Chapter Twenty-Four
I Disclaim, I really don't want too, but I do
Dave claimed he was going to an autograph signing and wanted his son with him. He had been arguing all morning with Leila about Xander's safety at an event like that. Dave's heart broke as she cried in front of him and begged him not to take Xander. "Leila I don't get to see him three sometimes four days a week, please don't argue with me on this. He'll be fine, he'll be with me." He said softly and she caught the fact he called her Leila. He rarely called her Leila.
"Who's going to watch him while you sign autographs? Who's going to feed him, just let me go too." She looked up at him and he came real close to breaching his own secret promises. He couldn't steer off course, this had to be done. She'd thank him in the end. "What's the big deal?"
"The signing is for two hours, I'll feed him before we start and he'll be in his carrier right next to me." Stay strong Dave; just remember the prize waiting for you.
"What if someone sees him? What if some big boobed whore distracts you and someone snatches him?" Leila's worst fears could happen that day, were happening right this minute. Dave wanted to touch her, put his forehead against hers, but he couldn't.
"First of all I'm not the only one there, we have security and I'll put him between me and John." He went to Xander's room and began packing daily essentials. "And big boobs don't distract me from my son." Hopefully Leila wouldn't notice all the other things gone from his room. Right now she was too busy pleading with Dave to notice, he hoped.
"Dave, please, I need him right now." Tears flowed down her face and Dave knew what she meant. How could he continue doing this? He was about to break her heart into a thousand pieces, but he had too. Her mother had passed a month ago and she was seeing her therapist twice a week to deal with it. Maybe if I get pissed off she'll back down. I never thought I'd have this much trouble. She was clinging to Xander as if protecting him from something, as if deep down she was afraid he'd suffer the same fate she had. It was up to Dave to help her break the cycle and now here he was adding fuel to the fire.
She followed Dave down the steps and into the family room, begging the entire way. He turned to her before they reached Xander. "That's enough. You're acting like a child. He's my son and I can take him whenever and wherever I wish. Do not let him see you acting like this you'll only upset him. Now get over it and enjoy the peace and quiet!" Dave hoped his eyes weren't betraying him. That was so hard to do and the look on her face made him want to grab her and hold her, plead for her forgiveness. Stay mad, Dave.
Leila was frozen in her spot, stunned to say the least, with her mouth hanging open and more tears pouring down her face. He couldn't look at her and had to walk away. She watched Dave take some bottles from the fridge along with his water. She quietly went to Xander and picked him up. She held him close and silently cried. Something was going on, something wasn't right about today. "I love you, mommy loves you, baby boy. Be good for daddy okay? Remember I love you." She whispered and cried more when he smiled and cooed and 'talked' to her. "I'll see you soon? I love you so much."
Dave choked down a lump as he heard it come out as a question. He turned to see her with their son and he wanted to tell her everything, he was crashing and he had to get out of there. He took the bags out to the car and double checked he had what he'd need for the next few weeks. He had packed for him and Xander last night and loaded the car while Leila slept. If she had noticed he surely would have broken and given up, changing his plans.
When he turned to go back into the house Leila was standing in the doorway holding him in his carseat. Tears flowed down her face and her chin was quivering. Dave, look how strong she's being, she's scared out of her mind you dick. Get it over with, do it quick. He took a deep breath and went to her. He took Xander and loaded him in the car. Focus asshole, focus, be cold so you don't cave. She walked behind him and waited until Xander was in place. She got right in her baby's face and told him how much she loved him, she tried to smile but it was so hard. Dave pulled her away and closed the car door.
"I'll call you later." He gave her a quick kiss and got into the car. He backed out and looked one last time before closing the garage door. He held her eyes until he couldn't see them anymore. He choked back a few tears and a huge lump. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that would be so difficult, he didn't think she'd fight him that hard. How could he do this to her? How could he take their son from her? Would she understand? Would she thank him later?
Leila collapsed in the doorway and cried like never before, her heart had just been shredded. She let out a few screams and mumbled he didn't say he loved her, she screamed for Dave and for Xander. Her whole world had just been annihilated in a few hours; he had scarred her for life in one morning. She did notice Dave's half empty closet and drawers; she did notice Xander's things missing. All she could do was hope Dave was telling her the truth. Maybe he had just packed for his next trip. Maybe Xander just needed his clothes cleaned.
"It's done…we're out." Dave said into the phone as he glanced back in his rearview mirror.
"How did she take it? How's the baby?" Michelle said.
