Miracles do happen. Not sure how long it's been but it's probably been a ridiculous amount of time since I updated this. Thanks for all your requests for this chapter and for not forgetting me or this story. I've not done it justice being I've been out of practice for so long but hopefully it doesn't suck too much. Enjoy :)

Chapter 30

He was going to beat the living shit out of Mark.

And those words were like a mantra repeating themselves over and over in his head as Paul's feet pounded against the tarmac. Despite the bright sun in the sky, his face was a dark shadow with his jaw clenched tightly and his eyes black with his rage as he approached his destination. Mark's house was straight ahead and with every foot step that took him nearer, he could feel his heart pounding just that little bit faster because Paul was so angry. In fact he was absolutely fucking livid at the thought of anyone laying one finger on Stephanie because the very idea that someone would want to hurt her or even cause his wife any sort of physical pain was like twisting a dagger in his gut. And then there were those bruises, those horrible fucking bruises. Paul pushed back the bile that rose to his throat at the mere thought of Stephanie's discoloured flesh because every time he pictured those bruises in his mind it made him sick to his stomach. Stephanie had been in danger. The woman he loved had been attacked by that fucking bastard inside this house and no one messed with his family and got away with it. No one!

The blood beat loudly in Paul's ears as he finally reached his destination and his fists began to pound forcefully against the green painted door in front of him. "Open the door you son of a bitch!" he roared angrily.

He momentarily paused to step back not even giving Mark the chance to answer before his foot shot out connecting with the door just below the handle. The way he saw it the fucker would be too scared to answer the door to him anyhow so he was just taking matters into his own hands. He didn't care about any damage. Besides, what he did to the door was nothing compared to what he would do once he got his hands on the fucking coward inside - the same fucking coward who had attacked a woman – his wife. It was an act Mark would regret for the rest of his life that was for sure! Paul's foot kicked the door hard once more. The crack of the wood echoed sharply as it began to splinter. As his deep breathing carried in the wind, Paul's boot lifted one more time in the direction of the door when it suddenly sprung open with Mark's face glaring at him from behind it. Paul's foot dropped quickly, caught by surprise. He hadn't expected Mark to make this easy for him. The guy clearly had to have a death wish because surely he knew he was going to pay for what he had done to Stephanie.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Mark spat at Paul as he glared at him hatefully.

The simple sight of the man made his flesh crawl. Paul's rage descended like a red mist over him. His anger was a hot rush through his body as his fist smashed into Mark's face. Mark's head jerked backwards with the force throwing him into the hallway. He stumbled in the direction of the staircase, his foot tangling in the corner of the rug that adorned the floor. He tripped to the ground, his hand reaching out to break his fall.

"Get up you bastard!" Paul told him.

Paul grabbed Mark by the scruff of the neck roughly hauling him to his feet once more before he briefly let go of him noticing Mark sway slightly before Paul's fist found his target once more as it connected with his jaw, cracking against the bone.

Mark fell backwards for the second time in a matter of seconds before dropping to the ground momentarily stunned.

This time Paul didn't pull him up. Instead he fell to his knees in front of him, his body hunching over Mark as his fingers took a grip of his black sweater, holding him up as Paul took another swing. The rage rushed through his veins as he sought his revenge for Stephanie. His revenge for what this sick fuck had done to her and to their marriage. God knows this had been a long time coming. Mark had done nothing but screw with their heads from the minute he had arrived here with his stupid fucking games and his crazy notion that somehow Stephanie belonged with him. Well over his dead body. Stephanie was his wife. She was his love, his heart and his soul. She had been from the moment he had opened his eyes nine years ago and let her in. Stephanie was his for better and for worse. He had made vows to her. Vows that he had meant with everything he had inside him. The vows to cherish her and to love and protect her always. And he was protecting her now. He was making sure Mark never laid a single finger on her again. Even if it meant killing the fucker, he would do it. He would keep his wife safe from him. It was the least Paul owed her after everything Stephanie had been put through.

