I have to give Renthead621 major credit for helping me finish this chapter. I appreciate it more than you know. It was longer than I anticipated, but that's OK! You know you're a genius, LOL. To all my readers, enjoy!

Chapter 14

"Roger, no," Stephanie cried out, as she slept next to Roger in their manor. It had been a week since Jennifer had lost her baby, and Stephanie had been having nightmares about her own baby ever since.

"Steph, wake up," Roger said quietly, shaking her gently. "It's just a dream, Baby, wake up."

Stephanie's eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright. "Huh? Oh… Roger, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"I know you didn't, Baby," Roger said. "It was just a dream." He caressed her arm lovingly. "Relax, Baby, you're OK. I'm here."

"But it seemed so real, Roger…" Stephanie said, breathing hard and sobbing dryly.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Roger asked. "Maybe that will help it go away."

Stephanie nodded and swallowed before she spoke. "Well, it was weird… Jennifer and I… she hadn't lost her baby… and we were both in labor at the same time… but for as long as I kept pushing, there was nothing… it was like our baby was gone, too…" Stephanie started to cry and leaned against Roger.

"It was just a dream, Baby," Roger said. He smiled at her. "If you really need proof, look down."

Stephanie's hand subconsciously went to her round belly and she smiled. "Thanks," she said gratefully to him. "I know it wasn't real… I know it was stupid… but I just keep thinking about it, I guess… praying it doesn't happen to us."

"Stephanie, you're six months along," Roger said. "There's less than a two percent chance that the same thing could happen to you."

"But what about my past with smack, Roger?" Stephanie asked. "Couldn't that affect the baby, too?"

"Stephanie, we've been through this," Roger said. "Your addiction to heroin was almost three years ago now. It's all gone. It was all gone before we even started trying for a baby. You're not using now. It can't have any affect on the baby."

Stephanie sighed and sank against her pillow. "I know," she said, "but I just keep thinking about everything that's happened with me and my past, and Jennifer and Mark, and worrying about it all."

"We've only got two more months to go, Steph," Roger said. "We haven't even worried about those 'new problems with every trimester' I talked about, because you've been so worried about Jennifer. I'm not saying you caring about Jennifer so much is a bad thing, but remember, she said she'd be able to conceive again two months after it happened?" He pulled her close to him under the covers. "Everything's gonna be fine. We're in the home stretch now. Just go to sleep. I love you, Steph."

Stephanie nodded and looked up at him. "I love you, too. Goodnight, Roger," she said, and she fell asleep again.

Later that day, Stephanie went to the loft to see how Mark and Jennifer were doing. She slid open the door and called out, "Mark, Jen, anybody home?"

"In the living room, Steph," Jennifer called, and Stephanie and Roger walked in. "I'm glad to see you."

"So am I, Jen," Stephanie said. "How are you doing?"

Jennifer shrugged. "I'm OK," she said, but Stephanie knew she wasn't. "How is little Davis, Jr. doing in there? Is he treating you well?"

"You really think it's a boy?" Stephanie asked her. "We told the doctor we didn't want to know." Jennifer smiled. "But if it's a girl, her middle name will be yours."

Jennifer's hands flew to her mouth and tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh, Stephie, would you really?" she asked.

Stephanie smiled. "Yeah, Jen, I would," she said. "I feel like I have so much to repay you for; will that do?"

Jennifer hugged Stephanie tightly as she cried happily. "Oh, Steph," she said, "you don't have to feel like you're obligated to repay me. All I did was help you. And you helped me so much that day at the mall, when I… when I lost the baby… I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm honored that I have a namesake, Steph."

Stephanie smiled. "Well, you're worth it, Jen," she said, hugging Jennifer tightly.

"Where's Mark?" she asked, looking over at her.

"I don't know. He's been leaving earlier and earlier. He's having a really hard time with losing the baby. Steph, I don't know what to do," she said, looking over at her.

"I don't know, either, sweetie. Do you want Roger to talk to him?" she asked, looking over at her.

