sit in the chair and rock; I had to get back to bed to think things through.

True to his word, Parker stuck by my side like glue, ever anxious to keep me happy. I suppose he was worried I'd start spouting nonsense again, but I'd learned my lesson in the hospital. I wasn't about to mention Bunny again until I had something to support my claim, and all I had to do was wait until dark.

I pretended to read a book while he took care of some work on his laptop, but I couldn't focus on the plot. There was too much riding on whether or not Nelo put in an appearance after sundown. I guess I could have gone down to the bas.e.m.e.nt looking for him, but it would have been too hard to explain away if he wasn't there and I couldn't figure out a good way to ask Parker if he remembered the demon living in our bas.e.m.e.nt.

Nelo came up after the sun went down, a small plate of oreos in hand. "Are you well, Mistress?"

"Nelo!" Pulling him into my arms, I hugged him tight, the cookies forgotten. I'd half expected him to be gone, and I was so relieved, I lost some of my tight control. "I'm so glad to see you."

"You just saw him yesterday." Parker shook his head in amus.e.m.e.nt, looking up from his laptop.

"Right," I smiled, releasing my death grip on the poor little guy. "But I really wanted some Oreos." I picked one off the bedspread and shoved it into my mouth. "I don't suppose you could get me a gla.s.s of milk?" I gave Parker a hopeful smile.

"I can fetch that for you, Mistress." Nelo started away, but I held fast to his arm.

"No, I need you to, um... do some mending for me. I'll show you what needs it. Parker, could you please get the milk? It's time for your coffee right about now, too. Isn't it?"

Parker gave me an odd look, but closed the laptop with a sigh. "Sure, no problem. Are you sure you don't want your usual cup of java too?"

Right. Because I could drink caffeine again if I wasn't pregnant. "Actually, you're right. Coffee sounds so much better. You know how I like it," I smiled winsomely. Parker left without argument, and I held on to Nelo's arm until I guessed he'd reached the first floor.

"Is there something troubling you, Mistress?" Nelo fretted, his distress palpable. I eased my grip on his arm, worried I'd hurt him.

"Yes, there is something troubling me big time," I confided, keeping my voice low. "Please tell me you remember the baby."

"I remember the baby."

Unfortunately, that could mean he was parroting back what I wanted to hear. "No... wait. Don't say what I told you to say, tell me if you remember me being pregnant at all."

"Of course, Mistress." His brow remained furrowed with concern even as his eyes dropped to my midsection. "When you did not return last night, I thought she might have come by now but I don't smell anyone else in the house. Where is she?"

"You can smell how many people are in the... wait, nevermind." I shook my head, focusing on the bigger importance of what he'd just said. "You definitely remember her then, my baby. Mine and Adam's."

"I have not met her yet, but yes, of course I do. Why would I not?"

"Thank G.o.d," I breathed, eyes closing for a moment. Not that I really thought I was nuts, but I felt a world of better at getting that confirmation. "She's missing. And not only that, no one even remembers I was pregnant in the first place."

Nelo took a moment to digest that, blinking at me owlishly. "That is most strange, Mistress. How could they not remember?"

"I have no idea, but Parker, Daphne, the people at the hospital - they thought I was nuts when I started talking about my baby and all her stuff is gone from the nursery. We have to figure this out, Nelo, you and me."

"No one has been here in your absence, I would have known it. Even during the day." We sat in silence for a few minutes, munching on Oreos as we tried to figure out what it all meant. "Why not call Master Adam?" he asked finally.

"Adam doesn't care about our problems, Nelo. For all I know he doesn't remember a thing about the baby anymore either."

"He is not human, he may have an idea how it was done."