Prologue

Prologue – Just the Beginning

Maybe she could patch things up. Things had come between them before and they always managed to mend these problems. All she had to do was make a nice dinner, clean up the house, and give him a nice time tonight. Maybe that would fix this dead end they had found themselves at. She did blame herself partly for all of the mishap. She could have been home when he wanted her, but she had to deny him and be independent. That had angered him. But she learned her lesson. He was a great guy after all. He was only doing it for her protection; he meant well.

"Will that be all, ma'am?"

"Yes, thank you," Kayla responded with a soft smile. The cashier rang up the groceries and bagged them. The nice bag boy helped her out to the car in the rain. Kayla thanked him and pulled out of the parking lot.

She'll make his favorite dinner: shake and bake pork chops with brown gravy, steamed broccoli with apple cider vinegar, homemade cinnamon applesauce, and a cold bottle of Miller Light. Tonight would be a good night. She even bought the lingerie that he liked on her. She was fit and trim, she had to stay so or he would cut her food. But it was for her health.

She smiled. Oh how she loved him.

She checked her watch while waiting at a red light. Only 3:30. Good, she had time to clean and start dinner.

She even bought him the present he had been dying for: a diamond studded wrist watch. He knew she was getting it, of course. She couldn't buy him something that extravagant without his knowing, it was his money after all. He had smiled at her when she suggested it. He gave the okay.

Another red light. She sighed.

Kayla checked her watch again and looked out her passenger window in boredom with the light. A woman on a cell phone looked at her. Kayla quickly looked away, as did the woman.

Green, good. She arrived home shortly thereafter at 3:45. She parked her car in the garage and brought her groceries inside. Setting them on the counter and then placing them in their respected places, she started the chops. Once they were cooking, she wiped down the table and set it for two. She went around the house setting things where they needed to be. Taking the vacuum out of the hall closet, she vacuumed the living area, hallway, bedrooms, and den. She dusted the coffee table, entertainment center, and shelves.

All her cleaning done, she started the applesauce and broccoli. Since it was a Saturday, he got home earlier so dinner should be done by the time he gets home. She had it to a T.

Looking at her watch again, she grabbed the Frederick's bag and ran to the bedroom to quickly change into the lingerie and then slid into the lovely dress he gave her as an early anniversary gift. To believe five years of marriage had already come by. Maybe tonight she could ask about children. She always wanted children. She figured twenty four was as good an age as any to have them. Maybe he wanted them too…she just wouldn't push it if he said no.

Rushing back to the stove, the pork chops were perfect, the applesauce slightly cooled so it wouldn't burn him, and the broccoli just right. She heard his car pull into the garage and she quickly and quietly set the table and placed the beer bottle next to his plate. She smiled despite herself and looked at this lovely meal. Boy, would he be happy!

He was taking his coat off now and putting it on the coat rack, setting his briefcase to the left and sliding his shoes off. She checked her lipstick and soft eye shadow, and made quick puffs of her thick auburn curls and went to greet him.

"Smells delicious in here," she heard as she walked over to him. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Tell me what you're thinking and I'll see if I can confirm it," she giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Now, now…" He kissed back, his arms around her waist.

"Okay fine, you caught me," she smiled and looked into his green, green eyes.

"My favorite?"

"Of course, it is our anniversary. I thought you deserved something special," she smiled and gently directed him towards the kitchen. "I just put it on the table, so you don't need to worry about anything being cold."

"Good, you know how to make a man happy," he kissed her cheek and sat down.

"I know how to make you happy," she sat down after he was situated. He began to take his helpings and then she did.

"So what did you do today, hun?" He said as he swallowed some broccoli.

"Well, I went to the mall and got a few things there and then –"

"What things?"

"Your presents, the things you agreed on."

"Ah."

Safe. "And then I went to the grocery store and bought dinner and things for your lunch." She took a sip of her apple juice. "How was work?"

"It was dull, as usual. I tell ya, babe, I don't know how I keep doing this job. I stare all day at these bomb components with my boss telling me what I should find. If I can't see what he wants me to, then it can't be there."

