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Chapter 50
"I'm sorry probably won't cut it, right?" "If you'd had the common decency to at least call me, I might have not been upset." "Why didn't you call me?" "Why should I have, Kevin? I came home. You were my priority. If I can't fit onto your list of things to do, why should I push it?" He sighed. "I'm sorry. Can you at least let me explain?" Eve laughed, but it was sarcastic. "You've been hanging out with Lucy way too much. Let me explain is one of her favorite lines when she knows she screwed up. You know you screwed up, so you want to....what, Kevin. Plead your case? What is there to say? I'm assuming Lucy is the reason you stayed out all night." Kevin explained the situation in ten words or less while Eve glared at him. When he was done, she sighed. "I'm glad she's okay. I really am. I hope she carries them to term, and they're healthy. I would never wish anything that bad on Lucy. But I'm still having a very hard time with this. You spent the night with her, and didn't even think to call me." "I was worried about her. The babies." "See?" Eve started to cry. "You keep saying that she's not part of this! But you can't distinguish. Because there is no difference. Lucy and the twins are one and the same." "You're right! She's pregnant! They are one and the same right now. But hopefully she will carry to term, and then there will be two babies that will call me ‘Daddy'. And they will be separate from Lucy. Why can't you understand that?" His anger was getting the better of him. "Because there's months in between, and I don't trust her! By then, how do I know that you won't feel like you need to be a full time father?" Eve hadn't wanted to sat all this. But it was too late. "She's going to get your attention anyway she can, Kevin. She loves you! How am I supposed to feel?" Tears ran down her face. "I didn't want to tell you this. I didn't want things to go like this between us. I understand. Really, I do. You can't let Ryan find out about the babies. And the fact that there are two puts you in a position of claiming them yourself, or letting him figure it out. My head understands this. My heart feels like it's only a matter of time before Lucy gets everything she wants. And I don't like it!" Before Kevin could answer, she left. Too many things had been said. Too many things could still be said, but none of it could ever be taken back. Chapter 51
When Ryan went in to see Julie, he looked at her for a long moment. His stare made Julie nervous. "Why are you staring at me?" "I want to know...." Ryan stopped. He was suprising himself. "I want to know if you can feel the baby inside you." "What?" "There is a baby inside you. We've already established the pillow is fake, but the baby is real, remember? I want to know what it's like." Julie had no idea where this was going. But she didn't want to play. "Kevin, do you want to tell me what this is about?" "No. I don't. I asked you a fairly direct question. You're going to have a baby very soon, and I want to know what it feels like." The truth was that he didn't know what it was about. But he could get answers out of Julie. Stepping closer, he was rewarded by her stepping away from him, a look of almost fear crossing her face. "What's the matter, Julie? Does it bother you that I may have your number? Maybe I know what you're up to, and I could stop you?" "I'm not up to anything. I just want to know what you want from me." "Maybe just some answers. If you answer me, maybe I'll leave." There was nowhere to go. In the corner, she stared at him. "It feels.... like... there's a baby inside me." Ryan was getting angry. "That's not an answer, Julie." Grabbing her arm, he leaned closer to her. "There's been a baby inside you for how many months? I want to know WHAT IT'S LIKE." His voice took on a threatening tone, and Julie didn't like it. She began to feel real fear. But she still wouldn't let him see it. "I don't want to talk to you about it. This baby is mine. I don't have to share her with anyone!" Her statement confused him. "Yours? Is that how you feel?" "Of course that's how I feel. What's going on inside my body is no one's business but mine." Julie knew she had thrown him with that. "What about the father?" "What about him? You don't think he'd want to know everything about her? How she's growing, how her heartbeat sounds, how it feels? That's his baby, too. Who do you think you are shutting the father of the baby out? What if you're wrong, what if the father isn't who you think it is?" Ryan was no longer talking to Julie. Pacing around the room, he continued his monologue, ranting now. "All women lie! It's always possible! What if he's not the father? I want to know everything!" Suddenly he realized where he was. Smiling, he looked at her. "Can you feel the baby move?" Julie wanted to scream. Kevin was losing it, she was sure of that. She'd heard about his breakdown, but now she felt as if she were watching him have another one. Having this over his head seemed to have been a ridiculous idea now. Even the thought of making him help her get out wasn't worth what he looked like he was capable of doing. "Kevin, can you tell me what's wrong?" She tried to keep her voice even and calm. "No, I don't." His tone was sarcastic. "You're not learning anything in here, are you. You haven't figured anything out, you only think you have. And you are SO wrong! You think Kevin's losing it, don't you? Well, you better hope I don't lose it." Crossing the room, he put his face inches from hers. "When I lose it, people get hurt. Very badly." Julie couldn't hide her fear any longer, and it made him smile. "Now you're getting the message. I hope you learned something here. Don't cross me. You have no idea what you're inviting if you do." Forcing himself to walk away from her, he pounded on the door. When the guard opened the door, he turned to her and smiled. "Take care of yourself. I'll come see you again" Chapter 52
