Thanks to Susan who proofed this chapter, all remaining mistakes are mine. ;)

Chapter 2

"Steph dear, what's wrong? You cry all the time, you haven't eaten, and I heard you being sick a few times in the morning." Grandma Mazur asked gently. Stephanie wished she could answer but she could not, her throat hurt too much from the tears she did not want to shed. Again she asked, "Steph... did you have unprotected sex, sweetie are you pregnant?"

She could only look at her grandmother and savior, with she was sure wide anguish showing eyes, after what seemed like eternity she croaked. "Yes I am, and I don't know how it can be I have taken my pill, it shouldn't be, but I am." She started to sob again; it was as if she had not done anything else in the last two days, while she tried to reconcile herself to her fate.

Grandma pulled her in her arms shushing her, trying to console her. "Shhh... it will be all right sweetie, all will be well. We have to talk to Luca to see what can be done. Do you know the father Steph?"

"No, I met him a few weeks ago at Night Town; he told me he was joining the army Rangers the day following our meeting. It was a fluke meeting, oh granny he was so handsome and nice. He was the first man I slept with after… you know whom. I knew I wouldn't see him again, we both knew. He told me if he wouldn't have the commitment to go, he wouldn't. He liked me just as much as I did him. We decided that if we were meant for each other we would meet again somewhere, someday and we did not trade our last names for the same reason. Jesus, I'm such a child, who believes such a thing, but he was serious when he said that, I'm almost sure. How can I go to college when I have a baby, I want to go to college granny. I'm too young to have a baby. What am I to do?"

"We will figure it out sweetheart we will. Let's talk to Luca and Hawk; maybe they can help figure out what is best."

/

What they decided to do was this; Stephanie married Hawk and finished college with the help of a nanny, grandma, Luca and Hawk. She took care of her precious baby when she could and her dear helpers did the rest. Her marriage with Hawk was a scam, a marriage of convenience; but she could not have had a better partner in this particular crime.

The reason Hawk suggested marriage to her, and she accepted, was that he had always wanted to be a father for all his adult life, but when his wife died, he had given up that possibility.

Hawk aka Chayton Taylor made her, Stephanie Taylor, a very spoiled married woman, he showered her with jewelry, expensive clothing and cars throughout their marriage. She was not his wife in practice, but they did love each other, and if he had to go somewhere where his wife was expected, she of course went with him and they managed to have a convincing marriage to the outside world.

Many had called her a gold-digger, because Hawk was so much older and wealthier, but she thought women understood. As a Native American, Hawk had long black hair, he was huge and imposing, with a very attractive muscular body and women young and old looked twice when he entered a room. However, his biggest asset was his character; he was kind, thoughtful, patient, intelligent, loyal, and warm. Not something, that comes to mind when somebody first met him, as he was somewhat intimidating in appearance.

/

Ten years later, she knew she had to move on; she wanted to be on her own. She had to grow up and face the world with her baby boy, who was not a baby anymore. After consulting Hawk, Uncle Luca and grandma, she had decided to move back to Trenton and take over the management of her cousins Vincent Plum's Bail Bonding Company. Grandma would stay with Luca and Hawk. Vinnie wanted to relocate to Miami with his wife, Lucille. He had contacted Uncle Luca a few months back, asking if he was interested in taking over the Bonds office being family and all. As she wanted to move on, she had to move out, so they thought it would be a good idea if she would run the office, she knew the office manager Connie Rosolli; as she had been in school with her sister Tina. She knew Trenton, and 'the Burg', but she did not want to live there. Her parents were still living in 'the Burg' and she did not want to see them ever again. As for her sister Valerie, she had not heard one word from her since she was thrown out, so no need to see her ever again too.

Hawk and Stephanie had found a beautiful mansion for Rick and her, just outside Trenton in a gated community, with a lot of bed- and bathrooms, for when her family or friends would want to stay over. A playroom and gym in the basement and a heated swimming pool outside that was very attractive to Rick. He did not particularly want to move out of their shared home, which she could understand, but she needed to move on, although not without him, as he was her everything. So, she bribed him to comply with her wish. She bribed Rick with... well she promised him she would adapt his life style in eating, to stay healthy, yuck. She trained daily to stay fit and strong, 'she would have to find a dojo around Trenton to spar', but the food was going to give her heartache, she loved a good doughnut, birthday cake, just plain cake, pineapple upside-down cake, Doritos, meatball sub, pizza or whatever contained fat and sugar. However, her little man loved to torture her, so he agreed to move with her if she complied with his demands. He is not always around so she would get her dose of good food when Rick was at school. Sometimes a woman has to be inventive.

She hired a housekeeper whose name was Ana. Carla, the au pair from the Netherlands, moved with them from Newark of course, she picked up and looked after Rick when she was at work after school. They had two security details from LHR around the clock; they always followed Rick and her unseen. The men lived in the servants' quarters so they have some privacy. In addition, they had trackers on them, and she had more trackers in her cars. That was the price they paid for the work her uncle and husband did, and being wealthy, life could be seriously worse though. The men shadowed them for years now and it did not bother her anymore, she did understand the necessity, even if nothing had ever happened to them. It made Hawk and Luca happy, more relaxed, as they thought they were in control of every situation with this security in place.

She do not know Rick's biological father at all, but his appearance, but Rick had traits he had definitely not gotten from her. She thought he was a health nut at such a young age, he hated sweets and such, and he did not want to eat meat because, that was pitiable for the animal. To be honest she thought so too, but she liked her meat too much to give it up. Rick always wanted to know where she was going to be and when she was expected home, sometimes she thought he was the adult and she was his child. He was serious in most everything he does, if its schoolwork or play, he had to have good grades, or if it is a game, he has to win, or he is not satisfied with himself. Not that he would have a temper tantrum; he just would do what troubles him repeatedly, until his had conquered it. He was very protective of her, and the people he loves, and he was the spitting image of the man who fathered him, as far as she could remember. On the other hand, he had traits from her too; he was always full of life, funny, and as curious as they come. She had never stopped thinking of Ricardo, the night they spent still fresh in her memory. She did not think she would ever see him again, but what he had said about if they were meant to be, they would get together somehow, someday, had never really left her mind.

Rick was aware Hawk was not his biological father. He had asked her if Hawk was his father, when he was seven or so. Manuel, Rick's best friend in school, had had a shock when his dad had called him a bastard, and his mother then had told him that his dad was indeed not his father. Unsurprisingly the woman left that man within days, bastard that he himself was.

Rick had been shocked too, but they had talked about it, and they had explained to him, as well as one can explain that to a child, what had happened and that it was not that his father did not want him, but simply did not know he was a father. Nevertheless, Hawk was his hero and example and she could not get a better one for him. That was also the reason Rick wanted to wear his hair long, he had not had a real hair cut since the day she told him about Hawk rescuing her from humiliation, and them from a life of desolation. She had instilled in him that they should be grateful for all they had and never think they were better than anyone who did not live in blessed circumstances as they live in.

When she moved out of Newark, Hawk asked her to wait on a divorce until she found someone to start a relationship with, she didn't think she would find the one she wanted, so she had no problem to agreeing to that. The only difference was that she moved to another location but they would see each other probably weekly or more. She just wanted some independence and to live on her own with her son. Her family had been supportive of the idea and made it easy on her. God she loved her family, they had accepted her for who she was, flaws an all.

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