Chapter 52

"S-Stephanie…and A-Amy told me not to hurt you. And I did." Her voice cracked, shaking and her hands had to hold onto his shirt to keep from collapsing, due to how fatigued she was. "I-I didn't mean for it to happen. I didn't mean to hurt you, Mark. I'm so sorry…" Yesterday, she had been in too much sexual euphoria to really grasp the harsh reality of what she'd done and now it was all crashing down around her. "I'm so sorry…I told them I wouldn't hurt you. I didn't think I could and I did…" Stephanie and Amy probably hated her, even though they didn't know what happened between her and Dean, unless he went off running his big mouth everywhere. "I love you and you're the only one I want. I didn't want him…I didn't, I told him no and then it…happened…and I felt dirty afterward, I felt like I betrayed you…and part of me hoped I didn't make it back, just so I didn't have to face you again." That was something not even Dean knew. "And then we got here, and I saw you again, and it all went away, it all vanished, and I thought I could just forget about it and be happy with you. And then he…he showed his true colors and I hate him so much now. I hate him!"

"Abigail, do you think Dean loves you?" He asked gently, wondering how it had gone from him being the wounded one here, to her needing consoling for being a cheater. That was how he knew he cared about her, loved her, because, while it was odd, it also felt natural and right. At her shrug, he hid a smile. "Cares for you?" Okay, she was nodding. "I don't think he meant to hurt you, or for me to overhear him. Men are stupid."

Ambrose was a prime example. Goddamn, she was young, innocent and sweet, and…. kind of a dick too. She would've been right as rain if Dean hadn't outed her, so he had to wonder if those two would still be friends if not for the fact that she now felt guilty because she had been caught. Just another example of how ill-prepared for life she was, thanks to Bray 'I Think I'm God' Wyatt. She was sometimes as childlike as… Susan.

"Let it go, Abbie. I forgive you, and I don't think Amy and Stephanie need to know."

"I don't care if he cares about me or loves me or whatever! I don't feel that way about him and I told him that!" Abigail hated that he was consoling her when it should've been the other way around. "He can burn in hell for all I care. I may not be experienced when it comes to relationships or sex, for that matter, but I'll be DAMNED if I let that cocksucker kiss and touch me again. He had no right to do that! Friends don't do that to each other, they don't try destroying one or the other's happiness. Fuck him and fuck his posse and…I'm done with him. I'm completely finished with Dean Ambrose." The fire and life returned to her eyes, along with guilt, but that would have to pass in time. "And just so you know, if you wouldn't have overheard him, if he did take what happened to us to the grave like we promised each other, I wouldn't have told you about it. I just wanted to forget it ever happened, but I've learned you can't bury something like that. You have to face it head-on and I know that now. I'll never keep anything from you again or lie to you. That's the only thing I've ever kept from you, Mark."

"Are you mad at him for what he said and did, or are you mad at him for getting you into trouble?" He asked curiously, watching as Abigail cleaned herself up and brushed her teeth before leading her out to the table where food awaited. Taker doubted she'd eat much, especially after brushing her teeth. He, however, was famished and sat down, gesturing for her to do the same. "Better question, what were you two doing or talking about for him to bring that up?"

"What kind of question is that? I hate him for bringing up what happened between us, something we swore never to speak of again. And I hate him for kissing me and touching me the way he did yesterday!" Abigail snapped, shuddering, and had dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top, not feeling hungry at all. "I was an idiot and told him about our plan to use me as bait to lure Bray out. He…flipped out. He grabbed me roughly and told me I wasn't sacrificing myself, that I wasn't doing it. I told him he couldn't stop me and he…kissed me. I think he was trying to convince me not to do it, in his own way, and instead, he destroyed our friendship and any trust I had for him. I never want to see him again, if I can help it." She'd never seen such worry and fire in those electric blues because Dean was usually very laid back and funny. Mark could eat all he wanted, she would stick with the water on the table and sipped it.

That was the end of the conversation because he wasn't about to explain to her how people worked. Especially when it came to people who had a conflict of interest with him, like Ambrose. Honestly, if she would have taken that secret to the grave, Taker was willing to bet a large chunk of her anger was because Dean got her caught, she just wasn't acknowledging it. He knew he'd be that way in her shoes. As it was, less Ambrose wasn't a bad thing, so.. he dropped it.

"You have to eat something, Abigail." Even if it was a slice of bread.

There was no way she was going to make it on an empty stomach, especially after sleeping she'd done the past couple days. He was worried about her. She had cheated on him and he was worried about her. Mark should've kicked her to the curb and told her to get out of Wonderful. That wasn't the type of man he was though. He had a heart of gold and recognized she'd made a mistake, forgiving her for it.

"Maybe some toast, but I can't promise anything else."

When he nodded, placing some in her lap on a plate, she couldn't even smile at him and took a small bite out of the buttered toast. Her stomach lurched painfully due to being hungry since she'd skipped two meals. Before she knew it, the toast was gone, and Mark had placed more food in front of her, letting her eat as much as she wanted. When all was said and done, Abigail ate two pieces of toast, two pancakes, scrambled eggs, a slice of bacon, and some hash browns. She was STUFFED.

"Thank you, Mark."

"You're welcome, darlin'."

He hadn't lost anyone to hunger yet, it'd look really bad on him if his own woman died from overexertion and starvation. She looked like she needed more sleep, but Abigail had slept quite a long time. It was her nethers that would make walking painful; he hadn't thought about that one and eyed her.

"You up for a walk, Abbie?" Some fresh air, while the bedding was washed, would probably do them both some good. "Or… would you like me to carry you?" The corners of his eyes crinkled at the gentle teasing. He was about to strip that mattress of everything on it and have it cleaned, though.

