a/n: "Stab My Back" is owned by The All-American Rejects. In the original version of this people were saying that Manny wouldn't just up and kick her son for no reason so I decided to make this chapter mostly about Manny and what happened to her and hell I like it, so I hope y'all do too. :) Also, if you like what you read, please push that beautiful, pretty green button at the bottom of the page. I love reading the reviews especially for this story because I really like what I have planned for it and I would just be tickled pink to see what you guys think. Soooo...the moral of this a/n is...review, review, review!!! :) And then you'll get a cookie. A big one


Chapter Three- Stab My Back

Alex took a deep breath and knocked on the door in front of her. She hated coming over here; she had repressed a lot of memories from her teenage years and when the door opened she knew that they would threaten to come back to the surface.

"Have you seen him?" the woman asked in a worried tone as she opened the door.

Alex rolled her eyes and sighed as she pushed through the door and stopped.

"Jesus Santos!" she yelled as she saw all the beer bottles everywhere, in addition to not only a certain sweet smell in the air but a nice small oval mirror on the living room table.

"That's not mine!" Manny protested and Alex gave her a dirty look.

"Oh so Kyle is the one that's hooked on drugs?"

"No! Ok so the coke might be mine but I didn't smoke out. And I only do the coke when I'm stressed out!" she sputtered trying to come up a reason that would validate this but Alex had none of it.

"I'm getting Kyle's things," she said quietly as she walked upstairs.

"Where is he?" Manny asked urgently.

"At school. It's practically ten o'clock Manny, where else would he be? And he won't be back here either, so don't worry about it."

"What?" she sniffed. "What do you mean he won't be coming back?"

"You kicked him out Manny!!"

Manny's face dropped in shock. "No! I told him to get out but I've told him that before, he knows that it means to come back after school…" she pleaded.

Alex shook her head, disgusted. "I don't know what happened to you Manny, and I don't wanna know to be honest. All I know is that your son is staying with me," she said brushing past her old classmate.

"This is nothing you didn't do!" she pointed out, her chin high in the air.

"You have to be kidding me. I was seventeen when I did this shit Manny. You're thirty-five!!" she hurled at her. "I had kids, I grew up. Maybe that's something you should think about."

Manny followed to her to the door. "He's not even your kid!!" she screamed as Alex started to put Kyle's stuff in her car.

"Really? Because he spends so much time at my house that he might as well be and I love him like he is one, which is more than I can say for you."

"Fuck you Alex ok?" Manny hurled at her tears streaming down her face.

Alex, in return, just smiled sweetly, gave her the finger and drove off.

How did she get in so deep? She could remember it like yesterday...


She took a deep breath and knocked on the door, slowly adjusting the baby she had on her arm.

"Manny, hey," he said slowly.

"Craig," she swallowed. "We need to talk," she said as she walked past her.

He nodded, not taking his eyes off the newborn baby she had in her arms. "Whose is that?" he asked in a tight voice.

"This is Kyle Andrew," she said after a minute. "Your son."

His eyes grew wide. "My what!?"

She looked at him. "You do remember about nine months ago, after breaking up with Ashley you came over and said that it was always me that you wanted? You said that it was going to be different this time and you weren't going to leave. That…that you loved me," she said in a small voice. "Of course we all know how that turned out," she laughed bitterly in the next breath. "Ashley comes crawling back to you like she always does and you leave me, like you always do. Imagine my surprise when I missed my period the next month Craig."

"But, you never told me you were pregnant!" he yelled at her.

She shook her head. "Of course not. My parents wanted me to get another abortion and there was no way in hell I was going through that all over again and I told them that. So they kicked me out, I moved in with Emma and I changed schools."

"I've never even seen you around," he said pointedly.

"Oh that, right. Well I made it a point to avoid you. I stopped going to the Dot, unless I was getting take out, I started to rent movies instead of going out and I just…dropped out of life. I didn't need Ashley sitting there judging me all over again ok? Not after what she did last time. What she did to us," she said softly as she looked at him.

