Chapter 38

Mel knocked gently on John's door and pushed it open. She smiled at the sight of him. He was sprawled out on his bed in a pair of sweatpants and a wife beater, his blue eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Mel made her way over to him and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"How you felling?" she asked, a smiled gracing her features.

John turned his head toward her and sighed, "I made you laugh. I heard Aimee say you haven't laughed in weeks, I'm sorry Mel."

"Sorry for what? Making me laugh? I'm glad you did, I feel so much better now, and I've been feeling like crap for the last few weeks."

"No, I'm sorry for putting you through all this. I know you where really upset that night and I shouldn't have blamed you for kissing Randy back, I'm sorry," John explained, sitting up and wrapping his arms around her.

"John, I understand, I mean, I probably would have reacted the same way if I just found out the person I loved had kissed another. I understand," Mel smiled, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I missed you so much," he sighed, burying his face in her hair and pulling her closer, his hands resting on her protruding stomach.

"I know, I know," Mel whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "Now I'm crying, what is this?"

John laughed and kissed the back of her neck softly, "It's just because your pregnant, and that little kid is making you emotional."

"Yeah, I guess so," she smiled, rubbing her belly lovingly. "I hope it's a little boy, he would look exactly like you."

"If it's mine," John added.

"Don't say that, it is yours, John. I can feel it, I know it's yours," Mel insisted.

"Well, you're the mother, whatever you say goes," John shrugged. "I hope it's a boy too, if it's mine he'll be our little John."

Mel laughed, "But what if it's a girl? What will we name her?"

John thought for a moment, his hand moving gently over her round stomach as he thought, "How about it be after someone in your family."

"I'll name her after my grandmother, Caroline," Mel reminisced.

John nodded, "I like it, both families in one name, remember, my mom's name is Carol," John pointed out.

"Exactly, what about a middle name?"

"I think it's a little early to be thinking about full names, we'll just have a general idea for now, okay?" John laughed.

Mel nodded and looked up at John, her dark eyes sparkling. John leaned down and kissed her gently, his lips lingering on hers for a moment.

"I missed that the most," Mel muttered.

"What?"

"Your kiss," she admitted. "When you let me kiss you at dinner I realized that's what I missed the most. I was shocked you let me kiss you."

"I was too, then I realized how stupid I was being, I mean, Randy has no excuse, but I understand his position whether I like it or not, but you, you're somethin' else, kid. You can put me through every emotion ever created in a the span of one day, I swear. The day you left for Marc's I went from being pissed, to being confused and angry to being worn out. I don't think that's ever happened to me since before I met you," John said smiling.

"I guess that means I'm special."

"No, it means I love you, and you are more important than anything in my life right now, you're carrying my kid for Christ sake."

"Yes, I'm carrying your kid," Mel laughed.

John released Mel from his hug and fell back onto the bed, shading his eyes and yawing. Mel lay down next to him and rested her head on his chest. He began to stroke her long hair absently and she closed her eyes, peaceful and happy for once in her life.

Randy burst in the room, startling the two of them. Mel sat up faster than a bullet and looked around wildly. John sat up as well, watching Randy curiously.

"Randy, what the hell?" Mel asked curiously.

Randy stopped pacing and placed his ands on his hips, "I dunno what to do, I just got the weirdest phone call," he said his eyes darting around the room frantically.

Mel stood up, her brow furrowed, "What was it about?"

"It's Ryann, she's gone missing or something, I just got off the phone with her mom and she was freaking out. I dunno what to do," Randy said quickly.

"What did she say, tell me all of it," Mel insisted.

"Well I was checking my cell phone for messages and it said I'd missed almost a dozen calls from this one number. I called the number back and her mom picked up. I asked her who she was and she told me, she sounded like she was crying. I asked her what was wrong and she told me Ryann had been missing for almost three days and she doesn't know what to do. She told me she'd found my number in the little address book she keeps in her bedroom and she decided to call me cuz Ryann and I were close. She rambled on about how Ryann was such a good kid for about half an hour and then she told me the weirdest thing…"

"What Randy!" Mel yelled impatiently.

"She told me Ryann had been having this nightmare lately, about you. She told me she saw you tied to a chair in a dark room; you were screaming something at a dark figure in the corner of the room and then she'd see a flash of a knife and hear you screaming, that's when she'd wake up. I dunno what that means but it's weird. Then she told me she disappeared two days after she'd had the nightmare for the fourth time."

"That is strange, it must mean something," Mel puzzled.

"What do I do?" Randy asked frantically.

"Well, we can't do anything now, I mean, we're in Florida and Ryann can be who knows where. Did her mother contact the police?" John said.

"Yes, they're looking in on her disappearance. According to the school she was in school and a teacher said they saw her leave the school so she must have disappeared on her way home."

"We'll get a plane to Philly tomorrow morning, I have to go home," Mel said suddenly.

"What? Mel, no, you have to stay on the road," John commanded.

"No, John! My best friend is missing and for all I know it could be Michael trying to get to me! We need to get her back! I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Mel shouted her emotions making her voice tremble.

"Fine, but I can't take anymore days off, if I do I'll have to give up the belt," John said sullenly.

"Then give up the stupid belt!" Mel shouted. "You can win it back another time, this is more important than a stupid championship!"

John looked shocked at her sudden anger an kept his mouth shut. Mel realized what she'd said and her hand moved over her mouth, her eyes growing wide with tears.

"I'm so sorry, John. I didn't mean that," she whispered.

"I know, Mel, don't worry. You're upset, I understand," John soothed.

"Hello! Guys! We're supposed to be worrying about Ryann here!" Randy yelled.

"I am worrying about Ryann, Randy! Can you take any time off? I mean you don't have a belt," Mel asked bluntly.

"I have to check, but even if I can't I will anyway, we need to find her."

"Okay, do Aimee and Marc know?" Mel questioned.

"No, I'll go tell them now," Randy sighed and left the room.

As soon as Randy was gone Mel burst into tears. John pulled her close to him, rocking her back and forth consolingly. He didn't say anything to her, knowing she had to deal with this on her own. She buried her head in the crook of his neck and cried helplessly.

"It's Michael, John, he's back," she sobbed.

"Michael is still in the hospital, hun, he can't move," John told her.

"It's his goons, they're all over the place, he wants me," Mel said, her voice flat and unemotional.

"Why would he want you, he got what he wanted," John said blankly.

"He did not get what he wanted! He raped me, but he wanted me without having to use force! He wanted me to be with him, John! He's not satisfied one bit!"

"I'm sorry," John whispered, kissing the top of Mel's head as a new wave of tears washed over her.

"He wants something from me, but I don't know what. I think the dream means something."

"But what would it mean?"

"I don't know, but I know I was in that room and that knife. He doesn't want t kill me, I know that, but he wants something from me…" Mel trailed in thought.

"I have to ask Randy something, I'll be right back," John said and left the room in a rush.

Mel watched him as he practically sprinted from the room, her brow furrowed in curiosity. She scrubbed her face with her hands in frustration and fell back onto the bed with a sigh.

"What a day," she muttered. "What a day."