Chapter Twenty – Three

Thirty-nine hours later, Steven returned home to the apartment to find Lila had made his favorite, grilled Tuscan chicken and steamed vegetables. A low rumble of July thunder was the only sound besides the sizzle of a home cooked meal. "Hey, wow you look so pretty."

Lila laughed, "Please don't lie, I look like a big fat whale. It's so hot in here." Lila had all of their window units blaring and was still perspiring.

"You look like an adorable cute little dolphin," Steven laughed and kissed Lila's lips. "I love you baby. I'll set the table after I shower."

Lila sat down and kicked off her shoes. Her feet were so swollen her flip flops left marks. She sighed, she napped and was still exhausted. She was just about to get up when the phone began to ring, "Hello," Lila greeted the caller. "Steven Tenney," said a recorded female voice. "You and yours will burn in hell for all eternity. Baby killer! Baby killer! Don't close your eyes!"

Steven stepped out of the shower, Lila was on the phone, "Well, she did Joey and it's the first I heard of it, so please do something! I don't care if the whole world knew, I should have known! I'm not a baby!"

When Lila hung up, Steven raised an eye brow, "What happened?"

Lila turned to look at Steven narrowing her eyes at him. "That was some lady calling you a baby killer, she threatened our family!"

"We had that bad fire Lil, lost a baby, there was no way we could get to him. We talked about that." Steve sighed taking a seat in one of the kitchen chairs.

Lila shook her head feeling anger rip through her body. "She threatened you! I called Joey and Dad has a tracer on the phones, this is a real threat! Why didn't you tell me? We're supposed to be partners Steve tell each other everything. How can I trust you if you don't?"

"Lil, I just don't want to give her crazy any…"

Lila held up her hand and slipped on her shoes. "I'm going for a walk…I need some air. I can't believe you, my father sure, he thinks I'm still a little girl in a tutu, but you. How could you?

Before Steve could answer Lila stormed out, still barefoot and all slamming the door behind her.

Lila was only two blocks from the apartment when rain began to pour down from the sky. She was soaked in mere seconds, the water blending with her tears. How could he have kept this from her? She was often alone at home with their precious babies beneath her heart. Her father, brother, and husband conspired against her and it hurt.

Lila was so lost in her own thoughts the water falling all around barely registered. Her mother, she would know what to do and say in this situation, and for sure she would make her father explain everything. That was Lila's only goal now, to reach her home and her mother. She would fix everything.

"Hello," Eddie greeted as the telephone rang.

"Eddie, Mom, it's Steven, is she there?"

"Steven? Lila, no she's not here, did something happen?"

"We had a fight, well, she yelled at me and took off minutes before it started to pour. She said she was going to for some air but she's been gone a while."

Eddie sighed, "All right, let me call Jamie, he's on his way home now. I'll have him ride the way that we usually walk and if he sees her, he'll pick her up, I'll calm her down. You come over in about two hours. I'll handle it."

Eddie hung up with Steven and called Jamie's cell. "Lila left the apartment, she found out about the threats when that woman called their house. She's out there in the rain, can you keep an eye out for her?"

"Sure thing, and bring her home?"

"To our home," Eddie replied. "I have to talk to her gently and get her calm. Please Jamie!"

"I'll drive the usual way," Jamie replied and informed his driver of the situation.

While Jamie rode home with his eyes peeled, Lila kept walking. Their neighborhood was still quiet and no one else seemed to be nutty enough to be out in the deluge. As Lila walked, and cried, she was oblivious to the power going out all around her. All she could think about was that threats had been made against her husband and her unborn babies and no one saw fit to tell her. As Lila steeped in her anger a loud crack shocked her back to the present. A nearby oak tree had lost a limb dropping a live power line directly in Lila's path. As she watched the blue ball of electricity dance dangerously close to her, Lila backed up to get out of it's path. She didn't hear the slam of a car door as the backed up and into a hard firm grip. She tried to fight and screamed with all her might.

"Lila," Jamie whispered in her ear. "Lila, it's Daddy…It's Daddy baby…Ssh. It's all right."

