21:

"I'm glad you're here," I told Abbey on the car ride home.

She smiled and squeezed my hand. I asked her quietly, "Is Daddy with you?"

Her smile fell. I already knew the answer before I even asked the question, but the look on her face still made me want to cry. Abbey squeezed my hand again and said, "Honey, I've left your father."

"You did what?!" I shrieked.

Uncle Trumbly swerved the car a little bit, startled by the noise. He glanced at me through the rear-view mirror and replied, "There's no reason to get so worked up about it, Elizabeth."

Abbey brushed my cheek with her free hand and said, "It's alright. I'm fine."

"But you don't look fine!" I argued.

She shook her head and smiled at me. I asked her, "Where will you go? Where will you stay?"

I looked at Uncle Trumbly and said, "We have to let her stay with us! She has nowhere else to go!"

"I've already taken the liberty," Uncle Trumbly informed me.

"Oh, thank you, Uncle Trumbly!" I beamed.

He cleared his throat and drove a little faster. We were coming up on the house and I noticed that thee were a group of Carnies waiting outside for our return. Kevin's truck went ahead of us and parked, first. I noticed that the Carnies were looking through the windows of the truck and some of them were booing and hissing.

"Why are they booing Bray?" I asked, feeling confused.

"They're booing Stephanie," Dean told me.

Uncle Trumbly opened the door and started to get out as he grumbled, "I told them not to get riled up..."

Marlyn turned to face me from the passenger seat and said, "Stay here a moment, Liz. Trumbly needs to break up the crowd."

I didn't really want to sit there, but I was sandwiched between Abbey and Dean and neither one was going to let me out. I watched anxiously through the windshield of the car as Bray kicked open the door to the truck. He stormed out and started yelling at everybody. A few Carnies tried to hug him and welcome him home, but Bray was too busy yelling to care. His gown was still open and his backside was exposed to everyone, which only made him look more crazy. Charlotte and Kevin got out of the truck. Charlotte was laughing while Kevin tried to grab Bray by the shoulders to lead him into the house. Uncle Trumbly was waving his arms and yelling, "Everyone disperse! Now is not the time!"

The Carnies ignored him and a couple of young men in coveralls were trying to get into the truck. Uncle Trumbly and Bray grabbed them to pull them out. The door to the other side of the truck opened and Kane hopped out. He looked scared and he glanced around like he wanted to run, but he stayed put when he realized that Stephanie wasn't trying to run with him.

"Stop this! Stop this, now!" Uncle Trumbly argued.

The Carnies were like an angry mob. A gust of wind blew Bray's gown so hard that it came off and fell to the ground in a heap. Charlotte started laughing so hard that she fell to her knees. Jericho the clown came out of the crowd of Carnies and he scooped up the hospital gown. He tied it around his neck and let the gown float on the wind like a cape while he waved his arms and pretended to fly.

"Oh, my," Abbey put her hand over her mouth and gasped.

"I'm sorry, Momma! This isn't how we usually act around here! Bray is normally wearing clothes!" I blushed.

"It's not that, Baby," Abbey said, then she pointed to where Kane was and added, "I think that woman is in danger."

I looked in the direction where Abbey was pointing. I caught sight of the tall man with the tribal tattoos who had guarded me when Uncle Trumbly got mad. I remembered his name was Roman because it reminded me of history class. I watched as Roman shoved Kane out of the way and Roman reached into the truck to grab Stephanie.

She started screaming and I could see her shifting to the other side of the truck to get away. Roman was big enough that he could still reach for her, easily. Uncle Trumbly ran over to Roman and yelled at him to stop. Bray joined in and tried to grab Roman around the throat, but Roman elbowed Bray right where he was stabbed and Bray doubled over in pain. Kane got mad and screamed, "You can't do that!"

Kane started for Roman. I saw Sheamus run out from the crowd and he went over to grab Kane before he got to Roman. Sheamus whispered something into Kane's ear and he backed off. Uncle Trumbly was trying to pull Roman away from the truck, but Roman had a grip on Stephanie's ankles and he was dragging her out with him.

I looked at Dean and said, "Uncle Trumbly needs help!"

Dean just sat there. I looked at Abbey and asked, "Could you let me out? I have to stop them!"

Marlyn put her hand up to stop me and said, "You don't need another trip to the hospital, Liz. Let the boys deal with it."

I looked back at Dean and shouted, "You're a boy! Go deal with it!"

He still wouldn't move. I reached across his lap and I tried to open the door. He grabbed my wrist to keep me from the handle. I started to climb over him anyway, shouting, "I can't let this happen!"

Stephanie was a freaky bitch but she didn't deserve to be dragged out and thrown around in front of her boys. I felt even worse for Kane. He looked terrified and I hated seeing him like that.

"Liz!" Dean tried to grab onto me to keep me in the car.

"You're hurting me!" I said, pulling my wrist out of his grip.

He wasn't actually hurting me, but I knew that he would let go if he thought he was. He did release me and I opened the door to the car against Marlyn and Abbey's protests. I was trying to step out, but my left leg got caught between Dean's knees and I stumbled. I landed flat on my butt on the ground just as a gust of wind blew my dress up over my head.

