*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter they were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
The next morning I arrive with Zoey at the hospital after spending Christmas morning with her so she could open all the gifts that Dean and I bought her. I didn't want to miss her first real Christmas or have her miss out on her first real Christmas so Dean told me last night to go home with her to be with her when she woke up and we would spend Christmas together at the hospital not really our choice but the doctors want to keep Dean for a couple days just to monitor him and keep an eye on his injuries. "Is Daddy okay?" asks Zoey as I hold her hand on the elevator as she holds onto her Zoey doll.
"Daddy is just fine," I say. "He got a boo boo but the doctor said he should be well enough to come home soon."
"I miss Daddy," she says looking up at me with her blue eyes as she stands in a beautiful red Christmas dress that has sparkles up top down to her waist where the skirt becomes a tulle tutu with white tights and red sparkling shoes. Her hair pulled up into a little bun with a red flower clip fastened beside her bun. She looks just like Cody sometimes especially in this moment.
"I know you do but I promise that daddy will be home in a couple days."
"Okay. Mommy, why was everyone taking our picture outside?" she asks about the paparazzi. From the time I left the hospital, got back to the penthouse and left the penthouse they had camped out front waiting to get word from me about Dean's condition and asking who Alexis is. I was instructed not to talk to them until Dean's people give me permission or until his people handle everything.
"They're just concerned about Daddy," I answer her trying not to fill her head with the idea of fame. She's three years old she shouldn't have to deal with being famous or on the tabloids.
"Oh," she says as the doors open. Our security guard steps off first making sure everything is safe before he allows us to step off the elevator. He guides us to Dean's room and I knock on the door.
"Come in," I hear Dean's voice. I smile as the guard opens the door. Zoey runs in before me.
"DADDY!" she yells before she runs over to him to hug him.
"Careful," he says. "I have a boo-boo."
"I'm sorry," she says before she carefully gives him a hug as I make my way over to him. "How did you get a boo-boo?" she asks.
"I just got hurt," he answers hoping that it will satisfy her curiosity. "Hey, Beautiful," he says to me with a smile before I lean down and kiss his lips softly. "Did Santa come, Zoey?"
"Yes, Daddy," she says, "and he brought me a Zoey doll and he brought me lots of clothes and toys."
"I'm glad," he says with a smile. "You must have been a really good girl this year."
"I was," she says with a smile. "He brought mommy a present too," she says.
"He did?" asks Dean.
"Yes look at her ring! He got her a pretty ring," she says.
He looks at my engagement ring on my finger and says, "Mommy must have been a good girl all year long," he says as I nudge him. He lets out a soft chuckle and it's music to my ears. "Do you know what that ring means?" he asks.
"No but it is pretty."
"It means that Daddy and Mommy are going to get married and have a beautiful wedding where you can be the flower girl. You can wear a beautiful dress just like mommy," he says with a proud smile. I'm surprised he thinks about things like that. "How does that sound?"
"Good," she says with a smile. "I want to wear a pretty dress like mommy."
"I know," he smiles, "you know what, Zoey. I think Santa dropped one more present off for you."
"He did?" she asks. "What is it?"
"I don't know," he says as I get our gift for her. "I think you should open it to find out," he says with a smile.
"Okay," she says as I hand her the present. "I hope it is a baby sister!" she says with excitement. "I really want a baby sister."
"I know you do," he says with a smile as he wraps his arm around my waist as we watch her tear the present open.
"It's a shirt," she says, "and a picture," she says holding up the picture with one hand and the shirt with the other. "And there are two necklaces in here," she points out.
"Do you know what the shirt says?" I ask.
"No," she says. "What does it say?"
I smile and say, "Big Sister."
"Big sister? I'm going to be a big sister?" she asks.
"You're going to be a big sister!" I say with a big smile.
"I'm going to be a big sister!" she squeals with excitement as tears fill my eyes. I have never seen her so happy. "Is this the baby?" she asks holding up the picture again.
"That's the baby inside my tummy," I say. "Merry Christmas!"
"This is the best Christmas present ever!" she says with a smile. "Is the baby coming today?"
"No not today," I say, "but at the end of June beginning of July your baby brother or sister should be here."
"Oh," she says sadly.
"He or she still has to grow in my tummy," I say. "If it comes now it could be really sick and we don't want that so we need to keep it in mommy's tummy a little longer okay?"
"Okay, Mommy," she says. "I just want to be a big sister!"
"I know and you're going to be the best big sister there ever was!" I say.
"I'm going to change the baby's diaper and feed the baby. I'm going to give the baby a lot of hugs and kisses." She says making me smile. "I'm going to love my baby so much."
"I know you will," I say with a smile. "I think we made her Christmas," I whisper to Dean.
"I think we made her whole year," he responds back to me. "She's definitely happy and I'm happy. Are you ready to announce to the world that we're getting married and that we're having a baby?"
"Isn't that a lot at one time?" I ask.
"Well, no one is going to miss this ring," he says taking my hand and kissing it, "and you're not going to be able to hide that baby bump."
"I know," I say placing my hand on my stomach. "They're more worried about who Alexis is rather than us getting married and having a baby. I think we should handle that one first then focus on the engagement and the pregnancy. I can wear baggy shirts."
"That's not how the media works, Journey," he says. "You start wearing baggy shirts and wearing that sparkling ring they're going to get nosey and start digging around. It's better to just tell them the news and let them bargain to get the wedding pictures and be the magazine to cover the story of both the baby and the wedding then to have them speculate."
