Previously -
After, he drove me home and told me not to go anywhere. I was told that there probably would be a trial and I would tell a jury that Lucius threatened me before I shot him. Joe felt sure that I would eventually be found innocent of any murder charges if the DNA results came back positive as belonging to Beliar. I had no doubt that they would.
Chapter 10
We left the Trenton police station and were quiet on the drive back. In my apartment, Joe said, "You don't look good, Steph. I'm worried about you. You have some major physical and mental issues to work through and as your friend, I want to help. I know how your Mother has treated you. Even my mother is surprised at how cold Helen has been toward you knowing what her own child has been through. I'll ask my girlfriend Dana if she wouldn't mind making a little extra and I'll drop off some homemade food. You and Ranger?" I shook my head no.
"It was just a mistake, like a day before the other. He made it very clear a long time ago that he didn't do relationships."
He nodded. "Steph, I think he does want to help you." He grinned. "He always has and fuck if I didn't use to hate that. I'll be back soon."
"Joe, thank you. I'm really glad you have someone who really cares about you. Bet you're happy that she can cook."
He smiled and rubbed his belly. "She'll put a gut on me if I'm not careful." He reached out and squeezed my hand and turned and left.
My phone had buzzed and buzzed and my doorbell had rung plenty of times over two days. After checking my messages one time and finding that most were from reporters and my mother and Valerie, I didn't check again. News of the shooting and the births had blown through the 'Burg" like a storm by now and most calls wouldn't be of the neighborly kind, more like the harassing kind. There was no one that I really wanted to talk to. I just needed to pass the time until I could leave.
Joe had left some bags at my door filled with food and I appreciated those. I found them when I had opened the door to go downstairs and get my mail. On the third day, the apartment was quiet and I was laying on my bed and hugging my pillow when I heard my locks tumble and soft footsteps coming into the room. The bed dipped and a hand reached out and touched the back of my head.
"Stephanie, the DNA results are back." I stiffened.
"I already know the results. Please don't." Some of my anger had subsided, but I still wanted to leave those babies and Trenton.
"Babe, the tiny baby boy is ours. The other one almost killed him and it's his. He has also disappeared from the morgue."
Goosebumps stood up on my arms and I shivered. Somehow I wasn't surprised at that news. I rolled over and looked at him. "How could that happen with the two babies?"
"Two eggs were fertilized. It's a rare occurrence and they said that it had to have happened most likely on the same day or twenty four hour period."
"But, I didn't... Oh, God. He did it twice. He must have drugged me during dinner that night."
"Babe, I am so sorry that I didn't protect you better. I had two calls from security clients that I had to personally attend to that night and I tried to call you. I came as soon as I could. When I got here, the apartment was dark and quiet and you were gone. Your phone and trackers were here with your bag and I couldn't find you and I couldn't find him. I knew that something was wrong. I had my men out looking for you all night and the next few days. I tried to refuse the call for the mission and they warned me that I had no choice on this one. It was go or treason. Tank got a call to me before I left the country and told me that you had been found. Where you were found made no damn sense at all."
I thought for a minute. "You put in those cameras. What did they show?"
He said, "The film was black except for two round red orbs."
I mumbled, "Those weren't orbs, those were eyes."
"Babe, don't reject our little baby too. He's innocent and he needs us."
My cheeks were quivering again and the tears came and as soon as one fell, he gently wiped it away with his thumb and moved the unruly curls away from my face. He said, "His eyes are unusual like a dark blue and he has a sprinkling of curly hair and a perfect mix of my and your coloring. He's beautiful."
"He is? He's going to be alright?"
He nodded. "Yes. He's doing well. The nurses love him because he's such a good baby."
I would expect that from Ranger's baby. It made me sad for him that he had to come into this world the way he did. I said, "Okay. We can share him for maybe holidays or time off from school." I couldn't look at him.
He said, "What do you mean?"
"You can have custody. I'm not a good Mom. Rex died."
"That was not your fault. You won't consider living together and raising him?"
"Ranger, you were always clear about what you wanted and it is not that life. I would always be thinking about that and you would grow to resent your situation and then we would both end up miserable one day. Yeah, it was a mistake. I make tons. We'll deal." I tried to laugh and I couldn't pull it off very well.
He hung his head. "Babe, I made you think that I didn't love you and I do. If I hadn't done that, he wouldn't have gotten to you and both of those boys would probably be ours."
A sob escaped from me and I had to turn away from him.
I said, "No, Ranger. I'm diseased now too. I want to give the other one to the state. But, I can't stay after I do that. I have to leave."
He looked sad. "I don't consider you diseased because of the hepatitis C, the baby doesn't have it and Bobby said it's the mildest form and I likely wouldn't get it from you. I don't want you to leave. I want you with me and our baby."
"No can do, big guy. It won't be too comfortable for me here anymore."
"Babe, I'm sorry for all the wrong words and the times that I hurt you. I made a big mistake."
I choked at that. "Well, like they say, 'Water under the bridge' and I forgive you. We can be friends like always for the sake of the little guy."
He swiped his hands down his face. "That's not what I want."
