Everyday Peril
Chapter 7: For Whom This Hell Goes

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Haha, Dreamwriter! I thought you'd enjoy that pun… Thanks, WishingStar. I'm glad you liked that… Thanks, Whitelighter, and you are not slow. That would probably be because I never said it anywhere. And it probably would have been a good idea to say it sometime at the beginning of the story… Sorry about that. I knew I forgot something…

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It was one week later, and Sydney stood in front of the mirror, sighing. She was starting to show, and although there was a part of her that was overjoyed at this, another part of her shuddered at the thought of looking fat. It was only natural.

She glanced down at her pants and cringed. They were covered in wrinkles. And it was already 5 o'clock. They had to leave in half an hour if Hailey was going to get there on time. Sydney knew she would never hear the end of it if her daughter were late to her preschool play. What would the three bears do without their precious little Goldilocks?

Well, she did have half an hour. The kids were almost ready, and Michael should be home any minute. Okay, he should have been home any minute for about an hour now, but she knew that he would show up eventually; he always did. Sydney went into the laundry room and plugged in the iron, taking off her pants as she waited for it to heat up. She ran the iron over them a few times, impatiently trying to get the stubborn wrinkles out of the cloth even before the iron had come fully up to temperature.

"Do you have any idea how incredibly sexy you look doing that?" Michael was standing in the doorway, one hand on the frame, the other hidden behind his back. He was still in his work clothes, tie loosened and the top buttons on his shirt undone.

"Ironing?" Sydney asked with a laugh. It definitely had to be one of the least sexy chores she could think of. Well, she couldn't think of any chores that were sexy, but ironing was definitely one of the most boring and time consuming.

"Syd, you'd look sexy sorting through garbage as long as you didn't have pants on," he pointed out, coming into the room and closing the door behind him.

She opened her mouth to counter this point, but he shot her down before she could even get the words out. "You do not look fat. You are beautiful."

"I am pregnant, Michael. You can't tell me I'm not fat. I'll know it's a lie this time."

"Syd, you're just beginning to show, and even with the twins, you didn't get that big. We have small kids. So, you're just going to have to come to terms with the fact that you're not fat," he teased, coming closer to her. "I love seeing you like this. You're glowing."

"Thanks," she answered with a smile, quickly changing the subject. "Thank God you're home. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten."

"You're welcome," he replied. "It's true. And of course I didn't forget." He kept his left hand behind his back as he advanced, leaning across the ironing board and kissing her soundly. "Happy anniversary, baby," he murmured, pulling a dozen roses out from behind him.

"Michael, they're gorgeous!" Sydney exclaimed, laying down her iron to bring the flowers close to her nose, taking in their sweet scent.

"Almost as gorgeous as you," he responded, smiling at her. "And this."

"What? You didn't need to get…" She always told him that he didn't need to get her anything for their anniversary, having him around was enough. And he always disobeyed. But it was a two-way street; she never followed her own rule, ever ready with something for him as well.

"Close your eyes."

Sydney obeyed, tingling with anticipation as she heard him walk around the ironing board. He spun her around and she gasped in surprise. Before she had a chance to take another breath, his lips were on hers, stealing the air from her lungs. She let him have it without argument, pulling him closer as his fingers danced along the back of her neck.

"There," Michael stated, pulling away. "How do you like it?"

"You know I love it when you kiss me like that, Michael," she answered breathlessly, eyes still half-closed. "You don't have to ask."

He smiled, shifting his gaze from her eyes to her neck. She brought her hand to her throat, feeling the delicate chain around her neck. A glance down rewarded her with the sight of two golden angels resting perfectly above the v-neck of her tank top.

"Oh, Michael! You didn't…"

"I had to. I was in the jewelry store the other day…"

"Because you always just happen to be in jewelry stores," she interrupted him, grinning.

"That's right," he answered, giving her that smile that could melt her faster than ice melted on a hot summer's day. "And it was perfect. You called me your guardian angel before, Syd. And you're mine too, so…" He gestured towards the necklace, unable to find any other words to explain himself.

"I love it. I love you." She stole his lips for one more quick kiss. "Now, you better go…"

"What do you say we surprise my mother and drop the kids off at her house," he interrupted, placing his fingers on her lips to silence her. "She won't mind taking them for a few hours. Or overnight…"

"Oh, sweetie." She ran her thumb over his cheek, smiling at him sympathetically. "You did forget."

