Because Of Love

Twenty Three

March 3, 1996 - 7:30 PM

"What the hell are you doing in my house?!" Tupac said with his gun in his hand.
Rene jumped back and dropped a pair of Janet's underwear that was in his hand. Just seeing how much he'd messed up their bedroom to fulfill his perverted fantasy enraged Tupac. What else had he touched?

Puffy was behind Rene, barking and growling at him.
"Get on the fucking ground now, if you wanna live." Tupac said through gritted teeth, never taking his eyes or gun off him.
Rene laid down on the ground.
"Why are you here?" Tupac asked aggressively.
"Where's my girl?"
"Your girl? Ha. My wife isn't here clearly, dumb ass. I'm gonna ask you again, why are you here? And did you bring anyone else? And what the fuck else did you touch?"
"No, it's just me."
"I came to get my girl back. I only touched that pair of underwear I dropped." Rene said with cockiness oozing from his voice.
Tupac noticed he was bleeding on his side. Puffy must've bit him.
"As if she would ever be in a relationship with you after you everything you've done to our son."
"You took her from me!"
"How Rene? You sound dumb as fuck. You treated her like shit, that's why she's with me. It's not rocket science how to treat a woman with care and respect, but I guess your mother neglected to tell you how."

Rene was silent for a moment.
"I'm gonna get her back no matter what it takes!"
"Yeah okay, buddy. You got one more time to say something crazy before I hurt you. Actually fuck that, just the fact that you hurt my wife and son is enough."

Tupac started kicking Rene in his side and punching his face.
"I'm gonna call the police, because I want my wife to be able to sleep at night. You don't understand the damage you've done to my family, you fucking creep." He spit in his face.

Once he was done roughing him up, he called the police so they could come haul him off to jail.
He knew Rene being in jail would make his wife feel safe again, but nothing could undo what he'd done.
He knew Rene wouldn't move from his spot and called Puffy over to him.

"Hey girl, I know you're probably hungry." He patted Puffy's head.
They went back downstairs and he fed her and watched her eat as he waited for the cops.
He got a duffel bag and put their clothes inside. He hoped since Rene would be arrested Janet would feel comfortable enough to come home.

He went back and grabbed the picture Janet had taken of Elijah the day everything happened.

The police knocked on door and he let them in and led them upstairs to his bedroom where Rene laid, hardly moving.

"Here he is officers. He attacked my wife and son yesterday and fled the scene and today he broke into our home and I'm not sure exactly what he touched in here." Tupac said with his arms crossed.

"Don't worry, we'll get an investigation going. We'll take him down the station." The cops handcuffed Rene and walked him to the car.

He was mumbling something incoherently as they put him in the backseat.
Tupac put Puffy and the duffel bag in the car and headed back to Hayvenhurst.

When he got back Janet was fast asleep on the coach while Katherine held Elijah. He took the stuff in the guest room and came back to talk to his mother in law.
"Thank you for letting us stay here." Tupac said graciously as he took Elijah from her arms.
"Of course, I just want Rene to get arrested."
"He was, I caught him in the house, snooping in our bedroom. Luckily, Puffy here was there. She bit him before I even got there." He patted Puffy's head.
"So they took him down to the station?"
"Yeah, they said they would come back and investigate to see if he left any fingerprints anywhere else in the house."
"So how long do you think that'll take?" She inquired.
"I'm honestly not sure, Ma. I think later this month we'll go to my house in Georgia just to get away from it all. Janet is so stressed and I just want her to relax."
"Well, son, you are more than welcome to stay here as long as you need. I just want my baby girl to feel better." She said, glancing over at Janet.
"Me too." He sighed.
"What about you? You have to take care of yourself too." She rubbed his back.
He looked down at Elijah and thought to himself.
Am I okay?

He hadn't taken his actual feelings into account. He'd spent all his time trying to make Janet feel better and in doing so, neglected his self.

He looked back up at his mother in law with tears in his eyes.
"I'm not okay. I don't sleep at all, I'm always thinking about how I should've been there."
"Listen baby, you can't blame yourself because truth is, it's no one's fault. It happened, and all we can do is learn from it. You and Janet need each other right now. You need to help each other get through this."
She hugged him.

She was right, they'd been so distant in a time where they needed to come together.

"Now, give me this baby, and go get in bed with Janet. You guys need to talk."

He nodded and walked over to Janet where she still laid on the coach, snoring lightly.
He tapped her.
"Square, let's go get in the bed." He said into her ear.
She opened her eyes slowly and sat up.
"Where's Elijah?" She asked, still rubbing her eyes.
"With your mama. Let's go get in bed." He stuck out his hand for her.
"But—"
"No buts. We need to talk, baby. Elijah is safe with your mom. Puffy is there too. Now, come on." She gave him an uneasy look before she took his hand.

They walked to the guest room, hand in hand in complete silence. Janet let go of his hand and walked toward the bed. She picked up the polaroid she took of Elijah.
"Thank you." She said softly and kissed his cheek.
"Of course, baby. I knew it would make you feel better."
"I want you feel better too, Pookie." She gave her husband a small smile.
"I think we'll both feel better if we actually talk to each other."
"You're definitely not wrong." She said.
He stood up and stuck his hand out for her.
"Let's go take a bath."

-

Taking a bath together was how Janet and Tupac bonded and it'd been a long time since they'd done that together.

Tupac had decorated the bathroom with candles and a nice lavender bubble bath to help them both relax and got them two glasses of pink moscato. Janet's favorite.

They were facing each other, on the both ends of the tub. Janet took a sip, looking over at him.
"Pookie, I can't thank you enough. I'm so lucky."
He took a sip, "No, I'm the lucky one."

For the first time in awhile, she wanted to savor every little detail of the moment. The ways the candle flickered, the way the light of them lit up Tupac's face and especially how it felt to be so in love.

"I know things have been rough the past couple months with me recording, performing and just being busy in general..I just wanted to apologize to you for even letting two weeks go by without taking you on a date. For not being as present with you as I could've been. I'm so sorry, Square." He said sincerely, keeping eye contact with her.

It was about something the way he looked at her so intensely that never failed to make her swoon.
"I missed you, baby. So much." She said.
"I missed you too."
"I never want us to go through a rough patch like this again. I need you." She said softly.
"I need you too." He kissed her.

-

At this point they were definitely tipsy.
"Baby, I just want to cuddle with you until we fall asleep." Janet slurred.
"We're already in bed, Sweetheart." He laughed at her.
"Oh yeahh..I'm sorryy..I'm drunk." She hiccuped.
She laid there rambling about nothing.
"Baby, can I be honest?"
"Yeah."
"I want you so bad right now."
"Baby I'm too tired tonight. And you're drunk, I'm only slightly tipsy so that's not right."
"Okay, baby. Good night. I'm going to bed."

Janet rolled over and she was out cold within minutes. Tupac got up because he still needed to go back and get Elijah.
He got Elijah, put him in a fresh diaper and pajamas and they fell asleep.

-

I'm sorry I took awhile to publish this chapter, I was too conflicted about how I wanted it to end. Anyways I hope you guys enjoy and the next is mostly finished so I should be posting it very soon. Vote and comment.

- Kelcey