"Long time, no see." "I needed to do some thinking. And I wanted to at least try to be alone." Sitting beside her, he shrugged. "Oh well. I'm here now. What's up in the world of Eve Lambert?" "Trust me, you don't want to know." "Gee.." Chris scratched his head in an exaggerated fashion. "Couldn't have anything to do with Lucy Coe being here last night, and a certain guy named Kevin Collins running to take care of her, would it?" Gently, he pushed her shoulder with his own. Eve just stared at him. "You know all about it, don't you." It wasn't a question. "Chris, I really don't want to talk about it." "Eve, what the hell is he doing? Why would he show up if…." Chris thought he'd figured it out. "Lucy's babies?" "Lucy's and…" She couldn't bring herself to say it. "Kevin's." Chris looked at her, shaking his head. "I can't believe this. What are you going to do?" "He doesn't want to go back to her, if that's what you're thinking. He loves me, Chris." "If he loves you so much, why did he-" The look on her face stopped him. "Eve, I can't believe you're just going to accept it. After he came running last night, it's only a matter of time before everyone else figures it out. Then what?" "Then I deal with it. He's going to raise those babies with her, and I'm not going to tell him he can't." "What about you? Where do you fit in?" His tone was quiet, knowing how much this was hurting her. "I'm the one he loves, Chris. I know that." Chris didn't know if she was trying to convince him or herself. But it didn't matter. She was hurting, and it was time for him to stop making it worse. "I know you love him, and whatever you decide to do, I still love you." "I know." Forcing a smile, she squeezed his hand. "I'm on duty in less than an hour, you're going home, right?" "Yes. You want me to come back and grab lunch with you later?" "I don't know. Call me when you wake up." Standing, she went to her locker. "Thanks, Chris. I know you're only trying to help." After he was gone, Eve sat back down on the sofa. Chris was right. Now that Kevin had run to Lucy last night, it was only a matter of time before everyone figured out that he was the father. After that, it was only an even shorter matter of time before everyone started staring at her and wondering. And a lot of them wouldn't be as nice as Chris. Chapter 53
Until now. Laughter that could only be Lucy's carried down the hallway. Between Victor and Mary, Lucy was hanging on to both of their arms. "I can't believe you came up with this," She tugged on Mary's arm. "And that you are going along with this." She kissed Victor's cheek. "Nonsense. Who else would?" Victor squeezed her arm. "Besides, this is a fascinating experience for me." "I have to admit, I'm a little confused. When they asked everyone to think of something they could carry with them to make them focus more, most women think of a stuffed animal, a pillow, a blanket." Mary laughed. "Victor said that your first thought for your focus for your Lamaze was a credit card?" Lucy started laughing so hard she had to stop walking. Putting her hand over her tummy, she whined. "It actually hurts to laugh that hard." To get out of the other couple's way, she leaned against the wall. "It makes sense if you think about it. I'm very familiar with it, and it comforts me. It has never judged me, it has always given me everything I need, from gasoline to food, to bail." She smiled at Victor. "It never lied to me, never cheated on me, never walked out on me. Find me a man with all that going for him? I don't think so. At least not one I've met." "She's got a point." Another very pregnant Lamaze student had stopped to listen to Lucy and laughed. Her husband was not AS amused, but he laughed. All of them stood there, laughing, until Lucy saw Kevin staring at her. He definitely was NOT amused. She tried to stop smiling, but did not succeed. "No offense." "Oh, none taken." If he'd been anymore sarcastic, it would have physically dripped from his body. "Oh, Monk, what's happened to your sense of humor?" Victor tried to smooth his son's feathers. "Nothing. I love being the butt of Lucy's jokes." "Since when do you take everything I say that personally anymore?" Walking to him, she stared him in the eyes. "I don't remember the last time I said anything you really cared to hear." "Maybe I feel like you don't want to tell me anything. And I don't know why. Dammit, Lucy, they're my children." Turning from her, he walked away. Shaking her head slowly, Lucy looked at Victor and Mary. "Would someone please tell me what that was all about? I thought I was the one who was supposed to get all hormonal and act all weird." "Did Kevin know Mary had signed you up for Lamaze?" "No. He only calls me once a day. He wants to know when all my doctor's appointments are, but that's pretty much been the end of it since he spent the night with me a few weeks ago." Victor took her hand. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe he wanted to do this with you?" "No. Why would it? He told me that he has to show Eve that she is important to him, and that these children won't be the end of them. So why would I expect him to want to waste precious time away from her to come to all these stupid classes with me?" Tears came and she walked away. Mary stared at Victor. "Let me guess. He feels shut out, and she wants him there?" "I knew I married a smart woman. I'll go get his
side, you get hers."
Victor chased Kevin to the waiting room. "Would you like to explain that?" "What's there to explain? Lucy is in Lamaze class with HER babies, and my father, right?" "What you need to explain is the mixed messages you keep sending her." Dragging Kevin to the far corner of the room, he stared at him. "You told her you wanted to spend more time with Eve, right?" "Yes. I need to make sure Eve knows how I feel." "How do you feel? I mean, Lucy has left you alone, right?" "Yes." "That's what you wanted, right? You didn't want her to come between you and Eve, right?" "She wasn't coming between me and Eve. I... I.." He sighed. "I want her to know I'm here. That I when I said I was the father, I meant it. I want to be there for everything." "You need to tell her that. If you want to go to Lamaze with her, tell her! Don't expect her to read your mind. You can't tell her one thing, then get mad at her for not guessing what you're thinking." Staring at his father, Kevin knew he was right. Before he could say anything, he saw Lucy approaching them. Her eyes were red, she'd been crying. Taking her hand, he led her to the sofa. "I guess we need to talk." She shrugged. "Can we please talk?" "What do you want me to talk about? My next appointment isn't until Tuesday. I'm on a few different vitamins, and you know all this. What else?" She wanted him to be the one to say it. "What about Lamaze?" "What about it? Mary signed me up, and told Victor to take me. Two nights a week until about the time I'm due." She stared at him, almost shocked. "Don't tell me this is about the credit card comment. You are not that petty." Pausing, she leaned back. "Maybe it has been a while. Are you?" "No. That's not what I'm..." He sighed. Taking her hand, he squeezed it. "I just wanted to..." Staring at the wall behind her, he searched for the words. "I want to be more involved, Lucy." His eyes finally met hers. "Since when? You said you didn't want to spend so much time with me that it upset Eve. How much time is that, Kevin? I can't judge that. I've only gone by what you've told me! And how YOU'VE acted!" With a little help from him, she stood, shaking his hand off her back. "I'm having a hard enough time these days knowing what's going on in my own mind, I couldn't begin to figure out what's going on in yours! You can't imagine what I'm thinking, feeling... No, that's not it. You've made it clear you can't care! It interferes with your life." Tears came to her eyes, and she desperately needed to escape his stare. Wiping her face, she headed toward the elevator. Eve came down the hall and stopped when she saw Kevin chase Lucy into the elevator. The doors shut behind them, and she shook her head. After ten minutes, she finally made a decision. So much for dinner with Kevin. Picking up the phone on the counter, she dialed Chris's number. Chapter 54