"Definitely," she said and took a small bite of her pork chop. She had to ask. It was worth a shot. She brought up some courage and took a soothing breath. "Honey, may I ask you something?" She felt his eyes lower and pin her with their half-lidded glare.

"You may."

"Do you think that…maybe…we could have children? I've always wanted a baby. Even just one."

"Kayla…"

"I just thought it would worthwhile to ask…if you don't want to, then that's okay. I just thought…I just thought I'd ask." She looked at him and then looked back down. She heard him sigh and finish his meal and leave the table. Now he was going to take off his socks and sit on the couch. She stood slowly, slightly shaking from her boldness and gathered the dishes. She scraped what was left on the plates into the garbage and sealed the leftovers in bags and bowls inside the refrigerator. After she put the dishes in the dishwasher, she straightened her dress and grabbed the box with the watch in it.

She approached him, as he sat on the couch, and waited for him to move his hand. He did so, after noticing she was standing there, and she sat on his lap. She smiled and bit the corner of her lower lip and handed him the box.
"Well, what have we here?" He laughed and took the box. He opened it to see the watch and laughed. He kissed her shoulder. "Thank you, babe."

"One more thing," she said softly.

"Oh?"

She turned so she was straddling him and started unbuttoning his shirt. She began to kiss him as she removed his shirt and undershirt and worked on his pants next. He began rubbing her shoulders and unzipping the back of her dress. She moved her mouth down his neck and chest and abdomen before she fully removed his pants and boxers. She moved back up on him, slowly curving herself so she molded into him, allowing him to remove her dress. He laughed into her neck when he saw the lingerie on her.

"You know I love you in this," he gently ran his fingers down her clean curves, from her breasts slightly covered in red lace, down her side and over her graceful hips clad in a red lace G-string, and along her slender thighs. Her heart skipped beats as his fingers touched her, out of fear and happiness.

"Justin, may I?" She whispered into his neck as he unclasped her bra.

"You may," he replied in a husky voice. She lowered himself to his engorged member and began to do all of the things that she knew he enjoyed. He placed his hand inside of her hair and pushed her head in the rhythm he so enjoyed and that she had grown used to. As his breathing grew more and more unsteady, he pulled her off of him and removed her panties. This was the part that she knew both of them could enjoy.

His placed his hands on her hips and pulled her over to him and pushed her down onto him. She moaned and began kissing him. "Oh, Justin," she sighed as the ever-exciting motion began.

The phone rang. But they didn't stop. Immersed in near rapture, both sighing and moaning, they didn't care.

"Hey, you've reached Justin and Kayla Danik, please leave your name and number, and we'll get back to you." The answering machine beeped.

"Hi Justin, it's Sasha, I just wanted to know, sush Kevin, I'll give you your bottle in a second, I just wanted to know when you were coming home tonight. Kevin and Daniel miss you and…guess what. I'm pregnant again," the woman said and then hung up.

Kayla stopped and looked at Justin.

"Sasha?" She questioned, feeling her anger build. She got off of him and went to the bedroom and grabbed a robe, returning back to the living room. Justin was standing now, over at the answering machine. "Who's Sasha?"

"It's none of your business," Justin replied.

"It's all of my business if my husband is with some other woman, getting her pregnant. Why is she pregnant? Am I so repulsive that you'd rather some other woman have your children than me?"

"I said it was none of your business!"

"Yes, it is my fucking business! Why are you cheating on me? How long has this been going on?"

"Shut up, Kayla! This is beyond you," he snapped.

"Beyond me? How is this beyond me? I'm your wife, I'll have you know."

He paced closer to her, and then back to the phone. He grabbed it and dialed. "Hey Sasha, just calling you back. Nah, baby, I don't think I'll be home tonight." Kayla gathered her courage and walked over to the phone and unplugged the cord. Justin lowered the phone from his ear and glared at her. She glared back, knowing what would happen next.

