Chapter Twenty-Three

I Disclaim, I really don't want too, but I do

Dave tried to sneak into the house since it was past 2 am; he grabbed the last flight out so he could be here when they woke up. He didn't want to wake Leila or his son. A smile crept on his face as he thought of him. He had a son. He had two beautiful daughters and now he had been blessed with a gorgeous boy. Life didn't get any better than right now. He knew it would be better in a month when he'd stand at the end of the aisle waiting for Leila to meet him there, when she'd promise to love him for the rest of her life. Everyday was better than the one before when it came to her, he hit the jackpot.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her. Only the light of the full moon illuminated the room and she was sitting by the unlit fireplace in her chair. She was crying and he knew it, he didn't have to see the tear stained face or the wetness coating her face. He could hear her ragged breathing and she was gnawing on her thumb knuckle. She always ran her teeth against her left thumb knuckle when she was crying. He dropped his bags and almost tripped over everything and anything in his path.

"Baby girl, what's wrong?" He tried to get her to look at him but she wouldn't. "Leila, honey, tell me what's wrong." He hugged her tight and she just sat there. He rubbed her back trying to sooth her but she wasn't even responding to him.

"Guess who called tonight." She whispered.

"Um, your designer?" He had no clue. What could make her so upset?

"The hospital." She whispered again.

"What hospital?" He pulled back to look in her face. She stood and went to the kitchen, she was about to eat her third pint of ice cream for the evening. She hopped up on the counter, "My mother died about two hours ago." He almost gave himself whiplash as he turned to look at her; she was full of shocking information. Dave looked at her and didn't know what to do; for 2 am this was too much to think about, way too much.

New tears fell down her face and her chin was quivering. He slowly crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her. She cried like he'd never heard her before. He'd heard her cry from the pain of her childhood, heard the cries from a broken heart he'd caused; heard the cries of fear for her child. But this was different, this was sorrow, this was regret. Her heart was breaking again only this time it was breaking for her mother. "I don't understand. I don't understand how you let someone treat your children like that. Did she think it would be a better life for us financially so she allowed it to happen?"

She was getting out all the anger she harbored for her mother's lack of protecting her children. It was incomprehensible to her, especially now that she was a mother, that someone could sit by and watch her child be physically and emotionally abused. What was so wonderful about the life they had? They had more money than necessary but it was completely irrelevant and not worth staying, it was not worth the life of her brother.

"I have no answers, baby. I can't explain why your mother did what she did. Sometimes women think like that, a stable home may mean something different to everyone." He said softly as he rubbed her back and stroked her hair. Leila was a mixture of emotions; she was angry at never knowing why her mother was subservient and yet she was sad because she passed. She was still her mother, a good one or a bad one. She regretted not visiting her more and yet she couldn't handle the times she did visit. She thought about everything not only she'd miss from having a mother, but the things her mother and her son would lose out on too.

Her Mother would never see her grandson grow up, would never know how successful her daughter had become. She would never know what an amazing child she left behind; her child that grew into a professional success and a personal dream girl (that's what Dave called her). Her mother may be in a better place, but that doesn't take away the pain in Leila's heart. He kept rubbing her head and back as she let it all out. She was talking about everything from her childhood and getting out not only the pain inflicted on her but the pain her brother withstood.

It was plain stupid to her, just a ridiculous way to think. Leila had never been in a situation like that and couldn't comprehend the breakdown of emotional and mental abuse. Her therapist tried explaining it to her that a man with this kind of demeanor takes his time breaking down the woman. The abuse rarely starts right away because the woman isn't broken or vulnerable. By the time things started happening to her brother, he'd already broken her mother. She may have thought she had no choice; she'd end up in a shelter or worse.

She cried for half an hour before she began calming down again. "So how was your trip?" She asked.

Dave couldn't help but laugh. "Normal until about 45 minutes ago. I missed you and Xander." He said kissing her temple. They had debated on what to call him. Did they call him by his given name of Braeden or honor her brother and call him Xander. She wanted to call him Braeden so nobody would associate and compare. Dave wanted Xander for the exact same reasons; her brother should be honored for the things he did for Leila.

"We missed you." She breathed in his scent, he always smelled so damn good. Some men let their cologne wear them and they don't choose the right scent for their natural chemistry. Dave knew what worked best with his own natural scent and he wore just enough to tease you. As they held eachother a small whimper could be heard through the monitor. They both looked at eachother excitedly. Her son was always the sunshine on a shitty day and could make her forget all her troubles.

