Title: Drop Dead Hero
Chapter 11: What does it take to be a hero?
Time: Spring 2008 (when the Reba show would be in season seven)
No copyright infringement intended.
Read, Review, Subscribe, Add to favs
Previously-
Reba couldn't control the sobs coming from her body. She looked at the photos tried to find comfort in memories that they'd shared. She fell asleep crying, trying to take comfort from Brock's face.
What happens next? Stay tuned to find out! Keep reading to find out more!
The answers to the questions above will be revealed as you read the story. Here is Drop Dead Hero!
Now on with our next chapter-
Reba didn't have much time to think about Brock or Daniel. During her next doctor's visit, the doctor showed some concern over her test results and ordered another ultrasound. Fear for the baby's health shook Reba to the core. In that moment, all she could think about was turning to Daniel for support. Brock/Daniel took Reba to the ultrasound appointment. Negative thoughts filled her mind. What if there was something wrong with the baby?
He knew that Reba had a lot on her mind. He wanted to make the mood lighter for her. "That was some night we had the other night, huh?"
Reba smiled and took a hold of his free hand. "Yeah, thanks for coming with me today."
"Are you kidding me? I told you that I'd be here for ya. How did it go with Kyra?"
"Not so bad. She's legally an adult. She's just questioning the recent changes in my life. How did it go with Jake?"
"Good, I let him know that the most important thing for a teen to do is judge when he or she is ready for adult responsibilities. Basically, Jake won't be having sex until he's ready for the responsibility that comes along with a surprise like Elizabeth."
Reba put a hand to her chest. "Thank heavens! I was worried about it."
"Nothing to worry about there. You just concentrate on good things. We're going to have a happy, healthy baby."
"Sure, there was one surprise though. I found an old letter in my drawer from Brock." Reba rubbed her belly. "This is something that he always wanted for us. I appreciate the support, but I won't open up the discussion on paternity testing again. He deserves this gift, and I won't take it from him."
What else could he say? She loved Brock, too. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad. The Brock part of him was happy. She promised to love him until parted by death. She loved him after being parted by divorce and death. He couldn't ask for much more. He was a lucky man. He didn't even deserve her. "It's okay, honey."
Reba sighed with relief, snuggling against him during the ride to the doctor's office. During the ultrasound, both of them were overcome with emotion at seeing their baby on the screen. Brock/Daniel could see tiny hands sucking on a thumb. Everything was right in the world until the technician asked if they'd like to know the baby's sex. Brock desperately wanted to know. Reba, on the other hand, didn't. They argued in front of the woman. It reminded him of the good old days. He was happy until Reba took him down a notch or two by explaining to the woman that Daniel wasn't her husband or the baby's father. That took all the winds out of his sails.
Reba could tell that something was wrong with Daniel after that. She tried to lighter his mood by inviting him to dinner. The doctor gave them the joyous news that the baby was okay. Kyra and Jake agreed to stop complaining about their punishment of being grounded for two weeks for their romantic escapades the night of the dance. For Reba, all was right with the world. Kyra and Jake supported Reba's relationship with Daniel.
That's when Kyra took matters into her own hands again. She began by telling her mother a story about one of her friends' brother needing a bone marrow transplant. Kyra even added tears as a final touch. Reba reassured her that everything would be okay with their family. She promised that nothing bad would happen like that to Jake and the new baby, but Kyra pressed on. She persisted on with planting a fear that she needed all of the necessary medical information on hand in case of an emergency. With Brock gone, who would be a match in case one of the kids' had a health emergency? Having a parent as a match in a crisis was crucial.
Reba wore a silky black maternity dress with deep vee neckline that left her shoulders bare. Brock/Daniel could hardly behave himself. The dress left so much skin exposed. He remembered kissing every inch of her skin on the first night that they made love as Reba and Daniel. He tried to concentrate on his mission for the evening. He couldn't get the idea out of his head since that morning at the doctor's office. He wanted to be Reba's husband again and the father of her baby. He wanted to raise the baby with Reba. This seemed to be the only way.
