"Clara, it's not my baby!"

"Vlad, you suck!"

"Wait, was that a vampire joke? That was so lame, Clara; like I haven't heard that a million times!"

"Okay, well how's this: I'm taking the car!"

"The joke's on you; it's a rental!"

"Well, the joke's on YOU; I set the thermostat to 90 before I left!"

"Good! I like it warm!"

"Good! Because I also SET THE HOUSE ON FIRE!"

"How will it all end?" The narrator interrupted. "The passion! The tension! The intrigue! Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!"

I turned the TV off and let out a huge sigh. For obvious reasons, I wasn't as invested in the show as I should've been.

"How are you holding up?" Jane asked.

"As well as I can be, I suppose," I replied quietly as I stared at the blank TV.

"Well, I asked Jack to ask someone at the station to look into the whole ordeal. Hopefully we'll figure out who did this to you."

"Hopefully."

"Do you need me to stay with you tonight?"

"No, I think I'll be fine."

"You sure, Alice? You were kidnapped and practically held hostage!"

"Yeah, at work. I think I'll be safe in my own home."

"Well, if you feel unsafe, call either Jack or I, you hear?"

"I hear."

She then gave a small hug before getting up and leaving the place. I continued to stare in thought at the blank TV. I still have so many questions about what happened.

Why did Baby keep me in the facility? Why did she put me in that spring trap of a suit? What is this Scooper that Baby mentioned? What happened to Ballora? So many questions...

"Mom?"

I turned and looked at Jasmine, who was now awake and looking at me with worry.

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Why did someone kidnap you?"

"I...don't know."

"Who could've done this?"

Well, I could have hold her it was a robot with a human-like mentality, but if a child wouldn't believe me, nobody would.

"I don't know, but Uncle Jack is going to find out," I finally told her.

She then moved over to me and hugged me tight.

"I just don't want you to leave me like Dad did."

I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to hold back my tears.

"I know you don't. But I promise you that will never happen. You're too precious to me; I'd never abandon or hurt you."

"But what if someone else takes you away from me?"

"Honey, sometimes you can't expect everything to go the way you want it to. But if something does happen to me again, I promise you that you'll be somewhere where you can feel safe."

She was starting to shed her own tears as well. I hugged my little girl tight as we both just sat there weeping.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I wiped my eyes and looked at the screen. There was a crack in the bottom corner. Tyler claims it was when he accidently stepped on it when he was investigating Funtime Auditorium. Speaking of Tyler, he was the one calling.

"Look, get ready for bed while I talk with my boss, okay?" I told Jasmine. "I'll tuck you in when I'm done."

"Okay..." she said with a sniff as she got off the couch and went towards the bathroom. While she did, I answered the phone.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

"Hello, Ms. White," Tyler replied.

"Tyler, please call me Alice."

"Heh. Very well, Alice. How are you?"

"Well, it could be worse."

"I understand... Look, Alice. I've been thinking it over, and if you don't want to come into work tomorrow, I fully understand."

"You do?"

"With all due respect, I wouldn't want to come back to the place I was held captive in for a while, if not ever again."

"Very true. But who will take my place?"

"I'll cover your shift tomorrow, we'll get our weekend technician to do his days, then we'll see how you're doing after that."

"You sure about this?"

"Alice, I'm positive."

"Well...thank you, Tyler. Really."

"Of course. But while I have you here, I want to ask: do you think you could come to the facility tomorrow afternoon? I'd like to ask you a few further questions."

"Why can't you ask them now?"

"They're the kind of questions I don't think I should ask on the phone. And I have a sneaking suspicion you have some questions for me that fall into the same category."

"...very well. What time were you thinking?"

"Noon?"

"Sounds perfect."

"Good. See you then, Tyler."

"See you then, Alice."

I then hung up and thought about what he said about questions that shouldn't be asked over the phone. He was right that I had a few for him, but what could he be asking me? Well, I guess I'll find out tomorrow at noon.

I then noticed that Jasmine's bedroom lamp was on. I smiled, got up, and walked to her room, where I found her lying under her sheets, looking at me.

"I'm sure you're scared right now," I told her as I sat at the foot of her bed, "but I promise it'll all be okay. My boss said I don't have to go into work tomorrow."

"That's good!" my daughter replied with a big smile.

I then gave my own smile in return.

"Promise me you'll never change," I told her.

"Only if you promise you'll take me to see Toy Story 4 this summer!"

"You're a little stinker, you know that?"

"Yep!"

I rustled her hair, and she giggled.

"Goodnight, you dork. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom."

I gave her a kiss on the forehead and turned off her lamp. As I left her room and closed the door, I just prayed that this whole nightmare would blow over and everything would go back to how it was. I'd rather be broke and without fear than rich and panicked.