His expression told her he found no humor in what she was saying, but was a little worried that she did find it funny. "Do you want to come to the classes with me, or not? This is not a hard question." A trace of a smile still on her face, she stared him down. "Yes. Does that bother you?" "No." She shook her head and smiled. "All you had to do was say it." The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out. "Have you eaten?" "As a matter of fact, I have. I've eaten, I've gone to my class, I'm going home, and I'm going to get some sleep. Next class is day after tomorrow. Ta, Doc." Kissing his cheek, she went out the door. As soon as she was outside the hospital, she leaned against the wall and let her tears fall. Standing here helpless
Kevin went back upstairs, only to find out that Eve had left. The ride in the elevator to the parking garage was long and lonely. Don't leave me like this
Eve waited outside the main entrance for Chris. The sight of Kevin chasing Lucy wouldn't leave her mind. Fighting tears, she stared up and down the street looking for his car. Wasn't it you
Sitting in the driver's seat of his car, Kevin put his head on the steering wheel. Lucy, walking away from him. Eve leaving without a word. Don't leave me like this
Driving home, Lucy couldn't stop shaking she was crying so hard. Damn him! Every time she thought she knew what he was thinking, and she had their relationship straight in her head, he pulled a stunt like this. You said that you'd always care
Chris finally pulled up to where Eve was standing. The look on her face when she got int the car told him she was in a lot of pain. Without a word, he drove away. Don't leave me like this
Song credit "Stranded" by Heart Chapter 55
"How are you?" She laughed. "How am I? You're the one who was so upset last night. What do you want me to say? I'm fine. Are you here to tell me you changed your mind?" "About?" He returned her smile, but his eyes never left her growing belly. The smile on her face faltered slightly. "Lamaze?" Suddenly she had a very bad feeling. Something wasn't right, and she was almost afraid. "No. I haven't changed my mind." Crossing to her, he put his hand on the babies. "I'm the father. We're going to have twins. God, you're glowing." His eyes finally met hers and Lucy knew. Her heart started to pound, and she could barely breathe. But she couldn't let Ryan know she knew who he was. "I've never been happier." "Are you sure you're okay on your own? Do you need anything?" Moving out of his reach, she struggled to keep her composure. "I'm fine. I've told you. I actually like being on my own. I admit, I never thought I would be okay on my own, but I am." Putting her hands protectively on her babies, she wondered what he was talking about. His tone actually sounded sincere. "Kevin, I'm just tired right now. I need to get some rest, and I have to go to Jax this afternoon." "You have to go to work? Shouldn't you be resting? Aren't you overdoing it?" His tone started to rise, and it made her nervous. "I'm fine. The babies are healthy. I see Dr. Newman every two weeks. She told me I can go to work as long as I'm not too tired. And if I lay down now, I'll be okay to go this afternoon." Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her body, and she knew it wasn't good for the babies. But neither was Ryan figuring out she knew who he was. Fortunately, Ryan wasn't in the mood to push his luck. "I'll let you get some sleep. I just needed to see you. I wanted to check up on our babies." Knowing there was nothing going on between her and Kevin, he simply walked out the door. As soon as he was gone, Lucy allowed her tears
to fall while she picked up the phone and dialed. "Luke? It's Lucy. The
situation we discussed a while ago? Guess who's back." The rest of what
she was going to say was lost in an uncontrollable wave of hysteria.
Chapter 56
"Julie? Is something wrong?" She didn't answer. Her eyes locked with his, and she stared into them, looking for a clue to what his mood was today. "Are you okay?" The concern on his face eased Julie's mind a bit. "Just wondering what I'm in store for today." "What's wrong? Can you tell me what you're thinking?" "I don't want to tell you anymore. I really don't want to talk to you anymore." Looking at her, Kevin stepped away from her. "Julie, if you don't tell me what's going on, I can't help you." "Help me? Help me!?" That was all Julie could take. "What you'd better do is get some help for yourself!" Standing close to the door, she watched him carefully. "I'm tired of this, this... whatever game it is you're playing. With me, with yourself, in your mind. I don't know, I don't care. I'm tired of you threatening me, playing with me, whatever it is you're doing with me. Leave me alone!" Completely confused, Kevin stared at her. "Julie, can you tell me what you're talking about? I don't know what I've done to upset you." Her eyes searched his face. Finding no hint that he was lying, she shook her head. "Do you not remember what you say to me when you visit?" That dark thought in the back of Kevin's mind made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He had to know more. "What did I say? I need your help, Julie. If I'm not remembering, I need to know." "You really don't remember threatening me? I may be crazy, but I'm not imagining this! One time you're here, you're nice and I believe you want to help me. The next, you act like it's all you can do to not kill me yourself! What's going on here?" "I threatened you?" Kevin knew, but he didn't want to. "When's the last time I acted like this?" "A couple days ago! Kevin, are you in trouble?" Julie was catching herself worrying about him. Yes, she wanted to use him, and make him work for her, but he didn't deserve another breakdown. "No. I'm not in trouble. At least not the way you think I am." Standing, Kevin knew he had to make some arrangements. "It won't happen again. I'm going to make sure of it. When I can, I promise I'll tell you more. But right now, I have to go." At the guard desk, he left strict instructions that he was not to be allowed to see Julie unless he could provide identification. A quick conference with Julie's attending physician assured him that everyone would be aware that Ryan might come back. If he could not provide proof of identification, he would be held and the PCPD call immediately. Standing outside Ferncliff, he called Mac. After
telling him that Ryan had apparently been there in the last few days, he
headed for Lucy's house. She had to know, and he felt it was his place
to tell her in person. He did remember to call Eve and tell her. Mac had
agreed to send a uniform to GH and keep an eye on her.
