Their Own Silk Stalking
By:Athena13


Chapter 15

Friday, May 28, 1999
9:45 pm
Palm Beach Memorial Hospital

Tom hung up the phone with his Dad and went back to Cassy's room. Standing just inside the doorway of the darkened room he stood watching her sleeping form on the bed. She was still curled up on her right side and facing away from the door. It had been so long since he had been privy to a sight like this. Not in a hospital room, of course, but Cassy sleeping and vulnerable to his study was something he hadn't seen since their divorce.

His eyes caressed her as they traveled from her blond hair down to her cloth covered feet, almost physically stroking everything in between. She carried his child inside her. He so much wanted to crawl into that bed, pull her against him and place his hand protectively over her stomach. To protect this miracle that would bind them together forever.

Keeping his steps quiet he walked around the bed and sat down to study her face. Her beautiful face. In repose she looked innocent and defenseless. He knew that she was feeling that way now, but Cassandra St. John was not someone he normally thought of as defenseless. Vulnerable, but with a skin of steel covering a heart of gold. Unable to stop himself he placed his hand down on the bed centimeters from her stomach.

He was startled when he felt Cassy's hand slide over his own. He looked over and found her blue eyes watching him.

"I didn't mean to wake you," he whispered.

"Were you planning on getting any sleep?" she asked drowsily.

"No," he shrugged and turned his palm over so he could entwine his fingers with hers. "Feeling any better?"

"I'm sorry I told you to get lost," Cassy said, avoiding looking into his eyes.

"You're trying to deal with a lot. If it's any consolation I was flattered that you were trying to protect me," Tom squeezed her hand. "I'm here to help you too you know."

"If you want to help find me a pain killer that would be safe for the baby," Cassy groaned and futilely tried to shift and find a comfortable position on the bed.

"I know, I'm sorry," Tom looked pained himself.

"Stop apologizing," Cassy snapped.

"I'm..." Tom closed his eyes and a smile spread across his face.

"You never did tell me how you survived the accident," Cassy breezed over his verbal problem.

"Just a bit sore, have a headache," Tom shrugged.

"You should get some sleep," ran her eyes over him, confirming for herself that he was all right.

"Since it looks like neither of us are getting sleep any time soon how about we talk," Tom suggested.

"The only thing I want to talk about is nailing the scum that are doing this," Cassy accepted his hand and allowed him to help her into an upright position.

Tom considered it something of a victory, her accepting his assistance. For some reason, though, it made him feel obligated to discuss the "case" with her. "They got the guy who ran us off the road. His name is

Paoulo Verne and he's a parolee from Texas. He was in the Austin area when...Patrick was killed."

"Any motives found in that killing?" Cassy asked hopefully.

"Nothing, the only common connection in any of this is you and Texas," Tom sighed.

"I know. I just can't think of what. I left Texas after high school and other than visiting my grandmother while she was still alive I never went back. Maybe it's some deranged person really wanted to be prom king?" Cassy looked down at her hands.

"Harry and I batted that idea around. Can you think of anyone who would have hated you or Patrick that much?" he asked.

"The school was just large enough to have a football team so we all knew each other. We had our clicks and stuff, but we didn't exactly rumble like in Grease or anything. No one really stands out in my mind. High school was pretty uneventful," Cassy continued to watch her fingers worrying the bed sheet.

"Except for..." she looked up a thoughtful and pained look on her face.

"Except for what?" Tom clasped her hands.

"Nothing, it can' t be related, it was so long ago," Cassy didn't look sure of herself. "Was there any other evidence?"

"There was a hair at your house that matches the scene in Austin. Morton and the Austin ME think it belongs to a Mexican woman," Tom knew that he had to give full disclosure before she would be comfortable telling him whatever was on her mind.

"Oh my God," Cassy closed her eyes, obviously pained somehow by his revelation.

"What is it Cassy, what happened?" Tom placed his hand gently on her bruised cheek.

"Diego, that's the only thing..." Cassy's blue eyes were filled with tears, again, as she opened them and looked at Tom. "I never told you about Diego."

Tom worried that all this distress couldn't be good for their baby. The sooner they resolved this the better. "Who is Diego Cass?" Tom pushed her hair behind her ear. Despite his worry and their situation, part of him couldn't help but feel elation that she was letting him touch him in this way.

"Diego was this boy. This beautiful, beautiful boy," Cassy's eyes were far away. "He rode this horse called Diablo. The Devil, I think that horse was, but when Diego touched him he was mastered. I don't know what he saw in a gawky fifteen year old, but he asked me to the movies one day after catching me watching him ride."

"He never showed up. I was heartbroken and angry for days. God, I was so selfish. He didn't show up because he was killed. They found his body over the border in Mexico. No one ever told me why or what happened," Cassy closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn't believe she was still so affected by this.

"But you blame yourself?" Tom asked perceptively.

"There was talk about how he shouldn't be dating a "white woman," it was all so 1800's. I was warned by my grandmother and other people that bad things would happen. I...I never wanted to believe they meant anything other than that we would be too different from each other, but what if..." Cassy broke off.

"What if someone else believed the talk?" Tom said charitably, not bothering to state that what if it was true? They both knew horrible things happened. "A member of his family? A sister? What was his last name?"

"Martinez, Diego Martinez," Cassy told him and fell silent for a few moments. "If this is true then I did cause the death of those men."

"No! Absolutely not. I will not allow you to take on that burden. I won't lecture you until we know we're on the right track, but surely you're over analytical mind can see that you have no fault in this only unfortunate circumstance," Tom said insistently.

Cassy just sighed and shrugged, a movement that caused her to grimace.

Tom had almost forgotten she was also physically injured. Lord, how he just wanted to protect her. Lord, how she would shoot him for the sentiment. Still, he had a find a way to get her to rest and take her mind off her troubles.

"I told my parents about the baby," Tom changed the subject.

"You did?" Cassy looked startled, almost like she had forgotten about it.

"I did. They needed some good news after everything that's going on lately," Tom explained.

"So you consider this good news?" she looked at him with a guarded expression.

"Of course I do," Tom was shocked that she would think otherwise.

"I seem to be doubting a lot of things lately," Cassy admitted.

"I know you're going through a lot here and I know that things between us are unsettled, but never doubt how much I want this baby. How much I want you to be the mother of my child. I always have," Tom assured her.

"I know I should be past what you said at Key Nuevo and I know that I'm the one who is putting off figuring out what we're going to do, but..." Cassy continued to talk, but Tom interrupted her.

"Cassandra. If I asked you to marry me, again, what would you say?" Tom asked.

"I..." Cassy opened her mouth but nothing came out.

"I understand you need time to think about it, but I thought it important for you to know how I feel now. What I want. I want for us to be a family. I think we've come a long way since five years ago. I truly believe we could make it work. You don't have to doubt me in all of this all right? I'm not going anywhere," Tom pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I don't want you to," Cassy reached up, as much as she was able, and held onto his neck. "Don't let them hurt you too," she whispered.

"I won't, not when I have all this to live for. I love you, I always have," Tom vowed.

"I love you too," Cassy said as tears fell down her cheeks.

End Chapter 15
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©1999 Athena13