Chapter Nine: Moving Forward

Disclaimer: I own everyone not recognizable

Carli and John tried to resume their lives over the next several months. Professionally everything was great. Before they knew it, WrestleMania was upon them again and John won the US Championship. Carli and Vince were in discussions with a few production studios about upcoming movies for Steve Austin. Carli had run across a script and thought it was pretty decent for their first venture. She showed it to Vince and he knew exactly who would play the lead role. John Cena. They kept it between the two of them as they shopped the idea around to Hollywood. When they found a company, they approached John. They explained everything to him and he agreed after talking to Carli privately. He asked her as a lawyer, not a WWE lawyer, what she thought of the contract. She broke it down for him and let him know this was an excellent contract for his first movie and if it were her in the movie, she'd take it. Carli also spoke with Vince about supporting John on a musical side. John didn't want any financial backing; he would pay for it himself. He did make a deal with Vince about promoting it and using a song as his entrance music. A week after WrestleMania, Carli started receiving calls from various locations and the caller would hang up when she answered. They came at any time any day, no pattern and never the same number twice. Carli brushed them off but John alerted the police. He suggested she change her number but she wouldn't change it again. She was tired of constantly changing her number and he always found out, so why change it.

Personally they seemed to be on the fast track to spending the rest of their lives together. During Christmas they had decided to move in together. John didn't have much since he was always traveling and he lived with three of his four brothers in a house. All he brought with him were his clothes, his cars and his beloved Playstation2. Carli got him a Gamecube and X-Box and a few of his favorite arcade games; he thought he'd died and gone to heaven again. He had been thinking to himself lately about marriage. He knew she wasn't one for marriage, but she was doing a lot of things lately that weren't typical Carli. He wondered how his parents would feel if they started a family without being married; they had talked loosely about it and decided they wouldn't try, but also wouldn't prevent either. If it was meant to be, it was meant to be. As a couple they couldn't be happier and their friends and family truly believed in them. John got used to the bodyguards and didn't notice them anymore. To be honest he loved the gated community they lived in because it kept the fans from camping on the front lawn. He loved his fans and always went the extra mile for them, but he did want some privacy too. At least four times a week Carli would see them outside the gates waiting for him. She wanted to tell them when he'd be back, but he still had an image and Vince likes to keep that outside the ring too. They hadn't heard anything from the police but Carli hadn't received any phone calls either.

In March, Carli started paying attention to her body and realized a few changes. She waited until one morning in April, after WrestleMania, and called Steph into a meeting. Steph came into her office and sat on the couch. She loved the couch even though it was on the other side of the office from the desk.

"So, what's up? What's the emergency meeting?" Steph said.

"Come with me, please." Carli said and got up from her desk.

"Can't we stay here? I'm too comfy." Steph whined.

"Get your lazy ass up and come with me!" Carli pulled Steph from the couch and she went into the bathroom down the hall.

"Why are we in here? You have your own bathroom." Steph said as Carli went into a stall.

"Can't leave evidence in my bathroom or office." Carli said as she walked out. She placed the stick down next to Steph and washed her hands. Steph looked down and her jaw dropped. "Yes, it's a pregnancy test."

"I see that but have you looked at it?" Steph replied wide-eyed. Carli shook her head no.

"It says to check after two minutes." Carli said drying off her hands.

"I don't think you need to wait two minutes!" Steph replied and hugged Carli. She looked at the stick and back to her best friend. Carli was stunned.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do now?" Carli was pissed.

"Aren't you excited? It's great news!" Steph said hugging her again. Carli grabbed the stick and went back to her office. Steph had to jog to keep up with her and when they entered her office, Steph closed the door. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want this. I can't do this. Maybe it's wrong. Maybe I'm stressed out and it's giving a false reading." Steph picked up the phone and called their doctor. She could see Carli in an hour.

"I thought you went off birth control for a reason." Steph put her hands on her hips.