Chapter 57
Knowing what Luke was thinking, he didn't resist. "I take it you know Ryan's been around." He felt what could only be the muzzle of a gun in the center of his back "Not a word yet. Don't move." Luke pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and opened it. "Sorry, Kev. No offense." Turning to look at him, Kevin shrugged. "What could you do? You're protecting her. What happened?" Dragging him inside, Luke locked the door, both the doorknob, and the new deadbolt. "Come on." Luke led him upstairs. "It's okay, Luce!" Lucy was sitting on the bed, anxiously watching the steps. Tears were running down her face and she looked to Kevin to be on the verge of total hysteria. Sitting beside her, Kevin took her in his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I just found out myself." "He was here! I thought it was you, and I opened the door! Kevin, he touched me! He put his hands on my babies! What if he knows? What if he..." She couldn't finish. Looking at Luke, Kevin held her tighter. The men's eyes met with the same thought. If Ryan knew for sure, Lucy wouldn't be there with them. "Lucy, listen to me. Please." Keeping his voice low and calm, Kevin tried to get through to her. "You need to relax. Ryan's gone now. And Luke's here. I'm here. We're not going to let Ryan get to you again, are we?" Luke shook his head. "No way, darlin'." "And Luke has a pretty big gun. I met it first hand." "Actually, you know, Kev, we need to work out a signal. I'd hate like hell to hurt the wrong one." "Thanks for the concern." Luke shrugged. "She cares." Sitting on the other side of her, Luke took her hand. "She's been like this ever since she called me. About two hours ago." Kevin understood what Luke was saying. The state she was in was very bad for the babies. She had to calm down. "Lucy, look at me." Gently, he turned her face to look at him. "You need to stop. I know you're scared. But Ryan is not the main concern at this moment." He put his hand on her. "They are. Please stop. Deep breaths, stop panicking, let Luke and me worry about Ryan. You worry about them." The words coming out of Kevin's mouth about Luke shocked Kevin even as he said them. But looking at Luke, he knew it was right. Luke could, and would, kill Ryan if it came down to protecting Lucy. And that's what might be needed before this was all over. "Please. You need to lie down. Try to relax." Stroking her hair, Kevin helped her lie down on her side. She was still crying, but now it was a silent shaking. It wasn't better, but at least she could hear him now. He continued to whisper to her, reassuring her gently. Another knock on the door made her jump. Pulling out his gun, Luke ran downstairs. It was only a few seconds before his voice carried up the stairs. "It's Mac!" Luke reappeared. "He wants to talk to you." "Stay with her." Leaving Luke sitting on the bed
with her, Kevin went down to see what Mac had found.
Chapter 58
"Not a sign of him. There's a squad at the lighthouse and I sent a man to the hospital to watch Eve. When did he last see Julie?" Kevin told him everything he knew, which wasn't much. At some point he had to get back to Ferncliff and talk to Julie. But right now, Lucy was his main concern. "Now what?" "Same as before. Road blocks. A car here. I would also recommend security. Private. I can give you a few names." "I'm sure Luke knows a few." Mac shook his head. "I can't believe you said that." "Me either. But I think Luke is better suited to handle the Ryan problem than I am. He has no feeling other then hatred for him. No conflict. He cares about Lucy, and he'll do whatever it takes to protect her." Whatever they were about to say was interrupted by Luke's voice carrying downstairs. "Kevin! Get up here!" Before they got to the bottom of the stairs, they heard Lucy scream. When they reached the top of the stairs, Luke was kneeling beside her. Once again, she was hysterical, but Ryan had nothing to do with it this time. As Kevin leaned beside her, she screamed again. The pain on her face terrified Kevin, but he couldn't let her see it. Her eyes met his. "This isn't happening. Doc, please tell me this isn't happening." "You need to calm down." Holding her hand, he stroked her hair. "Luke, we're going to have to take her to GH. Can you help me get her down the stairs?" Responding to the calm, smooth tone of his voice, Luke nodded. "I'll get this side. Come on, Luce. We got you." Gently, they led her down the stairs. Mac held the door for them, and they put her in his truck. Luke up front with Mac, Kevin in the back, with Lucy lying down, her head in his lap. Kevin was fighting his own panic while trying to keep her from going back into hysteria. His mind wouldn't even form the word contraction. It was way too early. If she went into labor now, she would probably lose both of them. With the siren, they made it to GH fairly quickly. Chapter 59
The look on Lucy's face almost broke Kevin's heart. She was absolutely petrified. "Lucy, please. Listen to me. I know you're scared, I know it hurts, but you need to listen to me." Leaning over her, he held her hand and whispered in her ear. "I'm scared, Doc. If it's bad, I don't want to know." She cried out again in pain. Fighting his own tears, he stepped back and held her hand tighter. "Dr. Newman is going to examine you." "Lucy, you need to calm down." Dr. Newman stood next to the bed and looked at her. "Hold his hand, and look at me. You're going to be okay. You need to calm down. Can you hear that?" The monitor beside the bed was making a rapid beating noise. When Lucy nodded, Dr. Newman smiled. "That's the heartbeats. As long as we hear that, it's good. Your heart is going almost as fast, and that's not good. You need to calm down. I want you to take a couple deep breaths, okay? I want to run a few more tests. We're going to find out why you're in pain, and we're going to make it stop. Kevin's going to stay with you, and I'm going to be right back." After nodding at Kevin, she left the room. Sitting on the bed next to her, Kevin held her shoulders. "You're fine. The babies are fine. Did you hear that?" Lucy nodded. Holding her tighter, Kevin listened to the sound of the babies heartbeats. He hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until the monitor had picked up the sound. The sound that told him that his babies were alright. The thought sunk in to his mind. His babies. That was how he thought about them. How he felt. "It's going to happen this time, isn't it? Tell me I'm going to have two beautiful babies, please? I need to hear it. Even if you don't know for sure, I just need to hear it." "Lucy, you heard Dr. Newman. As long as we can hear the heartbeat, everything's fine. But your heart racing will make theirs race, too. You need to stop. Listen. Listen to that. That's our babies." Finally she smiled. "Yeah, Doc. Our babies." Touching his face, she pulled him closer to her, about to kiss him. Then she realized what she was about to do, and leaned back, closing her eyes and smiling to herself. They sat there, holding hands, waiting for the doctor to return. Chapter 60
Kevin shrugged. "Stress. She's under too much of it. Where's Mac? " "He went to the station. Call him when you get a chance. He sent a few friends over. But she's okay? The kids?" Nodding, Kevin looked at Luke for a moment. "Fine. But she needs to avoid the stress. I want to thank you for..." "It's okay. I just want to know she's okay." "She's fine. They want to keep her here overnight. I don't know what else yet. When Dr. Newman's done, can you stay with her for a little while? They're going to take her up to a room. I have to..." He stopped. "Go see Eve, Kevin. You don't have to worry about
me caring."
