A/N: I present to you all chapter 3. This was the final chapter that I originally wrote so updates may not come so quickly in future. Depends when I find time to write. I have a really important mid-term tomorrow so it probably won't be for a few days but I think I know what's going to happen in it.
And remember, review.
Knockout – 5 weeks
"Are you alright, miss?"
Ella stopped running through the forest, trying to distinguish where the voice was coming from. The unicorn definitely hadn't said anything.
"Can you hear me?"
Now she could feel something on her shoulder. She tried to shake it off but it wouldn't go away. And then suddenly it dawned on her, this was a dream. She'd fallen asleep at work...again.
Ella woke to see a man tapping her shoulder. He removed his hand when she began to sit up. Ella rubbed her arms and looked round the waiting area. Thank God Mr. Widmore didn't have lots of people to see today, only one man had witnessed her embarrassment this time. The doctor said that it wasn't uncommon to feel tried and fatigued at this stage of pregnancy but this was getting ridiculous.
"Are you okay?" Ella noticed the man had a Scottish accent. He smiled at her tentatively; as if she was gonna lash out at him. Thankfully for him, Ella was in a relatively good mood today.
"I'm fine. Just...tired, I guess." Ella didn't want to tell a complete stranger about the pregnancy, especially seeing only 5 people, including her, knew about it at that point.
"Maybe you should go home sista, get some rest, I don't think Widmore will be too happy to see you sleeping on the job."
"You have met him right? It's not likely he'll let me go, y'know."
"Aye, I know what you mean." He offered out his hand. "I'm Desmond by the way"
Ella shook it. "I'm Ella."
"See you around, Ella." And before she knew it, he was gone. As if he didn't want to be in the building in the first place.
James hated Randy. He could never remember his job title but he was the boss of the boss and James didn't think a boss should be bossed around. Unfortunately, Randy didn't care what James thought.
"Did you even look at what you ordered last week?"
"I suppose I glanced at it once or twice Kentucky, why?"
Randy looked confused. "Kentucky? That doesn't even make sense."
"Just because you keep telling yourself that don't mean it's true. Or maybe I should call you Colonel."
Randy's face went red. James chuckled...on the inside of course. He needed this job and couldn't afford to piss him off too much. "You were saying about the order."
"We already have many copies of Watership Down in the back. Why you had to buy a dozen more this week I have no idea. And where's that new kids book that's selling out everywhere on this list."
James gave him a confused look."What book?"
"I can't remember the name but it's about magic and dragons and stupid shit like that. Anyway, people are coming in here looking for that book and it's nowhere to be found."
"Who said that?"
"Nikki told me."
James laughed. "Nikki? Really? That bitch had it in for me from day one, just wants to see me fired."
"Maybe I should! You're only just breaking even. If profits continue to slip we'll be making losses by February."
James couldn't think of what to say. He needed the money, simple as that. The only person he could think of who would help him out was Ella. He couldn't ask her to do that when they were saving for the baby.
Randy smiled. "That's what i thought." Randy turned to leave and James opened one of his desk drawers to find the book he was reading. Suddenly he heard a Whack! and looked up just in time to see Randy fall backwards onto his office floor. He looked round the corner and saw Ella standing there with one of the weirdest looks he had ever seen in his life.
"Well, well, well Million Dollar Baby? What the hell happened?"
"I didn't mean to..."
"Well I already know that." He beckoned for her to come in and she stepped over Randy (now out cold) and stood by his desk.
"I just, Mr. Widmore let me go early so I thought I'd come see you, so I went to knock on your door and...this guy came out just as I went to knock and...I guess he just got in the way." Ella looked back at him. "Who was he?"
"He was my boss." Ella flinched and James chuckled. "Don't worry, served the bastard right."
"No-one deserves to be punched in the face Dad."
"You don't know Randy!"
"What did the Doc say? Apart from the walking"
Ella and James had decided to go for a walk round town. The doctor has said she should start doing some gentle exercising to keep herself healthy. Walking was one of the options and Ella couldn't resist dragging along her old man for one during his lunch break, once she had brought Randy round, much to James' reluctance. He took another bite into his doughnut, causing jelly to squirt all down his shirt.
"Oh crap!" Ella began to giggle. "This ain't funny y'know."
"I guess I have a sense of humor then."
James did up his jacket to hide the stain. "Back to my original question, what did the Doc tell you?"
"She said the baby looked healthy. The heart had begun to beat."
"Already? Jeez Mamacita, you got a living thing inside ya."
"Errrrrrrrrr, you think?! Anyway, erm, they did an ultrasound but I couldn't see anything but Dr. Burke said everything was fine."
"You get a due date?"
"Yeah, erm, August 8th."
They both sat down on a bench and looked at the Christmas decorations that adorned the street. Ella turned to look at James. "It feels weird that next year there'll be another person to think about during the holidays." She placed a hand on her stomach. James placed his on top of it. "I'm scared Dad." She began to cry and James placed his arms around her, comforting her.
"You got nothing to be scared about."
"(sniff)...Yes...(sniff)..yes, I do. What if I (sniff) screw up and the baby hates me?!"
James chuckled. "The baby could never hate you. You're the most kind, loving person I know. There's no way the baby won't love you."
Ella looked up at her Dad. "You mean it?" James nodded and Ella laughed, wiping tears from her eyes. James took out his phone.
"Who're you calling?"
James ignored her. After a few moments he began to speak.
"Hey, Paolo...yeah, could you possibly sort out the books to send back for me please? Something's cropped up and I can't get back to the office." Ella realised, he was blowing off work for her. "Yeah, I owe you one." He closed his phone. "It's just you and me baby."
"But what if Randy finds out? Won't you get fired?"
James shrugged. "It would be worth it."
