Disclaimer: As always I don't own anything that is even remotely familiar to you.
Unexpected
Chapter Nine
Stephanie was almost finished packing her stuff up, when she had a craving for a ham, cheese and ketchup sandwich. She made her way down to the kitchen figuring she'd be pretty much on her own seeing as it looked like Mark needed sleep and it was Sierra's nap time.
Walking into the kitchen was when she realized how much she would miss being here. The kitchen really was like the heart of the house. When she was a child there never really was a heart of the house, no one was every together enough for it to be needed.
She was making her sandwich when she hear barely audible steps. She didn't know which occupant it belonged to, nor did she care to find out. She didn't want to face Mark again, it would be easier that way.
"Steph, what would you say if I said I didn't want you to go?" Savannah asked. She saw how much both Stephanie and her father needed each other, though they were both to stubborn and proud to admit it.
"Hon, I would like to stay but unfortunately it's not our call. It's your dad's house and he's been acting like he wants me to leave," Stephanie told her. "I might eventually move somewhere in Houston or I might not. I can't tell you much about the what I'm going to do at the moment."
"No matter how much he seems like it Dad doesn't really want you to leave," Savannah told her once again. Stephanie had to doubt how true that statement was. "He's just to stubborn to tell you that himself."
"Savannah look if you or Sierra need me you know how to get in touch. If you need me then I'll be there," Stephanie told the girl. Steph kind of figured from the little she'd got out of Mark about the past she'd never really had another mother figure.
"If your going to be there for us then why can't you stay here. Dad won't care," Savannah again insisted. This was the first person that she'd ever seen her father with that she actually liked, though she wouldn't admit it. All the other woman he'd brought home (not that there were that many) were ditzy and didn't really give a damn about what happened to her or Sierra.
"Savannah I wish it were that easy," Stephanie said, beginning to eat her sandwich.
"Then can't you explain why it isn't that easy?" Mark asked from the doorway. He'd heard the whole conversation from the door.
"You of all people should know," Stephanie said. "Last night you practically told me that you wanted me to leave."
"No you insisted that you wanted to leave. If I remember you said I'm leaving and I said wait don't leave," Mark said not moving from his place in the door.
"I told you that he wouldn't care if you stayed," Savannah insisted.
"Mark you said that so I wouldn't go upstairs mad," Stephanie said finally finishing her sandwich.
"Look Steph, I think we still need you. There's still a lot of things to work through and I want to make sure Vince doesn't do anything to you," Mark said. That was the closest that he could get right now to telling her that he cared about what happened to her.
"Mark thank you for worrying about me but I'm going to go see Shane and he'll be able to keep me safe. Both you and Savannah have my number if you need anything," Stephanie said. "I don't want you to keep me safe because you think you have to just like you didn't like the idea of me coming her because I though I owed you a favor."
Mark knew it was now or never. If he wanted to find out what was going on with her then he would have to do it now. "Then what have you been avoiding telling me the whole time you've been here?"
"I don't know what you're talking about?" Stephanie said. She didn't want to tell him. She was almost ready to leave and make a life of her own.
"Why do you want to leave?" Savannah asked.
"Because all my life I've had someone looking out for me, someone who was trying to control me. First my father tried to make me into the perfect little girl, then he still wouldn't let me free, then I had my ex-husband Paul and I've never had a chance to learn to rely on myself," Stephanie explained. "I need to know that I can do it."
"Then why are you going to see Shane?" Mark asked with a smirk. "Wouldn't that be depending on something else. Why don't you stay here until you can find a place of your own in Houston or something."
Steph didn't have an answer to that question. She knew he was right and she wouldn't mind just being a little ways away. She had enough money saved where she wouldn't have to work for a while then, a lot of her work she could do through a conference calls. She couldn't do that though. She needed the calming presence of Shane for right now until her emotions got under control and she came to terms with not having Paul around. "I'm sorry Mark, I can't do that. I need family right now and the only family I have is Shane."