His jaw clenching with his determination, Paul threw another punch, this time smashing his fist into Mark's nose. He felt the wetness of the blood he had exposed on his knuckles and the red liquid only intensified his need to hurt the man who had hurt his wife. The same guy who had screwed with his head and for a brief moment had made him doubt his trust in Stephanie. He had made him walk out on his marriage. How could he have been so fucking stupid?! How could he have let himself get played like that! Paul's anger and frustration at himself only intensified the rage he was feeling at Mark and his head was a one track mind as his right hand wrapped itself around Mark's throat and gripped his neck tightly, the force pinning him to the floor. Paul felt strangely satisfied as a strangled choking sound escaped from Mark's open mouth as he fought against him, struggling for air. His green eyes bulged back at him, practically popping out of his head as his hands frantically grabbed and pulled at Paul's fingers. Paul snarled at him, pressing down on his throat even further. The blood beat in his ears as he choked the life out of the man that lay beneath him, the man responsible for Stephanie's bruises and for her fear. The same man who had intimidated and threatened his family and no one screwed with his family and got away with it. No one! And he didn't care what it cost him. He didn't give a rat's ass about any of it. The only thing he cared about right now was killing the son of a bitch who put his hands on his wife and getting him out of their lives for once and for all. He was sick of the shit Mark had brought with him the second he had turned up on their doorstep. He had hated the fucker then and he loathed him even more now. The guy was fucking poison. A poison he was going to extinguish with his bare fucking hands.

"Paul. Get off him."

Shane's panicked shout from behind briefly registered in Paul's head. Mark's eyes were staring back at him oddly as he felt Shane's arm wrap around the top of his chest. Paul's hand continued to press on Mark's throat as he felt Shane pull on him, making an attempt to drag him off Mark.

"Come on, man. That's enough!"

Paul momentarily struggled against his grip as his fingers remained pressed into Mark's neck but Shane had the advantage of being on his feet and somehow he eventually overpowered Paul pulling his huge body clumsily from the man that lay below him. Paul stumbled backwards into Shane as he tried to keep his footing. His chest rose and fell with his deep laboured breathing and he pushed away the arms that still loosely gripped him. His head whipped round in his brother-in-law's direction.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Shane?" he growled menacingly.

Shane's face was determined as it stared back at Paul. "I'm saving your ass from going to jail, that's what I'm doing. I mean, come on Paul. Ten seconds later and you'd have killed the guy."

"That's the intention." Paul informed him as he glanced over in Mark's direction, the long fingers on his right hand clenching into a fist as he watched him drag himself into a half sitting position, his palm rubbing gently across his throat as he leaned against the bottom stair. His sore coughing echoed in the spacious hallway.

"Yeah well he's not worth it. Let's get out of here."

Shane placed his hand on Paul's shoulder but it was quickly shrugged off as Paul continued to glare in Mark's direction.

"You'd better listen to him, Levesque." Mark croaked as the back of his hand lifted to swipe across his bloodied nose. It continued to trickle with blood as he coughed and propped himself higher against the stair. "You would if you were a smart guy but hey, I'm probably giving you way too much credit."

Paul's nostrils flared with his anger as he lunged for Mark once more but he wasn't quick enough as he felt Shane yank him back in his direction pulling him in the direction of the wall of the hallway. His grip was firm as he held on to his brother in law.

"You're dead, do you hear me?" hissed Paul as he pointed his long finger in Mark's direction. "You're fucking dead!"

"Paul!"

Shane strategically placed himself in front of Paul, between him and Mark. God knows he had to do something because okay, he had managed to hold off Paul once. He didn't reckon he'd be so lucky a second time.

"Look, calm down will you? This isn't the answer."

"You'd better listen to him, asshole before I call the cops and get you arrested."

"Call them. I don't give a fuck." Paul spat as his brown eyes flashed dark with his rage.

Mark was sitting smiling almost maniacally, his bloodied face staring back at him.

"Oh but you will. You will give a fuck when you're banged up in a cell and your career is fucking finished. What then, Mr Stupid Fucking Wrestler?!"

"Shut the fuck up Mark!" shouted Shane as Mark coughed once more not wanting him to goad Paul any further because then Paul might end up doing something he would regret and by then it would be too late for him and for his sister. A sister who had been worried sick about Paul coming over here and rightly so. A moment or two later and there had been a very strong possibility that Mark would have been dead and Paul would have been facing a murder charge. A chill ran up Shane's spine with that thought.

"Look he's right, Paul. He's not worth it." Shane began trying his best to try and reason with him but Paul didn't want to hear it as his brown eyes flashed with his anger.

"Oh yes he fucking is."

Shane shook his head impatiently as his hands pressed against Paul's chest guiding him the few centimetres to the wall behind him.