"You never even told me," he said in a strangled voice.

She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry Craig, ok? I am. That was a bad decision on my part, but I was scared! I got pregnant by you, again."

He took a deep breath and looked at the sleeping baby she had in her arms. "So this…he's…mine?" he asked softly and she nodded.

"Yours and yours alone," she smiled.

"He's beautiful," he said tenderly. "Can…I hold him?" he reached out slowly and Manny gently handed him over. "He's so awesome," he said quietly and Manny smiled.

"So I was thinking Craig, I mean if you want to be involved in the baby's life and all…that we could, I don't know," she hemmed and hawed and Craig looked up.

"Manny, I can't do that. I'm with Ashley, you know that."

"I know but-"

"We made a mistake and that mistake came out with something awesome, but it doesn't change the fact that I love her ok? I'm going to propose to her soon," his voice dropped as he added the last part.

Manny's hope crumpled inside her. "Oh. That's, awesome," she said lamely. "Congrats."

"Thanks," he smiled at her. "I can't wait for her to meet this guy."

Manny took a deep breath and kicked her inner voice that told her not to say this and opened her mouth anyway.

"Actually, I prefer it if she didn't."

"What?" he looked up at her suddenly.

She shrugged. "Well I mean last time she was so cruel and I haven't forgotten that and how she made me feel. How she made us feel. I don't want my son around someone like that."

"That was years ago! We're both adults now and she's changed," he said confidently. "She'll be so excited."

"Really. Well here's your chance to find out," Manny rolled her eyes as they heard a key being put in the door and Ashley flung it open, bogged down with grocery bags and stopped short when she saw Manny.

"Hi," Manny waved at her.

"What are you doing here?"

Craig stood up after handing Kyle back to Manny and crossed the room to his girlfriend. "Honey, why don't you sit down."

"I don't want to sit Craig. I want to know what she's doing here."

Manny clenched her jaw and looked at Craig, letting him know that he made his bed and now he can sleep in it too.

"Well you see, after we had broken up a while ago, I…started dating Manny again. What I didn't know though was that…Manny was, pregnant."

"Pregnant," Ashley repeated the phrase and Craig nodded.

"With…your kid?" she asked as she pointed an acrylic nail at her boyfriend who nodded slowly.

She dropped the bags and glared at him. "What the fuck Craig! We were apart for three months, three months and you couldn't wait to just fuck her again? Is that it?!"

Manny stood up to defend herself and Ashley turned to face her. "You, get the hell out of my house. Don't say a word to me."

"He has a right to see his son Ashley," Manny said softly.

"And I have a right to have a faithful boyfriend but people can't get what they want now can they?" she spat out as she stormed out of the apartment.

Craig just gave Manny a helpless look as he ran after her.

"Ashley!! Wait, come on!! I had no idea until today that anything happened!!!

"We had just broken up Craig, again! God, you do this every time!" she yelled as she pulled on her own hair.

"I'm sorry ok?! I'll make it up to you, I promise," he pleaded as he grabbed her hands.

She laughed roughly. "Make it up to me? How are you going to make up the fact that you knocked up Manny Santos, for the second time? How are you going to make up for the fact that you have a kid?!" she yelled at him.

He dropped his hands and looked around helplessly. "I don't know ok? But I will."

She sighed and stared at him, an idea forming in her head. Craig would be sorry he said those words to her, that was for sure.

"Actually, there is something you can do."

"Anything!" he jumped up.

She smiled an evil smile. "No contact."

"What?" he stared at her.

"No contact. Manny kept the baby from you for nine months, she can keep doing it. You didn't even know until today that you had a kid, it shouldn't be that hard."

"I can't do that," he shook his head angrily. "And what the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Me!? What is wrong with you!!?" she screamed. "I just found out that my boyfriend has a kid with the same woman that he cheated on me with before!! I wouldn't be yelling at me right now buddy," she shoved his shoulder.

