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Protect Me-Chapter 5
Actually wrote this last night but had to get Bri's approval.
Chapter 5
January 26, 1974-5:30 AM
James opened his eyes when he heard a creaking, smiling when a naked Mandy walked into the room.
"Hey babe. Didn't know you'd went out."
"I wasn't feeling too great so I went out for a little run" she smiled, walking over to the bed and curling up next to him. James jumped when he touched her skin.
"You're freezing and wet."
"It's snowing."
He sighed.
"Would it have killed you to at least drop a coat somewhere you could find it so you wouldn't catch a chill on the way back?"
She smiled a little, nuzzling her nose against his neck.
"It was just an hour."
"Still, after what happened last time I don't want you taking any risks."
James regretted the words the second they were out of his mouth as Mandy drew away from him and her eyes watered. He wrapped his arm across her back.
"Gawd, I'm sorry Mand. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just saying..."
She sniffed, nodding.
"I know. I worry about it too, but I don't want that worry to control us. Either it works out or it doesn't, and if it doesn't we try again."
"How can you be so carefree about it?"
"I've lost enough children, I'm numb to it at this point."
James shuddered as he thought about the other children she had lost, holding her close.
"Okay, I'm sorry I brought it up" he kissed her forehead, running his fingers through her hair. Mandy sighed as his hand slid down to her neck, rubbing softly.
"It's all right. I didn't mean to freak out on you."
"It's fine luv, I understand" he started kissing down her face, just reaching her neck when the door opened. Mandy sighed and sat up, glaring at Shannon.
"What does Mastah Demon want with me now?"
Shannon glared.
"He said to come into his room and put on a nice skirt. And put on that dumb collar too" then she slammed the door shut again.
James sighed, moving aside so Mandy could get up and get dressed. Then he stood up, walking around behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist after she’d slid into a black skirt.
“Be careful” he whispered. She smiled weakly, turning around to kiss him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be okay”
James sighed as she left the room, praying to every god that she was right.
“What is it Brian?”
Brian looked up with a smirk on his face.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
“What?”
“Sit.”
Mandy rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed three feet away from him. Brian leaned forward, stroking her hair.
“You look nice.”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.”
“Fine. Now…how do I bring this up nicely…I’ve noticed that you’ve been getting up earlier in the morning.”
Mandy tensed slightly. Dammit. She thought he’d been asleep all those times when she’d had to run to the bathroom. In fact the few times he wasn’t she’d thrown up in the wastebasket.
“Headaches.”
“Mmm hmm. And I bet that’s why James has been getting so touchy?”
She sighed.
“All right Brian, let’s stop it. Why do you care? Your career’s down the tubes anyway, what does it matter?”
“The press is still watching me, Mandy. What do you think would happen to the little reputation I have left if my wife gives birth to an monster?”
“Brian…” she edged away from him, anxiety filling her voice. Brian just smirked and grabbed her by the leather collar, dragging her back.
“I’m not going to do it myself, Mand. I’m just going to help Mother Nature out a little” he reached over to the bedside table while holding Mandy with his other hand. He drew back a syringe and placed it against her arm.
“Now hold still.”
Mandy tried to jerk away but it was too late. First everything went black, and then what felt like only a couple seconds later, a sharp pain tore through her, making her cry out in pain and fear.
James started when he heard Mandy’s yell, a cold sweat breaking out on his face and palms. He left the bedroom and, making sure none of Brian’s cronies were around, went down the hall to Brian’s room.
He beat his fist against the door, trembling in anger.
“Open the fuck up you bastard!”
Surprisingly, Brian opened the door with a smile.
“She’s all yours.”
Too concerned with Mandy’s welfare to worry about killing Brian now, James shoved past him to the bed. A knot filled his throat as he saw her, knees bent to her chest, whimpering and crying. He turned around to see that Brian had fled, not like he had time to deal with the bastard anyway. He hastily grabbed the phone by the bed, sighing when he saw Brian hadn’t been smart enough to sever the cord, calling an ambulance. He managed to keep a fragile hold on his emotions until the dispatcher got all the information she needed, and then he dropped the phone on the mattress, laying by Mandy with nervous tears trailing down his face.
“Mand?”
She whimpered, looking at him with hazy eyes. James swallowed, stroking her hair.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
”Gave me drugs to…to make…” she cut off then, but James didn’t need her to continue
as she let out another sob, arms wrapping around her waist. He wrapped an arm around her, sniffling into her hair.
“It’ll be all right luv. Help’ll be here soon.” and yet, for once, he couldn’t find any way to make himself believe the promise. If he’d been scared the last time, he was fucking terrified now. Last time it had been only Mandy he was truly worried about, but this time he could lose her and his child. If anything happened to either of them, God help Brian if they ever came face to face again.