"Forget what?" He asked slowly, his forehead wrinkling with confusion and concern. He wrapped his arms around her neck, bringing his face close to hers. "You're Sydney, I'm Michael. Seven years ago today, we were married, although I loved you long before that…"

"Michael, honey," Sydney began, giving him a sweet smile. "Hailey's preschool play is tonight. She's Goldilocks, remember?" She didn't know how he could have forgotten. The little girl didn't have any lines, her teachers were reading the stories and the children were acting them out, but Hailey had been going over what she had to do for days, telling them the fairy tale countless times.

"Dammit!" Michael hissed, leaning his forehead on her own.

"I'm sorry, baby," Sydney murmured, knowing that he wanted to see the play, but wished it hadn't been that night. "We can celebrate tonight."

"Tonight?" he whined. "Syd, I've been thinking about you all day. There is no way in hell I can make it through her play and the damn potluck supper afterwards with you right beside me…"

"Mike?" Sometimes this man was worse than the kids.

"…and I don't think Hailey's teacher or all the parents there will appreciate if…"

"Mike!" The word was almost shouted, but she was still smiling, her voice automatically softening after she caught his attention. "You sound like you're the four-year-old…"

"Trust me, Syd," he interrupted, bringing his body closer to hers. "I am not four. Just give me five minutes."

"Now you sound like Eric," she laughed, and he wished she wouldn't. Her laughter was making it worse. He could never resist it.

"No, this is different," he said seriously, "Eric never got his five minutes, and I fully intend on getting mine. Besides, you already have your pants off, it won't even take that long."

"Michael," Sydney began, speaking slowly as if he were indeed four-years-old, "you want to have quick sex, in the laundry room, when three kids all under the age of five could walk in at any time, and we have to be out of the house in twenty minutes?"

"Yes," he answered simply. And at her look of disbelief, added, "It'll be more of a challenge. Add some excitement."

"Michael, in a matter of months, we're going to have four kids. I think trying to do anything without any of them bothering us will be excitement and challenge enough."

"Please, baby," he begged, his hands already roaming all over her skin. "I've been sitting in my office all day… It can be my anniversary present."

"I got you a present," Sydney murmured through gritted teeth, trying desperately not to give in to his touch. "It… It's in the bedroom. I'll give it to you tonight."

"Take it back. I don't want it." Damn, the man could be stubborn. And not wanting a present? This was serious…

"You don't even know what it is."

"I don't care. I want you… I want this more." Oh, shit. He was giving her the puppy dog eyes. He knew she would always give in to them, without a doubt. Must… avoid… eye… contact…

"Michael…" It was too late.

His lips were on her neck and suddenly she couldn't remember a single reason why they shouldn't do this. There had to be one. She could think of a dozen of them just three seconds ago. Because… Wasn't it… Something about… Damn. It was hopeless…

The door flew open just as Michael claimed his wife's lips once again. Their little girl stuck her head in the door and they quickly broke apart. Michael frowned and Sydney went busily back to ironing.

"Daddy! You're home!"

And as Sydney regained her breath, she remembered. Reason number one had just walked in the door and flung her arms around her father.

"I thought you forgetted, but Mommy telled me you would never ever ever forget something so important like my play." She peered up at him, eyes full of trust and love.

"I…" Michael began, but Sydney quickly shook her head. Why shatter her perfect image of her father over something so trivial? "… would never forget, angel." He scooped his daughter up, kissing her. "I can't wait to see you!"

"I'm good, Daddy! Even mean old Alec said so!" She left out the part about "mean old Alec" telling her she "sucked worse than his father," and how he only grumblingly admitted she was good after being forced to by the teacher.

But Michael knew that part of the story already. Hailey's teacher had relayed it to Sydney, apologetically telling her that Alec came from what could be considered a less than perfect family life, and had picked up all kinds of vulgar language from his mother and her current boyfriend. Fortunately, Hailey hadn't asked any questions about what the boy had said, and Michael and Sydney decided that it was best left alone.

"I'm sure you are, sweetie," Michael responded. "And you're just as beautiful as your mother."

"Mommy…" Hailey began excitedly, but she stopped and her face became horrorstricken when she turned and faced her mother. "Daddy's a boy," she whispered loudly, cupping her hands around her mouth and leaning forward. "You can't let boys see you when you don't have pants on!"

"I'm ironing them, Hailey," Sydney responded, fighting to hold back the laughter. "I'll put them back on as soon as I'm done."