"I can't just not see my kid Ashley," he said lowly.

"Then you can't have me. I can't pretend that everything is ok, knowing that Manny Santos will always be in our lives. I can't do it and I won't pretend to either," she crossed her arms.

"You. You're serious," Craig said after a few minutes and she smirked at him, daring him to try her.

He stepped away from her a few minutes later. "I can't make that choice Ashley. I can't do it."

"I think you just did," she spat at him as she walked away.

After that, he told Manny that he would always be there for his son. Always. Ashley moved out of the apartment and Craig had Manny move out of Emma's and into the apartment with him so they could try and have a real family. A real family was always something that Craig wanted; so close yet so far and he blamed his father for that. His father that used to beat him and made him stay awake at night for fear that he would finally fall asleep just to have his father beat down the door with his golf clubs again. He never got the chance then to have that family, but now, with Manny and their son, he could. He put on a smile every morning and loved the little boy with all his heart but something was missing and it was evident to everyone. Manny would often wake up in the middle of the night to find him watching tv mindlessly on the couch, claiming that he couldn't sleep. He had trouble eating and there were times when Kyle would cry and Craig simply wouldn't hear him at all. Manny took note of all this and figured out what was missing; that conniving bitch Ashley had taken his heart with her when she left. So she decided to fix it; one day when Craig was at work, she packed up all their belongings and left. She wrote Craig a note, telling him to go back to Ashley and it was fine and that she understood. She didn't want anything from him, and in return she would appreciate it if he never looked for them; she didn't want Kyle's head to be messed with as he grew older. That night of course, Craig came pounding at the Nelson's door but Manny stayed in the basement, crying her eyes out, and Snake calmly told Craig that he wasn't sure where she had gone. The whole family hated lying to him about the whereabouts of his son but out of respect for Manny, who was like their other daughter, they obliged. Especially when she told them all what had happened. A year after that, she turned on the radio to hear his voice coming out of it with Ashley's harmony mixed in and she snapped it off immediately. She always knew that he would go back to her, it was what he did. It was the Craig Manning way.

She got a job waitressing at night and Emma helped out with Kyle as often as she could but it was still hard to make ends meet. She knew that she had to move out of the Simpson's house soon, Kyle was getting big and it wasn't fair to anyone that she stayed there like she was. That was the night she met Tom. Tom was a regular customer and he noticed her crying at the bar one night and couldn't help himself.

"What's wrong?"

She sniffed and looked at him. "Oh God, nothing. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be doing this in public," she said as she went to get up.

"It's ok," he put a hand on her arm to make her sit down again. "I've been coming here for months and you always ask me how I am so now I'm going to ask you. How are you Manny?" he asked her seriously.

She shook her head. "I'm fine! It's just financial trouble that's all," she smiled at him but he wasn't buying it.

"How old are you?"

"Excuse me?" she sat back.

He laughed. "No I promise I'm not a sketch ball, I'm just saying that you look like you're about nineteen or twenty. You probably still live with your parents, how much trouble could you be in?"

"Well I have a son that's going to be learning to walk soon and the space is really cramped so…bad," she laughed.

He nodded silently as he looked at her until she began to squirm. "I think I can help you."

She looked at the man silently for a minute. He appeared to be in his middle to late twenties, dressed normally and he didn't look like a pimp so it couldn't be prostitution he was trying to get her into…

"How?" she asked in spite of herself.

He grinned. "I know how you can make some fast cash," he said simply.

"I'm not a whore ok?" she said quickly and he started laughing loudly.

"I wasn't suggesting anything," he smiled at her.

"Then…what?"

He looked around slowly and reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag filled with white powder. "You know what this?"

"Is that coke?" she whispered and he nodded. "You can't have that in here!" she hissed and he motioned for her to calm down.