When Kevin found Eve, he looked at her for a moment. "Kevin, I'm fine. I haven't heard from him. Mac's shadow has been about ten feet from me since he got here. I heard Lucy'd been brought in. How is she?" "Okay. Too much stress. He went to her. Started asking questions about the babies." Eve shook her head. "He doesn't suspect, does he?" "Who knows? I gave up trying to figure out how his mind works." He shook his head. "But I guess I'd better start trying. He's too close. He's too close to her." The anger in him startled Eve. He sounded possessive. "I take it you're going to stay with her?" "Luke's with her right now. I'm going to go check on her, but I had to see you." Gently, he pulled her into his arms. "I don't want you alone at the lighthouse tonight." "I don't get off for another hour. I have to admit I don't relish the thought of going there alone right now." She was hoping he leave Luke to take care of Lucy and go home with her. But he wasn't about to leave her. "I can't leave her alone too long." "She's not alone. You just told me that Luke is with her." Kevin sighed and held Eve's hands. "I don't think you're the one he's after. Lucy and I are the ones he wants to hurt. I could be endangering you by being near you. I'm just not comfortable with you being alone. Just to be safe." "Then come home with me." "Let me see how Lucy is. Meet me on 5 when you're done." Kissing her once, he went to Lucy's room. Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
"I can't believe you did all this for me." Lucy stared at her. "I mean you hardly know me." "I know Victor loves you very much. I know you're going to have his grandchildren, and, quite frankly, I'm perfectly happy to have what my sons would call ‘another victim'." She laughed. "They tend to get cranky when I try to mother them." Lucy shrugged. "It takes some getting used to, but I kind of like it." Mary stared at her for a moment, then sat next to her. "Do you mean to tell me that when you were a kid, and you were sick, or hurt, that your mother didn't take care of you?" Staring at Mary for a moment, Lucy finally bit her lip and shrugged again. "My mother took off when I was a baby." "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I had no idea." Mary felt terrible, and it showed on her face. "Don't. You had no way to know. Besides, she left me with my aunt. Charlene was good to me. At least she tried. I've never been the easiest person to love." "Oh, nonsense. I haven't known you that long, and I already love you. Like I said, Victor absolutely adores you. I could tell how much Luke cares about you. And," Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "I know, for a fact, that Kevin still cares a lot about you." It was the wrong thing to say to her. Tears came to her eyes, and she nodded. "He cares." It hit Mary like a slap across the face. "Oh, Lucy. You really love him, don't you." It wasn't a question. "I always have. But I blew it." Wiping her eyes, Lucy took a deep breath. "I know it. He loved me. And I hurt him. So now, he's going to raise my babies, and Eve will probably be their stepmother, and I have to deal with it, because it's the best thing for them." She put her hands over the babies growing inside her. "So I have to deal with it." She didn't fool Mary for a moment. Gently, Mary reached out to her, and pulled her into an embrace. "I don't know why I keep doing this, Mary. I can't seem to stop crying every time I even think about him. It's stupid, I know." "It's not stupid. Right now, your hormones are going crazy, and anything could hurt your feelings. Much less the fact that you're very much in love with a man that doesn't feel the same way. That hurts, and it would make any woman cry, let alone one who is very pregnant. Not to mention what you've been through. So don't feel stupid for how you feel. There's nothing wrong with it." Smiling, Mary pulled away from her and pushed her hair off her face. "Now, let's not think about Kevin. Let's concentrate on you. Dr. Newman has said it's okay to take you home, Victor is already there, and everything should be done by the time we get there. Okay?" Lucy smiled and nodded. **************************** "Are you sure everything's ready?" Kevin asked Victor for the tenth time. "I'm sure. The refrigerator is full, all her prescriptions are filled, and Mary's bringing her. She's fine, Monk. The doctor said so. We just need to keep her calm, and make sure she's safe." Victor stared at him. "In order to keep her calm, we need to stay calm." "I know. That's why I've gone along with Luke's plan. Because I think his friends will make sure she's safe. I know Lucy has faith in him." The way he said it almost made Victor smile. With each day, Victor was becoming more certain that Kevin's feelings for Lucy were getting more confusing for him. Any reply Victor was going to make was interrupted by Kevin's cell ringing. "Hello?" Kevin smiled. "I know, I'm on my way. Bye." Hanging up, Kevin looked at Victor. "I have to go. I promised Eve I'd have lunch with her before she went on duty. I'll be back later, and if she needs anything, call me." "Oh, if she needs anything, we'll take care of it. Now go, don't worry about Lucy." Victor hustled him out the door. He knew Kevin would call to check on her. He couldn't help himself. ********************************** "Victor?!" Mary's voice rang through the house when she opened the door. By the time Lucy had followed her inside and sat on the sofa, Victor and Luke had appeared. Sitting next to her, Luke smiled. "How you feeling, babe?" "Tired. I just want to sit here. But I'm dying to know what's going on. Mary wouldn't tell me. She just kept saying that she'd worked everything out with Dr. Newman and I was coming home." Victor sat across from her and grinned. "It's a great plan, actually. And we didn't even need a yarn chart. The only thing that Dr. Newman was worried about was that you wouldn't stay down and calm. So, we decided to take turns. The object was to make sure you weren't left alone long enough to get in trouble." "My first suggestion was to tie you down, but that would just excite you." Luke shrugged. "You know, leave you a bowl of water and food, I saw some of those fur lined handcuffs, and I immediately thought of you. It would-" "I get the picture. Gee, thanks." She slapped his arm. "Nice to know you'd go to such.... strange lengths to help me." She looked around the room for a moment. Victor, Mary, and Luke looked at each other. They all knew she was wondering where Kevin was, and that she didn't want to ask. Standing, Luke touched her face for a moment. "I have several things I actually have to do that have nothing to do with you. Victor will show