A/N: Thanks toLikewow5556 and singdance for the Chapter 17 reviews.

Than to Ever Live Without You

Chapter 18

Waking up next to Damien every morning had become something that once again Kaelyn loved. She felt like her relationship with him was safe and she loved the way he made her feel on a normal basis. Then there was a side of him that she was just seeing for the first time that was starting to scare her a little bit. Ever since he helped her move into her apartment he kept going on and on about the house he bought in Vermont and the way he talked about the apartment was that it was short term and he was moving them to his house and of course Kaelyn kept reminding him that it wasn't going to happen. Then there was the night before when Kaelyn had gone out to dinner with Serena, Blair, and Jenny. When she got home Damien was furious and very angry with Kaelyn for not telling him where she was going to be that night and he had even grabbed her in a violent way that scared her that night. In the end Kaelyn kept vanishing these frightening thoughts about Damien from her mind because she felt that even through his rage that he had every now and then he still loved her, Katherine, and the baby.

With Katherine in her arms Kaelyn stood in the elevator of her old apartment building as she took Katherine who was extremely excited to get to spend time with Chuck. Ever since that morning when Kaelyn had mentioned to Katherine that she was going to see her dad she was so excited to be seeing him that with the few words she could speak and with her incoherent mumbles Kaelyn knew that she was raving about seeing Chuck. Getting out of the elevator she put Katherine down to walk and Kaelyn held her hand as they walked to the apartment. She hadn't seen Chuck since she had left, but Georgia who normally took Katherine was out of town for a family reunion and Kaelyn was pretty much forced to take her on her own.

Knocking on the door Kaelyn was afraid of seeing him. Even though she still had the key she knocked since technically she didn't live there anymore. Standing there the door opened and there he was. Kaelyn could see the sadness in his eyes and appearance. She could tell right away that he hadn't shaved and he was looking gruff.

"Georgia is at a family reunion so I brought Kat myself." Kaelyn said softly as she tried her best not to meet his eyes. In the background she saw Nate who gave her a small wave and Katherine noticed him right away.

"Nat-Nat." she said happily as she squiggled to get her hand out of Kaelyn's and she ran past Chuck into the apartment and climbed on the couch to take her spot sitting on Nate's lap.

"Thanks it means a lot." Chuck said to Kaelyn.

"Well you are her father and you have the right to see him whenever." Kaelyn said breathlessly.

"Want to come in for a minute?" Chuck then asked giving her a small smile.

"No thanks I'm just going to head home." Kaelyn said.

"Nonsense Kay, stay for a few minutes. I haven't seen you in a moment." Nate said as Katherine hopped up and down.

"Umm I guess." She said as Chuck moved out of the way and Kaelyn walked into the apartment that hadn't changed at all. Everything still seemed to be in the places that they were when she had left. Taking a deep breath she sat down on the couch where Katherine had now crawled off of Nate's lap and was walking towards Chuck who was closing the door.

"Daddy up!" cried Katherine who put her hands up and waited for Chuck to pick her up.

"Alright baby girl." He said as he picked her up and threw her in the air and caught her. Katherine was now in a fit of giggles as he walked over to the couch and sat next to Kaelyn. "How have things been?" he asked Kaelyn as he turned to her.

"Good. Things have been good." Kaelyn answered.

"I hear you moved into a new apartment and named the baby." Chuck said with a smile.

"You've been talking to my aunt." Sighed Kaelyn who knew she was going to have a serious conversation with Lily the next time she saw her. "Yeah I have a place and the baby's name is Lizzzete." She then said out of frustration.

"You hung out with Jenny last night I hear?" Nate then commented as he felt the mood change in the room.

"Yeah it was a good time. Though being pregnant I couldn't enjoy a martini." Kaelyn said with a small laugh.

"You'll pop soon enough. Just like with little Kat here." Chuck said as he tried to join the conversation.

"Hey, I've got to get going, but my aunt will be picking up Kat." Kaelyn then said quickly as she stood.

"Umm sure, yeah." Chuck said.

"Bye Kat mommy loves you." Kaelyn said to Katherine.

"Bye-Bye mommy." Katherine said.

"See you Kaelyn." Nate said.

"Yeah you too, bye." Kaelyn said as she made her way to the door just wanting to get out of there. She made her way out of the door and into the elevator. She felt stupid for rushing out the way she did, but then she couldn't standing being in the room with him because she loved him just too much for her own good. She looked down at her feet and as she looked up she saw Chuck coming her way and he was holding her purse that she realized she must have left while rushing out. Getting into the elevator he handed her the purse.

"You left it." Chuck said.