"I didn't think it would actually happen!" Carli's eyes teared up and Steph hugged her. "Oh shit." Carli laid on the couch and put a pillow over her face. Steph couldn't contain her excitement. She ran out and down the hall to her office. She grabbed her purse, called her Mom and said they were leaving and they'd be back in a few hours. She got Carli's purse and forced her out the door. "I'll be back later." Carli said to her secretary as she schlumped down the hall. Stephanie drove them to the doctor and looked over Carli's paperwork in case anything needed updating. The nurse called them and they went back. Carli couldn't remember the last day of her period and of course Steph chimed in at how quickly the test changed. The nurse weighed her and took her blood pressure. She took them to an examining room and Carli changed into every girl's favorite gown. The doctor came in and spoke with Carli then began the exam. She did a sonogram to determine the timeline but she could guess by how Carli's body felt. Carli and Stephanie watched the monitor and tears fell down Carli's face. The doctor finished and Carli got dressed. The best friends hugged and stood there as Carli cried. Once she relaxed they left and had lunch. They sat there talking about everything but the doctor's visit. Stephanie knew Carli needed time to absorb the new information.

"John will be home tomorrow, you know they have a show here." Steph said to just throw that out there. She knew, of course, Carli would know John's schedule. After lunch they went back to the office. Carli had a hard time paying attention and decided to leave. She went home and sat in the dark. She emailed John and said she wasn't feeling good and she'd talk to him when he got back. Carli lay in bed and cried herself to sleep.

Tuesday morning came too soon and she felt like she got no sleep. She took a shower and felt better. This is a good thing, right? She looked at the photos taped to the mirror and looked at the framed photos of her and John. Carli smiled to herself and got ready for the office. The Smackdown roster would be coming to HQ for training before leaving for New Haven. When they began arriving they went to the meeting hall. Instead of going with the rest of the roster, John went straight to Carli's office. Her secretary told John she was down in the meeting hall already. He couldn't wait to see her and always got so excited the day he'd be heading home. He ran back downstairs and stopped in the doorway when he saw her. She was at the front directing the set up of the training materials. She could feel him every time he was near her and this time was no different. She excused herself without even looking and went straight to the door. She looks so beautiful. Something's different though. John was thinking as she walked towards him. John followed her around the corner and into the cafeteria. As soon as he closed the doors she turned and flew into his arms. She had to fight back the tears and he could feel her tensing but a tear touched his cheek. He pulled back and kissed her tenderly. She melted into him instantly and John slipped his tongue in her mouth. As he kissed her he wiped the tears from her face. Her assistant came in and said it was time to start.

"I missed you so much." Carli said looking into his eyes.

"I love you, baby girl. Are you going with me to New Haven?" He asked in between kisses.

"Of course, we have something to talk about too, it's important." Carli said and took a deep breath.

"Are you okay?" John replied looking concerned.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." She smiled back to him. They went into the hall and John sat with Mark and Show as Carli went to the front. After two hours they took a break and Carli decided she couldn't wait. She took John to her office and sat him down in her chair. She sat on her desk facing him and before she could say anything he looked at her desk. He picked up the pictures and his jaw dropped. Carli smiled and John was stunned. He studied the pictures and noticed the date on the photos.

"I'm going to be a Dad?" He asked her barely audible still looking at the pictures. "I'm going to be a Dad in five months?" His voice got a little more excited and he gazed at Carli. "You're giving me a baby?" His eyes filled with tears and all of Carli's fears melted away. She was never worried how John would react, it was her own fears and he always made her feel better.

"I found out yesterday. Obviously I wasn't paying attention to my body because I'm already in my second trimester." Carli said and was startled when he jumped up and hugged her. Stephanie was walking by and saw them and she knew her friend would be okay.

"I could tell something was different about your body, but since this is my first pregnancy I wasn't sure. Who knows already? Can we tell people? Do we need to get married?" John started pacing as questions ran through his mind at lightning speed.