you how to use the security system we put in, and there are a couple of friends outside, just to be sure. They were courtesy of Sonny, by the way. You might want to give him a call. He wants to know how you are. I'll give you a call later, see if you need anything." With a quick goodbye to Victor and Mary, he was gone. Before anyone could say a word, the phone rang. "Hello?" "Hi. Just wanted to know how you are." The sound of Kevin's voice made Lucy smile. "Better. Victor and Mary have thought of everything. Including a huge stack of catalogs with lots of things for me to buy. What are you up to?" "At the moment, I'm having lunch with Eve." A small stab went through Lucy, but she wouldn't let anyone see it. "Good. If we're going to make this work, you need to make sure she knows you love her." Victor and Mary looked at each other. Kevin didn't see it, but they did. Her feelings for Kevin were taking their toll on her. "I'll call you later, and I'll try to get by. I'm glad you're home. Call me if you need anything." "I'm fine. Bye." She hung up, and took a deep breath. "I would love something to drink, do you mind?" "Not at all." Victor headed for the kitchen. ********************** Ryan hung up the phone and smiled. He'd seen Kevin and Eve leave the lighthouse together, and knew the last thing on Kevin's mind at the time was Lucy. The only thing he had to do was continue to remind Lucy of that fact. He still wondered if there were something more going on than what he'd seen. Why had Kevin run to Lucy's rescue, only to turn around and run back to Eve, leaving Lucy to raise his children? Ryan was sure there was another piece to this. Lucy had barely lasted two days with him while she thought he was still with Eve. Demanding that he throw Eve out of the lighthouse. This had been going on for months, and Lucy still seemed okay with the little bit of attention she'd managed to get out of his brother. As did Eve. It wasn't exactly working for Kevin. Eve had been downright furious with him on more than one occasion while Ryan had been watching. Apparently she didn't share as well as Lucy did. But Eve was still in the lighthouse, Lucy was still living alone, and Kevin went back and forth at will. The only thing Ryan was sure of was that he had to find out what was going on behind this arrangement Kevin had with the two of them. Something just wasn't right. ******************* Finally Kevin and Eve returned to the lighthouse,
and went inside. Ryan wished he could hear what was going on between them.
They weren't exactly smiling, but neither were they fighting. Strained
was the word that popped into Ryan's mind. He knew he had to get to Eve
or Lucy to find out. And with the amount of security that Lucy had around
her, Eve was going to be his best bet. He decided to watch the two of them
until he had his chance to have a talk with her.
Chapter 65
"Hi! How are you?" "Still fine." Lucy wondered what was really going on in Kevin's mind. "I'm on my way over. Do you need anything?" Lucy sighed. "No. Victor and Mary are still here, and I've pretty much got everything I need. You're welcome to come over, if you want, but I'm fine. How was lunch?" He hesitated for a moment. Victor must have told her. "Fine. I told Victor I'd come by later to see how you were." "Well, like I told you before, I'm fine. I go back to the doctor in two days, and if she says it's okay, I go back to Lamaze until they're born." She was shutting him out again. This time he was going to tell her what was on his mind. "I'll be over in a little while." Hanging up the phone, he turned to Eve. "I'm going to Lucy's for a while." "I knew that." Eve sighed. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I knew you wanted to go check on her. But I've also told you a few times to not expect me to be happy about it. I'm leaving for the hospital in an hour. So I guess I'll see you later." Without another word, she went upstairs and shut the bedroom door. ***************** Mary let Kevin in and made it a point to tell both of them that she was going to help Victor in the kitchen. Sitting in the chair, Kevin stared at her. "You look tired." "I am. I feel like I could sleep for a week." She finally met his gaze. "You don't look so wide awake yourself." "I could probably use some sleep. But I'm worried about you." "Kevin," Lucy sighed. "I've told you I'm fine. I was scared. But everything's fine right now. Mary and Victor are going to spend the night here, Luke's coming back in the morning, Sonny loaned me a couple of his guys-" "I met them. Big. Not too patient waiting for I.D., and, I'm assuming, big guns." Smiling, Lucy nodded. "That's them. Sorry about that. I'm afraid manners and civil rights aren't very high on their priorities." "But keeping you safe is, and that's all that matters." His eyes met hers. "I'm glad they're here." The silence that followed was uncomfortable. "So, how is Eve with all this? Is she better now?" "Yes. I'm not going to say she's thrilled, but she understands." He leaned towards her. "We're going to make this work, Lucy. We have to." "I know. I think we can." Lucy looked like she was about to say something else, but Victor came into the room, carrying a tray. "Lucy, you need to eat. Part of the deal with Dr. Newman was that we made sure you ate. So here you go." He sat on the sofa and put the tray between them. Mary had loaded the tray with fruit. Lucy smiled at Victor. "Thanks. I am hungry." "You need to say something. Don't wait for us to read your mind." Victor spoke to Lucy, but his eyes met Kevin's. "Lucy, look," Kevin stared at the ground for a moment. "I want to be part of this. I can't shake the feeling you're shutting me out. I wish you wouldn't. I don't know what you want me to do." Fighting tears, Lucy shook her head. "Neither do I, Kevin. I'm trying to not make you feel like every move you make is wrong. I mean, when you called me today, I felt like it was to tell me that you were at lunch with Eve. I know that wasn't it, but it was how I felt. You have your life, Kevin. I need to have mine. We need to work out something for the babies, but it's about them, not you and me." "I called you to TELL you I was with Eve?" Kevin was confused. "I know, you didn't mean it that way. I just took it that way. I'm just more emotional than normal. Which should be enough to send everyone running for cover." She smiled. "I know it. I really do. I'm overreacting, getting hysterical, and basically not knowing what's going on in my own mind right now." After thinking for a moment, Kevin stood. "I need a drink myself." As he walked behind Lucy, his eyes met Victor's and Victor knew something was wrong. "What do you want to drink, Lucy?" "Tea would be