I changed the subject. "I'll call the hospital today and ask them what the procedure is to get your baby released to you and the other one adopted."
I rolled over and got out of bed and stood with my back to him.
"Babe..?"
"Don't... All that bad did happen and every time I look at your baby, I'll remember the other and I just..can't. You were very clear about your life, Ranger. Please tell Ella that I appreciate that she would take on such a responsibility." I walked to the bathroom and shut the door and turned and sank down on the side of the tub and put my head in my hands and the dam burst. The tears I cried were for all of us.
That night I woke up from this nightmare gasping except there was a real hand at my throat with claws squeezing me. I looked into the most horrible face with red eyes and jagged teeth and that tongue and it hissed, "I told you that I cannot be killed. You will go to him and tell him that you want him and both children. You will never leave my son or he and the other one will perish. My son has a destiny to fulfill and you as his mother and the mercenary will protect him and see it through."
Three months later, I was standing at the altar in a big church filled with people that didn't really care about me and I didn't much know or care about them. Ranger had gone to talk to my parents and he had allowed my mother to plan a ridiculous spectacle and he had paid for it all. He said that he wanted my relationship repaired and he wanted us all to start out happy. I laughed about that happy thing and about Ranger being all about the relationships now.
I had gone to Ranger the very next day after the visit. I knew who Lucius was. He was Lucifer and I knew who and what his son's purpose was and there wasn't a damned thing I could do about it except protect Ranger and our baby. No one would have ever believed me and this whole thing had already been written and planned a very long time ago. It was pretty much out of my hands.
What tiny bit of rebellious control I would have, I would use. My hands would NEVER touch the child and my mother's lips would NEVER ever touch his tainted skin. I would send him to daycare seven days a week and send him to boarding schools on other continents and I would manipulate Ranger in whatever way possible to keep the son of the devil as far away from us as I could. I would do butt stuff every single night and love it if that's what it took...
Thinking about the present, I looked up at Ranger and he was reciting vows that we had pre-arranged. I was outside myself as I remembered his original words of non-commitment and they kept reverberating through my head and then the words of the devil and his threat. Then I looked over at the women who were holding the babies. Ella was holding Ben. Short for Bendito, the blessed one. Helen was holding the other and smiling down at it. Malvi or Malvado was the boy's name, meaning evil. I insisted on the name and refused to let Ranger give him his surname to his and Ella's chagrin. Malvado Manoso sounded tough and scary. Malvado Plum just sounded silly. Plum, it would be. Let's just say that the devil made me do it. Hehe.
I heard Ranger's voice and turned. "Babe, your vows?"
"Yeah, whatever... I'll do it." I reached up and scratched my stupid head and just pulled the damn itchy veil off and tossed it. I heard chuckles and I think my mother gasped.
Ranger's eyebrows furrowed. "Babe..? Is something wrong?"
I mumbled, "Nope. Carry on, dude. I'm just going with the flow."
He turned and looked at Mooner and Dougie. "Babe, are you under the influence?"
I snorted. Yep, under the devil's influence. I can't believe that I fought like the devil himself NOT to be in this place and here I am being the 'Burg'. I'm gonna' be a mother and a wife and I'm going to learn recipes. I snickered to myself. Yeah, I'll be learning recipes alright, for bombs and special bullets. I'll be seeing that devil fucker one day again and I'll be ready...
You bet I will. I'm going to finally do what Ranger always wanted me to do. I'm going to train for battle. Because there was a storm to come, a great battle and I would be ready to protect what was mine. One child was evil and one was light and conceived in love and I couldn't help but want to believe that there was a reason for that. Ben was sweet and gentle and such a good baby, almost angelic. I would make sure that my son was ready when the time came as well. His father would help me to train him.
Thinking about the place where I was standing, I might need the 'big guy in the sky's' help one day so I thought maybe I should show him a little respect. I said a quick prayer of thanks for Ranger and Ben and I turned to Ranger and said, "Wait. I take back the other vows. I want to say that I love you and always have and I'm glad to be here with you. And, thank you for Ben. Is that better?"
He chuckled. "Yes, Babe. Much. I love you and Ben too."
My mind wandered again and I turned from him. I had bumbled into something that was worse than any previous kidnapping, fire or car explosion could ever be. Then suddenly I remembered something and looked at Helen and started laughing hysterically. Helen had sold her soul to the devil and she was holding his son. He would be collecting today… Hmmm, maybe I could catch him when he came calling. He didn't say I couldn't mess with him. I wonder how many ways I can kill the devil? What were the ingredients for that bomb recipe again?
"Babe..?"
THE END
Told you it was an unusual HEA. Poor Ranger, Ay? In the end, the whole thing made Steph a little crazy. Who wouldn't be knowing they helped to spawn the anti-christ, right? In the movie, I seem to remember that the coven told Rosemary that the baby died at birth. Rosemary hears a baby crying in the building and hunts for him and finds him. I think he had red eyes too and when she holds him she accepts him. I couldn't see Steph doing that knowing more about what he was than Rosemary had. That's why I wrote that Steph would never touch him again.