Disclaimer: Still don't own anything Secret Window. It's all Stephen King's.

AN: Last chapter! I hope that you all enjoyed what you've read, and thanks so much for the reviews! You're wonderful, and I really appreciate it. Keep an eye out for future Secret Window or Pirates of the Caribbean stories; you never know when they'll show up! Happy reading!

Happy Holidays to all of my readers and reviewers everywhere! Thanks for everything, and I hope to see you again at the next story!

Chapter 14: Cutting Away the Past:

Mort's POV:

As soon as they saw who had rudely burst into the room, Mort saw his wife go pale. He instantly moved around the bed so that he stood between his wife and daughter, ready to protect them from the intruders that had come to take them away. Mr. Olson's eyes narrowed as soon as he saw who stood between himand his daughter.

"We've come to take Amber home," Amber's father said, repeating what he'd said in the hotel room just a day earlier. Mrs. Olson stood right behind him, her son remaining in the doorway, seemingly hesitant about getting involved in all this.

Mort gritted his teeth. "There is no way I'm going to let you take my wife and daughter away from me," he growled, his hands curling into fists as he felt his blood pound in his veins. Mort was absolutely ready to defend his family, no matter what it took to keep them here with him and out of the hands of Amber's parents. Mr. Olson also clenched his fists.

"Please, stop!" Amber cried, catching the attention of everyone in the room. Elizabeth began to cry. "Now look what you've done! You scared her!" Amber chided them, rocking the tiny baby and cooing to her in an attempt to sooth her to sleep.

The Olsons peered around Mort and stared as though they had just seen the small bundle in Amber's arms. Her brother slowly crept forward, curiosity in his brown eyes. Mort moved to stop him, but Amber reached out and touched his arm, stopping him in his tracks. When the teenage boy reached his sister's side, he looked at the bundle in her arms, a question in his eyes. Mort held his breath as Amber smiled and reached a hand out to her brother.

Amber's POV:

Watching my parents and Mort come within an inch of killing each other was the most painful experience of my life. Oh, God, I didn't want anyone I loved to get hurt! I wanted to stop them, but I was holding Elizabeth, and I wasn't going to risk her getting hurt. Since I couldn't stop them physically, I did it the only other way I could.

"Please, stop!" I cried. When they all turned towards me, Elizabeth began to cry, obviously scared out of her wits by the sound of loud voices. "Now look what you've done! You scared her!" I scolded, rocking her to calm her down.

Looking up from my calming baby girl, I noticed Mike creeping his way towards me, wanting to get a closer look. Mort tried to stop him, but I grabbed his arm. I wanted my brother to see his niece, so I reached a hand out towards him, taking the hand that he offered in return and bringing him closer. When he was next to me, I held up my daughter for him to see.

"Hey, baby brother, come meet your niece," I said softly. Mike's eyes widened as he looked. "Her name is Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth Amber Rainey," Mort said, beaming proudly. I raised an eyebrow at the chosen middle name, and he shrugged. "Sorry, darling, I couldn't resist."

I rolled my eyes and let my brother look at my pride and joy. "Mort, could you let them through?" I asked. I saw him hesitate. "If they try anything, you're welcome to beat them up afterwards," I said, seriously. Mort nodded moved to my side, a protective air around him as he let my parents approach me. I knew that if they did try anything, Mort would be sure that there'd be Hell to pay.

My parents came forward and looked down at the bundle I held in my arms. My dad sort of had an excited gleam in his eyes, but my mother was frowning like crazy. Well, daughters were unwanted in China, so I guess she was disappointed that I hadn't had a son. It didn't matter, though…my baby girl was the most precious thing in the world to me, so she could just live with it! I'll never let her near Elizabeth in the future, anyway.

"Amber, what happened to you?" my mother demanded.

I sighed and gave them the cliffnote version of past events. My parents' eyes widened with every detail that I described, but grew red with anger when they heard that Mort had practically raped me the first day I was in his cabin. I told them that if Mort hadn't slept with me that day, I wouldn't be holding my baby right now, and that it hadn't actually been rape…I had given in to him, and was happy that I had. When I talked about the tour of Europe and all of the things I had seen and done there, my brother looked at me with envy and wanted to hear about the entire thing in detail. However, my mom stopped me and made me go on with my story. When I was done talking about everything, I was tired and a nurse had come in to take Elizabeth back to the nursery. Once she had left, my folks were glaring at Mort; if looks could kill, Mort would be dead a thousand times over.

"Amber, we want you and Elizabeth home with us," my father demanded. I knew that tone and knew he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. He was stubborn, but then, so was Mort.

"That will never happen," Mort snapped, protectively grasping my hand with his.

"You have no say in this, you kidnapper!" my mother snarled at him.

I clutched Mort's hand in fright. I recognized my mother's angry tone of voice, and was scared of what she might do. Mort must have felt my fear, because he squeezed my hand in return and stroked it with his thumb. I saw him glaring at her and was amazed at his courage. Mort was actually challenging my mother! Even my dad had never done that!

"Lady, if you want them, you'll have to kill me to do it," Mort said, his voice cold and hard. I'd never heard him talk like that before, but it made me feel protected and safe. I didn't get a chance to enjoy the moment, though, because my dad stepped forward, fully intent on carrying out the idea of Mort's death at his hands.

"No, Daddy, don't!" I cried, clutching Mort's arm. "Don't hurt him, please!"

My father stared at me. "But honey, he kidnapped you from your home and your family!" he said, shock written all over his face.