great, thanks." She started to eat the fruit on the tray. Victor followed Kevin in the kitchen. "What's wrong?" "I called Lucy this afternoon, but I didn't mention lunch. I called her from the lighthouse." Silent, Victor stared at Kevin. "I was here. You called, asked her if she was okay, told her you were having lunch with Eve, and that you would call her again later. Then you called her a second time before you came....." Realization showed on Victor's face. "You didn't call her, did you." "No." Their eyes met, and they both came to the same conclusion. "Oh, good heavens. What do we do?" Kevin turned away, and found Mary staring at both of them. "The one thing we DON'T do is tell her. She's under enough stress. I'll get caller ID for her phone." He shook his head. "But that won't help. If she knows he's calling her..... I need to find him, Victor. Ryan needs to be found and put away." "Why would he be calling her?" Mary finally spoke. "It doesn't make sense. I mean, he's already done everything he set out to do to her. Unless he suspects something." Both men stared at her. "I know you both are thinking it. Somebody had to say it. Ryan probably suspects Kevin isn't the father of those babies." Her words hung in the air, but neither man answered her. They knew she was probably right. "I'm going back out to her. You two figure out what to do. The last thing either of us want is for her to suspect something's going on." Tossing the towel she'd been wiping the counter with on the sink, she left the kitchen. After she was gone, Kevin looked at Victor. "I have no idea what to do. I keep hoping he'll make contact with me. I don't know why he's waited this long." "My guess is that he knows that contacting her, not you, will hurt you more. What really doesn't make sense is the subtlety. From everything I've been told about him, this is not his usual style." Turning to the window, Kevin stared out into the yard. "There's never been children that could be his involved. I'm beginning to wonder if he's waiting for her to have them to make his move. He knows he can't take her while she's pregnant. She'd never cooperate, and it would be too risky. If he wants the twins, it's not because he wants to hurt them, at least that wasn't the case with Georgie." Shaking his head, he looked at Victor. "I think he's keeping tabs on her. Waiting for the babies to be born. That's when he'll make his move. I'm sure of it. We need to find him before she gives birth. And, given her medical history, that could be almost any time now. A few more weeks, and Dr. Newman will let her deliver the next time she has a contraction." Victor recognized the deadly calm look on Kevin's face. "How do we go about it?" "Victor, this is between Ryan and me." "I'm part of this, too. I know that. I'm not going to let him destroy you or hurt Lucy or those babies." Knowing it was pointless to argue, Kevin shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We can't do anything until HE decides it's time for the games to begin." ******************* What Kevin didn't know was that Ryan had already begun the final game. From a safe distance, he followed Eve to the hospital, and waited for her to go on her break. Hearing her announce she was going to the cafeteria, he ran down two floors of stairs and hit the down button. When the doors opened, Ryan smiled at her and got on the elevator. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to spend the evening at Lucy's." The way she said it told Ryan she didn't like it. "I figured you and I needed to talk more than Lucy needed me to hover over her. She has a house full of people. Victor and Mary are there." Smiling, Eve stepped closer to him. "I've told you I understand this, but, Kevin, it still bothers me. Ever since the first time she was admitted, people have been staring at me like I'm crazy. Everyone knows about you, Lucy, and the babies, and me. It's gotten to the point that I'm really starting to hate even coming here. The gossip is awful." Taking her hand, Ryan nodded. "I know. Everyone wonders why you'd forgive me." It took everything in him to sound casual. "Why did you? I don't deserve it." He tried his best ashamed look, and was rewarded by Eve sighing and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Because I understand. I don't want anything to happen to the twins. I really don't. And you're right, gossip just annoys me, it doesn't physically hurt me." Leaning away from him, she shrugged. "I just have to keep reminding myself what's at stake here. You have no idea how hard it is to not tell everyone that you're not the cheating lover, and I'm not the total idiot they think we are. I just wish we could tell everyone the truth." "You can't. You know what would happen." Ryan hoped Eve would at least tell him the truth, but he couldn't let on to her that he had no idea what she was talking about. "I know. Believe me, I know what would happen if Ryan found out about the twins. I would never do that to Lucy. Or you. Or the babies. You have to be their father. I know that, Kevin. I just wish.... I don't know what I wish. I'm not blaming you. Or even Lucy, for that matter. It's Ryan's fault. I know that." Ryan could barely breathe. Lucy was pregnant with twins. His twins. Kevin wasn't the father. Kevin was taking his babies, and making sure he never even knew. His head started to pound, and he knew he had to get away from Eve quickly, or Eve would figure out what was going on. "Eve, I didn't come here to upset you. I came here to try to make you feel better. I know this is the last thing you need at work. Look, I'll see you when you get home, okay?" "You mean you're actually coming home tonight?" "Yes. I'm coming home. I'll see you there." The elevator doors opened, and Ryan got out. He couldn't get out of the hospital fast enough to suit him. A total rage took over, and he sat in the car for almost half an hour, screaming. His babies! Lucy was going to have his children, and she was going to give them to Kevin. Not if he took them first. A smile crept over his face, and he started the car. Chapter 66