"But Daddy's seeing you now!" Hailey yelped, as if this were the worst news in the world. Was she in for a big surprise a little later in life. "It's like that time when you sleeped and didn't know that…"

"Okay! Hailey!" Michael exclaimed, not wishing to relive the mortification of this story. Seeing Jack's face when it had happened had been punishment enough; he didn't need to picture it again. He put his daughter down, gently pushing her towards the door. "You go finish getting ready."

"I'm all ready!" She sang, but then glancing down at her bare feet. "I just need my shoes."

"Okay, well…"

"But I don't wanna put them on til it's just exactly time to go," she interrupted, wiggling her toes.

His attempts to nicely kick his daughter out of the room were failing miserably. "I have to go get the twins ready in a minute. Are they in their room?"

"Yep," the little girl nodded. "With the gate up. Maybe you'll need to ask Mommy to help you get in."

"Why don't you go check on them?" It was his last chance.

"Okay! I'll go make sure they're still alive!" With that, she left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Michael turned to his wife. Her eyes were dancing as she turned off the iron, and she looked ready to explode. "Don't even laugh."

But his command came too late, and her laughter bubbled forth, frolicking to his ears. His lips curved upward as it consumed him, and he silenced her the best way he knew how.

But she wriggled out of his grasp, grabbing her pants from the ironing board and skirting around him, keeping well out of reach. "We have to go, Michael," she stated, pulling on her pants.

"But…" he tried, using the fact that the act of putting on pants hampered her movement to his advantage as he caught her arm. "She's gone!"

She shook him off, holding him at arm's length. "She'll be back and you know it. And we have to leave soon. Besides," she added, her eyes sparkling, "my father already knows all about how we both saw your penis. He doesn't really need his granddaughter to tell him that she saw Daddy's penis inside Mommy…"

"Syd!"

"I mean it, Michael." She was still grinning, but he knew he had lost the battle. She would make up for it later. He planned on putting the kids to bed the moment they got home, whether it was actually dark out or not.

"Come on, little boy," she teased, smiling at his crestfallen face. "Mommy will come help you open the gate, we'll get the twins, and then we'll go."

They started off towards the twins' room, hand in hand, but Hailey almost ran into them on their way there. "Whoa there!" Michael exclaimed, stopping her from ramming into them at full force. "Where are you…?"

"I'm sorry…" Hailey looked up at them sadly, her bottom lip quivering. "I was trying to help."

Michael turned her around, and they kept walking. "Hailey, what happ…oh…"

"Oh shi-oot…" Sydney cried, luckily catching herself before having to explain why she had used that "naughty word" once again.

The twins were standing next to the gate, drenched in some substance, which he was hoping was water. One look at the big, plastic cup lying accusingly on the ground nearby, however, and a quick whiff of the air named their mysterious liquid. Milk.

"Hailey," Michael began, slowly this time, "What happened?"

The little girl looked down at her still bare feet, her toes squirming, and miserably relayed the story, full of so much guilt and sorrow that there was no way they could even think about being angry. "Jonny wanted some milk. I wanted to show you that I'm a good helper for when the new baby comes."

"I'm glad you want to help, sweetie," Michael said, tilting her chin up to look at him. "But next time, get me or Mommy to help you. The twins need the cups with the tops on them."

"Okay, Daddy. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Michael answered, running a hand through her hair. "Now, go get your shoes on."

She left and Sydney turned to face him. "Michael they are absolutely covered. And it's milk, too. They're going to need a bath, and we have to leave…" She quickly glanced at her watch. "… in three minutes."

"You go ahead and take Hailey," Michael offered. "I'll stay here and clean up these two, and we'll meet you there. How's that sound?"

She looked relieved that he had found a quick solution. "You don't mind cleaning them up?"

"Of course not. Unless you'd rather…?" He gestured towards the mess and smiled, putting the offer out there, but fully intending to do it himself. He would have to work quickly to get the twins cleaned, dressed, and to the building that housed both their daycare and Hailey's preschool before the play started. Sydney didn't need to deal with the stress of that right now.

"Thank you. You're a lifesaver." Her eyes flashed with desire, so quickly that he thought his own eyes had tricked him. "I'll pay you back later," she murmured.

He grinned. "I was counting on it. I hope you're up to the challenge."

"I'm ready!" Hailey chirped, suddenly appearing before them, as cheerful as ever.

"Okay," Sydney answered, taking her hand. "Let's go, little girl. Daddy and William and Jonny are going to meet us there."

