Paul had finally got the call he needed. To bad it was four weeks later. He knew that Stephanie could pop at any second. He just prayed that she didn't. Immediately after the call he jumped in the car and went to save Stephanie and their child. He brought a baseball bat with him just incase. Paul shook his leg all the way there. Just the thought of her was driving him nuts. He didn't know if he would find her with cuts and bruises or even with a broken bone or the worst of them all her being in labor. Paul turned off on to a gravel road, nervous as can be. He prepared himself for the worst and possibly for the fight. His mind raced as he began to see the broken down hospital. The pit of his stomach rose to his throat. He parked behind some trees and grabbed the bat and set out to the doors.
Two of the goons where in standing in front, arguing about some TV show. He jogged right by them. "Idiots!" He whispered.
He walked in and heard some people talking about Stephanie. "That bitch needs to shut up! Oh my god!" One of them said.
"It hurts! It hurts!" The other one mocked.
Paul got worried more. He tip toed behind them but was caught when he stepped a little bit wrong and the floor creaked. They instantly turned around and looked him straight in his eyes. Luckily he swung his bat as hard as he could and knocked one guy out. The other one pulled out a gun. Paul immediately knocked it out of his hand and then knocked him out as well. God only knows how much time he has left. He found the stairs and peaked around to see more of them. He made a decision. He took off up the stairs swinging. He got some but one of them put a pressure point on his arm and took the bat. "The boss will want to see him!" One said.
They made their way to the third floor with Paul hand cuffed. Besides he wanted to find out who did this. He struggled with them as he heard her screams. He tried to break free but couldn't. They dragged him into a office. "Boss, We have a visitor. A special one as I mite add." The goon said.
"I was expecting you, Paul." The person said.
The voice was sickeningly familiar. The chair started to turn around and Paul's mouth dropped. "JOANIE!?" Paul gasped.
"Yes Paul. Who else could it be other than little old me?" She said.
His face scowled at the sight of her. "Why me? Why Steph? Why our child?" He said.
"OH Paul. I only wanted what was rightfully mine. You and OUR baby. That bitch isn't half the woman I am. I could have given you every thing. But no. You had to cheat on me! And for a year none the less! Not a day that doesn't pass my mind." She said.
"You're crazy! You're obsessed! First of all I ended it with you! I don't love you at all! Secondly, Steph is the better woman! She's strong, kind, caring, beautiful, and a wonderful person! You're clouded by hatred and jealously. I'm not your's! Never will be ever again and that baby is mine and Steph's! Not ours! It never has been and it will never will be!" He said heated.
"Once again you're wrong." She said swiftly.
"I don't want to say this but all you ever were was someone to hook up with! All you were was to keep me from being lonely. All you were was a hoe that fell in love with some one like me. I've grown and matured now. That's why i'm married. That's why i'm starting a family. And that's why I NEVER loved you!" He said with a growl.
"I'll make you love me. I'll keep you and our baby." She said.
"You'll never get it through your head!" He shouted.
As soon as he stopped he could hear her yelling for him. He struggled to break free once again. "Patience. You wouldn't want your poor wife to suffer anymore now do you?" She said mockingly.
He growled deeply. "That's what I thought." She said smirking.
"Can I at least see her?" He asked.
"Why ever would I let you?" She asked.
He paused and started to think deeply. Only one thing that he could do to make all of this stop. "Why all the silence? Aren't you so worried about your precious Stephanie?" She mocked.
"Now that I think about it. I was lying about everything. I do love you and if you really love me then you would take these cuffs off." He said forcing it to come out.
She snapped her fingers and her goons had them off in an instant. He rubbed his wrists and stared at her. "I knew you would come around sooner or later." She smirked.
"And I...can't believe you fell for that! You're so arrogant!" He said as he fought off all of her goons.
He was punching and swinging. Once he was done as all of them were writhing in pain he upper cutted her so hard it knocked out some of her teeth and she was out cold. "Now that felt good!" He said.
He jammed the door and shouted for her. She was fighting two battles. Joanie's goons and not to let the pain get to her. Stephanie was using everything that she saw in her path to get to the door. She smashed a potted plant over one of their head, knocking them out in the process. "Score!" She shouted.
She grabbed a bed pan and whacked the other one in the face then kicked him in the groan. "Suck on that BITCH!" She said confident.
She opened the door and saw Paul going the other way. She instantly yelled at him. He quickly turned around and ran to her. He almost knocked her down as he hugged her tightly. Stephanie sucked in sharply. "Paul we need to go NOW!" She struggled to get out.
He let go off her and she bent over in pain. "Shit!" He said.
