Wow I got some awesome reviews on the last chapter. Thanks everyone for taking the time to review.
Latisha—I never took it as anything but a compliment. I enjoy writing what I know about. Just wait until Steph goes into labor. Thanks for the encouragement.
Phenoix—Thanks for the get well comment. I haven't had a bit of trouble since the day they came out.
Takerlover21—Laney is a still a kid and she doesn't know when to stop. How much trouble will it get her in? I guess we both just have to wait to find out.
Miss Philippines superstar—Thanks for reviewing.
Fidelitas—I like the thought of throwing the McMahons in this. They are Steph's parents. I'm glad you like the story line.
Insane Zula-- Yea a new review. I'm ecstatic. Thank you so much.
Myth—You crack me up. I check my email at work a lot and nobody could understand what I was laughing at. I hope you like Master's reaction.
On with the story. Happy reading
"I need my daughter's room number." Vince McMahon requested.
"Name please." The blue coated volunteer asked.
"Stephanie McMahon Levesque." He said drumming his fingers on the counter.
"Oh she's in OB." The woman said, looking up from her computer. "Room 619. That's on the sixth…" She trailed off as the well dressed couple walked away without acknowledging her words.
"Why here damn it? This hospital is ancient and decrepit. Look at this place." Vince muttered hitting the elevator button for the third time.
"I'm sure Dr. Ross had a good reason. And if not we'll move her." Linda said staring determinedly at the wall.
Vince glanced at his wife. "She's a McMahon. She's going to be okay. ." He said putting his arm around her.
"She better be." Shrugging off his arm she strode briskly into the elevator leaving him starring after her. Muttering about stubborn females he followed her in.
The couple was silent as they ascended; thankful they had the small space to themselves.
Taking the lead once the doors opened Vince led his wife down the left branch of hallway towards the OB waiting room. Going past the nursery windows he paused, staring in at the squalling bundles of joy.
"She hasn't had the baby." A voice spoke up behind them.
"What's wrong with her?" Vince demanded turning to face his son in law.
Paul sighed in frustration. "I don't know. She's refusing to see me and no one will tell me anything."
"Why haven't you gone in there and demanded answers from her?" The older man asked gruffly.
"It's a locked unit because of the babies. I can't get past the doors." He answered staring at the double doors at the end of the hall.
"I'll go talk to her." Linda said, squeezing Paul's arm as she walked past.
"If something's wrong Linda will find out what it is. Why don't we go sit down while we wait?" Vince suggested.
"I'm tired of waiting." Paul grumbled but allowed the older man to lead him to a chair.
"So did you find anything out?" Vince asked after several minutes of silence.
Paul shrugged. "Not much. The florist was a washout. The guy paid cash and they were too busy for anyone to remember what he looked like."
"What about the mailbox place?" Vince inquired when Paul remained silent.
"I had to wait over an hour for the prick of a manager to come in. Total waste of time. He refused to tell me anything off the computer records. Said it was confidential." He answered sneering.
"Did you bribe him?"
"It's what he wanted and I was too pissed off to give it to him. I doubt he had any information anyway. He has to be one of the sloppiest and laziest people I have ever met. Too bad the kid wasn't working that night. He could have gotten us something." Paul said, staring down the hall thoughtfully.
"So what's next? Have you checked…" Vince trailed off as the younger man motioned down the hall.
"We have company."
"Paul's here." Laney stated stopping.
"Is that a problem?" Journey asked looking back at her.
She shrugged. "We aren't getting along too good right now."
"So you want me to be the one to go ahead and ask what's going on." The older girl guessed.
Laney gave her a fake smile. "Please."
"Scaredy cat." Journey taunted, crossing her arms.
"I'm not scared. I'm angry. Big difference." Laney defended herself, shifting the overnight bag she carried.
She shook her head at the younger girl and continued down the hall until she was in front of the two men.
"Well? Is anyone going to tell us what's going on?" She asked feeling Laney come up behind her.
"Nothing to tell. In fact I am going to go see if I can get a hold of the doctor." Vince replied rising from the chair and walking towards the doors.
"So… I heard you haven't been the nicest person today." Journey told Paul, slipping into the seat next to him. She saw Laney slump into a seat further down the row.
"I've had a lot on my mind." He mumbled his attention on the doors.
