Ch 23
Same disclaimer applies. This is dedicated to all of the Ronnie haters out there! (That would probably be everyone who posted a review! Thank you for all of your support!)
"CASSIE! WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!"
Ronnie angrily stormed into the room. He wanted to surprise Cassie by coming back to the bay area early, and to make sure that she didn't call Stacey last night…
But it looks like Cassie is carrying on some indiscretions of her own…
Cassie pulled away quickly from Jake.
"Ronnie, this is not what it looks like-"
"Oh, don't give me that bullshit! You're up here kissing your baby's father and it's not what it looks like? What are you doing then, giving him CPR?!?!?
"Now just wait a second, Ronald," Cassie never used Ronnie's full name unless she was REALLY mad at him. "You have no right to chastise me. No right at all."
"What are you talking about?"
She got right in his face.
"Who is Stacey, and why was she answering your phone?"
Damn! I'm caught!
"Stacey has nothing to do with this!"
"Yeah right! I'm tired of your lying! All those 'late-night' meetings, your weekend 'conferences'. I'm just so mad that it took me this long to put 2 and 2 together! I want you to get out! It's over!"
Ronnie slapped Cassie hard in the face. He hit her so hard, she fell to the ground.
Jake couldn't believe what he was seeing. Did he just hit her? Seeing Cassie abused made him VERY angry. No real man would hit a woman.
Especially the woman he loved.
"Don't you EVER tell me what to do! EVER!"
"Leave her alone, you wimp! If you want to hit someone, you hit me! " Jake shouted. He rolled over to both of them, trying to break up the confrontation.
"And what are YOU going to do? You're just a pathetic cripple. A has-been." Ronnie pushed Jake out of his wheelchair. Jake hit the ground with a thud.
"OOF!" Jake's chest felt like it was on fire. He fell on his bad lung again.
OWWW! He'll pay for that!
"Now Cassie, I want this freak out of the house. Now!"
"Ronnie, this is not the way-"
"I said, I want him OUT! Do you need another one?"
"MO-MMY!!!"
Rae stood in the hallway, holding her Teddy Bear and looking very scared at the scene in front of her.
"Don't worry baby, everything is going to be fine. I want you to go back to your room, okay?" Cassie tried to say
"No! I want Mommy!" Rae started to run to Cassie's side.
"RACHEL! GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Ronnie roared.
"NOOO!"
Ronnie started towards Rae.
"I'll make sure you listen this time, you little bastard!" He raised his hand.
He was interrupted by a tiger's roar.
You lay a finger on either one of them again, and I will tear you to pieces.
Ronnie turned around. Jake was in Tiger morph, crouched and ready to attack him.
Now, I'm giving you ten seconds to leave this house, or you'll feel how all those controllers felt when this 'has-been' ripped them apart.
Ronnie didn't need to be told twice. He RAN out of the door and then his car could be heard speeding off into the distance.
"MOMMY!" Rachel yelled. She was so confused. Did her daddy just turn into a tiger?
"Oh Rachel, my sweet little girl."
They both cried as they hugged on each other.
"Don't cry baby, please don't cry. Mommy is here, and your Daddy is here too."
Jake de-morphed and crawled over to where Cassie and Rae were.
"Daddy is here to protect both of you. No one will EVER lay their hands on either of you again. Not while I'm alive and well." He hugged them both.
Rae still looked petrified.
"Ti-GER!" she pointed at Jake, still shaken from all the commotion.
"No honey, Daddy's not a tiger anymore. Daddy only turns into a tiger when bad people try to attack the people he cares about the most in the world."
He opened his arms so that Rae could snuggle against him.
"That bad man won't ever come back to hurt you again. I promise."
"Okay Da-ddy…"
They sat their on the floor for a little bit, crying and hugging on each other and trying to calm Rachel down.
"Hey sweetie. Why don't we go to bed now? I think Daddy would like it if you got some rest." Cassie said after a while.
Jake nodded his head. "I agree."
Cassie picked Rae up out of Jake's arms and started to take her to her bed.
"I'll tuck her in, Jake."
"That sounds fine." He crawled over to his wheelchair.
"Um, Cass?"
"Yes?" She and Rae turned around.
"I uh, I need some, um, help getting into my chair…"
"Oh, silly me."
She put Rae down and walked over to Jake's chair.
"Here, I'll steady it, one, two, three!"
Carefully, Cassie helped Jake get back into his chair with the little energy she had left.
"Do you want some help putting her to bed?" he asked her.
"I'd love that."
"And so the fair maiden and the beautiful princess lived happily ever after. The End. Whew, kid, is this our 5th story?"
Rae nodded her head sleepily.
"I'm guessing you've never baby-sat a two-year old before." Cassie mused from the other side of the child's bed.
Jake shook his head.
"No, I've never taken care of a kid who wants to read so many stories before. Usually Sara was out like a light after the first story I'd read to her."
"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything."
Jake reached out his hand to Cassie.
"And sometimes, if you're lucky, you get to do things over a second time."
She squeezed his hands.
"Well, let's let Rae get some sleep. We've had a tough day."
They quietly left her room.
Cassie and Jake both headed to the living room, where Cassie tried to clean up the mess from earlier.
"I'm really sorry about this, Jake. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. And for him to go after Rae… I feel like such an idiot," She admitted.
"You're not an idiot Cass. You're one of the strongest and smartest women I know."
"It's…it's just when you think you're in love with somebody…you take all of their crap…and he hurt me. Ronnie hurt me."
She started to cry into her arms. Jake rolled over to her and brushed some hair out of her face, exposing the fresh bruise on her face. He traced it with his fingers, than kissed it.
"You won't be hurt anymore." He whispered. Then he nestled his face in her neck. She smelled so sweet. Like fresh roses…
"They only thing that matters is that you're both safe."
He always knew just what to say…
Cassie wanted to melt into his arms.
All of her defenses were gone.
Her embarrassment was gone.
Ronnie was gone.
The only thing that mattered was the here and now. Now, she had a fresh start.
And now she had Jake.
Yes, THIS is what my heart wants…
He lifted up the back of her blouse and gently started to kiss the small of her back. Each kiss sent a jolt of pleasure through her body.
She turned around.
Oh hell yes…
"Follow me," she said in a seductive voice.
Jake followed Cassie to her bedroom.
I just want to show her how much I care…
As soon as they got there, Jake started to unbutton Cassie's blouse and kissed her stomach. Her skin was so smooth, so dark. It felt like chocolate silk.
"Mmmm…oh…oh…"
Don't Stop!
She ran her fingers through his hair, and down his back, pulling off his sweater…
She gasped.
OH MY GOD!
There were so many scars on his chest. Could they all be from the accident?
He turned away, breaking the mood.
I should have known. She'll never want to be with me now. I AM a freak…
"They're ugly Cassie. I know. I'm ugly. This…this is a mistake; I knew I shouldn't have stopped by." Jake turned to leave.
"No, no, don't say that Jake. Don't say that at all."
She came around to him and lifted his chin.
"You're beautiful Jake."
"Am I?" He took out his glass eye, revealing the damage to Cassie. His honey brown eye was now an ugly, unnatural blue. "Do you want to be with someone like this?"
She kissed his eye.
"Yes, I do."
Soon, they were on her bed, ready to give everything they had to each other.
"Cassie, are you sure you want to do this? Is it safe?"
"Wait, I think I have something in my nightstand." She reached for some protection.
"After Rae, I don't think I could handle another surprise."
Jake laughed and turned the light off.
Their moans of pleasure filled the gloomy night by the bay, and their souls became one.
Maybe, everything will be all right…