Stephanie grabbed his hand, crushing it with all of her mite. Paul's worst nightmare had come alive. HE was trying not to panic and scream because of his hand. "Steph, hun, you're breaking my hand!" He grunted.
"Yeah, well its helping me and you kinda deserve it now." She slipped out.
"I'll have to argue with you later. Now stop standing there. Lets move!" He said.
"I CAN'T" She screamed.
"Fuck it. I'll carry you." He said picking her up.
He ran as fast as he could. Once the pain stopped he put her down so that she could try to run on her own but that was a bad idea. She could waddle but not run. "For heaven sakes woman!" He said.
"Hey you did this to me! You can't complain." She said smart.
He picked her up once again and ran. As soon as he got to the front doors he knew he had a slight problem. The goons out front were still arguing and they can easily be seen if they went passed them. Also the lobby goons were waking up. Paul thought quickly but said to himself "Fuck it."
He put her over his shoulder as much as he could and jogged out to the car. They didn't even notice them. To engrossed into their arguing. He put her into the car and raced off. He had a long drive to their actual hospital. The baby wasn't waiting at all to come out. Stephanie was miserable. She clung to his hand and always crushed it. Paul had to try to bare it. The pain came closer together as it came and went. Then all of a sudden her water broke. He slammed his foot on the accelerator. "Paul slow down! We don't need to be in a wreck or be pulled over right now!" She said serious.
"And we also don't need to have this baby in the car. With no medics for both of you. We don't know how bad you and the baby are from all of the beatings you took. I can see your sores and bruises clearly. It makes me sick to my stomach." He said angry.
"They never hit my stomach." She fought to say.
"Still Steph!" He said only making her worry more.
He picked up her hand and kissed it. "But for now at least I know that you're fine." He said relieved.
"Only a little right now." She said as she slightly screamed.
She gripped his hand before he could pull it away. "God woman! You're strong!" He grimaced.
He opened his eyes to see the red and blue lights in his rear view mirror. He suddenly looked at his speedometer and he was going 140 in a 60 miles per hour zone. He reluctantly pulled over and impatiently waited for the officer. At this point her contractions were a minute apart and they were losing time. "I told you so!" She said.
"Whatever." Paul said.
The officer knocked on the window. Paul rolled it down. "Sir where is the fire that you're going to. There is no reason to be going that fast!" He said.
"Well officer. One my wife is about to have our baby in this car and two I just rescued her from my crazy ex girlfriend. So I kinda need to be rushed right now and a little stressed." Paul replied.
"I can only believe half of your story. As I can see her. Step out of the car please sir." The officer said.
Paul looked at Stephanie and rolled his eyes. "Sir?!" The officer said.
He reluctantly got out. The officer put him in the back of the cop car and went to ask her some questions. "Ma'am. Has your husband been hitting you?" He asked.
"NO! NOW CAN YOU PLEASE LET US GO! MY HUSBAND IS TELLING THE TRUTH! All you're doing is holding us up. I clearly need a doctor now!" She screamed.
The officer was dumbfounded as he walked to let Paul go. "You will be subjected to questioning." The officer said.
Paul nodded his head. "Drive slower and more carefully! I'm going to let this slide because of your situation." He said.
"Thank you. Now I really got to get going!" He said as he ran and jumped in the car.
Paul had to stay in the limit because the officer was following him. They were close to the hospital but Stephanie couldn't help but push. She had no control. Paul could see the brown hair of their little girl and he was freaking out. He made a dead stop in the emergency drop off, threw it in park, then ran to get help. A whole crew came out. "Looks like this baby is going to be born in a car. I can't move her and I know that she can't stand." One of the doctors said.
"Paul!" Stephanie yelled.
He ran to the drivers side and got in. She clamped onto his hand once again. "Paul, I'm scared." Stephanie said whimpering.
"You don't need to be. I'm here. You're safe. Nothings going to happen. Except us becoming parents." He said sweetly.
He kissed her head. "Now you got this!" Paul said confident.
"Come on Steph!" He encouraged.
A short while later Stephanie was resting in the hospital bed while Paul was rocking with their little girl and heaven forbid if he left that room Stephanie would go crazy. Truthfully Stephanie would never step foot into another hospital again. She was having sharp flashbacks and nightmares. At least he understood everything. But all of the staff kept looking at him weird because of all the sores and bruises on her. They had called the cops and he was questioned and so was she but then the cops finally realized who they were. They had caught some of Joanie's little followers but not her. They were all panicked especially Stephanie. The things that she said to her would make Paul want to kill her. It kept running through her mind. Making her feel like the lowest of people. Making her feel like she wasn't wanted by anyone. But the worst of all that Paul couldn't and didn't love her or needed her to be apart of his life.