January 26, 1974-5:30 AM
James opened his eyes when he heard a creaking, smiling when a naked Mandy walked into the room.
"Hey babe. Didn't know you'd went out."
"I wasn't feeling too great so I went out for a little run" she smiled, walking over to the bed and curling up next to him. James jumped when he touched her skin.
"You're freezing and wet."
"It's snowing."
He sighed.
"Would it have killed you to at least drop a coat somewhere you could find it so you wouldn't catch a chill on the way back?"
She smiled a little, nuzzling her nose against his neck.
"It was just an hour."
"Still, after what happened last time I don't want you taking any risks."
James regretted the words the second they were out of his mouth as Mandy drew away from him and her eyes watered. He wrapped his arm across her back.
"Gawd, I'm sorry Mand. I didn't mean to upset you. I was just saying..."
She sniffed, nodding.
"I know. I worry about it too, but I don't want that worry to control us. Either it works out or it doesn't, and if it doesn't we try again."
"How can you be so carefree about it?"
"I've lost enough children, I'm numb to it at this point."
James shuddered as he thought about the other children she had lost, holding her close.
"Okay, I'm sorry I brought it up" he kissed her forehead, running his fingers through her hair. Mandy sighed as his hand slid down to her neck, rubbing softly.
"It's all right. I didn't mean to freak out on you."
"It's fine luv, I understand" he started kissing down her face, just reaching her neck when the door opened. Mandy sighed and sat up, glaring at Shannon.
"What does Mastah Demon want with me now?"
Shannon glared.
"He said to come into his room and put on a nice skirt. And put on that dumb collar too" then she slammed the door shut again.
James sighed, moving aside so Mandy could get up and get dressed. Then he stood up, walking around behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist after she’d slid into a black skirt.
“Be careful” he whispered. She smiled weakly, turning around to kiss him.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be okay”
James sighed as she left the room, praying to every god that she was right.
“What is it Brian?”
Brian looked up with a smirk on his face.
“I need to talk to you about something.”
“What?”
“Sit.”
Mandy rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed three feet away from him. Brian leaned forward, stroking her hair.
“You look nice.”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.”
“Fine. Now…how do I bring this up nicely…I’ve noticed that you’ve been getting up earlier in the morning.”
Mandy tensed slightly. Dammit. She thought he’d been asleep all those times when she’d had to run to the bathroom. In fact the few times he wasn’t she’d thrown up in the wastebasket.
“Headaches.”
“Mmm hmm. And I bet that’s why James has been getting so touchy?”
She sighed.
“All right Brian, let’s stop it. Why do you care? Your career’s down the tubes anyway, what does it matter?”
“The press is still watching me, Mandy. What do you think would happen to the little reputation I have left if my wife gives birth to an monster?”
“Brian…” she edged away from him, anxiety filling her voice. Brian just smirked and grabbed her by the leather collar, dragging her back.
“I’m not going to do it myself, Mand. I’m just going to help Mother Nature out a little” he reached over to the bedside table while holding Mandy with his other hand. He drew back a syringe and placed it against her arm.
“Now hold still.”
Mandy tried to jerk away but it was too late. First everything went black, and then what felt like only a couple seconds later, a sharp pain tore through her, making her cry out in pain and fear.
James started when he heard Mandy’s yell, a cold sweat breaking out on his face and palms. He left the bedroom and, making sure none of Brian’s cronies were around, went down the hall to Brian’s room.
He beat his fist against the door, trembling in anger.
“Open the fuck up you bastard!”
Surprisingly, Brian opened the door with a smile.
“She’s all yours.”
Too concerned with Mandy’s welfare to worry about killing Brian now, James shoved past him to the bed. A knot filled his throat as he saw her, knees bent to her chest, whimpering and crying. He turned around to see that Brian had fled, not like he had time to deal with the bastard anyway. He hastily grabbed the phone by the bed, sighing when he saw Brian hadn’t been smart enough to sever the cord, calling an ambulance. He managed to keep a fragile hold on his emotions until the dispatcher got all the information she needed, and then he dropped the phone on the mattress, laying by Mandy with nervous tears trailing down his face.
“Mand?”
She whimpered, looking at him with hazy eyes. James swallowed, stroking her hair.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
”Gave me drugs to…to make…” she cut off then, but James didn’t need her to continue
as she let out another sob, arms wrapping around her waist. He wrapped an arm around her, sniffling into her hair.
“It’ll be all right luv. Help’ll be here soon.” and yet, for once, he couldn’t find any way to make himself believe the promise. If he’d been scared the last time, he was fucking terrified now. Last time it had been only Mandy he was truly worried about, but this time he could lose her and his child. If anything happened to either of them, God help Brian if they ever came face to face again.