Somehow, the matter never came up over dinner. It wasn't until they were in the car, making out, that he got up the nerve to pop the question.
"I want you to know how serious I am about you. There's something real here. Marry me."
Reba responded by turning her head to look out the window. When she turned back to face him, she asked, "Do you love me, Daniel?"
"Honey, that's why I'm asking you to marry me."
"It's too soon. Where is this coming from? This feels rushed."
"Reba, I love you. I want us to raise this child together as a family."
When she kissed him, he was left with a lingering feeling of sadness. She didn't feel the same way. Brock had the key to her heart. She wasn't ready to make room for Daniel.
When Reba got home, she put on one of Brock's shirt before getting into bed. She needed to smell his scent and feel his closeness. She wished that she knew what to do. She found herself wondering what Brock would say on the matter- Reba pregnant with another man's child and considering a new marriage. She pictured him giving Daniel menacing looks and warnings about not being able to fill his shoes. Reba decided to take her time with this new relationship. She was having Brock's baby. She thought about how jealous she was watching Brock and Barbra Jean together when she was having Henry. She would honor the man who'd been the love of her life by making sure that her focus was on him and their baby. Things with Daniel could wait until after that.
The problem was that she had feelings for Daniel, and he obviously felt the same way about her. Reba was willing to admit that she was wrong to doubt his desire of a commitment with her. She threw on a robe and walked next door to work things out.
Brock was surprised to find Reba at his door. He wondered what was wrong. She left her house in a bathrobe, not her style. "I owe you an apology. You asked me a question from the heart, and I didn't take it seriously." She showed him her neck. The chain with the wedding band from her marriage with Brock was gone. "I took it off. I am ready to be with you, but it's a slow process. I'm having Brock's baby, and I want to honor him by waiting to move on with someone else. If I marry you before the baby is born, you will be the baby's legal father on the birth certificate. That would be wrong to do to Brock. It would be like Barbra Jean remarrying and taking Henry away from our family. I can't do it."
He put his hand up to her cheek. "I understand. I'm not thrilled with it, but I love you. That means being patient."
She nuzzled her cheek against his hand. "Thank you. I love you, Daniel, in a way that totally different from anything that I've felt before."
"Will you promise to marry me sometime in the future?"
"Yes, Daniel. I want to raise this baby with you."
"If you love me, will you consider a paternity test? I promise to love all of your children as my own. I just think that it's important that we know for sure one way or the other. What if something happened? We should be prepared with all the facts."
"This child is a Hart. That's all I need to know," Reba insisted.
"Condoms aren't 100% foolproof. You ought to know that. That's how Cheyenne came to be."
"Daniel, I'm sorry. I can't do it. I'm trying to find a place in my life for you and for Brock now, but you won't let me do it my way." Teardrops ran down her cheeks. Her belly tightened. She put her hand to it.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Goodnight, Daniel."
Reba took a few steps out to the front yard before her body started to sway. Brock remembered the time when that happened before at Cheyenne and Van's second wedding. He ran to catch her before she hit the ground.
"Who turned the lights out?" Reba asked drowsily to no one in particular. Her eyes then narrowed in on Brock/Daniel's face. "Brock, I've been waiting for you." Her hand went up to touch his cheek before she slipped into unconsciousness.
At the hospital, Reba slipped in and out of consciousness while doctors worked to stabilize her and the baby. Her blood pressure was dangerously high and it was causing the baby some distress. The incident had caused Reba's body to go into premature labor. She kept asking for Brock.
This turn of events left Brock/Daniel struggling to cope. He decided to let the doctors worry about the baby. His only concern was the redhead that he'd loved more than half his life. She was in trouble. If he could help calm her down, then maybe the baby's condition would stabilize. It was a shock for him to realize that she'd been talking to him as she drifted in and out as if she knew that he was Brock. Some of her speech made sense, and other times it didn't. All he could do was sit beside her, offering her comfort and praying for God to save them both.