"I don't know," I say. "I've never been famous before. I don't know if I want the world to know I'm pregnant or the world to know that we're getting married not yet not after what happened to you last night. I don't know if it's safe."
"You might be right but we're going to need to do a press release about who Alexis is. Get people to know your story. How do you feel about sharing your story with the world?"
"I don't know," I say. "I mean maybe it would be good to get my story out there but I'm not sure how comfortable I am with telling the world I was raped by my step father, my mother never believed me and chose him over me then I married the man I thought loved me only to be abused by him. I don't know, Dean."
"You never know, Journey or Alexis, you may change someone's life."
"I don't know," I say.
"It's your choice," he says. "But I need to know do you want to be called Alexis or Journey?"
"Journey," I answer. "That's who I am now. I'm not Alexis anymore. I'm a new woman, a new person. I will never be Alexis again."
"And you never have to be her again," he says. "I promise."
"Thank-you," I say as there is a knock on the door.
"Come in," says Dean.
The door opens and our security guard comes in. "Mr. Ambrose?" he asks. "There's a Mr. Thompson out here that says he knows you and would like to visit you."
"Mr. Thompson, I mean Todd is here?" he asks. "Let him in," he says. "Let him in."
"Who is Todd?" I ask as the security guard gets the man waiting in the hallway.
"He's the man that changed my life, Journey," he says with a smile. "I haven't seen him for years."
"Oh," I say as I see a man walk into the room. He's probably about late 40's maybe early 50's dressed in a grey sweater and blue jeans. His hair is a silver grey color and his eyes like diamonds. He's not too bad looking he's quite handsome.
"Todd," says Dean with a smile. "What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you to be here."
"You think I would let you spend Christmas in the hospital alone?" he asks as he looks at me and then at Zoey. "But I see you're not alone."
"I'm not," he says with a smile. "It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too. I wish it was under better circumstances," he says, "but I'm glad I got out here to see you. I had to get through the damn circus out there but I made it."
"Yeah the media are hounds," says Dean. "I'm glad you're here."
"Me too," he says, "It's been what 5 years?"
"Probably," says Dean. "You still teaching?"
"No I retired last year," he says. "I'm living the life," he says with a smile, "but it looks like you're doing well for yourself."
"I am," he says, "I want you to meet someone," he says. "This is my fiancée Journey and my daughter Zoey," he introduces us.
"I'm Todd," he says with a smile before shaking my hand and then Zoey's. "It's nice to meet you but Dean I had no idea you had a child."
"Biologically no but emotionally yes," he says making my heart melt. That was the most beautiful way of putting it I think. It takes more than sperm to be a father it takes commitment and time to be a father as well as a lot of love all of which Dean has for Zoey. "But I am going to have a baby in June early July," he says with a smile. "Journey and I are having a baby."
"That's great news!" he says with a smile. "Congratulations."
"Thank-you!" we say together.
"It was a surprise," says Dean, "but a happy surprise. I'm excited to be a father."
"You're going to make a great father but I believe you're probably already a good father to Little Zoey."
"I do my best. I learned a thing or two from you," he says with a smile. "If it weren't for you I wouldn't be where I am today."
"No, Dean if it wasn't for your hard work you wouldn't be where you are today. I just believed in you," he says with a smile. "I knew you could go to school and be the man you wanted to be."
"Thanks," says Dean with a smile.
"So how is everything after the shooting, how are you doing?"
"I'll survive," says Dean. "I could have died but I made it. We're going to find the man that did it or the police are and they are going to make sure he pays."
"Good," he says. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Just surgery to remove the bullet," he says, "I lost a lot of blood that was the biggest concern."
"I'm sure," he says. "Have you talked to the police?"
"Not yet. I wanted this day with my family," he says, "then we can talk to the police."
"That gives the person the time to run," I say.
"He's not running anywhere," he says. "Trust me on that. There's two things he wants and he hasn't gotten them, he's not going anywhere."
"Okay," I say as the door bursts open. Two officers rush in followed by our security guards.
"I told you that you can't be in here," says the guard.
"And I told you that you're interfering with an investigation!" says an officer.
"What is going on here?" asks Dean.
"Your girlfriend is a suspect in your shooting," he answers.
"My girlfriend had nothing to do with this," says Dean. "I will call my lawyer."
"Mr. Ambrose, you can do that but your girlfriend is going down to the station."
"The hell she is," says Dean as one of the officers grabs me roughly. Zoey starts screaming for me. "She's pregnant be gentle asshole," says Dean.
"Alexis, you have the right to remain silent whatever you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney if you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you," he says as he handcuffs me. I don't say a word, tears streaming from my eyes. I would never hurt Dean, NEVER.
"Baby," says Dean, "it will be okay. I'm going to call the lawyer," he says. I nod at him not saying a word as they take me out of the hospital room, Zoey screaming before a woman that I believe is a social worker comes in and takes a screaming Zoey as I am being escorted out of the hospital with a screaming Zoey behind us. They take us through the hounds of the media as they snap pictures. The officers put me in one car and the social worker puts Zoey in another car. My heart breaks as my stomach cramps and I already know it's all too late as I feel the wetness between my legs. Tears fall from my eyes as I break down into sobs as I'm taken to the station.
*A/N: What did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading.