Forbidden love for a Barkley
Part Fifty Three:
"Ave Maria, pt. 7: Just Can't Get Enough"
The Marquis revealed that his daughter Michelle was kidnapped, Nadine was finally in the stage of giving birth with Carmine Jr getting prepared to deliver the baby, a new prisoner arrived, Jarrod seemingly came up with a plan for all of them to escape while he found out the identities of the masked men, Julissa revealed that she has been widowed for a while, and the animal growling and howling was revealed to be a black wolf that was now walking towards Nick. After so long of the visions and pains, Nadine was now in the stage of labor where she would have to start pushing and Carmine Jr was getting himself prepared to deliver yet another baby. Victoria got a jar of alcohol and gave it to Junior while Carl went off to get a knife for the umbilical cord and Dakota, Nadine's pet Mourning Dove, flew out an open window. Downstairs, Audra and Daphne were chewing the fat when Julissa brought Heath home. Once getting him to the couch, Audra got the necessary stuff to treat Heath's head wound, gave it to Julissa, and watched as she started tending to his wound. As she watched, Audra could tell there were obvious sparks between her brother and the Russian woman. Heath, on the other hand, couldn't take his eye off of Julissa's ring. So much so that he remarked how beautiful it was which led Julissa to reveal that a "special man" gave it to her. That special man would be revealed to be her late husband Georgi who passed on four years ago after an apparent lengthy illness. Heath, Daphne, and Audra would voice their condolences for her loss. At the Mangano household, the source of the growling and howling the yellow eyes behind the bush turned out to be a black wolf. Seeing this wolf would trigger both slight anxiety & a not so good memory for Nick and cause Carmine to believe that the wolf's presence was a bad omen. Nick would somewhat reveal that the not so good memory was that years ago he was attacked by a rabid wolf which he would delve into later on. Dakota, the Mourning Dove, would arrive, get the wolf's attention, and much to the surprise of Stefania, Nick, and Carmine, it appeared as though the wolf and the bird were talking to each other. Nick would start to make a move towards the stable in order to stand guard for Pilon and the foal only to stop when the wolf growled at and started to walk towards him. Feeling his heart start to race and his anxiety go from 1 to 100 the memory of the rabid wolf attacking him playing out in his mind, Nick started to slowly back away from the wolf. At the fire, the Marquis would not only reveal that his daughter Michelle was kidnapped, but that Dieter Gubenheimer was a friend to his family and he wants Nick's help in finding his daughter. Eugene would put his foot down or well, shove his foot further and further into his mouth by insinuating that the Marquis was going to trick Nick into saving Michelle and demand favors which would lead the second Barkley son to a premature death & he (Eugene) was not going to have any of it. The Marquis would be insulted and continue his war of words with the youngest Barkley before the two would be reminded by Violet and Paulie that there was still a fire raging and their help was still needed. Vincent would chime in and remind Eugene that he found the crate of bottles & gallon of nitroglycerin followed by Ciego and Brahma asking what he planned on doing with them. Eugene would say that he planned on filling the bottles and creating a firebreak thus putting the fire out a lot quicker & the Marquis voiced that he would supply more nitroglycerin if they ran out which led to the youngest Barkley to shove his foot more further into his mouth & the team of Violet, Paulie, Silas, Ciego, Vincent, and Simonetta to shake their heads before grabbing the bottles and starting to fill them. Back with Jarrod and the hostages/prisoners, the eldest Barkley son and the Clearwater son continued to bicker until Randolph and Dieter, having grown tired of this, grabbed sticks and hit them against the wall, getting the bickering duo's attention and annoyance immediately. Randolph would voice that the bickering would get them nowhere and if Jarrod had an idea, they should listen to him which led to the eldest Barkley son to start to reveal his plan which involved something to pick a lock. Brent would be snarky about it which would earn him a head slapping by his father. Jarrod would continue to reveal his plan of picking the lock, leaving the door open, and while everyone else, one by one, escaped, he would sneak around and try to uncover the identities of the masked men. Of course, everybody in the room at the moment, even a reluctant Italia would be on board except Brent who thought Jarrod was nuts. As of now, a new prisoner/hostage was brought in and revealed to be a mademoiselle followed by a slap sound and another woman's scream. The questions that remain are as follows: Who was the new prsioner/hostage?, Who was slapped?, Who screamed?, Will Julissa reveal more about Georgi?, Will Eugene and the Marquis put their war of words to bed?, Is Chiara's foal really dead?, Will Nadine's baby arrive happy and healthy?, Where's Nadine's husband?, Will Jarrod's plan work?, Will he and the other prisoners/hostages be reunited with their loved ones?, Will Nunzio and Valery be found?, Will there be more revealed about Esther and her departure?, Will Eugene's plan with the nitroglycerin work?, Will Heath and Julissa reveal their attractions for each other?, Will Audra & Carl and Eugene & Daphne rekindle their relationships?, Who are the masked men?, Will Brent get on board eventually?, Will Nick get involved in the rescue mission and cross paths with the Marquis yet again?, and most importantly, will the wolf attack Nick or will this encounter be different? Stay tuned and find out!