Savannah went upstairs. She kind of knew what Stephanie was saying, but she still didn't want her to leave. Especially if it was going to be a long way away. She hoped that her dad could convince Stephanie to stay, but she'd done all she could.
When she got upstairs she couldn't help but to feel a little bit betrayed. Stephanie said she would be there for her, but what about when she would have nightmares and couldn't stand to tell her father about some of the things that had happened. She wasn't ready to talk about any of it right now but her father being as upset as he will be with just the bruises and cuts, she didn't want to see when she told the rest. He would be out for more than blood, he'd be out to kill.
"Why can't you tell me what's going on?" Mark asked. He was kind of annoyed being out of the loop. There was something that Stephanie wasn't telling him, and he wanted to know what it was.
"Because Mark it's my problem that I have to figure out," Stephanie said.
"I remember I tried to tell you that before you came out here but you didn't listen to me then so why should I listen to you know?" Mark said.
"Mark this is something that has no concern to you or anyone else," Stephanie told him. She didn't think it would help her case.
"But it's got you awfully worked up," Mark observed.
"Fine I'll tell you if you tell me what happened between you and Sara," Stephanie compromised.
"Fine you go first," Mark said. He wasn't going to go first when the conversation was about her in the first place.
"Fine, Paul filed for divorce about three months ago, I signed right away and was done with it. I wasn't going to force him to be in a marriage he didn't want. A few weeks later I found out I was pregnant, but I couldn't tell him because according to my father I was cheating on him. I tried to tell him that but he wouldn't believe me," Stephanie said giving him the condense version. "Now it's your turn."
"Sara was cheating on me. I found a weird voice answering her cell phone and couldn't get back through so I came home the next morning and they were both still at the house," Mark said giving her the condensed version, and not mentioning that he suspected it had been going on for some time.
______________________________________________________________________________
Is Stephanie still going to leave? How will everyone take it if she does? Anyway now that I've got you interested in the next chapter please review this one. They really help
Unexpected
Chapter Nine
Stephanie was almost finished packing her stuff up, when she had a craving for a ham, cheese and ketchup sandwich. She made her way down to the kitchen figuring she'd be pretty much on her own seeing as it looked like Mark needed sleep and it was Sierra's nap time.
Walking into the kitchen was when she realized how much she would miss being here. The kitchen really was like the heart of the house. When she was a child there never really was a heart of the house, no one was every together enough for it to be needed.
She was making her sandwich when she hear barely audible steps. She didn't know which occupant it belonged to, nor did she care to find out. She didn't want to face Mark again, it would be easier that way.
"Steph, what would you say if I said I didn't want you to go?" Savannah asked. She saw how much both Stephanie and her father needed each other, though they were both to stubborn and proud to admit it.
"Hon, I would like to stay but unfortunately it's not our call. It's your dad's house and he's been acting like he wants me to leave," Stephanie told her. "I might eventually move somewhere in Houston or I might not. I can't tell you much about the what I'm going to do at the moment."
"No matter how much he seems like it Dad doesn't really want you to leave," Savannah told her once again. Stephanie had to doubt how true that statement was. "He's just to stubborn to tell you that himself."
"Savannah look if you or Sierra need me you know how to get in touch. If you need me then I'll be there," Stephanie told the girl. Steph kind of figured from the little she'd got out of Mark about the past she'd never really had another mother figure.
"If your going to be there for us then why can't you stay here. Dad won't care," Savannah again insisted. This was the first person that she'd ever seen her father with that she actually liked, though she wouldn't admit it. All the other woman he'd brought home (not that there were that many) were ditzy and didn't really give a damn about what happened to her or Sierra.
"Savannah I wish it were that easy," Stephanie said, beginning to eat her sandwich.
"Then can't you explain why it isn't that easy?" Mark asked from the doorway. He'd heard the whole conversation from the door.