"Stephanie. If you want and we don't NEED too, I think we should discuss what we both want and what's best for the baby."

"Baby girl, I've wanted to marry you since the moment I saw you in the airport. I will marry you anytime, anywhere, you just tell me and I'll be there early. It's your decision." He replied hoping she'd marry him.

"Let me think on this a little more and we'll talk on the drive to New Haven." She knew what she wanted it was whether or not she had the courage. Carli was running smack into reality and it scared the shit out of her. They went back downstairs to the meeting hall and everyone was still hanging around. John dragged Carli through the crowd and stopped when he found Mark and Show.

"I'M GOING TO BE A DAD!" John yelled for the world to hear. Carli could feel her skin turning red and she shook her head and hid her eyes. Their two friends looked at Carli concerned and she gave them a look saying 'it's okay.' The soon-to-be parents were congratulated and Carli kept trying to get everyone to settle down so they could resume training. She watched John throughout the program and he kept smiling and looking at the sonogram pictures. She too realized this was a good thing and absent-mindedly answered her phone.

"Congratulations. Look at John. See how happy he is? It's a shame to ruin that but we'll have too. He'll never see that child. I'm coming, Carli." The caller hung up after she heard the same maniacal laugh. The phone fell to the floor and the tears came in buckets. Stephanie grabbed Carli and walked her out. She signaled for John to stay in the training. He had noticed the phone call and had to fight himself to stay seated. Carli was in hysterics in the corridor and fell to her knees. She glanced down the hall and saw him at the other end. She began screaming and stood to run the other way.

"Carli…Carli…Carli!" Steph whispered to her and poked her in the ribs. She was gasping for air and grabbing her throat. "Carli!" Stephanie grabbed her as she fell of the chair. John was out of his seat instantly and next to Carli.

"What just happened?" John was on the verge of panic and Mark called 911.

"I looked over and she had her head in her hands. I saw her eyes were closed and thought she had fallen asleep. I was trying to wake her and that's when she started gasping for air." Steph said as tears rolled down her face. John whispered in Carli's ear.

"I'm right here, baby girl. Its okay and you can wake up. You're safe." He stroked her hair and placed delicate kisses on her face. Carli blinked and looked at John.

"I just saw him, he was here. He called me and…" She passed out again. John and Steph both looked around the room.

"She had to have dreamt it….right?" John looked at Steph.

"Her phone never rang." Steph replied. The EMTs arrived and John insisted he go with her. The bodyguards would be going but that wasn't good enough for him. Vince excused John but he would have to make it up and he was still expected to be there tonight. He rushed out and rode in the ambulance with Carli. Suddenly they began to frantically work on Carli. One EMT called to the hospital and described what was happening.

"I am losing her!" He yelled into the phone.

"NO! NO! NO! Carli!" John fought with the other EMT as he was trying to get to Carli. "She's pregnant!"

"I cannot help her if you're in the way!" The EMT yelled at John. He pushed John onto the bench and went back to Carli. He was choking back a sob and didn't know what to do. His life with Carli flashed before him and he just let the tears flow. They arrived at the hospital and she was rushed into a trauma room. John was kept outside the door while Carli was evaluated and all he could see were doctors and nurses running in and out screaming at eachother.

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Carli sat up struggling for air. Her hands quickly went to her stomach. John sat up and looked at her curiously. "You okay, baby? Bad dream? What can I get you?" He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. She looked around and recognized their bedroom.

"I'm not sure I can describe the dream I just had. The dream started when you won the belt, when we signed the movie contracts, the CD contract and the day I found out I was pregnant and when I told you. It was during training and I received a phone call from him and ran out the door. I saw him at the end of the hall and ran the other way. Next thing I knew you and Steph said I had a dream but I passed out. I was rushed to the hospital and you were with me. The paramedics said I was dying and you were screaming. Does that make sense?" Carli asked him as she struggled to get out of bed. John went to her side and lifted her out.