Author's Note: I do NOT own The Big Valley or its characters. I ONLY own this fic and the characters of: Stefania Mangano, Carmine Mangano Sr, Carmine's friends, Paulie Mangano, Italia Mangano, Emilio Mangano, Serafina Mangano, Santo Mangano, Francesca Mangano, Cara & Mariah Mangano, Chet and the men Heath rounded up, Jess and Mavis Chaney, the Animal Team, Leonard Barkley, Seth & his gang, Violet Pascucci, Julissa Kurilenko, Daphne Gubenheimer, Simonetta Mangano, Father Margolis, Caleb (the little boy in the church), the Masked Men, Dakota the Mourning Dove, the Python that attacked Carl, Nadine Clearwater, the Clearwater family, Dieter Gubenheimer, Valery, Nunzio Pascucci, Georgi Kurilenko, Chiara the Mangano family horse, Chiara's foal, the Black Wolf, and the Mangano family. As I stated in previous chapters, I'm modeling the relationship between Jarrod and Violet after the one of James Bond/007 and Miss Moneypenny & Marshal Matt Dillon and Kitty Russell which by the way, those characters, the James Bond franchise, and Gunsmoke rightfully belong to their owners. Ooh! One more thing, I'm modeling Nadine Clearwater after Lucy Lawless's character Xena in the show "Xena: Warrior Princess" and Sonny Landham's character Billy Sole in the film "Predator" (1987) [You will see why in another chapter or so] with her last name paying homage to the band Creedence Clearwater Revival a.k.a. CCR which happens to be one of my favorite bands. All of those (Xena, Billy Sole, "Xena: Warrior Princess", "Predator" (1987) and Creedence Clearwater Revival) belong to their rightful owners. Before I forget, as you can see, this is the seventh part of another multi-parter chapter saga & I modeled the title of this chapter after the song of the same name & the other part of the title after the song "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode, which happens to be another favorite of mine. "Ave Maria" belongs to Franz Schubert and "Just Can't Get Enough" belongs to Depeche Mode. That being said and without further ado, happy reading! :D
Warning/Trigger Warning: There will be the continuation of another birth and all that goes with it in this chapter. If it makes you uncomfortable or bothers you, please feel free to skip this chapter. Oh and this chapter may be brief/short.
Spoiler Alert: A familiar character may either return or be mentioned in this chapter!
(Flashback to part 52)
"Please, be careful." Nadine said to Carmine Jr.
"Do not fret, young lady. My son delivered my granddaughters. He knows what's he doing." Andrea tried to reassure her.
"I remember hearing that, but this is my first baby and I'm...nervous." Nadine rubbed her belly.
"We understand, Nadine. However, Carmine Jr is perfect for delivering the baby since he has first hand experience." Allegra added.
"Here's the alcohol." Victoria returned with a glass jar of alcohol and handed it to Carmine Jr.
"Grazie." Carmine Jr poured some alcohol all over his hands and rubbed it all in.
Dakota cooed before flying out an opened window.
*Downstairs*
Audra and Daphne were shooting the breeze when the front door opened very wide and in came Julissa with Heath.
"Julissa, vhat (what) happened to him?" Daphne asked.
"Heath, are you alright?" Audra walked up to Julissa and her brother.
"He was fighting te (the) fire and his head started to bleed. He is very hurt." Julissa explained as she and Audra guided Heath to the couch.
"He was hurt earlier, Julissa. I guess too much activity and the fire must've taken their toll on him." Audra replied, "You stay with him while I get the necessary stuff to clean the head wound."
