*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. thank-you all so much!
JOHN:
I am on my way home after being gone for a few days because of wrestling. I am so ready to be home with Natalie and my kids. I have been thinking and worried about them the entire time I have been gone. I made sure I checked in with Natalie to make sure she was doing all right because I simply don't trust Ashley. I know she's in jail but I'm always scared she's going to get out and finish what she started. I will be happy once we go to court in a couple weeks and she is behind bars for a long period of time then she will no longer be a thought in my mind. Right now the risks are too great and I worry about leaving them constantly. Even though this is my second trip gone from home I still feel the same way I did when I made the first trip scared to death. I pull up into our long dirt driveway as the gates shut behind me and drive up to the front door. I am so ready to see Nat and the kids. I have missed them terribly. I park the car and get out. I grab my luggage out of the trunk and walk to the front door. I put my key into the hole and open the door. "Natalie, I'm home," I call as I enter the house closing the door behind me.
I hear Natalie say, "Daddy's home," and she arrives at the door with Gabriel in her arms. I swear he has gotten bigger since I've been gone. "Look, Gabriel, there's daddy," she says pointing to me and smiling.
"Hey Beautiful," I say as I give her a kiss on the lips. "Hey, Champ," I say as I take Gabriel from Natalie. "How were things while I was gone?"
"Good," she says, "but I am exhausted. I forgot how much work a baby is. He has not let me sleep for the last couple nights. He sleeps during the day just not at night."
"Champ, is that true? Are you keeping your mommy awake at night?" I ask Gabriel as he gives me a big toothless grin. "He smiled."
"I know," says Natalie. "He started that a couple days ago."
"And I missed it," I say sadly. That's another thing I hate about being away from home. I miss a lot. "Well, do you want to rest?"
"I do but I'm going shopping for my wedding dress and for Angelina's flower girl dress," she says.
"Wedding dress shopping?" I ask.
"Yeah," she says. "Our wedding will be here before we know it."
"I guess so," I say, "who is watching the baby?"
"You are," she says with a smile.
"Me?" I ask. "I never watched him alone before."
"You gotta start sometime," she says, "He's not a bad baby. He will be all right."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, John, but I don't have time to talk. I have to go," she says. "I'll be back and Angelina is at a friend's house. I will pick her up on my way to the dress shop."
"You're leaving now?" I ask as panic sets in. I have never taken care of a baby by myself before. What if I do something wrong?
"Yes. Don't worry," she says. "You'll be all right. I have some bottles in the fridge, his diapers are on the changing table and there are extra outfits in his room in case he has an accident. By the way when changing him move fast or he might pee on you."
"Nat," I say.
"John, you'll be fine. Love you," she says giving me a quick kiss before heading out the door. Wow it's just Gabriel and me.
"Well, Champ," I say looking at him, "it looks like it's just you and me right now." He gives me another toothless grin as I walk into the living room. I place him in his swing so I can lay down on the couch and catch up on some basketball coverage.
Gabriel falls asleep in no time and I am just as tired so I fall asleep shortly after him. I am soon woken up by his shrills and shrieks. I almost fall off the couch because it startles me. I get up and walk over to the swing to pick him up. "What is the matter, Champ?" I ask him as I rock him in my arms. I lay him down on his changing table to change him but as I am changing him I move too slow and he pees all over me and all over himself. "Gabriel," I say as I pick him up. "Let's get you changed."
I change his diaper and his clothes but he is still screaming one thing can be said he has a very well developed pair of lungs. His shrieks are ear piercing. I pick him up and take him downstairs to try getting him something to eat. I carry him in one arm as I get a bottle out of the fridge. I warm it up and give it to him. He immediately starts sucking it down as if he hasn't eaten for days. "You were hungry," I say as I take him into the living room to feed him. "You want to watch some basketball with me?" I ask as I feed him and prop him up to watch TV. I love this little boy. He has an appetite just like his daddy. He calms down after he eats and I lay him down on the floor and play with him for a while until the doorbell rings. "Who could that be?" I ask as I pick him up and walk over to the door. I open the door and see Randy standing there. "Randy, what are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to see your kids," he says as I let him in the house. "Is this Gabriel?"
"This is the Champ," I say with a smile.
"He looks just like you. Where's Natalie?"
"She is wedding dress shopping," I say as we walk into the living room.
"So you two are really getting married?"
"Yeah," I say.
"I'm glad it's about time," he says. "It's been what 9 years?"
"Yeah," I say, "about 9 years."
"I'm glad you're finally marrying someone that appreciates you and someone that isn't just after your money."
"Ashley was a big mistake," I say as I put Gabriel in his bouncer.
"I'd say," says Randy. "She's nuts."
"You think?" I ask, "but soon she will be out of our lives forever."
"I can't believe she did that to Natalie. How is she doing anyway after all that?"
"Well, we haven't had sex in a long time because she is uncomfortable because she always remembers being raped by that Max guy. She gets jumpy at every sound but for the most part she is healing. I think she will be better once we go through court."
"Do you think she will be strong enough to testify?" asks Randy and for the first time I realize that Natalie may be too scared or it may be too difficult for her to testify in court about everything that happened. She still has nightmares about it.
"I don't know, man. I think she will do it because of Gabriel because of everything he's gone through because of what happened to her. He wouldn't have come so early if it wasn't for Ashley's shenanigans. What possesses a person to do that?"
"I don't know, John. I really don't know. I always knew that Ashley was off her rocker but not that much," says Randy. "Are you going to be able to handle seeing Ashley's face after everything that has happened?"
"I don't know. I hope that I can but I can't promise anything. I don't want to lose my temper but I am so angry with Ashley. She has destroyed my fiancé. She pretty much ruined her life."
"Natalie's life wasn't exactly ruined but it did affect her," says Randy. "You know you need to control your temper at court or everything will go out the window."
"I know but I want to hurt Ashley like she hurt Natalie," I say.
"You better get that on lock right now. You have to sit there and be quiet," he says. "If you do one wrong thing it could jeopardize everything."
"I know," I say. "I will try to control myself but I don't know." I really don't know if I can handle seeing Ashley after everything she has done. I would love to hurt her like she hurt Natalie but Randy is right when we go to court in the next couple weeks I need to stay calm so that she can get what she deserves and pays for everything she has done.
*A/N: Not a real eventful chapter but emotions are displayed heading into the trial which was the point because we don't know what we're going to get from John or Natalie. So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading. (Make sure to catch the next 3 chapters they will not disappoint :) )