"You need to relax. I know pregnant women have crazy dreams, but you need to focus on good things. You know the police have him back in custody and we're both great." He said softly while rubbing her back. Carli waddled to the bathroom for the hundredth time today.

"This bathroom's big enough; can we just put a bed in here for me so I don't have to go far to pee?" Carli whined and John smiled.

"You are the most beautiful woman in the world." He kissed her nose as she tried her best to throw a temper tantrum. He had to laugh at her. Her tiny frame was doing it's best to accommodate the baby that would become the center of their world at any moment. He knew she was humongous but would never say that to her. From the back she didn't even look pregnant, but from the side and the front she looked like she was smuggling basketballs under her shirt. Carli was having a difficult pregnancy because of the damage she sustained from her attack. Her doctor was surprised she could carry at all much less to her 36th week. She wanted to induce her as soon as she reached the safety zone of 38 weeks. Her poor body was at its maximum and the doctor knew if the baby stayed much longer Carli would have a dangerous labor. She was trying to stay busy with the holidays coming and planning big parties, but John kept her to a minimum. He didn't want her to go into labor at the mall or out in public.

Vince agreed to only use John for the Smackdown tapings and no house shows for the final weeks so he'd be home at least five out of seven days. They were trying to invent a storyline so John could be home with Carli for a few weeks after the baby was born. The writers had John pitted against Carlito for the US title and decided to use this angle. It would give John about four to five weeks with Carli and the baby. The birth was scheduled the day after John would lose the title to Carlito. Thankfully Smackdown was to be taped in Boston and John could drive straight home afterwards.

John and Carli had eloped to Las Vegas the week after they learned of the pregnancy. They didn't tell anyone until they got back. They took his parents and told them it was for a vacation and surprised them with a stop at an all night chapel. They stayed in a suite so they could all be together but his parents had different bedrooms. Now they were about to become parents for the first time and decided to wait to find out the sex of the baby. During the pregnancy John had been so tender and patient with Carli; rubbing her feet, her back, her shoulders. He catered to her every whim. The local ice cream parlor knew his order automatically; he just called and said he was coming.

She wanted to go to Boston with him for the taping and since it was only a few hours away, her doctor said okay. It would help Carli relax and take her mind off things. She didn't tell John about the phone calls that began again and it did add to her stress. He knew about the baby and was threatening her and her child's life. She had alerted the police and she had patrol cars monitoring her house. They had a security system and the bodyguards, but a little police protection would be welcomed. Her bodyguards went with her to Boston and since she was so far along, one of them drove with her. They made fun of her at the amount of times they had to stop so she could pee. It was only a few hours but they stopped every 45 minutes. What was a four hour drive turned into a five hour drive. Carli reminded them that's why they left earlier! Obviously they weren't married with children or they'd know these things Carli teased back.

They arrived at the arena and she was escorted to John's locker room. One guard stayed with her and the other two went for drinks and a snack for Carli. She did alert the bodyguards about the phone calls so they knew to be extra careful. She had visitor after visitor and they had all commented to John she looked frightened but made a beautiful pregnant woman. John had noticed also that Carli seemed nervous and on edge since she'd arrived. He wanted to bring her to the ring with him so he could keep an eye on her himself but she didn't have the patience for crowds and they couldn't get them close enough, she needed four seats. John made her promise not to walk around without a guard and she agreed. He went to the ring for his match and had a hard time paying attention. During the match Carlito had whispered to John to get in the game or he'd hurt them both. John lost the belt as planned and he did his best to play the part when he really wanted to run out of the ring and back to Carli. During the match, Carli wanted more food so she took a guard with her and went to catering. He waited outside after searching the room and Carli sat in a chair. She propped her feet up on another chair and laid her head back. She dozed off but was jolted awake when the door was roughly pulled open. She looked at him and wanted to scream but nothing came out. He must have been 30-40 feet from Carli, as close as he'd been since the night he attacked her. He smiled and raised a gun.

"I will always love you." He fired the gun twice.