Disclaimer: The Loud House and associated characters belong to Nickelodeon and Chris Savino.

STALKED

By Lola Presents

Chapter 2

Lola's and Winston's home was similar to the McBride's and were part of the suburban tract housing in Royal Woods. Several models were available, both one and two-story versions, and had various room arrangements. Theirs was a single-story home with two bedrooms.

The washer and dryer resided in an alcove in the garage access hallway, where Lola spent a great deal of her day getting all the laundry finished. In between loads, she'd wander the house, vacuuming, straitening, doing the dishes, or whatever else needed doing.

When Winston arrived home from work, she was busy preparing chicken parmesan for dinner. The young man walked into the house, dragging his feet and complaining about how cold it was on the factory floor. He sniffed the aroma from dinner and kicked off his boots before wandering into the kitchen.

"Hey, honey," he called. "I'm home. What smells so good?"

"Oh, I'm making chicken parmesan for a change," Lola told him, smiling. "I know it's your favorite, and you work so hard."

"Well, thanks!" he said appreciatively, then turned as he unzipped his jumpsuit and removed it, tossing it in the corner until later. That's when he noticed the vase. "Oh, nice flower arrangement," he said, nodding toward them. Any idea who sent them?" He inquired, reaching for the card.

"You didn't?" asked Lola, somewhat surprised. "It has your signature 'W' on it."

"No, I didn't," Winston sighed as he read the note. "I thought maybe they were from your parents or something."

"Well, that sure is odd," replied Lola, preparing two plates of the dish she'd prepared, then setting them on the table. "Dinner's ready, hun."

Lola sat as Winston walked over and sat across from her. "I'm not sure I like the idea of you getting flowers from someone we don't know," he told her, still thinking about the vase.

Lola furrowed her brows as she took a bite. "Oh, I don't know. I thought it was sweet. They probably don't know I'm married."

"Could be," her husband replied. "But then, they knew our address. They'd have had to see me before."

"I suppose you're right," sighed Lola. "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know," admitted Winston. "But first thing this weekend, I'm getting a security system installed. I worry about you, you know."

Lola smiled brightly. "I know," she said. "You're so sweet."

"So, what did you and Lindsey do this morning?" he asked before biting into a spoonful of mashed potatoes.

"Nothing much. We just caught up a little," Lola told him. "She is trying to convince her husband to help finance a start-up business. It seems she wants to start a salon. I told her that a supply store would probably generate more income in today's market. There are a lot of salons around, and they'll need a place to get stuff locally, not to mention walk-in customers."

"That's my girl," chuckled Winston. "You always were a smart cookie."

"The thing is," admitted Lola. "The whole thing got me thinking. Maybe I should do something as well."

"Really?" Winston said, nearly choking. "I thought we agreed that I'd be the provider. Besides, what would you do? I mean, I'm not trying to be a butt or anything, but you, yourself, said it before. You don't have any training in anything."

Lola gazed down at her plate, picking at her food. "True, but..."

"I'm listening, honey," Winston encouraged her.

"Well, I was thinking," she began quietly. "Wouldn't it be nice to have kids one day? Maybe I could get a head start and open a local daycare for the local kids? What do you think?"

"Kids?" sighed Winston. "In this house?"

Though their home was laid out quite like the McBride's, the inside decor was entirely different. For one thing, the floors were all wooden, polished, and waxed, and the walls were all stark white, save for the occasional accent wall. Most of their furniture was post-modern metal and glass. There wasn't much present one could consider child-proof, much less child-safe.

Lola shrugged and continued dining. "Not a lot of, course, two or three, and mostly in the garage. We never shelter our cars in it, anyway." She waited for a response, but Winston was too busy chewing to answer, and she took the opportunity to advance her plan. "Winston, I need something to do. The housework isn't that bad, and I wind up with a lot of free time."

"Well," Winston finally spoke. "Your mind seems made up. I don't see why you can't try it, at least. Who knows, maybe it'll turn into something lucrative. I'm just wondering why the first thing you thought about was kids. I mean, we don't plan on having any of our own for some time."

The time had come, and Lola couldn't avoid the subject any longer. "Yeah, the thing is..."

"Wait, are you..." Winston said, dropping his fork onto his plate, then going silent.

Lola smiled, raised her brows, and cocked her head to one side. "Maybe?" she said questioningly. "I made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow to be sure. Are you... okay with the possibility?"

Winston hesitated, as most young men do upon hearing those words, stirred the remainder of his food to one side, then took another bite. "I don't know. I mean, we talked about this. I'm not ready to be a parent yet. Besides, I can barely manage the mortgage and bills as-is. Are you sure?"

"Mmhm," Lola nodded. "That's another reason I want to start this daycare. It'll bring in enough to take care of the baby, and I'd get a lot of practice at the same time."

Winston sighed heavily, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "Well, in that case, assuming the doctor verifies things, I say go for it," he told his wife, smiling broadly. "Now, about whoever sent these flowers. I want to know immediately, should you get more. Hopefully, they'll give themselves away. Then, I can have a little chat with them."