"Yeah? Then what about the kids, huh? What about Steph? You think she'd want this? You think she'd want you throwing your family, your career all away for him?" he said trying his hardest to make Paul see sense. To make him realise what he could lose because Mark wasn't worth it. Mark wasn't worth it by a long shot.

"Stephanie is the reason I'm here in the first place, Shane. She's the reason I want to punch the guy's fucking face in." Paul informed him as he pointed in Mark's direction, his face black with his rage. "You don't know what he did, man because this isn't about the photo or any of the other shit he pulled. This is about what he did to Steph. So go ahead call the cops." he told Mark as his brown eyes turned to stare at him deliberately. "Call them you fucking bastard and I'll tell them what you did to my wife."

Shane's eyes widened in alarm as his grip loosened on Paul. "What do you mean? What did he do to her?"

Paul stood in silence as his stomach lurched and his mind decided to torture him by playing the images over and over in his head. Images of Stephanie crying with her pain. Images of Stephanie standing in front of him, her eyes wide with fear. Images of her skin marked with those bruises…..

"Paul?!"

Paul felt his stomach churn nauseously as he wiped the back of his hand over his dry mouth. His temples pounded with his anger as he breathed in and out, slowly and heavily. "He attacked her, Shane. He hit her and she's got the cuts and bruises to prove it."

"What!?" snorted Mark from the staircase as he leant against the banister, his hand lifting to wipe at his nose once more. Paul briefly acknowledged the fact that somehow he had managed to get to his feet. "Stephanie's a fucking liar." he stated accusingly. "I never fucking touched her."

Paul's words caught in the back of his throat as he was left stunned by the bare faced audacity of the sick and twisted fuck standing across the room in front of him. "Don't you dare!" he snarled in disbelief at Mark as his finger pointed at him threateningly "Don't you dare fucking deny it! I know what you did."

"Yeah? And where's your proof?"

"The proof is all over her, asshole!" Paul shouted as he pushed past a stunned Shane who stood almost trance like as he tried to digest the news that his sister had been attacked. Attacked. He shivered visibly and barely noticed that Paul had thrown a punch at Mark until a frightened shriek caught his attention lifting him from his haze.

"No! Don't you dare touch him!"

Paul's head whipped round in the direction of the open front door to find Jane, Mark's mother in law, standing there. His eyes were big and frightened as they stared back at him

"I mean it. You go near him and I'll call the police."

Paul lifted his shoulder in a non-chalant shrug. "Call them. They can arrest that son of a bitch at the same time." he replied snarling in Mark's direction.

"Arrest him? Why?" asked Jane, her blue eyes confused.

"Why do you think? He attacked Steph yesterday. He put his hands on my wife and he's not fucking getting away with it."

Jane shook her head slowly and her expression was unreadable as she turned to Mark. Paul almost felt sorry for her as he watched her absorbing what he had just told her, knowing everything she'd been through in her life. There was her missing daughter. A dead granddaughter whose loss had affected her badly according to Stephanie and now there was her son-in-law. In the brief time he'd met her, Paul quite liked Jane. She was caring. She clearly loved her family. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve Mark.

"I think you must be mistaken."

Her words were slow and deliberate. Jane's jaw jutted out defiantly as she turned her head to look at Paul. He stared back at her in a confused daze. Mistaken? What the fuck was she talking about?

"Yesterday Mark was visiting me at home. He was with me the whole time so you see he couldn't have attacked anyone. Mark didn't touch Stephanie."

As her words hit home, Paul shook his head in disbelief. Of all the things he thought Jane was, a liar wasn't one of them. Obviously he'd been mistaken after all. "I don't believe this shit!" he cried. "Why are you defending him? Why are you protecting that scum?"

"My family has been through enough suffering Mr Levesque." Jane told him as she crossed the hall to stand beside Mark pausing for a moment to throw a glance towards the staircase. "Especially that little baby girl upstairs." she continued referring to Chloe, a beautiful kid who definitely didn't deserve what her little life had thrown at her. "An innocent child who has grown up never knowing her mother. Now she'll grow up never knowing her sister either. I'll be damned if I'm going to let you take her father away from her too."

Paul struggled to find his words as he looked at her, shocked. "You…..you can't do this." he said.

"Believe me I can and trust me when I tell you that if you lay one more finger on him, it will be over. If you so much as come near my son in law again, I will get you arrested and it will be you that loses your family." Jane warned him. "I don't care who you are or how much money you have. It will be you that loses everything. So my advice is for you to leave now. Leave this house and never come back if not for Mark, then do it for Chloe. That poor little baby who has done nothing to deserve this."

