Chapter 25: Vindication
Danny helped Lacey upstairs. She hadn't spoke much sense the hospital. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Danny didn't know how to help her. He was barely getting through the days himself. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept. Lacey, on the other hand, slept too much. It was as if there was nothing worth waking up to.
Lacey fell back into her bed causing her body to curl into a fetal position. She closed her eyes as she once again went to sleep to block out the world. Clara came in handing Danny a pillow and blanket. "Mom said you could sleep here too."
Danny nodded as he placed the pillow on the window seat. He stared at Lacey wanting to help her so much. Samuel came into the room as he watched Danny staring at his daughter.
"Danny, how is she?" Sam's deep voice asked.
"Honestly, I don't know." Danny admitted as he glanced over at Lacey's father. "I'm sorry."
Samuel looked at the boy curiously. "What?"
"I'm sorry for her pain. For what we did. For not thinking." Danny sighed. "I love her, Mr. Porter. I will protect her."
"Danny, leave Archie alone. Kyle will take care of that." Samuel walked over and sat on the window seat. He had witnessed in the last three days his daughter distraught and her boyfriend trying to ease her pain.
"I can't do that, sir." Danny admitted as he looked at Samuel. "I won't let anyone hurt my family. Do you know what Archie told me when I confronted him at the diner the other day..."
"No. What?" Samuel looked up at the young boy that had lived a life even some adults couldn't comprehend.
"He said that Lacey wasn't safe as long as she was with me." Danny swallowed. "No one will harm my family. Lacey and that baby was my family...she still is."
"Son, don't get yourself in more trouble." Samuel stood up towering over the boy. "I hate to admit this but Lacey needs you."
"Sir, I need her too." Danny rubbed his neck.
"You need to get some sleep." Samuel walked to the door. "Leave the door open."
Danny smirked. It wasn't like Lacey's body could handle sex but he figured the dad in Samuel didn't even want the teens kissing. Danny nodded in agreement. Danny slunk down in bed spooning Lacey to him. He pulled her as tight as he could to him. He felt Lacey crying as he held her.
"I love you." Danny whispered. "I love you so much."
"Archie's not going to stop until he kills me." Lacey said frightened. "He did this to me, Danny. I told Kyle how Archie pushed me. Archie even has an alibi. How? Serita and Scott both said he was in the diner with them. How did he push me? I saw him. He cursed me and pushed me down."
"I think Archie was at the diner. I think that he came to the school but Serita and Scott didn't see him leave. They said the only time he was gone from their sight was to use the bathroom. Archie probably snuck out of the window. The school is close. He pushed you and left." Danny closed his eyes.
"He isn't going to pay for killing our baby. Is he?" Lacey cried as Danny held her in his arms.
Danny's eyes flashed black. He knew one thing was for certain. Archie Yates would pay for what he had done to them. He held Lacey rocking her with his body as she cried. His arms securely tucked around her. He needed to feel her as much as she did him. The pain medicines that Lacey was on soon had her sleeping restlessly.
"Hey." Judy walked into the room. She smiled weakly at Danny. "Your mother is worried. You might want to call her."
Running his hand through his hair, Danny sat up. "I will. Has she ate anything?"
"Not yet." Judy glanced at her daughter then Danny. "She will get through this, Danny, with your help." She paused as she looked at him. "I know you want vindication for this. I do too. But Lacey doesn't need any more trauma. She needs you."
Judy turned out the lights to allow darkness to enshroud the couple.
The sun woke Danny up first. He was surprised he slept so well. Being able to hold Lacey all night helped him feel she was safe. Lacey stirred in his arms before she looked at him. "Hey, gorgeous."
"Did you sleep good?" Lacey whispered. "Because that is the best sleep I've had in days."
"I slept great." Danny kissed Lacey's nose. "Smells like your mom is making breakfast."
"I'm not hungry." Lacey groaned.
"Try to eat for me, Lace." Danny pulled up from the bed. He stuck his hand out to her. "I don't want you getting any weaker."
It was a pleasant surprise to Judy and Clara when Lacey sat at the table with them to eat. She had not spoken much at the hospital. Eating was minimal. But Lacey tried to swallow the bacon and eggs to keep up her strength.
"Are you heading into school today?" Clara asked Danny. She was trying to start a conversation to get rid of the awkward silence.
"Not today." Danny took a bite of his bacon. "This is great, Judy."
"Eh. I can cook when I want to." Judy smiled with a wink.
"It is microwavable bacon. Don't let her fool you." Clara stirred her eggs around. "So...Danny, has your hair always been so sexy."