"I sell it Manny. I have been for a while and I have no money troubles. Ever. It's fast, easy cash girl," he said lowly.

She sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "I am not selling drugs here buddy."

He shrugged. "Fine, suit yourself. It's not for everyone. But if you change your mind, let me know."

"Hey!" she called after him and he turned. "What's your name?"

He smiled. "Tom."


"Michelle."

The girl sighed and didn't look up. "You better not be here to vouch for your brother," she warned her best friend. Lauren looked sheepish.

"He misses you Mitch. We all do."

She snorted. "Yeah well I miss my Grandma but there's nothing I can do about that now is there?"

"Is she ok?"

"No she's not ok! She died Lauren ok? She died a few days ago because your fucking brother thought it was ok to drink and drive!!"

Lauren held up her hands in defense against her friends actions. "Ok, take the volume down just a little bit here. I don't know what happened that night, but we both know that that's not Charlie. He doesn't do that!"

"Well apparently he did," she said as she walked away.

"It was an accident Michelle, come on!"

She whirled around and glared at her. "Look, I get that you love your brother and you guys are really close and all that ok? But. Back. The. Fuck. Off."

Lauren watched her storm down the hallway and sighed.

"Just give up," she said aloud as a brunette head popped around the corner and her twin brother came out to talk to her.

"I can't Lauren!" he whined. "I love her!!"

"Well looks like you royally screwed yourself this time. Don't count on it," she slapped his chest and walked away. "And this is the last time I do your dirty work ok? Besides, Dad's gonna kill you when he finds you here," she sang out.

Charlie ran and caught up with his sister. "You don't understand Lauren ok? I love her," he repeated.

She sighed. "Charlie, I get that you love her, but obviously you leave a bad taste in her mouth. You have to let her make up her own mind ok? There's nothing you can do, short of stalking the poor girl," she tossed her brown hair over her shoulder. "Her grandmother died, you know that?" she asked softly.

He shook his head while staring at the floor. "No."

She nodded. "So just leave her alone ok?"


"Oh Derek!!" a male voice sang out and Derek's heart sank to his feet as he turned around and saw David Yorke standing in front of him with his best friend.

"Pay up," his friend Ryan sneered and Derek paled.

"Um, I don't have the money today but I can…can give it to you tomorrow," he stuttered as he backed away and hit a row of lockers.

David cocked his head to one side. "Doesn't the week start on a Monday?"

"Why yes David, I believe it does," he grinned as they closed in on the boy. "Listen piss puddle, we said pay up on the first day of the week and we'll leave you alone. Not the second."

Derek closed his eyes as he saw a fist fly towards his stomach and a second later, the pain erupted and he doubled over, coughing. Before he could catch his breath and ready himself Ryan knocked him down and kicked his kneecaps, thereby making it utterly painful for him to get up.

"Well, well, well," a third voice joined in and Derek slowly opened his eyes.

He had seen this kid before, no one messed with him since he beat the shit out of an eighth grader that tried to take his lunch money.

"Tyler, hi," the boys said nervously as the red head circled them.

"Watcha doin?" he asked playfully.

"Nothing!" David said quickly and Tyler slammed him up against a locker.

"If I see you touch him again, you'll be shitting your pants," he said through clenched teeth.

The two boys nodded in fear as they ran down the hallway and Tyler helped Derek to his feet.

"Wow," was all Derek could muster, as he stared at the boy in awe. "How did you do that?"

He shrugged. "Remember Joey Livingston?"

Derek nodded his head and Tyler smiled. "All it takes is one buddy," he said as he put his arm around the boy's shoulders. "What's your name anyway?"

"Derek."

"Derek, you can't let guys like that push you around man," he said as they walked down the hallway together.


ANNNND GO!!!!! I would love to hit 10 reviews and until I do, I'm not posting another chapter. It's only 4 guys, I have faith in y'all that you can do this lol