Hey all, Merry Christmas. Sorry it's been so long. But I am sure you all know haw it is, the Christmas season and all. Added to that I am trying to move. I got a job as a traveling nurse, so I've had to deal with a ton of paperwork and storing all my stuff. I've been going crazy. But the first of the year I start working in Texas and then this summer I'm going to Boston. I plan on keeping my eyes open. I don't know if I will get another update done before New Year's but once I get settled I will be able to start full time again. Hope you all like the update. It's been so long I almost forgot what I was writing.
Looking up from her book she was shocked to see the bright sunlight had been replaced by dark menacing shadows.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 attacking. Panting she began to run, crossing the playground as she caught a glimpse of the 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 breath 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.
She could hear the leaves of fallen trees crunching beneath boots; hear police sirens scream as they raced down the road. Wincing she opened her eyes to see an older, seasoned cop standing over her.
"Tom" She rasped, addressing the familiar face. She lifted a hand to her aching head, her fingers coming away covered with a wet sticky substance. In shock she stared at the red stain covering her hand. "What happened?" She whispered.
"A jogger found you on the ground. Someone attacked you, hitting you on the head with something." The officer explained helping her to sit up.
She looked around wildly as she began remembering. "Cassy!" She screamed jumping up. "Tom, where's my daughter? Where's Cassy?"
Jayden startled awake at the sound of knocking on the door. Confused she looked around wildly, heart pounding out of her chest. Realizing what had happened she groaned and pushed a hand through her tangled hair.
The knock came again, louder this time. She grimaced as she looked down at her ratty jeans and too large sweatshirt. "I hope it's no one important." She muttered walking down the hall. Pulling open the door she gasped in surprise.
"I should have called." Dave apologized taking in her reaction.
"No, not at all." She said, inviting him in. "I fell asleep working. I look a wreak."
Dave looked her over, admiring her heavy lidded eyes and mused hair. "Oh honey, trust me when I tell you I like how you look just fine."
Jayden laughed at the look he sent her. "Help yourself to something to drink. I'll be right back." Shoving him toward the kitchen she headed to the bedroom and her hairbrush.
"I didn't expect you until tonight." She called out from the other room.
"I was on my way to see Steph and I thought you might like to come along." He explained.
"I was planning on going anyway. Now it'll be more enjoyable." She answered coming out of her bedroom, having put her hair in a ponytail.
Dave eyed the long sleeve t-shirt she had put on and the way it clung to her breasts. "Definitely not a wreak." He murmured causing her to blush.
"We can pick up some movies while we're out and have a movie fest after dinner." She suggested.
"Snuggled up on the couch with you? That I can get into." He said smiling impishly.
Levesque household a couple hours later
Paul sat up and rolled his stiff shoulders. Shaking his head he looked over the papers in front of him.
"There has to be a connection somewhere." He muttered shuffling the papers into a different order and going over them again.
"Doctor's appointment, Jayden drove. Lunch with Jayden." He read. Switching his gaze between his list and Steph's appointment book he confirmed his previous conclusions.
Deep in thought he was startled when his phone rang. "Hello" He answered, rubbing a hand down his face.
"Paul" An irritated voice spoke back. "Are you in jail or maybe in a car accident? Anything that would prevent you from being here with my food?" She demanded.
Paul looked up at the clock, then groaned as he closed his eyes. "Steph I'm sorry. I got caught up in this project I'm doing and lost track of time." He explained.
"Oh that's okay. Explain away the fact that your wife is starving." She said sarcastically.
"Did they not give you anything to eat?" He asked laying his head down on the table.
"They gave me that crap that they serve here. It tasted like cardboard." She spit out causing him to sigh. "Lucky for you Jayden and Dave stopped by. They went out and got me something." She continued.
"Jayden was there?" He asked sharply.
"Jayden, my best friend. The one who visits me every day and has looked after me better then you have. Of course she was here." Steph retorted rubbing a hand down her belly as a sharp pain hit.
Paul refrained from saying anything else, not wanting to start a fight. "Tell you what. I have a phone call to make and then I'll be there. I'll even bring you desert." He promised.
"It had better be something good and not from that damned list." She snarled. Paul winced as she flung down the phone.
"I do good all week and then I mess up once and she hates me again." He grumbled dialing a number from memory.
"Mark" He started once the other end had been picked up. "I'm emailing those lists now." He told the other man.
"Did you find anything interesting?" Mark asked as he pulled up his computer.
"Steph didn't go out a lot because she was on bed rest. But…." He said quickly when Mark started to say something. "On everyday something happened she was with Jayden."
"Paul." Mark said slowly. "Do you hear what you're saying?"