"Bye, Daddy! Bye William! Bye Jonny!" Hailey bounced up and down with each name, waving excitedly, and ready to head out the door and to her fifteen minutes of fame.

"Bye, angel." Michael bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Good luck." He leaned over and kissed Sydney softly. "Goodbye, gorgeous."

They walked to the car and Sydney buckled Hailey into her seat. They had been on the road for only a minute, when Hailey began chattering. "Mommy, does the new baby know where we're going?"

"I don't think so, sweetie," Sydney answered, smiling to herself. "The baby's sleeping inside my tummy, remember?"

"Oh," the little girl answered, frowning. "It's not gonna see my play?"

"Probably not, Hailey. But you can tell the baby all about it after it's born."

"Okay," she agreed. And then, without missing a beat, "Is the new baby gonna have a penis like Daddy?"

This time, Sydney couldn't help but laugh. "If it's a boy it will."

"Like William and Jonny," Hailey stated matter-of-factly, proud that she could relay this information.

"That's right." Sydney wondered what Michael would say if his daughter posed this question to him, and if William and Jonny would ask a similar one when they were older.

"And if it's a girl, it won't have one?" Hailey asked, needing to be completely sure she understood every single aspect of this subject.

"Nope," Sydney answered, wishing she could record this conversation to play back later, when her little girl wasn't so willing to have such open discussions with her mother.

Satisfied with this answer, Hailey switched topics immediately, as if what she had to say next was the logical following of her previous question. "How come Daddy was so sad when you kissed him?"

Well… "Because I didn't get a chance to give him his anniversary present." It was true no matter which way you looked at it, and a safe enough answer for a four-year-old.

"Oh," Hailey answered thoughtfully. "I thinked it was 'cause maybe he didn't like the way you kissed him."

"No, I think he liked it," Sydney answered distractedly. Even for the relatively short drive to the preschool, the traffic was unbearable. "I mean…"

But Hailey interrupted her, saving her mother from trying to explain away her response. "When I go to Rory's house," she said, speaking of her best friend from preschool, "her parents don't kiss at all. And sometimes I'm even there for three or seven hours, and no kissing!" The little girl threw her arms up in the air, amazed that this was even possible.

"Your Daddy and I love each other very much." It was the best answer she could give; the only one her daughter would truly understand, and the only one that really made any sense.

"Does Rory's Daddy and Mommy not love each other?" Hailey asked, her forehead wrinkling with concern just as her father's had earlier.

"I'm sure they do, sweetie," Sydney answered, not sure what else to add. "Maybe they just…"

"Don't like to kiss?" Hailey finished for her.

Well, if it would satisfy the little girl's curiosity, it was a good enough answer for now. "Maybe." They were stopped at a red light, and Sydney met her daughter's eyes in the rearview mirror. "Someday when you're older, Daddy and I will tell you a story about why we love each other so much. You're too little for it now."

Hailey considered this, and didn't argue, still young enough to be satisfied with whatever her mother told her and not to question it much. The light changed to green, and Sydney turned her attention back to the road.

"The story," Hailey began. "Is that why if you're not home yet and you're 'posed to be, Daddy gets scared and…"

Screeching breaks. Metal screaming on metal, crunching, chewing, gnashing against it; playing out slowly, forever, reverberating in her ears. A sickening song, a never-ending symphony, not stopping, even for a second. Tires ripping across asphalt, burning rubber scorching her nostrils, the fumes seeming to creep straight down to her stomach, nauseating her.

Hearing and smell were the only senses; the reek of exhaust and oil, her little girl's screams piercing her ears, worse than anything she had ever had to listen to, the most horrible form of torture imaginable. Sight virtually nonexistent; she still didn't know exactly what happened, never saw that car race down the street, barreling straight through the red light and into the intersection.

But touch was quickly beginning to catch up, eager to have its way with her after being left out of the initial reaction, leaving her nerve ends tingling, shrieking with the excruciating pain. The motion of the car lurching her side to side, slamming her head against the glass of the window, shattering it to the ground. The sound of glass raining down adding to the cacophonous harmony.

Metal, glass, shouting, tires, and tears; the main sections in the orchestra of misery and terror. Its jarring notes increasing to a fever pitch, drowning out everything except her throbbing body in a veritable swirl of pain and panic, before suddenly receding. The quick burst of light, the sudden metallic taste of blood, the ear-splitting noise, the sickening scents, the blinding pain, all washed away. Withering to silence, blackness, numbness. Nothing.