I fought to pull it back down so I could see. I could still hear Charlotte laughing, though she had been going so long that her laughter sounded more like a cat trying to hack something up. I heard Kevin say something like, "Shit," and then there was this weird thud.

The wind stopped and I managed to pull my dress away from my face just in time to see Stephanie running right towards me. Her eyes were wild and her fingernails looked like claws as she aimed right for my neck.

Dean stepped out of the car and he moved so fast that I hardly had time to process what was happening. He crouched down in front of me and I saw his left arm swing up like a boxer. He hit Stephanie right under her chin. Her head snapped back and she collapsed in a heap.

Everyone went silent. All except for Kane, who sobbed as he fell to his knees. Charlotte was also wiping away tears, but hers were ones of joy as she desperately tried to catch her breath.

Dean stood up straight and reached out to help me up. I was so stunned that I wasn't sure I could move. He reached down and took hold of my hand. He pulled me up until I was standing with him, then he turned around to face the crowd.

"If all of you had been watching out for Liz like I asked you to when she first came around...NONE OF THIS BULLSHIT WOULD'VE HAPPENED!"

I was caught by surprise. I hadn't even thought of the fact that the crowd was after Stephanie because of me. It was her brother, Finn, who tried to kill me. Stephanie did try to mangle my face, but Miz had done a wonderful job of repairing it. Dean had told me that she would face the consequences of her actions. Still, I never expected it to be this harsh.

I glanced down at Stephanie's body in the dirt. She was out cold but she was still breathing. She looked almost peaceful with her eyes closed and her arms at their sides. Her hair was blowing freely in the wind, at times hiding one side of her face, like I felt I had to hide one side of mine.

A lump developed in my throat. I tried to swallow it down. I felt ashamed for being so stand-offish with Dean, earlier. I kept imagining him with Stephanie and it was making me so sick that I couldn't hardly look at him. I had no idea why I ever doubted him. He had just punched the lights out of his crazy ex-lover just to keep me safe.

Bray, still standing naked and proud, pointed an angry finger at Dean and stated, "You just fucking punched my fucking Ma!"

Kane's sobs could be heard more easily without all the noise. Sami wandered over to soothe him. Bray charged after Dean as he screamed, "I should rip that hair off your fucking face, you fucking motherfucker!"

"Back off, man! He'll knock you the fuck out, same as your Ma!" Kevin moved to stop Bray.

I thought I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around just as three young men breezed past me. They all jumped on Dean and tried to overwhelm him. Bray stopped short when he saw the other guys. Kevin shouted at the guys, "Get the fuck out of my brother's face!"

A couple more guys rushed past me. I couldn't hardly see Dean anymore as they tried to pummel him to the ground. Dean started fighting back. Bray, Kevin and Sheamus joined in.

I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders. I turned around to see Abbey standing there. She told me quietly, "Get into the car, dear."

She tried to lead me back in with her. I would've done what she said if I hadn't looked over to see that Stephanie was opening her eyes.

She was close to the guys and one of them almost stepped on her. Stephanie was having trouble sitting up. I walked over to her and said, "You have to move! You're going to get trampled!"

When she looked up at me, Stephanie's confusion turned to anger. I didn't think she was going to listen to me, but I reached out my hand anyway and she took it. She scooted with her feet while I guided her away from the fight.

If Stephanie was grateful to me for trying to help, she didn't show it. She let go of me when she was a safe distance away and she held her chin. Abbey came around to my other side to help Stephanie to her feet. I looked back at the fight just as one of the guys I didn't recognize kneed Sheamus in the groin.

Sheamus groaned and fell to his knees. His face was as red as his hair. He curled up and held onto his crotch for dear life.

"Hey! That's my friend, you jerk!" I rushed over and tried to knee the guy in the groin so he would know how it feels.

With my pregnant belly, my knee didn't go high enough and I only managed to bump his inner thigh. He started laughing and I got so mad that I slapped his face.

He had a strong jaw and I hurt my hand more than I hurt his face. I grabbed my hand and gasped with surprise. I had no idea slapping somebody could be so painful!

The guy's cheek started to turn pink. Another fist came out of nowhere and punched the guy where I had slapped him. The guy was easily down and out. I turned to face Dean just as he took my hand to inspect it for damage, asking, "Is it broken?"

"I don't think so," I replied, but tears were forming in my eyes from the pain.

"Thunks to ya, Liz," Sheamus whispered as he started to get back up.

Sami came over to help Sheamus to his feet. A stray tear fell down my cheek and Dean brushed it away. Bray shouted from behind him, "You still hit my Ma, you shithead!"

Dean whirled around and yelled, "She wouldn't get hit if she would quit trying to assault my wife!"

The crowd went quiet, again. Even those who were against Dean were stunned.

Dean turned back to face me. His breathing was heavy and his eyes were wild. He looked just as surprised as the rest of us for letting his truth slip out.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuuuuuck!" Dean punched the car several times as hard as he could.