"Since we can't do anything now but wait it might be a good time to mend some fences." She suggested pointedly.
Paul waved her suggestion off. He had already risen and was heading toward the figure that had just emerged from the unit.
"What happened at the doctor's office today?" He demanded harshly.
"You would know if you had gone with her. But wait you had something more important to do than be with your wife." Jayden snarled back, pushing her long hair out of her face.
"Don't give me any of your bullshit. I want to know what's wrong with my wife." He shouted pushing her against the wall.
"Get your hands off of me." She waited until he had stepped back before continuing. "Why should I tell you anything? Steph's too sick to care about you anymore or she would have you in there with her right now." She taunted, bracing herself for another attack.
"How serious is she?" He asked sweat breaking out as he struggled to keep control.
"Let's see, her brain could swell causing her to die, or her liver could rupture causing her to die. Regardless of what happens the baby is going to be born premature complete with ensuing complications. Does that make you feel better?" Jayden asked bitterly.
Journey watched as Paul swung around and drove his fist into the wall, causing the plaster to crack. "Please, can you explain what's going on? Why is this happening?"
Jayden looked over at petite girl. "I haven't met you yet. But I'll tell you for her sake." She answered looking at the pale teenage standing in the circle of the other girl's arms.
She walked over and grabbed the icy hands. "It's really not as bad as I made it seem. I was angry and wanted to hurt him. Steph's high blood pressure is worse and she is retaining fluid. She's swelling."
"Like her brain and her liver?" Laney whispered.
"Yea, her lungs can even fill with fluid. But they're not going to let anything happen to her. They have her hooked to a cardiac monitor and they have a monitor that goes in and attaches to the babie's head so they know exactly what he's doing. They're watching her and giving her IV medications to help with the blood pressure and any complications." Jayden explained gently.
"Why is the baby going to be premature?" Journey asked, keeping an eye on Paul as he paced around the room.
"The medicines only slow the condition done, it doesn't stop it. The only way to stop it is to have the baby."
"If Austin can hold out for five weeks his lungs should be fully developed." Paul announced, stopping and looking at the group of females.
"Austin?" Jayden asked, looking at him curiously.
He shrugged. "It's the name Steph picked out for the baby. I wanted Aaron but I figure she's going through hell she should have the name she wants."
"Now you get considerate." She snapped angry that he was changing the rules. "She might not be this sick if you had been there for her." Jayden threw at Paul.
"Damn it I was out of town." Paul roared. He threw his hands up in frustration as she turned and walked down the hall.
Laney looked at him in confusion. "No you weren't." Her eyes opened wide as he whirled to face her.
"Keep our mouth shut. Nobody asked for your opinion." He said in a cruel voice.
"Maybe not but someone needs to tell the truth. You sure aren't telling it." She answered, breaking out of Journey's hold and walking toward him.
"Get out of here. Go home." He ground out, his hands clenched into fists.
"I'm not going home. I intend to find out exactly what you're doing." She answered staring at him defiantly.
"I don't care where the hell you go. Just get away from me." The cold voice lashed out before he turned and walked to the window.
Journey watched as Laney's eyes filled with tears. She waited until the young girl had rushed from the room before approaching Paul.
"You didn't have to do that."
The big man pressed his forehead to the glass. "I can't deal with her right now."
"She's a kid. You can't just kick her out of your life because it's convenient." Journey pointed out.
"You don't understand."
"What I do understand is that you were one of the most important people in her life and that relationship will never be the same." She said angrily.
"Are you going to make me yell at you to get you to go away?" He asked turning to look at her. Journey studied the dark circles and lines of frustration on his face and shook her head.
"Randy make me happy." Laney said into the phone.
"What?" He whispered as he aimed the camera higher.
"I don't feel very good right now and I need you to make me happy." She told him, wiping away the tears.
Randy frowned as he heard her sniffle. "Well first I need to know what made you sad." He whispered, shifting slightly for a better view.
"Why are you whispering?" She asked instead.
"I don't know if I should tell you. You might be accused of being an accomplice." He told her.
"Maybe I want to be. What's going on?" Laney asked eagerly, sitting upright in the chair.
"Okay but I warned you."
"Spill already." She demanded impatiently.
"I'm hiding in the locker room. Do you know there are not very many places to do that in here?" He told her, trying to stretch out his cramped legs.
