"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep"
By: Kasey
(c) 1999/2000
Be nice, dont steal.

Epilogue

One Year Later.

	" And now for tonights late breaking story. Serial
killer and rapist, Gabriel Michael Steffen was
sentenced to a total of 999 years in the state
penitentuary only minutes ago. When sentencing, the
judge labeled Steffen a monster, causing families
and friends of the man's victims to suffer more than
any human should suffer in their lifetime. Steffen,
who was apprehended almost a year ago in a Boston
house, was responsible for almost thirty murders and
numerous rapes and assaults, spanning a fifteen year
period." Kasey turned off the TV and stared blankly at
the black screen, relieved that it was finally over.
The two days she had spent fearing for her life, the
time she had spent in the presence of pure evil, the
past year...all had finally ended in a courtroom a
little over a week ago. And it had finally come full
circle with the news that he would be in jail for the
rest of his natural life. She leaned her head back
against the lounge and breathed deeply. She could now
move on, start a new life and try to forget about
Steffen. It was funny, she mused as she got to her
feet, it wasn't until he had been arrested that she
had even thought of what his name had been. Gabriel
Michael Steffen, named after angels. Pure evil, with the
name of two angels. How ironic.
	Kasey headed into one of the bedrooms of her new
house. Having recently moved, she was still getting
used to the new layout of the place. Not that she
minded. She hadn't been able to step foot back in her
old house since that night...just the hallway brought
back memories...of Howies blood on her hands, of the
smell of gun powder. It was all too much. But this
house, this was where new memories would be created,
love and laughter would fill the empty rooms, and a
new life would start. She tread softly towards the
object in the middle of the room and stood there,
looking at the miracle asleep. What would have
happened if this angel hadn't come, hadn't have had a
chance to be? Her life could have ended, before it had
even begun, and the world would have been without her.
Kaseys throat choked up at that thought. She smoothed
a soft hand over the babys head and smiled when she
woke, her brown eyes immediately focusing in her
mother. Even at such a young age, Kasey knew her
daughter was someone special. Someone who would make a
difference in this world. Karen Marie Dorough. Someone
destined for a big future. 
	" Hey little one. Did you have a nice sleep?" Kasey
asked her softly and Karen cooed back, babbling away
as only babies could. Kasey carried her over to the
changing table and quickly changed her diaper and
clothes, dressing her in a pretty little pastel green
jumpsuit. She then carried her over to the rocking
chair and sat down, starting to rock gently as she
started to feed her. Karen was ravenous, suckling away
gently, and as she always did, Kasey closed her eyes
and enjoyed this time with her daughter. So silent, so
special. And none of it would have happened if Howie
hadn't taken that bullet for her. Her eyes flew open
at that. Howie had saved her life. His love had been
proved more profoundly with actions than words in that
mere second it took to push her out of the way. All
the junk people told her, about it being a policemans
duty didn't wash with her. She knew how much he had
loved her. How much he would have done for her. And
she knew that no matter what happened, she would
always love him for that, if not anything else.
	Karen started waving her hands around just as Kasey
heard the front door slam shut. Then footsteps came up
the hall. By the time he appeared in the doorway of
the nursery, Kasey was on her feet, Karen cradled in
her arms.
	" Hey darlin," he said huskily, coming over to her
and kissing her softly.
	" Hey sweetie," she said, kissing him back, but being
careful not to lean too far into him. Karen cooed and
they broke apart. He laughed and took the baby out of
Kaseys arms and her heart welled at the sight of the
two of them together.
	" She's starting to look a little like you," he said
and Kasey laughed.
	" You've got to be kidding! She's her daddy through
and through. Anyone can see that," she said and he
smiled.
	" So I wanted to make you feel better," he said and
she smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist.
	" But I dont mind. Having a daughter that looks like
her daddy is all I could ask for. I look into her
eyes, and I see you. All you, every time," she said
and Howie smiled. Kasey watched him run a hand over
his daughters head and as she captured his finger
within her fist. He would never work as a policeman
again, but, as he had told her on their wedding day,
he had found what he had been searching for all these
years. Someone to love and someone to love him. And
she did, love him with all she had in her. Those first
few days, after he had been shot had been hell. The
doctors had been convinced that he wouldn't survive.
Too much blood had been lost, too much damage had been
done. But Kasey had sat by his bed, day in, day out,
willing him to live, talking about their life
together, but only if he would live. And he had. Five
days after the shooting, Howie had come out of the
coma he had been in since leaving her house in an
ambulance and had healed faster and better than the
doctors had expected. A month after the shooting he
had walked out of the hospital. Three months after the
shooting, they had married. Karen had been born four
months ago, almost nine months to the day of that
first night they had spent together. And every day,
they each looked at each other and knew that Karen was
a definite sign that they were meant to be together.
Forever. And that not even Gabriel Michael Steffen
could come between them.

The End