"Not good. That was by far the hardest thing I've ever done. She thinks I'm leaving her and taking Xander." Dave replied.
"Did she say that?" Michelle never thought Leila would have that reaction.
"No, but it was written all over her words, all over her tears. Michelle I just broke her heart without meaning too." Dave's voice was giving away his emotions. "I never reassured her that I wasn't; I just let her think it."
"But Dave, everything will be fine and she'll be fine in 48 hours." Michelle smiled as she got her purse and signaled to Stephanie. They both jumped into Steph's car and drove to Leila's.
"After her reaction she may never forgive me, I may have gone too far." Dave debated turning the car around.
"No. You stick to your guns and make her dreams happen. After she sees you on Friday and all you've done, she'll understand." Michelle tried to reassure him and whispered to Stephanie to drive faster.
"Maybe I should have postponed this. She's not in a good place. You should have seen her 'chelle. I can't do this. I'm turning around and telling her everything." This was torture for him and he could see how much it was killing Leila.
"Dave, the end result will help her, this will let her know she's not alone." Michelle and Stephanie passed Dave and they turned around to catch him. Michelle knew he was having his own internal battle. "Get out of the car, Dave." He looked over and saw them as he was turning around in a parking lot.
Dave explained everything that had happened that morning and Leila's face and her tears. Michelle and Stephanie hugged Dave and said they'd fix this. He got back in his car and went to the airport where his brother and Paul were meeting him with Aurora. It killed Steph to let Paul take her but she knew she couldn't do what she needed too with Aurora. She called Dave's mom and sister and they all headed for Dave and Leila's house. Steph and Michelle waited for Diana and Mary in the driveway so they could fill them in on what happened.
Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw when they went inside. Leila was lying on the kitchen floor in the fetal position and in hysterics. Her hair was splayed all around her and she traced the grout lines on the tile floor. She was beyond exhausted and broken. No wonder Dave almost gave up, hell, they were all surprised he made it out at all. The four of them sat on the floor with her and Steph held her. "It's okay, Lei. Everything will be fine."
"He took him. Something's going on, I know it. He took my son and half of their clothes are missing. He packed more bottles than necessary for an afternoon. The airport called to confirm his flight and to remind him about the papers Xander would need." A fresh round of sobs hit her hard. "Tell me he's not taking my son from me. Tell me this isn't happening." Michelle and Stephanie had a hard time and almost told her everything, she had the saddest face and she looked at them with those eyes that tore them apart. "Why didn't I stop him?"
Nobody answered her, but Mary spoke first. "Come one, let's get off the floor and go have a girl's day. How about if we go to the spa and forget all our troubles." She shot the other girls a look that said they needed to move quickly and distract her. They went upstairs and Stephanie put Leila in the shower while Michelle, Mary and Diana packed Leila's bags. They grabbed a few more things from Xander's room and Mary went to the kitchen to get Leila's breast pump and the cooler to pack the frozen breast milk. Dave was only able to grab enough to get them through two days, hopefully that would hold him until they saw Leila. He knew she'd freak out if he bought formula from a foreign country and fed it to him.
Diana came down with Leila's bags and she and Mary loaded the back of Leila's Yukon. "How are we going to get her on a plane, Mom, without telling her anything?" Diana was seriously wondering if this would work.
"I don't know. We'll leave that up to Steph and Michelle and we'll follow their lead." Mary took a deep breath and had the same thoughts, how would this work? Leila was a complete mess and on the verge of a breakdown, they needed to reassure her Dave would never take Xander from her or leave her, but how without telling her the truth?
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"Hey man, how'd it go this morning?" Paul asked but already knew the answer. He'd talked to Stephanie about five times during the ride to the airport.
"Fuck, dude. That was the hardest thing I've ever done. I was so close to telling her everything I just had to leave." Dave was still close to telling Leila. He looked at his watch and figured they'd have Leila in the car and headed for the spa. "I didn't even say I loved her when I left. I know she noticed because I always say it even if I'm just going to the store." Dave rubbed his head. "What am I doing?"
"You're making Leila's dreams a reality. She's always dreamt of this and you're giving it to her. When she sees everything you've done and how awesome this will be, she'll forget all about your betrayal." Paul smiled.
"Thanks dickhead." Dave replied not too convinced Paul was right. "Where is everyone?" Dave said as he looked around.