"Thanks I wasn't paying attention." Kaelyn said and just then the doors to the elevator closed. Kaelyn closed her eyes for a moment realizing that she now had to ride down with him. It was silent as the two of them stood there. The elevator started to move down a few floors and then there was a sudden jerk and everything stopped. The lights in the elevator went out and there was then just no movement. "What happened?" Kaelyn questioned.

"The power must be out." Chuck then said as he pressed the emergency button and nothing happened. "Yeah it's out. Someone needs to know we are in here."

"I have my cell. Here call Nate." Kaelyn said as she handed Chuck her phone.

"Thanks." He said as he started to dial. "Hey Nate did the power go out there…yeah…if you can reach the doorman call him and tell him that me and Kay are stuck in the elevator….thanks."

"Is all the power out?" Kaelyn asked.

"Apparently." Chuck said as he sat down on the floor.

"Good idea." Kaelyn said as she sat down across from him. She looked down at the floor and then she felt a budge in her stomach. She gasped and placed her hand on her stomach.

"Was it the baby?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah." Kaelyn smiled. "She's been really active lately. It's cute Kat likes to put her ear to my stomach and lie there while Lizzette kicks."

"Awe that's so cute. I feel like Kat has gotten so big since the last time I saw her." Chuck said.

"She might have, suddenly she gained a huge appetite and is just always eating something." Kaelyn said as she kept her hand on her stomach as she felt Lizzette kicking inside of her. There was an uncomfortable silence as the two of them sat there in the elevator.

"So have things truthfully been good with Damien?" Chuck then asked breaking the silence.

"Yeah, he's been great." Kaelyn said not meeting Chuck's eyes as she started to bite her bottom lip.

"You're lying Kay. You're biting your lip. I think I know you enough to see that." Chuck said.

"I don't want to talk about it with you." Kaelyn said as she continued to look at the floor.

"Kay look at me and tell me the truth." Chuck said and suddenly Kaelyn looked up at him and her eyes were meeting his. Once that happened tears started to fall down Kaelyn's face. "Kay." Chuck said softly as she moved over to sit next to her. He put his arm around her and held her close. "What's been going on?"

"Damien can be so controlling sometimes. He keeps trying to force me to move to Vermont with him and he is so insisting. He also gets so angry when you don't agree with him. Ever since we have been living together it seems like he is just always angry at something I've done and then he turns sweet back to the guy I knew until I make him angry again." Kaelyn explained as she stayed close to Chuck inhaling his scent that she knew so well.

"Has he hurt you other than emotionally?" Chuck asked as he rubbed her arm.

"He hit me once, but he promised he would never do it again. He was so angry at me." Kaelyn said.

"Kay look at me." Chuck moved so she was looking in his eyes. "You haven't done anything wrong and it's all him. Kaelyn you can't live with him anymore. He is a danger to not just you, but Katherine and the baby. Kaelyn I love you too much to see you get hurt like this and I need you and I know you need me."

"I love you." Kaelyn said as she started to sob and Chuck pulled her close to him. Kaelyn cried on his chest and then fell asleep in his arms just the place she had longed to be for so long.

Nearly two hours passed and suddenly the doors of the elevators opened and a worker was standing on the next floor that they were in between. Kaelyn woke up and yawned as Chuck started to help her up.

"Get her first, she's pregnant." Chuck said as she helped her to the edge where the working was waiting below to help her out. Kaelyn was pulled from the elevator and then Chuck was after her. As they stood there Chuck's arms holding Kaelyn walking out of the stairwell was Damien who rushed over to them.

"Kaelyn when I heard you were stuck I rushed right over. How are you feeling?" Damien asked as he pulled Kaelyn away from Chuck with a bit of force that scared Kaelyn.

"I'm fine." Kaelyn breathed as Damien had her by the arm leading her down the hall towards the stairwell. As they reached the stairs Damien was still holding her arm tight. "Damien you are hurting my arm." Kaelyn said softly afraid she was going to make him angry.

"You don't know what pain is bitch." Growled Damien as he yanked her by the arm and started taking her down the stairs. "You were stuck with him and the way he held you up there. You just disgust me."

"Damien please stop." Kaelyn said with tears forming in her eyes.

"Stop crying whore." Damien said through his teeth.

"Let go of her!" came a voice and they both looked to see Chuck rushing down towards then where he grabbed Damien who let go of Kaelyn who lost her footing in all the commotion. Suddenly she was tumbling down the stairs. Hitting the way at the bottom Kaelyn cried out in pain. "Kay!" Chuck yelled as he jogged down the stairs to Kaelyn's side.

"I think I'm in labor." Cried Kaelyn in pain as she grabbed at her stomach.

Chuck reached into Kaelyn's purse and grabbed her phone to call 911. By that time Damien had walked passed them and was gone leaving them in the stairwell to fend for themselves.