Endings and Beginnings

Chapter 25

"You okay, Darl?" Don asked as he placed his hand on her leg. "I'm glad you're up here with me."

Meryl leaned over and kissed his cheek as she then leaned her head on his strong arm after looking back to check on the babies; she momentarily closed her eyes as she felt safe and at peace for the first time in hours. "Me too; they're fine, still asleep. I just couldn't let him be back there alone with them."

"I agree." Don sighed. "You saved our baby girl today; you know that?"

Meryl looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I can't go there yet."

"Okay." He acknowledged; he wasn't sure if he could either but he had to say it. "There is something we really need to talk about; I've let it go for as long as I could."

Meryl knew what he was talking about; and she nodded as she lifted her head. "Mann?"

"Yeah." Don sighed; he was the LAST thing Don EVER wanted to talk about again but they had to, for the safety of their family. "I want us to call Larry, sweetheart; I think that would give us both peace of mind, I can't let it go on any longer without taking necessary steps and precautions. I wish to god your brother had told us this before now. When I think of what COULD have happened..."

Meryl nodded as she rubbed his leg to try and keep him calm; she knew how upset he was when they were told, just as she had been and still was. "Just one of the many things I'm pissed at him about; but I am really trying to have empathy when all I want to do is strangle my fucking brother."

"I know, Darl; me too." Don squeezed her leg. "I'm going to go ahead and call Larry."

Meryl nodded as he told Siri to call Larry. "Okay."

"Hey, Larry; it's me and Meryl." Don said when his best friend and their lawyer answered his cell phone.

Larry was surprised to hear from them already. "Didn't I just see you guys?"

"It doesn't feel like it." Meryl laughed.

Don sighed as he continued to focus on the road in front of him. "It's been an extremely long afternoon since we all got back."

"What's going on?" Larry asked.

Meryl nodded at Don to continue. "Did you know Dana was released from prison today?"

"What?!" Larry exclaimed. "NO! But, I probably have paperwork waiting for me at the office. It's way too soon! Please don't tell me..."

Meryl swallowed as she took over and she felt Don squeeze her hand for support. "After I fed the babies we put them in the bassinet in our bedroom and we took a nap. I woke up and could hear her crying from a distance. I got up and she wasn't in her bassinet."

"I woke up to Meryl screaming." Don said. "We were both terrified of course. I got Brady as she ran through the apartment following Margaret's cries."

Meryl gave Don a sad smile. "I walked into the nursery and found Dana holding her. I completely freaked out when I saw him holding our baby girl. I begged him to give her to me. He said he was taking her away to make up for the baby he lost. That Mags should be his. That we didn't want her. I told her how NO ONE wants or has fought harder for her than Don and I have. I tried to take her from him, she was screaming like I had never heard her; but he pushed me down."

"I walked in to Mags screaming as he was holding her; I told him he was holding her too tight, and Meryl was on the floor. I saw him push her down as she went to try and take Mags." Don explained. "He didn't want me in there so I turned on the monitor and watched it all from my phone in the den with Brady; even though it killed me to leave the two of them alone with him after everything he's done to her. My kick ass wife saved our daughter, herself and her brother."