Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of its characters. I only own Joy. I do not own "you" you own yourself! :D

(A/N: Thank you Night-Star's girl for the idea! Basta's still gonna be the same old black jacket he always has been, but from here on out he's going to be a better husband. He promises! :) I'm glad you like the story so far, Bubbly4roxy. And thank you all so much again for the great reviews! :) )

The night's air was thick and heavy with moisture, the tell-tale sign that rain was soon to arrive. Capricorn's village was mostly silent, except for the guards standing within the village square, all were awaiting Dustfinger's return with the girl and the book.

Basta walked into the kitchen and sneered at Rosalita before walking into the pantry. He needed to make a good luck charm for Joy, she needed one. She had been crying most of the night, she swore it was her emotions from her pregnancy but Basta wasn't as sure. A black cat had passed by her yesterday after they left McDonald's. The damned cat was attempting to make his wife unlucky….The cat must have been trying to put a curse on his wife, that was why she was so upset. It had to be.

"What are you lookin' for now, Basta?" Rosalita asked in annoyance from the stove.

"Don't you ever sleep?" Basta growled in reply.

"When you all let me I do," the cook replied, "But you all are so hungry I gotta cook meals ahead o'time so you all can put them into de microwave! If you want to help I don't have a problem with it!"

Basta gritted his teeth; Rosalita was from a place called 'New Orleans' in 'America.' If all people coming from 'New Orleans' in 'America' had such an annoying accent he swore he'd never visit the place. Not even for Capricorn….Well maybe, for Capricorn, maybe.

"Well?"

Basta growled, "I'm making a good luck charm for Joy, she's been crying all night. Says it's because of the baby. I know damned well it's because of that black cat that passed us!"

"Oh don't you go blamin' that poor critter for crossin' your path, Basta!" Rosalita exclaimed as she walked over to him. He ducked his head further into the large pantry when she shook her wooden spoon in his face. "Cats, no matter what color, are usually sweet animals. Even if it were wild it wouldn't have done harm to you or Joy. She's crying because her emotions are runnin' high like she said. Bein' pregnant is no cake walk. The sooner you men learn this – the better off you will be!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Basta grumbled under his breath. The term that one uses in annoyance was one of the first things to rub off of Basta the second time he was read into this world.

"You've been so cruel to that girl I'm surprised she ain't crying every night,"
the cook sighed.

"What did you say?" Basta questioned slowly as he turned and stepped out of the pantry. He glared at Rosalita in annoyance.

"You heard me, you're cruel to Joy!"

Basta stared, "I'm…Not cruel. I'm following orders, to keep my wife in line-"

"By physically and mentally abusin' her!" Rosalita sneered, "I know you to be a mean man Basta, but you've admitted to me once when I was nursin' you back to health last year that you don't like bein' cruel. So why are you hitting that poor girl?"

"I am not abusing her, I am only doing what every man in my world-"

"This ain't your 'world!' It's ours, and in ours abusin' isn't right! It's cruel and inhuman," Rosalita replied, "When that girl first came she had a light in her eyes. A light of hope, now all I see in that woman's eyes is fear. Is that how you want that child whose comin' to see their mother? As a woman who constantly fears her husband?"

"Joy said she loved me…She doesn't fear-"

"Oh? She doesn't fear you? Then tell me Basta what happens when she is in de kitchen with me and you walk in? Tell me."

"I don't like the way you're speaking to me-"
"You think I care?"

Basta gritted his teeth, he knew she didn't care; she had no need for concern. Capricorn and every black jacket loved her cooking. No one, not even Joy, could replace the cook. She also helped the younger boys and girls go from the transition of not being with their parents to becoming black jackets and maids.

"What happens, Basta?"
Basta glared at the annoying woman, "I don't know, you tell me."

"She can be in here comfortable and looking like there is no care in de world! Then you walk in. Her shoulders tense, her atmosphere becomes one of fear and caution, and she becomes jumpy. Does that sound to you like a woman who has no fear of her spouse?"

"Spouse? What is that?" Basta asked in confusion.

"The person you are married too," Rosalita replied. When Basta sneered, she shook her head in disgust, "Think about de first time you saw Joy and think of her now. Then see what damage you've done to her."

-------------------------------------------------------

Basta had finished gathering the luck charms and was neatly tying a thin, but sturdy, thread around the good luck charm bag. He had been in the kitchen for hours, when he looked up he saw the cook had left the kitchen, he glanced to see her bedroom door closed. Her room was only the size of a shoe box but she had somehow convinced black jackets to give her a nice bed, night stand, and a lamp, and a few books.

Her words echoed in his head, "Think about de first time you saw Joy and think of her now. Then see what damage you've done to her."

He had first met Joy when she read him out, the first time he saw her she had been so busy reading she hadn't noticed him. Her hair was bright red and had been pulled into a pony tail; she had been wearing a white blouse and black jeans. Her dark brown eyes had shined with fascination, courage, and hope.

When his dagger scraped her front door she had grabbed a baseball bat and was fully ready to fight, and she fought him bravely. She had been a wildcat that day, an untamed beauty. He had sworn the moment she began to fight him that he'd tame her. He had imagined courting her, he frowned. He hadn't courted her nor had he done the least single thing romantic for her. His stomach twisted when he realized none of his fantasies of being with her had come true, and he had her….And not once had he taken her for a candle light dinner, or any other one of things that women in his and this world found so romantic.