The doctors got Reba's blood pressure down. The contractions stopped, and Reba was sleeping peacefully. Barbra Jean convinced Brock/Daniel to go to the cafeteria for some coffee and food. He was worn out and needed a break.
Reba opened her eyes to find Barbra Jean in the chair beside her. "Hi, what happened?"
Barbra Jean was so surprised to see her best friend awake and talking. She flew out of her chair to hug her best friend.
"Easy now, the baby and I are breakable."
Barbra Jean let go quickly and sat back down. Reba liked that one. She was going to have to remember to use in the future to control the outbursts and affection that poured out from the tall childlike blonde.
"I had the strangest dream." Reba proceeded to tell Barbra Jean about seeing Brock first on the front lawn, and then in her hospital room later. Barbra Jean filled Reba in on her medical condition, leaving out any comments about Brock. "You have nothing to say about it."
"What?" she responded, feigning innocence.
"I just told you that I saw Brock alive and well, back from the dead. You have nothing to say about that?"
Barbra Jean laughed nervously.
"Barbra Jean, what is it?"
"I'm not supposed to tell you."
"I'll buy you ten new beanie babies, and I'll spend 24 hours with you at my house, just you and me. Tell me, best friend. What are you hiding?"
Barbra Jean started to squeal and jump around.
"Barbra Jean, you're gonna make my blood pressure shoot up again."
Just like that, Barbra Jean was sitting quietly in her chair again. She cleared her throat. "He's back. Brock's not dead."
"You have lost your mind! I identified the body. His body was in a casket that we all saw lowered into the ground."
"I'm taking a chance even telling you this. He could get in trouble for this. They can pull his back. No one is supposed to know."
"That Brock is back from the dead?"
Barbra Jean nodded. She began to tell Reba the tale that Brock told her on the night that he first arrived at her house in Daniel's body.
"Do you realize how insane this sounds? Of course, you do. You're Barbra Jean."
"Hey, now is not the time for jokes. Wake up and smell the coffee, Peaches, before you lose him again. And this time, he won't be able to come back. Just look into his eyes and you'll see what I mean."
Brock/Daniel entered the room. Barbra Jean excused herself to give the two some privacy.
"Oh honey, I'm so glad that you're finally awake. How do you feel?" He hugged her immediately.
She held onto him for a second before pulling away to look into his eyes. She began to tell him about her dream and her conversation with Barbra Jean.
"So, what do you think that all this means?" he asked. He refused to confirm or deny the information.
Reba was forced to draw her own conclusions. She smiled at him. "I think that this means that I'm going to have to call Sea World."
"What?"
Reba giggled. "Yeah, I need to call them to tell them that I'd like to have my orange manatee back. I miss him being in my shower."
Brock smiled with the realization that she knew the truth. "Manatee? I've got this body, and you're still calling me a manatee." Reba slapped him on the back of the head. "Ouch, what was that for?"
"You scared me half to death. Don't you ever die on me again! I couldn't bear to lose you again."
Brock rubbed his head. "Yes, dear. I wouldn't dream of it. I'd prefer it if we died in each other's arms."
After the blood pressure incident, Reba's doctors ordered her on bed rest for the duration of her pregnancy. Brock used it as an excuse to move back in to help out. Barbra Jean and Brock agreed to joint custody of Henry. Brock worked on getting things set up for Henry and the baby. Henry was happy because they spent just as much time on getting his new room ready as they did on the new baby's things. Reba decided to have the baby's things in their bedroom. She didn't mind sharing a room with their little miracle at least for the first year or so.
Cheyenne and Kyra also gave their mother another miracle. The rest of Reba's pregnancy was spent without the usual arguing and name-calling that was trademark behavior in the Hart household. Van returned to work at Parker's real estate office with everything that he'd gotten from Steve Norris and more. Reba and Brock were on maternity leave, leaving several big money clients in Van's care. Reba and Brock decided on the perfect consequence for Kyra and Jake besides the grounding. Brock planned for them to stay in the room while Reba was in labor, but only before it was time to push. They figured that would be enough to get them to think twice before letting their hormones make their decisions again.
