Knight in Shiny Black Leather Steve and Kayla - Days of Our Lives Fan Fiction

Chapter Sixteen

"Papa," Stephanie greeted as she ran to him for a hug. The fishing shack was dark and eerie, dimly lit by a few dust-covered windows. The morning light streaked more brownish than golden rays through them. Throughout the years, boxes and other debris had accumulated in piles around the room as squatters and fishers on the riverfront used the shack. It was an excellent place to meet if one was on the run or did not wish others to see them.

"Baby girl," Steve hugged her tightly to him. At this moment, he felt like Stephanie was the only stable and reliable force in his life. Just looking at her was almost bringing him to tears. He could not let her down. He had to get her mother safely back to her.

"I have everything ready for Joey to come and stay with us," she assured her father as he pulled away from her embrace.

"Thank you again. You don't know how much it means to me."

"He's my brother. I love him. I will always take care of him," Stephanie could see the worry on his face. "Papa, please tell me the rest of the story. I know there must be more to this story than Mama's kidnapping. Why did Ava do it?" Stephanie led her father over to a large crate that was not as dusty as the rest and leaned against it. Steve joined her and rested his jean clan behind it. He took a deep breath. Ava blurting out the story last night to Joey was more manageable than telling Stephanie the story from his perspective. As it was, he benefited from knowing Stephanie knew the story's background, which made it easier for her to understand the scope of the situation they were in now.

"Do you remember when Ava first came to Salem?"

"How could I ever forget?"

Steve nodded, "You remember that she and I were once engaged, and I stood her up at the altar when I remembered that I was already married to your Mama," Stephanie nodded in agreement. "Do you also remember Ava telling us that she experienced a mental break with reality after I stood her up?"

"Isn't she still?"

"Well, she could be very well, but she says that she remembers what happened to her during that first mental break and that I am to blame for it."

"Stephano's minions kidnapped you again, Papa. How are you to blame for anything that took place after they captured you from the back of the church?" Stephanie questioned.

Steve deeply breathed," Ava claims that she was pregnant when I left her at the altar."

"What?" Her emerald eyes grew as round as Joey's had been the night before. "And it's yours, of course."

Steve nodded and continued. "Ava claims we had a son. He's not much older than Joey."

Stephanie let out a deep breath, "Wow! Wow!" She repeated. "Does Mama know any of this?"

"Oh yes, that is how Ava abducted her. According to Ava, Kayla confronted her about the child, and things became heated. I wouldn't help Ava look for him until I had more proof that she had given birth, but she is now forcing my hand by holding your mother hostage."

"Is she still...." Stephanie did not know how to ask her father about Ava's following plans, but she felt she needed to ask if she was responsible for Joey's safety while Steve was out of town. "Is she still obsessed with you? I mean sexually obsessed," Stephanie said delicately as she recalled the trauma her mother had experienced when Kayla walked into the room to find a drugged-out, nude Steve with Ava grinding on him. In her mind, Stephanie would never be able to clear that picture told to her second hand by her mother.

Steve bowed his head and looked at the ground," I'm afraid so," he whispered. "Steph, I love your mother so much. I would never betray her willingly. I...."

"I know, Papa. I know you would if only it were your last possible resort," she reassured. She reached out and stroked his shoulder, as she knew it was awkward for him to have such an intimate conversation with her. Still, they were both adults, having a very adult conversation about how they would bring their family back together. Steve sniffled as the tears began to fall. Stephanie continued to stroke his shoulder. "What about this brother of mine?"

"She claims that her father sold him on the black market. She only held him once and didn't know where he went or to whom. She says that she only remembered that she gave birth to him a little while ago with therapy."

"And because she is dying, you must find him in time." Steve nodded as Stephanie continued, and he reached up and wiped at a stray tear trailing down his face. "I could kill her myself," she said.

"That won't bring your Mama back to us," he said.

"I know. It would just make me feel better."

"Me too," he replied. Stephanie took her Papa back into her arms for another hug, and she rubbed his leather-clad back as her mother used to do when she was a child to reassure her of her love.

"Okay, here is the plan...." Stephanie announced as she pulled away from him and put her hand under his chin to lift his face so she could look into his good eye.

Steve found himself amazed by his daughter's Courage in this situation. Everyone always said that she took after him in her personality, but she was all Kayla at this very moment. "Let's hear it."

"I will take care of Joey and keep the home fires burning. You will check in and let me know what is happening in your search for my fictional brother as often as possible. Do you hear me?" Steve nodded. "I want the truth, not some version of the truth, understand?" He nodded again. "And...." Stephanie opened up her purse and rummaged around inside it. She pulled out a small object, but Steve could not determine it until she took his hand and placed it into his opened palm in the dim light. Stephanie folded up his hand around what felt like a foil square. "If it comes down to your last resort and you cannot find any other way to free Mama without doing the unthinkable, you will use that," she said.

Steve now realized that she had just placed a condom packet in his palm and recoiled from its shock. Stephanie was relieved that she happened to have one in her purse, and if they were going to be adults about this conversation, they would talk like adults. "Stephanie," he said, recovering from his shock.

"Papa, I do not want you to go about fathering more offspring with that woman's snake, nor do I want you to catch any diseases she may be infected with...." Stephanie continued playing the adult," and passing them on to Mama when she forgives you for what you had to do to free her." Stephanie had been privileged to Kayla's 1980s journals and had gleaned from them that her father was not the condom-carrying type. During Stephanie's reading of the diaries, her parents had never discussed birth control or even used it. It was a wonder they had not experienced more pregnancy scares than the one in 1987 she recently read about. "Oh, and you will be open and upfront with Mama about what you must do."

"I would take no pleasure from it, Stephanie. Ava can have my body, but she will never own my heart or my soul as your Mama does," Steve replied as he slipped the package into his pocket.

"I know. Deep down, Mama knows it too," she sighed as she hugged him again. She kissed his cheek and whispered, "Good luck, and please stay safe. I love you." She then held her arms up to the middle of her chest and made the American Sign Language sign Mama had taught her as a child.

Steve sniffed back another tear as he repeated the sign," Courage," he said aloud as he repeated the gesture and closed his fists to finish making it.