"Okay." Julissa nodded before gently taking the bandage off of Heath's head.
"Heath, did you find any trace of Dieter?" Daphne asked.
"I'm afraid not, Daphne. However, do not give up any hope, because he could still be alive somewhere else." Heath told her.
"Vhere (Where) else vould (would) he go?" Daphne sighed.
"Maybe the masked men got him." Julissa replied.
"Ohhhh!" Daphne put her head in her hands, "God only knows vhat (what) zhey (they) are putting him through!"
"Heaven only knows what they are all going through at this time." Heath added.
"I can't even bear te (the) tought (thought). Tat's anoter (That's another) reason I brought you home, Heath." Julissa looked Heath in the eye, "Wit (With) Valery and everybody else missing, I didn't want to take a chance of you vanishing eiter (either), especially since you would be vulnerable since you're hurt."
"I appreciate that, Julissa, but I feel bad for leaving Eugene and the others behind." Heath replied.
"I'm sure they're doing fine, Heath." Audra came in with the necessary stuff, sat next to Heath on his right, and handed a wet cloth to Julissa, "Besides, Julissa had the right idea bringing you home. Being in your present condition, while it was very noble for you to help, you would've done more harm than good after a while."
"So I have heard, but I go by my motto of never leaving others behind whether you're injured, sick, or healthy." Heath nodded.
"Heath, don't vorry (worry) about it. Eugene and zhe others vill be fine." Daphne told him.
"Yeah, Heath. You just worry about yourself and let me-let us worry about you." Julissa added before taking a wet cloth from Audra and gently dabbing Heath's wound.
Audra looked at Heath and gave him a knowing smile as if to say: "I think somebody may fancy you, big brother.".
Heath returned it with a slight shrug before looking down at Julissa's ring.
Julissa set the cloth aside, grabbed some salve, and started rubbing some on the wound.
Heath cringed and made a pained expression on his face.
"I'm sorry, Heath, but te (the) vound (wound) needed salve. I didn't mean to hurt you." Julissa told him.
"I know, Julissa." Heath replied.
Julissa continued to tend to Heath only to begin to drift into a memory.
*Julissa's POV*
'Tis (This) takes me back to te (the) time Georgi was fixing our roof and got injured. My poor Georgi. Always working hard.'
I sigh then look at Heath and feel myself smile.
'The more I look at him, the more I find him handsome.'
I get bug eyed.
'Did I just tink (think) tat (that)? Did I just tink (think) or say Heath was handsome? If so, tis (this) is the first time I ever tought (thought) another man besides Georgi was handsome. In fact, I never once tought (thought) any oter (other) man could ever be handsome like my beloved Georgi.'
I look back at Heath and nod.
'Da. Heath is the second handsome man besides my Georgi. In fact, he reminds me a little bit of my beloved husband.'
I get a sad look on my face as memories of Georgi flow trough (through) my mind.
'Oh, Georgi. Why? Why did you have to leave? Why did te (the) good lord have to take you? So suddenly too.'
I look down at my ring and shake my head.
'I know you wouldn't want me to curse te (the) darkness and illness that took you, but I must and I always will.'
*Outside of Julissa's mind*
As Julissa continued to tend to Heath's wound and think about both the loss of Georgi and her obvious attractions for the blonde Barkley son, Audra & Daphne would observe the obvious attractions between the two and Heath wouldn't stop staring at Julissa's ring.
"That's a beautiful ring." Heath commented.
"Huh?" Julissa snapped out of her thoughts and looked a bit lost.
"I said that your ring is beautiful." Heath told her.
"Oh, tank you (thank you). A special man gave it to me a long time ago." Julissa looked at her ring, again.
"That was very nice of him." Heath said.
"He..." Julissa sighed and swallowed hard, "He is no longer here."
"Divorce?" Heath asked.
"No." Julissa shook her head, "He's passed on."
"Oh man. I'm so sorry for your loss, Julissa." Heath sported a solemn look on his face.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Audra said.
"I'm awfully sorry, Julissa. You never told me zhis (this)." Daphne added.
"So am I, Heath, Audra, and Daphne. I've been four years witout (without) my husband Georgi. Four long lonely years." Julissa choked back some tears, "Tat (That) is after six long monts (months) of his illness. Oh and Daphne, I didn't want to make tis (this) about me when we came here. Tat's (That's) why I never said anyting (anything)."
