A.n.: Well this is the next to the last chapter. I am really going to miss
this story but it's coming to its end. I hope you enjoy it!
"Marshal where are you going?" Stephanie asked putting on a pair of silver studs into her ears. He looked over at her and tried to muster a smile. She smiled tentatively.
"Dressed up in your thugwear I see." She tried to get him to at least laugh. He couldn't and she sighed. It had been a week since the incident at her house which was completely burnt to the ground. After the procedures were finished he had ushered Hayley and herself out of the state. They traveled for a week with him doing appearances to promote his album. They finally had ended up back in New York. She wondered just what the hell he was up to and he refused to tell her.
He did cryptically tell her that she and Hayley were fine and everything would be over soon. By everything he had meant the second thing that made him urge them to leave the state in the first place. Phone calls. There were no words just shallow breathing and a hang up. It was enough apparently to send Marshal over the edge. He hadn't been on her really until then to make the call to her parents. She glanced up at him and his eyes softened.
"Don't worry I'll fix this." He said and kissed her silently on the lips. He turned to go and she caught his arm. "Marshal.. when you get back."
"What?" He asked stepping closer to her.
"When you get back I'm ready." She said calmly and surely. He smiled broadly and caught her in another kiss. "Remember please don't leave the room until your parents get here. Don't go not even to see Max down in the animal room in the basement." He more pleaded with her than asked or comanded.
"I'll keep myself out of trouble I promise." She said and he nodded before walking away to say good bye to Hayley. And then he was gone.
Stephanie paced the large hotel room. It wasn't much more than she was used to. And it shocked her. She'd been slightly disturbed by all the things she used to have and was receiving again. Her long brown hair now out and around her shoulders and the purple knee length dress she was wearing showed how much she'd really changed since the last time she and her parents had met up. Her legs ached to be covered in jeans and her feet craved the comfortable sneakers and shoes. Marshal was out talking to Dre. She inwardly wanted to bash him in the head. What the hell could Dre do if they had no clue really what was up. He said he had a feeling but to her it was just that a feeling. Danger crept up her neck reddening it. She trusted Marshal but for some reason she felt that there was something larger at stake. There had to be.
Plopping down in a plush chair she awaited the arrival of her parents. Not refusing the help of the police Stephanie knew that Marshal was going to handle it himself. He had a look about him an edge. He was putting things together. And she was still left with the huge 1,000-piece puzzle to work on. She was worried and angry. What was it that she was missing? Rubbing her temples she forced herself to retrace the events that had led her to the spot she was in.
Groaning she resisted the urge to pick up a vase and hurl it across the room. "What is it that I can't get? There's something, a link."
A sharp knocking came at the door. Stephanie nearly jumped out of her skin. It wasn't usual for her to be so jumpy and afraid but times had changed circumstances had molded her. Her brown eyes rose to the mahogany door. The knocking continued and she took slow steps to the door. She knew who it was and yet she was still terrified to face her past. Funny that everything had occurred in a 6 month span. Reaching out, her hand touched the delicate knob. Her other hand touched the locks and she turned them quickly for fear that she wouldn't open the door. Swinging the door open she found herself staring at an old couple that she hardly recognized.
"Stephanie." The elderly woman greeted her. She wasn't that old looking but her eyes gave her away. Through her triumphs and failures and the problems with her marriage she was a survivor to what cause she didn't know. Her husband standing beside her had a mirrored expression. Stern and tall with broad shoulders he glared down at the brunette in front of them. She looked frail and afraid and apart of him wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be just fine. Another part of him couldn't forget the things she'd done the pain and the havoc that she had reeked. But then he had forgiven her brother.
"Mommy." She gulped and her eyes rose to meet her fathers. "Daddy. I know I've done things that you aren't proud of and things I am most certainly not proud of. But I am asking you right now not to forgive me because I know that it will take time. Now I am asking you to help me because I'm in trouble and I'm involved with someone who held me knowing me for who I was and who I am now. I not going to beg because in my opinion what child should have to beg for their parent's help? I'm asking politely. Please help us."
"Oh sweetie." Linda rushed to her daughter wrapping her arms around her tightly clutching her as if she were a newborn baby. Stephanie burst into tears not caring if she'd ruined her makeup. She clung to her mother like she'd just met her after years of not seeing her. There was a warm rush of emotion surging through her and she had a bought of courage to look up into the eyes of her father. His eyes watered slightly and he took ginger steps forward and enveloped them both in a bear hug.
"Of course we'll help in any way we can." Vince finished for his wife.
"Thank you." Stephanie whispered back wiping away uselessly at her tears. They smiled at each other in a silence too sweet to broken. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Stephanie could hear the loud TV playing from one of the bedrooms in the Suite. The sound of small foot steps caused her parents to turn and look at a girl with blonde hair.