The phone slammed into her cheek bone and she went falling to the floor. She stood slowly and he knocked her down again with a swift punch to the eye, just missing the temple. "I told you, it was none of your fucking business!" He shouted and stepped down on her ribs, audible cracks resounding in the clean living room. She gasped and as the tears sorely made way out of her eyes and down her bleeding face, she saw him walk toward the couch and put his pants back on. She stood slowly and grabbed the answering machine.

She threw it, with all of her might at his back. He fell forward but came back quickly. His eyes seemed to glow with a feral intensity. She stared at him briefly and saw that he was coming towards her. She grabbed the Japanese vase and launched that into his skull. His face was bleeding severely and all over the carpet. She grabbed her purse and ran out of the house in horror. He wouldn't be down for long.

She went across the road and to Lucille's house, banging loudly on the door.

"I'm coming! Cripes, what in the hell is all this –" Lucille opened the door and saw Kayla. "Come in, hurry up. I'll call the cops." Lucille closed and locked the door behind her and grabbed the nearby phone. "Sam! Get down here! I need you to – hi, 9-1-1? Yeah, my neighbor came over here looking for asylum from her abusive husband. She bleeding and bruised and, hold on – Sam, can you set some tea for her? Thanks. Anyway, he'll probably be coming over here pretty quickly. Her injuries? Well, looks like he broke her side, her cheek, and busted her eye. Okay, thanks."

Sam set Kayla down on the sofa and handed her some tea while Lucille went to get the first aid kit. Kayla had stopped crying and was now in shock. She knew he would be after her. The only place she could have gone was across the road to Lucille and Samantha. "He'll come after me," Kayla whispered. Sam moved some blood covered tresses of hair out of Kayla's face.

A loud knock came on the door.

"Kayla, you get your ass out of here!" Justin was here. Lucille came down the stairs with a shotgun and the first aid kit, tossing the latter to Sam. Lucille took the gun off of safety and pointed it at the door.

"Come in here and see what happens to ya, asshole!" Lucille barked. She cocked the gun and just as Justin was about to kick the door, sirens arrived just in time to arrest Justin. Lucille looked through the blinds to see Justin being placed in cuffs, and unlocked the door. The paramedics came in and gently took Kayla to the ambulance.

"Don't worry Kayla, I'll call in a favor to a friend! You'll have a safe place to stay," Sam said to her as she left the house.

After the questioning was done and the ambulance drove off, Lucille closed and locked the door, placing her shotgun against the arm of the sofa. Sam beckoned her to the couch and there the two women sat in silent thought. After a moment, Sam stood, her blue nightgown adjusting itself to her soft rolls, she grabbed the phone. Lucille rubbed her temples, kissed Sam goodnight, and went back upstairs.

(Not Long After)

"Ma'am, do you have a place to go to?" The nurse asked as she finished giving Kayla what she needed for her wounds.

Kayla thought for a minute. "Yeah, a friend of mine said she had someone who'd help me out until I got on my feet again." The nurse nodded and left the room. Kayla fixed the worn out sneakers and kind-of-too-tight jeans. She adjusted the loose fitting purple shirt, all given to her by Lucille, since just before Justin went across the road he burned all of Kayla's clothes.

Kayla sighed and made sure she had everything in her bag. She checked her face in the small compact. Her eye was still very bruised, but at least it wasn't as swollen as it had been that past week. Her cheek bone was shattered but the healing was going quickly, now she only had small bandages. Her ribs were healing a little more slowly; the difficulty breathing was something she had sort of gotten used to.

The door to the hospital room opened silently and a young man walked in. Kayla looked up and saw a young man with very light hair and gentle eyes walk in. The man smiled at her and approached her, hand extended.

"Hi there, you must be Kayla," he said, as she shook his hand softly. "My name is Quatre, Sam called me and said that I could give you a place to stay. You ready to go?"

A/N: I know it took a while to get to where the story actually 'starts', but a prologue is a prologue. I hope I've locked some of you in, and if not, stay tuned, things do get better. Leave a review, if it tickles your fancy, thanks to all who read.