My very dear loves...I apologize almost every time I post, and this is no exception. You all have my deepest and sincerest sorries, from the bottom, top and all sides of my heart. First off, Chapter 8 was crap, and I really ought to have worked on it more. I feel awful about that. Second, this chapter took much longer to get on paper than I expected. So much has happened lately, it's been hard to find time to write more than a word here and there. =( I hate excuses, but this one was real.
Thank you to all you absolutely AMAZING and WONDERFUL loves that commented, voted and the couple who sent feedback, even if it was kinda on the down side. You have no idea how awesome it is to get that, unless you are a writer yourself.
This chapter answers a few questions, and, I don't believe it asks any more haha. This chapter is actually one of my favourites for this story, don't know why. Maybe for the reveals?
Little disclaimer: I know next to nothing about medical practices, spy missions, or weapons and I know very very very little French. Sorry for the spoilers, but I'd really prefer you didn't jump down my throat on those bits. If I wanted to write a story that was totally based on any of those three things, believe you me, I'd research my butt off, buuut since it's not the basis, I wrote what I liked.
So, I'll stop boring you, loves, and let you get on with what is probably going to be the second or third to last chapter of this story.
I really hope you enjoy it, and again, thanks for sticking around with confused, irritating little me for so long! You all make me day =)
Love and kisses,
Almostluver <3
~Five months later~
Scarlet paced around the perimeter of the house. At just about seven months pregnant, her belly was definitely showing, even in the very loose dresses she'd taken to wearing, and she got nervous whenever she thought about it. Walking calmed her and the baby. Every so often, she'd press her hand against her stomach; and right on cue, the babe would kick, as if reassuring her.
Even though it had been months since he'd thrown her out, Scarlet still craved her husband. They were still married, though all contact between them had stopped that day, but she couldn't bring herself to be the first to send the divorce papers. If he wanted her completely out of his life, he would have to strike the final blow, and he hadn't. Silly as it was, Scarlet took that as a good thing; it gave her hope -- irrational hope, but hope just the same. She tried not to count the days, but it had been exactly one-hundred and fifty-six long, hard, empty days since she had left, and that was far longer than she'd actually been there.
She missed Donovan less when she felt the baby move. She still cried herself to sleep sometimes, and she occasionally had her really bad days where she struggled to get out of her lonely bed; but her child seemed to know, and it would softly move until she drifted off to sleep. Abner called her daily, asking for updates and pictures. She'd sent him copies of her first ultrasound, and pictures of her belly as it expanded. She tried not to ask for info about her husband, in return.
For about a month, she'd seriously considered adoption, now that she knew the truth; but with every change, she loved it a little more, despite everything -- the first time she'd felt it kick, she screamed and chased the guys around the house so they would feel every movement. Joey and Danny were happy -- they had been rooting for keeping the baby the whole time, and sometimes it seemed they were more excited for it than she was. Danny was already working on constructing an extension for the house that was attached to Scarlet's room. Joey had begged for it so he could make that into the nursery, though Scarlet assured them that she wouldn't mind keeping the child in the room with her.
Already her room, the living room, and garage were practically jam packed with all the little odds and ends, furniture, clothing and home improvement supplies Joey was going overboard purchasing. The baby wouldn't even be born for another two months, and
"Scary, come inside!" Joey rounded the corner of the house and draped his coat over her shoulders. "You'll get sick."
"She's restless."
"You think it's a girl?" He smiled at her. She nodded and took his hand to press it against her stomach. Her baby kicked right on cue. He grinned brightly, like all of them did whenever the little stranger 'acknowledged' them. "Wow, Scary. I guess we'll see soon, won't we?"
"I'll only be out for a bit longer." She hugged Joey before continuing on her walk. "Five minutes, I promise."
"Danny's working on dinner. It will be ready soon. Oh, and I called the hospital, and your mom's expecting us at noon tomorrow."
Scarlet and Michelle were slowly but surely making up, and it was because Joey demanded she visit her mother weekly. He didn't want Michelle to die without Scarlet's forgiveness. To everyone's shock, though, somehow Michelle was still going, though she wasn't quite improving. The doctors couldn't explain how she'd held on for so long, even after getting her "death sentence" months ago. Though she never said it, Scarlet was glad. She had never made real peace with her father, and she wanted her mother to die with that peace. It was, however, very hard to do, given the circumstances. As many times as she tried to say the words, 'I forgive you,' she never managed to get it out. She didn't mean it truthfully, yet.