"Yeah, maybe," she said quietly, as tears sprang to her eyes.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Everything is gonna be OK. Mark loves you," she said, hugging her again.

"I hope so, sweetie," Jennifer said, looking at her.

"Mark, it's 10 o'clock at night. What the hell are you still doing out here? Why aren't you home with Jen?" he asked, seeing Mark on a bench.

Mark jumped, startled by Roger's voice. "Oh. Hey, Rog. Sorry, I didn't see you," he said, looking up at him.

"What are you doing out here? Why aren't you home with your wife?" Roger repeated, sitting next to him.

"I can't go home. Jen cries all the damn time and I can't stand to see her like that," he said, looking down at his hands.

"She needs you, Mark. You gotta go home," he said, looking over at him.

"I know. It's just... I feel like everything is falling apart between us. I mean, one minute we were gonna be parents and the next..." he started, as tears welled up in his eyes.

"You weren't. I get it. But you and Jen love each other. You can't let something like this tear you apart," he said, looking over at him. "You made her a promise in the E.R. that day, that you would never leave her, remember?"

Mark looked up. "You heard that?" he asked.

"Mark, everybody heard that," Roger said, frustrated with him.

"But Roger, you don't get it. Your wife is still pregnant," he yelled, getting up and walking away from Roger.

"Mark, I'm not gonna apologize for something working out for me. You get to fucking live," Roger yelled, as Mark continued to walk away.

"What happened with Mark?" Stephanie asked, caressing her belly as Roger entered the bedroom.

"I'm gonna kick that fuck's ass," he ranted, taking his jacket off and tossing it on the chair in the corner of the room.

"What happened? You were supposed to talk to him. How did that turn into you wanting to kick his ass?" she asked, looking up at him.

"He wants me to feel guilty that you didn't lose our baby. Screw him. He gets to raise our kid when we're gone, so fuck him," he yelled, looking down at her.

"Roger, calm down. You're gonna give yourself a heart attack," she pleaded, looking up at him.

"I'm sorry, Baby. I'm just sick and tired of him wallowing in his own self-pity. He's sitting on a fucking park bench at 10 o'clock at night while his wife is home alone, like she has been every night since they lost the baby. He wants me to be sorry that you're still pregnant. Well, I'm not gonna be. He's the one who gets to live when all this shit is over and he's alienating the greatest thing that's ever happened to him, and that's Jennifer," he said furiously, looking over at her.

"Roger, you were supposed to talk to him, not bitch him out. What's wrong with you?" she asked, getting out of the bed.

"I tried talking to him, Baby, but he was such a jerk. He's acting like he's the only one who lost the baby and he's not. Jen did, too," he said, looking up at her.

"Roger, what are we gonna do? I can't have this baby born into a world where Jen and Mark aren't together," she said, sitting back on the bed, as tears fell from her eyes.

"I'll try again, Baby," he said, leaning over to her.

"Thank you, Roger. It's just, she's my best friend," she said, looking over at him.

"I know, Baby," he said, kissing her hand, as she lay back down on the bed.

"Mark, are you here?" Roger called out, walking into the loft. Stephanie and Jennifer had gone shopping again for stuff for the baby, so he knew Mark would be home alone.

"What the hell do you want now? Come to tell me what a lousy friend I am? You've already covered me being a lousy husband," Mark snarled, coming out of his and Jennifer's room.

"Mark, would you stop being an ass and sit down, please?" Roger asked, looking over at Mark.

"What do you want, Roger?" Mark asked, sitting on the window seat.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what it's like to lose a baby, but I know what is gonna happen if you lose Jen, too," Roger said, looking up at Mark.

"I'm not gonna lose Jen," Mark said, looking over at Roger.

"You keep acting like an ass, and you are gonna lose her," Roger said, looking over at Mark.

"You call this an apology?" Mark snapped, looking over at Roger.

"Yeah, well, stop being a damn idiot," Roger said, walking over to him.