"Ric and Tiffany are on their way, your brother's walking up right now, Mark and Sara are meeting us in England, Tim and the girls and Shawn and Rebecca will meet up with us in New York. My in-laws are meeting us there; they fly in tomorrow morning before Leila. Everything's covered big man, just relax and enjoy. Besides how many times will we have our kids with us all alone?" Paul patted him on the back to help calm Dave. Each itinerary had to be meticulously scheduled to coordinate with personal plans and without running into Leila somewhere.
"Everything has to flow smoothly and perfectly, one wrong thing and the whole plan will crumble." Dave said nervously as he picked up his son. "How in the hell do you fly half way around the world with a baby? Leila will kill me for this." Dave said as he got out a bottle. "Don't we have to do something to help their ears pop? How many planes are we taking again?"
Paul and Doug laughed at him. "Quit being a pussy and feed him each time the planes land. All he needs is something to suck on to help his ears." Doug said as both Paul and Dave looked at him. "Mom told me." Dave and Paul both nodded. "I still can't believe Michelle agreed to pull the girls out of school for a week."
"Knowing Michelle they've got backpacks filled with homework." Dave said smiling. Michelle tried to talk him into waiting until spring break but that was too close to Wrestlemania and he obviously had to be here for that. He was surprised Vince gave him the time off. Two weeks was a lot for a champion, but they played off an injury and he'd taped a few segments that would air as if he were truly there.
Meanwhile the girls were forcing Leila through the motions of massages, facials and body scrubs, mani-pedis and saunas. Leila had to remind them she couldn't do steam because it triggered her asthma. She had to admit to herself this was nice and she was calming down. Maybe she's making a big deal out of nothing. They had lunch half way through the day and managed to elicit a smile from her.
At the end of their day they piled back into Leila's car and drove to the airport. Nobody answered the hundred questions Leila was throwing out there and it added to her paranoia. Never once did it dawn on her all her dreams were about to come true.
She argued at the ticket counter, argued through security, argued as they boarded the plane and argued with the flight attendants. Leila was so busy arguing she didn't notice their destination. Vince had given Stephanie the company jet to help keep the secret from Leila. She had exhausted herself and laid on the couch, she just wanted to end this day.
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Leila was woken up and rushed out of the plane and into a limo where Stephanie blindfolded her. Leila lay down again and went back to sleep. Michelle and Steph were worried about her because she was now the exact opposite as she had been before. She had given up during the long plane ride and didn't really care anymore. Her eyes were glazed over and she walked like a zombie.
They almost had to carry Leila into the hotel and both were supporting her in the elevator. A few more seconds and everything would be alright. 36 hours of nothing but crying and now completely blank, she was empty and they knew it. Only one thing, two things could fix Leila and the four other girls hoped beyond hope the time was near. Leila's phone vibrated in her hand and she had a message. She aimlessly punched in her password and put it on speakerphone as she set it on the counter in her suite's kitchen.
They all turned as they heard Xander's voice cooing into the phone. Tears were in everyone's eyes as they heard Dave in the background. "Say, 'I love you mommy', say 'I'll see you soon'." Xander's little voice filled the room and made Leila's heart soar. He squealed louder every time Dave said mommy. She fell to her knees and cried again, she just wanted her son back and she would kill Dave for torturing her. Leila looked at everyone shocked. Was Dave really at an autograph signing and here she was somewhere unknown? Had she completely freaked out over nothing and now she'd been kidnapped by her own friends and family?
She heard it and so did everyone else. Leila thought she was hearing things until she looked at everyone. It was his voice, he was here. But where? She jumped up and frantically began searching the suite yelling for him, telling him she was coming. It was going against the plan but Dave knew she needed to see him, he wanted to wait until tonight when she'd see them both, but Michelle called and told him how Leila was and he needed to break just this one thing. Dave could stay hidden but she needed to see her baby.
Leila ran to the master bedroom and her demeanor changed instantly. A genuine smile broke out on her face and she grabbed him. He began screaming with joy and wiggling when he saw her and she snatched him out of his bouncer the second she touched him. "Hello! Hello my baby! How are you? Did you miss me? I missed you so much! Who's mommy's handsome boy? Who's mommy's big boy?" She held him as close as she could and he was just as excited to see her. She showered him with kisses and her tears.
Mary and Michelle let the tears fall down their faces and Diana had to giggle at the sight. Stephanie slipped out and went to find her own baby. When Paul answered the door all he got was a quick kiss and Steph darted into the room making a beeline for her daughter. She thanked Dave for breaking the plan and told him how happy Leila was. The three of them hoped Leila wouldn't start putting things together yet; they still had a few hours to keep the secret.