Then he remembered coaxing Dustfinger into lying to her about Silvertongue and Meggie being in immediate danger. While Dustfinger was talking to the skeptical Joy he had snuck into her apartment and hid in the shadows near her front door.

She had been wearing a loose t-shirt and soft blue jeans. Her hair was in a tight braid, she still had that untamed quality to her, however she was determined and more independent than she was last time he had seen her.

Then he had noticed a picture hanging up on the wall of her hallway, it showed herself standing beside a tall woman, they were surrounded by little kids. He realized she was one of this world's 'teachers.' He looked up when Dustfinger looked intently at Joy and said softly, 'I'm sorry.' It was then Basta made his move, he quickly stepped behind her hit her hard upside the head. He watched the woman collapse.

When he had returned to the village he had carried Joy in his arms to Capricorn. It was there an Italian 'government official' (whatever that truly was, Basta still didn't understand the various forms of 'government' in this world) had married them. Though he had said the marriage was invalid since the bride was not awake. After a swift glance of Basta's knife he quickly filled out the marriage license and pronounced Basta and Joy officially wed.

It took nearly a month of slapping, and sometimes hitting the woman to get her somewhat tamed. Never once had he kindly tried to help her through the transition of free woman to wedded black jacket's wife woman.

Then she had attempted to escape with Sonjia. That should have been enough for Basta to see how badly he had treated her. He groaned and sank back onto the stool he had been sitting on. What the hell was he thinking?

He had always sworn to himself since he was a child that when he found a woman he'd treat her well; spoil her even, with love and gifts. Instead he had spoiled her with abuse and fear. And the way she looked now….Her hair resembled old red thread instead of the beautiful red locks she had once possessed. Her eyes were dull and he could see fear in them now that he thought about it. Each time he came around her arms wrapped protectively around her stomach, a mother protecting her child. He had terrified her to the point that she felt she needed to protect their unborn child from him!

He was a monster.

What had he done? He wanted to run to his home and beg Joy for forgiveness, beg her for another chance to meet and live with and fall in love with the real him. However if any black jacket heard or saw this Capricorn would consider him unfit for the job of lead black jacket. Shit. But even Cockerell had said to him that if he were married to Joy he'd be kinder to her.

Guilt twisted in his heart. He would remain the black jacket he was and always had been, but as a husband he would change. He had too. If he wanted Joy to love him he had to prove himself not to be a monster, but a good man who loved his wife dearly.

"For you, Joy, I will prove that I am a good husband," he whispered.

--------------------------------------------------

Silvertongue's daughter finally arrived two hours later, after meeting Capricorn he shoved her and the old woman who came with her into a cage. Meggie reminded him of Joy; beautiful, strong, intelligent.

In his hand he held a small velvet black box containing a new golden wedding ring for Joy. It was thin and had two small diamonds on each side of the ring, in middle of the ring was a small fire opal. He had described the ring he wanted to one of the maids who wrote it down. He had asked her what gem helped to heal a person's luck and spirit; she had given a long list. He had finally decided on the fire opal to heal Joy's spirit and luck; also to give her back her fiery personality he was reluctantly willing to admit that he missed.

Then he had Silvertongue read the maid's handwriting until the ring fell from the sky and landed on the ground in front of Basta. It was perfect and would look beautiful on his wife.

"Joy?" He asked as he walked in, she sat up in bed and stared at him curiously, he slipped her wedding ring off and placed the new one on her finger.

"Basta…Oh my God…It's gorgeous…." She stammered.

"Don't…Please…Don't say a word…" Basta replied as he gently took her hand, "I…I've been thinking about the way I've treated you…Even now though your happy you still fear me…" He said. She tried to argue, but he held up his hand to stop her. She flinched, another pang of guilt stabbed at his heart. His wife was terrified of him. Monster. He was a monster.

"I swear…I will never hit, slap, or raise my hand to you again," he rasped, "I have to stay the black jacket I've always been….But as of right now I'm changing….I'm going to be a good husband and father. I'm going to be dedicated to you and I will never lay a hand on you again. I'll do all in my power to get you better clothing and anything you desire….But….Please, love me for the new man I'm going to become. Not for the one I've been?"

"You've been listening to Darius read-"

"Yes, I have, and that part seemed right…It's true, because I am going to turn over a new caterpillar-"

"Leaf," Joy laughed.

Basta stared at her, she was laughing, and there was no fear in her eyes. His heart swelled with happiness, the monster was going to be forgotten, and never would it harm Joy again. He wouldn't allow it too.

"I can't be sappy when we're in the village or around other black jackets, but I will remain a good husband," Basta exclaimed.

"I believe you," Joy smiled, "Just don't always be this sappy. I think I have a cavity. But I like the change a lot…Could…Could we cuddle?"

"You never need to ask," Basta replied as he kicked off his shoes, he sat on the bed and peeled his socks off. He undressed and put on one of his old shirts before climbing under the covers and holding Joy close. It was then he felt a small bump under her chest.

"Baby bump," Joy smiled, "I'm 4 months pregnant Basta."

"Do you know how long you've been pregnant for since before that test?" Basta asked.

Joy nodded, "I figured it out the other night when I couldn't sleep. The second time we…Slept together did the deed. I had been feeling sick to stomach since then, which should have been a sign to me."

"I swear I'll be a good father, Joy, I swear."

"I know you will be, I believe you," Joy replied softly.

Why? He wondered, why did she believe that a monster like him could change so suddenly and easily? He hoped he could, but he part of him was skeptical. He swore that he'd make himself change, even if it drove him to insanity.