"She's exhausted." Lucy had fallen asleep sitting up on the sofa. "She's got too much going on. It's not good for her." Sitting next to her, Kevin spoke quietly. "I can't seem to do anything right. No matter what I do, I manage to hurt her feelings, or upset her, or make her angry." Leaning down behind him, Victor spoke in his ear. "Have you tried telling her exactly how you feel? What's going on in your mind?" "I was going to, until she told me about the phone call." Lucy shifted in her sleep, and both men watched her for a moment, to make sure she was still asleep. "Monk, are you sure about what's going on in your mind?" The way Kevin was staring at her convinced Victor he really wasn't. Kevin turned to glance at Victor. "The only thing I can think about right now is keeping her safe. Ryan's done enough to her." A knock on the door startled both men, and woke Lucy. Victor opened the door to find Scott and Serena standing outside. "I know she just got home, but Serena's been making me crazy wanting to see her. Is she up to it?" "Of course I am!" Lucy yelled at him. "Get over here, you!" Running to her, Serena jumped on the sofa and hugged her. "Are you okay? Daddy said you were sick." "I'm fine. I'm fine, the babies are fine, and now that you're here, everything's just perfect." Lucy held Serena to her. Scott and Kevin stared at each other, both men showing the tension. "How are you feeling?" Staring at her, Scott stood a few feet from her. "I feel great. Thanks for bringing her over. This is exactly what I needed." She smiled at him. When Lucy turned to talk to Serena, Scott looked at Victor and nodded toward the kitchen. Kevin followed both men and Scott turned to them, glaring briefly at Kevin. "So, any news of your wacko brother?" "He... he called her. She doesn't know. She thinks it was me." Kevin spoke quietly. "Great. So, what are you going to do about it?" "There isn't a whole lot we can do. We have no idea where he's hiding, or what he's planning." "He's planning to torment her! Can't you see that Victor?" Scott's voice rose. "SSSHHHHH! The last thing we want right now is for her to get any idea about this. I know subtlety isn't your strong suit, Scott, but with her, right now, you need to keep your voice down." Kevin glared at him. "Well, all the two of you seem to be doing is waiting around to see what he's gonna do to her next." "If you have anything constructive to offer, now's the time." Kevin's voice was low, but his anger was clear. "Why is he hanging around? What's on his mind? Unless...." Scott stopped and stared at both men. The looks they gave him said it all. "So now what? He's after them, isn't he." Kevin nodded. "That's what we think. The trouble is, we have no idea what he's going to do." Turning from Scott, Kevin stared out the window. "I wish I knew what he was thinking. I really do. The point is, she's in danger, and we have to make sure she doesn't find out how bad it is. Can we at least agree on that?" Scott and Victor nodded. "Good. Now, before she realizes she's the topic of conversation....." Kevin headed toward the door. When the three men reentered the living room, Mary and Serena were sitting on either side of Lucy. Serena had her hand on Lucy's tummy and her eyes were wide. "Wow! That's so cool! Did I kick you like that?" "You sure did. You know, I used to bet your dad that you were going to be a soccer player, you kicked me so hard." "Did I hurt you?" Serena was still in awe of the movement going on in Lucy's body. Smiling, Lucy shook her head. "Nope. Not a bit. You were just letting me know you were in there. And you were healthy." Lucy inhaled sharply, and Serena pulled her hand away. "That was a big one." Taking a deep breath, Lucy nodded. "Yep. It sure was." Victor watched both men watch Lucy. It was painfully obvious how much Scott still loved Lucy, and Victor was positive the look on Kevin's face was not that of a man in love with another woman. This whole situation was hurting all of them, and Victor hoped they could resolve it before the children were born. Turning, Lucy saw the three of them looking at her. Smiling, she motioned for Victor to come to her. "This is so incredible." Scott headed for the door. "I have a few things I have to do. Is she okay here for a couple hours?" Gripping Serena's hand, Lucy looked at him. "How about the whole night? Please?" "Are you sure you're up to it?" "Yes. I'm sure. I want her to stay with me." The looks on Serena's and Lucy's faces were almost identical. A sharp pain went through Scott, and he knew he had to get out of there. "Fine. I'll pick you up in the morning. Come give me a kiss." Serena ran over to Scott, and Victor took her place next to Lucy. "Are they still moving?" Nodding, Lucy took his hand, moving it around her abdomen until she found it. "Wait, you'll feel it. I-" Victor felt the baby kick. "Oh, Lucy!" Grinning, Victor looked at her. "That's so wonderful!" Kevin, once again feeling very left out, watched his father, Mary, and Lucy on the sofa together. It was like he was watching a very close family that he wasn't a part of. After Scott was gone, Serena ran back to them, jumping in Victor's lap, and completing the picture. Glancing in his direction, Kevin's expression puzzled Lucy. He looked almost hurt. "Hey, Doc." Her voice was soft. "Come here." When he approached her, Victor took Serena's hand and stood. "Let's go see what kinds of goodies we can find in the kitchen." Mary, catching Victor's obvious hint, followed. Leaving Kevin and Lucy sitting together on the sofa. Lucy took Kevin's hand, as she had Victor's, and she placed it where she'd last felt one of them kick. After a few moments, Kevin's face took on a look of absolute amazement when he felt the tiny movement. Smiling, Kevin looked at her. "That's....." He was at a loss for words, and it amused Lucy. Another movement, sharper this time. Pulling his hand up a little, he shook his head. "That doesn't hurt?" "No." Their eyes met, and they both stared at each other for a few seconds. Finally, Lucy looked away. "It actually feels wonderful." She stared at the ground, trying to keep her feelings hidden from him. Suddenly, Kevin felt like he should take his hand off her, but he couldn't. It felt so right, feeling the babies kick inside her. His heart started to pound in his chest, and he couldn't pinpoint what was going on in his head. The urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her overwhelmed him. Shaking his head, he forced himself to pull away from her and stood. "What's wrong?" Lucy stared at him, but not in his eyes. "Nothing. I just.... It's so amazing." His mind was racing, and he suddenly realized he couldn't tell her what was on his mind. More because he wasn't entirely sure himself. Knowing he had to get out of there, he walked towards the door. "I need to get home. Victor and Mary are going to spend the night with you, and Luke is coming over in the morning. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. You okay?" Not looking at him, Lucy nodded. "I'm fine." After he was gone, Lucy pulled a pillow up into her arms and held it to her, trying to keep from crying. The feel of his hand on her had reminded her how good it felt, and how much she wanted him to hold her. The thought that he was on his way home to hold Eve tore her heart out. |