"Stephanie don't you want to come watch Daddy on TV?" Hayley said stopping Stephanie dead in her tracks. Her eyes glanced to the bed room and with out an explination she raced into the room and turned up the television as if it wasn't loud enough. There stood her boyfriend in what she like to teasingly call his "Thugwear". He was gripping a mic in his hand and his blue eyes cold and angry were glaring directly into the camera.
"P. Hey man I know you're out there you know I just stopped by here knowing that today is the day your first ever video will debut. And I decided to say congratulations for two reasons actually. Number one Congrats on your debut. Number two: Congrats on your wonderful achievements. You know what I'm talking about man! Hey, just to let you know that tonight I'll have some achievements of my own and of course they'll include you and your entire posse. Not the old one we had on tour. You remember your new one that you just happened to acquire." Marshal smiled maniacally.
"And if I were you I'd leave mine alone tonight because if you don't I might act on some instincts that I haven't come to me in a long time." He finished his face wild with fury. He dropped the mic. "Thanks Carson." Walking off the stage she watched deftly as the show went to break.
"Stephanie is there anything you'd like to tell us?" Vince asked.
"First off, that guy I'm involved with is the man you just saw on TV. No not Eminem, Marshal Mathers. And this." She put a comforting arm around the young girl next to her. Is Hayley Mathers, his daughter." She then broke down and explained the events that had been occurring of late.
"We know just where you can go." Linda said.
"Alright." Stephanie said. A ringing burst through. Stephanie reached for her cell phone and answered it.
"Stephanie?" Marshal said.
"Marshal.. where are you now?" Stephanie asked gathering their things.
"I'm on my way bag to the hotel. Have you seen your parents yet?" He asked."
"Yes and instead of going back to the hotel meet us at the Madison Garden Arena." Stephanie said.
"Alright. Stephanie remember I love you." He said and she smiled. "I love you too."
"Tell Hayley I love her and I'll see her soon before I have to do my business tonight." He said.
"Marshal please don't go through with what ever you're doing." Stephanie pleaded.
"I can't back down now. You know that Stephanie." He replied.
"I'll see you at the arena." Stephanie sighed in defeat. He was just as stubborn as she was pigheaded.
"Bye."
"Bye." There was a dial tone. She began to briefly wonder how in the hell did she get to where she was. She came to New York to start a new life. How did she end up in the middle of the danger at hand?
"Marshal where are you going?" Stephanie asked putting on a pair of silver studs into her ears. He looked over at her and tried to muster a smile. She smiled tentatively.
"Dressed up in your thugwear I see." She tried to get him to at least laugh. He couldn't and she sighed. It had been a week since the incident at her house which was completely burnt to the ground. After the procedures were finished he had ushered Hayley and herself out of the state. They traveled for a week with him doing appearances to promote his album. They finally had ended up back in New York. She wondered just what the hell he was up to and he refused to tell her.
He did cryptically tell her that she and Hayley were fine and everything would be over soon. By everything he had meant the second thing that made him urge them to leave the state in the first place. Phone calls. There were no words just shallow breathing and a hang up. It was enough apparently to send Marshal over the edge. He hadn't been on her really until then to make the call to her parents. She glanced up at him and his eyes softened.
"Don't worry I'll fix this." He said and kissed her silently on the lips. He turned to go and she caught his arm. "Marshal.. when you get back."
"What?" He asked stepping closer to her.
"When you get back I'm ready." She said calmly and surely. He smiled broadly and caught her in another kiss. "Remember please don't leave the room until your parents get here. Don't go not even to see Max down in the animal room in the basement." He more pleaded with her than asked or comanded.
"I'll keep myself out of trouble I promise." She said and he nodded before walking away to say good bye to Hayley. And then he was gone.
Stephanie paced the large hotel room. It wasn't much more than she was used to. And it shocked her. She'd been slightly disturbed by all the things she used to have and was receiving again. Her long brown hair now out and around her shoulders and the purple knee length dress she was wearing showed how much she'd really changed since the last time she and her parents had met up. Her legs ached to be covered in jeans and her feet craved the comfortable sneakers and shoes. Marshal was out talking to Dre. She inwardly wanted to bash him in the head. What the hell could Dre do if they had no clue really what was up. He said he had a feeling but to her it was just that a feeling. Danger crept up her neck reddening it. She trusted Marshal but for some reason she felt that there was something larger at stake. There had to be.
Plopping down in a plush chair she awaited the arrival of her parents. Not refusing the help of the police Stephanie knew that Marshal was going to handle it himself. He had a look about him an edge. He was putting things together. And she was still left with the huge 1,000-piece puzzle to work on. She was worried and angry. What was it that she was missing? Rubbing her temples she forced herself to retrace the events that had led her to the spot she was in.