"I undershtand (understand), but I'm all ears if anybody needs to vent or talk." Daphne told her.
"I appreciate tat (that), Daphne." Julissa replied, "Same goes for me. Anybody needs to talk or vent, I am a good listener or at least, I try to be one."
"Same applies to Heath, Jarrod, Eugene, Nick, mother, and me. Silas, too and father when he was alive." Audra added.
"Zhank you (Thank you)." Daphne nodded.
"Tank you (Thank you)." Julissa said.
"Julissa, if you don't mind me asking, but what happened to Georgi?" Heath asked.
*Back at the Mangano household*
"Okay, those yellow eyes are staring at us!" Carmine grabbed a stick that was laying on the ground, "I am not liking this one bit!"
"Whatever it is definitely wants our attention." Nick said.
"Yeah, it wants our attention then it wants us...for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!" Carmine sounded a bit shaky.
"Papa, it's probably a helpless animal that needs our attention." Stefania told him.
"Helpless animal? With yellow eyes that are staring at your soul this very minute!" Carmine's hands started to shake.
"An animal can't stare at your soul." Stefania shook her head.
"Don't give me that, Stefania and don't say you are not scared!" Carmine replied.
Growling was heard once more, followed by rustling from the bushes and pretty soon, a paw stepping out from behind there.
"There's a paw!" Carmine's eyes got big.
The paw was followed by another one and before anybody knew it, the source of the growling and howling was revealed to be a canine of sorts.
"A Coyote!" Stefania gasped.
"No, that ain't a Coyote, Stefania." Nick started to have a nervousness wash over him as this canine was bringing back a certain memory, "This is a...Wolf!"
"Un lupo nero." Carmine said.
"A Black Wolf? What does that mean?" Stefania asked.
"Non lo so, ma non può essere un buon segno. (I do not know, but it cannot be a good sign.)" Carmine crossed his fingers.
Dakota arrived to the scene, perched himself on a tree, and cooed.
"Hey! It's that Mourning Dove from earlier." Nick got a puzzled look at seeing Dakota.
"I wonder what he is doing here. Oh, I hope the Black Wolf doesn't make a meal of him." Stefania started to worry.
"I hope not either and I hope it doesn't sense my obvious anxiety." Nick swallowed hard.
"Why is the wolf giving you anxiety?" Stefania turned to Nick.
"Well, I have the scent of Chiara's foal all over me and I was once attacked by a wolf a long time ago. I'll delve into it later on." Nick told her.
Dakota cooed once more, getting the wolf's attention. The wolf walked over to the tree and wagged its tail.
"Am I seeing what I am seeing or did I suddenly lose my mind?" Carmine couldn't believe what he saw.
Dakota flapped his wings and cooed.
The wolf pawed the ground a couple times in response.
"Are they talking to each other?" Nick asked.
"It sure looks like it." Stefania nodded.
The wolf whimpered and pawed the ground some more.
Dakota cooed, flew to the ground, and scratched it with his talons.
"That Mourning Dove is trying to convey some message to the wolf. I wonder what it could be." Stefania was a little curious.
"Who knows? I just hope that wolf doesn't make a meal out the bird or any of us or the foal which by the way, I'm going to go stand g-" Nick was cut off.
The wolf turned to Nick and started to growl at him.
"On second thought, I'll stay right here." Nick quickly changed his mind.
The wolf barked at Nick before starting to slowly approach him.
Nick, feeling his heart beginning to race and his anxiety going from one to 100 despite his efforts of trying not to show it plus the time he was attacked by a rabid wolf playing in his mind, started to back away from the wolf.
*Back at the fire*
"I will not stand here and carry on a conversation with a clod!" Marquis rolled his eyes.
"Uh guys, we still have a fire we need to get out and to find Dieter Gubenheimer." Violet glared at Eugene and the Marquis.
"You are right. Dieter is a good friend of my family and I hope nothing untoward has happened to him. It's bad enough my precious Michelle..." Marquis stopped and shook his head.
"What happened to your daughter?" Brahma asked.
"Masked clods took her from me to God knows where!" Marquis sighed.
"So your daughter was kidnapped and you want the help of a Barkley, is that it?" Eugene snarked.
"I want to know where Nick is. He's the only one who can-" Marquis was cut off.