"He did it because he loves me, Dad," I said, clutching Mort's hand in mine as I leaned closer to his side. "He's been nothing but sweet, kind, and loving to me the entire time we've been together, and I won't let you hurt him!" The tone of my voice surprised my father, as well as Mort, who looked down at me with hope.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the cops on him, sweetie," Dad said, glaring at Mort, who glared back. I turned my gaze to Mort, who broke his staring contest with my father to look me in the eye.

I remembered all of the things we had done together…the weeks we had spent together in the cabin, the way Mort looked at me when he was being "inspired" by me, the way Mort trusted me to help him with his stories, the day Mort had given me Bubbles…and all of the romantic moments we'd had in Europe. But the one that stuck out most was when Mort had given me the most complete and utter trust a husband could give a wife, especially when she was in the presence of another handsome man…the moment of complete trust and…

"Love," I said, looking into my husband's eyes.

"What?" my father asked. I could hear the shock and denial in his voice.

"I love him," I repeated, not looking away from the warmth of Mort's eyes.

I felt my husband's hand on my cheek, and closed my eyes, leaning into his soft touch. When his thumb caressed my cheek, I opened my eyes and returned the gesture, watching him snuggle into my hand, reacting the same way I had. I stroked his beard and mustache with my thumb, and when I stroked his lips, he kissed it before smiling at me. We stayed that way for several moments before my mother reached over and broke us apart.

"No!" she cried, pushing Mort away from me. "She's coming home and you're going to jail!"

"Mom, leave them alone!" Mike cried, pushing her back, away from us. "They love each other, and they belong together!"

It was the first time I'd ever seen him stand up to her, and I was proud of him for doing it. I looked at him with thanks, and he nodded in return. Mort took my hand and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, protecting me from anything else that Mom might do. My mother opened her mouth, fully ready to protest, but Mort beat her to it.

"Mrs. Olson, if you or your husband try to take my wife and daughter away from me, there will legal action the likes of which you've never seen," Mort declared, pulling me closer to him. "I suggest you let my wife and I live our lives in peace with our daughter. The two of you will be able to visit, but only if Amber allows it." He glared at her. "I swear that if you so much as make Amber unhappy or uncomfortable in one moment of your company, I'll make sure you never come near her again!"

I was frozen with shock. Mort could make it so Mom could never come near us again if I didn't want her to? This was the most wonderful thing I could hope for. No more being screamed at by her, or being mentally tortured by her twisted insults? No more crying and thinking depressing thoughts because of what Mom had told me that day? It was a dream come true! I'd miss Dad, of course, but all he'd done was sit there and done nothing about Mom's abuse of us. I'd be free…

But what about Mike? He and I had suffered through everything together, and I couldn't leave him at home to suffer though it all alone without me there to protect and support him! I looked up at Mort and turned a quick, concerned look towards my brother. Mort didn't turn around, but he knew who I was asking at. He smiled and turned towards my brother.

"Of course, you're welcome to visit any time you like," he said, smiling at my brother. Mort's smile broadened into a grin. "And we could always use a babysitter for Elizabeth."

Mike rolled his eyes, but smiled. "As long as I get paid for it, consider it done." I gave my brother a smile.

"You can't seriously expect us to agree with this!" Dad yelled.

"Mr. Olson, Amber is capable of making her own decisions, and I believe that this is exactly the arrangement she wants," Mort said, his voice cold and hard, leaving no room for argument.

Everyone looked at me. My parents gave me a pleading look, begging me to see sense and come home. I knew they loved me, in their own ways. Dad loved me and wanted his little girl to come home, like every father wants. I guess even Mom loved me in her own twisted way, but to her, I was the child that should have been a boy, a son she could be proud of instead of a disappointing daughter who had wasted her time and money.

Mike gave me an equally pleading look, but for completely different reasons. He clearly wanted me to get out and away from the web of anguish our mother had woven for us, and wanted me to help him get out of it as well. I think he wanted my daughter to be safe from Mom's grasp as well….

It was a tough case. They were my family, but I had my own now, and I didn't want anything from my past influencing and damaging this new life I had. I needed to be free to do what I wanted, and what I wanted was to make a loving home with my husband for Elizabeth and any other children Mort and I might have together in the future.

I looked up into Mort's eyes and made my choice.

"I'm staying with my husband. I'm staying with Mort."

Two hours later, Mort's POV:

Hearing Amber declare her love for him in front of her parents and brother was one of the greatest moments of his life. He knew she loved him! He had known since the moment they had met that they were meant to be, and was ecstatic that she had finally seen it. Even though it had taken a while, she had seen that they belonged together, and that their love was stronger than she thought.

A few hours after their confrontation with her parents, Mort and Amber left the hospital with joy in their hearts and a beautiful baby girl in their arms. As Mort pushed the wheelchair bearing his wife and daughter out the front doors, flashbulbs went off as dozens of reporters tried to be the first ones to get a picture of the Rainey baby and her parents for the evening edition.

Mort didn't mind; he wanted the whole world to see what a beautiful wife and daughter he had been blessed with! He proudly stood behind his wife and beamed like the proud husband and father he was. When the press had been satisfied, they allowed the new family to get into the limo provided for them and watched as they drove off, turning around the corner and vanishing from sight.

AN: Yay, it's over (does happy dance)! Okay, maybe it's a bad thing that it's over, but I'm glad that this one has come to a conclusion. Now my brain is free to do whatever comes to mind! Keep your eyes open for another Secret Window story! I can't tell you if a sequel will be written, it's a secret (wink, wink), so keep your eyes open. Please review, and I hope to see you all soon!