Hope

Chapter Twenty Eight

A commotion could be heard from the front area of the bar. Danny and I walked over to take a look. My heart dropped into my stomach when I saw Trip standing there with a gun in his hand pointed at me. "What are you doing here?" I asked him, managing to stay calm.

"You fucking bitch. You little whore," he spat. "You ruined my life, that's what you did."

Danny took a step towards him, stopping only when Trip turned the gun on him, "Don't talk to my fiancé that way, asshole."

My hand squeezed Danny's arm, trying to keep him calm. I started to walk towards Trip, but Danny grabbed my arm until I gave him a look and a slight shake of my head. As he released me, I started inching my way towards Trip and said in my best soothing voice, "Trip, I didn't do anything to you."

The gun turned back to me, "Yeah you did. Why did you have to tell everyone what I did to you, huh? You enjoyed it, you... you, bitch."

My face flushed when I realized he was admitting to everyone that he had raped me and that I had actually enjoyed it. There are some things your body just can't hide, "Fuck you, Trip. You raped me, and you know it." I held my hand up to stop Danny from moving to kill Trip, "I couldn't help what my body felt and you know that. That's why you drugged me, giving me who knows what to make me more pliable. Bend to your every whim."

The gun was starting to waver in Trip's hand and tears fell down his cheek, "Why did you have to tell everyone?"

"I didn't tell anyone Trip," I was almost all the way to him and I slowly reached my hand up towards the gun. "Very few people know I was raped, and the only person who knew it was you was me. Until you just told everyone in this room that you were the one."

"But, how did Gabriella find out?" His voice was small and scared, "She won't talk to me now and I need her. She's the only one I want to be with."

A couple more steps and I would be able to grab the gun, "Maybe she figured it out. Maybe she just learned what kind of a jackass you really are." I was just about to grab the gun when I heard a loud noise and felt a pain in my stomach. It was like everything was happening in slow motion. My hand came up to my abdomen and when I pulled it away I saw blood coating my fingers. Someone in the crowd yelled to call 9-1-1. Trip was tackled and I collapsed on the ground, everything starting to go black. I could hear Danny telling me not to leave him and I tried to tell him that I wasn't going anywhere, but I passed out.

"Mommy, mommy, show us the scar," a little blonde haired girl of five years old yelled as she climbed onto the sofa next to me. A little boy with dark hair climbed onto the other side of me and stuck a finger in his mouth.

"Now, Alexis, you know mommy doesn't like to talk about her scar," Danny said as he picked up our daughter and twirled her around. Her laughter was like music to my ears, I couldn't help but smile.

"It's okay, honey, I don't mind." I lifted the hem of my shirt, "Besides, how is she ever going to learn to be careful if I don't teach her?"

A painful shock hit my chest and my body jerked. It was almost as if I was floating away from the scene. I could see myself lying down, blood gushing out of my stomach. Danny was crouched down by me, blood seeping between his fingers as he tried to apply pressure to my wound.

The little boy touched my scar, "Momma ouwie."

"Yes, Chase, momma had an ouwie, but it's all better now." I picked him up and cradled him in my arms, smelling the baby powder scent on his hair, "Mommy loves you so much."

"Dammit, Izzy, come back to me. You promised that you wouldn't leave me again," Danny was saying to my body. From above him I could see the tears streaming down his face. Daisy laid a hand on his shoulder and I could tell that she was crying too.

"I love you, babe." Danny set Alexis down and pulled me up to him. Kissing me softly he brushed a lock of my hair back behind my ear, "But it's time to go now."

"I don't want to go, I want to stay here, with you."

"I'm there too. You just need to trust."

Another painful shock was administered to my chest and I could feel myself getting pulled back into my body. I coughed loudly and Danny whispered, "Thank god."

My eyes cracked open and I looked at him, smiling, "We are going to have beautiful children."
I passed out again.

Several Years Later

"Mommy, mommy," a little girl came running out of the house as I pulled up in my pickup truck. My truck had seen better days, but it was still running like the day my parents money had purchased it for me.

I picked the girl up in my arms, tucking a dark curl behind her ear, "How's my little Alexis doing today?"

"She's doing just fine, babe," Danny said as he came out of the house. He placed a large hand on my round belly, "And how's Chase today?"

"He's ready to come out." I made a face as Danny took Alexis out of my arms, "But the doctor says that I still have another month to go." I rubbed at my protruding belly, "You'd think at the size I am, that either he would be about ready to come out or that I'm having twins."

Danny kissed me deeply and Alexis laughed, clapping her hands together, "All in good time, babe. All in good time."