"Yea" The other man answered.
"Your basically accusing Steph's best friend and Dave's new girlfriend."
"But it makes sense." Paul argued. "The one person Steph told when she first suspected was Jayden. She came over the night we found out it was a boy. She saw the ultrasound photo."
"But why would she do something like this?" Mark asked bewildered.
"Maybe she's just crazy. She's had a lot of problems in the last three years. Maybe she finally came derailed." Paul speculated.
"You're reaching." The Texan drawled.
"Look at the lists and see what you think. Every time something happened she was there." Paul said adamantly.
"I'll look." Mark agreed. "Are you coming on the road this weekend?"
"No I want to be close to Steph, especially now that Jayden may be involved."
"Word of advice. I wouldn't mention your suspicions to her." Mark said sagely.
Paul laughed hoarsely. "I'm not crazy."
Cena household
"Hey midget." Randy said walking through the door of the Cena household.
"Hi Randy." She yelled bounding down the hall. "Daddy he's here." She yelled again.
"Ari, please don't yell in the house." John pleaded walking into the living room holding his ears. "At this rate I'm going to be deaf before I hit thirty."
"Yea right." She grumbled under her breath.
Randy laughed. "What's the saying about how your kids will pay you back for everything you did to your parents?"
"Well in that case your kid is going to be a monster." John retorted before turning to his daughter. "Bedtime is in an hour. No candy."
She waved him off as she flipped through channels on the TV. Randy nodded to show that he had heard. "You need to talk to Journey about this thing she has for other women. It's kind of scary."
"Really?" John asked looking interested.
Randy rolled his eyes. "Have fun." He told his friend.
John started to leave but turned back to his friend at the last minute. "Hey you didn't park behind me did you, cause I don't know the number to any towing companies." He said struggling to keep a straight face.
Randy glared at him. "Hey Ari, how does ice cream sundaes with M+M's sound?" He asked still watching John.
"Can we?" She asked jumping up.
"No" John answered exasperated. He sent his friend a discreet hand gesture before walking out the door.
"What are you watching?" Randy asked turning back to his young charge.
"It's a movie about this haunted house and the ghost kills everyone." She answered her eyes glued to the screen.
Randy watched as blood sprayed, turning the room red. "I don't think we should be watching this."
"I'm not scared." She retorted.
"I am," He said grabbing the remote and turning it off.
"You're not really are you?" She asked looking at him as if he had grown three heads.
"No but I don't plan on getting into trouble for letting you watch it either." He told her pulling on her ponytail. "Beside I plan on beating you at Smackdown vs Raw." He challenged.
"Yea right." She taunted jumping up to put in the game.
Two hours later Randy wondered back into the living room after checking on the sleeping child. Turning on the TV he pulled out his phone.
"Shelton, watch doing man?" He asked when the call was answered.
"Absolutely nothing." The young man answered.
"Listen, I've been thinking about some potential victims for this weekend." Randy spoke into the phone, not hearing the click as Ari picked up the phone in her father's room.
"Oh man I've got some great new pranks." Shelton informed him, his voice high pitched with excitement.
"Ya know, we haven't' hit the cruiserweight's." Randy pointed out.
"True but we have to be careful. We can't hit Juvie and his gang. They'll run us over with their John Deer's." Shelton joked causing Randy to laugh. "What about Paul London?"
"Oh man I hat that little prick. He's so full of himself." Randy groaned. Upstairs Ari listened wide-eyed.
"Have you ever noticed how short he is?" The other man asked, agreeing with his partner's opinion of the man.
"He's got little man syndrome." Randy agreed changing the channel on the TV.
"So why don't we help him with that? We can add some heels to his boots."
"Where are we going to get heels from?"" Randy asked laughing as he pictured it.
"Get pieces of rubber and keep gluing them until you achieve the desired result." Shelton stated as if reading a recipe.
"Is it easy to remove them?" Randy asked thinking about how expensive wrestling boots were.
"Pops right off with a knife."
"Then I want skyscrapers." Randy said gleefully. Ari clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from being heard.
Randy waited until they had both stopped laughing. "Man I want to hit one other person this weekend."
"Who?" Shelton asked. Randy could hear the sounds of a Ps2 in the background.
"Batista." Randy said hesitantly. Ari's eyes popped wide open.
"Dude, that's not allowed." Shelton answered after a short pause. "There's a hierarchy and Dave's way above us."
"Yea but this is personal. I just need some supplies." Randy argued.
"Dude man my name better not be mentioned at all."
"Trust me, Dave will know exactly who its from." He said confidently.
Thoughtfully Ari slipped the phone and crept back to bed, her head full of plans.