"Again, not seeing the apology part," Mark said, looking up at him.

"Mark, do you remember when it was just us here? April had just… you know, and Maureen left you for Joanne?" Roger asked, looking over at Mark.

"Yeah?" Mark asked cautiously.

"All we wanted was something normal. The things regular people took for granted. Getting up for work, kissing our wives goodbye before fighting the crowds on the F train? We have that now. We have wives who love us. Yeah, you and Jen have had a rough few months, but my wife doesn't want to bring our child into a world where you and her aren't together," Roger said, sitting next to Mark. "And if I know Stephanie, she will do anything to make that certain, even if it kills her. Jen is her best friend, and you're my best friend, Mark. It's that simple."

"It's just hard, Roger. You have no idea what it's like to lose a child… my son… it rips a hole in you that you think will never heal," Mark said, holding back tears.

"And how do you think Jen feels? You and your wife need to get through this together. All you have to do is talk," Roger said, looking over at him.

"I don't know how, Roger," Mark said, as tears fell from his eyes. "You know, I just run. I can't help it."

"But you do know how, Mark. You just gotta try," Roger said, hugging his friend.

"I'll try. It just hurts so much Roger." Mark cried, looking up at him.

"I know, man, but you don't have to do this alone," he said, comforting him.

"Thanks, man," Mark said, looking up at him.

"No problem. That's what friends are for. To give you the kick in the ass you need sometimes," he said, as they both laughed.

"Jerk," Mark said, laughing and looking up at Roger.

"Dork," Roger retorted fondly, laughing and patting Mark on the back.

Roger came home from a rehearsal one night, a few weeks later, but didn't hear anything. No water was running, no music was playing, and the TV was off. "Steph, are you here?" he called.

For a long moment, he still didn't hear anything. Then he heard Stephanie yell.

"Roger! Roger, help me!"

Roger bolted up the stairs and into the bathroom. Stephanie was lying on the floor, sobbing and crying. Roger rushed over to her and kneeled down next to her.

"Steph, what happened?" he asked urgently.

"I fell," Stephanie said, through her tears. "There was water on the floor from my shower and I slipped and twisted my ankle… Roger, I fell on my side." As she said this, she lurched forward and squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her stomach in pain. A groan of pain escaped her lips. "Roger, it hurts." She looked up at him, scared and in pain.

"You're in labor?" Roger asked, startled. "Now? How long have you been here, Baby?"

"I don't know," Stephanie said, "about an hour? I couldn't get to a phone."

"I'm calling 911," Roger said. "Stay here, OK?"

"Yeah, as if I'd get up after not being able to move for a whole damn hour," Stephanie snapped. Then she regretted it. "Roger, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"I know, Baby, it's OK," Roger said, as he dialed 911. "911? My wife has fallen and she's gone into labor… No, she's not hurt otherwise, but she might not make it to the hospital… Thank you." Roger hung up the phone and went back to Stephanie. "They're on their way, Baby. It's gonna be OK."

Several minutes and contractions later, the EMT's arrived and Roger met them downstairs and led them to Stephanie. They lifted her onto a stretcher as another contraction ended and whisked her away.

"She's beautiful, Roger," Stephanie said, looking from the tiny newborn in her arms to Roger, who was standing beside her.

"Yeah, she is," Roger said. "So what are we gonna name her? The nurses still haven't quit bugging me about that yet."

"I don't know," Stephanie said. "We never really looked at names, did we?"

"Nope," Roger said. Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait, I know one. How about Glory? Can we name our daughter Glory, Stephanie?"

Stephanie looked up at him and smiled. "Yes," she said. "Yes, Roger, we can. I like that name."

"So do I, Baby," Roger said, and he leaned down to kiss her. "Say, I'm gonna go call and wake everybody up, OK? They might be awake, anyway; we never really got a chance to tell them it had happened."

"OK," Stephanie said, smiling at him as he left.

Don't forget to review! Thanks for reading!

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07