Too bad Cheyenne and Van didn't get the memo. Cheyenne announced that she was pregnant again two days before Reba gave birth. Reba, as stubborn as she was, made Brock prove himself to her again. She didn't relent to a wedding until a week before she was ready to have the baby. Six days before their baby made an appearance in the world, Reba became Mrs. Daniel Hammond in a small family ceremony. Brock carried her up and down the aisle. Barbra Jean, a bridesmaid, caught the bouquet. She ran up to Parker to show him her prize.
Timothy caught the garter and winked at Faye. Elizabeth was flower girl and Henry was ring bearer. Since Van and Cheyenne were best man and maid of honor at Brock's previous wedding, they decided to choose different ones for the new wedding. They chose Kyra, who'd done so much to bring them together, as maid of honor. They chose Jake as best man. They hoped that it would drive home to Jake what type of commitment was involved in getting married and raising a family. Jake and Kyra were thrilled to have the opportunity to upstage Van and Cheyenne.
Reba finally agreed to a paternity test as soon as the baby was born. They did need to know all the facts in case of emergency, although Reba was certain of the results as soon as their daughter was born. She was born a healthy eight pounds with a head full of raven hair. Reba looked into her daughter's eyes and saw the same eyes that greeted her as she woke up every morning. They ran the DNA test, and the lab confirmed that Daniel was the legal and biological father of their baby girl. Reba chalked that up to fate. Brock was just happy that there was such a thing as a return button. They named the baby Margaret Hart Hammond, but called her Maggie. Brock had defied the odds and cheated death to be with Reba. He would always be her hero.
The End
Author's note: This story is finally complete. I will work on Deceived before I post a new update for Reba Nell Got Married again. I hope that you enjoyed this story.
*** If you want to see Reba on Lifetime Television, there's a marathon this Monday, April 23 from 3-10 p.m. and 11 p.m.-12 a.m. into Tuesday, April 24 from 12:01-2 a.m. Regular episodes will air only once a week on Mondays from 3:30-7 p.m. Central time.
I am experiencing some writers' block for Reba Nell Got Married and Deceived, so any ideas would be helpful.
As always, please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, or predictions for any of my stories. I love getting them. It lets me know how I'm doing. Was there a part you liked or a part that you hated? What would you like to see happen? What do you think will happen next?
Please review or PM me and let me know how you feel. I welcome any reviews, even anonymous ones.
I want to express my special thanks to the following people who have given me valuable support.
FakeCubicZirconium
Janie Dear
RebaFan4Forever
Chatte578
Reba the country queen
Merylandrebafan
Oh. belledejour
Dr. Michaela Quinn
RamblingRedRoseRebaFan
Nellieforbush
Anon
RebaAndJulianneHoughFan
leesy96
WJC1985
iNxC0NCERTx2010
helen carter
LittleMissCheerios
RMandMSFan
JericaMMADfan
RebaJunkie
TouchedbyanAngelFan
Dimples99
crazy4reba .
Dimples73
jessie 33
wildfirefanatic08
NCIS Chick '99
yellow-green-make-blue
Laemara
walk on
Anonymous reviewers
I thank all my readers for your continued support. Your support really keeps me writing! Without you, my stories wouldn't be continued every week.
Characters I don't own: Reba McKinney-Hart, Brock Hart, Kyra Hart, Jake Hart, Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery, Van Montgomery, Elizabeth Montgomery, Barbra Jean Booker, Buzzard Booker, Henry Hart, Dr. Schmidt, Jack Morgan, Liz Hart, and any other characters from the Reba cast.
Characters I do own: Anyone not part of the Reba cast – original characters developed for this story include: Parker Harrison, Timothy, Faye, Daniel Hammond, Sara, the mysterious gunman, the Mason family, Mr. Martin, Lucy Wright, Cliff, and Kevin Thomas.