"Oh, Winston," sighed Lola. "Don't be like that. They're only flowers. Look, I'm not saying don't confront them, but be nice about it, alright? It's flattering and should make you proud that you're the man that got me."

"Heh, well, it doesn't," grumbled Lola's husband. "It only makes me angry. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," replied Lola. "I understand."

Husband and wife continued chatting about their days as they finished their meal, though Lola refrained from mentioning the strange man she and Lindsey saw earlier. She had already taken Winston off guard at the news that he may well be a father soon, not to mention his infuriation at the flowers. The timing didn't seem right, and Lola decided to spare him further frustration.

They spent the rest of the evening together, relaxing in the living room. Winston watched the news and browsed the channels for anything interesting while Lola had daydreams of beginning her daycare, cuddled up to her husband. Lola felt content and looked forward to redecorating their spare bedroom, turning it into a nursery.

All too soon, night fell, and the crickets outside notified them that it was time for bed. "Well, honey," Winston said, interrupting her thoughts. "I need to go take a shower. I'll see you in bed soon."

"Alright," Lola yawned as she sat up, allowing him to rise from beneath her. "I should get ready too. I have a lot to do tomorrow."

Thirty minutes later, the house was quiet and dark, save for Winston's snoring. Had Lola not grown up alongside her twin, who persistently snored, she might have gone mad a long time ago. Instead, she slept soundly, her legs intertwined with his.

A little after three o'clock in the morning, darkness gave way to light, and Lola found herself sitting in her former living room at her parent's house. She held a red block in one hand and a blue one in the other. Lola gazed at them, wondering what they were for. After all, she was much too old for toys. Briefly, the girl looked herself over, attempting to understand what was happening. That's when she heard the terrifying noises.

Heavy boots stepped upon loose wooded planks, and they seemed to be heading her way. Lola dropped the blocks and hid behind the sofa, peering out ever so slightly. Still, the footfalls came nearer, and her body began to tremble. She pulled behind the couch entirely, and that's when the steps ceased. A moment later, she cautiously peered out once more and regretted her decision immediately.

Two shadowy arms, as black as night, reached for her, only inches away. Lola screamed for her mother, as she always did, to no avail. Lola closed her eyes and continued crying for help. The arms grabbed her, shaking her violently. Then, suddenly, everything was quiet, and she opened her eyes to see Winston sitting beside her, trying to hold her still.

Panting, Lola tried desperately to calm herself. "I'm sorry, baby," she whined. "I didn't mean to wake you. I had that horrible dream again."

"That's it," declared Winston. "Between your dreams and those flowers, I'm getting the best security money can buy."

"Please, don't go to all that trouble," pleaded Lola. "I don't want to feel like a prisoner in my own home."

"It's not just for you, you know," Winston stated. "Do you know what losing you would do to me? No, this is for the best. It'll keep you safe and me from worrying."

Lola nodded, clearing her eyes of tears. "I suppose you're right," she muttered, giving her husband the appreciation he deserved.

"Come on," suggested Winston, hugging her around the waist and pulling her back into bed. "Let's try and get some sleep."

Lola curled up to Winston and tried to shake her nerves clear. It took a while longer than usual, but eventually, they nodded off together. The rest of the night passed without incident, and the alarm woke them at the preset time. Both rose, and while Winston prepared for work, Lola made his breakfast and lunch as always.

After seeing her husband off with a quick hug and a kiss, she began getting ready for her doctor's appointment. There wasn't much to do. However, she liked being overly prepared and gathered several things she thought she might need into a small carry-bag. These included wet wipes, a brush, a hand mirror, paper, and a pencil.

Soon after nine, she was out the door, heading downtown. Traffic was unusually thick today. Perhaps, it was due to the sleet the day before, but there was little way to know for sure. Her car passed her parent's house, Flips now-abandoned gas station, and eventually turned onto Main street.

A few more blocks and she'd arrive at Royal Woods Medical Center, a Royal Woods General Hospital satellite, where they handled quick cases. As she approached the intersection of Main and Oak, the light ahead of her turned red, forcing her to stop. Bored, she took the opportunity to locate a top forty station on the radio.

Once the energetic music echoed in her cabin, the light switched to green, and she began the left-hand turn onto Oak. Then, quite untimely, something grabbed her attention. Daring a glance, she saw the man from yesterday morning, standing on the corner closest to her.

His gaze followed her as she rounded the turn, causing her to lose her focus temporarily. Lola's car began to swerve, calling her back to reality as she struggled to straighten her path, narrowly avoiding hitting a pedestrian, who shook his fist at her. After regaining control of her vehicle, she looked into the rear-view mirror, only to see a man standing in a blue business suit, waving down a taxi. The man had disappeared.

"Get a grip, Lola," she told herself. "You're letting your paranoid delusions get the better of you!"

Her words did little in the name of comfort. Yet, she found herself checking the mirror every few seconds until she took another left-hand turn into the clinic parking lot. Then, gathering her things, she made her way into the building, signed in, and waited for her name to get called.