"Why don't you go get him and I'll meet you in the bedroom." She knew he needed this time with his son and they walked hand in hand up the steps. When they reached Xander's bedroom door he stopped her.

"I love you, pretty princess." He kissed her tenderly and she smiled for the first time all night. They had a lot to deal with in the morning and right now she just wanted to be with Dave.

"Me too, David." She kissed him and opened the bedroom door. She took a bottle out of the refrigerator and put it in the bottle warmer. She left the room to give Dave time with Xander and she went to take a bath. It may be the middle of the night but she needed to calm down or she'd never sleep. She lit a few candles and looked at herself in the mirror. No stretch marks on her belly but she proudly displayed the ones on her boobs. She didn't think they'd 'bloom' that fast and now she had the marks to prove it. Her taught tummy was slowly reappearing but she knew that little pooch would always be there. Badges of honor she thought.

15 minutes later Dave joined her, he needed to relax too after the bombshells she dropped on him. He relaxed across from her and they gazed into eachother's eyes enjoying the silence. "Everyone's asking for you around the locker room, the all want to see the baby."

"They can see him at the wedding." She replied playing with the bubbles.

"Not everyone's invited to the wedding." He retorted.

"Too bad so sad." She said trying to be serious. He gave her a look that made her smile; she could never resist those eyes so she tried to change the subject. "How's the wedding plans going?"

"They're coming along nicely and don't change the subject." He leaned forward and ran his hands up her legs. Holding true to the vow they took was killing him. It was physically painful to not make love to her; at least she agreed to play around.

"How about if we go to Wrestlemania. If the girls are going we should bring him." She requested, leaning forward and stopping an inch from his face. She let her tongue snake out to lick his lower lip and he groaned in response. He gently pushed her to lay back and continued with his onslaught. His hands were kneading her inner thighs and she was suddenly feeling flushed. "Dave…" She almost pleaded with him to touch her.

"Yes, my love?" He teased her. His hands pleasured her gently and slowly and her eyes began to roll back as her head fell against the tub. "No. Look at me." When her eyes met his, he glided his finger into her finding the spot to add to her excitement. He knew exactly where and how to touch her and when to be soft and featherlike and when to turn it up a notch. Leila couldn't ask for a better lover and as she let herself focus on Dave's manipulation of her body she felt her blood boiling and her heart racing. She did her best to stifle her squeals but biting her lip wasn't working.

Her hands grabbed his wrists and her body moved against him. When Dave felt her body contracting against his fingers he pulled her up to him and kissed her; kissed her forcefully as she screamed into his mouth as her release hit her full force. "Thank you." She said against his lips.

"For what?" He said still stroking her as her body relaxed again.

"I needed that real bad." She giggled.

"Why didn't you Brooke yourself?" He asked smiling at her. Leila laughed as he used a line from one of her favorite shows. She would never admit outside of their home that she watched One Tree Hill and to prevent Dave from telling anyone she had to tolerate his ribbing. She also knew if she told anyone Dave watched them too it would be giving herself away. He called it suffering for her happiness, but when he quoted one of the shows she couldn't resist teasing him.

"You know I don't Brooke myself, I have no need." She responded.

"Everybody has needs, baby." He replied in his sexy bedroom voice.

"My needs are met by my fabulous soon to be husband, Brooking isn't required." She gave him her best bedroom voice. Damn he is a sexy mother fucker, I don't know if I can wait until our wedding night. Must resist the penis. To resist the dick is like trying to resist the man. How can I have two thirds of the package and deny the rest. Who's dumbass idea was this anyway? Stupid bitch. "How long until the wedding anyway?"

"You don't get to know when and where, you just follow the directions given to you when that day arrives." He smirked and unplugged the drain.

"Now, back to the subject of the baby. You're already going to Wrestlemania because we have to go to the dinner and Hall of Fame crap the night before, the dilemma is a sitter for him while we're there. I don't want him in the arena but you can hang out backstage." Dave was still overprotective and didn't show signs of letting up any time soon.

"Bring your Mom." Easy solution Leila thought.

"She can be with all three grandkids. I'll ask her." Dave replied satisfied with that resolution. Leila's smile got bigger as she thought of Dave with their son. She spent all of her time away from either thinking about them. His mom watched Xander while she worked when Dave was traveling, it was working out great to have her living down here and she thanked Leila all the time for letting her spend time with him.

Dave climbed out of the tub and dried off with Leila watching him. He smiled and was grateful he had that effect on her. Leila jumped out and dried off as fast as she could, time to return the favor to Dave. She pushed him into the bedroom and onto the bed. "Your turn big daddy."