"Hold it right there, Marquis." Eugene held his hand up, "You're not going to go trick my brother into saving your daughter or do any favors for you only to lead him into an ambush! Besides, he's over your daughter now!"
"So, you do not care if my daughter is being held against her will, monsieur?!" Marquis shot a glare at Eugene.
"Of course I care, but I know of the trick you and your daughter pulled on Nick during that wildfire and I will not let anybody trick him! I will not let anybody lead him to a premature death!" Eugene shot back.
"Marquis, Eugene, how about you engage in your war of words later and help put out this fire?!" Paulie shook his head.
"Eugene, you found the nitroglycerin and bottles, right?" Vincent chimed in.
"Yes." Eugene nodded.
"You said you had an idea or something, am I correct?" Brahma asked.
"Yes." Eugene said.
"Well, what is it?" Ciego asked.
"We fill the bottles up and create a firebreak on the bakery. Maybe it'll help put these flames out a lot quicker." Eugene replied.
"And what if we run out?" Violet asked.
"I will supply more." Marquis said.
"Oh, you will, huh? How do we know you won't ask us a favor or send us on a wild goose chase in exchange?! How do we know you won't withhold it until we agree to one of your demands?" Eugene snarked, again.
"Monsieur, your insinuation is insulting!" Marquis fired back.
"Eugene, you're shoving your foot deeper and deeper into your mouth!" Brahma shook his head.
Violet, Paulie, Silas, Ciego, Vincent, and Simonetta looked at each other and shook their heads before grabbing bottles from the crate and starting to fill them with the nitroglycerin.
*Meanwhile, with Jarrod and the prisoners/hostages*
Jarrod and Brent continued their session of endless bickering much to the annoyance of Randolph and the others. Having had enough of it, Randolph and Dieter exchanged glances before grabbing sticks and hitting them against the wall. This got Jarrod and Brent's attention almost immediately.
"Jarrod!" Dieter said.
"Brent!" Randolph said.
"Dieter, really?" Jarrod asked, placing his hands on his hips.
"Pop!" Brent shook his head.
"This bickering will not get us anywhere. Now, if Jarrod has an idea, I believe we should listen to him." Randolph told his son.
"Fair enough, pop." Brent nodded before turning to Jarrod, "Well, Jarrod, how about it?"
"Yeah, you said you had an idea. What is it?" Italia chimed in.
"Well, for starters, I'm going to need something to pick that lock over there." Jarrod started.
"Something to pick a lock? That's a strong start." Brent snarked as he folded his arms.
"Brent, I can do without the sarcasm." Jarrod shot him a glare.
"Well, anybody could-" Brent was cut off when Randolph slapped him on the back of the head.
"Thank you, Randolph. Anyways, once I get something to pick that lock over there, I'll leave the door open. While I go and try to discover their identities, one by one, each of you will sneak out." Jarrod said.
"One by one, we all sneak out, did I hear you right?" Brent still had his arms folded.
"Yes, you did, Brent." Jarrod nodded.
"Well, I'm all for it." Jess raised his hand.
"Me too." Cleo nodded.
"I can't believe I am saying this, but same here." Italia raised her hand.
"I." Francesca said.
"I." Dieter nodded.
"I." Randolph said.
"I think you're nuts!" Brent said.
"Let me go! Let...me...go!" a woman's voice was heard yelling.
"Get in there, french girl!" one of the masked men pushed the young lady onto the floor into the room.
"Ooh!" the woman cried out as she hit the floor.
"Get up and get to work...mademoiselle!" another masked man snarked before leaving with the other one.
"Who are you, young lady?" Jarrod asked as he helped the woman up.
A slap was heard, followed by a woman's scream.
"What in the world?!" Jess turned his attention to the direction the scream and slap came from.
"Please, tell me zhat (that) vasn't (wasn't) Daphne! Please!" Dieter was worried.
"Oh no, Daphne is fine last I remember." Jarrod told him.
"She iz (is)? She vas (was) shupposed (supposed) to meet me at my bakery, but never showed up." Dieter looked at him.
"Well, she reunited with Eugene." Jarrod replied.
"Oh, zhat (that) does my heart wery (very) good. I vas hoping she vould reunite vith (with) him." Dieter smiled a little.
"Well, she did and they came to my office. Afterwards, a chain of events happened and here I am. I haven't a clue what they are up to or where they are as of now." Jarrod said.