Twenty minutes later, she found herself escorted to a small room, where a nurse took her vitals, inquired about her reason for the visit, and asked a few medical questions. Once Lola satisfied the lady, she asked Lola to remain until the doctor arrived, then left.

Not more than five minutes later, a friendly, elderly doctor knocked and entered the room, introduced himself, reviewed her vitals, and double-checked for himself. "Hi there, Mrs. Chesterfield. My name is Doctor Mueller. I'm sorry, but I must insist," he said, tending to his business. "I'm a bit old-fashioned and like to do things myself. I don't fully trust a lot of today's electronic devices. They just don't have that human touch. Do you know what I mean?"

"Not really," sighed Lola, impatient on getting her results. "But I trust you."

The doctor pulled her charts up on the laptop that sat upon the small desk and compared the most recent reading to those there. "Well, it seems that your blood pressure is up a bit from usual, though still well within normal range. Then, that's to be expected, if you pardon my pun," the doctor joked, smiling at Lola.

"Oh, lord," sighed Lola. "You're just as bad as my husband.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now then, I suppose you know what to do with this?" the physician asked, handing Lola a small plastic cup with a white lid. "Step across the hall, and place the sample in the little metal box. Don't do anything else to it, alright? Leave the label alone."

"Got it," chirped Lola, accepting the decidedly gross cup from the doctor. "I'll be back momentarily."

"Then, I shall see another patient while you attend to matters and return post-haste," the doctor told her, following her from the room, then heading off down the hall.

Lola knocked on the unisex stall, and when nobody answered, she opened the door and stepped inside. After locking the door, she dropped her panties and sat down, trying to think of anything else than what she was doing. Once done, she secured the lid and finished voiding her bladder before cleaning and redressing herself and placing the container in the metal box mounted over the toilet.

Lola then made her way back to the visiting room, where she tried in vain to make herself comfortable until the doctor returned. This time, her wait lasted a little more than ten minutes. But eventually, Doctor Mueller returned with a smile on his face. "Well, Mrs. Chesterfield, I the results in hand, and there are pretty conclusive. Are you ready to hear them?

"Oh! Yes, please!" Lola chirped, clenching her fists.

On the one hand, she was delighted at the prospect of being pregnant. She'd wanted a child for as long she could recall. Even back when she was little, running the pageant circuit, she dreamed of being married and having children one day. On the other hand, despite his outward support for her, Winston seemed more than disgruntled at the possibility.

One thing about being married is that, over time, people begin to read each other. The same holds for Lola and Winston. Each seemed to know when something was bothering the other and took steps to rectify the matter. However, there were occasions when Winston went so blank that even Lola had difficulty distinguishing his feelings from what he said they were.

"Mrs. Chesterfield," coughed Doctor Mueller as he cleared his throat for the announcement. "You are, indeed, pregnant. Congratulations!"

"Yes! I knew it!" Lola belted, pumping her fist and grinning from ear to ear. "Thank you, Doctor!"

"You're quite welcome, my dear," he responded. "Though, I didn't have anything to do with it," he added, giving Lola a quick wink. "Now, why don't you go tell the one who had everything to do with it, eh?"

"Yes, yes!" squealed Lola, gathering her things. "I will!"

"Here you go then," the doctor announced, handing Lola several prescription slips. "These are only routine prenatal vitamins and supplements. You're healthy as a horse and don't need anything more. You have a wonderful day, alright?" he continued before leaving the room.

Excited, Lola stuffed them into her carry-bag and headed back into the lobby, where she filed her insurance and paid her deductible. After the receptionist processed her information, she handed Lola copies of the forms and a note regarding her next appointment.

"See you in a month," the receptionist said kindly.

"I'll be here!" replied Lola, still excited about officially being pregnant.

Lola then headed to the parking deck. She hadn't stopped smiling since the doctor verified her status, and her cheeks began to hurt. However, as she exited the clinic and made her way to her car, something caught her attention. The sound of her footfalls, echoing between the parking decks, didn't sound quite right.

Stopping, she listened. Then, an unknown second set of footfalls faded shortly after hers. Slowly, she turned her head, and not more than one hundred feet from her stood the strange, bearded man, partially obstructed from view by a square concrete column.

"Oh hell, no," Lola whispered to herself, and she began running for her vehicle.

The footsteps of the unknown pursuer began once more, rapidly approaching her. Lola's pulse rose, and her chest felt as if it would burst, but a burning passion for protecting herself and her unborn kept her going. She made it to her car, safe and sound, though her adrenaline-riddled body made her fumble with her keys.

Finally, locating the correct one, she got in and slammed the door shut, turned over the engine, and exited as quickly as she could. Looking back in her mirror, she saw the man coming to a standstill, looking forlornly after her. Then, she pulled out more than enough to pay her toll and left hurriedly, approaching the parking deck gate.

"Here!" she barked loudly. "I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry. Open the gate."

"Don't you want your change?" asked the older male attendant.

"No, it's okay!" pleaded Lola. "Come on! Open the gate!"

The attendant lifted the gate a moment later, and Lola was gone.