It took Jamie another minute to get Lila to recognize his voice. Finally his touch and the use of her pet name, "Kitten" got her to relax against him, sobbing harder than Jamie ever remembered her doing. "Come on, let's get into the car. You're all right."

Jamie helped Lila, who was still shaking and now clinging to him to the SUV. Once inside, Jamie wrapped his daughter in his arms. "Take a deep breath, Mom's going to take care of you when we get to the house, it's all right." Lila was shaking now as the air conditioning in the SUV hit her wet skin. Jamie held Lila close and rubbed her arms to warm her. They pulled into the driveway ten minutes later. Eddie was waiting on the porch with a robe for her daughter.

Jamie held Lila tight until he got her up the steps to Eddie, then turned the shaking girl over to her mother. Eddie wrapped the robe around Lila's shoulders easing her inside. Lila looked up at Jamie, blue eyes flashing, "How could you? How could all of you do that to me?!"

"Lila," Jamie sighed. "We didn't think she meant anything by it. The calls started about two days ago, Steven on his cell and the other firefighters. To protect you and my grandchildren, I put a tracer on the house, you are 30 weeks, and you have to take care of yourself. Steven did not want you so upset so close to the end of your pregnancy. I see now it backfired."

Eddie was still holding and rocking Lila in her arms. "What got you so scared, precious? The call but what else."

"The tree, the power line…that cat…it was dead on the street then I thought something caught me…" Lila hiccupped. "I kept remembering that old movie…That woman threatened my babies and all I can hear now is that old rhyme, you know… "Look upon the face of death…"

"Oh, honey…" Eddie sighed. "Jamie, I hear Dad fussing with tea can you get it from him please?"

Jamie knew Eddie needed sometime with Lila alone so he patted is daughter's knee and headed off. "Don't be scared, Angel. It's always been a myth that the baby could be impacted by something that frightened the mother." Eddie whispered. "Once when I was pregnant, I went up into the attic here to get down some baby things that were packed away from when your Dad was a baby. While I was up there, the biggest spider I ever saw crawled up my arm. I screamed so loud, Uncle Danny came running up with his gun drawn and that scared me even more, but my baby was born perfect."

Lila wiped her eyes, "Which one of us was it?"

Eddie tweaked Lila's nose like she did when she was younger, "You. You were the most perfect baby…and your babies will be perfect too. I know it. Steven will be here in about an hour to take you home."

Eddie called Jamie to come back in, and Frank carried in tea gently scolding his granddaughter, "Didn't I tell you about running away from home when you were about six?"

Lila sniffled, "I guess." She accepted the tea

"You, your doll Sophie, a pillowcase, and a banana ran away and made it almost all the way to the bus before Uncle Danny found you and brought you back home. Your Dad was busy working, so I went over to soothe your Mom…we talked about this."

Lila had to laugh, "I guess I got angry and I didn't. I am pregnant, I'm not sick or anything and I felt lied to."

Eddie nodded, "I know but it really wasn't malicious sweetie. You and Steven talk it out okay? While you're waiting for him to come, put those feet up, my goodness…"

Lila did as her mother said and gently elevated her legs in Frank's chair. Eddie watched the clock checking, "He should be here any minute."

A minute turned into thirty, and then to forty five, and still no Steven. Lila dozed off exhausted from the trying afternoon while Eddie tried to call Steven twice. Just as Eddie was about to send Jamie over to retrieve their son-in-law, Lila's phone rang. Lila jolted awake and answered listening to the caller. "Um, hello, is this Mrs. Lila Tenney?" said the voice on the calling end. The tone scared Lila worse than the threatening call her earlier. She immediately reached for Jamie who took her hand in his and held on tight.

"Yes, who is this!" said Lila, beginning to get scared.

"Ma'am, my name is Sergeant Connolly," said the caller. "I'm out of the 6-8. I recognized the name, you're Commissioner Reagan's daughter. I'm calling to notify you that your husband Steven has been involved in an accident and is being taken to Lutheran Hospital."

A/N: I am pretty sure no one saw that one coming. Did this accident have to do with the threats or was it just a twist of fate? Jamie and Eddie will have their hands full now, good thing they are good parents.

Next Update – May 28th - Lila's Reagan temper shows up while waiting with her parents for news on Steven.