"You of all people should know," Stephanie said. "Last night you practically told me that you wanted me to leave."
"No you insisted that you wanted to leave. If I remember you said I'm leaving and I said wait don't leave," Mark said not moving from his place in the door.
"I told you that he wouldn't care if you stayed," Savannah insisted.
"Mark you said that so I wouldn't go upstairs mad," Stephanie said finally finishing her sandwich.
"Look Steph, I think we still need you. There's still a lot of things to work through and I want to make sure Vince doesn't do anything to you," Mark said. That was the closest that he could get right now to telling her that he cared about what happened to her.
"Mark thank you for worrying about me but I'm going to go see Shane and he'll be able to keep me safe. Both you and Savannah have my number if you need anything," Stephanie said. "I don't want you to keep me safe because you think you have to just like you didn't like the idea of me coming her because I though I owed you a favor."
Mark knew it was now or never. If he wanted to find out what was going on with her then he would have to do it now. "Then what have you been avoiding telling me the whole time you've been here?"
"I don't know what you're talking about?" Stephanie said. She didn't want to tell him. She was almost ready to leave and make a life of her own.
"Why do you want to leave?" Savannah asked.
"Because all my life I've had someone looking out for me, someone who was trying to control me. First my father tried to make me into the perfect little girl, then he still wouldn't let me free, then I had my ex-husband Paul and I've never had a chance to learn to rely on myself," Stephanie explained. "I need to know that I can do it."
"Then why are you going to see Shane?" Mark asked with a smirk. "Wouldn't that be depending on something else. Why don't you stay here until you can find a place of your own in Houston or something."
Steph didn't have an answer to that question. She knew he was right and she wouldn't mind just being a little ways away. She had enough money saved where she wouldn't have to work for a while then, a lot of her work she could do through a conference calls. She couldn't do that though. She needed the calming presence of Shane for right now until her emotions got under control and she came to terms with not having Paul around. "I'm sorry Mark, I can't do that. I need family right now and the only family I have is Shane."
Savannah went upstairs. She kind of knew what Stephanie was saying, but she still didn't want her to leave. Especially if it was going to be a long way away. She hoped that her dad could convince Stephanie to stay, but she'd done all she could.
When she got upstairs she couldn't help but to feel a little bit betrayed. Stephanie said she would be there for her, but what about when she would have nightmares and couldn't stand to tell her father about some of the things that had happened. She wasn't ready to talk about any of it right now but her father being as upset as he will be with just the bruises and cuts, she didn't want to see when she told the rest. He would be out for more than blood, he'd be out to kill.
"Why can't you tell me what's going on?" Mark asked. He was kind of annoyed being out of the loop. There was something that Stephanie wasn't telling him, and he wanted to know what it was.
"Because Mark it's my problem that I have to figure out," Stephanie said.
"I remember I tried to tell you that before you came out here but you didn't listen to me then so why should I listen to you know?" Mark said.
"Mark this is something that has no concern to you or anyone else," Stephanie told him. She didn't think it would help her case.
"But it's got you awfully worked up," Mark observed.
"Fine I'll tell you if you tell me what happened between you and Sara," Stephanie compromised.
"Fine you go first," Mark said. He wasn't going to go first when the conversation was about her in the first place.
"Fine, Paul filed for divorce about three months ago, I signed right away and was done with it. I wasn't going to force him to be in a marriage he didn't want. A few weeks later I found out I was pregnant, but I couldn't tell him because according to my father I was cheating on him. I tried to tell him that but he wouldn't believe me," Stephanie said giving him the condense version. "Now it's your turn."
"Sara was cheating on me. I found a weird voice answering her cell phone and couldn't get back through so I came home the next morning and they were both still at the house," Mark said giving her the condensed version, and not mentioning that he suspected it had been going on for some time.
______________________________________________________________________________
Is Stephanie still going to leave? How will everyone take it if she does? Anyway now that I've got you interested in the next chapter please review this one. They really help