"Clara!" Judy choked out. "You are way too forward."
"Oh come on. He knows he's sexy." Clara winked at Danny. He knew she was trying to get her sister to be in a better mood. "When you get tired of Lacey, you should really consider younger women."
"Really?" Lacey chuckled. "Are you actually hitting on my boyfriend in front of me?"
Clara shrugged. "He's considering it. I can tell."
"Go to school." Judy ordered.
She watched as Danny and Lacey laughed at her youngest daughter. Soon the couple were talking about mundane things as Lacey played with Danny's hair.
Clara walked to the door. Judy handed her a pink book bag. "Thanks, Sweetie. They needed the tension broke."
Clara nodded as she left. Judy didn't have to do dishes as Danny volunteered. She did keep checking on the teens to make sure all was okay with them. Danny did dishes as Lacey sat at the kitchen table watching him. She was giggling at his silly antics. Judy noticed how Danny wouldn't let Lacey lift a finger to help him. However, he kept her spirits up with joking and flirting.
At the police station, Archie sat with two lawyers and his parents. Serita and Scott were there as well to be his alibi. Chief Masterson figured if he had them all in one room, there would be no time to make up a story.
"Why would I hurt her?"
"For one thing, she was expecting a baby." Chief Masterson was already given permission by Lacey and the Porters to tell that secret. There was hope that if Scott and Serita knew about the baby, they may feel guilty for lying if they were.
"A baby?" Archie's mother gasped. "Lacey Porter was pregnant."
"It was Desai's b#st#rd." Archie grunted out.
"So you knew?" Chief Masterson asked. Archie's lawyers squirmed uneasily. Scott and Serita looked at each other shocked.
"Yeah. Lacey told me." Archie admitted cockily. "She was bragging or something. Or she was trying to explain why she was stuck with the psycho."
"Well, she lost the baby." Chief Masterson noticed the coy smile on Archie's face. It happened quickly. Too quickly to mention.
"Does that please you?" Chief Masterson leaned on his elbows as he stared at Archie.
"Of course not." Archie stated. "I don't know why Lacey is blaming me for all this. She is scared of him in my opinion."
"Exactly." Mr. Yates spoke up. "The poor girl has got herself in a mess with a murderer. She feels stuck because she fears him. If anyone is abusing Lacey Porter it is that degenerate Danny Desai. I can't believe you keep calling my son in for questioning. He has alibis."
"Well, there was a five to ten minute gap they can't account for him." Chief Masterson leaned back in his seat. "This is not assault anymore. This is attempted murder. Archie could go away for a long time."
"Please." Mrs. Yates stood up. "It is Lacey's word against Archie's. Do honestly think this town will believe a young lady that has been seen with this Desai boy. We all know he's not beyond violent acts. You can't pin Regina's death on him because he's too good at what he does. However, you'll go after my son, who is a good young man with a bright future."
"You have nothing to go on Chief Masterson." One of Archie's lawyers spoke up. "You will leave our client alone."
They walked out but Serita and Scott hesitated. She glanced at Kyle. "Did Lacey really miscarry a baby because of this fall?"
"She did." Kyle stood up. "She's taking it very hard. So is Danny."
Scott swallowed nervously. "Danny wouldn't hurt her. I don't know who did. But Desai is crazy about her."
"I know that. Besides, Danny was in class at the time. You, Serita and Archie were the ones skipping." Kyle stared at the two teens. "IF you know anything.."
"Archie was with us." Serita answered. "But...he did come back from the bathroom. He was breathing funny."
"What do you mean?" Kyle sat on the corner of his desk.
"Like he had just ran a marathon type breathing." Scott weakly stated. "I can't see Archie hurting Lacey. I can't. But he would hurt Danny. He thinks Danny killed Regina. Regina and Archie had a thing behind Lacey's back."
"Thanks for your help." Kyle said when he noticed the teens open the door to leave. "Lacey needs to be safe. Do you understand?"
Both nodded as they headed out the door. Kyle breathed out in agitation. He knew that Archie Yates was going to get by with hurting Lacey. He felt useless. The Regina murder case was giving him headaches too. However, Scott's little tidbit of news about Archie seeing Regina secretly could mean something. He hoped for Danny's sake, that the kid would be cleared soon. Something about seeing Danny vulnerable when Lacey lost the baby made Kyle see the kid in a different light. He had a soul. However, he also saw something else in Danny. He knew that the boy wanted vindication for his baby's loss as well as for Lacey.