"I hope zhey (they) are alright. If shomething (something) happened to zhem (them), I vould never forgive myself. I am wery (very) protective of Daphne." Dieter sighed.
"Just like how I am of my siblings." Jarrod nodded before placing a hand on Dieter's shoulder, "Do not fret. Before we all know it, we'll be reunited with our loved ones."
"I hope so." Dieter replied.
"We will be, Dieter. We will be, I promise." Jarrod nodded before turning to the woman, "Now, as for you, young lady, who are you?"
(Now)
"My name is..." the woman wiped blood away from her mouth, "Michelle."
"You must be Michelle De Lacaise, the daughter of the Marquis and the young lady who my brother Nick was once sweet on." Jarrod nodded.
"That's right." Michelle nodded before sighing, "I've been thinking about that time and how mad Nick got."
"Well, why wouldn't he get mad? You and your father planned on asking him to transport the nitroglycerin that time and his reward would be a date with you." Jarrod explained, "I don't mean to be rude, but you weren't the right one for him. He has the right one now."
"I don't know your name, but I do know that I did fancy Nick." Michelle retorted.
"I'm his older brother Jarrod and maybe you did, but it was rotten of you and your father to try to ask him to take the nitroglycerin to the fire. It was rotten to have that all planned from the get-go and toy with his heart." Jarrod bit back.
"I did not toy with his heart. I was merely asking the favor for my father. Poppa denied it when I confronted him only to later admit to using me as a pawn to get Nick to do what he wanted. We were estranged for a while, but reconciled when he apologized. However, while that was wrong, my feelings for Nick were and are still real." Michelle looked Jarrod dead in the eye.
"Maybe your poppa did that, but you also participated, Michelle. Using my brother and toying with his heart was very wrong, because he really was sweet on you. Then again, he has been sweet on any girl who crosses his path." Jarrod shook his head, "First, it was Hester who just can't get enough attention from men, Miranda an anarchist, you, Layle who was married, and so many more. However, he is with a fine young lady now and hopefully, this time, everything works out."
Michelle got a sad look on her face after hearing the last part. It was obvious that she still had feelings for Nick despite the fact that he stormed out that evening he came over and that time had passed since then.
"Jarrod, I hate to interrupt once again, but how about you get started on your plan and rip the french girl to shreds later?" Brent suggested.
"Fair enough." Jarrod looked Michelle in the eye as if to say: "This is not over" before turning to Brent, "For starters, I need something to pick the lock."
"I'll make something." Brent nodded before walking off.
*Back at Barkley Ranch, a few moments later*
A few moments had passed and Nadine was pushing as hard as she could, but no baby as of yet. As she started to contemplate giving up and staying expectant for the rest of her life due to the pain being unbearable, Carmine Jr talked her through the entire thing, trying to encourage her to keep pushing, because before she knew it, her baby would be in the world. Victoria, Andrea, and everyone else in the room just watched in both surprise and amazement. To the Barkley matriarch and Mangano matriarch, it reminded them of the times they gave birth to their children & the time the Manganos gained their two granddaughters.
From strictly eyeballing it, they all could see that Carmine Jr was way more compassionate, gentle, and understanding than any doctor or nurse could ever think of being.
"You're doing good, Nadine. Keep on going." Carmine Jr told her.
"No! No, no, please! It hurts!" Nadine had tears pouring down her cheeks.
"Nadine, you must keep going in spite of the pain. I know that is easier said than done, but trust me, you'll feel molto bene (very good) after awhile and you'll be holding a handsome bambino or beautiful bambina. Now, keep pushing." Carmine Jr looked her in the eye.
"Please, Carmine Jr, please! Please, I need a break! No, no, a breather! Please, I beg of you!" Nadine shook her head and was breathing heavily.
"I understand, Nadine." Carmine Jr had a gentle tone in his voice, "Take some deep breaths and try to focus on something else."
"I don't know if I can." Nadine said.
"On the contrary, I believe you can and before you know it, you'll forget about the pain." Carmine Jr reassured or at least tried to.
"How-How do you know?" Nadine asked.
"My sister-in-law Simonetta said the same things you are saying when she had my nieces Cara and Mariah. She was not too keen on continuing the birth due to the excruciating pain, but that all changed when I told her to take some deep breaths then close her eyes and visualize something positive, if you will. Something that brings light or happiness. It can be anything." Carmine Jr started to explain.