Sweat and other bodily fluids were going to make everything smell and feel weird if he didn't.

"I think I need a shower…" When he shook his head and informed her what he did while she was out cold, her eyes widened. "You bathed me, and I didn't wake up? Wow…" Well, at least that was one less thing to worry about. She took his extended his hand and let him help her up from the bed, accepting a soft kiss from him. "I can walk on my own."

It would be painful, but the more she walked, the looser her muscles and body, in general, would become. She slipped some socks and shoes on before grabbing his hand, heading out of the tower together as the sun shined brightly in the sky. It was nearing noon, she wagered, and the sun felt amazing against her face. Just as they headed down the road, John Cena came sprinting up to them looking pale and breathing heavily.

"Boss, oh my god, boss, we need you! Steph is…"

"JONATHAN FELIX-ANTHONY CENA, I'LL KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR ASS BACK OVER HERE AND HELP ME!"

"S-She's in labor, dog, she's in LABOR!"

Abigail was about to find out if she could hack it in the medical wing as she and Mark rushed there to help prepare Stephanie to deliver her baby.

"You just watch." Jeff ordered when he spotted Abigail. If she could handle seeing something like this, then maybe she'd be all right to assist with deliveries, but that was usually all Taker's deal. "Boss," He stepped out of the way as Taker moved to wash his hands. "Abbie, in the locker behind you, grab the scrubs." They were the only ones that fit the Deadman.

"God, this hurts, this hurts!" Stephanie screamed, grabbing hold of John's hands when he held them out. She was laying on a large bed that had been 'modified' for this. "What are you doing?!" She shrieked when the bed started slowly lifting.

"Getting you up for Taker," Melina answered, busy with the crank, and then secured it, stepping back. She flashed Abigail a tight smile. "As long as I'm up near the head, and don't have to see… down there, I'm good." Or C-sections, she had to leave immediately for those procedures. "Steph, there's still time for pain management. Jeff has an IV ready to go."

"Someone better get John a shot of whiskey." Taker suggested, sounding amused as he turned back to take in the scene, holding out his arms while Abigail slid the open scrubs onto him. "Has the baby turned?"

"I can't tell, I think so. I can go grab the portable x-ray machine."

"YOU DRUG ME FIRST, HARDY!"

The way Stephanie was treated, while in labor, was completely different from how the DOV did things whenever a woman was ready to give birth. Bray firmly believed a woman needed to go through the pain of childbirth without any kind of medicine and he forced the other women to do the delivery. There were no doctors. If the woman died, she was meant to die in order to bring her child into the world. Here in Wonderful, they had drugs and machines for women, keeping a close eye on the baby. It amazed her how different these worlds were and how everything was operated. She watched as Jeff brought in the portable x-ray machine, hooking it up to check on the status of the baby, if it 'turned', whatever that meant.

"Alright, looks like the baby is head down. You're 8 ½ months along, nearly full-term, so the baby should be just fine, Steph."

The drugs had kicked in, so she wasn't screaming like a banshee at everyone and nodded, tears forming in her eyes. "I-I did what I was told, I was on bedrest…"

"You did good, baby." John was nerve-wracked, but he had to stay calm for her sake, knowing she was extremely nervous about the delivery since their baby wasn't 40 weeks. "Everything's gonna be fine."

"Jeff, I want you to prep the incubator, just in case." Taker ordered, reaching up to brush his hand along Stephanie's forehead, flashing her a reassuring smile. "You trust me, darlin', right?"

"Yes…" He had delivered more babies than anybody she had ever met. "Please… I need to know if the baby is okay."

"Well, he, or she, has dropped into position, I'd say this little one is ready." Even if it hadn't cooked all the way.

Pregnancy, even back in the day when everything had been down to an exact science supposedly, had still been unpredictable. Some women delivered early, some went past 40 weeks. The body was magic unto its own, that was for damn sure, and he had nothing but respect for women. They could create another person, all on their own. What Wyatt was doing was cruel and an abomination.

"This could take a while." Melina had moved to stand by Abigail while Taker spoke reassuringly to Stephanie and John, a palm on Stephanie's stomach and his eyes on the clock on the wall. "First-time moms… their labor usually lasts a while. You look tired."

"I am." There was no point denying it. So much for taking a walk to stretch her legs with Mark, but duty called.

"She's been labor for over 24 hours, on and off, is that a bad sign?"

Melina shook her head with a soft smile. "No John, like I just told Abbie, first-time moms usually take a while to deliver. She'll be okay."

If it came down to rescuing Stephanie or the baby, if one of them had to die, John would make sure Stephanie survived. They could always make another baby, but they couldn't make another her.

"Alright Steph, I'm gonna give you an IV to keep you hydrated."

Jeff also had blood bags, just in case she lost too much during the actual delivery process. Taker had checked her to see how dilated she was and that couldn't have been a great experience for Abigail to witness. It was for medical purposes though. Abigail didn't look away when he did that because, if she planned on delivering babies in the future, she had to be prepared to do procedures such as checking a woman's dilation. Jeff nodded when Taker announced Stephanie was at a 4, possibly 4 ½.

Hours rolled by and, while Stephanie fitfully slept in between contractions, Taker pulled John aside, frowning. "She's not dilating anymore, John. She should have." Jeff was actively monitoring for fetal stress, looking worried.

"Okay, so what do we do?" John ran his hands over his head, blue eyes wide with worry.

"Well, if she were anyone else, I'd say get her up and walking, that usually works. But with her blood pressure issues, the sooner the baby is out, the sooner she'll be… out of danger." Because the longer she was pregnant, the higher her risk for a stroke or something due to the blood pressure being insanely high climbed. "We can put her under completely, John, she won't feel a thing." And be less prone to panic.