"Are you for real?" Paul asked, his face stunned and his brow furrowed with confusion. "Are you really going to let him get away with this?"

"Leave. Now. Please." Jane commanded. Her facial expression was hard and cold but her eyes betrayed her inner torment as they sparkled with her tears and for a moment Paul got it. He understood what Jane was doing. She was protecting her family just like he was protecting his by smashing Mark's face in. But just because he understood it, it didn't make it right. It wasn't right. It wasn't right by a long shot.

Paul's nose wrinkled with his rage as he glared once more in his enemy's direction taking small satisfaction in the red liquid that covered the lower half of his face. But Mark's blood wasn't enough. How could it be after what he'd done? Paul's fist curled into a tight ball, the tips of his fingers pressing against his palm.

"Leave now Mr Levesque before I make that call to the authorities. I'm warning you."

Shane's hand tugged on his arm, pulling him towards the door.

"Come on, Paul. Let's get out of here."

Paul shrugged him off as he continued to glare at Mark. Shane saw Jane make the brief walk from the staircase to the table where the phone lay. Her hand reached for the receiver making it very clear she meant what she said. Shane knew they had no choice but to listen to her.

"Paul, now!" he instructed as he gripped the large arm, steering it determinedly towards the exit. Shane somehow managed to guide Paul out of the house pausing in between to make sure Mark got the message loud and clear.

"Lay a finger on my sister again and I'll be the one smashing your face in."

The door clicked shut behind them as they stood at the top of the pathway. Shane thought Paul looked like he was still reeling from Jane's lies about Mark and her threat to call the police. Honestly, that's probably the only reason he got him out of that house in the first place. If Paul had been on his game he wouldn't have been so lucky. Neither would Mark. Paul would have killed him and God knows he wanted to kill the fucker himself after what he'd done to Stephanie. No wonder Paul had been so angry. He was livid himself not to mention worried about his sister. What she'd been through, it didn't bear thinking about.

"Is Steph okay? I mean did he….you know…" Shane's voice trailed off as his stomach lurched and his hand reached to rub at his temple. It sickened him to think about what had happened to his sister but it sickened him even more to think that perhaps Stephanie had been through a lot more. It was a word he didn't want to think about. It was a word that made him sick inside but it was a word he had to face up to whether he liked it or not.

"Did he what?"

Shane lifted his head to meet Paul's confused expression. It suddenly dawned on him that Paul hadn't a clue what he was talking about. It made Shane wonder if Paul had even contemplated the word either. Rape. He mentally kicked himself for even bringing the subject up but if what he feared had happened, they couldn't ignore it even if they wanted to. They needed to get Stephanie through this. The only way to do that was finding out the truth no matter how hard that truth was for all of them.

"The attack." Shane replied pausing for a second to swallow hard. God if this was hard for him, he could only imagine what this was doing to Paul. He loved Stephanie so much. He would lay down her life for her. He almost had. "He didn't touch Stephanie in that way, did he?"

Paul's brow crinkled deeply, still obviously confused by Shane's line of questioning. "What way?"

Then suddenly that word must have dawned on him and his whole face crumpled with his pain. Shane saw the visible distress on Paul's face as he stared back at him.

"Look man I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up." he apologised.

Paul swallowed thickly. He shook his head slowly. His brown eyes were sad as he stared ahead, visibly stunned. "No. You should have. It's just…I never even thought….I never asked her….."

His voice trailed off as it carried into the light wind that blew around them and any anger Paul felt was quickly replaced with an overwhelming sadness that crippled him and twisted him up inside. He felt his bottom lip tremble and he bit down on it, trying to stay in control. But the very idea that Mark had touched her in that way…it made him want to scream. It made him want to cry. It made him want to hold his wife tight and never let her go. Christ, he hadn't even asked Stephanie how she was. He'd just rushed over here hell bent on revenge. He should have stayed and comforted her. He should have made sure she felt protected and safe. Instead she was over there, all alone and probably scared to death. Fuck. He had let her down yet again. Though why was he surprised? It was quickly becoming a habit these days.

"Let's get out of here."

All the fight and rage he had felt earlier had left his body. Defeated, Paul barely nodded his agreement as he stared at the building in front of him for a few seconds longer before he spun on his heel and began to follow Shane down the path. For now, Stephanie was all that mattered. She was his priority. Mark would keep.