"Could it be nature like butterflies, birds, the sun rising, or the sun setting?" Nadine was curious.
"Anything. Even a happy place you had or still have that you go to when you think the world is being cruel to you and you just need to escape for the time being." Carmine Jr nodded.
"Did it really work for Simonetta?" Nadine asked.
"It worked wonders for her and the other new mamas I helped and since it worked for them, it will work for you. You have to trust me, though. Do you?" Carmine Jr told her.
"Even though I barely met you, I must admit that I do, Carmine Jr. In fact, I do. Not only because of your first hand experience, but because you have been very nice to me and very understanding." Nadine nodded.
"Well, I try, Nadine." Carmine Jr replied.
"You're doing a much better job which is more than I can say for other men." Nadine told him.
"Other men have not been nice to you?" Carmine Jr asked.
"I'll delve into it later. R-Right now, I want to try what you suggested." Nadine replied.
"Alright. Well, first off, take some deep breaths. In fact, follow my lead." Carmine Jr said before taking deep breaths.
Nadine nodded then followed Carmine Jr's deep breath pattern.
"Good, good. Now, close your eyes and think of something that makes you happy. Something beautiful, your happy place, someone special in your life, anything." Carmine Jr instructed.
Nadine closed her eyes and started to let her mind drift. As her mind began to drift, she started to relax a little.
"Good job, Nadine. Now, keep your mind focused on whatever it is you have it focused on and take some deep breaths. Slow deep breaths." Carmine Jr told her.
Nadine did just that while keeping her mind focused on something else.
"Very good, Nadine. Okay, after your last deep breath, you're going to push then we'll start the cycle." Carmine Jr said.
"The cycle?" Carl asked.
"Yes. First, the mama-to-be is to follow my deep breath pattern. Second, she is to close her eyes and focus her mind on something that will serve as a distraction from the pain. Third, once she does that and gives off the sign of relaxing, she is to take slow deep breaths. Lastly, after the last slow deep breath, she is to push. Once she pushes, she starts the cycle of push, deep breath, push, deep breath, and you get the idea by now." Carmine Jr explained.
Carl nodded in response, clearly intrigued by this.
"Okay, Nadine. Now, push." Carmine Jr told her.
Nadine did as she was told and pushed, this time without making any sound.
"Good. Now, stop and take a deep breath." Carmine Jr said.
Nadine stopped and took the deep breath.
"Push." Carmine Jr said.
Nadine pushed, slightly lifting her head and gripping the sheets.
"Good, good, good. Now, stop and take a deep breath." Carmine Jr said.
Nadine stopped and took a deep breath, yet again.
*5 minutes later*
Five minutes had passed and Nadine continued her cycle of deep breaths and pushing, with Carmine Jr talking her through the entire thing. As this went on, Andrea couldn't help, but smile proudly at her son.
*Andrea's POV*
'Who would've thought? My son Junior would be helping another mama. He's such a natural at it.'
I start to remember the day he delivered Cara and Mariah & smile.
'He, Simonetta, and I were the only calm ones there. Carmine was like a chicken without a head and Vincent kept fainting...and they were Vincent's kids who were arriving!'
I softly chuckle and shake my head.
'I can still remember that like it was yesterday. However, all the humor aside, Carmine Jr did a fantastic job delivering them and talking Simonetta through it. Just like he is doing with Nadine.'
I nod only to think about what Nadine said in regards to men and start to get concerned.
'Her husband should really be here by her side. It is his child, too. Then again, judging by what she said, I'm sensing that he ran out on her.'
I shake my head in disgust.
'If my inkling is correct, how dare he run out on his beautiful wife and his unborn child? A real man doesn't do that!'
I sigh.
*Outside of Andrea's mind*
As Andrea continued to smile proudly at Carmine Jr while getting concerned about Nadine and hoping that her inklings weren't true, Carl continued to watch with amazement, even drifting into his own thoughts.
*Carl's POV*
'I can't help, but be impressed. In fact, seeing Junior being gentle and kind to Nadine touches the heart strings. I can't lie.'
I smile and nod.
'I think he should seriously consider becoming a doctor. He'd make a good one. No offense to Dr. Merar, of course.'
I look up at the ceiling and start to think about Audra.