Groaning she resisted the urge to pick up a vase and hurl it across the room. "What is it that I can't get? There's something, a link."
A sharp knocking came at the door. Stephanie nearly jumped out of her skin. It wasn't usual for her to be so jumpy and afraid but times had changed circumstances had molded her. Her brown eyes rose to the mahogany door. The knocking continued and she took slow steps to the door. She knew who it was and yet she was still terrified to face her past. Funny that everything had occurred in a 6 month span. Reaching out, her hand touched the delicate knob. Her other hand touched the locks and she turned them quickly for fear that she wouldn't open the door. Swinging the door open she found herself staring at an old couple that she hardly recognized.
"Stephanie." The elderly woman greeted her. She wasn't that old looking but her eyes gave her away. Through her triumphs and failures and the problems with her marriage she was a survivor to what cause she didn't know. Her husband standing beside her had a mirrored expression. Stern and tall with broad shoulders he glared down at the brunette in front of them. She looked frail and afraid and apart of him wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be just fine. Another part of him couldn't forget the things she'd done the pain and the havoc that she had reeked. But then he had forgiven her brother.
"Mommy." She gulped and her eyes rose to meet her fathers. "Daddy. I know I've done things that you aren't proud of and things I am most certainly not proud of. But I am asking you right now not to forgive me because I know that it will take time. Now I am asking you to help me because I'm in trouble and I'm involved with someone who held me knowing me for who I was and who I am now. I not going to beg because in my opinion what child should have to beg for their parent's help? I'm asking politely. Please help us."
"Oh sweetie." Linda rushed to her daughter wrapping her arms around her tightly clutching her as if she were a newborn baby. Stephanie burst into tears not caring if she'd ruined her makeup. She clung to her mother like she'd just met her after years of not seeing her. There was a warm rush of emotion surging through her and she had a bought of courage to look up into the eyes of her father. His eyes watered slightly and he took ginger steps forward and enveloped them both in a bear hug.
"Of course we'll help in any way we can." Vince finished for his wife.
"Thank you." Stephanie whispered back wiping away uselessly at her tears. They smiled at each other in a silence too sweet to broken. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Stephanie could hear the loud TV playing from one of the bedrooms in the Suite. The sound of small foot steps caused her parents to turn and look at a girl with blonde hair.
"Stephanie don't you want to come watch Daddy on TV?" Hayley said stopping Stephanie dead in her tracks. Her eyes glanced to the bed room and with out an explination she raced into the room and turned up the television as if it wasn't loud enough. There stood her boyfriend in what she like to teasingly call his "Thugwear". He was gripping a mic in his hand and his blue eyes cold and angry were glaring directly into the camera.
"P. Hey man I know you're out there you know I just stopped by here knowing that today is the day your first ever video will debut. And I decided to say congratulations for two reasons actually. Number one Congrats on your debut. Number two: Congrats on your wonderful achievements. You know what I'm talking about man! Hey, just to let you know that tonight I'll have some achievements of my own and of course they'll include you and your entire posse. Not the old one we had on tour. You remember your new one that you just happened to acquire." Marshal smiled maniacally.
"And if I were you I'd leave mine alone tonight because if you don't I might act on some instincts that I haven't come to me in a long time." He finished his face wild with fury. He dropped the mic. "Thanks Carson." Walking off the stage she watched deftly as the show went to break.
"Stephanie is there anything you'd like to tell us?" Vince asked.
"First off, that guy I'm involved with is the man you just saw on TV. No not Eminem, Marshal Mathers. And this." She put a comforting arm around the young girl next to her. Is Hayley Mathers, his daughter." She then broke down and explained the events that had been occurring of late.
"We know just where you can go." Linda said.
"Alright." Stephanie said. A ringing burst through. Stephanie reached for her cell phone and answered it.
"Stephanie?" Marshal said.
"Marshal.. where are you now?" Stephanie asked gathering their things.
"I'm on my way bag to the hotel. Have you seen your parents yet?" He asked."
"Yes and instead of going back to the hotel meet us at the Madison Garden Arena." Stephanie said.
"Alright. Stephanie remember I love you." He said and she smiled. "I love you too."
"Tell Hayley I love her and I'll see her soon before I have to do my business tonight." He said.
"Marshal please don't go through with what ever you're doing." Stephanie pleaded.
"I can't back down now. You know that Stephanie." He replied.
"I'll see you at the arena." Stephanie sighed in defeat. He was just as stubborn as she was pigheaded.
"Bye."
"Bye." There was a dial tone. She began to briefly wonder how in the hell did she get to where she was. She came to New York to start a new life. How did she end up in the middle of the danger at hand?