All I Ever Needed

Chapter XIII: "Ultimatum"

"Well, that was interesting."

"Yeah, I definitely learned a few things I did not know about being pregnant," Adrian replied as they walked out of the parenting center. Dusk had begun to fall across the green California hills; the cool night wind beginning to whip through the sky.

Ben chuckled, "A few things I'm not sure I wanted to know."

"Hey, it wasn't that bad," Adrian remarked. "It was interesting to see how the baby might look, and I'm excited to go in for a sonogram when we get home."

"What do you want?"

Adrian smiled, "What do you mean, like gender?" Ben nodded. "I would like a little senorita."

"See, I want a boy. This is going to be interesting," he joked. "Regardless, I think we're going to make a pretty good looking kid."

"Oh, I wouldn't argue that," and Adrian smiled, pulling on Ben's hand as she stopped walking. The much taller of the two turned and threw her a sarcastically questioning look.

"Come here," she said, and pulled her close to him. As the glorious orange sun began to seep below the horizon, a final ray of light pierced through the trees and fell upon her face. "It's really beautiful isn't it?"

"Yes," Ben half-smiled, his eyes never leaving Adrian. She gazed out upon the sunset, but caught his eyes looking down at her. "Ben?" She turned to smile back.

He leaned his head down and gently pressed his lips against hers, wrapping his arms around her waist. Taken aback slightly at first, Adrian found herself unconsciously reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad we came," Adrian almost whispered as she rested her head against his chest.

"I hate that we have to go back tomorrow."

It was just the two of them now; all the other couples had retreated into the parking lot. They held each other close, standing on the side walk as the setting sun illuminated them still.

"Yes," she replied. "Me too."

"Hey where's Ashley?"

"She went out," Anne responded as she carefully placed another plate in the dish washer.

"...Out? What do you mean she went out?"

"I mean she went out with some people, what do you think it means?"

George stood in the doorway, obviously confused. "I just didn't think she knew...people."

Anne closed the dish washer and pressed a few buttons. "Yeah, I thought it would be good for her to go out and get a break from all of this."

"Are these 'people' guys?"

"Relax, George. I think it's just some of Amy's friends from school - the christian girl and a few others."

"Oh," George smiled, "well alright then. Speaking of which, when's the last time you talked to Ames? Keeping this whole 'my daughter is out searching for her son too' thing from the police is really starting to take its toll."

"Actually I haven't talked to her in a day or so, I thought you had, though." Anne finished pouring herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table with the daily newspaper. "I'll admit I'm worried, and I'm not sure what has stopped me from contacting the authorities about this...but if she's found Ricky, I know they'll be okay."

"Yeah, you've been really great about this whole situation, Anne. I think we've really handled it as well as possible," George complimented as he sat down across from her.

Anne smiled, "We do make a good...team."

"Do you think that Ricky and Amy will ever be a...'team'?"

Anne's brow furrowed as her ex husband's random yet serious question. "I think John being abducted will either bring them closer together or tear them apart. We'll just have to wait and see until we get our grandson back."

"You really believe they're gonna find John?"

"Yes, don't you?" Anne set down the paper, even today's local news seemed irrelevant in comparison to this conversation.

"Yes. A part of me thinks its illogical to believe so, but another believes in-"

"Ricky and Amy," Anne finished for him, and George smiled, her eyes locked onto his from across the table. "He's a good guy, better than we thought."

"Yes, he is. I'm proud that he was the guy who got Amy pregnant, even though that sounds odd. I'd rather him than anybody else," George justified.

Anne smiled, in her heart she felt hopeful.

"So, did you hear?" One man said to the other as he swung the club.

"Hear what?" The larger of the two questioned as he stepped up to the tee. "Nice shot."

"Adrian and Ben are coming back tomorrow," Reuben informed as he slid his driver back into his golf bag, wiping a small grass stain off of its head with a towel. "And they're going to learn the sex of the baby when they go in for a sonogram soon."

"They can do that this early in the pregnancy?" Leo swung his club, striking the small, dimpled white ball with powerful force and sending it just a tad farther than his friends.

"Well it's not too terribly early on, and yes from what she said: in a few days they'll find out."

"When did you talk to her? Ben still hasn't really talked to me the whole time they've been on that vacation." Both men swung the straps of their bags over their shoulders and began to walk down the nicely cut, green fairway.

"I've only talked to her once the whole time, and so has Cindy. Apparently they're keeping pretty busy - she couldn't even talk for too long tonight, they went to some parenting class."

"My son went to a parenting class? I don't believe it."

"I don't believe you hit the ball that far; can barely see in this light." Reuben teased as he looked down towards the hole.

"Me either," Leo returned, and then two both shared a laugh. "It's almost dark though, we should finish this up."

"What did I tell you, son? It was best to give the kid up to me in the first place. We wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble."

Ricky opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His stomach lurched when he heard the calm words of his father, slithering with poison through the phone. He felt like he had been kicked numb in his chest, and now his very pain choked him.

"Such a good little boy you have here, Rick. He hasn't fussed the whole time."

"If you touch him," Ricky's inner fire suddenly sparked to life.

Bob let out a short laugh on the other end. "Not need to get angry. Don't worry about that. Right now there's nothing to worry about for him, or her."

Ricky's eyes widened, and he felt the burning rage inside of him deflate. He bowed his head against the pay phone, pressing it tightly to his ear so that all other sounds were eliminated. "Why are you doing this?" He questioned, but recieved no direct answer.

"No doubt you've taken it upon yourself to look for him. Whatever misplaced sense of self-rightousness you hold is worthless now."

"If you harm Amy, or my son, I will hunt you down into whatever hole you slither back into and do-."

"Do what? Your anger and arrogance blinds you - makes you weak. There is nothing, nothing you can do. You're hopeless and alone."

"Your words of hatred would bother me, but for the fact that now I don't believe you. Mom said-"

"You talked to your mother?" Bob's harsh tone was broken by legitimate questioning.

"...She said you were good once, I find that hard to believe." Only silence came from the other end.

"You don't know, Ricky. You know nothing of me or her, or our life together before."

"I know enough - I remember enough. I remember that you were never good to me, or her." Ricky felt hot tears begin to well in the corners of his eyes. "You should know by now that you're going to be caught - there's no escape. Everybody's looking for you.

"You took away my childhood, Amy - trust me when I say I'm not going to let you take my son. Because of you I've lived a bad life, and these past two weeks have really shown how near to the brink I can go. You, father, took away what I care for most in my life. You've put me through unspeakable hell, so you best hope they find you before I do, because I know where you are."

Ricky's powerful words echoes in Bob's mind, but his voice remained solemn. "I know my days are numbered, and my time is wearing thin, so let me make this quick: I'm going to tell you where they are, both of them - Amy and John. And that's the point, Ricky, you're going to have to choose which one, only one.

"Why are you doing this?" Ricky questioned again, but through his seething hatred he felt yet another stab of excrutiating pain: "Da-da," John said through the phone.