Hey all, so sorry about the wait. I've been out of town a lot lately and just can't seem to get caught up. But here is a new chapter and hopefully it will answer some of you questions.

Multiple thanks to takerlover21, Latisha, Missphillippinessupperstar, Insane Zula, Fidelitas, and as always Myth.

Welcome and thankyou for reviewing to Kallie, RKO's wife, Cenassoldier, and Steph 2976.

Hope you all enjoy. Happy reading.

Tues October 23

Looking up from her book she was shocked to see the bright sunlight had been replaced by dark menacing shadows. Even the streetlights seemed to dim as fog began to curl around her ankles. From far off she could hear the screams of children, helpless as the monsters began attaching. Panting she began to run, crossing the playground as she caught a glimpse of dark shapes. She screamed in frustration as they slipped around trees and out of sight. Desperate she swung around in a circle, the haunting cries echoing in her ears. Taking a deep breathe she became very still, closing her eyes and concentrating on closing out all other sounds. She tensed hearing a crunch behind her. "Say goodbye." He whispered as pain exploded in her head.

Dave entered the hospital room and shut the door quietly. Setting down the basket of white flowers he noticed that Steph already had a visitor. He drew in a breath as his organs seemed to clutch in surprise. Throwing out a hand to steady himself he studied the sleeping figure.

She was sprawled out in the chair, her long legs crossed at the ankle. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her fingers clutched her sweater as if to protect herself. Her long red hair covered half of her face but the part that he could see showed strength and determination, with hints of vulnerability underneath.

'No wonder she caught my interest. She looks lost and frightened, yet ready to take on the world." He thought to himself.

He was drawn out of his thoughts by a whimper coming form the figure in the chair. Walking over he leaned down to shake her awake and was caught off guard as she stared swinging even before her eyes opened.

"Hey now, easy. I'm not here to hurt you. Calm down." He said soothingly, warding off her attacks.

Jerking out of his hold she looked around wildly before bolting form the room. Frowning he stared after her.

"Leave her alone for now." Came a voice from the bed.

Dave smiled as he turned towards the prone figure. "I thought you were sleeping."

"Just resting." Stephanie answered. She indicated the door. "Be careful with her. She's been through a lot."

Dave shrugged. "You know me. I have to help everyone I can."

"She's not going to make it easy for you. But I think you'll be good for her." She studied him intently. "You really like her don't you?"

"She interests me." The big man admitted. "There's something about her that makes me want to protect her and at the same time she reminds me of a warrior."

"A pretty adequate description." Steph responded, shifting positions in the bed.

Glancing over at him she could see the question forming in his head. "She's single. She was married but that was over a long time ago." She told him grinning.

Dave smiled at his best friend's wife. "Thank you."

They were laughing as a volunteer walked in carrying a vase of pink roses.

"You don't have to set those down. Actually if you could take them to someone who needs them I would appreciate it. What about the cancer ward? I'm sure they would brighten someone's day." Steph called out to the hospital worker.

"Are you sure miss?" The teenager asked.

"Most definitely."

Dave waited until the volunteer had walked form the room before he turned back to the pregnant girl. "Next time remind me to bring you chocolate instead of flowers."

"Nonsense. I love your flowers. They're beautiful. It's just that man has insisted on sending me pink roses every day this weak. He knows I hate pink." She answered wrinkling her nose.

"Paul?" Dave asked.

"Who else would send me flowers every day with no card?" She asked angrily, causing the alarms to go off on her monitors. Taking a deep breath she willed her body to calm down.

"Who else indeed. I take it you're still mad at him?" He asked gazing at her with concern.

Steph shook her head sadly. "No I'm not mad. I can't afford to be mad. I have to stay calm at all times." She put her hand protectively over her belly. "I am not allowing this baby to be born for another four weeks."

One half hour later Dave walked out of the room to find the intriguing red head waiting.

"Hi." She said walking over to him. "I want to apologize for earlier. You startled me."

"Not a problem." He said smiling down at her. "My name's Dave Batista. I work with Paul."

"Jayden Andersen." She replied shaking his hand.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked gently, noticing the marks of tension in her face.

"Deliver the baby and make sure both of them are okay?" She joked.

He grimaced. "I don't think I'm capable of doing that but how about I take you to dinner tonight?"

"What?" She asked shocked.

"You have to eat sometime." He reasoned, amused at her reaction.

"Yea but I don't think….."

"Scared?" He asked rising his eyebrows.

"No" She answered indignantly.

"Good then I'll pick you up here at seven pm." He said, vanishing down the hall.

Jayden found her self staring after him in amazement. Shaking her head she walked back to her friend's room.

"Hey I was wondering where you went to." Steph said looking up from her book. Cocking her head she looked quizzingly at her friend. "What's wrong?"