I knew he wasn't angry for calling me his wife. He was angry with himself for letting people like Stephanie know his true feelings. In this crowd, he was king. He could have any woman he wanted, so long as they were among his people. I was an outsider. I came from a different crowd. My only ties to this place were by blood. The king could have anyone, but he fell in love with me. It made some of his people resentful. He was no longer pure in their eyes. I made him vulnerable. I made his people want to push him off his throne.

Dean stormed off toward the barns. The crowd slowly dispersed. Trumbly had Roman and Sheamus gather up the guys who were beating up on Dean. He told them they would be receiving harsh punishments. They didn't seem to care.

Bray left with Stephanie and Kane. They were headed in the direction of the old caravans. Bray still didn't bother to put any clothes on. His butt cheeks were smeared with dirt and blood.

"Are you sure you're alright, Liz?" Marlyn checked my hand.

"I'm okay. I'm going to find Dean. I'll be back, soon," I told her.

Marlyn nodded. I looked at Abbey and she nodded as well. Abbey had a joyful smile on her face. She didn't care whether Dean was a Carny or not. It made her happy to hear how much he loved me.

"You be careful," Abbey kissed my forehead.

I could still see Dean in the distance as I wandered after him. He disappeared behind the barns and I wondered if I would ever catch up to him. The day was turning into evening. A light breeze was keeping the mosquitoes away.

When I passed the barns, I stopped to look around. I saw Dean sitting by an old tree, leaning against the trunk. He was looking away from where I was, but he turned to see me when I came closer. I stepped over his lap and he guided me by my hips to sit down on him. He shifted himself until he was sure that I was comfortable, then he rested his hands against my backside and asked, "Where'd you come from?"

"A hyper-religious father and a Vegas showgirl mother," I answered literally.

Dean's eyes widened as he asked, "Marlyn was in Vegas?"

"I was talking about Abbey," I joked, making Dean chuckle a little more.

He took my hand and looked it over, again. He frowned as he said, "You shouldn't have hit that guy."

"He was beating up on my friend! I meant to hit him in the balls. My leg didn't go high enough," I frowned to match Dean's expression.

"I should've ripped his balls off and put them in his ass," Dean grumbled.

"Did you mean to call me your wife?" I asked, changing the subject.

Dean sighed like it should be obvious as he replied, "What else would I call you?"

"Usually people call each other fiancee before they're married," I said.

"I hate that word! It sounds like the brand of a kitchen sink!" Dean argued.

I laughed and replied, "Wife does sound better."

He sighed again and said, "I shouldn't have called you that in front of your uncle. I was going to ask him for permission to marry you, first. I'm just going to look like an asshole when I ask him, now."

"I don't think you'll look bad. Abbey thought it was wonderful. I've never seen her look so happy," I said.

Dean locked eyes with me. I leaned in to kiss him, but he took my shoulders to pull me away as he said thickly, "I haven't told you the results of your sleep study."

I had almost completely forgotten about it. I asked curiously, "Why didn't Seth tell me?"

"He said I should do it. He called it somnambulism, or sleepwalking disorder. It can be caused by extreme stress, but he wanted to run a sleep study on you because there can be other problems that cause it," Dean explained.

"Like what? Am I going to die?" I asked.

Dean shook his head and swallowed hard. He continued in a careful tone, "Sometimes, it can be caused by post-traumatic stress. Trumbly called your dad to tell him you were in the hospital. Trumbly asked him about when you started sleepwalking and if you had ever been in an accident or experienced anything that you couldn't handle that might have caused it. Of course, they just fought about it until security at the hospital made Trumbly hang up the phone."

He cleared his throat and went on, "It didn't mean much to me, at first. I figured your dad was just mad that Trumbly would ask him something like that. Then, Abbey showed up. She probably heard your dad arguing with Trumbly on the phone. I thought she was just concerned about you and that's all it was, but she said she left your dad after all this time, and the look on her face..."

"What are you trying to tell me, Dean?" I asked curiously.

His voice broke as he struggled to get the words out, "Your father, he didn't...he didn't...when you were a little girl..."

Dean couldn't bring himself to say the words. I immediately shook my head and replied, "You don't have to say it. My father was controlling and mean and I don't think he was ever very proud of me, but he didn't abuse me like that."

"Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?" Dean's eyes took on a more angry sense of urgency.

I nodded and told him, "When I was with Seth, it was my first time. I know it because I felt that weird pain down there that the girls at my school said they felt during their first times."

"There are different ways that someone can abuse you without tearing your hymen" Dean started.

I put my hands on either side of his face and told him, "Seth was my first time. I don't know why I sleepwalk, but I'm sure it isn't that."

Dean was still struggling. He confessed to me, "I've been through that, Liz. I know others who have been through it. Some can't remember what happened, but they still suffer. If I find out that your father abused you...I'll break his neck..."

"He didn't. I'm sure of it," I told him.

Dean calmed down a little. I added jokingly, "I wouldn't mind if you broke his neck, anyway."

I was hoping to ease the tension. Dean didn't laugh.