Even more surprising, Donovan kept up with the hospital bills, even going so far as to find specialists and change her hospital room, to a larger, more comfortable single suite. It was what he had promised, and more.
Joey went back inside when she rounded the corner.
As such, he didn't hear her cry of shock as she came face to face with a man from her past. "You!"
"Bon soir, mon cher," The small, pale man murmured, stepping closer. She stepped back quickly, but met with a wall. Looking over her shoulder, Scarlet discovered the wall was actually a tall, dark-skinned man. He leered down the front of her gown and she wrenched her gaze back to the man in front of her. "It has taken some doing, finding you."
"Oh?" She tried to keep her voice from wavering, and all but succeeded. "Why would you be looking for me?"
"I heard you have something that belongs to me."
Scarlet hoped and prayed Joey would come back out, but she knew he probably wouldn't until it was obvious she was gone for too long. "I don't have anything of yours, actually."
"Au contraire, mon cher" his accent, French like she remembered, sent harsh chills up her spine, despite the way the words slid silkily from his nearly lipless mouth. She tried to move back again when his hand reached out to stroke across her protruding belly. For once, while being touched, her baby was very still. "I believe *this* is mine."
"I believe you're wrong." She swung at him, but the behemoth behind her caught her arm and tugged up. She hung there, her feet just barely touching the floor. "Let go of me!"
"Now, now, settle down. Comportez-vous." The small man caressed her cheek. "We are not going to hurt you. I just want what's mine."
"It's not yours! It's my husband's!"
"Ah, tsk, it is not nice to lie, mon cher. Your...husband's doctor is not quite so tight lipped as you would think. Besides that, I have sources. Sources that say that you are not with said 'husband' any longer, because *that*..." he looked down at her stomach again, and she covered it with her free hand. "Is not his."
"Your sources are wrong."
"And the tests? Are they wrong as well, mon amour?" Somehow, he knew that she'd had dna tests done on her baby, when she didn't believe her mother's tale.
"Scary?" Danny's voice came around the corner and she jumped. "Come inside for dinner. You know what Joey will say if you don't eat."
She felt the giant behind her shift, and suddenly prayed that Danny wouldn't turn that corner of the house. She opened her mouth to stop him, but the smaller man slapped his hand over her mouth.
She still managed a scream as Daniel came into view, a split second before there was a soft pop from beside her, and a small cloud of smoke. Danny's face showed surprise, then pain as he collapsed, blood staining the left side of his shirt. He struggled to sit up, but only managed to rise up on one arm before going limp. She stared between the still smoking, silenced handgun in the large man's hand, and her friend.
"Dammit, Lefou!" The pale man yanked on Scarlet's arm. "Did I not tell you to leave the gun? I said no violence! Let us go! Rapidement!"
Scarlet's eyes were glued to Danny's limp body. Tears coursed down her cheeks, and she couldn't fight when the big man hoisted her up into his arms and started hurrying away. She twisted and writhed in his arms, and almost slipped out of them. A hand came into view, pressing syringe to her arm. She felt a quick sting of the needle entering her. She went limp almost instantly, though she struggled to keep her eyes open. They were at a car now, bundling her into the backseat, and the last thing her eyes saw before everything went dark, was Joey collapsing on his prone lover.
***
"Is Alford here?" Joey's face was haggard. Abner let him in immediately, remembering his face and sensing an urgency, despite the quiet tone he had used. "It's important."
Donovan stalked out of the library, where he'd taken to hiding in. It was one of the last places Scarlet had gone into happily. Joey stared up at him in shock. He'd lost so much weight, and his hair was unkempt. A ratty, dirty beard had sprouted over his chin, marring his dark good looks. Even Joey, who hated this man for what he had done for his best friend, could admit that once Donovan had been extremely hot, though he'd barely seen him months ago. Now, however, he just looked haggard, terrible.
"What do you want?" His voice was cold and hoarse.
"Scarlet's gone."
Abner gasped and Donovan stepped back, shocked, but he recovered quickly. "What does that have to do with me?"