'Audra. I really hope we can rekindle our relationship. I feel really terrible that we ended things. Then again, we wouldn't have had to end things if I didn't screw 'em up. How could I screw things up? Well, I vow to make things right this time and not to screw things up if we rekindle our relationship. Heck, if everything goes well and we take the next level, I will have to see if Junior would-'
I shake my head.
'Wait a minute, Carl! Wait a minute! Don't put the cart before the horse here. You and Audra have not had time to be alone with each other. Have that first then let everything else play out before you start thinking of the next level.'
*Outside of Carl's mind*
Carl continued to think about Audra and hope that they could rekindle their relationship. He harbored tons of guilt for screwing everything up and because of that, he hadn't had much luck in finding anyone else after his and Audra's break up. To him, Audra was the only one for him and he blew it once. This time, he was vowing that if their relationship was restored, he wasn't going to screw anything up. He couldn't.
*Back at the Mangano household*
The wolf continued to walk towards Nick, letting out some low growling.
Nick continued to back away before coming to an abrupt stop when his back pressed against the stable. He was literally backed into a corner now and had no way out.
Dakota flew over to Nick and landed on his shoulder.
'Great! The wolf is going to have the bird and me as appetizers! Thanks for landing on my shoulder, bird.' Nick thought.
"Nick, hold out your hand." Stefania told him.
"And let him take it right off with those sharp teeth? No way!" Nick shook his head.
"Just do it. He won't view you as a threat if you do." Stefania replied.
"Okay, but if I lose my hand, I won't forgive any of you." Nick shook his head before holding his hand out.
The wolf stopped in his tracks and started sniffing Nick's hand.
"Ummmm." Nick said.
"Nick, let him sniff you. It's alright." Stefania told him.
"Yeah...sure." Nick's voice sounded a bit shaky.
The wolf continued to sniff Nick before licking his hand after a few minutes and wagging his tail.
"Hey, fella." Nick smiled and petted the wolf's head, "You're not rabid or mean, are you?"
The wolf enjoyed the petting and made gentle noises indicating as such.
"Nick?" Pilon slowly made her way out of the stable and gently shut the door.
"Pilon, where's the foal?" Nick asked while scratching the wolf's ears.
"In the stable and still not moving. However, I couldn't help, but overhear that the Mourning Dove was somehow communicating to the wolf." Pilon started.
"Yeah and?" Stefania asked.
"Maybe the wolf and bird are someone's pets & the bird was conveying a message about the owner?" Pilon suggested.
Dakota cooed and flapped his wings in response.
"That Mourning Dove seems to know something." Carmine spoke up.
The wolf ran towards a bush and sniffed around it before howling and whimpering.
Nick, Stefania, Carmine, and Pilon went over to the bush.
The wolf whimpered and pawed the ground which led to Dakota flying off of Nick's shoulder and in a circle about three times.
"Those animals know something is up with their owner." Stefania said.
"Nadine." Nick said as he looked at the bush.
"Nadine?" Carmine asked.
"Yeah. The girl who was hiding behind the bush. The girl who Paulie wrestled to the ground. The girl who informed us about the abduction of her siblings. My childhood friend. The girl who's..." Nick finished the last part by holding his hands out, gesturing expectant.
"Oh yeah. Didn't Paulie take that young lady to your home? I hope she and her baby are alright. However, what does she have to do with the animals?" Carmine raised an eyebrow.
"The Mourning Dove and the wolf may belong to her. The wolf may have picked up her scent." Nick started putting two and two together.
"That would explain their behavior." Stefania added.
"Well, I'd say let's follow them. Let them lead us to Barkley Ranch." Nick nodded.
"Where will I go?" Pilon asked.
"With us. Those masked men could be looking for you and Barkley Ranch will be a safe hideout. Now, let's-" Nick stopped mid sentence and stared out at the horizon.
"What's wrong?" Stefania asked.
"I see smoke in the air and that only means one thing." Nick said as he continued to stare at the smoke.
To Be Continued...
Happy belated Earth Day! :D
Pilon: What does it mean?
Stefania: What's your plan, Nick?
Dieter: I hope your plan vorks (works), Jarrod.
Jarrod: It will. Trust me.
Nick: Trust you on what, Jarrod?
Jarrod: Nick, where did you come from?
Violet: We gotta get this fire out then find Jarrod and Nunzio!
Julissa: Valery, too!
Daphne: Dieter as well!
Victoria: How about we wait until we get to the next chapter?
Carmine: R&R, everybody. R&R.