"I, he…" Jayden stuttered, throwing her hands up in the air.

Steph grinned in delight. "You talked to Dave."

"He asked me out." The taller girl frowned. "No actually he announced we were going to dinner. I didn't have much say in it."

"Don't you want to go out with him?" Steph asked.

"Actually I think I do." She admitted quietly.

"So what's the problem?"

"It's been so long and with everything that I've been through I have nothing to bring to a relationship." Jayden confessed, hugging her arms to her chest.

"Do you think he's hot?" Steph asked bluntly.

"Hell yes." Jayden answered laughing. "Have you seen his body? All those hard muscles, those dark eyes, and all his big bulging muscles. Have I mentioned his muscles?" She said dreamily causing her friend to bust out laughing.

"Yes he is hot but his is also one of the most caring, sweetest men I know."

Jayden remained silent, still unsure if this unexpected turn of events was a good thing.

"What's it going to hurt to go out one time? Think of all those muscles. And while you're at it get some for me would ya?" Steph teased.

"I don't know. It might make your blood pressure go up too high."

Still grinning as he came out of the hospital Dave climbed into his car and pulled out his phone.

"Paul." He said when his friend picked up the other line. "I just left your wife."

"Is she okay?" Paul asked worriedly.

"Oh she's fine and so is her friend."

"Jayden?"

"Yea. Damn man why didn't you ever tell me about her?" Dave asked pulling out of the parking lot.

"You don't like her." Paul answered in a flat voice.

"What do you mean? I've never met her before." Dave asked confused.

"Trust me. You don't' like her." Paul insisted.

Dave remained silent, too happy to get provoked into a fight.

"Did you call me for a reason or were you so giddy about meeting a hot girl you had to call me like a school girl." Paul sneered.

"Actually something strange happened while I was there." Dave answered ignoring his friend's tone. "You haven't been sending Steph pink roses have you?"

"No, has she been getting them?" Paul asked suspiciously.

"Every day. She thinks its you that's sending them. Its not making her too happy." Dave informed him.

"Better she thinks I'm sending them than find out the truth. Damn I don't like this." Paul said, swearing .

"I didn't think you would."

Dave was silent as he concentrated making the turn on to the interstate. He could practically here Paul's mind going over the new facts.

"So have you talked to Laney? I'm guessing not since she's still living with me." he said changing the subject.

"Haven't talked to her but I did have a very interesting talk with her father. He's in town." Paul informed the other man, thinking back on the conversation.

Earlier in the day.

Paul answered the door to find the dead man on the other side. He sighed, knowing that this conversation was bound to happen sooner or later.

"Come on in Mark. Nobody's here so you don't have to worry about being disruptive."

"Laney's not here?" Mark asked walking trough the door and glancing around.

"You don't know?" Paul asked in surprise. "Dave assured me that she had talked to you."

"She called and told me she was spending a few nights with Journey. Is she still there?" Mark asked warily.

"Damn." Paul muttered. "We need to talk." He said motioning the other man into the living room.

"What did she do?" Mark asked suspiciously.

"Its more of what I did." Paul answered. Rubbing the back of his neck he reencountered the story of what had happened on Friday afternoon.

Mark eyed the other man sternly. "Is there a reason you broke my daughter's heart?"

"It's a big mess. I'm not even sure where to start." Paul groaned.

"I'm happy to sit here all night until you figure it out." The Texan drawled.

Paul grunted in response and sank lower in the chair. "Someone's been sending Steph some pretty nasty stuff in the last month." He started.

"And." Mark prompted when Paul fell silent.

"The first 'gift' was a box of black roses. The note accompanying it said something like black roses for a babies funeral."

"The second 'gift' was a dead baby pig, all bloody. This time the note said this is your baby." Paul said thickly feeling as if his mouth was full of cotton.

Mark remained silent and watchful.

"And then last week a package arrived. When I opened it there was this big butcher knife. The note said that it was the knife he was going to use to cut the baby out of her stomach."

"No wonder Steph has been so sick." Mark whistled, surprised.

"Shedoesn't know. And I've done my best to make sure she stay's in the dark. Even if that means hurting Laney. She'll get over it. If Steph were to get too worked up she could lose the baby." Paul growled defiantly.

"You're right Laney will get over it. But I don't like the idea of you letting her stay here with this kind of danger." Mark said grimly.

"It I thought there was any real danger I wouldn't have let her stay. The guy has not been anywhere near the house. The flowers are from a florist and the other two packages came from a mailbox place."

"Check them out?" Mark asked resting his chin on steeped fingers.

"Got nowhere fast."

Present time

"Mark's going to talk to Laney, tell her an edited version and take her home." Paul finished relating the story.

"So they didn't tell him? Journey assured me that they had talked to him." Dave questioned irritated.

"Oh they talked to him alright, just not about the right stuff."