"Randy, why are you hiding?" The young girl asked speaking each word slowly.
"Well see we put these fake spiders on Chris Masters bag and I'm waiting for him to show up and see them."
"What's the point of that?"
"I'm going to tape his reaction and then broadcast it during the next meeting." Randy told her, grinning at the thought.
"That's mean. But then I don't like him so it's totally cool." She said giggling.
"Nobody likes him. He's a complete asshole."
"But won't you get in trouble?" She asked thinking of the elder members of the family.
Randy frowned. "The only one who would care is Dave and that's because he disapproves of anything I do that's fun."
"True. But how are some plastic spiders going to scare the prick enough to give you some good footage?" She asked thinking.
"Language Laney. If you don't watch it you'll get your mouth washed out with soap and then I'll get mine washed out for being a bad influence on you." He grimaced at the thought.
Laney giggled. "Sorry. But I still don't understand."
"The guy is really scared of spiders. Reminds me of a girl. The plastic ones will be enough to scare him but the good footage will come when he puts his hand in the bag."
"Is it big?" She asked eagerly.
"Oh yea. Man this is going to be fun." He listened to her laugh. "Be quiet he's coming."
Laney listened over the phone as the locker room door opened and heavy footsteps came inside.
"Shit" Masters squealed jerking his hand away from his bag. "Damn punks." He muttered grabbing the bag by a corner and shaking the plastic toys off. Unzipping it he rummaged around inside looking for the picture Shelton had wanted. He froze as his hand brushed against something unfamiliar.
Laney put her hand over her mouth to muffle her laughter as the high pitched screams carried over the phone. The screams where followed by several loud thuds and the opening of the door.
Randy began laughing hysterically. "Oh that was too good. I didn't think it would work like that. Did you hear him?" He asked gasping.
"What did he do?" She asked holding her side.
"He jerked his hand out so fast he almost fell over backward. After checking himself to make sure the spider wasn't on him he threw the bag on the floor and stomped on it. I don't think the spider survived."
"Thanks Randy. I really wish I could be there right now." She said wistfully.
"Nothing's stopping you from being here." He told her softly.
"Actually there are a lot of things stopping me" She answered cryptically. "But thanks. You don't know how much I needed to laugh right now."
"You never did tell me what was wrong."
"I really don't feel like talking about it right now either." She answered sadly.
"Okay, but you know that I'm here for you whenever you need a laugh. I think that's all I'm good for these days."
"What?" She asked confused by his last sentence.
"Nothing, I need to get Shelton. He's probably chomping at the bit to see the tape."
Walking down the hall Journey spotted the forlorn figure curled up in an empty waiting room.
"He didn't mean it you know." She said sitting down next to the young girl.
"It doesn't matter if he didn't. It still hurts." Laney said hugging her knees to her chest. "He's changed and there is something really wrong. Paul would never act like this." She said quietly shaking her head.
"Well he is under a lot of stress with Steph sick. And sometimes the thought of being a father can drive a man crazy." Journey offered.
Laney shot her an amused look. "Somehow I don't think that's Paul's problem. He's had me for the last five years."
Journey laughed. "Yea but you're potty trained and if you become too much trouble he can ship you back to your father. A newborn's a lot scarier."
She held up her hands at the younger girl's look. "Okay, I agree that there is something going on. I just don't know what."
"Do you think Dave knows?"
"Most likely but I'm not asking him. He wouldn't tell me anyway. He treats me like I'm a kid." Journey answered frowning.
"Scaredy cat." Laney tossed the other girls words back at her.
"I'm not scared, I'm being sensible. But just for that you have to come home with me and help me with my paper."
"Is there going to be pizza?" The young girl asked hopefully.
"I think I can arrange that." Journey agreed, getting up and pulling the grinning teenager to her feet.
"Wait." She said as the younger girl took off down the hall to the elevators. "We need to let Paul know where you're going to be."
"He doesn't deserve to know. Besides I don't think he would notice." Laney said scowling in the direction of the OB unit.
Journey bit her lip. "Okay we'll do it your way. But I am not going down for kidnapping. We're calling your father as soon as we get to the house."
Laney shrugged. "I need to call him anyway. Do you think we can go by Lento's florists? I want to get Steph some flowers.